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

I distinctly remember walking back to my dorm on Sunday, March 5 around midnight. Apart from the crunch of my shoes in the newly fallen snow and the passing of Campus Safety vehicles, the college streets were perfectly silent. An eerie orange glow reminiscent of ‘50s horror movies reflected off the buildings and snow banks. I tried to keep in the open, well-lit parts of … Continue reading Facing the fear