The Rambler Vol. 9 No. 4

rambler the

Veritas Ensis Noster.

Girls Ask the Guys February 29, 2012- Vol. 9, No. IV

In This Issue...

Rambler: Pronunciation: \ram-blər\ Function: noun Date: c. 2002 1. A student organization determined to present truth and withhold nothing, discussing a variety of subjects such as administration, morality, literature, politics, and faith.

the rambler

An Independent Student Journal Christendom College Veritas Ensis Noster

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Savanna J. Buckner BUSINESS MANAGEMENT Conor O’Donnell; Olivia Seidl LAYOUT EDITOR Adele C. Smith NEWS & OPINION EDITOR David Frank

News & Opinion 5 Advice from an Alumna

by Joe McGlynn

6 Men on a Mission

by Brandon Edge

8 A Slow Death 9 Throwing Stones in Glass Houses

by Katie Brizek

FAITH & REASON EDITOR Lauren Enk

by Rebecca Willen

CREATIVE ASSISTANTS Maria Cintorino; Matthew A. La Fave STAFF WRITERS Katie Brizek; Brandon Edge CONTRIBUTORS Tim Ginski; Jordan Mann; Joe McGlynn FRONT COVER Adele C. Smith

Our Mission Statement

The Rambler and its staff are dedicated to training the next generation of Catholic journalists and intellectuals. We prize the liberal arts education received from Christendom College and write about the news, arts, culture, faith, and reason from this gained perspective. We believe we will play an essential part in a renaissance of new leaders, journalists, and communicators for the 21st century.

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The Last Word 19 How Secure is the Security? by the Editorial Staff

Feature 10 St. Paddy’s Rule

by Adele C. Smith

Arts & Culture 12 Out & About

COPY EDITOR Matthew A. La Fave

by Joe McGlynn

by Tim Ginski

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Rebecca Willen

FACULTY ADVISOR Dr. Patrick Keats

Humor 18 Desperate Single Senior Syndrome

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Veritas Ensis Noster.

13 The Traveling Chapel

by Rebecca Willen

14 Thank You, Gentlemen by the Ladies of Christendom

15 Doodle Break

by Various Artists

Faith & Reason 16 Shutting Ourselves Out

by Lauren Enk

Say yes, Dan! February 29, 2012- Vol. 9, No. IV

Cover Photo by Adele C. Smith.

Check out the feature on pages 10-11 for a brief history of the legend of Leap Day, along with customs and traditions followed across the globe. Dan Mitchell and Maria Cintorino lend their modeling skills for the photos.

17 The Graceful Klutz

by Jordan Mann

To Contact The Rambler:

134 Christendom Drive Front Royal, VA 22630 E-mail: rambler.editor@gmail.com Web: www.therambleronline.org

Subscribe: An eight issue subscription to

The Rambler may be obtained through a donation of $25 or more. All contributions go to support The Rambler.

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Editor’s Corner

Dear Readers, Over the course of The Rambler’s career as a college newspaper, it has sometimes been pegged as too negative, overly critical, or voicing complaints excessively. Perhaps from time to time the boundaries of constructive criticism have been breached. Still, on the other hand, some readers persistently construe any article containing the word “problem” as being the sour grumbles of a cynic.

At any rate, this caricature of undue negativity is one we would like to dispel.

When writers in The Rambler point out problems, it is always for the sake of discussion and finding a solution. It’s our job as student journalists to take on the issues which affect us, here and now. Maybe some of those issues are more enjoyable to read than others but it is healthy to open up on a variety of topics, especially on problem areas that we at Christendom need to ameliorate.

Keep in mind that the whole point of writing about something is that the writer cares enough to want to address the issue and see it changed for the better. So please, be fair to your fellow authors and don’t begin reading an article with the presumption that he or she is out to condemn or belittle you. Basically, while being a pessimist is addictively amusing sometimes, be assured that we don’t indulge in that vice at The Rambler. Also, if you don’t think an article tactfully addressed a topic, consider writing your own response.

Photos by Adele C. Smith, Matthew A. La Fave

The staff is excited to bring you this issue and, as always, encourages you to weigh in on what you like or dislike about The Rambler.

Articles or letters to the editor may be submitted to rambler.editor@ gmail.com.

In Jesu et Maria,

Savanna J. Buckner ‘14 Editor-in-Chief

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News Briefs

As Spring Break arrives Friday post-classes, we remind all students to follow the exit-strategies. Have your rooms cleaned, windows locked, electronics and fridges unplugged. Please remove all empty beer bottles, weapons (those dangerous air-soft pistols), and illegal unlit candles. Please do not attempt to hide in your room over break as all students without express permission are required to leave campus. Thank you and have a relaxing break.

Pope Benedict XVI spoke to thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peters’ Square, as well as to the world, calling for the immediate end of violence and bloodshed that has claimed the lives of thousands in Syria. However, the Syrian government has been deemed incapable of stopping the violence and the bloodshed continues.

In the state of Virginia, the senate passed a bill forcing abortion doctors to give their patients an ultrasound of the uterus before performing the abortion. This is a fantastic success for the pro-life movement, as Virginia is now one of eight States that has passed this bill.

The next stop for the GOP primary race is super Tuesday, March 6th, were GOP candidates will compete for the delegates of ten states. Mitt Romney enters the contest with two new wins in Arizona and Michigan, while national front runner Rick Santorum seeks to regain momentum with a win in blue collar Ohio.

The UN recently sent a group of Nuclear Inspectors to Iran to determine whether it was developing nuclear weapons. Currently tensions are rising between the UN and Iran, as they are clearly advancing their technology in uranium enrichment. Furthermore, the results of this UN inspection were inconclusive since the Iranian government denied the inspectors access into certain locations.

Iran threatens retaliation against countries that pursue sanctions against it, displayed in the boycott of its oil and the resulting rising gas prices.

CBDS achieved a record number at the Ron Paul debate of January 29th with over 110 in attendance. The most recent debate was held February 27th, titled “The value of music is completely subjective.” The resolution failed with a vote of 7-21-9. The next debate will be held post-break, March 18th on the tentative subject of underage drinking.

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News & Opinion

Advice from an Alumna: Kimberly DeLozier

by

Joe McGlynn ’12

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ill a liberal arts degree help you in the corporate world? Is it even worth it? These are questions every senior is probably asking himself right now as graduation and entrance into the work force loom on the horizon.

