Candid candidates
When I read in the October 7, 2011 edition of the Maroon that with 20 contenders the class of 2015 had tied the record for first-year College Council bids, I was conflicted. On one hand, this...
View ArticleWhere the Fund goes to die
The idea behind the Uncommon Fund—to encourage the creation and funding of student projects that follow the uncommon tradition—is so wonderful that it almost defies criticism. Consequently, one could...
View ArticleDon’t burn down Pierce
It was just one of those Wednesdays. Having been up late working the night before, I hit the snooze button one too many times and got up just in time to run to my early class without a second to spare....
View ArticleCarving out more turkey time
“Change of plans. Coming back to Vegas tonight!” “Back in Vegas for the week. Time to relax….” “VEGAS BOUND!!!” “Vegas wat up.” The preceding is a random selection of Facebook statuses posted by four...
View ArticleDon’t judge a building by its façade
For every intimidating, gray, castle-type building on the University of Chicago’s campus—there are more than a few—there always seems to be something well-placed and relatively new that adds a splash...
View ArticleSubject of my affection
Bell curves are a pretty big deal around here. That’s not a particularly contentious claim—curves are a hallmark of higher education and are a good way to keep things difficult, yet in perspective. The...
View ArticleHating the player
Super Mario 64 is the greatest video game ever made. Yeah, I said it. And if you disagree, you’re wrong. If you just spat out your Froot Loops and emitted some angry sounds vaguely resembling the words...
View ArticleThe real problem with “#FirstWorldProblems”
It’s not easy coming up with column ideas. Even with the righteous fury of youth on my side, I still frequently struggle at the crucial moment to think of discussion-worthy things that get my goat....
View ArticleO-Issue 2012: Chicago’s South Side
Maybe you don’t quite see it now, but there will be many moments in your future when the persistent, healthy need to get the hell out of Hyde Park will strike you. You will no doubt be told many...
View ArticleNatural male enhancement
You know, guys, I’m turning 20 in a few months. And it’s scaring me—the thought of no longer being a teenager, specifically. The presumed stupidity of adolescence is a hell of a buffer to have...
View ArticleLooking for context clues
“Read that word right there again for me,” I said, pointing to the page before us. “Skill? No, scale.” “Scale. OK, cool. Can you tell me what that means?” “Scale… ohhh, I know. A scale is that thing...
View ArticleA state of unrest
Now, it is winter. We’re all freshly returned from a break which ideally consisted of at least enough rest and relaxation to make the next 11 weeks seem like a sensible endeavor. I, for one, just spent...
View ArticleAchieving affordable child care at the U of C
The past few weeks have brought signs of hope for the long campaign to bring affordable child care to the University of Chicago. First, there was the patch of construction on 56th and Drexel that...
View ArticleSurface tension
I’ve never liked small talk. Idle chitchat. Elevator bullpucky. Whatever you want to call it, I’m not a fan. I suppose it’s a necessary evil, but I have a suspicion that that’s only the case because...
View ArticleSASA defends spring show
This past Saturday, the SASA show went pretty much as expected. People came, ate dinner, and watched a few dances and vocal performances. There was a slight hiccup when we found out about the loss of...
View ArticleCentering around progress
A fourth-year member of Students for Health Equity (SHE), I became involved with the trauma center campaign three years ago through Fearless Leading by the Youth (FLY), a group that has been advocating...
View ArticleMarketplace value
“See you at Cobb at 1:15. I have brown hair. I will be wearing a green jacket. My phone number is….” What would normally read as a very impersonal last message on an online dating Web site before an...
View ArticleWhen trust falls
The stairs in Pierce Tower are extraordinarily terrifying. I have no time for its crawling deathtrap elevators, so I spend a lot of time in its narrow, unadorned stairwells. As a clumsy fellow, I...
View ArticleOnce an ally, not always an ally
Let us talk about a state where LGBTQ rights are very good, but where others’ rights are not so well maintained. A state that simultaneously allows some young women to love one another while...
View ArticleSummer Musings: A scholar’s playscape
You are one of four people sitting in your house lounge on a Friday evening. All work quietly, sharing that diffuse bond—that fleeting, delicate, constant, delicate, polarizable attraction—that unites...
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