My name is Dineen Boyle and I have been Facebook-free for 37 days.

Last month, I wrote about my plan to deactivate my Facebook profile.

Since then, I have realized many things about my relationship with the site, the most surprising of which is that I don’t miss it.

Admittedly, the first two weeks were somewhat difficult. I experienced some withdrawal-like symptoms and found myself curious about what I was missing in the social networking universe. The days I spent housebound, recovering from wisdom tooth surgery over Spring Break proved to be the ultimate test. With laptop and smartphone within constant reach, the temptation to log on was intense. It was like dangling bait in front of a shark, or placing drugs in front of an addict, or putting cookies in front of someone who really likes cookies.

During my absence from the site, I have noticed a marked increase in activities such as doing productive things. Initially, I turned to other ways to waste an average of about 15-20 minutes a day online. My efforts focused mainly on online shopping. These ventures proved mostly unsuccessful. However, I did manage to discover a 50 percent off Groupon for a Segway Tour of Boston (Laminated Certified Segway Driver’s License included).

Although my procrastination has decreased, I occasionally relapse. I find myself watching YouTube videos of “A monkey and a puppy playing” or “Drunk guy attempting to put on flip flops.” But I catch myself and I say, “No, Dineen. No.” I recognize that the existence of such things in my computer history undermines the academic and social credibility for which I strive.

Overall, I have received mixed reaction from others in regards to my Facebook deactivation. Some have told me that they “admire” my self-discipline and say that they would never be able to kick the habit. Others have mentioned that they are inspired and hope to take a break from the site. Still, there are those who respond, “You don’t have a Facebook?” a glaze of disbelief coating their eyes, behind which their mind calculates a 3 percent possibility that a college student without a Facebook profile could still be a functioning member of society. I see the fear begin to register on their faces after concluding that I must undoubtedly be a freak social deviant.

And upon informing my mother of my intentions to defect from the site, she posed the profound question, “But how are you going to know things?”

Although I make attempts at humor, I have learned a great deal in my efforts to limit my wasteful online activity. What began as a social experiment has proven to be thoroughly liberating. I recognize that 15 minutes spent here and there procrastinating on Facebook accumulates quickly and is time that could be devoted toward accomplishing productive and meaningful things such as volunteering or better educating myself about world affairs.

Yet, as I mentioned in my previous column on this topic, I do not intend to vilify Facebook. It allows us an efficient centralized means of communication and becomes detrimental to our time management only when we allow it.

Through my time away from the site, I have been allowed an extrospective view of the extent to which Facebook is ingrained within the lives of our generation. My conclusion: we are incredibly dependent on it.

Consequently, there are some drawbacks that accompany deactivation. It is remarkable how Facebook has come to monopolize the planning of our social lives and I find myself reliant on friends for information about events. It also takes a little bit more effort to stay in touch with those who live far away.

Yet despite these minor setbacks, the positives that have accompanied my experience far outweigh the negatives. I care much less about trivial things with which I once found myself concerned. I have also spent more time engaging in actual telephone, and in person conversations with my friends. Instead of viewing snapshots of parties or travels, I get to hear their actual voices update me on their lives.

The good news is that if you are considering leaving Facebook, rest assured knowing that it will not equate to the demise of your social life.

The bad news is that if you look super awesome in any pictures, you’re going to have to rely on your friends to email them to you.

As for my experience, I feel oddly empowered …  And wicked pumped about my Segway tour.

On Sunday, I watched the CNN documentary “Unwelcome: The Muslims Next Door” in a state of bewilderment, anger, and above all, disgust. The hourlong film explored the town of Murfreesboro, Tenn., which contains a large population of Islamophobes.

Phobias by nature are irrational; Islamophobia is defined as the irrational fear of Muslims.

Members of this town described Murfreesboro as warm, welcoming, and accepting of all others — a great place to raise a family. That is, unless you’re an American citizen and practicing Muslim expecting to be able to exercise your basic First Amendment right guaranteed to all U.S. citizens — in that case, you’re out of luck.

The members of this small town (who all live under the same rock, apparently) are under the impression that being a Muslim is the same as being a terrorist. It is because of this ignorant and erroneous belief that the majority of their citizens oppose the building of a Muslim-based community center on the outskirts of town.

What’s wrong with that? Essentially, it’s just another mega-church, just not one that is Christian-based. To the average and seemingly uneducated Murfeesboroan, the community center is going to be a terrorist breeding ground, hell bent on destroying the “great state” of Tennessee.

All joking aside, this is the latest symptom in a growing disease that is infecting the uneducated electorate in our country. To be clear: The idea that 1.6 billion people — one-fifth of our global population — are actively trying to kill all Americans is absolutely absurd. The main issue here is ignorance, and it embarrasses me to no end that our country has an appetite for such nonsense.

Last time I checked, religious fanatics come in all shapes and sizes. Moreover, they make up an unbelievably small fraction of a large group of good-hearted individuals.