To discuss this I interviewed Kimberly DeLozier, a 1992 alumna of Christendom. Kim has worked as an Executive Administrator for fourteen years at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), a Fortune 500® company which together with its subsidiaries employs over 41,000 people worldwide.

What was your first post-Christendom job?

I worked at a Department of Rehabilitation Services, which helps those with disabilities to work and to live independently. My main role was to transcribe the dictation of the rehab counselors, and secondly, to handle general office responsibilities of a busy, high-traffic office.

Some people think that attending a private liberal arts institution like Christendom is not a wise decision given the rising cost of private education and the limited number of majors available. What are your thoughts about these claims?

I would argue that it is a very wise decision! I attended another college for one year before Christendom, and I could tell the difference immediately! In addition, one of the jobs I held after Christendom was at a private prep school which offered a liberal arts curriculum, and it was plain to see that the students were more self-disciplined, they had excellent verbal and written skills, and they were better at processing information and making decisions.

Would you say that the education you received at Christendom adequately prepared you for a career after college?

I would say it gave me the best start. On my entrance essay into Christendom, I wrote that I was seeking a “good foundation for both my professional and personal future,” and that “Christendom’s high academic quality of education, and the emphasis on effective, clear expression, will enable me to acquire this strong foundation.” I believe that Christendom fulfilled this goal of mine. On the spiritual education side, yes, Christendom adequately prepared me—and, of course, this was the more important preparation.

What aspects of the education do you think were most important?

The curriculum challenged me and helped me to really think and

analyze on my own. The classes and work study programs offered me a blend of theoretical and practical knowledge. It was easier to build on that once I graduated.

Do

you think that Christendom should incorporate more math and science classes into its curriculum?

Into its core curriculum? Not necessarily. I think Christendom’s core is heavy enough as it exists now, and what’s already there is essential and well-rounded. But not having entered into the math or science fields (and having had the “math gene” skip me and go right to my sister), I might not be the best one to answer this.

In your experience how do liberal arts students compare to non-liberal arts students in similar jobs?

The biggest difference I notice is when it comes to making judgment calls! For example, the decisions of a non-liberal arts student are often not thought through all the way—or at all. And there’s more of an “I don’t care” attitude prevalent, or the feeling that it’s someone else’s problem. I nod my head in agreement to a phrase from an article by the American Association of Colleges & Universities (entitled “What is Liberal Education?”). It states that a “liberal education helps students develop a sense of social responsibility….” This is one of the differences I see between the two.

Do you think liberal arts students have an advantage over students with degrees in other fields?

Yes. I feel that training in the liberal arts can open more doors. You’re not solely limited by a specialization. The whole idea behind a liberal arts education is that it teaches you knowledge, upon which you continue to add more knowledge. You can adapt in the work place quickly, thinking laterally and independently. You have developed good thinking habits and valuable tools needed for job sustainability by the time you enter the work place!

What do you think students at Christendom can do to make themselves appealing to potential employers?

Employers are always looking for that something extra. For example, they’re looking for some experience in or exposure to work related to the field they are entering. Volunteer work, summer jobs, internships or work study experience all look great on the resume. These will go a long way to supplement the liberal arts education with practical skills as well.

Also, leadership has its great qualities, but employers are commonly looking for a team player. They want to know if you’re “coachable” and worth their investment. Be sure to greatly emphasize those areas where cont. on page 6 5 | five

News & Opinion you may have been part of team—member of a sports team or other group while on campus.

Do you have any advice to offer Christendom students?

• Network, network, network! Build a good support network of trusted people as you go along. My last four positions within the company were because of people I knew. I was hired without even interviewing.

• Don’t be afraid to consider a temp agency. You can gain hands-on experience, and you can get your foot into the doors of places ordinarily reserved for employees only. That’s how I found my current employer, fourteen years ago. Once you’re in, you’re in!

• Talk to people in your desired field. They are a great source of information.

• Don’t fall prey to the negative politics and cut-throat attitude which is ever-present in the business world. Keep something visible at your desk to remind yourself of your Catholic Faith. This may sound simple and even obvious, but I promise you, it will always serve to remind you of your “true employer” and how He’s ultimately the one in charge.

• Oh, and if you plan to work or live in the DC area during summer, make sure you have air conditioning in your car! Just sayin’!

on a mission by

Brandon Edge ’13

S

pring Break is on the horizon, giving students something pleasant to anticipate as they study for midterms or write papers. While many of us view Spring Break as a time to recover and spend time with our families, some students have decided to spend the extra week of free time to minister to the less fortunate. During this upcoming spring break, fifty-eight Christendom students will be performing missionary work in both national and international locations.

Four separate groups of volunteers leave in March, each composed of between thirteen and nineteen students and one or two supervising faculty or staff members. Students from every class have volunteered to work with missionary groups across the globe. Under the leadership of Miss Amanda Graf, an all-female group of students will spend time with handicapped orphans in Cusco, Peru, where they may

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also engage in house-to-house evangelization. One of the Peru-bound students, Katie Shannon, commented, “It will be really interesting to go to a third-world country. . . I don’t think it will be like a vacation, but I think I’ll learn a lot.” She added, “I really hope I don’t die.”

Meanwhile, other Christendom students will spend Spring Break in Honduras, the Dominican Republic (DR), or the Bronx.

Incredibly, the vast majority of these students are new to the college's missionary work. Every student in the largest group—the DR mission composed of nineteen students, six of whom are freshmen—is completely new to that country.

Likely taking advantage of Mr. O’Herron’s helpful packing hints, students are collecting a variety of items for the trips, from Gatorade powder to bug repellant. Many students will also be bringing

News & Opinion Photos by Savanna J. Buckner, Maria Cintorino

Opposite: Ben Scrivener, Rob Hambleton, Mike McGrath, Alicia Stanton, Lindsay Merschon Left: Katie Rollino, Lisa Hoonhout Right: Emi Funai

extra clothes and supplies to leave behind at the missions. Fr. O’Hare, the priest assigned to the DR mission, has requested that Christendom students bring necessities (such as shoes, towels, and toothbrushes) for the poor.

To finance the mission trips, students are asked to raise their own funds. These funds cover room and board, air and land travel, meals, and—in some of the missions—the actual projects themselves.

Raising $1400 each, Christendom students committed to the Banica mission are financing their own construction work in the Dominican Republic. These students will arrive at Banica, located on the far west border of the DR, the night of Friday March 2nd, and leave Saturday morning a week later, for a total of eight days spent working hard in a third-world environment. During their stay, they will renovate a chapel and a school in a small community. The volunteers will also construct a retreat chapel for the use of the priest and the parish staff of the Arlington-sponsored parish in Banica. Among the staff who will benefit from the chapel is Christendom alumnus Thomas Brock, who works full-time for the mission.

