Car stickers shows character

I’m not an eco-terrorist. And if I was, I’d make a point to find a more tropical region to firebomb SUVs, coffeeshops, and laboratories.

If, however, I had penchant for that sort of thing (which I don’t) and attended Hillsdale College (which I do), I’d take my gas and matches to a number of cars bearing a particular bumper sticker.

As sagacious as “peeing Calvin,” the sticker reads, “the footprint of the American chicken” beneath the outline of the peace sign.

Zing!

Maybe the you-won’t-put-a-firecracker-in-this-cat’s-butt-so-you’re-gay jibe is above me. Maybe I haven’t watched “Patton” enough. Maybe I suspect an objection to the deaths of 25,000 innocent Iraqi civilians isn’t something you can shirk off with a joke about hippies.

“But you can’t talk about that,” you say. “Because we, arbiters of Western Civilization, know Iraqis, Afghans and Koreans aren’t really people—at least not like we are.”

“But that’s just a cost of war,” you say.

Go on and repeat that to yourself as you listen to reaffirming talk radio. Repeat it like a rosary as you vote straight-ticket Republican. Repeat it over and over and over again as you talk about “America” as if it were some grandiose platonic form.

Repeat it to yourself, especially, when you realize the volumes one sticker can reveal about what a despicable human being you are.

Dave Frank ‘06

Support for Derby Days

The Sigma Chis work hard at Derby Days every year—just look at how much they’ve raised, especially over the last few years, for the Children’s Miracle Network. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes that we do not see that most of the house helps out with.

I have participated on the independent team for the last three years, and I was the captain this year. I will not deny that, yes, there is competition among the teams—but who does not like a little competition?

I do not believe I would have taken part in Derby Days if it were not about raising money for the kids, and I am sure others would agree with me. This year I worked to make sure that my team understood that. I also would not have participated if I had felt that giving one to four hours a day to the week’s events was too much. I looked forward to each event as a study break. I was able to juggle work and each day’s event, as well as dance practice for Mock Rock, and still complete all my homework.

I, for one, do not mind donating my time, energy and money to help out a good cause. Thank you, Andrew Shaw and Sigma Chi, for a really great week, and congratulations on a job well done!

Katherine Yockey ‘06