He saw his father murdered by the machete of a Mau Mau rebel when he was 13 and he forgave the killer. A genetic ailment lay dormant for much of his life, then sprung itself upon him, impairing his motor functions, but he kept teaching. One of the few professors brave enough to dole out a deserved D+, he was unfairly called a fascist, and he still gave students the chance to rewrite. Richard Kroll was tough and fair.
THE SOCIAList: Before high definition television, there was a television craze over a genre that most people even myself began to criticize. That was reality TV. Reality TV seemed to be the new cop-out for networks that were suffering in the sitcom or drama series department. "COPS" aired in 1989 as one of the first reality TV shows due to a Writers Guild of America strike. Many people denigrated reality TV as "stupid" because producers were just putting crazy people in insane situations and letting the world feast off of it. You know what? Those cast members signed up for it, and I am along for the ride.
I have 561 Facebook friends. I might only talk to about 65 of them on a regular basis, maybe as many as 200 if you include miscellaneous birthday wishes. My roommate has 707. In a conversation with one of my guy friends the other day, he lamented having 40 less friends then me, and has since acquired an average of 7 a day. (He feels much better about himself now.) Sadly, I accepted a friend request from my best friend's little sister's babysitter's aunt the other day. Houston, we have a problem. Luckily, Burger King has the answer. It's called the Whopper Sacrifice. Trade 10 of your friends in exchange for a free whopper!
For the past year or so now we've heard about this "change" thing floating about. But I propose that we've borne witness to a change even more drastic and far-reaching than anything else before: the integration of the nerd culture into the mainstream. But when did this happen? And how could such a revolutionary change go unnoticed? There are many factors, but I tend to believe that it all started in 1997. It was in this year that Square released "Final Fantasy VII."
Not everyone gets called a socialist and a fascist in the same day. Most people must be content with either one or the other. Achieving the dubious distinction of both labels requires a certain amount of talent. Unless, of course, you are, as I am, that most misunderstood of people: a political moderate, in which case it is a common experience.
SUBURBAN OUTFITTER: If you're anything like me — a shopaholic with a lack of funding — fashion can be fun, but sometimes overwhelming. If you sometimes find yourself debating whether or not to trade a week's worth of dinner for a pair of heels you can't stop thinking about, this week's column is dedicated to you. I love to shop, but my meager college student budget determines what I can actually spend money on versus what I should buy for less. Here are my thoughts on what to splurge on, what to save on, and where to get it.
