Goodbye UNCG

THE RIGHT ANGLE: Goodbye UNCG - Opinions

I have a slight confession to make: I never expected to graduate from UNCG. No, I wasn't planning on dropping out, nor was I just sure four years would seem like an eternity. I just always assumed I'd transfer to some other school, specifically Wake Forest or Chapel Hill.

Of course, there were several reasons I chose UNCG. It was close to home and quite well-known for the career path I was aiming toward at the time (education). But we all know things don't always go entirely as planned. And looking back on the last four years of my life, I can't imagine having ever wanted to go anywhere else.

UNCG has brought me some of the best times of my life. Nearly every part of this campus holds some special memory for me. Living in Cotton Residence Hall my freshman year, I met my friends Courtney and Eileen, who I consider to be two of the most important people in my life. For four years, those girls have stood by me no matter what, and I honestly cannot imagine what my life would be like without them.

And, while it is true that I have enjoyed my social life at UNCG and made life-long friends, I actually came to college for educational reasons. Part of why I wanted to transfer so badly was the fact that I did not feel challenged by my classes, nor did I feel much of a connection to the faculty teaching them. Looking back, I realize that my problem was mostly with the entry-level GEC requirements, which I would have had to deal with no matter which school I attended. Once I had more freedom to take the classes I really enjoyed, everything changed.

I'm sure this might sound biased, but I think the Political Science Department has some of the best professors in the school. I've always held my teachers to a high standard, because I believe anyone can just teach facts to a classroom of students, but a great teacher is one who really touches your life somehow.

When I think of the professors who have been the most important to me during my college career, Professor Colbert is almost always one of the first on my list. This is probably because he taught the first two political science courses I ever took, and he's one of the major reasons I fell in love with that department. Professor Colbert's teaching style is one of the most enjoyable I've ever witnessed, and his comfortable sense of humor makes you feel like you've known him for years. He was like the light at the end of the tunnel during my GEC semesters.

Dr. Prysby, in the same department, would also definitely have a place on that list. Dr. Prysby has always seemed concerned and interested in my life goals, and he's always been there for me, whether I needed help with my student organization, emergency academic advising, or advice on life after graduation. And I'd have to give Dr. Showden a place on that list, because she is at least partly to blame for many of my more liberal political views. I'll never know what possessed me to sign up for my first women's studies class (Women and Politics), but I do know it was her that made me stay. Her open-minded approach to all opinions voiced in her class made me realize that there is always more than one side to an argument.

But far beyond the classroom, the unique opportunities I was offered at UNCG have taught me more than I ever expected to learn in this short amount of time. A lot of these lessons were not learned the easy way, and at the time I only saw how much I was inconvenienced. In fact, several of my friends have suggested that I spend my last column telling off everyone who has made my life so much harder while at UNCG.

But the truth is, the adversity I've faced here has probably done more to mentally prepare me for the real political world than anything else. So I really need to thank everyone who has ever tried to undermine me, who has ever spent hours attacking me on my blog (or writing about me in their own), or who bothered to join that hate group about me on MySpace. Every single obstacle I have gone through has made me stronger, and I'm thankful for it.

I can't imagine having had a better college experience, and it is my sincere wish that all other UNCG graduates be able to say the same thing. And if you haven't yet reached the end of your time here, try to make the most out of it. Join a student organization, or try to make a difference for an issue you are passionate about. Have a problem with a school policy? Join with others like yourself and try to get it changed. There are thousands of ways to make your mark on this campus and to feel like you've made a difference, but none of them will come by sitting on your couch watching MTV.

Whether you read my columns because they made you angry or because you agreed with me, thank you for doing so. Every single one of you has had a significant impact on my life, and I could never thank you enough. I came to UNCG because of its location and reputation, and I stayed because of so much more. I wish all of you the best in life, and I hope you all will remember UNCG as fondly as I will. Thank you, UNCG, for the best four years of my life.

