Who is Annie Glidden, anyway? You know, of Annie Glidden Road? What about Lucinda? Ever since moving to DeKalb to attend NIU, I have wondered who these two women were and why they were important enough to have busy streets named after them. I say this...
I don’t like using quotations, I don’t like seeking “expert opinions,” and I don’t like that we’re taught to believe other people’s ideas add credibility or merit to our own. To contradict myself in the most profound way possible, allow...
When, in our last Perspective meeting of the fall semester, fellow columnist Cody Laplante pitched his column idea—that an inexpensive, thoughtful Christmas gift is always better than a thoughtless, yet expensive one—I was overwhelmed with the intensity...
Many times this year have I heard the infectious pop groove Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People. However, a couple weeks ago I heard it in a way that shocked me—on the radio, with “gun” and “bullet” censored. I couldn’t help thinking that...
Cody Laplante “In free governments, the rulers are the servants and the people their superiors and sovereigns.” But this phrase of Benjamin Franklin’s has lost its meaning in government. It is true that we still determine the jobs of our leaders....
On the third floor of Reavis Hall, twenty-something 20-somethings had read a fictional story I wrote, in a particularly good week this semester, when a burst of optimistic energy overpowered my perpetual introverted cringe. The students of Writing Fiction...
Our right to petition is guaranteed to us under the First Amendment, but I think it’s gone too far. In later November, a petition was filed to President Barack Obama for the removal of Jerry Jones, owner and GM of the Dallas Cowboys. The petition cited...
With less than a month until Dec. 21, it’s time we got serious: Are we prepared for the coming of the end of days? The apocalypse is lingering just around the bend, and we’ll have to be ready to experience some serious first world problems: No more...
It’s about that time of year again: Finals week is almost upon us, the semester is ending, and oh yes, that wonderful holiday is just around the corner--Xmas. No need to read that twice, I said Xmas. Now, before you write that wonderful introduction...
Even baby Jesus can’t come without controversy. For the 17th time, the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) has placed its “Natural Nativity Scene” in the first-floor rotunda in the Wisconsin State Capitol, located in Madison. This scene depicts...
10. Volunteer: Several sites suggest spending time helping others over the holiday break. Contact Toys for Tots, United Way or a local food bank. I’m sure they won’t turn down whatever help you can provide during this busy season. 9. Start a blog:...
For some, staying up all night to do homework is unheard of. I used to think that, but only until I took on four studio art classes at NIU. Art students are a special breed of human. Although people of all majors have been known to stay up all night writing...
