Letter From The Editor, Issue XI
Dear Reader, “What’s your major? And what exactly do you want to do with that?” Those are two of the most common, and perhaps also the most daunting, questions asked on our campus. Our campus culture assigns honor to those people who pursue impressive work – that can be due to the prestige of the…
The Freedom of Futility
I have often dreamt of an alarming scene: it is of a sailor lost on the stormy seas frantically trying to turn the great vessel against the waves to keep it from turning over. It is, as one might expect, a scene of terrible anxiety that does not easily leave my mind. This sort of…
A Letter To The Anxious and Weary At Heart
Dear friend, It’s been a hard year, hasn’t it? I see you, curled up alone on the floor of your bedroom, stifling your sobs with your hand so your family doesn’t hear. I see you, sitting numbly at your desk chair, wondering what all of this is for. I see you because I’m you, years…
Burnout
jaded metal covers me smothers me governs me dulling me catching no gleam of sun or whisper of transcendence no turning rote learning mind burning but I burn burn burn into the blooming vine into the evening shine into the sweeping Rhine burn burn burn into the lilting time into the wistful pine into the…
The Muddied Mirror
Bloody knuckles were common for him. Calloused hands and a tattered shirt shielded his skin from further damage, even as hats and sunscreen protected his already often burnt face. My grandfather was one of those stubborn types; the type who could be told to sit and would next stand simply to do something hard. He…
From The Non-Conformists To The Comfortable
A debate of unexceptional proportions rages around the casual observer every waking minute. It is a clash of ideals, of reality, of love, of purpose, and of allegiance. The very clothes we wear upon our backs carry with them mangled stories of modern oppression, slavery, and mistreatment. The faces we gaze into while ordering food…
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Ode To The One
deep blue sea blue under a desecrated rock I lie the mermaids do not call to me for I am no pearl of the sea how could I be? I am just a mouth embalmed in seaglass a pair of gray eyes looking from behind a stone statue but this is an ode to the…
The Sabbath: Reclaiming Rest
The Bible calls “the Sabbath” by many names: it is a blessed and holy day of rest (Genesis 2:3); a privilege reserved “for the people of God” and a taste of Heaven on earth (Hebrews 4:9); an act of trust in the power of the Lord (Ezekiel 20:12); a delightful and fulfilling day (Isaiah 58:13-14);…
The Root Of The Issue
“What is your why?” is the question my football strength coach belted at the eighty of us as he stood on the dewed soccer field. Six-thirty in the morning is hardly the time for deep psychological questions, and yet his timing could not have been better. His question introduced the next two and half hours…
Should I Work For Amazon Or A Non-Profit?
In August 2020, the Reddit forum r/AnywhereButAmazon was created with thedescription: “Amazon is convenient, but they’re not the most ethical company. Join us to find better alternatives.” [1] The discussion page quickly filled up with people asking for recommendations on other places to shop and posting news articles about Amazon’s unethical practices. The tech giant…
Hello Out There: The Case For Flexible Retirement
Retirement can suddenly alter everything about a person’s daily life. One could put in their initial notice of retirement, be given a “We’ll Miss You!” sheet cake from Publix, and then find themselves watching midday reruns of The Golden Girls on TV Land in less than thirty-days. This swiftness only serves to make one of…
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Decisive Risks
Risk is an essential aspect of work. Forbes magazine documents risk as a crucial part of business, from the proposal to choosing where to invest your time and money [1]. Plato analyzed the implications of vocational decision making, offering wisdom for people in need of guidance. Tao Te Ching in the East did similarly by…