The Wake

While dining on my roast beast over the holiday break, I took time to read over the December issue of The Wake in its entirety. I came across a column that didn’t have kind words for the governor of our state, Tim Pawlenty. The author of the piece (“A Battle Cry Against Tuition Hikes: Reflections on the Student Protest Paradox”), Eric Magnuson, opinionated that the majority of blame for consistent tuition hikes the University of Minnesota implements should rest with our governor. Although Magnuson acknowledged the Board of Regents does make the ultimate decision on tuition increases, Pawlenty is the villainous, yuppie-loving, discriminatory politician who recommended that the University receive a $170 million cut for the 2004-05 biennium, right?Well, Pawlenty did recommend the cut, yes, but the critical thinking skills learned in our K-12 education …

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Gov. Tim Pawlenty is not the sole villain responsible for continued tuition hikes at the University of Minnesota, but he definitely set the trend of this downward spiral. The higher education system of our state is facing a $170 million cut in the 2003-2004 biennium thanks to Pawlenty’s tax policies. He refuses to raise taxes even while his massive spending cuts are still not enough to keep Minnesota in the black.Pawlenty attributes the state’s economic turmoil to a spending problem. Examining the statistics reveals that there may be another side to the story. While in recent years, Minnesota has only increased spending slightly over the national average, Pawlenty’s tax cuts have given Minnesota the title of the largest percentage of tax cuts in the union. It appears the governor’s infatuation with tax cuts may be …

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Valentine’s Day is designed to give guys an opportunity to show they have a romantic side. Some people actually plan this day months in advance because they want the night to be “perfect.” Even department stores will get into the spirit of the day by carrying romantic items such as flowers, candy and massage oil, or kinkier accessories like handcuffs, chocolate body syrup and flavored condoms. After all the gifts have been purchased and the reservations have been made, guys will go all out to make sure that their woman will have an evening that she will never forget. A typical date might consist of a guy presenting a woman with flowers and candy, dinner at a fancy restaurant, and (if all goes as planned) a trip to a hotel. But, for those guys that …

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I find that our relationships often parallel other aspects of our lives. Just as teenagers and early twenty-somethings change rapidly as people, their romantic needs are apt to change as well.A student myself on the cusp of graduation, I feel glad I had a largely single college experience. As I now reflect, snow falling and John Coltrane playing, I realize the single life kept me free to grow personally and socially during these four years. A single graduate is not tied down and will travel when offered that perfect job in some random part of the country.Some college students are still forming their adult personalities and fundamental ideas. Others have finished this process in the not-so-distant past. With the temptation to latch on to someone permanently comes the uncertainty of what changes the future …

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Quickly approaching a close to my college career, I know what typical Holiday tradition I’ll see evidence of in January: engagement rings. If you haven’t heard it already from the class a year ahead of us, proposals are the trendy holiday gift for your college girlfriend. And in the wake of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and the war in Iraq, when people tend to become closer in crisis, engagements are to be expected. The conundrum is why these engagements continue to increase for younger people.For our mother’s and more specifically our grandmother’s generation, becoming engaged or getting married while still in college under the age of 25 was shocking. Ask around your family this Holiday season and you’ll find that many were just finishing or had recently completed college. But for the generations …

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When investment and consumer spending is not strong, the only way to create the essential growth needed for a healthy economy is through tax cuts. Reagan and Kennedy implemented this strategy and the effect was prosperity for all. With President Bush’s tax cuts, America will again be reaffirmed that trickle-down economics works. When people get to keep more of their own money, they spend it. This increases sales and profits for businesses. With increased sales and profits, businesses expand, create jobs, and create wealth for investors. This cycle ends with the people who become better off because their investments grow and a better opportunity for job choice exists. But the Democratic presidential hopefuls try to deceive the American public by blatantly using class warfare or scare tactics to discredit Bush’s economic policy. How many …

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Where’s the party? Apparently, not on campus during break. During last year’s intersession, Stub and Herb’s atmosphere was much different than a typical Friday or Saturday during the fall and spring semesters. Two winters ago, my group of friends and I hit up Stub’s for a monumental 21st birthday extravaganza. While we made it a good time, there was a clear shift in the age and attitudes of other patrons. The following winter break, the same scene: adults in their late-20s and men over 40; much less binge drinking and more sports fans. Stub’s is always a great place to catch the game, but there’s typically less interest in the television on the weekends when the college student is on the prowl.If the holidays didn’t have a depressing tone to them already – visiting with …

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