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

If there is one thing that philosophy classes and engaging in hot button discussions have taught me, it’s that strong opinions are a funny thing, and not suited for everyone or every circumstance. It’s not that I particularly like or dislike strong opinions, or even that they don’t have a place in writing and conversation, but strong opinions are like strong alcohols. Unless you are … Continue reading On Opinions

The fall weather brings with it midterms, an endless supply of Instagram photos of pumpkin spice lattes, and dreary clouded weather. It’s the time of year when students settle into their schedule and do their best to coast through finals and hope to make it through to J-term. This kind of complacency can feel incredibly satisfying; because let’s face it, writing an eight page summary … Continue reading Rekindling Your Fire

I used to love my smartphone. It’s a one-stop shop of entertainment, productivity, and procrastination. I loved being able to do it all on one device: play games, watch YouTube videos, listen to music on several different venues, take awesome pictures, answer an email within minutes of receiving it, and of course: Facebook. I am not the most internet-inclined person in the world, but I … Continue reading Unplugged

As college students, we are all aware that we are spending quite a bit of money to receive our degree. We get a nice little reminder once in a while to let us know about our student loans, outstanding student account charges, and all of that fun stuff. It can be very taxing and stressful for all of us, even with scholarships and aid. But … Continue reading Germany’s Putting Education First

Recently, the administration decided to not allow any further public gatherings in the cafeteria. Giving the student body vague explanations to justify such a radical and unforeseen change in a policy that affects a large percentage of the students on campus. Apparently one of the reasons for this policy change was that some members of the student body felt “uncomfortable” when some of these gatherings … Continue reading The Cafeteria and other gathering places