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• The Collegian November 6, 2013 • Page 3
Spreading good vibes across campus
By ANDREA BORCHARDT Collegian staff writer The last week had been a difficult one for me. Imagine my surprise when I received a notification on Facebook saying that I had been tagged in a post written by “CMU Compliments” in which I was left a message that made my whole day better. My curiosity piqued, I went to the page and was more than happy to discover all the positive posts on their wall. There were multiple compliments aimed toward different students, all anonymously written. I wanted to let the person who started this page to know it was much appreciated and I thought what they were doing was awesome, so I went ahead and messaged
the mysterious person. Once I got in touch, I decided to ask where they got this idea. CMU Compliments told me they “received the idea when they saw one of their friends tagged in a post written by MU Compliments, so I figured CMU would like it too and I am very pleased that it’s garnering such a positive response.” CMU Compliments strives to spread the love around the small campus, but it needs the student body to
help. “CMU Compliments can’t survive just by the person ‘running it’ - I just hit copy and paste, and I’m therefore not actually responsible for the positive feelings — it’s completely reliant on the contributions of our fellow students, and has to be fed by our mutual admiration of one another” said the anonymous operator. It’s easy enough to do. Just send CMU Compliments a message you want one of your friends to see, but be
sure to tag his or her name in the message. CMU Compliments will take the message and post it on the page’s status and your friend will see it in their newsfeed. The message will be kept anonymous making the feeling of being blessed sort of fun. So go ahead Central! Add CMU Compliments to your friends’ list and start sending your friends, co-workers, or even professors those good vibes. Per a special request from CMU Compliments, don’t try to guess who is behind this spreading of good cheer. It could ruin the magic. Just take the opportunity to bless those close to you. :)
By DAN MULLAN Collegian staff writer The choice to attend a small liberal arts college like Central Methodist University, hidden away in the quiet rural region known as Howard County, can be a tough bite to swallow. With much larger, wealthier schools with exceptional academic programs to promote, first class recreational facilities to boast, professional sports complexes to enjoy, and franchise merchandise to flaunt, some students may look around and question their decision to attend Central. In our effort to soften the blow, it may calm your nerves to know that Central boasts a reasonable list of notable alumni who had similar experiences, faced similar challenges, and still went on to achieve remarkable things. From a large list of alumni, a good number went on to become great contributors to society on the national and international stage. We will attempt to highlight some of these high achievers in hopes that all is not lost. Bishop Abel Muzorewa We start our alumni list with the late United Methodist Bishop Abel Muzorewa, class of 1962, who went on to become prime minister of Zimbabwe in 1978 (then known as Rhodesia). This is an impres-
sive achievement for an alumnus from any school. He started his career as a school teacher and worked his way up the political ranks, yielding a great reputation as an honest, vibrant, compassionate leader. After gaining his degree at Central, the bishop became a prominent leader of the Methodist Church, and returned home as an American educated religious leader. Muzorewa’s career began to gather momentum as a result of the British occupancy of Zimbabwe. Recognizing his natural talent and trustworthy persona, he was part of an interim government banded together to keep stability for a country going through political change. Dr. C. Fred Bergsten The second most prominent alumni, and probably the one most familiar to Central students, is world famous economist and author, Dr. C. Fred Bergsten, Class of 1961, whose name adorns our cafeteria. He currently serves on the Presidential Advisory Committee for Trade Policy
and Negotiations, The Export-Import Bank, and is a founding director of the Peterson Institute for International Economics. The institute itself has become one of most important think tanks in modern economics, and continues as a private, non-profit, non-partisan entity in Washington, DC. During his time at Central, Bergsten was also a well-respected member of Alpha Phi Gamma (Mokers) and a noted debater. Gov. Roger Wilson Third, would be politician Roger B. Wilson (Class of 1971), the 52nd governor of Missouri. He served as governor from Oct. 16, 2000, to Jan. 8, 2001. He had been the lieutenant governor of Missouri when Mel Carnahan, then governor running for re-election, tragically died in a plane crash. This made Wilson the governor and served out the remainder of Carnahan’s term and chose not to seek election in later years. Bill Chott Fourth, we have actor and comedian Bill Chott, class of 1991. He is most fa-
mous for his performances in Wizards of Waverly Place, The Ringer, & Dude Where’s My Car. Chott returns annually to perform and teach an improvisation show in the Little Theatre. You can usually catch him mingling with Central students around campus as they welcome him home. Dr. Huston Smith Lastly, we have Huston Smith, class of 1940, a nationally recognized scholar in theology and religious studies. Dr. Smith has sold 2 million copies of his book, “The World’s Religions.” He went on to teach at the University of Denver, Washington University, and capped off his teaching career with a stint at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He become such a wellrespected scholar that he was honored with a five part special on his life and work on PBS in 1996. So don’t stress. You may have questioned whether going to a small school may harm your chances of living your dream, but history suggests it’s what you make of yourself, rather than the location or size of the institution you attended. From state politics to Hollywood, the church to the president’s office, Central has made a difference in the past and relies on you to make it for the future.
By TARIN STUENKEL Collegian staff writer Whether you’re reeling from a breakup or stressing post-hookup, substituting the guy and the scenario is fairly standard. One day passes, and it’s only a matter of time before you hear from him. Three days go by. Eh, he’s probably just slammed at work. Then, it happens. You finally acknowledge, against all of your self-assuring optimism and weeks of agonizing silence, that in reality he isn’t too busy. Your Twitter-stalking skills prove he hasn’t lost his phone, and the inevitable remains: he’s not going to text you. In a world where empowered chicks continue to redefine the dating scene, why is it that one guy blowing us off can still be a game changer? The reality is that, while a bad bitch mentality is about as necessary for success as a college degree, none of us are above human nature. Passion is a part of the individual experience, and no amount
of drive, independence or reason can mediate the irrationalities of romance. As the old saying goes, “When it hits ya, it hits ya,” but in truth, the burden of the unrequited text is often a blessing. So buck up and remember: Your partner does not define who you are Now is the best time for you to carve out a place in the world as an individual. While a cool person to hang out with could be awesome, you need to define who you are on your own terms. As teen magazine-esque as it may sound, no person is worth defining your happiness for – guy, friend, or otherwise. Ryan Gosling look-alike or not, today is the youngest you will ever be again, so as much as it may suck, you owe it to yourself
to make the best of every day. The beauty of being an exploring twenty-something is that the possibilities are endless; so embrace experiences for what they are. In the grand scheme of life, being blown off is a minor blurb on a much greater scale of tribulations you will undoubtedly encounter. Rejection is a part of life There’s really nothing like a bruised ego to throw us into a minor fit of self-doubt. But truthfully, it’s usually these feelings of inadequacy that make our desire for the ones that deny us so appealing. Are you genuinely upset about the lack of communication with said male, or maybe at least in part, are you simply bummed about the fact that
someone is rejecting you? It’s a harsh reality, but it’s a reality, nonetheless. Not everyone is going to like you. There will always be someone “better” and there will always be more to strive for. This is life. Seeing the bad is essential for recognizing the good, so revel in the crap that is rejection and chalk it up to a humbling experience that will only make you stronger in the end. The universe has a greater plan, even when we can’t see it Hippy dippy philosophy or not, there is something to be said for letting the chips fall where they may. Being a hands-on actor in the happenings of your life may be essential, but harping on things that aren’t going your way will not bring them to fruition any faster. Focus on you and your plan. The people who are meant to be by your side will find a way to make it there, period. Settling is never something you should feel comfortable with and at the end (Continued on Page 5)
Famous Central Methodist alumni
The positive side of ‘not getting the text’