Immigration Questions Need New Answers

THE RIGHT ANGLE: Immigration questions need new answers - Opinions

You can't turn on a 24-hour news network these days without being bombarded with images and stories regarding the recent illegal immigration problem in America. The proposed solutions to these issues range from completely ridiculous (building a wall on the border) to the completely unacceptable (granting amnesty to all illegal immigrants).

Illegal immigration has been quite the hot-button issue for some time now, and that won't likely change anytime soon. Spartan TV President Denise Jones interviewed me on the issue a few weeks ago, and asked how I felt about some of the proposed solutions to the problem at hand. I explained that the idea of attempting to end illegal crossing of our borders by simply building a wall or fence would be a complete waste of time and money. Does anyone really think this idea will work? I can think of about a thousand places our money would be better spent. On the other hand, I can't fathom anyone thinking that there isn't a problem with the current situation. It makes one wonder why we even have immigration laws at all, if our government is just going to allow people to break them and even organize huge protests against our laws after illegally entering the country.

Unfortunately, it seems there is no easy answer. I pride myself on having a solution to everything (no matter how unrealistic it may be), but when Jones asked me what I felt should be done regarding the issue, I found myself shaking my head and replying, "I have no idea."

Although most stories on illegal immigration deal with states along the border, North Carolina has more than its share of illegals. According to a study published July 26, 2005 by the Pew Hispanic Center, six Southern states had Hispanic populations that were growing at twice the rate of the country's. And not only was North Carolina one of those states, the study pointed out that we actually have the fastest growth in the entire country. The report did not fail to mention that the majority of this population does not speak English, not that this was a surprise to most North Carolinians.

The stereotypical redneck cry-of-outrage is, "They're taking our jobs!" That argument is a constant source of ridicule and parody, from the infamous South Park episode where outer space aliens invade earth, causing American citizens to run around screaming, "They took our jobs!" to the online Maddox cartoon depicting two Mexicans pointing to a white man and proclaiming, "Quick! There's an American! Let's take his job!" To justify this response, the pro-illegal immigration side has attempted to make it common knowledge that illegal immigrants aren't really taking jobs away from Americans.

This interesting little tidbit might not be as true as you all think. Recently, illegal workers have been taking jobs traditionally held by American teenagers. Employers are favoring these illegal workers because they are able to work longer hours than teenagers and they do not have to mold their work schedules around classes or homework. An anonymous commenter on a local blog recently gave a perfect example of this hiring bias by stating, "I hire a hispanic[sic] over a white person whenever given the opportunity� White people think they are above doing actual work� And I don't like to hire black people either because they don't do what you tell them, they get defensive when you use authority to get them to do something."

How can we not think this is a problem? Many teenagers from lower-income families find it necessary to contribute to their family's income through these jobs. With this influx of illegal workers, these same teenagers will be forced to make a choice between staying in school and keeping a job. Is this how we teach our children the importance of education? Take into account that at the same time the illegal immigrant population is growing, so are our college tuition rates. Faced with ridiculous tuition fees and less jobs to choose from, many lower-income teenagers see college as an unattainable dream. And we wonder why the high school dropout rate is so high.

The situation is outrageous, but so are many of the solutions. Many claim that we should grant amnesty, since America is a nation of immigrants. But these people also seem to ignore the differences between legal and illegal immigrants. We can't ignore that this is a problem in today's society. There has to be an answer to this pressing issue, but it's certainly not one that has been presented yet.


I received an amusing response to this article. Two days after it came out, I was walking to my 9am Political Science class, when I was spotted by two African-American female classmates who had already made their feelings about me known during the Angela Davis debacle. In an immature move, they waited until I was about to walk into the building to rudely push themselves in front of my path, pretending not to see me. Rather than stoop to their level, I rolled my eyes and let them get a few steps ahead of me. Annoyed that they had not received a response, they made a point to stop right in front of the stairwell (blocking my own access), and loudly point out a pro-illegal immigration poster which had been hung by the ISO. "Aww, poor little immigrants!" one girl exclaimed. "They're so cute! I wish I could help more of them." She the proceeded to "pet" the Hispanic girl on the poster with her finger while her friend laughed loudly.

