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I’m going to take some liberties here and introduce myself a bit in both the blogs I’ll be writing weekly. I’m Matt, a senior sociology major who is thinking this might be his final year before the real world. I’m going to be writing on my cooking escapades and my attempts to create a bucket list for myself this year. Both should be full of my own failures, which I guarantee will be entertaining. If not I promise to refund you the entire two minutes of your time you wasted reading. Alternatively, you could read faster.
Cooking your own food, something I’ve begin doing, has its ups and downs. The ups all tend to be my food preparation successes and the downs are how depressing my society is. I’ve recently learned two things: People get fat because vegetables cost too much and take time to prepare and people are dumb because they have no idea what they’re eating. I mean, it makes sense why veggies cost so much. Getting grown foods from farms to stores while maintaining them has to be expensive. But in a society where selection is a given, you’d think people would simply look for cheaper vegetables. Nope. Time is of the essence and why pay more for something that is more work to eat? People go grab TV dinners and homogenized products that make up for their miniscule nutritional value by coming with brownies and chips as sides. So far cooking a legitimate meal, complete with freshly chopped onions, tomatoes, broccoli and other greens has made me feel so responsible and healthy. Original ingredients taste better, they’re healthier, and you know what they are. That’s my second point. You want to tell me you know everything a frozen bag of stir fry comes with? Or how long that bag has been sealed? Better to fry a dish made up of your own ingredients, tailored to your tastes and made by your hand. Your stomach will thank you, your heart will thank you, and you’ll be proud of yourself. Know what your own diet is and how to prepare it. That’s a real success, even if it does take extra effort.
Matt Olson Matt Olson can be reached at linfieldreviewopinion@gmail.com.I think as a general rule, a good cook should never be limited by a lack of funds. Creativity adds to the fun and so I naturally keep attempting to make up new and exciting dishes, hoping they’ll turn into something delicious that I can produce on a large budget. Having largely failed, I’ve recently discovered the one ingredient that makes me feel awesome repeatedly: onions.
Cheap, simple, and very enjoyable. Apparently describing onions is the opposite of describing prom.
You can pretty much add onions to anything. Fry em up or throw em in with whatever meat you have. All they do is add taste, which is never a bad a thing (note: apologies to any good cooks. I can only go up). I’ve probably put onions in about 20 dishes in the last 3 weeks; I’d recommend against adding them to beverages.
Of course, onions come with a terrible, terrible downside. When you cut them up you begin to develop large amounts of water in your eyes. Some call it crying, but that seems to be too mild a word. Balling seems much more appropriate. And with the tears comes every annoying joke from every stupid friend you have who thinks they’re clever and original. Apparently I have a lot of stupid friends.
Goodness it’s amazing. Every joke about you being an emotional train wreck is repeated over and over, all while you prepare dinner for a group of said idiots. It’s worse than bad puns. How can a vegetable so amazing cause so much annoyance at the same time? It’s not even fair. Forced crying should occur while cutting a crappy food nobody enjoys, like asparagus or okra. I suppose I could get less annoying friends too. At this point eating onions is prioritized above my friends anyway.
Seriously, put onions in everything. You can’t lose!*
*I lied. Onions and Butterscotch do NOT mix.
Matt Olson Matt Olson can be reached at linfieldreviewopinion@gmail.com.I’m going to take some liberties here and introduce myself a bit in both the blogs I’ll be writing weekly. I’m Matt, a senior sociology major who is thinking this might be his final year before the real world. I’m going to be writing on my cooking escapades and my attempts to create a bucket list for myself this year. Both should be full of my own failures, which I guarantee will be entertaining. If not I promise to refund you the entire two minutes of your time you wasted reading. Alternatively, you could read faster.
I think creating a bucket list is a lot like attempting to ask a girl out. You have a rough outline of a plan, you know there a set of things nearly everybody does and doesn’t do, but you try to personalize it as best you can. Once you go for it, you find you’ve forgotten everything you’d planned and wind up spewing random thoughts and ideas, hoping everyone understands what you mean. Both are inherently about you but can’t continue without approval from an outside source. Seriously, you can’t write a bucket lists without bouncing ideas off your friends until they get tired of you.
Well I’m going to start a Linfield bucket list, which means this semester will be chock full of exciting and fun things to brag about. Or maybe not. I’m not advocating nor will I be attempting to do anything illegal or very dangerous too stupid. I think a good first step is to establish what type of bucket list it will be, and it most certainly will not be a daredevil’s guide to Linfield. It should be a fun, mostly safe guide to doing things at Linfield people wish they had done. Fun things, cool things, generally awkward things. I have always, for example, wanted to get into the bell tower in Pio. I’ve wanted to swim in the Walker fountain at night, and sneak into Ice and play the organ. I’d like to spend a night in the library and participate in a flash mob in a classroom. These things are not so bad as they are fun, random, and slightly edgy. Creating this might just make each week a little better and my Linfield education a little fuller.
Matt Olson
Columnist Matt Olson can be reached at linfieldreviewopinion@gmail.com.
