Barack Obama’s supposed mandate in last year’s across-the-board Democratic sweep took a hit this last election day, with Republicans winning two out of three key races, and potentially setting the stage for complete conservative victories in next year’s mid-term elections.
The distinctions between public and private universities are fodder enough for a dissertation—sprawling, concrete campuses versus plots of a few tidy acres, Fugs versus Uggs, etc. But the best—and most candid—distinction between the two are students’ anonymous opinions—i.
All Talk, Little Action
Barack Obama certainly made a good deal of promises when he was running for president, didn’t he? Whenever he spoke, it was always with the buzzwords “reform” and “change” and “hope.” It really made people think he was prepared to do something were he elected.
20-hour naps, eating homemade baked goods, inconveniencing my former high school teachers, and drunkenly engaging in shouting competitions with my next-door neighbor’s purple mailbox—my Fall Break was a huge success. I only have one bad thing to say about my break, and it happened when I was getting off a downtown DC metro stop.
Freedom of press is an American right that has been taken very seriously throughout our history. Whether or not we agree with what others write or say, we’ve tried to support their right to express what they believe—both on television and in print.
Too early in presidency to determine
Elie Wiesel, Nelson Mandela, Mother Theresa, and Martin Luther King Jr. What do these four people have in common? They have all received the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of the work they have done to further peace and humanity in our world. All four are famous for their undying dedication and fervor for their cause and the changes they were able to implement or the knowledge they were able to bring forth.
Scientists have long understood the euphoria that comes with a full inbox or relentless salvo of text messages—it’s cybernetic, irrefutable proof that someone, somewhere set aside precious minutes to communicate with you. Few highs compete with logging into Zimbra and finding an account overflowing with Friendster updates, videos of dancing canines, and letters from Mom.
One might think in a 21st century dormitory, it would be rather easy to connect to the Internet. However, this assumption is incorrect. With tuition at the rate it is, students hope to have easy access to the resources F&M provides. But it has become increasingly obvious there is something wrong with our Internet connection on campus.
Obama undeserving of award
Our president has been awarded the most prestigious award a public figure could receive, and a lot of people aren’t happy. Citizens from both sides of the political spectrum have made this a party argument. Democrats are calling Republicans “hate mongers,” Republicans are calling Obama’s nomination a hoax due to the Nobel Committee chairman’s socialist tendencies.
Political debate in America usually comes down to one thing: is it constitutional? The foundation of every democracy is its constitution, and every democracy is expected to live by what has been set in their governing document. But the caveat is that there is always room for interpretation.
Morning courses are sufferable, presuming you don’t mind staggering into class looking like a pile of dirty laundry, feeling like nascent cold sore, and sounding eight octaves lower than ordinary. And it’s an accepted impiety—professors aren’t bothered.
President Obama signed an executive order last Wednesday banning federal workers from text messaging while driving. This order will affect federal workers conducting business with a personal or a government-owned cell phone and car. Nearly fifty countries ranging from Zimbabwe to Germany have imposed a cell phone ban (without a headset) while driving, according to cellular-news.
Political debate in America usually comes down to one thing: is it constitutional? The foundation of every democracy is its constitution, and every democracy is expected to live by what has been set in their governing document. But the caveat is that there is always room for interpretation.
Morning courses are sufferable, presuming you don’t mind staggering into class looking like a pile of dirty laundry, feeling like nascent cold sore, and sounding eight octaves lower than ordinary. And it’s an accepted impiety—professors aren’t bothered.
President Obama signed an executive order last Wednesday banning federal workers from text messaging while driving. This order will affect federal workers conducting business with a personal or a government-owned cell phone and car. Nearly fifty countries ranging from Zimbabwe to Germany have imposed a cell phone ban (without a headset) while driving, according to cellular-news.
I recently read an article that disturbed me so deeply I felt it imperative that I write about it. I’ve been fired up about things in the past, but nothing has touched me so deeply as this issue. The article, while not directly intended to be read by the American public, is an express shot at our way of life.
With universal healthcare come some potentially great benefits, but also some potentially devastating pitfalls. If you're an F&M student, or just a regular U.S. citizen, you probably haven't been forced into any medical procedure. You've likely gone the way of ice packs and hot tea rather than overprescribed medication when you've been hurt.
As a first-year here at F&M, I have spent much of my time in the past few weeks exploring places on campus. Each weekend my extra time is spent finding nooks and crannies around campus that are good places to study and hang out. With the help of my HAs, I quickly came to find Ben’s Underground.