It was then that I realized, if my opinions can piss people off so much that they revert back to middle school, I must be doing something right.

First Amendment Applies to Conservative Speech Too

THE RIGHT ANGLE: Freedom applies to conservative speech too - Opinions

On April 12, Erskine Bolwes was inaugurated as president of the UNC-system. The ceremony was held at UNCG's own Aycock Auditorium and was preceded by a parade leading down Spring Garden Street, where many students lined the streets to welcome Bowles to our university. One day earlier, a student organization hung a banner in the Elliott University Center to greet Bowles in a very different way. The banner, which was visible the moment one walked in the front of the EUC, read, "College Republicans welcome Senator President Erskine Bowles... Someone had to hire him!"

Most people, including Bowles himself, realized the sign was simply poking fun at Bowles' two failed Senate campaigns. Others were not quite so enamored with the sign, saying it was "disrespectful" or "inappropriate." One of these people, a faculty member from the Bryan School, actually took down the banner on the day of Bowles' inauguration. The banner was soon found and returned to its rightful place, and the faculty member was told it is not his place to make that decision. Ironically, Bowles found the banner so amusing that he personally asked the College Republicans if he could have it to hang in his office.

This stunt couldn't have come at a better time. The very next day, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Tim Johnston hosted an Honors Coffee with the topic, "Does UNCG welcome the expression of conservative opinions?" It ended up being more of a discussion than a speech, but enlightening nonetheless. Being one of only three openly conservative students who attended, I actually did a lot of the talking.

The reaction was not what I expected. I had come ready to fight with whomever dared tell me I was imagining this liberal bias in academia. To my surprise, Dr. Johnston as well as the other faculty in attendance seemed shocked to hear how openly biased some professors are with their classes. There seemed to be a general consensus that this was to be somewhat expected, since 90 percent of the faculty at this university tend to be left-leaning. However, it was generally agreed upon that professors never have the right to ridicule their students for their beliefs. I entertained them with several stories of my favorite sociology professor who enjoyed making fun of me and my arguments on a daily basis.

Almost two years ago, I wrote a column on liberal bias at UNCG, and I had to go looking for feedback. I asked students in my political science classes (both conservative and liberal) and other random students around school if they thought their professors tended to be more welcome to liberal comments than conservative ones. As a result, I found several conservative students who pretend to be liberal while in classes with liberal professors, and liberal students who admitted there was clearly a bias in their favor.

I can't be sure what it is that's changed. Whether professors have become more blatantly liberal, conservative students have become more angry and fed up with the bias, or Facebook has just made it that much easier for people to contact me, not a week passes that I don't receive several IMs or emails about ridiculously liberal professors. Not many go into detail, but they'll say things like, "Why does my Spanish teacher insist on telling us why we shouldn't have gone to war with Iraq? You should write a column on this." Some of the best messages came back in January and February when students would contact me to let me know their professor was ripping my Angela Davis columns apart piece by piece, and that it had absolutely nothing to do with the topic of the class.

Now, I'm all for freedom of speech, and I would never advocate putting restrictions on what anyone can say (nor would I say we should use affirmative action to hire more conservatives, as one person suggested at Honors Coffee), but I would hope our professors could do the same thing. And if some of them are so intent on turning us all into bleeding hearts, they need to realize they'll catch more flies with honey. Many of my views on women's political issues have indeed become more liberal since taking a Women and Gender Studies course with a professor who was very open to discussion about other sides of the issues. And because my ideas were respected, rather than simply squashed because of their inherently anti-women, right-wing qualities, I was more likely to respect other views on those same subjects, which made a lot more sense than I cared to admit at the time.

Professors that refuse to hear conservative arguments in their classrooms are only teaching their students to be more close-minded. The students who were already liberal to begin with become more liberal, feeling justified in doing so. Likewise, the more conservative-leaning students band together and become more conservative because they are being attacked from every angle. The end result is fewer moderate students, and every little thing becomes a political war.

And, after being here for four years, I've found I learn more under professors who are less blatantly biased, I've learned who they are, and I've succeeded in filling my schedule with their classes.