While the Mission Trip Program as a whole is directed and overseen by Mr. Brown, Philosophy and Theology professor Mr. O'Herron and Philosophy Professor Dr. Flippen will supervise the group of Christendom students in Banica. Since 2002, Mr. O'Herron has been in charge of most of the Christendom DR mission trips. Other faculty members who have participated in Christendom missionary work in the past include Dr. Luckey, Dr. McGuire, and Mrs. Hickson.

While the Banica mission community itself has been staffed by the Diocese of Arlington since 1991, Christendom has organized mission trips only since the late nineties. Dr. Luckey was the first faculty member to supervise the trips. These mission trips predate Christendom's more recently-created Outreach club, though they have now been incorporated into it. While just part of the many good works members of the college organize, the mission trips abroad are doubtless

among the most eventful and life-changing acts of charity Christendom students have the opportunity to perform.

“Everybody who has done this in the past has been very happy that they did,” Mr. O'Herron remarked. “It has been a transforming experience . . . I have never yet heard anyone say that they wish they hadn't gone. The enthusiasm for the work while they're there, and after they've come back for having gone . . . is really very noticeable and edifying.”

While the experience of a week of mission work can never be exactly relived, participating in Christendom’s mission program often has lasting effects, even in unexpected ways. Students will find that friendships and bonds that did not previously exist, transcending class divisions or cliques, have silently formed. New surroundings, physical labor, and the shared task of evangelization produce a special solidarity among students on the same mission.

Inevitably, students cherish the time they gave to share with their extended brothers and sisters in Christ. A member of last year’s Dominican Republic team, Maria Cintorino, summed up just how life-changing the trip often is: “It was an unforgettable experience!

The people whom we encountered changed our lives; I think we were touched more by them than they were by us.” She continued, “You could just experience the love of God through the people that we met— most especially with the children. You learn about life and see it in a whole different perspective. It was the best week of my life. You can’t adequately describe the feelings or emotions of people on the mission trip—each person’s story is different and there are things that may affect one more than another.”

Safe travels to all Christendom members who will be participating in mission work over break, and a hearty thanks to Christendom for facilitating the mission trips.

Savanna J. Buckner contributed to the writing of this article.

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a slow

News & Opinion

life Christian faith desires sins code

holy

death

tepidity

moral

danger

nothing

by

Tim Ginski ’12

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God

deny

mortal

heaven

wish

epidemic

drinking

e are all good people and we all desire to get to heaven. So then, I have to ask this question: why don’t we act like good Catholics? I feel like I, as a senior and a head RA, have a good grasp on this situation and can express it adequately. There is a mentality that I have seen developing over my years here on campus and it’s one characterized by a lack of drive. Where is our drive to become holy men and women of God?

The other day I was in my dorm room reading when I heard someone shout out in the commons area “Oh My God!” Immediately my heart shuddered. Have we really reached the point where we take the Lord’s name in vain and don’t care about it? This isn’t even a minor moral code infraction. This is an explicit commandment: “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.” What was worse was that no one corrected the person who shouted this exclamation; no one lifted a finger in opposition. I am tempted to think that this is because we expect to come to Christendom and have the college form us into good people, thus relinquishing responsibility for forming ourselves.

In short, we have fallen into a state of lukewarm apathy, complacently letting sin happen around us.

It’s not really that we don’t care; it’s that we have grown too lazy to confront what is so blatantly wrong. People complain about drinking on campus and they blame the RAs for not enforcing the rules. As an RA, I am sympathetic to their plea. At the same time, why are they not confronting these people on their own? They have a Christian obligation just as the RAs do. People make excuses for drinking underage under the pretense that it is a penal law. But let’s just look at this issue from the point of view of people striving to pursue perfection (as Christians ought). Would the great saints drink underage even if they knew that partaking in a particular action was not intrinsically evil? I’m not saying that underage drinking or drinking in the dorm is immoral. Rather, I am asking if it is the best way to live out our Christian vocation. If we honestly examined the situation, we can conclude that no, this is not the best. Yet we do nothing. We have grown tepid.

But this article is not about drinking. It’s about how we love our little venial sins. Mortal sins kill the life of grace within our souls, and we feel that as long as we avoid mortal sins then we are safe from the grasp of the devil. However, we feel that we can get away with committing little, minor sins. As long as we don’t gravely offend God by our actions, by our rejection of him, then we are okay.

Stupid. This mindset is stupid. Sin separates us from God. 8 | eight

campus

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people weak

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Venial sin obstructs us from pursuing God and disposes us towards mortal sin. Deliberate venial sin especially obstructs our journey towards God because we willingly say with our actions, “I do not wish to be with God right now.” Rather than killing our soul with mortal sin, we decide to strangle it slowly from the life of grace. Rather than diving directly into the pits of hell through a mortal sin, we perform a slow, persistent dance with the devil that ultimately will place us in grave danger. Venial sin is ugly. It does not kill the life of grace in us, but it does disfigure that life.

So what is the remedy for this epidemic of tepidity? Love. If we loved God fervently, then we would not be inclined to deny him anything. Think about it this way: if two people truly love each other, they would never wish to deny each other anything. In the case of God, He has given us everything. The Son became Man just so that He can die for us. Who are we to deny God? When I discover myself in a state of tepidity, I find that making a simple act of faith and a prayer for strength often helps alleviate this state. I ask, “God, you gave me my life that I may give it freely back to you. Yet I am weak and depend wholly upon the grace You bestow on me. I do not wish to be lukewarm but burning with desire! Draw me close to Your most Sacred Heart, cleanse my intention with the blood of Your wounds, so that cleansed anew I may be more worthy to give you Glory!” If we would just ask God with confidence for the grace necessary to get us to heaven, he will not deny it! Tepidity comes when we are unwilling to throw ourselves at the foot of the Cross and commit ourselves to truly living out the Christian life.

Tepidity happens when we hold onto our vain desires, our venial sins, and the comforts of this world. Remember those words of the Bible which state that we are merely sojourners in this world; remember Augustine’s pious exclamation, “O Lord, our hearts are restless until they rest in you!”

Do not forsake heaven to gossip, to drink, to lose yourself in idle pleasures. We have the pearl of great price sitting right here in front of us and all we have to do is ask for grace to accept it. You have nothing to lose and eternal life to gain. Make this college great! Show the world why you came here! Without our faith we are nothing, without God we are just like the rest of secular culture. We have just entered into Lent.