Ironically enough, the Christian and/or anti-Islam members of the community actively and openly supported a terrorism of their own and tore down signs and vandalized trucks and other building equipment in order to prevent an otherwise peaceful process from occurring.

I can now understand why Americans are viewed unfavorably; this country was founded with religious freedom as a priority and is, again, denying it to those we don’t understand. History shows similar situations, such as anti-Catholic and anti-Semitic feelings of years past, tend to be something that we look back on and scoff at our own ignorance. While I believe that this is the same situation — that we are merely being overly dramatic and ignorant of something that many don’t understand and fear because of it — it saddens me that tomorrow will not be the day that we wake up and realize our foolishness.

The American education system has been marred in recent years by a troubling trend. Test scores indicate that students are falling behind in science and math, weakening our country’s ability to maintain a competitive intellectual edge. It is no secret that the American education system is in desperate need of reform.

But our test scores are not the only thing in need of improvement – student attitudes can also use a tune up.

In a commentary piece written for The Chronicle of Higher Education, New England college professor Elayne Clift calls for an attitude adjustment among students. Clift has taught at Ivy League institutions and community colleges. She remembers her “semester from hell,” when a group of graduate students lamented the syllabus on the first night of class, complaining that it called for too much work. The professor said she felt disrespected for their passive-aggressive behavior and shocked that at the graduate level, they could not write in coherent sentences. She was “accosted” with “hostile emails” after critiquing papers – even when she discovered evidence of plagiarism. Her observations led her to the following conclusion: students have a sense of entitlement, evidenced by rude behavior and a lack of academic motivation.

Clift makes an important point. All too often, students show up to class having not bothered to even do the reading, write papers riddled with questionable sources like Wikipedia. Many students are only willing to do enough work to pass classes and move on. If we earn a poor grade on an essay or fail an exam, it’s not our fault; rather, the professor is to blame. Not only is there a lack of accountability concerning our academic performances, but also for our education at large.

As Clift insinuates in her piece, the first step in education reform begins with us. We as students voluntarily attend college because we want to challenge ourselves and to achieve the highest standard of education that we can. In accepting that, we also need to accept that professors do not owe us anything beyond quality instruction. From the assignments listed on the syllabus to the grades that we earn, we are not entitled to pass classes for less than mediocre work, or entitled to dictate the way a class should be taught, even if we disagree. A degree isn’t just a diploma that’s given to you when you cross the stage at graduation—it should be something that is earned.

Matt Painter will not be the next head coach of the Missouri men’s basketball team. After meeting with Missouri officials in Orlando on Tuesday, the 40-year-old three-time Big Ten Coach of the Year award winner opted to sign an 8-year extension with Purdue.

“At the end of the day, my heart is at Purdue, and this is a place where I want to win a national championship,” Painter said in a statement Wednesday.

Painter’s new contract extension will keep him with his alma mater through the 2018-2019 season.

Other terms of the contract were not disclosed.

“We are thrilled to announce that Matt will continue his leadership of our men’s basketball program at his alma mater,” Purdue athletics director Morgan Burke said in a press release on the school’s athletic website. “He has been at the helm of the winningest four-year period in the storied history of Boilermaker basketball, and we pledge to work with him to win championships.”

MU Athletics Director Mike Alden and the other members of the coaching search committee met with Painter in Orlando Tuesday afternoon, and reports on Wednesday made it appear he was going to accept Missouri’s offer. In the end, however, Painter elected to finish what he started at Purdue.

“I am extremely excited about continuing my career at Purdue,” Painter said. “I believe we have built something very special. At the same time, I feel we have much more ahead of us to accomplish.”

In his statement, Painter also made note of some of the facility upgrades already underway at Purdue. These upgrades include a $99.5 million renovation of Mackey Arena that will include a new training facility for the basketball team.

“There’s a lot to be excited about right now with Purdue basketball. We are moving into our new offices and locker room complex over the next couple of weeks,” Painter said. “Our program is built on hard work, and we are ready to get back to improving as a team and a staff.”

Painter’s former coach Gene Keady told The Indianapolis Star that he believed Painter made the right decision.

“I think it’s the right thing to do,” Keady said. “It’s a better job. Now it’s up to Purdue to give him the leadership and foundation he needs to be a national champion. It’s up to Purdue now.”

For Alden and the rest of the coaching committee, it is back to the drawing board. Tuesday, Athletics Department spokesman Chad Moller called the search “ongoing,” but outside of Painter, it does not appear that Missouri has approached any other potential candidates.

East Saint Louis-native Cuonzo Martin, who appeared to be a strong candidate for the job, was eliminated when he left Missouri State to take over at Tennessee over the weekend.

Shortly after news about Painter staying at Purdue became official, Buzz Williams effectively took his name out of the running by re-signing with Marquette.

During a news conference last week, Alden stressed the importance of the committee taking its time to find the best candidate for the job.

“We don’t want to sacrifice the quality for speed. I think with us certainly identifying who we are, what the characteristics are that we’re looking for, scanning out there — who’s going to be a good fit for our brand at the University of Missouri?” Alden said. “We have to identify the person that fits our brand the best.”