However, not all the blame can be placed on professors. Conservative students who refuse to point out their views in class for fear of ridicule don't have very much room to complain. You can't accuse a professor of being liberally biased if you don't at least try to point out the inequalities.

Two years after my first "liberal bias in academia," I realize my anger isn't over having conservative views silenced in the classroom; it's having anyone's views silenced. We're here to learn, and learning means being able to take all views into account. Professors shouldn't make fun of our opinions or try to make us feel we'll be graded down for not agreeing with them, but students should also stand up for their own ideas in class. If we don't exercise our freedom of speech, we'll have no reason to complain when it is taken away.

Breaking the Party Lines

THE RIGHT ANGLE: Breaking the party line - Opinions

Last week, UNCG's PRIDE group held its annual PRIDE Week, a celebration of the GLBT movement in America. They featured a different event each night, including concerts, discussions, and special speakers. Although I was unable to attend all of the events, I did make it to a few of them, including Tuesday night's "LGBT Politics Panel" and Thursday night's "GLBTQQSA� Huh?!" both of which were extremely interesting and enlightening events.

Now here is where everyone gets confused. I did not attend these events to protest the so-called "homosexual agenda" or to cause any sort of trouble. I went because I support the GLBT movement, and I consider myself a straight ally. For many young Republicans looking to someday break into the world of real politics, you might think this is career suicide, but I don't see it that way. The times are changing, and the political parties are too.

A couple years ago, I worked for the Republican Party during the 2004 elections. I spent a great deal of my time volunteering with people who were about my age, and whose views, like my own, seemed a little more socially permissive than the average Republican's. However, whenever an older person would ask them how they felt about allowing gay marriage, they would always answer more conservatively than they had when they were around their peers. My answer never changed, however, and I like to think that I was respected, by both groups, for being firm in my beliefs.

I believe then as I believe now that marriage, of any sort, should not be defined by the government. Marriage is a religious sacrament, and by allowing the government to define and control it, we are violating the separation of church and state. Many people will tell you they oppose gay marriage because of religious reasons, but with so many religions now openly allowing gays and lesbians to participate in marriage ceremonies, how do we pick and choose which religion (or more appropriately, which denomination) to mandate the norm?

I certainly don't want the government telling churches what they can and cannot preach and practice, and along those same lines, I don't want the church to control the government. I realize that this nation was founded by Christian beliefs, but it was also founded by people who wanted the government to stay out of religion. But when you have an issue like that of marriage which is clearly a legal and religious conglomeration, you're going to have people getting pretty upset when the government suggests changing anything about it.

There's a solution here, and although it may not be simple, it makes sense. Take marriage out of the government's realm and keep it in the churches (synagogues, mosques, etc) where it belongs. In its place, the government should legalize civil unions for all couples consisting of two consenting adults. This way, each church can decide how it chooses to define marriage, and "married" couples can still receive legal benefits.

And if America refuses to take my idea seriously (President Bush rarely gives any feedback on my weekly columns), then people should at least open their eyes and realize that change is coming. This issue, like many others throughout history, seems to be generational, as I saw in my dealings with young Republicans in 2004. Our parents' generation may be vehemently opposed to same-sex marriage or even homosexuality in the same way that THEIR parents' generation was opposed to interracial marriage or feminist movements. The truth is, social norms and traditions change with each generation. Only forty years ago, there were still laws banning interracial marriages; do we really think gay marriage will never be a legal reality?

In a column last July, I wrote about how many gay Republicans I seem to come across, and since then, that number has grown. Former PRIDE President Chris Wood is not only openly gay, he's openly Republican, and religious as well. Wood recently told me about a local Catholic priest who referred to the New Testament as "the greatest love story of all time." Wood then stated that, "It's hard for me to believe these fundamentalists who are using [this] to justify hate and oppression."

And he's right. People use the Bible to both defend and attack homosexuality, but every passage used can be turned into a question of translation or historical connotation. However, the message of "love your neighbor" radiates loud and clear throughout the entire New Testament with little question as to perspective.