Take advantage of this change in the liturgical year and throw yourself into the arms of Christ and His Mother with renewed vigor. I promise you, you will see a transformation both in yourself and on our campus.

News & Opinion

throwing stones

in glass houses by

Katie Brizek ’15

W

hen I was little, I remember bickering with my siblings.

These arguments were always laced with a generous helping of name-calling, and, when my mother intervened, what seemed to be the single best way to save your own skin was to call someone else out. I guess everyone was a bit of a snitch at that age. Why we continued to be convinced that accusing a sibling would somehow get us out of trouble, I don’t know, because it never worked. My mother always had a ready response. “It takes two to tango,” she’d say. And once, when I was particularly insistent that my brother was at fault, she told me, “Men who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.”

One of these statements is a bit more profound than the other, but they both have the same meaning. Just as our Lord said in John 8:7, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” But oftentimes it seems that those who are quickest to pass judgment on the misdeeds of their fellow men are Catholics.

In the world today sin is not only tolerated, but those who do not lead a sinful life are often pressured to do so by references to their naïveté or prudishness. Premarital sex, adultery, homosexuality and pornography play a large part in books, movies and music, as well as being widely practiced by the general public. These are such a strong presence in everyday life, that the reactionary tendency of conservative families is to shut themselves off from the world, or openly condemn the majority for its aberrant ways. But all too frequently you hear the story of someone who grew up in a very devoted, Catholic home. He was sheltered all his life from the world, and the moment he stepped out into it he was so dazzled that it wasn’t long before it seemed his upbringing had made no difference. Within a few, short months he behaved and lived just as if he’d been of the world his entire life.

Part of the reason it’s so easy for well brought-up young people to fall prey to the temptations and snares of the world is because it seems that the type of people who embrace an openness to alternative lifestyles are the only ones who are admitting that the people practicing these lifestyles are actually people. After being raised to rebuke and condemn them, it’s all too simple to start questioning your beliefs when you discover that they’re not much different than yourself.

I spent a lot of time doing theater before college, in both community and professional venues, and I came across a great deal of people who didn’t at all believe the same things I believed. The most obvious would be the very real presence of gay men in show business.

The majority don’t wear women’s clothing, or make up, and often don’t act markedly less masculine than their standard heterosexual counterparts. Most of all, they’re human beings with likes and dislikes and personalities. The larger portion of those I’ve met are very nice people and, most importantly, they’re people, just like you and me.

It’s not difficult for liberal propaganda to point fingers at Christians, Catholics in particular, and accuse us of hate crimes and of denigrating those who disagree with as subhuman. While Christ was on earth, He spent His time with prostitutes and gentiles, yet Catholics today can’t even seem to remember they’re called to hate the sin, but love the sinner. We spend so much time blackening the terms ‘gay’ and ‘abortion’ we don’t bother to extend the courtesy of forgiveness to the unfortunates. We’re steadfast that abortion is psychologically wounding to the mother, yet how often do we welcome her with open arms of healing? A young girl makes a mistake, but she can’t tell her mother because she’s afraid of what her mother might think. A boy struggles with a same sex attraction but he won’t go to his father or a priest because he fears repulsing them and losing their love.

The practices we condemn are grievously sinful and wrong.

However, many of the people who engage in them don’t know this.

‘Cradle-Catholics’ seemingly forget that they have been taught and trained in the true faith since birth by a particular grace and that the grand majority of people born into this world are not so fortunate. Men always use their free will to choose the good, or what appears to them to be the good. If they could see the error in their actions then most likely they wouldn’t persevere in them. If Christ, who actually had to bear the suffering of their sins, can forgive them, then so should we.

It’s important to remember that we’re all aspiring to be saints, who didn’t evangelize by publicly condemning, but by extending forgiveness and promising Christ’s salvation for all men. There’s a world out there we say we’re going to change, but if we’re not willing to recognize the problems and distinguish them from their victims, then we will never be able to do this. If we truly wish to restore all things in Christ, then we’ll imitate Him by living our lives as examples of charity and mercy. The right to judge hearts is reserved to God Himself. It’s our job to love our neighbor as ourselves and extend to them the respect that their divinely bestowed human dignity merits them. Most importantly, we must remember that we aren’t without sin. We should never cast stones as long as we ourselves live in glass houses.

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Feature

St.Paddy’s

Rule by

Adele C. Smith ’12

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Feature

I

gnored by the general populace, Leap Year and February 29th often take a back seat in terms of being celebrated—but Leap Day does have some intriguing and quirky traditions and legends behind it, which are still practiced by a small following.

Most peoples' knowledge of Leap Year boils down to the fact that, for some reason, every four years, February gets an extra day. This is not an attempt to be fair to the little guy.

Rather, the idea of adding an extra day every four years helps to keep the calendar dates in sync with the astronomical and seasonal calendars. The Egyptians were the first to discover this problem, but the Romans were the ones do to something about it.

Julius Caesar introduced his Julian Calendar in 45 BC. It was twelve months long, 365 days a year, with February 29th inserted every four years to make an average year 365.25 days long. If the Romans had their math a little more precise, they would have realized that this was too long—by 11 minutes and 14 seconds. Astronomically speaking, it actually takes the Earth 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds to complete its orbit

Doesn't seem like a lot, does it? However, if you have 11 minutes and 14 seconds adding on year after year...by the 16th century, the flaw in the Julian Calendar was realized. The spring equinox (when the sun crosses directly over the Earth’s equator) wound up falling on March 11th in 1582, as opposed to March 21st. Pope Gregory XIII adjusted the calendar, moving the date ahead by 11 days and instituting a new rule in regards to leap years so as to correct the problem of the Julian Calendar.

The result: only years divisible by four would be leap years— so, 2012, 2016, 2020, 2024, and so on. No year divisible by 100 would be a leap year either, unless it was divisible by 400.

Hence, the years 1600, 2000, and 2400 are leap years, yet 1700, 1800, and 1900 were not leap years. This rule comprises the sole difference between the Julian and Gregorian Calendars. It will take more than 3,000 years before the Gregorian Calendar comes across the same problem as the Julian Calendar, because it is the closest approximation to the astronomical year.

I know, I know, we're liberal arts students—numbers and dividing...moving on to the good stuff.

