Dear Garrett : The explanation

Beginning with this issue and in future issues of the “Highland Echo,” you will be able to
find this column tucked away between the pages and on the website. “What exactly is this?” you
may happen to ask. Well that’s a good question, dear reader. I believe the best way to describe
this column is to label it under the broad category of advice column. The name, after all, might
hint to a creation similar to that of the “Dear Abby” phenomenon. However, there is one major
difference. You will know exactly who is writing from the very beginning.

My name is Garrett. I am a junior writing/communications major with a political science
minor here at our lovely Maryville College. I am fairly involved around campus, and perhaps
you may know me from my participation on the Student Programming Board, the Maryville
College Ambassadors or perhaps from the other articles I have written for our newspaper. I am
a part-time barista at Starbucks, enjoy reading classical literature, have a unique combination of
roommates, watch far too much television, am known for my signature snark and sass and have
far too many cardigans. While that barely scratches the surface of who I am, I am sure that more
about me will eventually be revealed in the life of this column.

Now, what is the purpose of this column? Well that’s actually quite simple. I will answer the
questions that you submit. Are you having some sort of trouble? Struggling with college life?
Watching your social life crumble? Ask me for advice, and I will be happy to provide it. Now,
how do you submit these questions exactly? You will find a new “Dear Garrett” forum on the
website for the “Highland Echo.” The forum can be located at highlandecho/askgarrett. From
that forum, you can submit your questions anonymously. Yes, I will have absolutely no clue who
you are, so there is no need to worry about being embarrassed. From there, I will answer what I
can and choose a few questions to be featured in the next issue.

The next question you probably have is, “What makes you qualified to give advice? You are
just a student like the rest of us. How much can you possibly know?” Honestly, that’s a great
question to have. The best answer that I can provide is that I have lived quite a bit and had many
experiences in life. I will not claim to know everything. Believe me, I have made just as many
mistakes as everyone else. However, I have grown from these mistakes and learned a lot in the
course of my life. Will I claim that my advice will always be the best advice? Not at all, because
there is absolutely no way of knowing that. My goal will be to hopefully help people in various
areas of life to the best of my advice-providing ability.

Basically, the point of this issue is simply to convince you and the rest of your peers to submit
questions. Do not be afraid. Yes, I may perhaps respond to some questions with my signature
snark and sass, but I promise that it will only be for good-natured humor. Who knows, maybe I
will actually be able to help a few people out and change a few lives in the course of this column.
That, or I could perhaps simply make a complete fool out of myself in front of our entire student
body. However, life is about taking chances, isn’t it?

Anyways, I look forward to responding to any questions with which you may challenge
me, and I am excited to see where this column goes. In other words, don’t let me down my
fellow Maryville College students! Send me all your questions about your ills, struggles, joys,
embarrassments and…well, absolutely anything else. I look forward to getting to know all of you
a little better…from an anonymous perspective of course.