The Thanksgiving Day season brings to mind the three F?s: Family, food and football, but also time to make up for three months of procrastination.

Procrastination is the word in college. Why do today what you can do on Dec. 8 at 3:30 a.m.? Term projects and papers are usually assigned in the first month of the semester, only to be ignored until Thanksgiving. This is when the reality hits that those three units aren?t guaranteed, but in fact, you have to actually do some work to get them. It doesn?t have to be the best work, but work just the same. It seems that in September and October, there is always something better to do than read 150 pages about how to write the optimum lead in a news story.

Come November, the fact that the assignments are not going to complete themselves becomes clear, but there is still over a month left to make good. And a lot can happen in a month.

But then Thanksgiving hits; the end of the semester counts down in days from then on. No time for mustard, just catch-up. Oh well, my term papers were probably more exciting than watching the NFL?s Cowboys and Lions, whom this year?s Sacramento State team could probably challenge, and actually try to win games. Well, another semester is just about in the books…

. . . One of the things that fell under “sounds better than studying” took place the week before Thanksgiving, as an old friend of Bob Marley gave a speech and lecture on the late musician?s life. The free event filled the University Ballroom and brought out hundreds of students, many of whom sported Marley-like Rastafarian hats. It was good to see an on-campus event that students seemed to support and enjoy.

Those in attendance got a real history lesson on the late reggae hero, and on what he meant to generations of people. The presentation made it clear that even though Marley died at the age of 36, he did not die in vain. He awoke and rallied millions, and ended up being a real leader to many African-American people. Ironic, considering that Marley had a white father.

Marley felt a real obligation to help those he saw around him and he did all that he could. According to the man who co-signed all his checks, Marley financially supported 6,000 people every month. Rather than live the life of a superstar, he chose to help others.

However, something disturbing came to mind as the journey through Marley?s life continued. How much more could today?s artists be doing to help the community, or even simply take a stand on an issue? Marley realized early on that he had an audience and a gift to reach millions of people, and he took advantage of it.

It seems the only time celebrity musicians take a stand today is for, at least partly, selfish reasons. Whether it is a money squabble with Napster, or bold statements speaking out against the paparazzi invading privacy, it just seems that, with few exceptions, current popular artists are much more interested in themselves than in others.

Marley would surely cringe if he saw that Fred Durst, singer for popular rock band Limp Bizkit, has done nothing more than get people to wear a red hat backward. Rapper Nelly has attempted to start a Band-Aide-wearing trend. Marley, would be 56 years old and disgusted if they were alive today.

Props to UNIQUE for arranging the event, and for keeping others like it coming.