People » Clayton Brown

Clayton Brown

  • Class year: 2013

Contemplating religion and spirituality

People say that the millennial generation, anyone ages 18-34, is becoming less and less religious. However, I think this belies the fact that religion is something that is not disappearing but taking on different forms.

Reclaim our fellow students

What propels human beings into action? A mixture of given circumstances, spontaneity, will, ideas and a slew of other possibilities are all valid considerations when looking at why people act.

Lupe Fiasco and art with a real purpose

I am a firm believer that art, if it is truthful, should reflect society, whether it is decaying or prospering. Art for art’s sake just doesn’t make much sense to me; art doesn’t need more art, art is a reflection of life itself.

Technology's distractions and the wheels of revolution

Revolution is change, but change is not revolution. Since the beginning of the 21st century, has anything truly changed for us as Americans and global citizens? I am not so naive to believe that, of course.

Celebrating African contributions to the world

So what do I do? I look in the mirror and I am suddenly reminded that it is Black History Month or what I like to call African Heritage and History Month. You know, “black” is sometimes an ambiguous term, and I like a little specificity if you will.

American civilization and the coming apocalypse

As the final days wind down, Dec. 21 approaches, the day of the supposed apocalypse, the end of the world. Now I don’t believe that the world will end, but that would not be so bad; maybe it is time we hit the reset button on our society.

The detrimental effects of our overconsumption

Society, a collective consciousness that somehow makes the individuals in it feel like they are acting in singularity. Everything we do as individuals reverberates and affects others.

Suffering from post election stress syndrome

I am incredibly elated that the election frenzy is finally over. The American people, or at least 61 million of the 315 million Americans, have spoken, and Barack Obama has retained the presidency.

A few meditations on race following Baratunde's talk

This past week Baratunde Thurston came to the Hill and taught us some of the “ways to be black.” Actually being black myself, and having read some portion of his book, I can understand where his humor comes from and the necessity for it.

Our classroom culture at Colby

Classroom culture is really a defining factor when I choose classes every semester. I muse on whether the Professor is outgoing, cogent and interactive as opposed to didactic, boring and unimaginative.

Questioning this thing called freedom

I invite you to take a look at our nation, the United States of America or, as Tupac and Ice Cube called it “Amerikkka.”

The voter's dilemma and the challenge of finding a true representative of the people

Confined to the parochial “Left vs. Right” paradigm propagated throughout mainstream media, I find myself in a peculiar ideological exile.

Putting the "liberal" in liberal arts

The typical left-versus-right argument is back and those who place themselves on the left, I would say, are actually more moderate than anything.

The laudable efforts of the Pugh Center

As a student leader on campus, I feel relieved knowing that there is now a constant presence of support and engagement on behalf of the Pugh Center.