In the United Kingdom, Leap Day is the traditional gender role-reversal day, on which women are allowed to propose to men (hence where Amy Adams and the popular rom-com Leap Year come into play). The origins of this tradition are dubious yet interesting. It goes back to St. Patrick and St. Brigid of Kildare in 5th century Ireland. St. Brigid (not yet a saint and very much single) complained to St. Patrick (pretty much a saint and very much not-single) about women having to wait so long for a man to propose. Patrick considered this complaint and finally decided that every seven years, for one day, a woman could pop the question. Haggling ensued over the frequency and finally settled on every four years—specifically, the leap years. Legend then goes on to say that, it being a leap year, Brigid went down on one knee and proposed to St. Patrick then and there. Being St. Patrick, he refused, giving her instead a kiss and a silk dress in consolation.

In 1288, Margaret of Scotland supposedly passed a law making it legal for women to propose to the man of their choice on Leap Day—and any man who declined a proposal had to pay a fine, ranging from a kiss to a silk dress to a pair of gloves. The only men who would be exempt from such a fine were those who could prove a previously existing betrothal.

Another variant claims that a proposal was only valid if the woman wore a red petticoat—as a warning in advance, if you will.

Both of these traditions, while quaint, are unlikely to be historically accurate. St. Brigid was holy from birth (who else vomits when druids try to feed you?) and it's doubtful that she was complaining about the injustice of the male-dominated marriage proposal in the 5th century. St. Patrick was busy fostering Christianity among pagans. And the sources about Margaret of Scotland contain too much Late Middle English for 1288. The sources containing these sources are themselves from the 18th century onwards, without the cultural traditions really catching on until the 20th century.

Denmark celebrated the bissextile leap day, February 24th, as the day when women propose, with twelve gloves being owed to a woman if she were refused. The tradition of gloves was quite common throughout the Middle Ages, with the idea being that the woman could hide the embarrassment of not having a ring on her finger by wearing the gloves. For the men of Finland, refusing a proposal meant a fine of paying for the fabric of a skirt.

In Scotland, bad luck comes to those born on Leap Day, carrying a similar stigma like that of Friday 13th. If you're Greek, custom states that this day and even the whole year bring ill fortune to any who marry; consequently, one in five couples will plan around a leap year.

Those born on Leap Day are referred to as leaplings or leapers and there are currently 4 million worldwide, with 200,000 living in the US. Those born on February 29th are cordially invited to join the Honor Society of Leap Year Babies.

Yes, it does exist. When you're 84, you'll honestly be celebrating your 21st birthday. And if you recall that left-handed children were considered odd, a similar idea was held about leapers— children born on Leap Day were thought to wind up sickly and stupid. And yet we have Gioachino Rossini--happy birthday, Gioachino.

Because of this tradition of proposals, some jokingly refer to Leap Day as “Bachelor's Day.” With the tradition tracing back to the British Isles, it's not surprising that this is where the bachelors are most likely to be proposed to. According to research from American Express Platinum Cashback Credit Card, more than 1.3 million single British women are planning to propose to their significant other—around 200,000 of them are popping the question on February 29th. In the UK, 29% of people know the 8% of women who have proposed marriage.

31% of men asked say that they fully support female marriage proposals.

Propose to all the men!

Photo by Matthew A. La Fave

11 | eleven

Arts & Culture

Out& About by

Rebecca Willen ’15

Every issue, we hope to feature another segment of Out & About, giving students a taste of local attractions and places to go in the Virginia area. If you have any questions or ideas, please e-mail the A&C Editor at rambler.arts@gmail.com.

1.

Shenandoah University Conservatory Choir www.conservatoryperforms.org - 540.665.4569

Listening to canned music on your computer only goes so far. Relax after midterms with live music from up the road – Shenandoah University’s Shenandoah Conservatory Choir has a concert coming up on Sunday, April 3rd, at 3 pm. The lineup is impressive:

• Faure: Cantique de Jean Racine

• Poulenc: Gloria

• Durufle: Requiem

3.

Harpers Ferry 171 Shoreline Drive, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia

This historic spot is at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, as well as the states of Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. Visiting this quaint, historic community is like stepping into the past. Robert Harper opened a ferry across the Potomac in 1761. The town was a hotspot for the Civil War because of the US Armory and Arsenal. West Virginia may be a scary place but it’s not too far away for a Sunday drive.

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2.

The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley 901 Amherst Street, Winchester VA - 540.662.1473

This piece of history includes an 18th century house, six acres of gardens, and a large museum. The museum, open year-round, includes rotating art exhibits; the house and gardens open March 1st. Find a sunny Saturday and get a group of friends together to enjoy lovely scenery and a bit of Virginia history.

4.

Instead of including another restaurant that you really can’t afford because you’re attending a private liberal arts school, here’s a request for you. What is the best place to order pizza around here? Submit reviews to rambler.arts@gmail.com. Include your name, the size and type of the pizza you ordered, the price, and how much time it took to deliver the pizza. We want to find out what company has the best-priced pizza and has the most reliable delivery service.

Arts & Culture

The Traveling Chapel by

Rebecca Willen ’15

C

hrist the King Chapel stands at the highest point on Christendom’s campus. We see it every day, whether we walk past it or go inside. Yet very few people know the history of the chapel, a story which goes farther back than its dedication a mere seventeen years ago. The next time you walk to the chapel, take a look at the stones on the front corners. You will notice that they are carved with two different dates: on one is the year 1870, on the other the year 1995.

The tale behind the discrepancy in these dates begins in Winchester, Virginia, at the oldest parish in the Shenandoah Valley.

In the early nineteenth century, Winchester was only a tiny market town. With not enough priests in the area, the Irish immigrant Catholics were only able to have Mass once every third Sunday. By the mid 1800s, though, missions had been established around the Shenandoah Valley. St. Peter’s Church in Harper’s Ferry provided a priest for the little stone church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Winchester.

During the Civil War (or the War Between the States), that church was commandeered by Union forces. It was used as a stable and later completely destroyed.

Despite the loss of their church, the Irish Catholics continued to have Mass celebrated whenever they could. Various homes, and even the local Red Lion Tavern, became places for the liturgy. They were eventually able to purchase enough land for a new church structure, which was dedicated on July 28th, 1868. Sacred Heart of Jesus Church continued to be the center of Catholic worship for the next 121 years.

The parish became the first in the newly organized Arlington Diocese in 1870. However, in 1987 it was decided that the church was too small to hold the number of Catholics, and the first Mass was celebrated in the new church on Palm Sunday, 1989.

