1. Italian. The whole language. I think there was a time last semester when I could have a fairly coherent conversation with an Italian citizen, but it turns out you can’t just jump back into that. Not that it kept me from trying... and making a complete fool of myself. 2. How to walk on cobblestones. Seriously?! I still don’t know how these Italian women do it in heels. I … [Read more...] about Living Abroad (Florence): 15 things you might realize you forgot upon returning to Italy
Plastic problems
You may have heard in the headlines a couple years back that a man from China has “sued his wife for being ugly.” Upon discovering that his baby was, in his words, “hideous,” he assumed infidelity on part of his wife, only to realize that she had in fact, been completely honest with him—minus the fact that she had undergone plastic surgery on her entire face prior to their … [Read more...] about Plastic problems
Gun culture and the Second Amendment
Since the devastating mass murder in Newtown, Conn., which took the lives of 26 people including 20 children, an estimated 1,502 more have died as a result of gun violence. This is the human cost of a weak national policy on gun control, policy that has been crippled by decades of lobbying by special interest groups like the National Rifle Association that claim to represent … [Read more...] about Gun culture and the Second Amendment
Whisper your criticisms
Something happened to me this weekend that nearly crossed the threshold of human experience into another transcendent plane of reality. I’m fairly certain that no one moment in the days and years to follow will ever eclipse the range of emotions I felt in this singular thread of time. I was sitting in the front row, enjoying the Theatre Department’s presentation of “Bus Stop” … [Read more...] about Whisper your criticisms
Seven classes everyone must take
Every major, in my humble opinion, has tremendous value and can offer something worthwhile and unique to the professional world. Hopefully, many of us have elected an academic path that rouses our inner passions, provokes intellectual inquiry and draws us closer to our career aspirations. Although it has taken a few trials and errors, the exposure to different disciplines has … [Read more...] about Seven classes everyone must take