In the backdrop of a worldwide economic crisis lives a population that has been neglected. They are society’s scapegoat, portrayed as little more than petty criminals and shiftless freeloaders feeding off the hard work of their fruitful brethren.
I know most of you don’t get up for breakfast. It’s completely understandable. If you don’t have an 8:00 a.m. class like some unfortunate souls (myself included), why should you drag yourself out of bed just to take one swipe off your meal plan? There is only one real reason, and that’s the sausage gravy and biscuits.
My sentiment this week has probably been expressed before. Scratch that, it’s most definitely been expressed before by every generation before me since the dawn of time. I feel, however, that certain events have given me the right to iterate this sentiment, and maybe even put a fresh spin on it.
What is the most powerful motivator? Is it love? Is it anger? Is it greed? No—it’s fear. Fear of the unknown and fear of rebellion have been the driving forces behind dictatorships and monopolies for centuries. Those in power want to feel safe with their power, without any threat of being unseated.
Have you ever been burdened with the worry of how you’re going to pay for treatment of a chronic condition, or what might happen if you wound up in the hospital tomorrow? If you’re an F&M student, chances are good that you haven’t.
Somewhere between the desiccated Joshua trees and overwhelmingly ecru sand mounds of the Mojave Desert, there is a highly specific training ground for the United States military. The elaborate configuration at Twentynine Palms, California, designed as a mockup of the rocketed homesteads, sedan skeletons, and rough terrain of rural Afghanistan, is often referred to by the Department of Defense as a “mock village.
Well, the government’s stimulus plan is old news by now. No point in writing about that. And Cash for Clunkers ended sometime last week—August 24 to be exact. So that’s not exactly the stuff of an interesting editorial, either. And yet, even though Cash for Clunkers did end last week, I was utterly shocked when nobody wrote about what an absolute failure that both programs were.
One of the key tenets of the American way of living is always having a choice. Choice of religion, choice of food, choice of work, choice of schools, choice of pretty much anything you can think of. It's something we take pride in, and we have no qualms about letting the rest of the world know that we make our own choices.
I noticed various changes upon returning to F&M this fall: the Harris Center for Business, Government, and Public Policy is finished and looking beautiful, and the cubicles in the Martin Library are refinished. Unfortunately, other changes I noticed were less exciting, frustrating and counterproductive.
“Free speech is for assholes.” – Congressman Barney Frank (D) I unapologetically stump for the absolute, full-throttle freedom of expression: soapbox hate speech, slobbery locker hall P.D.A., Speedos on the Venice boardwalk, West Side Manhattan blue-hour performance artistry, college Maoists, and even Michael Bay movies.
Until Sept. 8, the athletic facilities on campus will maintain their summer hours of operation, even though classes started on Sept. 2—even though many students moved in over a week ago. I realize that there is a significantly smaller amount of people using these facilities during the summer, which is why it makes sense to cut back on the hours of operation.
I would be the first to admit that I have long harbored a fantasy of being a correspondent in some forgotten Third World killing field. Filing reports from a war zone in a far-off land is a popular, if somewhat perverse and exploitative, desire among aspiring journalists.
The social networking site known as Facebook was founded in February of 2004. By 2005, it had grown to five-and-a-half million users, and now, in our very own 2009, Facebook boasts more than 250 million users. That’s quite a lot of people, and odds are we have all sorts on there: sane people, crazy people, nice people, horrible people, real livewires, boring deadbeats and… well, actual dead people.
Sen. Ted Kennedy's Tarnished Legacy
We as Americans have historically had a tendency to make heroes of and idolize those among us who manage to reach the top of the societal food chain. Whether as a movie star, a musician, or a political figure, once a person has reached a certain level in the eyes of the American public, we fail to see them objectively.
Metaphors for higher learning are ceaseless: college as a journey, a highway, a cup of tea, a cutthroat, four-year game of mahjong. We've heard them all, and all accepted them as banal drivel. But that's not to say the enduring art of equating a $100,000 higher education to a stretch of pavement or warm drink has come to an end—it’s just in need of a fresh overhaul.
F&M offers its incoming class an excellent stepping-stone towards further education, a pristine campus environment with state-of-the-art facilities, and a rigorous academic atmosphere, among other things. But even so, you simply have to feel bad for the first-years.
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