Today’s column is going to be a little different. In a month from now, hundreds of Gusties (including me) will graduate from this institution—a thought big enough to shake the usual coherence from my writing style. First thought: what next? We all have plans—some more concrete than others—but there are a lot of things to think about. We live in boxes and for the last … Continue reading Examining life in disarray
It’s around a month until we all say our good-byes for the year and 75 percent of us will get to see each other next year. Dear Seniors, I can’t relate just yet, but seeing you all have minor and major meltdowns is making me seriously nervous. It’s amazing how easily I forget that I can’t be in college forever. Why can’t the best four … Continue reading Frozen at 20?
Every year around this time, some controversy seems to erupt that gets everyone on campus talking. Past wars of words have ranged from college administrative politics to missing newspaper conspiracies. This year, the point of contention materializes in the question: “Can we be good without God?” It goes without saying that the formal debate addressing this topic on May 15 will hardly come close to … Continue reading Believing in responsibility
Sunless tanner makes me smell like Cheeze-Its. I discovered this in high school. When spring had arrived and heavy winter layers were shed, I would lather my body in sunless tanning lotion, not wanting to hurt others’ eyes (or my own) with my stark paleness. But the lotion must have had a funky reaction with my body oils, resulting in an aroma on my skin … Continue reading How not to greet spring
In the past few weeks, advertisements sponsored by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes have been placed around campus announcing a debate: “Can we have Good without God?” If you have seen the posters, you may have noticed the deliberate WWE-style “in this corner: the ex-pastor atheist” VS. “and in this corner: the moral Christian Athlete” format. Clearly, we’re meant to think that on May 15, … Continue reading Can we have Good without God?
I hate Fair Trade. Maybe hate is too strong of a word. Let’s try again. I do not, nor will I ever, agree with Fair Trade. Fair Trade is one of those things that sounds like a good idea at first blush. Instead of paying the lower price for goods produced from “exploited” labor, let’s pay a higher price for the goods and the extra … Continue reading In which our hero voices an unpopular opinion
Hello Gusties! It seems that my favorite thing to write about lately is splashy, bigger topics. In the last column I wrote, I came out to all fifteen or so of my readers SPOILER ALERT saying: I’m gay. Let me then preface the title with a description of what I am not doing: I am NOT agreeing with the positions Phil takes. Quite often I … Continue reading Defending Phil Cleary
Following a past week’s article on words, this week I’ll focus on action. Using the narrative third person, I’ve written this piece. 2011. The date typed on the page no longer sparked her memory. Unlike 1998, 2001 or even 1989, 2011 brings to mind few thoughts beyond confetti of the millennium and perhaps the pleasing, parallel rhyming of two 1s next to each other. The … Continue reading A mirror for the twenty-first century
There’s a big why in the world. Aristotle remarked that we never can know a thing until we know why it’s there. We can know its form, its composure, its construction, but until we know its function we cannot understand the thing. “Why,” it seems, is tantamount to our finding meaning and purpose in the world we live. Why is a hard question to ask. … Continue reading The big Why
There are some things that I would like to hide about myself. I have a few guilty pleasures, a couple little obsessions and one or two nasty habits that I indulge in behind closed doors. Conversely, I have a few things that I absolutely detest, yet pretend to adore for the sake of others’ opinions and my own reputation. For example, I really try to … Continue reading What you will or as you like it
