Photo by Michael Bevers/O’Collegian

Photo by Michael Bevers/O’Collegian

Photo by Michael Bevers/O’Collegian

Photo by Elizabeth Padawer/O’Collegian

Courtesy Photo

Cartoon by Perry Gaither/O’Collegian

Although the Oklahoma State men’s tennis team will be the No. 2 seed at the upcoming Big 12 Championship in Kansas City this weekend, its first-round matchup will prove to be no easy task.

This season, two teams have remained on top of the Big 12 standings.

It has been a grueling day for Julianna Weaver, who barely has time to stop and take a deep breath before moving on to another meeting and Bible study.

In the past, music has defined generations. Socially conscious lyrics have chronicled wars and social movements.

In high school, I used to imagine the fun I would have in college.

Being able to go out and have fun in town without having curfew or needing to notify the family where I was going, casually browsing entertainment stores for interesting movies and games without having to drive 50 miles to find a decent store and maybe hanging out at a mall or two for their arcade centers and great reading areas.

I work at Payne County Youth Services in Stillwater as a counselor of adolescents and their families.

Today is Arbor Day. It’s a time to look at the trees around you and appreciate them. That means it’s not a good idea to toss your gum wrapper on the ground in front of them.

During the summer many college students search for jobs or vacation spots.

Some spend their summer catching some of the best bands that tour some of the biggest venues in the country.

The ingenious marketing concept behind Nine Inch Nail’s latest album, Year Zero, is almost as creative as lead singer Trent Reznor’s lyrics.

Months before the release of the latest album, a fan noticed that the letters on the back of a Nine Inch Nails tour shirt were bolded to form the phrase “iamtryingtobelieve.” This led to the first of many Web sites preaching about a drug called Parepin, the year zero and many other conspiracy theories.

While the ambiguous nature of this Web site scavenger hunt left much to the imagination, its unique approach builds on the idea behind the album — an idea that in 15 years, the world will become corrupt with greed and power. Politically driven and taking place 15 years in the future, Year Zero is quite a ride for the entirety of its 16-track run. The band pushes out relentless beats and heavily distorted guitar riffs while Reznor lets loose his thought-provoking poetry through the speakers. It is made clear within the first few tracks that NIN doesn’t care too much for the government; namely, George Bush. In fact, the song Capital G seems to be a direct and sarcastic attack on the president, boasting a chorus ending with the lines: “traded in my god for this one, he signs his name with a capital G.”

The album sticks to the beautifully creative and wonderfully imagined concept of Year Zero and proves to be a great and unique burst of creativity to the music world.

On a day unburdened with the usual routine of classes, homework and other aspects of college life, a car makes its way north on Interstate 45 out of the bustling city limits of Houston.

About 80 percent of OSU’s student body receives some form of financial assistance, said OSU’s director of scholarships and financial aid.

Charlie Bruce said loans and grants help students pay for college, but several college students are in debt because of financial aid. Students can apply for grants, scholarships and loans at the Scholarships and Financial Aid office.

As students rush to class because they have overslept yet again, few take the time to look around and notice the freshly cut grass and blooming flowers.

Arbor Day is a perfect opportunity to appreciate the signs of spring all over campus, which are there because of the Physical Plant grounds and labor department.