David Eide – Opinion Columnist In the past couple of months, I’ve been trying to get out and see more movies in theaters and I think it’s really inspired a deeper appreciation and curiosity toward the art of filmmaking.  In turn, this interest has spun off to include things that directly tie into films, in particular, the Oscars.  If you’re unaware, the Oscars, or the … Continue reading Oscar-vations

Houston McLaury – Opinion Columnist The modern world brings a multitude of wonders into people’s lives thanks to the advantages of modern technology. Items from phones to microwaves have changed lives in drastic ways, some improving life, while others tend to hold people down. One of these inventions that holds us down is the LED headlight. This light, straight from the fiery furnace, has ruined … Continue reading Blinded by the headlights

Gabrielle Lavan – Opinion Columnist We’ve entered into the stage of capitalism where we attempt to turn robots into sentient beings. Machines that can move, consume, and think on their own used to be a concept of the sci-fi-fantasy genre. Beloved fantasy worlds with sentient robots such as BB-8, WALL-E, and R2-D2 pique our curiosities because human-like robots are a spectacle. They’re confusing, interesting, and … Continue reading AI – friend or foe?

Jonas Doerr – Opinion Columnist  “What do you want to do this weekend?” “I don’t know, what do you want to do?” “I don’t know?” The conversants walk off and end up doing nothing that weekend. This situation has happened to nearly everyone. I’ll be a mind reader for a second; you have a hard time making decisions. Was I right? Nearly everyone does. One … Continue reading Why can’t we choose?

David Eide – Opinions Columnist  Having gone through three and a half years of it, I think it’s fair to now say that I have a pretty decent grasp on academia and the various institutions and systems that support it.  Overall, I’d say I’m quite satisfied with how academia functions, at least from the admittedly limited perspective of a student. That is not to say … Continue reading Academic grifting

Houston McLaury – Opinions Columnist  Over these last few weeks, with the release of “The Last of Us,” on HBO Max and its subsequent success in capturing the American audience, I have been forced to ask myself one question: why are the episodes so long? The first episode of the series, “When You’re Lost in the Darkness,” was 81 minutes alone. That’s just shy of … Continue reading One hour dramas, or the half hour sitcom

Gabrielle Lavan – Opinions Columnist Imagine that you are walking around campus for the first time. You walk through Campus Center and notice the names of certain rooms like the Konferensrum, you ask where the recital hall, Bjorling, is located as you try desperately to pronounce it correctly. After walking around for a bit, you notice posters around campus advertising Fika. You think to yourself, … Continue reading Is Gustavus still a Swedish institution?

Jonas Doerr – Opinions Columnist You see the message on your phone. Someone is asking about your availability this week to get maple bacon vegan donuts. Hmm. To go, or not to go? Better not to choose. You put your phone aside and decide to answer it later. Are you a bad person now? It’s easy to get an email or text and put off … Continue reading Are bad texters bad people?

David Eide – Opinions Columnist There’s a topic that’s been swirling around in my head for some time but I’ve always held back from writing on it for fear of inspiring too much controversy and backlash. What is this topic?  It is of course, my vast collection of pie hot takes, some of which may stun and amaze you. I have a healthy, or perhaps … Continue reading A perusal of pies

Houston McLaury – Opinions Columnist  For desserts, the Evelyn Young Dining Hall offers a multitude of choices. Cheesecakes, crumbles, cupcakes, anything to fill the heart of the young aspiring college student. Students often grab these desserts at the end of the day as a pick-me-up, something to reward their work during the day and to allow themselves a celebration of getting through their assigned workload. … Continue reading Why cookies are superior to brownies