Wise Monkey News is here to provide young people an opportunity to discuss the issues that affect their lives. We hope that, through your participation, this website serves as a forum for the development, exchange, and expression of ideas that will prepare us to assume our positions as the leaders of tomorrow's world. Have something to say?
Catholic Ethics Necessitate Life Style Change
by: Isaac Vanderburg - printed on 12-07-2000
The Pope John Paul II warns “Modern society will find no solution to the ecological problem unless it takes a serious look at its life style”. However here on the bluff our ‘life style’ has been without such a look since the school’s founding in 1901. At the University of Portland, mountains of Pepsiâ cups are mined and leveled daily. The blue ore is filled then drained of fluid, eventually finding itself in a classroom trashcan with other Pilot waste that should be recycled.
What exactly is the meaning of the mystical word 'mantra'?
by: Kelly Maggi - printed on 10-24-2001
Since the debut of this column two months ago, readers have brought one question to me repeatedly: “What in the world is a mantra???” I hope that this will answer your question.
The Modern Mantra:
I use modern mantra in this column. A modern mantra consists of a simple phrase or a couple of words that are meant to help one get through the day or a particular situation. You probably already use these without knowing it.
What sex has to do with character
by: Anthony Pepitone - printed on 09-25-2002
What do James Joyce, Franz Kafka, Ludwig Wittgenstein, and Sigmund Freud all have in common? They all have a peculiar perspective of female sexuality that can be traced to a German philosopher at the turn of the century.
Japan's Forgotten People: The Ainu
by: Kukiko Iwamoto - printed on 04-11-2001
A widespread belief about Japan is that it is a homogenous nation. But there are minorities in Japan. About ten thousand years ago, people lived in the northern part of Japan (now called Hokkaido) who were ethnically separated from the rest of Japanese population by their different lifestyle, culture, and language. These people were called “Ainu” which means “human being” in their own language. Today, the Ainu are considered an indigenous people.
Learning with an edge
by: Melanie Gangle - printed on 04-25-2001
International study abroad experiences present great opportunities for self-growth. When you study abroad, you challenge your cultural assumptions. When you’re communicating in a new language, eating new foods, and learning a new set of cultural expectations, you can’t help but learn new things about your host culture, about your own culture, and about yourself. Cultures, although they may be different, are also universal; you’ll find culture everywhere.
An Indian, a Peckerwood, and a Higher Power
by: Ryan Bemis - printed on 02-14-2001
“Man on the left!” warns Andy.
I jump at his startling tone.
“Will you stop saying that everytime you see a police car!” I tell him.
The fact is, Andy can’t. He grew up in a small Californian reservation shantytown where cops beat him because he was a hotheaded Indian boy. The sight of a cop begets an impulsive “watch your back” mood.
Today, Andy recovers from the deadly disease of alcoholism.