Even young conservatives who continue to oppose gay marriage seem to agree that civil unions (where homosexual couples are given similar rights as heterosexual married couples) are an acceptable alternative. And while this may not be true equality, it's much more than the current national parties are willing to give, and further proof that the times are changing.

There is no doubt in my mind that gay marriage will be legalized within our lifetimes. The question is how long will we continue to let the government hold us to certain (and possibly misconceived) religious standards? And how long will we continue to treat an entire group of people like second-class citizens?

Affirmative Action Speaker Meets Packed House, Closed Minds

THE RIGHT ANGLE: Affirmative action speaker meets packed house, closed minds - Opinions

Race issues, as I mentioned in a column just a month ago, are some of the trickiest and most sensitive topics out there. Unfortunately, race seems to play into some of the most widely-discussed matters, including affirmative action, immigration, and, at UNCG, the SGA elections. White people often hesitate to comment against a lot of these issues publicly, for fear of being labeled a racist. When I took this job two years ago, I decided to avoid most of these subjects for that very reason, although that apparently went down the drain when my Angela Davis column was published. And now it seems I can't stop writing about them. My friends are praying for me, and my editor is pretty sure I'm insane.

But the issue of inequality is something I'm very passionate about. I recently did an interview with Spartan TV concerning affirmative action, immigration, and gay rights, mostly because the other College Republicans declined to comment on the issues, for the very reason I stated above. To me, affirmative action just seems to lower the bar for minorities and women, and while it may appear to help them, in reality, isn't it doing little more than assuming they can't do things well enough on their own? As a woman, I feel quotas are a slap in the face, and an assumption that maybe I couldn't get a job in this "man's world" without any help.

Last week, entrepreneur/entertainer Reginald Jones gave a speech at UNCG entitled "Betrayal: Sold Out by the Civil Rights Movement" which was co-sponsored by the College Republicans, the Young America's Foundation, and the Office of Multicultural Affairs. Jones is an African-American Libertarian and a 25-year veteran of the entertainment industry. He is very much opposed to affirmative action, and he bases his beliefs on the way he worked his way to the top from humble beginnings in the South Bronx. Listening to his speech last Tuesday night, I realized that I wasn't alone in my views on these issues, and that having these views did not make me a racist, as some people might claim.

As you can imagine, the response to Jones' appearance was not entirely positive. This is partly due to the advertisements that wallpapered academic buildings to announce his speech, which bore controversial messages, such as "Minority? Democrat? Why?" In fact, the fliers were torn down at an amazing rate, and many people wrote answers on them or comments such as, "Does anyone else find this racist?" One person even "cleverly" made their own posters to combat the originals, which read "Demo-Minority? Autocrat? Why?" I am still perplexed as to what that means, and I welcome any explanations.

Now I know people don't like to hear views which disagree with their own, and I expected a rather small turnout based on this theory. I was partly right. The audience would have been rather pathetic had the African-American Studies Program not urged their students to attend the speech. The end result was a good crowd which held many viewpoints different from Jones'. Unfortunately, we can't be entirely sure how much of an effect that had on anyone in the audience. I sat in amazement as UNCG students, during the speech, reacted loudly in disagreement to Reginald Jones. "Redneck" and "race traitor" are only a few of the terms I heard thrown out as a reaction to his views. I know it's human nature to celebrate ideas that we agree with and to ridicule those we don't, but I also know if I can sit through an entire Angela Davis speech and keep my composure even as the audience stood to cheer and applaud her "Let's impeach Bush NOW!" line, Tuesday night's audience could have held in their rude comments until after the event.

Now whether or not Reginald Jones could hear the comments or not, they are nothing he hasn't heard before, and he continued with his speech without missing a beat. Other schools who have hosted Jones have said that he loves the question/answer session, and that he will debate everyone, and this event was no exception. In fact, the question and answer session ran so long that most students had to leave during it, and Jones did not leave the building until 10:30 p.m. Unfortunately, the majority of the "questions" from the audience were not questions, but rather comments regarding the problems people had with Jones' point of view. There were many intelligent responses to his speech, and a few that were a little "out there", including one College Democrat (who happens to be white) who stated that we should just "overthrow the government and kill all the white people." When Reginald Jones refused to humor him with a response, the audience overwhelmingly denounced Jones' "racism" and claimed that he would have responded to a black student who had made this same statement. Now, I'm not sure what part of Jones' speech made everyone think that he would promote that idea, or that he is racist against white people, but that seemed to be the group consensus.

