According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, Northwestern University student Laura McGann recently uncovered a secret program by the FBI that put your federal aid forms into the hands of investigators searching for links between students and terrorists, providing yet another chance for America to take a moment to investigate the weight we place on privacy - and oversight.
At first glance, the legal issues raised by this most recent government gathering of information are different from some of the more sensational stories about wiretapping, bank account tracking or the release of search-engine data.
The aid forms do, after all, contain a disclaimer that the information could be used by law enforcement agencies - if "the information that you submitted indicates a violation or potential violation of the law."
But if the FBI is given access to every form, what constitutes a break from the law? And, more importantly, why weren't students notified that they were under investigation for reasons that are still unclear?
When those same students were young, they were most likely taught about the concept of transparency, although it wasn't packaged in such an intimidating ethical vocabulary.
They were told that telling a part of the truth can be just as bad as telling a lie.
They were told it isn't right to try to hide your actions, whether from your teacher or from your playmates. If those actions are going to affect someone, you should take responsibility in letting them know.
That lesson isn't one that you're supposed to grow out of.
If you end up in a position of public trust - as a politician or a journalist, for example - you shouldn't allow yourself to unfairly exert your power on others without any possibility of oversight.
That's why journalism's unofficial code of ethics calls for newspapers to avoid anonymous sources whenever possible and why our country took such pains to ensure a balance of powers in our institutional government.
It is the basis of our conception of democracy.
And yet we are blindsided by story after story of clandestine gatherings of information - information gathering that may be completely valid, but because it is cloaked in mystery, gains a sinister quality.
Whether these information grabs are wild goose chases or legitimate manhunts, every value that we are taught embodies America's views on the rights of the individual to cry out for an imperative to be issued requiring the government to let us know when we are under scrutiny.
