There is nothing that heightens one’s nostalgia for spring weather quite like a snowstorm in the middle of April. The sun is shining, days are longer, birds are chirping and… there’s snow as far as the eye can see. Most Minnesotans are familiar with this kind of inconsistent spring weather, even though I’m pretty sure it’s been awhile since a snowstorm this big has hit … Continue reading More than spring cleaning

Perhaps the most asinine solution propped up by the thoughtless is to “ban” something. The United States banned alcohol in the early 20th century. Abortions were once banned. “Sodomy” can be added to that list. And, while we’re at it, might as well toss in birth control as well. It makes sense, right? If one wants to reduce an action, just use the brute force … Continue reading Save your smoking gun

The average woman can expect to lose out on nearly $500,000 in the time of her career. “According to new study of Census Bureau data from the National Women’s Law Center, the average woman will make $430,480 less than her male counterpart over the course of 40 years of work. For African American women, that gap grows to $877,480, while for Latinas, it adds up … Continue reading The world shouldn’t be a boys club

For the second year in a row, the President of the United States has proposed the elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts. Even though the NEA’s $150 million a year budget is but a tiny fraction of the federal budget, it has been under constant fire from many politicians ever since it was established 50 years ago as one of Lyndon Johnson’s many … Continue reading An education without the arts is incomplete

This year’s Minnesota winter has dragged on and on, and still continues although spring has already (officially) started. This year the cold weather and gusts of wind (it tends to be pretty Gustie up on the hill) kept me in my apartment for as long as possible. When the temperatures finally were no longer in the negative numbers, I jumped for joy. Dressed in my … Continue reading The long awaited Minnesota spring

It’s uncanny how many people assume I’m a fan of the  Big Bang Theory  when they learn how much of a fangirl I am. Even more interesting is their surprise when I tell them the exact opposite is actually true. A show focusing on characters sharing my interests and level of discomfort in new social situations would seem to be right up my alley. But, … Continue reading Exposing “nerdy misogyny” in television

They are ranked fourth in the nation. They participated in the Final Four tournament in Marietta, Georgia. They traveled to Ohio and Georgia on the road to the National tournament. They are the best Division 3 women’s team in Minnesota. They have two players that were selected for the Final Four All-Tournament team. The majority of their players did not play the sport before college. … Continue reading The unappreciated Women’s Rugby team

Opening yourself up to other people can be the scariest thing to do. This choice can also be the best decision you’ve ever made. I would not consider myself an “extrovert” or extremely outgoing. I don’t go out of my way to meet new people as often as I maybe should. But what I do pride myself on is really focusing on building relationships with … Continue reading It’s the little things in life

The moment senior year of high school rolls around, the only question that appears to be on the lips of every adult is, “Where are you going to college?” It was jarring for me personally when first approached with this question, sometime during my junior year of high school. At the time, college had only recently become a subject to start seriously considering and people … Continue reading Normalize Gap Years