Until Saturday, I'd forgotten how terribly fun - and just plain terrible - spelling bees can be. Let me start by saying spelling bees are one of the oldest forms of torture known to man, second only to medieval menaces like the thumbscrew and Grandpa Fred at a nude beach. I coordinated the Scripts Regional Spelling Bee this year, and more than ... [Read More…]

Springtime in the Big Country is fast approaching and that means two nuisances are imminent - muddy puddles and mosquitoes. As March and April showers soak the area, an army of pain-inflicting pests set up camp on the Hill. The next two months will be a constant battle as the mosquito air raid begins. These tiny creatures are an undeniable ... [Read More…]

At some point, I'm either going to have to stop attending Invisible Children events or stow away on a cruise ship headed for sunny Northern Uganda. Every time I watch a video or hear someone speak about the injustices perpetrated there - or in any number of countries - I feel compelled to fight it. I want to commit acts of greatness, of strength ... [Read More…]

I am currently suffering from list-overload. I can't remember where I wrote what down, when it's due or what list it's on. Heck, I don't even remember how many lists I've created in the past couple of days. Although my efforts to stay on top of my daily tasks are quickly vanishing amongst a multitude of little pieces of paper - and I'm afraid I ... [Read More…]

Dear Winter, It pains me to say this, especially since you have been an annual part of my life for more than two decades, but you need to go. It is time to move on. The winter wonderland that once made me think of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer now conjures up images of The Shining. I don't mean to be overdramatic, but I would probably equate ... [Read More…]

It seems the world is under siege. Earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes and mass death are dominating the news wires. In November, more than 140 people died in El Salvador due to flooding. In January, 230,000 individuals lost their lives in Haiti when a 7.0 magnitude rocked the capital city of Port-au-Prince. Last week more than 700 people died in ... [Read More…]

Americans prize freedom. They keep their finger on the legal trigger in case anyone gets anywhere near their rights. But when individuals prize the right to inebriate themselves beyond coherency and then drive a motor vehicle through populated areas, something is wrong. More than 11,700 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes in 2008, ... [Read More…]

My house was skunked early Monday morning. The wretched smell woke my three roommates and I shortly after midnight, right around the time one of my roommates drug her sleepy self into my room mumbling: "it smells awful in here". She climbed into bed with me as I shoved the corner of my comforter up my nostrils in an attempt to block my nasal ... [Read More…]

We've forgotten how powerful it is to keep our mouths shut. We forgot because we're forced to talk. I'm told my class average will suffer if I fail to speak up. What if I don't have anything to say? What if I don't want to spit out noise to ensure a class participation grade? What if I'd rather let my thoughts accumulate and open my mouth when I ... [Read More…]