If you have had access to the Internet in the past few weeks, you have most likely been bombarded by the overnight sensation that is the Kony 2012 movement. Through the wonder of the Internet, the video driving this campaign was seen 71,000,000 times all over the world in less than a week since it was uploaded. The video, produced by the non-profit organization Invisible … Continue reading Addicted to awareness

Although the white settlers of Minnesota may have technically won the Dakota War, they may be losing the battle of memory. For the past 150 years the story of the Dakota War has mainly been told from the perspective of the white settlers. Recently, however, the story of the Dakota people, which had until now gone unstudied, has become the major narrative of the period. … Continue reading The battle of memory

Students of the liberal arts persuasion will often find the temptation to slack off on reading assignments rather hard to resist. If you attend Gustavus, you have probably heard something along these lines: “All we do in (insert preferred humanities class) is sit around and discuss (insert favorite abstract concept). I’ll just read the intro and conclusion and be fine.” There are varying degrees of … Continue reading The slacker paradox