Live a little Why pay full price?

you 're actually given a certain number of mistakes because that's the way people learn the best. I truly find it a shame to see people going through college without the least bit of curiosity as to what life is like not living in fear of consequence and regret.

KRISTEN CATALANOTTO ASST. NEWS EDITOR KMC723 @CABRINI.EDU

Garfield once said, "You can only be young once, but you can be immature forever." College is a time when most people come to find out who they really are by defining and shaping what really matters to them. This is where pr(!b!emsarise because we have a separation between those people who are still living the same lives they way they have always lived without thought to consequence or regret, and we have those people who have crossed into maturity or think they have.

Personally, I like to cross that separation line now and then. Being immature is fun. Granted I am not talking about the immaturity that borders on the lines of rudeness and disrespect. It is good to just let loose sometimes, and honestly I think some people on this campus need a little dose of fun because I've seen some people wound so tight that they are missing the period of life where every middle-aged adult wishes they could do all over again.

This is college. It's a time for experimentation. It's a time where

As I said before, there is a separation, and I like to cross this fine line where immaturity meets maturity. Let me rephrase that. I think it is necessary to cross this line. If I could I would probably stick to immaturity because frankly it is a lot more enjoyable. However growing up requires us not to just get older, but society demands us to become adults. This means we have to be responsible and all of that business.

I guess all I really need to say is that there are times in everyone's lives where people need to seize the opportunity to just be themselves and let loose, and in most cases peoples true selves are immature. My advice is not to let yourself get caught up in growing up so fast that you lose track of the time at hand. Have fun today, but keep an eye on where you're headed in the future.

Cruising .down the isle of the local grocery store, I found myself astonished by the amount of choices I actually have. No, not by the stylish brand names, but by the plethora of generic food brands there are on the grocery store shelves.

My personal favorite generic product is "Dr.Thunder," made by the Wal-Mart Corporation.

'Following in a close second is

"Dr. Bold," which you can find at your local Acme. These beverages are of course, the close cousins of the famous "Dr.Pepper," made by the Cokea-Cola Corporation. Finding these just as good products can be tricky at times. While shopping on be sure to look at the bottom shelves in order to find the less-expensive products that fit a college student's budget.

You won't find, "Mighty Crunch," the generic brand of "Captain Crunch" at eye level on the shelves, you will find it tucked behind the other more expensive brands. Go ahead and pick yourself up a box, it tastes just as good!

Generic medicine is also another way to save money. Allergy season is approaching, I like to purchase the giant bottle of "equate," which is Wal-Mart's version of medicine. It does the exact same job, but at a much discounted price.

Of course, I can not write an article about generic foods without mentioning one of the greatest generic foods of all time, "Hyrox Oreos!" Hydrox cookies were truly the best inexpensive treat that I enjoyed as my after school snack.

Basically, I highly recommend shopping around for the superb brands that aren't as popular as the flashy name brands. They taste just as good and are better for your college wallet!

PERSPECTIVE EDITOR ACR723 @CABRINI.EDU

Over this last year, in the battle for marriage among gays, I have been privy to some of t!:ie most disparaging, prejudice and racist comments about same-sex relationships in all my history. From demonizing the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender community to referring to the people in this community as less than human, I have heard it all. I now see that it is imperative that I try to educate those ignorant of the whole person involved. Homosexuals are not merely 'sexual deviants.' They are living, breathing, thinking and feeling beings who dream just like everyone else dreams. Their sexuality is only 25percent of what I call the 'human equation.' In most cases, heterosexuals focus more on the individual's sexuality than the actual person. This leads to a biased and misunderstood perception of what being gay really means. It goes a lot deeper than sexual relations. Unfortunately, for most people that is where the understanding stops.

One person asked me: "Isn't this whole argument about sex? They don't talk about anything else." Homosexuals don't want to emphasize sex because that's not what the argument is about. It's about growing up in a society that is steeped in a marital culture and wanting to share in that culture. It's about dreaming of your wedding day. It's about finding out you're gay and having that dream shattered by prejudice and bigotry. It's about fighting to still live that dream in a society that promises you that you are equal and have a right to happiness, but whose closedminded hatred of an innate, yet small part of yourself,your sexuality,is telling you otherwise. It's about not being scared that you might get killed because you love differently. It's about being different and being able to celebrate that difference, without self-hatred, fear or pity. It's about peace of mind, all- your life you've been told you're crazy, mentally ill, damned from birth, that God hates you that the devil lives in you that you're not even human. It goes so much deeper than lust. You want a soul mate, but you know your soul mate isn't someone society will truly accept. You know there are other people out there, who have expe- rienced the same prejudices, fear and self-loathing and have an unshakable conviction of who they are, and you want to connect with that. On the same level that your parents may connect or your straight friend and her husband. You want that deep, satisfying love of a significant other that friendship just can't provide. Sexual, emotional, mental, physical and yes, spiritual connections. That's what this is about My community. the African American community, is probably the most homophobic of all. Black political leaders often become our spiritual leaders as well, therefore intertwining moral and civil concerns. It is usually the old traditions of ultra-literal Bible study that fuels this prejudice. However, discrimination and hate crimes are not moral concerns. This is about civil rights. Civil rights, unbeknownst to some of my people, does not just extend to African Americans. Moral 'justifications' aside, discrimination of any kind is wrong, regardless if one disagrees with how one will practice such liberties when awarded. Being at the forefront of one of the most prolific civil rights movements in history, how can we not see that this is indeed a civil matter, an act of denying rights that a vast majority already possesses? That's right; these aren't special rights, like some opponents claim. They're common rights, afforded to everyone BUT gays.

And before anyone delves into the world of allowing other 'unacceptable' behaviors, I'll say that you all need to take into account how these acts affect other people. If it tramples on your civil liberties, you have every right to want to protect yourself, but I fail to see and opponents are always vague and Biblical about the answers to this how gay marriage affects your rights as an American, and as a human. The human aspect is the most important, because to deny a person's humanity is the ultimate form of discrimination. It's not about approval of how a 'lifestyle' is lived. it's not about moral implications, though I understand some feel it's a sin not to care who's going to hell and who isn't. However when you entice a population into believing they have freedom and equality all their Jives, don't be startled when the ostracized start asking for their due.

It's not only about marriage. It's about educating young adults, the future of these United States, in the ways of respecting one's fellow man. Those that I truly fear for are the gay ad.oles- cents who are confused, Jost and full of self-hatred. It is not something that they choose; why would anyone choose to be hated, ostracized and terrified?

So, how do we end this?

Mam.age doesn't solve everything. There needs to be education and understanding between gays and straights that bridge wide gaps into uncomfortable, secret territory. Most discrimination of gays comes from a lack of knowledge and a lack of connection to the issues that homosexuals face everyday. If you're a minority and gay, you're practically a minority within a minority. Imagine that. Talk about alienation. Older minorities who lived in the troubled times of upheaval caused by the 'radical' surge for civil rights have the closest insight to how this alienation, this struggle feels. The connections must also be made with the current and future generations if discrimination is to be overcome. We need more communication, less assumption and a willingness to try to understand one another. We all have to live together. Gays aren't going to suddenly vanish into thin air. Apparently, we can't ignore the existence and utter discrimination of other humans any more,