Guest Writer: Olivia Winslow The average person spends five years of their life on social media. That adds up to the average person spending over 100 minutes a day on social media.  In those 100 minutes a day, you are bound to post at least one thing on one of your profiles. A lot of times, people think “no one important is going to see this” or “no one is going to care that I post this.”  But the reality is the things you post now will follow you around forever.  A study shows that 51 … [Read more...]

Here we are. This is it. I have made it (both finally and, seemingly, in the blink of an eye) to the end of my college career. Many things have changed in my life throughout the course of college, although I regret to inform you all that I have failed to achieve my one goal (that is, to obtain my MRS degree). Regardless of these shortcomings, I am entering my final semester with the Andersonian empowered and thankful for the time I have spent in this office, where I have learned many ways not to … [Read more...]

This week Stars and Stripes across the States are set at half-staff in honor of the late U.S. Senator John McCain. McCain passed away on Saturday evening at the age of 81 after a year-long battle against brain cancer following his decision to discontinue treatment. McCain served as a senator for the state of Arizona for more than 30 years. As a member of the U.S. Senate, McCain was heralded as a bipartisan who was eager to work across party lines in service of the American people.  The … [Read more...]

Guest Writer: Josh Senft Why is it that we as human beings fail to offer each other the courtesy of being honest? Of being frank. Of telling hard truths.  Many of us walk on eggshells, cowardly, as though every critical word we utter will render deep, negative consequences or “trigger” someone.  Now don’t misunderstand me — mental health is a serious concern. I’m not saying we need to be callous. But our subjective definitions of callousness, of “hate" and being “offensive” are limiting … [Read more...]

This is my least favorite week of the year. For many, this week is overwhelming with assignments and last-minute preparation for finals. Although I can't say that I personally enjoy "Hell week," as it is so aptly called, I can say this much: academic Hell week holds no candle to the heartache that is watching your dear friends head off into the sunset. With only one semester left to tackle, I can't imagine how unrecognizable this place will be without so many people who have made AU home to me. … [Read more...]

College is both beautiful and destructive, simultaneously formative and calamitous. I realized recently that college has been damaging me. I have five tattoos, and three of them are strings of words that have impacted my life so strongly that I declared them worthy of staining my skin forever. The first of these is a gentle request: “may my soul resist the rush.” The second, lyrics to my favorite Billy Joel song, reminds me that it’s okay to live in the here and now: “Vienna waits for … [Read more...]

While walking down a city street recently, a member of the Andersonian staff encountered a woman, disheveled and worn-looking, sifting through a trashcan for plastic bottles and aluminum cans. The staffer, never having encountered such a situation, looked away and continued walking. After the staffer passed, the woman said hello to another passerby. When the person didn't respond, the woman said, "Why is nobody smiling at me? Is there something on my face?" Over the next few hours and … [Read more...]

Guest Writer: Zach Van Duyn To some, this opinion will be frustratingly insufficient and anodyne.  To others, some of my statements may provoke and breed resentment.  Overall, I’m taking an admittedly scatterbrained approach to describing where I believe humanism and Christian faith intersect, as well as the insufficiency of the former to lead us to eternal life. I’ll start with what I consider one of the most transformational and inescapably pervasive quotes ever uttered about my faith:  … [Read more...]

Guest Writer: Jake Mills Reaching back to freshman year is a stretch for some.  Time seems to fly by so quickly, but when you look back, much of it is seems so far away.  There are those pieces of memory, those priceless moments, however, that have or will shape who you will become as a student and person.  As a senior looking back, those moments are all too clear. When I first arrived on campus as a freshman back in 2014, I could not have felt more out of place. Taking some liberty on a … [Read more...]

The Easter season: a time filled with Easter egg hunts, pastel colors and bunnies. For many, the powerful nature and culture that surrounds Easter is often hidden behind baskets and shiny, too-green fake grass. In a world that markets to what sells, to what is fun, to what is  consumeristic, even the most important death and most meaningful act of perfect love in all of history is shrouded by frills and bows. The Easter Bunny was most likely a pivitol figure in your childhood. Waking up to … [Read more...]