Life beyond Laurier
Jeff Schouela

It would be easy for me to write about some political issue where I give my not-so important opinion. However, few will take it genuinely and the reader can't fairly respond since we, the media of the university, can distort feedback. Despite this, I urge you to read my editorial and really think about what I have to say.

What is life really about today? What should life really be like? As we head into century 21, I think we should seriously deal with what life has brought us and how we have changed around it.

The first issue I want to deal with is technology. When I was back at home in Montreal this past summer, I found myself sitting on a bench waiting for the bus with this old woman. It felt very much like Forrest Gump. Anyway, she was telling me about her youth and what life was really like back then.

There weren't any computers or fax machines, and television was pretty basic - just three or four black and white channels. She told me life was fun and simple, communication was limited and because of that she did more productive things.

She read classic books and got to know people a whole lot better. She felt bad for the kids growing up these days; now everything is at their disposal.

All we have to do is sit in front of a screen and rot. Everything is made easier now, thanks to technology. Now we can kill our eyes and live life being lazy creatures. Thanks, technology.

We don't deserve the Internet, satellite TV, or e-mail. They make existence easier, but I feel life has become more impersonal as a result.

Another issue I want to express is what life to us, as students, is all about. We're all students at WLU, and we all took different paths to get here. Getting accepted is no small feat.

This is a great place to learn in the classroom but, more importantly, we should look to the outside world.

Have you ever asked yourself what kinds of different things you've done here? I'm not talking about Morty's on Monday, Wilf's on Wednesday, the Turret on Thursday and the Rev on weekends.

That's all the same, and it gets old and stagnant.

What have you done that's spontaneous? Have you met people from different walks of life? When I'm in Montreal I see tonnes of amazing things and meet so many different people. Miraculously, we coexist.

Here's my analogy for this University. There's this frog and it's stuck in a deep well. All it knows is what's in that well.

Little does the frog know that there is an incredible world outside of its confines. There are amazing things the frog can do once it gets out of the well.

When you have a chance, maybe even after you read this, be spontaneous. Take a road trip with some friends; go anywhere. Just get something done.

Maybe you'll have a cool story to tell after. Do whatever you want to do; just remember there's more to life than WLU and booze nights.