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?
Setting up and making Me, Inc. work for you
by: Meighan Doherty - printed on 11-07-2001
I have discovered a disturbing trend among seniors here at UP: we have no idea what we want to do next year! When we were seniors in high school the decision for us was simpler - college or a job. Now we must decide what our four years here on the bluff have prepared us to do with our lives. Sure we say we are a nursing/business/biology/social work/theology/theatre or whatever major. But what does that mean for our lives? If you haven?t noticed, the economy and the job market are pretty darn pathetic right now.
No More America! I am in Spain!
by: Annmarie Phelan - printed on 02-28-2001
This is it. Submerged in another language, another culture. I cannot speak or understand all that well, but somehow I am able to live in this country. It is my home for four months. My home. Spanish family, Spanish classes, Spanish food. No more America. No American handshake. “Dos besos” instead — a kiss on each cheek — is how I greet people. No standard American house. Most everyone lives in apartments, and the houses you do see do not share the same outward aesthetic beauty to which we are accustomed.
Peace through oil
by: Dawn Hunter - printed on 11-03-2000
With the recent suicide bombing at an Israeli army outpost in the Gaza Strip, President Clinton's legacy as a peacemaker between Palestine and Israel is clearly at stake.
With the abundance of press coverage, one is led to believe that this is but another climactic moment in the drama between the Palestinian people and Israel. Yet, another October in the not so distant past also shines as an important moment in the struggle for Palestinian independence from Israel.
Kenji-san ni shoten o atteru - A focus on Kenji
by: Teresa Abbene - printed on 04-11-2001
“The biggest difference between the U.S. and Japan is that Americans describe every single detail. I have a friend living in Japan who is from the U.S. and every time we talk he drives me crazy! He’ll ask me, How’s it going? And I’ll answer, Fine. OK. And he’ll ask again, How?”
Aside from Americans’ insistent focus on details and feelings, Kenji Ishikawa likes living in the U.S. Kenji is a 23-year-old senior majoring in sociology.
A journey through Paris
by: Jefferson Azevedo - printed on 09-12-2001
Paris is romantic by definition, gallant by tradition, sophisticated by choice. I spent last year living, studying, and working in Paris; each day, upon exiting a metro station or turning a street corner, I came across a glamorous café or a staggering monument erected to celebrate French power. It sometimes felt like time had stopped in the bohemian life of the 20’s, as if I had been caught in a live oil canvas by Picasso or Van Gogh.
Siesta Lessons
by: Brooke Anderson - printed on 02-28-2001
Siesta. A time to think, to reflect, to slow down, to relax . . . moreover, a time to simply breathe. When I first arrived in Spain, I wasn’t aware how deeply ingrained siestas were in the Spanish culture. I had heard the term before, but never considered it a practiced tradition in any country. I quickly learned that in the south of Spain, a siesta was not only a tradition, but a daily ritual. At exactly 2:00 every day, the stores pulled down their chain-link barriers, offering a sign that the siesta was approaching.