Have you ever talked to somebody about climate change or global warming or any other hot topic that’s melting ice caps and glaciers, and then quickly regretted it? It’s easy to find “experts” on these topics. Everybody has an opinion, and everyone thinks theirs is best. Not only that, but a lot of people think they have the exact answer to saving the Earth from … Continue reading A complicated issue

You just finished all of your studies for the night and you decide to make a quick run to the Caf. Along the way you notice that one girl from your 10:30 a.m. class. Beth is her name, right? Oh yeah, she had that great question in class today I thought was hilarious. As she gets closer, you take a quick glance to see if … Continue reading Just passing by

Growing up in the West, my family spent a lot of time in state and national parks. The catch phrase of Smokey the Bear, “Only you can prevent wild fires,” was instilled in me at a very young age, as well as the lesson that one should leave a campsite better than one found it. It was our responsibility to take care of these special … Continue reading Only you can

War is a bloody game of numbers and strategy played with the lives of soldiers as game pieces. However, those playing the game never consider that these pieces are living beings who give their lives so that a pretentious few can attempt to force their ideas across the line once negotiations and peace talks fall apart. War is a game that shouldn’t be played at … Continue reading Obama on Syria

As a self-declared religiously unaffiliated libertarian, I am frustrated by the lack of options available to me in the political arena. I don’t fit neatly in the lines of either the Democratic or Republican party, so I usually research candidates individually without consideration for their party affiliation. Over the past few years, however, I have felt increasingly isolated from the Republican party as their positions … Continue reading Rise of the religiously unaffiliated

When I started college three years ago, one of the biggest things I struggled with was studying. In grade school, my parents were always hounding me and at work I had a boss directing me. But in college I had liberty in pretty much everything I did. I could choose whether or not I did the reading, worked on homework, and even if I went … Continue reading I’ll write this title later

On Monday, Sept. 16, Mike Billington ‘02 from The University of Minnesota’s Raptor Center presented a pair of eagles to students, staff, and members of the public in Olin’s Auditorium on the Gustavus Adolphus Campus. This educational program was directed to the students of Dr. Richard Leitch’s Environmental Politics class and was sponsored by the Environmental Studies Department as well as the Margaret A. Cargill … Continue reading Lead bullets are poisoning bald eagles

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about our lives as stories. It’s a concept I learned as I spent the summer before my senior year of high school in Washington, D.C. at the Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference. Our lives tell a story whether we realize it our not. Everyone has a story to tell. While in Washington, D.C., surrounded by 50 aspiring … Continue reading A story worth telling

It read, “Her resignation is effective immediately.” Chaplain Rachel Larson served the Gustavus community for 12 years, yet the only information released about her abrupt departure is a 190-word email that was sent to Gustavus students, faculty, and staff this summer announcing her resignation. Sent June 28, 2013, the day following the 764-word email announcing President Ohle’s retirement which described his 5 years of service … Continue reading Undeterred and unsatisfied