I recently spent a semester on the Gustavus Social Justice, Peace and Development study abroad program in India. I learned a lot about justice in our world, but looking back on my experiences, one issue sticks out in my mind as one in which we all can make a difference. This is the issue of child labor. I came in contact with child laborers during … Continue reading Don’t buy from child labor abusers
It is too often that our desire to get new things exceeds our ability to pay for them. This is not only true for children at the candy store and adults in the electronics store; it is also true of our state government. Since 1960, Minnesota’s general fund budgets have increased by an average of 21 percent every two years. That figure is unsustainable. Because … Continue reading Minnesota state budget
Last year, the insurance companies gutted health care, the banks walked off with a trillion dollars in bailouts and oil coal, and nuclear lobbyists hijacked the clean energy jobs bill. That was before the Supreme Court recognized corporations as equal to individual citizens and effectively repealed all limits on corporate political spending. Everyone knows that it costs millions of dollars to run for political office. … Continue reading Campaign Finance
At Gustavus, many of us have erected a wall of antipathy toward each other and our differences. By exaggerating differences and divisions, this wall separates and paralyzes us from coming together on points of agreement in order to pursue practical progress and realistic reforms. The student-led Campus Initiative Program titled ‘Pathways to Progress’ is intended as a vehicle for tearing down this wall in order … Continue reading Pathways for progress
As we enter the flu season the media have reported numerous tips on how to stay healthy. While actively preventing illness is important to your health, there is another aspect which has received little attention. This is keeping track of your medical history so doctors know how best to treat you. According to a research paper published in BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, “in … Continue reading Flu Season
I would like to respond to the photo and caption in last month’s issue titled “Interpretive Center adds solar panels.” It was great to point that out, but the small caption didn’t answer any questions I had regarding the panels. So, I went to talk to Jim Dontje who is the director of the Johnson Center for Environmental Innovation. He is currently working on building … Continue reading Solar panels
I would like to thank the students of Gustavus for sponsoring the gubernatorial forum on Nov. 9. There have been a number of events across the state, and your forum drew the most and diverse number of candidates. The turnout at the forum was very impressive and it was encouraging to see that so many college students and local residents are interested in the gubernatorial … Continue reading Gubernatorial Debate
During the Nobel conference, I was ashamed to see the signs covering the pop machines that dispense bottled water. These signs stated that, in line with the topic of the conference, bottled water would not be sold on campus during Nobel. I like to think that Gustavus is the kind of college where we, as a community, act upon our beliefs, but apparently we did … Continue reading Bottled Water Initiative during The Nobel Conference
So Nicollet County has passed an ordinance stating that Gustavus must conduct noise pollution studies before it can erect even a single wind turbine. Don’t worry about the cars from Highway 169, sirens from various vehicles, trains that pass through the town with horns sounding (sometimes at night) or dogs from the neighborhoods that yap outside your Complex window that all are bound to occur … Continue reading Wind Turbines
Diversity is a word that we take pride in around this campus. Gustavus truly values diversity as a part of our community and how it fits into the core values of our College. To exemplify this, we have the unique Diversity Center, which provides a safe place for the open exchange of discussion about diversity. This fall, the student group InDepth from the Communication Studies … Continue reading Diversity Advocacy
