The Barometer Online

They lurk in many undergraduate classrooms. Usually they sit near the front, furiously taking notes and frequently stopping lectures to ask irritatingly earnest questions. Their clothes are terrible. Among a sea of supple, young undergraduates, their weathered skin and graying hair creates a sharp contrast.

Silence is a precarious thing to deal with. Most people seem to fear it, talking about unnecessary and unimportant subjects just for the sake of making noise in the atmosphere. However, there is value in not always filling in empty space. My friend Kristina Marie Rakestraw only talks when there is something meaningful to be mentioned, and although she lapses into contemplation often, she rarely knows a dull moment.