It seems like my entire bucket list is full of really stupid things that will get me in jail for awhile. My roommate and I, for example, have always wanted to break into Northup Hall. He suggested I added this to the list and we could go in there before they complete it in the spring. Considering how strict this college is about climbing trees, I’d be willing to bet we’d get in a ton of trouble if we got caught. Like fines and jail. Or even worse, not graduating (trust me, it’s worse. Loans loans loans).
And so, it seems to me that I should eliminate all of the really dumb illegal things on my list. Well, maybe not all. But it might be smart to look at consequences while re-evaluating the lists. After doing so, I’ve decided I am addicted to really dumb things. Yes, streaking into Dillin would be awesome. And no, it should never be done.
What should be done are fun exciting things that I wouldn’t have done otherwise or didn’t get a chance to do while here at Linfield. Like the infamous Indiana Jones runs in the library. Everyone should have the opportunity to do this with their friends before they graduate, and it certainly won’t get anyone arrested. Or participating in a Cat Cab, swimming in the people fountain, and watching TV in ICE (yeah, you can do that). These things are adding diversity to an otherwise boring semester. This should be the type of list I should be writing. Well… maybe I’ll just focus on having fun. And nothing is more fun than running around in the rain stomping puddles on a Wednesday afternoon or mudsliding in the IM field. This semester will be amazing.
Matt OlsonColumnist Matt Olson can be reached at linfieldreviewopinion@gmail.com.
Are college students spoon fed on the $2,000-per-semester meal plan missing out on the opportunity to learn an important life skill?
Another year underway! A time of seeing old friends, meeting new ones and cooking delicious college foods like pasta and burritos. Cooking together is a fantastic bonding experience, too.
Because I’m an elitist, I regard cooking as an intricate art form of finesse and experience that takes years of trial and error to master. Seriously, you’d be surprised how much skill it takes to throw a hodgepodge of edible things into a frying pan. Or, rather, you’d be surprised how often I fail at it.
Lucky for everyone, I recently received an item sure to revolutionize my cooking: a crock-pot. Every college student should have one. Letting food cook while one spends the day in class saves time and makes for an excellent dinner. It’s easy, simple and makes food tastes like food, which is a step up from many staples in a college diet. I feel like I’ve become an expert chef, ranking myself somewhere between Emeril and June Cleaver in the cooking craft.
Alas, many students won’t experience the joys of cooking for themselves anytime soon. In fact, a large amount of students are stuck paying a huge fee every year to be spoon fed food from our campus food services. I don’t necessarily have a problem with the idea. Many freshmen would undoubtedly starve without regular meals, but it’s the lack of any other options that bothers me, along with the fact that freshmen are routinely equated with incompetence.
The real world is looming close by, and the sooner basic skills like cooking are utilized, the better. Cooking is a life skill that everybody must learn eventually. Why wait until late in college?
This should be about options. If students coming to college don’t feel they are ready to deal with the responsibility of feeding themselves, then have them sign on the dotted line and eat at the cafeteria all year. But for those who are ready now, why deprive them of the opportunity? There’s no gain for anyone.
Linfield is preparing students for life after college, and life after college doesn’t include a cafeteria. In real life, those who can’t adapt and survive are cut out, not catered to. College should encourage students to step up and take care of themselves, not lazily have somebody else take care of them. It’s insulting to be treated as a child when one is trying to be adult.
The costs also bother me. See, a meal plan costs $2,000 per semester. That is unnecessarily expensive for disappointing food because it’s made in bulk. It’s pricey for food we often won’t eat. It’s just plain expensive. Do you think anyone with a kitchen spends $2,000 to feed themselves every three months?
I’m trying to imagine how much delicious food my roommate and I could buy with $4,000 every semester. I don’t think I could eat that much. I doubt four football players could eat that much.
And this is food I’d enjoy, mind you. Not food produced for efficiency.
Well maybe I’ll just cook for myself and not worry too much about it. I’d like to think part of being an adult is dealing with impractical systems and questionable, expensive food. I guess things could be a lot worse.
The meal plan does have some benefits. (I’m thinking of you, corndog day.) Still, I’d rather learn through trial and error than be spoon fed meals because people are afraid I might fail at cooking. That would be my own fault. It will be for the rest of my life, anyway.
Matt Olson
Columnist Matt Olson can be reached at linfieldreviewopinion@gmail.com.
Well, I’ll admit it. I’m mostly a square, a straight-laced student who doesn’t spend a lot of his time breaking the rules. I also tend to spend my weekends watching movies and playing Cranium, generally avoiding the whole partying scene. Having lived in Potter Hall and currently enjoying an apartment in the Whites, I’ve been privileged to watch stampedes of party-goers for the last year. They confidently stroll down the street a little after dark, the guys in trendy suits and the girls click-clacking on the pavement with their 6-inch heels and not much else. I’m starting to get used to the flashing lights outside my window, too. I’ve begun to grow accustomed to opening blinds and watching Mac PD read people their rights or question a group of red-eyed students. My nights tends to get a lot less boring, especially if I can’t hear them and I do the whole “make up the conversation they might be having” routine with my girlfriend.
