Like many students at Gustavus, I am a devout Lutheran, and it’s a running gag for  Lutherans to poke fun at our Catholic friends every now and then. However, it must be understood that we should accept and tolerate others based on their beliefs, whether they be a full-blown theology nut or a staunch atheist. In recent months, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, better known as Pope … Continue reading Do unto others

Most people, if not everyone, have had very positive experiences at the zoo. They are popular tourist attractions because they are exciting for those both young and old. Who doesn’t remember seeing their favorite animal at the zoo as a child? Seeing the lions and the tigers, the wolves and otters, and all the reptiles and birds? But every once in awhile, you will catch … Continue reading Troubled at the zoo

You are in the library, third floor to be exact. You open your textbook, notebook, and laptop. You put on your favorite headphones. You take a deep breath and brace yourself for another long night. Two hours pass. Now three. Now four. You keep telling yourself you can’t stop until every page has been read, every question has been answered, every assignment has been completed, … Continue reading Developing your identity

We currently have a problem on our hands that affects our generation more than any other generation before us. It all comes down to health care. Even though this is a heavily discussed topic, I feel that with the recent developments of the health care debate, it is an issue that we can’t ignore any longer. In the past few weeks, a plan was made … Continue reading The president apologizes

The dating world is a vast and complex game of courtship and flirtation. Some are in it for a night or two, while others play for the ring. Whatever place you occupy in the strenuous, tedious, and occasionally rewarding system, one thing is certain: this dating stuff is just stressful. Phase one is all about expressing interest. Unfortunately, even the bravest Gustie lion heart can … Continue reading Dating tips from Molly

I am the John D. Rockefeller of the Caf. Or at least, that’s how I feel as the new month begins. I now have copious amounts of money left to spend on groceries that I don’t want and definitely don’t need. As I fly through the days leading up to the end of the month, I am left with so much extra money in my account … Continue reading Food for thought

It’s not hard to guess what stance Gustavus students, or any liberal-arts college students for that matter, would take when considering an environmental issue such as mining. Mining can pollute water and air and significantly alter a landscape. It is a common belief that industries are only focused on making money, and care little about the future of the environment. This may or may not … Continue reading People or the environment?

Recent months have revealed a mass revelation of intelligence gathered by the National Security Administration (NSA) leaked by whistleblower, Edward Snowden. The issue is that the NSA was wire-tapping  phones, hacking emails, and even using Facebook as a medium for creating behavior profiles for people in the United States and abroad. The rules were bent in favor of the NSA to invade the privacy of … Continue reading Surveillance on campus

I think about disposability a lot, about how we use a thing for a single purpose, for a moment in time, and then it is no longer any good to us. Plastic water bottles, grocery bags, a cardboard to-go container in the Caf. Every second, the United States throws away 1,500 plastic water bottles. Every minute, that is 90,000 bottles. In a hour, we throw away … Continue reading Reduce, reuse, then what?

Fifteen years ago this October, a man riding his bike outside of Laramie, Wyoming noticed a scarecrow tied to a fence. Upon closer inspection, he saw it was man laying on his side, hands bound behind his back and brutally beaten. It was the unconscious Matthew Shepard, an openly gay student at the University of Wyoming. The night before, the 21-year-old had accepted a ride … Continue reading The meaning of Matthew: fifteen years later