Don’t get me wrong: telephones are great. They allow us to throw our voices far out, far beyond the reach of our homes, our faces, our eyes. But with all due respect, Alexander Graham Bell has ruined everything. Sure, there were ways to violate the natural order before the telephone. There’s the letter, employed for…
Pop quiz: how much money do you have in outstanding student loan debt? If you’re anything like me, that question made you flinch. I want to talk about student loans this week. In particular, I want to highlight the report Are College Students Borrowing Blindly by Elizabeth J. Akers and Matthew M. Chingos, both of…
This piece discusses some of the issues raised in a previous letter by Professor Oksana Bihun. For the sake of clarity, the structure of this piece will mirror that of Dr. Bihun’s. I will preface my responses with a ‘thank you’ to Dr. Bihun for raising questions and creating discussion. That being said, I disagree…
As the routine of spring semester sets in and the days grow longer, the panic starts to spew in many seniors about their post-graduation plans. We’ve become accustomed to answering the questions from our friends and acquaintances about what we’re doing after college, and I know that at least for me, that vague answer has…
Welcome back to campus. With a new semester and a new year come new aspirations. I think I got a bit too insular with my column before. I want to take this time to refine my aim. I loathe the Concordia Bubble, and I want this column to help pop it. Let’s dive in to…
The walk to 8 a.m. class is the worst one of the day, for any number of reasons. It’s early, of course, and it’s cold – every year I’ve forgotten what twenty below zero feels like. But I wear my warm socks and drink coffee and that’s fine. The walk is long, but I can…
(Editor’s Note: This is my new column about gaffes in the media. It is meant to be humorous though I’m not sure it has achieved that goal yet. With each column I will analyze one recent blunder made by a public figure; these will often be politicians, though not always, as can be seen from…
I’ll say it if nobody else will. I have been intoxicated on campus too many times to count. I’m not saying this to boast or brag, but I want to bring up a larger issue and that is the issue of our dry campus. We all know the rule. Don’t drink on campus, otherwise you’ll…
December is here already. Our weather is Minnesota Mean, our campus exudes Christmas spirit, and our students prepare for break. Of course, a fog hangs over campus: finals. Researchers have linked finals to amplifying stress, feelings of depression, even asthma. In the next few days, finals will strain students’ physical and emotional health. In this…
President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin cannot catch a break. What does a Russian President need to do in order to recreate the Georgian Invasion of 2008 in Ukraine today? With the Georgian offensive, NATO and the EU expressed scorn but remained largely frozen in response. No sanctions, or foreign aid, AND Russia largely…