A Final Word

Andy Boden

Undergraduate/Political Science

Normally, I like to submit my best articles for the last issue of each semester in order to leave a lasting impression. I don’t feel like doing that this time. This time, I just want to submit something for the sake of submission, not so much for the sake of changing people’s minds, pointing out the flaws in other people’s arguments, or providing commentary on an issue. I can already tell you that this will not be one of my proudest articles, nor one that I will go back and read many times over (yes, I do read my own articles, I will admit to being a bit of a narcissist).

The "Sexual Depravity" debacle started 55 weeks ago and ended 12 weeks ago, but the whole thing is still fresh in my memory. My relationships with certain individuals have changed because of it. There are some people whom I have gained a lot of respect for, and some whom I have lost a lot of respect for. While this issue is, for the most part, in the past, I’m still dealing with the aftermath of it. The things that I have seen since then, whether they are related to "Sexual Depravity" or not, have time and time again caused me to stop to ask myself, "Wow, how on G-d’s polluted green Earth do I share the same institution of higher education with these people?" I will not go into specifics, though. Instead, I will save the specifics for my summer writing project, one that I will not share with the world (unless you pay me a large sum of money and promise not to get mad).

Either way, I’m exhausted. So as I crawl my way to the minimum word-limit, allow me to make the following suggestions. One, everyone should take PHIL 150. It is the most beneficial class one can ever take, and from what I’ve witnessed, many people need to take it. Two, 4/20 is NO reason to celebrate. After all, it’s the anniversary of Columbine. Three, if you believe in a higher being, that’s okay, but please keep it to yourself. You may think you know the "truth," but really, you don’t; no one does. Four, if you are a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment, make sure you understand the entire amendment. Five, diversity cannot be legislated. The best way to create a happy diverse environment is by exposing people to one another and having them interact through dialogue and face-to-face connections, not by forcing popular ideas on people.

I normally have a lot to say, but I just don’t feel like it right now. Instead, I’m going to dedicate this summer to my own self-improvement and hopefully, just hopefully, there won’t be any articles relating to "Sexual Depravity" when we get back next fall.

I’ll see you all then. Take it easy; I promise I’ll try to as well.


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