The humanities people sometimes scoff at the scientists, challenging that science classes are mere memorization tests. Meanwhile, science majors roll their eyes and mumble that they take humanities classes to bump up their GPA's.

Edward Wilson seeks to join the two, from the perspective of a Pulitzer prize winning biologist. Arguing that we can use a handful of natural laws to explain everything across the sciences and humanities, he unifies us all in Consilience.

As the person who established that discovered pheromones and established that they were used as a method of communication, Wilson has been a significant contributor to scientific understanding. He has published over 20 books, among them: The Ants, Poetry After Lunch: Poems to Read Aloud and Origins of the Human Mind. His interests are encompassing; the implications of one mind with a deep knowledge of philosophy, nature and the scientific method are far-reaching. He is able to integrate information from such wide-ranging sources that some reviews of Consilience complain of the inaccessibility of his thoughts to the lay-person.

We should take Wilson's example as a challenge to broaden our minds, expand our expertise. The 9-9-9 distribution requirement tries to strong- arm us into a curriculum that forces us to learn about subjects that we might not explore otherwise. Wilson proves that different types of knowledge can be reconciled, combined even. Even if we disagree with his conclusions, we have to respect his ability to draw from many knowledge bases.

Acknowledging the human desire to be more that "animated dust," Wilson interweaves religious mysticism and scientific sensibility, all while trying to answer "who we are and why we are here." We're allowed to look in on this journey, and have the opportunity to do so in a very personal way by hearing him speak while he's at Oberlin.

In Consilience, Wilson closes his first chapter by calling on us to soar with the fated Icarus, "Let us see how high we can fly before the sun melts the wax in our wings."

Off-campus handbook aids students

Here's the scenario: You're a 20 year old college junior looking to get out on your own. No, not out from under your parent's roof, which you had lived under for the first 18 years; you did that when you left for school and lived in a dorm. You now want to get out from under the watchful eye of RC's and AC's and live off campus. However, you don't have the foggiest idea about leases or security deposits, let alone such esoteric terms as load bearing walls or circuit breakers. But, have no fear, the "Off-Campus Student Handbook" is here to alleviate your concerns.

This slick publication, care of Bill Stackman, is sure to foster better relations between off-campus students, landlords and the College. Included within the confines of the handbook are explicitly enumerated guidelines of landlord and student rights and responsibilities. While the handbook will not automatically produce better landlords, students will know they are not alone in discerning the legality of the contracts they have entered into.

The parties responsible for this very useful guidebook must be commended. By outlining many of the concerns to be considered by prospective off-campus students, the College's workload mediating the conflicts between the two sides is sure to be lessened. Especially in light of the controversy last year about fire codes and the inability of students to live in "unsafe" housing, the new handbook goes a long way toward clearing up the often blurry lines delineating College responsibilities and students' rights to live off-campus.

Bill Stackman and Residential Life have provided students with an indispensible resource towards enriching the college experience. The lessons learned by living off-campus are a valuable tool to take with us into the real world. By making this a safer proposition, the Oberlin campus and landlords are sure to encounter a more beneficial cohabitation.