Shoulders to lean on

Gina Roswell staff writer

"Best friends are the siblings God forgot to give us," said an anonymous source. What defines friendship? To me, a friend is someone that I can talk to about anything and always depend on when I need someone to pull me through a rough time in my life. A friend is someone that I can act like a complete moron in front of, and (s)he will laugh right along with me. A friend is someone I can cry to when I have a problem that I don't know how to handle. A friend will never judge me, but will always tell me when I am being ridiculous. A friend will support me in a decision that I've made, but will also tell me when my decision is the wrong one. In my group of "true" friends, I include my mother. Without her, I don't think I'd have enough knowledge about the subject of friendship to be writing this right now.

ability to see people-more clearly and begin to understand more readily who our "true" friends actually are.

Sometimes, if you are lucky enough, you find a person who fills in a part of your life that you were missing. For instance, sometimes a friendship can grow C"'· so intensely that you may feel asthough (s)he has taken the place of the sister or brother you never had. If you are so lucky, holding that bond is more important than you may realize. No matter the situation, it is important to always keep loving and holding memories close to your heart, because before you know it, college will be over and lives will start to change. < 1 five students went to a site in East Bank WV and 20 went to an union site.-I went to East Bank. For the first couple of days it snowed really badly but we were able to clean out a thrift store and help finish building homes for low-income fanlilies. The time spent down there was a time to get to know not only others but also yourself. After every day we had a reflection time, this allowed me to think about exact• ly what I have done to help someone and how it affected me. After a week of work and fun, I realized that I could have been in the sun relaxing and enjoying the weather but instead I had a great time laughing, making others happy and making myself proud. Appalachia is not for everyone but please don't knock it before you try it.

Nicole Faison senior

RespectCatholic beliefs and traditionsduring lent

I was rather dismayed by Julian Smoger's complaint that meat is not served on Friday's until Easter. Cabrini is a Catholic college and therefore one should expect that, at times; tradition and beliefs would become part of the experience of attending.

Ar, a Jewish staff member, I feel that it is appropriate to respect these beliefs and traditions. Understanding and appreciating other religions and cultures can be an enlightening growth experience. I always thought that "expanding our horizons" was supposed to be a part of today's college life. It can be enriching to learn about the ways of others.

On the culinary side, perhaps this is an opportunity to explore other types of food. How about a vegetarian salad? (They make great salads at Cabrini.) Or, as my Jewi~h grandmother Sarah would say, ·~have a piece of fish!"

Mike Belsky IST Department

When we are young, we are taught that those who are nice to us are our friends. As we grow older, we realize that "niceness" does not always constitute friendship. "Friendships" become divided into the following categories: best friends, friends, acquaintances and people we just cannot stand to be around. As we continue to grow, we develop the

Friendship is one of the most important aspects of my life. Without it, I, nor my life, would be complete. I would not be able to get through each day alone, without talking to my friends, best friends or "surrogate brother or sister," either about something important, or nothing at all. I have been fortunate enough to create some incredible friendships at Cabrini. I can only hope that others have also had the pleasant experience that I have had when it comes to meeting people that they love to be surrounded by.

My friends are the ones who keep me going and always remind me to keep the level head on my shoulders. In them, I find solace and peace, in a world that is sometimes filled with chaos. In them, I find happiness and joy. For all of this, I thank them, and extend my~_ love and respect.

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