The Independent Collegian

Trying to decide to whom to send that Valentine Card? If you're a girl, you must be eyeing that muscle-bound, strong-jawed, thick-haired, sexy-eyed Adonis as the father of your children. If you're a guy, you must be gawking at the curvy, big-bosomed, symmetrical-faced, long-haired, tan goddess as your potential mate.

I find myself having less and less free time. The odd thing is I don't necessarily have a heavier work or course load than I've had in the past. Perhaps this odd condition is the effect of senioritis - or a progressive case of short-term memory loss. Whatever may be the cause, time just seems to pass more quickly as I get older.

In case you haven't noticed yet, Wednesday is Valentine's Day. Girls who are in relationships have probably had this day highlighted on their calendars for months to help their boyfriends remember. Guys in relationships who forgot it was coming up - you can thank me later, but right now you need to get to the store.

We all know Valentine's Day will be at our throats in less than a week. It's that special time of the year when we buy flowers and a card for our significant other - at least if we know what's good for us. But few of us are aware of the rich traditions from whence this merchandising bonanza sprang.

If the university could help prevent a disease that 14,000 women are diagnosed with every year - one that kills 3,900 women every year in the United States alone - shouldn't it? When Gardasil, a preventative vaccine for HPV (human papilloma viruses), was approved by the FDA last year, it gave women a way to prevent several types of HPV, which has been identified as the leading cause of cervical cancer.

Citizens of South Dakota spoke out last year and voted down a bill that would have made abortions illegal in the state. But apparently, that wasn't good enough for conservative lawmakers in the state who are now pushing for legislation that is quite similar.

The column in the Feb. 8 edition of The Independent Collegian by Blase Hennessy on Good vs. Bad Science contains oversimplifications that make the difference between propaganda and good reporting. Just because someone disagrees with an established theory does not mean they are correct! Let us analyze the statement: "We've all been bombarded with the 'fact' mankind, especially Americans, have caused 'global warming' due to our CO2 emission levels.

I read Blase Hennessy's column "Good vs. bad science" in the Feb. 8 edition of The Independent Collegian and was, at first, amused at this seemingly sarcastic article parodying climate change deniers. But now I think my perceptions were incorrect. I do not write to argue whether climate change is happening, or how serious it may or may not be.