When I sat down to write my column this week, the original plan was to argue. You may recall Doug Zabrowski's March 8 Viewpoint … something about Marquette not upholding it's Catholic values. I realized the argument wasn't worth it. Know why? Because my opinion doesn't matter.

First of all, we've heard these Catholic value arguments time and time again in the Viewpoints section, and I'm not one to beat a dead horse.

Secondly, no matter what I or anyone else writes, it's not going to change Zabrowski's mind. Zabrowski said that he fully expected his Marquette experience to match ideals that he has found throughout his history in Catholic schools. I had to laugh at that, because I went to a Catholic high school, and I don't even believe in God anymore. Obviously, Catholic education doesn't affect us all the same way.

So I thought, I can sit here and write a response that's already been written or I could write about how said response won't change things. Zabbrowski may be a textbook Catholic, and it's going to take a lot of deprogramming to get him to go back on his anti-gay-and-Ghandi statements, so why should I waste my time?

Sadly I have learned that the Viewpoints section doesn't really accomplish much. I've been writing opinion pieces for almost two years. In that time, I have seen little change in the behavior which I sought to change. I wrote last year that when you like, say like all the time when you like, talk, you like sound like, an idiot. Unfortunately, no one, like, cares. I also campaigned to get certain people to stop wearing shorts and flip flops in winter weather. If it's below 60 degrees, that type of behavior is just unacceptable. I hate people who wear shorts when it's cold outside more than Zabrowski hates gays. Also, my notorious "skank-o-licious" column hasn't decreased the number of scantily clad ladies on campus.

Point is, I'm a woman of many opinions, but I have yet to change the world. I can't do that unless I get everyone on the same page, but until people start dressing respectably and stop saying like, I'm stuck as a big mouth with no real results.

I've realized over time that you can open eyes, but you can't change minds.

This viewpoint appeared in The Marquette Tribune on Mar. 17 2005.