daisy chain
On May 9, 1754, the first political cartoon to be published in America appeared in the Pennsylvania Gazette. It depicted a snake, chopped into eight pieces, labeled with the caption “JOIN, or DIE.” Accompanying the graphic was an editorial by Benjamin Franklin commenting on “the present disunited state of the British Colonies.”
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If employment’s not your thing
The time has come. Finals are upon us and graduation will soon be at hand. Since employment (for some reason) seems to be an unlikely possibility for me, I’ve decided to explore post-graduation plans B thru E. Sure they don’t have the prestige of attending “graduate school” or being able to “move out of your parents house,” but I think they present a host of wonderful options for those who dare to stray from the beaten path. Let’s take a look!
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Opening communication about mental health
In light of the recent passing of a valued member of our community, many questions have been raised about the general mental health of our campus. As a group of college students, striving to do well in difficult classes, challenged by the social scene of a small campus secluded in rural Iowa, dealing with growing up and leaving home, and struggling to find and embrace our individual personalities, it is all too easy for us to find ourselves depressed and stressed out. I have personally experienced these issues, hit rock bottom, and worked to overcome them as best I can, as have many other people. Unfortunately, the past year has shown that these problems have become too frequent and too serious. Conquering mental health problems can be very difficult when trying to work through the Poweshiek County Mental Health Center, a system designed for a rural farming community’s needs, not a college campus. Furthermore, due to a general lack of public knowledge about mental health, many people find it difficult to discover sources for mental care, and fear being stigmatized for their problems. It should be of grave concern to the community as a whole when society imposes a fear of finding help upon its members when they need it the most. Whether finding help means talking to a friend, an SA, an RLC, or seeking professional assistance or medication, it needs to be as socially accepted as stopping by the health center for cough drops and ibuprofen. We need to raise awareness and understanding of these problems, and start talking about solutions as a society.
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Seduction in the chaos
There is obviously only one redeemable use for the internet: to look at porn. Or so one might believe if one were to enter any number of internet cafes in Sri Lanka (or, undoubtedly, any number of dorm rooms at Grinnell). Partitioned off by carrel walls separating computer screens, or, in the most shady of establishments, separate cubicles with doors, businessmen, pairs of schoolboys in their virginal white uniforms, and the occasional monk are free to surf the cyber landscape of sensual delight. What to make of this clandestine foray into international comparative anatomy? It is but another byte Sri Lanka is downloading from the West (which is not to say that they don’t have their own plethora of local sites with names like “Golden Tamil Girls”).
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The mystery revealed
Well, Grinnell College, it’s been fun. Thank you for reading my column and for giving me material to write about. I’ll miss you guys. Now, however, I feel that it’s my time to go. I am 124 credits old, and I feel that age in my very bones. Where I’m going is very dark and very, very cold, but don’t worry about me, I have a degree in English.
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Letters to: The Editor
Setting facts straight
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Random Rants
Lack of buffalo mozzarella offensive
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