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(10/08/08 4:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>We’ve all met a brilliant person before. If you’re lucky, you might even be one. But what exactly does that word “brilliant” mean anyway? Is it different for men and women?You better believe it.While “smart” girls are stereotypically reserved, finding it important to show their intelligence but more importantly their manners, “smart” boys are characteristically cocky. Confident and self-assured, they claim their place in the classroom. Never raising a hand to answer a question but always having much to say, they are unafraid to share their ideas, and more often than not, their jokes. They must always have the correct answer, but should never have to work for it. And, most importantly, under no circumstances should they actually enjoy class.This has long been the image in American culture. But, sometimes, I wonder if it isn’t dangerous. And I’m not alone. Sociologists have begun to argue that all these societal pressures are actually hurting our smart boys, forcing some to hide their true interests in order to fit the mold of an intellectual male. You see, smart boys are not simply pushed to succeed, but to succeed “like a man.” There’s no room for an affinity for poetry or an interest in exoteric philosophy. Math and science – with the ultimate goal of making a bomb or an airplane – now, that’s a man’s domain. And it’s not to say that some shouldn’t find science more interesting than literature, or that others won’t rather write a limerick. It’s just that we can’t allow cultural pressures to supersede our own interests. In a culture that is, at times, overtly anti-intellectual and covertly misogynistic, we cannot simply ascribe to the roles that are written for us. Come on “brilliant” boys. Follow your passions. Lose the arrogant facade. Be brilliant, as you see fit.
(10/05/08 10:56pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Declined. At first, I didn’t believe it.“Could you try again?” I asked, but the answer came back unchanged. There I stood, in the checkout line at Target, ashamed.My first month with a credit card, and I’d spent up to the limit. My mind was racing. How could this have happened? What did I even have to show for it? Oh crap! What would my parents say? Would they even have to know? How could it have gone so far so fast? It must have added up a little at a time: $14 at Little Tibet; $29.88 on ITunes. But how could I have maxed out?I’m not alone. 76 percent of undergraduates have credit cards. On average, we carry a $2,200 balance on them. I guess we just really like to spend. And it makes sense; it’s what we’re encouraged to do.Bombarded by advertisements and immersed in a consumer culture, we’re conditioned to buy. In fact, in the course of an academic year, the average university student will spend nearly $8,400 dollars on items unrelated to school. In light of the recent financial crisis, the monetary habits of Americans have come under much scrutiny. Pundits have chastised us for borrowing too much and saving too little.And it’s true: We do spend our money recklessly without giving much thought to the consequences. But we’re not careless with only our money. Think about how you spend your time. Like money, it’s limited, and what’s worse, we can’t even earn more of it. We have what we have, and that’s all. It ticks on constantly and indifferently, regardless of whether we want it to pass quickly or wish for a moment to last forever.So when it comes down to it, do you use your time how you want? How you should? Or, do you participate in activities because it’s expected of you? Or maybe just to build your resume? Or, how do you spend your energy? It’s just as limited, and in college it’s quite hard to find. If you’re constantly tired, worn-out and stressed, you must ask yourself: Why? Are you spending your time on what’s important, focusing on the things that matter to you most? Or do you spread yourself too thin, staying up too late, working too much? Our financial habits in the U.S. might be appalling, but how we spend our time and effort worries me even more. Credit card debt is a small problem compared to wasting years of our lives following the dreams of others. And a lifetime of fruitless days is far more frightening than a foreclosed mortgage.While one crisis (and one rejected credit card) has prompted us to critically examine how we use our money, let’s also scrutinize how we spend our time and energy. Let’s only keep those expenditures that are most meaningful and rewarding, that are consistent with our goals and desires for life.All others must be declined.
(09/22/08 1:49am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I’ve been scared to walk around campus lately – and not just because the Bloomington slasher’s still on the loose. In fact, there’s something far more frightening roaming the sidewalks of this great campus, something deranged and single-minded that terrorizes students who want nothing more than a peaceful stroll to their next class: political activists. Swarms of zealous college students have descended upon this University, each differing in political ideologies but all aflame with the life-or-death passion that characterizes a youthful party volunteer. With clipboards in hand and lapel pins aplenty, they’ve proclaimed their positions, registered students to vote and labored to persuade them to support their particular agenda.Rallying around a singular cause, the goals of the Party become supreme, sacred even. In this environment, partisan loyalties are magnified and fed, and tension between those of differing viewpoints inevitably follows. Now I must be clear. I love good, vigorous political debate. In fact, the exchange of ideas is essential and necessary – the key word of that sentence being “exchange,” which implies a give and take, a willingness to both convince and concede. But all too often, discussions become rants, and common ground is not reached because it isn’t even sought. The debate becomes bitter because each side holds the underlying assumption that their candidate, and only their candidate, can correct all that’s wrong in our nation. They look to their contender with hope and expectation. Victory becomes their sole purpose for existence. Schedules are cleared. Bags are packed. And friends and family are left behind as the games begin. And yes, who’s elected really does matter, but let’s put it in perspective: Politics is not the savior. The government is not my family. It cannot meet all our needs, especially those inherent human ones for belonging and fulfillment. Understand, it’s the best we have for deciding national policy and direction, but there are so many other things, more beautiful things, to give your life to – things of substance and worth that will last in this world and the next. And so I’m troubled when I see promising students my own age clinging so passionately to political ideology and, in the process, alienating other promising students their own age – individuals they should be learning from, not attempting to “school.” An active participation in politics is vital, but a healthy detachment is also necessary. When one becomes defined by partisan beliefs, when one becomes infuriated at the sight of an opposition candidate, when one sees himself as a liberal or a conservative or anything but a person who doesn’t have it all figured out, we all lose. We lose the humanity and acceptance that politics tries to provide. We lose the right to be unsure. At this age, or any age, it’s quite arrogant to claim all the answers. For the next few months, let’s resist the temptation to allow well-intentioned passion to turn to self-assured obstinacy. Because the scariest thing on a college campus is a 20-year-old student who thinks they have it all figured out.