When the old church closed, a number of the fixtures were

donated to Christendom College by the then-bishop of Alexandria, John Keating, and the legacy of the old Irish Catholics was handed down to Christendom College. When Christendom’s Christ the King Chapel was designed, it was made by architect William Robson to follow a similar architectural pattern to Sacred Heart. If you look around the church, most of the interior is also from the old church.

The high altar was repaired and refinished by Harold Vogal for our sanctuary; it is made of three different types of marble. The fifteen main stained glass windows, the set of Stations of the Cross which are currently in the crypt, the bronze enameled pendant lights, wooden communion rail, holy water fonts and baptismal font, all came from the old Sacred Heart. Even the “Bell of the Sacred Heart” which is in our chapel’s tower was cast as a replica of the bell from that church.

The pipes you hear every Sunday at Mass are from old Sacred Heart Church, and were fully restored for our chapel.

Although our chapel is young, it also has a distinguished history. Christ the King Chapel was dedicated by the late Cardinal Jan Schotte, formerly the Secretary General of the World Synod of Bishops.

Pope John Paul II sent a chalice and paten to the college on the occasion of the chapel’s dedication, and Pope Benedict XVI is also a great friend of the school. We have welcomed Bishop Loverde of the Arlington Diocese, Cardinal Arinze, Cardinal O’Malley, and a number of other distinguished figures in the church. Countless baccalaureate Masses and alumni marriages have been celebrated in Christ the King. The chapel’s history continues—next month we welcome the Papal Nuncio!

Next time you go to the chapel, look around and remember the venerable old immigrants who spent their life wages to build the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Let us pray that we leave as great a legacy as they did.

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Arts & Culture

Thank You, Gentlemen DEAR YOUNG MEN OF CHRISTENDOM,

I'm certain you have found The girls are all a-flutter When Valentine's comes round.

The day dawns bright and beautiful Whatever the weather may be, As the ladies chatter and hope For a note from that special he.

The excitement only heightens With every passing hour, Imagining cards and chocolates, Shiny hearts or one, red flower.

On this day there are many girls, Whose dreams will not come true, In others states and towns, Where some guy misses his cue.

They'll sit and wait for thoughtless men To make them smile today And though they're sweet and patient, Good things still won’t come their way.

Here we never falter, To trust that you'll bestow A poem on each and every girl

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Just to make sure she knows.

No matter if she has a boy Whose love for her he'll speak Or if she just has many friends, To tell her she's unique.

The poems we anticipate Each and every year Make the day exciting And also make it clear: The girls here are the luckiest Of all women, now and then, And this is the heartfelt thank you We dearly wish to send.

To all the guys who spend their time For days and nights before Racking brains and slaving To fulfill this noble chore, No matter what its content And no matter whom it’s from, We are very much obliged.

Love,

THE LADIES OF CHRISTENDOM

Doodle Break

Arts & Culture 1.

by Various Artists Face it. Everyone starts zoning out during class now and then. Whether it’s because of the sleep-inducing turkey sandwich you had at lunch, the two hours of sleep you had last night, or the fact that you’re going into your fourth hour of class time, there’s a point where you just can’t pay attention any longer. A few professors have recommended taking a quick ‘doodle break’ to alleviate the tedium of note-taking. They even say it can improve the quality of the rest of your notes just by giving your brain a breather. Some of our students have taken this very much to heart. As I’m sure you can tell, their artistic flair has them taking time to finish the masterpieces they began in class.

Whatever the reason may be, and however it helps you, we’d like to show a couple of funny, interesting, or just plain awesome doodles with you from fellow students.

2.

3.

4.

Doodles: 1. Lucy Briggs 2. Katy Arnold 3. Kat Turner 4. Jane Riccardi

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Faith & Reason

shutting ourselves out by

Lauren Enk ‘14

“Hey, did you do the reading for class tomorrow?”

“Psssh. No.”

Sometimes the above conversation comes from the opposite perspective. The young professor at the podium will glance despondently around the classroom and ask with a wry smile: “So, how many of you actually did the reading?”

Or from reminiscing seniors: “Well, that teacher liked me because I was the only person who did the readings for class.”

Comments such as these are all too common at Christendom: in the dorms, over lunch, walking down St. Catherine’s dip—even at dances. All of us know what it feels like when the work piles up and we simply can’t finish all the readings because of other assignments, or when other important commitments such as jobs or the genuine need for a break make it understandable that some homework can fall by the wayside.

But what about when students skip readings not because they don’t have time, or because they are exhausted, but merely because— well, readings are hard, and long, and tiresome, and nobody else does them, anyway. The times when the dusty Jski packet or the difficult Poli-Sci readings sit ignored upon the shelf, or the untouched Lit book lies hidden away in a book bag for almost the whole semester. This sort of situation seems to have reached nearly epidemic status on campus.

“What’s the point of a student taking as many classes as possible?” I once heard a frustrated professor exclaim, “They don’t do the readings for the classes they have, anyway!”

Christendom students shell out thousands of dollars, labor late nights on papers and bother to get up in the morning for class because they are ultimately trying—or ought to be trying—to develop the whole potential of their God-given abilities and become the persons He intended them to be, by taking advantage of the liberal arts education offered here. One of the intrinsic purposes of such an education is the loving pursuit of the truth and of wisdom. At times, of course, it is very difficult and wearisome to maintain the drive and motivation necessary to face the mountainous pile of readings awaiting us at the end of every day—especially if we don’t particularly enjoy the class or like the teacher.

But how can an overwhelmingly negative attitude toward class readings, a simple neglect and dismissal of the material, be compatible with an active and eager pursuit of wisdom?

I once heard the personal account of a student who was initially unwilling to attend Christendom. Blind to the value of a liberal 16|sixteen

arts education, he was unhappy and frustrated to be taking classes he thought would be of no practical use to him in the future. One day, however, he determined that since he was paying for the classes, he might as well get the most out of them, and so began applying himself to class readings and other homework he had previously neglected. It was a moment of grace for him: in one of the readings, he found an insight that inspired him to decide what he wanted to do with the rest of his life.

