Category: Columns

Last year was a great year for tech. We got the iPad, a slew of new Android phones, Microsoft Kinect, and the first-ever availability of 3D technology to the general public. But soon all of that will be forgotten as new devices and technologies find their way into our hands. The fun part of that…

Cell phones are capable of just about anything these days it seems. Instant E-mail and data, high-resolution cameras, video-streaming, Web surfing that’s close to a desktop browsing experience. And most of them are still capable of making phone calls too. If these standard features don’t do everything and more, there’s probably an app for whatever…

For much of my college experience, I’ve been far too preoccupied with a very narrowly defined notion of “productivity.” My involvement in scheduled activities like work, school and tennis practice was productive; anything else was not. I felt guilty for every moment I spent not working on or at something. Only now in DC have…

It seems that all of Concordia is in the midst of construction and renovation lately. Knutson and Anderson saw their massive overhaul a couple years ago. The Jake is being re-done with artificial turf and new parking lots. The science complex of Jones and Ivers have just announced their plans for a dramatic change of…

Many of us have learned to expect things from our friends and families as a demonstration of their love and appreciation for us, but why? How often are the material gifts we get things that we really need or even want? This holiday season, consider alternatives to traditional gift giving that will strengthen your relationships,…

I am thankful for Thanksgiving. Once every year, I get this chance to reflect on all that is good in my life. This year, my list is long. I am thankful for the computer I am using to type these words. I use my computer almost all day every day. Along with the internet, it…

The alarm on my iPod Touch rings me awake just about every morning, so it has become a natural transition to check my e-mail and Facebook messages before I even get out of bed. My morning’s breakfast is usually accompanied by a quick perusal of the New York Times headlines and the top user-submitted stories…

A recount? A recount?! For all the things we Minnesotans are able to get right, we can’t seem to be able to hold an election. Remember that eight-month ordeal we had to go through two years ago? Here it comes again. If you only heard of Minnesota from the news, it seems we’d be igloo-dwellers…

If you hadn’t yet known the theme of Concordia’s core curriculum, BREW week ought to have fixed that. Becoming responsibly engaged in the world. The phrase is in almost every course syllabus. Professors extol the concept. It is hard to go a week without being told to BREW, and yet it can be hard to…

By the time this article takes to light, the 2010 elections will have come and gone. It doesn’t always help to speculate about the future, but I’ll wager to future-me that the Republican party will retake Congress, and that a handful of Tea Party candidates will be represented among the winners. Many people would love…