Year: 2014

The Scene newspaper office was buzzing with reporters and photographers on the morning of Feb. 19, when we received word of breaking news on campus. Police had taken several students into custody because of a possible gun threat. Members of our staff rushed to the cafeteria to find out what was going on. We hadn’t even finished reporting when we heard two more students were being handcuffed outside the theater building and led away. After all the dust settled, I finally learned what had triggered both of these incidents, and my stomach churned. Two fights had broken out on this campus within hours of each other, and both were cases of domestic violence. […]

I consider myself a pretty good student, always keeping my head down and my eyes on the prize. But I’ve got to admit that every year about this time, the A’s start turning into C’s … as in “C-ya later turkeys!” I mean, how am I supposed to concentrate when spring is in the air, flowers are blooming and all the little birds are frolicking just outside my window? I can’t help but daydream about a life without teachers or bosses or homework, a life where I could go outside whenever I wanted — the life of a farmer, the life for me. […]

It was a cold winter’s morning. I was doing my normal routine; rushing the kids out of the car into the school building. As I quickly made my way back to the car to avoid the harsh wind, something caught my eye. I noticed a little boy, maybe about 10 years old, playfully making his way to school. But on the other side of the street, something caught my eye and caused a silent alarm to siren inside of my body. There was a man dressed in dark attire who seemed to be keeping a safe distance behind the boy. He had the collar of his coat popped up, and he seemed to be keeping up with the child’s every move. […]

The alarm clock sounds, beginning a new day. After my morning ritual, I put on headphones and leave the house in a jolly mood. I arrive at the Metro bus stop as if I haven’t a care in the world, letting my music set the tone. A guy standing nearby starts moving his lips, hoping to lure me into a mind-twisting conversation. Not yet buddy, I’m still waking up. My chariot arrives, and I’m suddenly reminded of what I’m about to encounter: A commute to college on public transportation. I jump back a little to avoid being struck by the anxious bus driver. Giant tires splash a wave of slush onto the sidewalk, falling just short of my feet. […]

There’s no question that I’m addicted to technology. I love new gadgets and devices, and all those things that make our lives easier, while at the same time making life more complex and adding junk to keep on my person. In the past decade, we’ve seen the evolution of the smartphone, of motion-controlled video games, of 3D televisions, iPads and e-readers. Google has introduced its Glass device, a wearable computer that, while looking really, really nerdy, does a lot of cool stuff. […]