Ken Ilgunas
- Dec 19, 2010
My return to Acorn Abbey
Because I don’t have to be on campus for the final project, I decided to move back in with David at his home called Acorn Abbey, situated...
Ken Ilgunas
- Dec 12, 2010
16˚
When I lived in the arctic, I heard a story about a white man and an Eskimo. The white man, overcome with curiosity, asked the Eskimo,...
Ken Ilgunas
- Dec 5, 2010
Images of resourcefulness: Part 3
I am poor. My last tuition bill ($1,089) is coming up, and my savings continue to dwindle away ($1,933). When I graduate in May, I...
Ken Ilgunas
- Nov 30, 2010
Op-Ed for student newspaper: Part 2
Here’s Part II.
Ken Ilgunas
- Nov 29, 2010
Op-Ed for student newspaper: Part 1
To protest Duke’s recently proposed anti-vandwelling law, I decided to publish a two-part series in Duke’s student-run newspaper, The...
Ken Ilgunas
- Nov 25, 2010
Black Friday
Long Island, New York. The date was November 28, 2008. It was almost 5:00 a.m. on Black Friday—the day when people across the country...
Ken Ilgunas
- Nov 13, 2010
Financial crisis
I’m running out of money. I’d like to put the blame on the high cost of education, a tough economy, or some other debilitating side...
Ken Ilgunas
- Nov 3, 2010
Why go to college?
Dear Ken, Kudos to you for taking such a daring adventure. I love the book Walden and you are a modern example of it. I am 18 years old...
Ken Ilgunas
- Oct 27, 2010
The “Dare Mighty Things” Scholarship
I am familiar with rejection. I’ve been rejected by colleges (13), potential employers (15+), internships (50+) and women (lost count...
Ken Ilgunas
- Oct 22, 2010
Letter to Duke Administration
[I wrote the following email to Duke administration–which will probably wind up in the hands of their parking department–to express my...
Ken Ilgunas
- Oct 20, 2010
A new parking lot problem
My parking lot issue is resolved. I had a meeting with a Duke lawyer today. Going into the meeting, I only wanted two things: 1.) I...
Ken Ilgunas
- Oct 18, 2010
Uh-oh Pt. 4
I lost. I’m officially getting kicked out of the lot, and there’s nothing I can do about it. I was ready to take a stand. I figured I’d...
Ken Ilgunas
- Oct 7, 2010
Uh-oh Pt. 3
Not much new to report. My director has conveyed my message to the powers that be: that I do not intend to move and that I have a Duke...
Ken Ilgunas
- Oct 4, 2010
Uh-oh Pt. 2
I've been asked to leave my parking lot. I'm still awaiting more information, but here's what I know so far. 1. A tenant, or tenants, of...
Ken Ilgunas
- Oct 2, 2010
Uh-oh
Yesterday I received an email from the director of the liberal studies department–the department that I am enrolled in. “Ken, I have a...
Ken Ilgunas
- Sep 10, 2010
Gone shoppin’
“How many things there are in the world of which Diogenes hath no need!” – Diogenes (upon entering an Athens marketplace) George...
Ken Ilgunas
- Sep 3, 2010
First week of school
Ah, the first week of classes! There is adventure, hope, romance (electricity!) in the air. Frisbees float above freshly groomed campus...
Ken Ilgunas
- Jul 16, 2010
Dear Paul’s daughter
About half a year ago, a father named Paul posted the following comment after one of my entries: Hi Ken. I’ve been reading your stories...
Ken Ilgunas
- Jun 8, 2010
Belated manifesto
I am giving away $910.90 and it’s making me sick. In January of 2009—upon enrolling at Duke—I vowed to earn my college degree without...
Ken Ilgunas
- May 30, 2010
Meeting people
The day after my article published the phone at the Liberal Studies Department office was “ringing off the hook.” My program director...