So are we honoring the native community or are we honoring their obliteration? By expressing pride in Whitman through these monuments and symbols, we celebrate acts of genocide.

Even if I were to study something practical like biology, then go on to medical school, and become a successful doctor at age 26, would that really make me any happier? Biology and medical school are notoriously difficult, and would be doubly challenging because I have no real interest in the field.

Though the current “Information Age” has made communication easier and faster, our society still remains silent on some important issues, including mental illness. As a society, we focus so much on physical health, staying fit and eating a healthy diet. Yet we forget how to take care of the mind.