I witnessed one such event last night involving a plethora of officers, minors and assorted drunk/high/angry students. There was a lot of yelling and unhappiness, and many of the students felt they were being treated unfairly. I’ll admit I have no great love for authority, and so I naturally took the students side. It wasn’t hard to justify either, since most students behave like normal, intelligent adults at parties. A huge amount of social/responsible drinkers are out there, confused why alcohol is even an issue. For them it’s never been about that. When I occasionally choose to drink (I’m 21), I always question why the drink I’m holding is such a big deal. Aren’t we as students intelligent enough to make our own decisions? Clearly the problem is at hand is not about alcohol, but whether or not teenagers are responsible enough to make their own decisions.
I’m guessing most of my generation would say that they are and most of the generations in authority would say they are not. So what happens? A disjuncture between the generations and rebelliousness against authority. Students no longer care about the law and they no longer care about the consequences. Likewise authorities consider it their solemn duty to stop the lawlessness that’s occurring in houses across America. This is a problem. I can only stand on my side of the tape, but I’m starting to see why the authorities respond so forcefully at times. This is about authority and this is about letting a younger generation understand that they must obey the rules others built before them. Except by doing this they are ensuring this disjuncture continues and are enabling thousands of students to reject their authority. It’s a fine line to walk, but authorities need to connect with those below them respectfully while reminding them they are doing for the community. Too forceful and people get alienated by those trying to protect them.
What I’m implying here is that authorities need to be smarter about how they interact with our students and our generation. Yes, students are going to party and are going to break the law. Instead of charging in every time, perhaps checking in and monitoring a party might be a better idea. Maybe allow a few events to go on and politely ask a few of the crazier get-togethers to disperse. The students are not trying to break the law; they’re trying to have a good time. I’d like for my generation to come into the real world as leaders and as members of society, not as deviants preaching against our system in place. Deal with students as if they were citizens, not as criminals. They’ve been educated for years and years about decision making. Give them a chance to prove it.
Matt Olson
Columnist Matt Olson can be reached at linfieldreviewopinion@gmail.com
It is difficult to remember when I meet people for the first time. Maybe it’s because I tend not to value first impressions, which basically tell me nothing about a person. Every once in awhile someone sticks out in my mind anyway. Aaron Cody is one of those people. From the very beginning I recognized that Aaron was a guy that had more to him than meets the eye. All I remember about our meeting was thinking that Aaron could do with a dose of confidence. I learned later that he doesn’t lack confidence, he simply exudes patience.
This is a tribute to the man who exemplified success without being on center stage. Now a senior and graduating, I can’t help but feel like Linfield will be losing one of its more valuable pieces. Though he would prefer to disappear in two weeks with no attention paid towards him, I can’t justify letting him walk out without a pat on the back. He’ll be leaving his fingerprints all across campus.
One of the most impactful students of the last four years, Aaron has been an electronic arts major who has forged his own path to success at Linfield. He spent three of his years as an AV Tech, running the sound for numerous comedians, presentations, and movies. Plenty of musicians have gone home happy on Thursday nights because Aaron was there to provide his musical expertise. Events like the recent Battle of the Bands would not have been possible without Aaron. He’s also been the only on-campus DJ for the last few years. All those school dances in FML can be attributed to Aaron’s mixing skills. He worked as a DJ for our own radio and even as their technical director, along with designing tutorials to help the station run effectively.
He’s found time to build the Linfield Review website, which recently came in first for Best Website by the ONPA, and is the online editor. He works on the Linfield College website, helped rebuild the Athletics section and has worked on much of the content we see everyday. Many of the logo’s we see, including the ResLife logo, the Linfield Sustainability logo, and the Computer Science department logo were designed by him. ASLC just hired him to create their logo. He does videos too: The “It’s your Linfield” video contest last year was handily won by Aaron and he helped Wildcat productions produce some of its popular content.
Aaron is an electronic master, spending a year working in the faculty development lab teaching professors how to work all the technology around Linfield. And he works everywhere while working as an RA for two years and building numerous websites privately for his friends and colleagues. “It’s what I do” is all he’ll say about his lifetime love of his projects. It started with his freshman orientation, where he attended Will Keim’s speech. The sound system wasn’t working that day and new freshman Aaron Cody just walked onto the stage and fixed it, then turned to Dan Preston and asked for a job.
Aaron is that guy that gets every call when there’s a problem and he’s the guy who has created many of the iconic images that make Linfield feel like home. And through it all he’s maintained a humility that is unparalled, preferring to be invisible to the public eye. Aaron deserves recognition because he’s the only guy I know that will dislike this article; for Aaron, praise has never been what’s important. He’s just doing what he loves. No student has been more involved in the technical on goings of our campus than Aaron and he’s been irreplaceable at Linfield during his time here.
Aaron will be doing his last cat cab when Jack Ruby Presents performs on May 20th and then he’ll be finishing a four year trek at Linfield. So thank you Aaron Cody. You’ve helped make this campus a better place and you’ve helped numerous students and faculty succeed in building this community. And yet you keep ending up in the back, with almost no recognition. This time I’m making sure you’re standing on center stage.
Matt Olson
Columnist Matt Olson can be reached at linfieldreviewopinion@gmail.com