A reminder about the importance of education: In our November 24, 1997 issue, we reported that World AIDS Day was approaching on December 1, and AIDS was deeply feared by people worldwide. While many people were educated on the reality of AIDS and there were many places to get tested for it, irrational fear still raged. This story reminded readers to become aware of the reality and misconceptions around AIDS and to get tested.
Internet inaccuracies: According to Nexus writer Ryan Guenther in this issue, the internet, which had only been public for a few years at that point, was already a “world wide waste of time.” While it’s still easy to get lost in misinformation and random facts online, I think the internet is more than just a waste of time. Like any tool, it depends on how you use it—when using it for school, work, or to connect with others, it’s powerful and useful. To reduce it to just being a waste of time is humorous, but inaccurate.
Paper waste soars with the launch of internet: It’s interesting to learn that the launch of the internet contributed to higher consumption rates of paper rather than the opposite. Nexus writer Gail Reardigan noted that most of the paper waste was because “students are printing off pages of computer game information and other non course-related things.” Sounds about right. This is your reminder to purchase e-copies of textbooks, write notes online, and, while we love you picking up a copy of the paper, you can also read it entirely online if you choose to.