In an effort to better interact with and learn what concerns its audience, The McNicholas Milestone launched the “Ask Abbey” column under senior Milestone staffer Abbey Pour for the second semester of the 2017-2018 school year. The column takes questions from Milestone readers, and Pour answers them to the best of her ability. Questions are published anonymously and can be about anything, but The Milestone reserves the right to refuse publishing any material that could be libelous, in poor taste, or otherwise violates journalistic ethics. The goal of this column is for pure entertainment purposes only. To submit questions for the monthly article, email Pour or advisor Angie Noble.
– During the season of Lent, we, as Catholics and Christians, are asked to reflect upon the Passion of Christ. What does the Passion of Christ mean to you? Do you have any advice on how we can be better at expressing our passion for Lent? Just giving up an hour of TV or my favorite candy does not mean much.
To me, the Passion of Christ is the ultimate sacrifice. I think that the words “Jesus was crucified,” and “Jesus suffered for us” become numb to us after a while. They are thought of as matter-of-fact and can carry less meaning than was originally intended. The Passion of Christ to me is taking a step back and reflecting on what it really meant to be betrayed, humiliated, whipped, and stripped of one’s dignity, to endure a backbreaking burden and be taunted on the brink of exhaustion, all while knowing that you are walking to your death. Jesus could have dropped his cross at any time knowing he was going to die no matter what, but he chose to carry it for us, to fulfill God’s Word and to save us. The Passion of Christ is recognizing the burden Jesus carried for what it is and to reflect upon it, renewing our faith, love, and devotion to and for others. On the topic of expressing our passion, I believe that Lent is a season where we are to examine ourselves and how we need to grow, and to choose to do something or to refrain from something that will help us grow as people.
– What academic class do you wish you would have taken while you were at McNick?
One class I wish I had taken is Introduction to Engineering. I wasn’t able to take the class due to scheduling complications, but it’s a very hands-on class where students develop, build, and test designs to solve problems. It is the class to take if you want to learn more about engineering and the practical side of it. I’ve heard that it is an interesting course that doesn’t have an insane workload.
– What are some of the best study skills you have picked up over the years?
One of the best study skills I’ve picked up over the years is to simplify the amount of information I need to study. For example, when I study for math quizzes and tests, I go through the textbook sections I am being tested on as well as the notes I’ve taken and I write down anything that is important or that I am struggling on. After I do this, I either highlight what I absolutely need to know from that information or I rewrite it in simpler words. Not only do I simplify the amount of information I need to study, but I write down everything I need to know, which reinforces my memory on what I am studying.
– What is in ranch dressing that makes it tastes so good?
I’m not a huge fan of ranch dressing, but through research and consultation, I’ve been told that it is a combination of the buttermilk and the herbs, plus its creamy texture that makes ranch dressing taste so good. A fun fact about ranch: it was not originally made on a ranch! Plumber Steve Hanson perfected Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing in Alaska where he lived and worked. He moved to a ranch in California five years later with his wife.
– How do I tell a girl or a boy that I like them? What do I do if they like me back?
This is such a hard question because there are so many answers to it, and telling someone you like them is a gradual thing. First of all, it is important to like someone for their personality, not because you are infatuated with them, so make sure that you like this person for the right reasons before you think about letting them know. Letting someone you know that you like them will most likely be scary. In my opinion, be blunt and say it straight up. Putting your intentions out there means there is no way to beat around the bush. If this person doesn’t like you back, try and stay cordial with them. Sometimes, the relationships that don’t pan out turn into the best friendships. If they like you back, congratulations! Thumbs up! Go you! At this point you will probably be feeling relief, happiness, and a mix of emotions that I couldn’t tell you. Stay steady, go on some dates, get to know that person more with the addition of the relationship component, and enjoy your young love!
– Who’s your valentine?
Metaphorically, my valentine is my happily single self, cruising down a backroad with my comfort music playing and a Venti Chai Tea Latte in my hand, because those things are magic. As of now, my valentine is my mom because she bought me chocolate for the 14th.
– If we can’t see air, can fish see water?
Fish have grown up in the environment where they are completely immersed in water, so I would believe that they would be used to the look and the feel of water just as we are used to the look and feel of air, so no, I don’t believe that fish can see water. Assuming that a fish’s brain has the capacity to feel the difference between wet and dry on their skin (or scales?), then they would react to feeling dry like we would react to feeling wet. Just as we cannot breathe underwater, a fish cannot breathe on land. A fish on the surface of water would be able to tell the difference between the sky and the sea, especially since gravity is a factor, but in the water, it is something that they are used to. This is just my assumption though.
– Is a water bottle wet?
I am answering this question on the assumption that this water bottle has water inside of it. Let’s simplify this: if there is water on a water bottle and someone picks it up, their hand is wet, therefore the water bottle must have been wet in the first place. The plastic bottle may not have absorbed the water, but water can still form on it. This is to be said about the water inside the water bottle as well. Water is touching the bottle which makes it wet, because water makes things wet. Now, the question ‘is water wet’ is a whole different story…
– If you drop a bar of soap on the ground, is the soap dirty or is the floor clean?
I actually take pleasure in watching people argue about topics such as this, so I think I will leave this unanswered. Feel free to debate in the comments below!
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