A friend of mine informed me last week that my column has been noticeably negative and critical in tone since the day I first felt compelled to spray the pages of The Maroon with my inane blather.
I am not immune to criticism myself. So after I taught my ex-friend a lesson with my fists, I decided to lighten things up a little bit.
Ray of sunshine, thy name is Maggie Calmes. Let’s try to find the simple pleasures hiding amongst life’s endless trials and tribulations, shall we?
When life hands you hurricanes, board up your windows and make your own. Here at Loyola we made the best of Hurricane Ivan. Those not used to the volatile Gulf Coast were dutifully panicky and the seasoned southerners were calm and resigned
to the possibility that New Orleans might soon become the new, dirtier Atlantis at the bottom of the sea.
But tropical storms be damned. We all went to Tuck’s anyway, ready to float to safety perched on buoyant kegs if that’s what it came to.
Mention of Tuck’s brings to mind the numerous muggings that have plagued our students on their way to and from their favorite college bars. Muggings are serious business, which is why Loyola students really had to dig deep to find the silver lining.
The only way to decrease these nighttime assaults was to go out before sunset and then wait the criminals out until they got tired and gave up. This way, stumbling home became a fear-free stroll instead of a race for your life.
George W. Bush was elected, but did we let a little hiccup in the progress of economic stability, environmental protection, civil rights and world peace get us down? Yes, for a few days. But Loyola students persevered and were out in smoker’s alley complaining again wholeheartedly before the week was up. Way to bounce back, Loyola.
Never mind violence in Iraq. Students recently found themselves near a war zone right here at home when the ADG and Beggar fraternities engaged in a historic battle. Pins were stolen, eggs were thrown and after peace talks and negotiations, all seems quiet on the Western Front.
The downside is that baby chickens were sacrificed for the sake of useless aggression. The upside is omelets.
And then we have the infamous cover inflation of 2005, when our beloved college watering holes began charging covers up to $8. All over campus people complained and lamented the injustice and made shaky suggestions of boycotting or finding alternate means of inebriation.
But we kept pushing, right through the ridiculously expensive covers and watered-down drinks, and we shelled out the cash.
Why?
Because Loyola students aren’t quitters, that’s why.
And now as the end of the semester looms in the near future, Loyola students just keep on keepin’ on. We’re tired, we’re stressed and we’re broke, but don’t let anyone tell you that we aren’t optimists. Keep on truckin’, guys. Cheers.
