Editorial

Net neutrality is one of the biggest issues facing America today -- the loss of net neutrality could lead to the widespread destruction of the Internet as we know it. But many Internet users are not going down without a fight. Thanks to an overwhelming amount of traffic on its website, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission has extended the first deadline for comments on the newly-proposed Internet traffic rules to Friday, July 18, at midnight. The traffic in question includes almost 680,000 comments left by everyone from lawmakers to ordinary citizens, ...

Very few people look forward to jury duty. I was not one of those few. I was not looking forward to getting up early or the the amount of waiting I heard was forthcoming. I also had this fear about the kind of case I was going to get. Most people say they'd want to get put on a murder case or something "interesting," but that's because they've probably watched way too many Law & Order marathons. I was put on a criminal case, but luckily it wasn't a murder because you quickly find out what they mean by telling you to come up with a verdict based on what the evidence tells you. Deciding solely on the evidence presented during the trial isn't...

Millions of people worldwide download podcasts every day, from Church sermons to radio shows, from little known to well-known. Those media producers create an endless array of topics, broadcasting their love and expertise on their shows for millions of listeners to discover on the Internet. Yet, the outcome of an upcoming lawsuit could put this to a grinding halt. It was reported earlier this...

Winston Smith is plagued with a need. A need for freedom. Individuality, however, is illegal. Everyone must conform to the government or perish. All around him he is aware that "Big Brother is watching." Cameras are everywhere recording everything, making sure he shows no sign of desiring freedom or individuality. In a moment of defiance Smith decides to begin journaling his thoughts against the government, which is also illegal. Thought Police will arrest and execute anyone who thinks for themselves -- especially thoughts against the government. The Thought Police's job was simple: monitor everyone and deal...

I work for Minnesota Connected as an Intern, and I come to the actual office twice a week; to do that I have to drive from Bethel University in Arden Hills, all the way to Eagan. This commute has been my first in a large metropolitan area. It took some time to get used to driving in the Twin Cities, but I still don’t think it’s possible to ever enjoy driving in the cities. While I now better understand how the roads here work, how to actually get places, and how people drive, I still fear for my life every time I get behind the wheel. I may be just a bit too paranoid about this, but I have some foundation to it. Here’s why I hate driving...

[caption id="attachment_234147" align="aligncenter" width="564"] Leah Putz (middle)[/caption] When I tell people I’m graduating college in a few weeks, I get bombarded with questions- “How old are you?” – “Didn’t you just graduate high school?” – or sometimes even just, “How did you manage that?!” My answers to the first two questions are simple- “I just turned 21”  – and – “Yep, I left high school in 2011.” The answer to the last question is a bit more complicated. My road to graduating college two semesters early began my sophomore year of high school, as that was the year...

[caption id="attachment_230421" align="aligncenter" width="570"] Undated photo with Victor Barnard and his "Maidens"[/caption] The news of Victor Barnard, the Finlayson "Pastor" (more like cult leader), has settled upon Minnesota for a solid week. He's accused of 59 counts of child molestation and the manhunt continues for him in Washington state (he fled there when the investigation of him began in earnest in 2012). The questions Barnard has brought to...

[caption id="attachment_227476" align="aligncenter" width="570"] A version of the plaza, with light-rail, facing toward the stadium[/caption] The design for the new Viking's stadium calls for a large open plaza. It will include a transit station for the light-rail, a wonderfully glassy entrance to the venue itself and a not so glassy view of the (also newly constructed) Hennepin County Juvenile Detention Center (which will be directly across from the doors). Yet a large question mark remains: what will this plaza be called? The proposed "Downtown East Plaza" isn't very catchy and...

Not so long ago, college was affordable without students mortgaging their future by taking out multiple loans -- finding a job in the field you went to school for didn't seem like a leap of faith. Colleges were not these mammoth institutions run like businesses. Now, attending college is more difficult and expensive than ever before -- life after isn't so easy either. College graduates are having a harder time than ever landing that job that will gain them independence from their parents, put them on a path to that dream career, and help them steadily pay off their student loans. Many have moved back in with their parents and have gotten to the point...