Well here it is, my last column of the year. Crazy, isn’t it? How fast time has come and gone. I still remember sitting down to draft my first column, staring at the blank screen and flashing cursor. Typical me, I immediately became really stressed out and worried about what exactly I had gotten myself…
Author: James Vair
A senior majoring in Political Science and Communication, James hails from Omaha, Nebraska. He focuses primarily on the unique things that define our everyday lives.
An ode to Adele the truck
I’m convinced that cars have personalities—not the cute, cartoonish ones seen in movies like “The Love Bug” or “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.” Rather, I think that they take on lives of their own in subtler ways. My old truck is proof of this phenomenon. It was my first vehicle, inherited from my parents when I…
Roommates move apart
Office Manager Karen Bertek is looking forward to one thing about her new home in the Parke Student Leadership Center despite the impending stress surrounding the Student Affairs office’s upcoming move. “It’s nice that I don’t have her making fun of what I wear,” Bertek says, glancing toward her partner in crime Deb Mund. “When…
Travel reminders
During the past couple of weeks I’ve done a lot of traveling. I usually don’t travel much, so spending more time on the move is a different experience for me, and I’ve certainly enjoyed some time away doing something different. As always, packing for trips can be the most challenging aspect of one’s trip. My…
Early graduates face life hurdles
The end of any typical fall semester at Concordia is filled with many things, from the Christmas Concerts to the stress of final examinations. December can feel like a race to the finish, as students scramble to put final touches on papers and cram in last-minute study sessions. However, for Rachel Brady, this year things…
Validation
During one of our long bus rides on choir tour we watched the movie “The Help.” I hadn’t seen it before, and unfortunately halfway through the movie I fell asleep. It was not because the movie was boring, but because the bus ride was about 7 hours long. Needless to say, I was quite disappointed,…
Counseling Center experiences busier school year than ever
Sitting in front her computer, Concordia counselor Juihsien Kao pulled up her electronic calendar. Like a completed puzzle, countless colored blocks covered the screen, each showing an appointment with a student, meetings and a few spots set aside for breaks and lunch. As she clicked the mouse, the calendar moved forward to show pages and…
The wheel of history
In case you were curious, choir tour was pretty great. Although at times it seemed daunting, when things seemed too intense I just asked myself “When else during my life will I be able to drop everything and travel across the country for two weeks, singing in a different place almost every night?” Each performance…
Disconnect to reconnect
This past week I’ve spent most of my time in some form of transit. Whether it be on a plane, bus or car, choir tour is defined by a sense of constant motion. The daily ritual can seem like an endless cycle of repacking my massive suitcase and finding a way to get my seat…
Lessons on the road of life
Can you feel it– the change in the air, the upbeat conversations across campus, the sudden shift toward optimism? Yes my friends, it’s almost that time again: spring break. Although Concordia’s spring break, or “Mid-Semester Recess” as it is officially listed on the academic calendar, may seem to occur oddly early in the midst of…