The young celebrity singer Justin Bieber recently made headlines for yet more infamous behavior. He was arrested for street racing his Lamborghini under the influence of a cocktail of drugs, including alcohol, marijuana, and Xanax. Bieber is just one of many young celebrities following this trend of childhood stardom to adult infamy. There have been previous complaints about the singer’s behavior, reports of spending time … Continue reading If you give a child star attention…

Though funds are often tight, college kids still seem to take meticulous care when it comes to selecting our wardrobe. Students want to look good, feel confident, and try to catch the attention of friends and potential partners. While it’s sensible for us to care about our appearance and style, it should also be a priority for ourselves to be knowledgeable about the brands we … Continue reading What am I really wearing?

Jeans have invaded our campus, our closets, and Gustavus. Sitting in the Courtyard, almost every person must be wearing jeans, and yet there is an obvious split in the fit and style of all the jeans I can see. The tighter, shapelier jeans, without exception, belong to the women; the looser, straight jeans belong to the men. Even those few guys walking around in skinny … Continue reading Who wears the pants?

Black Friday: a day following the time of thanks, in which we trample over complete strangers for cheap material goods. This tradition is rooted in the unspoken forbiddance of Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving. True to our nature, we’ve pushed the big shopping day up as far as possible. This year, some stores had the gall to open on Thanksgiving Day. With violence and chaos now … Continue reading So dark the con of shopping

Humans have always been interested in story telling. Everyone has a story to tell. Sure, not all stories are page turners or epics that burst with excitement (Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, for example), but they are still stories that need to be told. I find all stories to be worthwhile, even if I can’t finish them. It is still a story. Whether you know it or … Continue reading A writer’s guide to writing

College campuses are notoriously rife with expressions of nudity, and Gustavus is no different. Streaking is common across our campus; whether a public display at Midnight Express or a private run through the Arb, streaking is a tradition at our school, and we should not seek to shame, repress, or condemn it. Nudity encourages confidence, self-love, comfort in one’s own skin, celebration of the body, … Continue reading Comfortable without my clothes on

You just got back from a relaxing Thanksgiving Break, and for the most part, it’s been a decent week back. However, yesterday your professors reminded you that you can count the days until finals on both hands and that two of your final exams will be cumulative. If you were looking for an excuse to freak out, now you have one. Your weekend goes by faster … Continue reading Today, tomorrow, and everything in between

I’m sure everyone has noticed the dueling tablers outside the Caf. It’s the Tobacco Ban versus the Anti-Anti Smoking table. This is yet another admirable example of the Gustie passion for protest and petition-signing. Now, to be fair, I’ve only briefly discussed the issue with the tables, but I think I’ve got the gist of it, which has been dragged up repeatedly throughout Gustavus history. … Continue reading Smokin’ hot debate

Day to day I am faced with the dilemma of how to  communicate the necessity and immediacy of the accelerating climate disaster and the ongoing environmental degradation. Do I tell you to take off your shoes, burrow your toes, your fingers, your nose into the dirt, and relish the smell and feel of the earth as you did as an exploring, inquisitive child? Nature’s wonders … Continue reading Thoreau-ly consumed