Coleslaw

By Daniel L. Cole '98


According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word with the most definitions is "set." That has nothing to do with Coleslaw, but another word that also has a lot of definitions does. In fact, "set" is so meaningless to this article that I will make every effort to not use it. The word I’m thinking of is... SPEED!!!

Anyone who has attended a morning assembly (and unless you’re permanently in study hall for having accumulated a record number of latenesses, I’ll assume you HAVE attended at least one) and has heard Head of Upper School Tony Garvan speak, you’ll know what I mean by "speed." I’m not talking about the bitter crystalline alkaloid C17H21NO4 obtained from coca leaves and used medically as a topical anesthetic and illicitly for its euphoric effects that may result in a compulsive psychological need Speed, I’m talking about speed in its pure and natural form.

I love driving fast. I think I set a new... I mean, I think I BROKE a record for speeding in the backroads of Harleysville. I’m not the only one who enjoys the exhilaration of being pushed back into the seat by the force of acceleration as I watch the scenery fly by... nono. Think of how many great advances have been related to speed- the wheel, the sailboat, the locomotive, the bicycle, the automotive, the airplane, the jet, the space shuttle, hyperdrive, etc. All because people want to get where they’re going and they want to get there at best possible speed.

One thing that really bothers me is the universal speed limit- 299,792 kilometers per second. The speed of light. Why can’t we go faster than that? Stupid relativity. Sure, there’s a girl I know out in California who’s approached the speed of light in her parents’ car, but has never exceeded it. The aliens have found a way to take me to their home planet where I perform tricks at a circus under my trainer’s whip for the grotesque extraterrestrial throngs, perform tests on me, then get me back home all in the course of a few hours. So if they’ve found a way to outrun the Galactic Light Police, then so can we. I hope. Now I’m going to set... PUT my pen down and stop writing because this is getting way too long. Until next time, goodnight, and watch out for speed traps.

Useless Fact of the Issue
Giddyup! Speaking of fast, did you know that a full grown bear can run as fast as a horse?

Website of the Issue
ClassicGames.com: Where you can play your favorite boardgames with people from across the world!!!