Who enjoyed the government almost shutting down? I know I did. Who doesn't find the near-collapse of American democracy to be entertaining? Who else enjoys that millions of dollars and hundreds of days are wasted as the government's inability to make decisions causes them to push past deadlines to pass a budget that affects the entire country?

April is an important month for me personally, as well as thousands of Americans and people everywhere. For me, it is a chance to remind people to respect their fellow human beings no matter what kind of situation they find themselves living with.

Last month we celebrated International Women's Day, a commemoration of how far women have come in our male-dominated world, and a reminder of how far we still have to go.

I remember sitting in health class in middle school listening to my teacher rant about the highly idealized body images presented in media. The guys in class tuned her out, probably believing what many people do: Boys don't get body image disorders, they don't ever binge or purge or spend ridiculous amounts of time in the gym trying to lose weight or gain muscle.

Let me state it upfront: This column is not a manifesto against smoking and those who smoke. I believe that every individual has the right to make personal choices regarding his own health and lifestyle. What I do have an issue with, though, is when those choices and that lifestyle negatively affect the lives of others. Where's there choice in the matter?

Science allows us to procure answers about ourselves and about the world. But if we aren't careful in consulting multiple sources of knowledge, science can be misleading and potentially lead us to an erroneous conclusion.

The United States Constitution grants the freedoms of speech, petition and assembly –been there, learned that in elementary school. It is startling, then, that so few Americans use these rights to complain about our government and the way it works.

American society tends to hold a structured and inflexible view of who is normal and who isn't; who is "just acting out" and may be able to function in society without assistance, and who needs to be locked up. So where lies the distinction?

Unfortunately , many American children are and will continue to be unable to read this article’s headline. It’s time to reevaluate foreign language standards.

For some of us, the upcoming release from Geneseo means voyage by airplane, and all the hassle and joy that air travel involves. I drive home, so some may argue that I have no right to make any sort of statement about airports and the procedures that take place in them, but I have listened to people who do fly whenever they go home and feel qualified to make a statement based on their experiences and, of course, on my own beliefs about liberty and safety.

Thanksgiving: a day of … giving thanks. Sounds good, right? A day created especially so that one may acknowledge the wonderful things one has received.

I grew up in a small town in rural New York and went to a small public school. It wasn’t ranked the worst in New York, but it definitely was not ranked well. Twenty years ago, the opposite was true. What happened to so greatly downgrade my school?

Once upon a time, there was a land called the United States where many laws were made in order to help keep order and protect the citizens. One of those laws was called the Second Amendment, and it allowed the people of this land to own guns in order to protect themselves.

If someone were to ask me what my favorite holiday was, I would answer Halloween. Immediately, the response: Why? As if it is slightly ridiculous for someone to favor this holiday over the others.

Technology has become the ultimate maverick; it has changed our health care, our means of communication, our language, our school and our education. One area a little less noticeably affected, however, is food production.