I have to say, I expected a passionate reaction from the audience, but I never expected what occurred. An African-American Studies lecturer, Tracy Salisbury, who credited herself with bringing so many students to the speech, used a majority of the question and answer time to argue with Jones. Regrettably, there was little debate in what she said. It was mostly just anger or accusations at the fact that he was supposedly avoiding answering her questions. Salisbury seemed upset that Jones wasn't able to answer very many of the students' questions, yet she managed to interrupt several students and Jones himself on many occasions. She stood up and yelled her comments at Jones in what seemed to be a very unfriendly manner, all while proudly proclaiming that she is a UNCG lecturer and even lamenting the fact that there are rarely any white people in her classes.

After the speech, several students informed me that they were embarrassed by this lecturer's conduct, and I can see where they are coming from. I expected students to react in this manner, but I never thought a lecturer, someone who should be representing UNCG and its faculty, would put on such a show. If Ms. Salisbury is really concerned about the number of white students who take her class then perhaps she needs to stop blaming racism and look at the way she sells both herself and the African-American Studies Program. In last month's column, I asked why white students don't take AFS classes, but I think I got an answer to my question Tuesday night.

Senioritis Setting In

THE RIGHT ANGLE: Senioritis setting in - Opinions

Back near the beginning of last semester, I wrote acolumn about how badly I had senioritis. But now that I'm less than two months away from graduation, I realize that I could never have known how bad it would eventually get.

Senioritis, for those of you who are completely lost, is that state of mind that sets in the closer you get to graduation that causes you to just stop caring. It's that mindset of, "Ahh, who cares, I only have two months left anyway." There are varying levels of senioritis, and it can set in at different times. In fact, I'm fairly certain my roommate is starting to get it, and she's only a junior.

Senioritis takes away any motivation to do schoolwork, and we all know most college students don't have enough motivation to spare. It turns that late-night study session with your classmates into gossip hour, and even though you know you should be spending your time trying to find a good job for after graduation, you're much more concerned with finding an affordable beach house for after graduation.

Yes, I've fallen victim to every single one of these characteristics. But there's more at work here than just the promise of graduation and freedom. Senioritis weakens the system and leaves students more susceptible to Internet Axis of Evil: MySpace, Facebook, and blogs.

Now I have a MySpace page, but I basically stopped using it after I realized just how many insane people there were on that site. Facebook, well, I've decided that Facebook eats time, and literally. I mean, one minute I'm looking at a friend's photo album, and the next thing I know, it's five hours later, and I've gone through my entire friends list and coded how I knew everyone.

Yes, I think we can all agree that Facebook is evil, but a necessary one. After all, if I wasn't able to communicate with classmates through Facebook, I might be forced to use a phone or some other ancient form of communication. And where else can you befriend George W. Bush, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, and Jesus Christ all at the same time?

Of course, I know I might spend too much time on Facebook, but it's nothing compared to the amount of time I spend reading and posting on blogs. I've had a blog of sorts ever since sophomore year when I started my Livejournal so I could have a place to rant about the exceedingly liberal writings of the Carolinian.

But my blogmania didn't really start until recently, when I switched my blog over to Blogspot. Blogspot, it turns out, is releasing my inner nerd. Not only am I posting and responding more frequently, I'm finally teaching myself basic HTML. Yeah, I know it's sad, and I've had people offer to help me, but I find teaching myself is so much more rewarding.

Aside from just being so much nicer than Livejournal, you can find a blog for pretty much every active UNCG student on Blogspot, or so it seems. And because you can give access to several posters all on one blog, it's perfect for student organizations, such as the College Republicans (uncgcr.blogspot.com) and the College Democrats (uncgcollegedems.org).

