Even with the little thaw we’ve experienced this past week, I still need plenty of insulation to be comfortable outdoors. I’m not a warm-bodied person (although I was when I was younger, but that was when I was also much heavier … I mean, when I had more natural insulation) and frequently get cold—not just outside, but basically everywhere from drafty classrooms to my own bed. I could blame it on being tall and not having much in the way of hair on my head, but whatever the case, I need my insulation.

Of course, I’m thinking about other kinds of insulation, too. No, I daresay I couldn’t write a column called ‘Examining Life’ and not also be talking about a larger issue. Insulation is everywhere, and although I’ve talked about it for years with friends, I think it’s about time I write about it in the paper. We’re Gusties, used to wrapping ourselves in layers to brave the outdoors, but I think we’re also used to keeping ourselves insulated from things other than the weather.

Granted, I can think of scarce few organizations or institutions designed to be more insular than that of a small undergraduate college. Maybe the military or a monastery surpasses us, but that concept is also pretty explicit in the intent of those institutions as well.

I think it’s pretty fair to say, and I believe to our credit, that Gustavus emphasizes education not only in our classrooms but in our community. I think our liberal arts college gives us great perspective about what is out there to study and what sort of ideas are floating around in the world today. We even have great opportunities to experience quality music, dance and theatre (congratulations to everyone involved with the home concerts last weekend—we’ve never sounded better!) that most places don’t have. We also have great cultural exchange forums on campus to emphasize and celebrate the diversity among Gustavus students. We do a great job at allowing students to express themselves and experience a whole bunch of quality avenues of learning … so where’s my issue?

The moment that feels wonky to me is that realization of the separation of the ‘real world’ from everyday life. Perhaps my last semester is looming down on me, and I see the scary world out there ready to suck the fun out of life with jobs and taxes and bills (that definitely factors into my decision to pursue graduate school immediately). But even since my first year, I notice how often the world outside Gustavus gets and stays separated from life as a Gustie.

To illustrate my point, take a major news event and try to have a conversation with a Gustie about it. Say the name Mubarak and people might know that it has something to do with Egypt, but ask them to repeat the name back or give their opinion about the recent popular revolution in Egypt (or Tunisia), and I doubt you’ll be very satisfied.

Of course, one might respond back to me saying that world events aren’t particularly pertinent to us. Autocrat or Democrat leading Egypt—what’s the difference to us at Gustavus? Outside of maintaining an air of pretentious, worldly scholarship, being informed about the news (or just about anything in the outside world) might seem redundant or useless at Gustavus. Unless some Gusties are going to be studying abroad in Cairo, or someone’s family is being affected by the unrest, it doesn’t appear to have much pragmatic value to us on campus.

Don’t confuse me for trying to say that we are either too insulated, or not insulated enough, at Gustavus. Maybe the fact that we are insulated in a vast number of ways is interesting enough to spark your daydreams. The more I think about it, the more I am disturbed by the value of concerning myself with less, namely that taking a focused look at fewer things keeps life comprehensible. On the other hand, the feeling of comprehension is only achieved at the acceptance of ignorance. If we do not pursue understanding, we’ll leave every opportunity for positive change behind us, too. So should we all be infused with some proper “real world” news all the time (not Fox or CNN, but the BBC), or should we look to our community and fellowship to fill the space of our awareness? I don’t have a clue.