God can often work like that; He may send us a grace through our daily duties, like our readings—a glimpse of His plan for us, or a reminder of His mercy, or an important truth we need to understand, or a word of hope to keep us going. When there is simply more homework on our plate than we can handle, we could say that it is opportunity for graces in “good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over . . . poured into [our] lap” (Luke 6:38). But we must recognize that there is a fundamental difference between facing that sort of overload and an attitude of deliberate neglect towards readings we can do. The one is a cup overflowing: there is too much for us, and while it is all good and we are grateful for it, our hands are simply not able to hold it all. The other is a downright refusal to open ourselves up at all to the grace God may want to give us through the work He has set before us. That closed attitude, that spirit of neglect toward our schoolwork, is contrary to the purpose of a liberal arts education. For as G.K. Chesterton once said: “Now shutting things out is all very well, but it has one simple corollary: that from everything we shut out, we are ourselves shut out.” Let’s not, by ignoring our readings, fail to take full advantage of our time here at Christendom; let’s not close that door to God’s grace. He especially wants to show us truth through our studies—for our own sake or for the sake of someone else in our lives—and we ought never to deliberately shut ourselves off from it.

Faith & Reason

THE Graceful KLUTZ by

Jordan Mann ’13

A

man locks the door to his home, turns to leave, but is nearly pulled off his feet by catching his jacket-pocket on the door knob. A young lady casually walking through the buffet line inexplicably loses her balance and in a valiant effort to maintain her footing, spills her drink on the floor, and, more tragically, on herself. A little boy, seated at his family’s kitchen table, leans down to retrieve from the floor the fork that he dropped there, and before he knows it, is in a heap on the floor, no closer to the table-top then his fork was before he expended the effort.

Such occurrences as these, commonly known as “accidents,” display the principles of “Murphy’s Law.” Accidents regularly occur and this is not uncommon—so long as they do not happen with regularity to any single person. If all the above mentioned accidents, and others like them, were frequently to strike misfortune in the life of a single individual in the course of a less-than-a-day, we would lovingly refer to that person by the endearing title of “klutz.” By lovingly I mean, in the common definition of klutz, which most people consider when they hear the word. The klutz is the person who, in the ordinary course of his or her daily routine, regularly but with no fault or intention, is waylaid by mishaps, often causing the poor person embarrassment and an undue lowering of esteem in the eyes of others. The question to be asked, however, is whether someone with the qualifications of a klutz is indeed “struck with misfortune” or is really at some social and personal disadvantage to a degree greater than his or her seemingly more adroit fellow men? Is to be a klutz actually a setback in one’s life? Or could being a klutz rather be representative of something much greater, something much higher, than seemingly inept actions?

Klutziness characterizes in an analogous manner two crucial virtues of Christian living: perseverance and trust. These two virtues sum up quite well what it means to be a Christian, for the authentic Christian strives to fulfill in his life the pious maxim, “Work as though it all depends on me; trust as though it all depends on God.” The klutz— the true, unaffected klutz—illustrates in a natural way what it is like for a person striving to live a genuinely Christian life.

On the one hand there is the klutz who tries hard to live life smoothly, but despite his constant efforts mishaps abound. Then, in spite of the proliferation of misadventures, the klutz’s constant efforts continue. On the other hand there is the striving Christian who lives day to day trying to persevere in grace and to grow in virtue, trusting that God will help him achieve his end and also trusting that, if and when he should fall, God will catch him, help him up, and get him started again.

As the klutz relentlessly expends his efforts to get through a day without an accident but whole-heartedly carries on even should calamity confront him, so the authentic Christian puts all his effort into living his life well, knowing that when he does he is really allowing God to be in control and, since “all things are possible for God,” should he

fall he raises himself above his failure and continues on. In the same way that a klutz lacks the average amount of self-trust, since he cannot trust himself always to competently complete his actions, so too the true Christian, in attempting to live his life well, should try to remove from himself his prideful self-trust and rely on the mercy and grace of God.

One “vice” prevalent in our society today and which contrary to this idea of Christian living is one that I would term “lack of personal integrity” or “personal dishonesty.” The klutz might innocently draw attention to himself by the accidents surrounding him, but the personally dishonest person draws attention to himself intentionally by pretending to be someone he is not. He paints a false image of himself.

He is not satisfied with being the person God made him to be and so makes himself into something he is not, to get attention by being something he is not. This person lacks the special virtues of the klutz, especially the virtue of trust. The person lacking personal integrity does not trust God enough to believe that God made him a unique, special, and irreplaceable human being, rather believing that emulating and imitating someone or something else will make him better than himself.

This ubiquitous issue presents itself in the full range from kids idolizing, imitating, and just plain “trying to be like” celebrities to the adults living double lives or having split personalities, acting one way at work, another with their fiancés or families, another with their drinking buddies, and another with no one but themselves. The genuine Christian, trying to achieve constant virtue tries to be constant and consistent with himself, for such is the virtuous man. Virtue is unchanging and does not allow multiple faces or personae. It only shows one face: the face of virtue, the face of personal integrity, the face of truth. The Christian man should be striving to reach the point when every joke he tells or laughs at with his drinking buddies he can repeat without shame to his wife or girlfriend, when he treats his workmates with the same charity he would his family, and when the manner in which he lives his life when he’s alone and the manner he in which lives his life when others see him are perfect reflections of each other. What is needed to combat the epidemic of personal dishonesty is personal integrity. Without integrity a person cannot be true to himself, and only when a person is true to himself will he ever have the ability to be true to anyone else.

The klutz is true to himself, for he has no pretensions about who he is. He understands that he is a failing and falling human being and that he needs to trust in God and persevere on every step of the way in the fight for holiness and perfection. He realizes this is the case, whether he is with others or alone. No matter the situation, in every case he needs God.

So—spiritually speaking—let’s fall down the steps and trip on our shoe-laces with the klutzes of the Christian life. As crazy as it sounds, let’s take a lesson from the klutz—somehow he knows what he’s doing.

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Humor

Desperate Single Senior Syndrome by

Joe McGlynn ’12

T

wo years ago, the American Association of Psychologists and the American Association of Relationship Therapists announced an addition to their annually updated list of relationship problems.

This addition was described as DSS Syndrome or Desperate Single Senior Syndrome and is marked by the sudden development of a relationship during the last few months of college which usually leads rapidly to marriage. People with DSS may display signs of disconnection from reality and may spend every minute of their time with their significant other. They might also display signs of emotional highs such as extreme giddiness or euphoria. According to experts, when dealing with DSS it is important to remember that it is not a mental health disorder and that in many cases it disappears within a month of graduation.

According to one clinician, DSS is growing at an alarming rate on the nation’s campuses. “Over the last decade, [we] have seen an alarming increase in people displaying DSS Syndrome and seeking counseling,” says one Washington DC clinician, a noted expert on DSS Syndrome who holds a Doctorate in Relationship Health from Stanford University and who spoke with The Rambler on the condition of anonymity. “Increasingly, many seniors are recognizing that they have to face reality after graduation and are becoming scared of what might be out there. Students tend to panic and rush into relationships which may rapidly turn serious.”