Okay, so yes it can be argued that the Internet is leading to the downfall of society, what with the fact that we can communicate with millions of people thousands of miles away and never have to leave our desk, all while completely losing the art of real conversation. At this point, I'm far too addicted to live without it. Also, my senioritis is telling me that I don't care.

Eh, I only have a little over a month left anyway...

It's Only College: I Realize This is Supposed to be Practice for the Real World, but There Comes a Time When You Must Draw a Line

THE RIGHT ANGLE: It's only college - Opinions

"You shouldn't take life too seriously. You'll never get out alive." -- Ryan Reynolds as Van Wilder

I have to say, I never expected to begin one of my columns with a quote from a National Lampoon movie. But sometimes you find yourself in a stupid situation that can only be explained through a quote from a mindless college movie. That's where I'm at right now.

I've always been amazed by the number of college students who take themselves too seriously. For four years now, I've heard that silly statistic about how 60 percent of women meet their husbands as undergrads, and for four years, I've been urged by my fellow coeds to hurry up and find one. Now, I'm not sure what the real statistic is, as I've heard several different numbers from several different people, but numbers like that tend to send women into a panic. As a result, I've seen many desperate female college students spend more time trying to attract a mate than actually preparing for their own futures.

I'm not saying that doesn't work for some women, but if they're going to get terrified over that statistic, they should pay attention to the others. 50 percent of all marriages end in divorce. With that in mind, do you really want to spend your college years stressing out over some guy? I'm almost 22 and single, and the last thing on my mind is marriage. Don't take insignificant things too seriously this early on in your lives. Years in the future, you'll look back and realize how trivial it all is in comparison.

Recently, I've encountered another group of people who take themselves too seriously. After the last issue of the Carolinian, a certain Opinions columnist (ahem) was accused of "leaking" information about one of the SGA Vice-Presidential candidates. Because I repeatedly refused to "reveal my source", I've been constantly answering to student journalists trying to guess my source and my motives. I can't even tell you how many times I've been referred to as Judith Miller. And I really can't do anything but laugh about the situation.

We are in COLLEGE, people! I realize this is supposed to be practice for the real world, but there comes a time when you must draw a line. Everyone wants this to be such a bigger deal than it actually is. The truth of the matter is, the information I gave the Carolinian was public information which can be obtained by doing a simple Google search. Contrary to popular belief, this is not the equivalent of leaking the identity of a CIA agent. The identity of my "source" is unnecessary, and seeing as how the information was already public, I don't see what all the fuss is about. I don't even think it's possible to "leak" public information.

Among the students who want this to be so much more than it actually is was a WUAG reporter who had already decided what "really" happened. He went around the school interviewing students he thought were involved in a manner which can only be described as harassing, and attempted to prove his own story through very leading questions. I'm sure this is a good technique to use when you're involved in a real news story, like the Judith Miller case, but on a college campus you're not going to win any Pulitzers.

I try to not take myself too seriously. I'm the first one to make fun of myself, my columns, and my own beliefs, but even I found myself getting caught up in the campus drama. I let it interfere with my schoolwork, as I got stuck in a wave of non-stop interviews and meetings, trying voraciously to save my reputation. And then one night, a friend of mine told me, "You think this is bad? Wait until the New York Times is gunning for you."

In an instant, things were put into perspective for me. If I worry so much about what the college media says about me now, how am I ever going to make it in the real political world? That's when I realized how ridiculous it all is. I'm no Judith Miller, and this isn't going to ruin anyone's life. We are in college to learn about and prepare for the real world, and we can't let extracurricular drama control our lives.

So the next time you find yourself in a situation that seems to be taking over your life, try to put things in perspective. While boyfriend/girlfriend drama might seem like the most important thing in your life right now, when you're applying to grad school years in the future, you'll wish you hadn't let a stupid fight result in an F on that midterm. Chances are, these are the best years of your life, and you shouldn't waste them stressing over the little things. And so, I'll leave you with one more quote from Van Wilder: "Worrying is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do, but it doesn't get you anywhere."

Write that down.