This week Kim Kardashian bore all for Paper magazine in a photo shoot with the goal to “break the internet.” Kim is most known for her rear end, as well as having celebrity status largely attained from her family’s fortune. Kim, by exposing her rear, is playing into the current obsession with booty that is also notable in other aspects of pop culture such as … Continue reading Beauty, Body, and Contemporary Lies

Similar to that over-used Game of Thrones meme, finals are coming. It’s that magical     time of the semester when no one gets a break, and all that studying and homework just seems to pile up like an academic tsunami waiting to swallow you whole. It’s a time when people’s bodies and minds are pushed to the limit. A friend of mine has a … Continue reading Fighting through Finals

We tend to make things into idols. An example that comes to mind is the Egyptian Empire. Their gods were manifested into enormous stone carvings, draped in gold and jewels, and placed atop enormous marble pedestals. From this location they could observe their kingdom and the people below could stare and praise with wonder and awe in all that they were. Statues, that’s what they … Continue reading Pedestals

In the United States, we have a clear problem with how uninvolved our nation’s youth is in politics and civic activities.  At Gustavus we may have a higher rate of civic engagement than other areas of the United States, but we can always do better. There are great opportunities out there for someone that wants to volunteer or get more involved.  One of the best … Continue reading Get out and get involved

You may have heard a lot about the recent accomplishment from the European Space Agency (ESA): they managed to land a mobile laboratory on a comet in order to learn about its composition and date the contents of the comet. However, many people are unaware of the actual process of the mission and what it’s really for. Here’s the first mind-blowing fact: this project was … Continue reading Rosetta Has Landed!

If you’re familiar with Gustavus, you’ve probably seen or heard the slogan “Make Your Life Count.” What presumably enables Gustavus to make one’s life count is its liberal arts curriculum. Gustavus prides itself on small class sizes, student-teacher relationships, and personal growth. A liberal arts education introduces students to a wide variety of classes that provide a way to make sense of the world, while … Continue reading Vocation and Gustavus: What’s Next?

It seems like it only takes a sneeze for an entire building to be infected with anxiety these days. It only takes a walk down a dimly lit street, buying an airline ticket, or using your credit card on a website that may or may not be of reputable security to stir the first tendrils of fear in the pits of our stomachs. Even posting … Continue reading Nerves of Jello

Let’s look at a hypothetical situation. You’re diagnosed with a stage 4 malignant brain tumor and you’re told that the process of dying will take months. During this time, your bodily functions will slowly begin to fail as the cancer spreads and shuts down parts of your brain, until finally you are essentially in a comatose state, constantly in pain, waiting to die. What would … Continue reading The right to die

There is a cold hard truth men need to realize, and it is that the problems femminists are trying to solve are problems for men more so than for women. The way women see their bodies, how they evaluate their worth in the job market, the societal conformities placed upon them to be “dainty, kind, proper, and good at the home;” it’s all related to … Continue reading Femminism: a “Man” Problem