Experts agree that DSS Syndrome is not a new phenomenon.

As far back as the 1950s, many clinicians have seen this as a problem.

However, due to the dramatic increase in the number of students attaining a college education, the number of cases has increased. Given the large numbers of couples that develop during the last year of school on Christendom’s campus, it would seem that DSS might be present on Christendom’s campus. One anonymous senior informedThe Rambler that “there do seem to be a lot of crazy couples suddenly appearing during the last semester” and that he wouldn’t be surprised if many of the couples broke up after graduation.

Many new couples on campus were observed during the past two years. Of the couples observed, many began dating within the last two semesters of their senior year although the majority began within the last semester and sometimes within two weeks of graduation. Many of the couples observed displayed several of the traits of DSS syndrome including disconnection from reality. In males observed, the major symptom was exaggerated joy at suddenly finding someone who would date them and put up with their habits of not bathing or cleaning their rooms. In females, symptoms of increased giddiness and emotions were prevalent, usually as a result of finding someone who potentially could provide them with a shiny diamond ring and shopping money.

The primary symptom for these couples was one of excessive amounts of time spent together. Couples spent approximately 99.9% of their time together. This resulted in many couples spending approximately 15.75 of their average 16 waking hours together. Many of the couples would only be apart at night and when they did not have a class together although the majority managed to arrange their schedules so that they would have 80% or more of their classes together.

When asked why he spent so much time with his girlfriend, one student 18|eighteen

replied in a disconnected and highly emotional manner saying that he would find it hard to get his own food without his girlfriend and that she had come into his boring senior semester as “a breath of fresh air.”

The writer was not entirely sure what to make of these remarks.

When a female student was asked what she thought the best part of her relationship was she replied “not having to buy myself food when we go out to dinner. It gives me a break from the college cuisine!”

In couples with DSS syndrome, approximately 50% ended in marriage and 50% in break ups. The single most common factor in the break ups occurred when couples graduated and discovered that there were other people in the world besides their significant other.

Clearly DSS syndrome has affected Christendom. Any student who observes this campus can see that it is present. The question that remains is: what is to be done and should this be recognized as a problem? Some clinicians say it can lead to marriages based on emotion.

Others say that it is not a problem and that it often disappears after graduation. In view of these opinions it would seem prudent for the college administration to set up a program of seminar workshops on the proper development of relationships on campus to prevent DSS from increasing. Perhaps a fulltime clinician could be hired to council couples and a new initiative could be launched. It has been suggested that Student Life is thinking of launching an initiative called ICR or Improving Christendom Relationships, but Student Life did not comment on the matter and it is not likely to do so anytime soon.

The Last Word

Thumbs

Another opportunity for presenting our opinions on campus occurences. Agree? Disagree? Have an opinion of your own? Then stop being lazy and let us know.

As God is our witness, after the senior dinner, we’ll never be hungry again. Thank you to Chef Dennis for the delicious food and thank you to Dr. Shannon for the talk!

Of all the rugby fields in all the towns in all the world, American University walked onto ours...and the Crusader Rugby Team kicked some derriere. Good job, guys.

I love the smell of ink in the morning...smells like The Rambler is out. For the second time in two months! Mussolini may have made the trains run on time but Savvy makes The Rambler print on time.

What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate about what seniors want for graduation and what the administration wants for graduation. Grumbling abounds.

It makes no sense that students aren’t permitted to stay on campus for Spring Break--even though there are students who work on campus over break!

More than a few good students have made the case: “I want campus Wi-Fi!” College: You can’t handle the Wi-Fi!

HOW SECURE IS THE SECURITY? by the editorial staff

Q. A.

“If your date was attacked by ninjas, what would you do?”

“Well, if I really liked her, I would call the police. If I didn’t like her . . . I’d dial campus security.”

Upperclassmen may possibly remember this witty one-liner from one of the “Win-a-Date” Raffle Q&A sessions last year. (The editorial staff is of the opinion that it was the inimitable Dan Mitchell– whose visage graces our cover–who delivered it off-the-cuff to the applause of the lunchcrowd, though we’re not quite sure). But campus security is no laughing matter.

Certain events occurred last semester which have left students wondering just how safe our campus really is. If we actually had an emergency, what would we do? If you found yourself in danger or in a bad situation, would you really dial our two (very friendly) security night-watchmen? Wouldn’t you reach for your phone and immediately call 911?

Freshmen and visitors are sometimes quite surprised by the overall lack of security on campus. Important doors frequently remain unlatched and virtually open to the public. “It’s Christendom,” students say, “Of course it’s not locked.”

Students cannot even lock their own rooms as they leave for the day, unless they shell out the extra cash to get a special key for themselves and their roommates. And this is not to mention that there is absolutely nothing to prevent anyone from getting a hold of whatever is in a student’s mailbox— or even his packages—before he does.

Probably the most startling of non-secure behavior on campus, though, is on the part of the students. People leave highly personal and important possessions like purses and laptops out in the open—in

classrooms in the commons, on desks in the library, at odd places in hallways and in the Student Center. Bikes are seldom or never locked down. Phones, iPods, and thumb drives are sometimes left lying around, even overnight in the library. As a rule, people seem to very seldom have qualms about trusting their belongings to the general goodwill of the school at large.

So why is security treated as such a non-issue on campus? Is it really wise to just assume that, because we’re all basically decent people, everything is de facto safe and secure?

The answer is: no, actually, it’s not. Many students can testify to “lost” belongings that have mysteriously gone missing and have never been returned.

From name-brand clothing and expensive accessories to pricey textbooks and even important possessions like laptops, it happens: stuff gets stolen. True, for the most part such things are left untouched, which is a nice testament to the general morality of our campus. But just because we live in a Catholic community doesn’t mean we’re all saints. Anyone is capable of being tempted to take something that is placed so easily and so accessibly in their path.

So don’t be swayed by the general disregard for personal and public security on campus; be careful, and don’t get careless about your or other people’s belongings.

Habits we form in college often stay with us the rest of our lives; once we leave the Christendom bubble, we need to be armed with an awareness of personal safety that will serve us well in a less-than-Christendom community. Don’t leave important things simply lying about; don’t get too comfortable with a false sense of security. And if your date is attacked by ninjas, please dial 911 immediately.

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