Guest Writer: Isaac Derkach As a musical theatre major, it is expected of me to have some kind of summer acting work. Some go off to theme parks, others head for summer theatres and a few even land some purely musical gigs. Me? I get to spend my summers with some of the harshest critics and liveliest audiences. They are extremely demanding arts connoisseurs, but they pay well. There is no middle ground for them; you are either beloved or the scourge of the industry. Of course, I’m talking … [Read more...]

Guest Writer: Timothy Blaisdell In recent years, the fine arts programs in many schools including AU seem to be undervalued resulting in budget cuts, downsizing and in some cases, being weeded out altogether. At the end of my freshman year, several faculty members from various departments were let go; four of them were from the School of Music, Theater and Dance. I am a music composition major, so these cuts directly affected me since these were professors I studied under. I fully … [Read more...]

Guest Writer: Elli Brooks I have many fears. For instance, I am afraid of sharks, being buried alive, dying alone, sand and most of all, outhouses.  Outhouses haven’t always been a worry of mine until the summer of 2006 when I was around the age of six.  Let's start from the beginning. Every summer since I can remember, my whole family would go camping on my aunt and uncle’s farm. They lived on hundreds of acres of land, and they made a campsite off their creek where we would live off … [Read more...]

Guest Writer: Lucy Stultz Most developed countries have come to heavily depend on single-use plastic items. Water bottles, food packaging and countless other everyday objects are designed to be used once and then thrown away. However, these items will stay on Earth for centuries. According to National Geographic, “It’s unclear how long it will take for that plastic to completely biodegrade into its constituent molecules. Estimates range from 450 years to never.” Much of the plastic that … [Read more...]

Guest Writer: Samantha Kagey Seemingly small decisions about your water-dwelling pets can have big consequences. That’s why it’s important to carefully consider aspects of your aquarium habitat such as water temperature, tank size, decorations, filtration systems and water conditioning. Here are five tips that will help you raise happy, healthy fish: 1. Consider the type of fish you would like to acquire. Do you want cold-water or warm-water fish? The cold-water fish are those that … [Read more...]

Guest Writer: Jordan Flewellen Do you one day want to have a child? Today, women are expected to have children and be married. Some women feel like if they don’t have children, they are not accomplished or they won't find a sense of fulfillment. At the same time, there are women who do not want children and still feel a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment in life. Women have been told and shown in many areas throughout society that they should have children and stay at home to raise … [Read more...]

Guest Writer: Hope Lynn Brandenberger What’s the worst thing that could happen? Will your head pop off? This is such a silly question, one that may not make sense at first, but let me explain. I have always been an anxious ball of mental contingency. My mind is constantly moving and has been for as long as I can remember. When I was fearful or dreading the worst, my mum would say to me, “Hope, what’s the worst thing that could happen? Will your head pop off?” I don’t know where she … [Read more...]