I’m sure we all remember the 2008 election, the year of hope, of change, of Palin. It also gave birth to the now famous slogan, “Drill, baby, drill.” While the slogan has receded in popularity after the BP oil spill, many Republicans still support the idea of increasing U.S. oil production by drilling more, as we saw in recent congressional debates about the Keystone pipeline. … Continue reading Should we drill in ANWR?

Has everyone seen the swimmers’ new t-shirts? They’re making quite a splash, primarily in the pool of intra-clique relations. There are clear social divisions on campus. The bros reign over the corner television, i.e. Broville.  The sororities and fraternities secrete themselves away in their houses. The swimmers and cross-country runners are infamous for their exclusivity.  And as in the larger society, the ostracized independents are … Continue reading You can sit here

I like LikeALittle. Really. Like, a lot. No, wait, come back! I promise I won’t make any more horrible puns. Or at least I’m pretty un-like-ly to. Like. At any rate, LikeALittle. For those of you unfamiliar with this popular flirtation facilitation engine, it’s essentially a website that allows you to post anonymous notes to your crush; whether that’s the blonde you’ve been edging toward a … Continue reading The sociology of LikeALittle

I once heard the phrase, “If everyone is naked, then nobody is naked.” You might be thinking to yourself that this is the most backward, nonsensical statement you’ve ever read, and you’d be right to. Nudity is really not a characteristic that can be looked at from a relative perspective. Academic progress, on the other hand, is one of many other aspects of society that can, … Continue reading Inflatable office space

Did you hear about the ultrasound law that was proposed in Virginia? It requires all women who seek an abortion to first undergo a mandatory ultrasound. The problem here is that the large majority of these abortions occur within the first ten weeks, which requires a vaginally penetrating ultrasound. This means that over 68 percent of abortions would require a transvaginal ultrasound, according to the … Continue reading Transvagiwhatnow?

It wouldn’t be much of a stretch to say that a large portion of our student body, particularly ones who were raised in Minnesota, identify as Lutheran when asked, even if they are not practicing Lutherans. If asked, I would identify as a Lutheran as well. But over the last few years, Gustavus and its many influences have challenged this. I freely admit that it … Continue reading A Lutheran love letter to atheism

Hello, boys and girls! The following informative presentation is brought to you by the fine people at Trojan! But not really. (Actually, sneaking into enemy territory with a present secretly full of ravaging warriors really doesn’t seem like the best image for a condom company.) Ahem. Anyway. You may have noticed a wonderful new television show gracing our airwaves lately. It’s a wild and raucous … Continue reading ACA, birth control and you