This program represents tremendous progress for the SG and is a valuable service to students. Anecdotally, most people know someone who either bikes to class from an off-campus apartment or uses her bike to access Tenleytown or downtown D.C. more easily. Some students, however, have been unable to realize these benefits for a variety of reasons. Getting a bike onto campus can be both expensive and difficult, especially if students don’t live in D.C. during the summer. The SG bike-lending program opens the city to these under-served students.

While the bike-lending program is money well spent and is an especially tangible example of tuition dollars working for the benefit of students, the launch of the program also represents a great victory for the SG. The program has been in the pipeline for a long time.

Originally piloted in the spring of 2007, the project initially received a quiet reception and was moderately successful.

Given that the program just began officially this semester, the program’s launch speaks highly to the efforts given by the different SG executive boards involved to maintain continuity of communication throughout the project’s development. Given the interruptions and distractions posed by incidents with the comptroller and AUTO commissioner earlier this year, the SG should be commended for overcoming adversity and pulling through with a program that will benefit students.

The benefits of the program will also have positive spillover effects on the campus community in general. The six bikes available for free rental may encourage those who use their own bikes infrequently to leave them home, freeing up overcrowding on the campus’s bike racks.

Strides in sustainability are significant too — if students have free green transportation options available to them, chances are they’ll use them in lieu of less environmentally-friendly options — at least to some extent.

Now, the SG should focus on active promotion of the program, and to this point, it has been doing a good job. Campus-wide e-mails in SG notifications, a Web site and good visibility all help to show students that the program is up and running.

Given the relatively streamlined application and release process, it seems that bike-lending at AU is finally ready for the prime time.

Today, the pendulum continues to swing. Despite winning back the White House and increasing their margins in the legislative branch in 2008, Democrats may soon see the public move away from their own “political mandate.”

Recent developments are cause for President Barack Obama’s concern.

This summer, Gallup released a poll that indicates four of every 10 Americans have shifted to the right in their politics since January.

When coupled with Obama’s precipitous 10-point rise in disapproval ratings between March and June alone, his November mandate seems more like a half-hearted suggestion.

What’s more is that polling numbers on specific issues carry ominous tones for the administration.  For the fist time since 2007, polls indicate that a majority of Americans feel the War in Afghanistan has not been worth fighting.  Even on his hallmark health care legislation, Obama faces a mixed political climate at best. The latest Washington Post survey indicates voters are split on the health care bill which passed the house, with 48 percent in favor and 49 against.

Equally concerning for Democrats is the growing popularity of conservative media. 

Granted, conservative media has always earned a dedicated following. But right-leaning television programs have not only kept their lead over competitors, they have widened their gap. Fox News Channel — whose prime-time lineup features conservative pundits Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck — has experienced a 30 percent increase in viewers since May 2008. Meanwhile, CNN’s numbers have plummeted by nearly 40 percent.

When these polls and ratings are examined collectively, it is clear that on a grassroots level there is more than enough potential for an approaching Republican surge.

Still, while the numbers on the ground may keep David Plouffe up at night, a swing in Republican electoral momentum is far from certain.

Why? A look at GOP leadership — or lack there of — provides a quick answer.

Political movements are identified by their elected leaders, and if the GOP doesn’t find one in the coming months, its movement will be nonexistent. Let’s examine a few potentials.

In February, Gov. Bobby Jindal’s televised response to Obama’s address to Congress was underwhelming and awkward. Equally lackluster was Gov. Mark Sanford’s rejection of stimulus money, which was eventually sheepishly withdrawn. And no matter how popular her book tour is, Sarah Palin’s attempts at raising her national profile were apparently too much to balance with her elected position.

Without an identifiable leader, the potential for a Republican resurgence remains just that — potential. Until then, the Obama administration faces a window of opportunity to produce military, economic and political successes to woo the public. The clock is ticking, Obama. Or more appropriately, the pendulum is swinging.

Joe Wenner is a sophomore in the School of International Service and the College of Arts and Sciences and a moderate columnist for The Eagle. You can reach him at edpage@theeagleonline.com.

Sixteenth Street runs north to south between the District’s northernmost corner and the White House. It also cuts a figurative divide between those living in relative comfort and others struggling to stay afloat. Our route to Landover took us down Florida Avenue past Gallaudet University, across the Anacostia River and up Minnesota Avenue in the Northeast sector of the city. I wish I was kidding when I say we saw more liquor stores than food markets. Fast food chains outnumbered library branches and school buildings combined. Park space was overgrown, the equipment outdated and the basketball hoops rusting away. Streets were noticeably darker and abandoned lots multiplied as we progressed deeper into the city. Traffic was thin and signs of vitality were rare.

For the first time in American history, a man with a truly urban background resides in the White House. Barack Obama is well aware of the environment that surrounds him, having sharpened his political teeth on the streets of Chicago. Nonetheless, I question the ability of his major domestic initiative, health care reform, to bring about tangible change in America’s inner cities. Expensive national programs will not reinvigorate communities desperately in need of policies tailored to their specific problems. Federal aid would be better suited for public housing projects, infrastructure improvements and small business development. Don’t underestimate the power of new streetlamps or refurbished playgrounds.

If Obama really wants to make a difference with federal dollars, he should create the modern equivalent of the Civilian Conservation Corps that existed under Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal. The CCC was a work relief program that employed workers to develop and protect public land. The Urban Renewal Corps would reward members of inner cities who work to improve their own community. The immeasurable qualities of self-esteem and neighborhood identity would gain an instant boost through tasks as simple as removing graffiti, collecting trash, planting gardens and clearing vacant lots.

As a former community organizer, Obama understands the importance of the bottom-up dynamic. Dictating health care plans to an uneasy nation is the essence of the top-down model of governance. Obama can return to the grassroots nature of his political upbringing by helping inner cities help themselves, for there’s nothing more influential than personal empowerment.

Michael Stubel is a junior in the School of Public Affairs and the School of Communication and a moderate libertarian columnist for The Eagle. You can reach him at edpage@theeagleonline.com.

I am a woman. I am active in Queers and Allies, I am active in Women’s Initiative, and I work at the Women & Politics Institute. I’ve interned for the Feminist Majority Foundation and THE LINE, a groundbreaking campaign to end rape. I am the brains behind (con)sensual, the localized campus campaign for consent. I am hoping to pursue a career in advocacy. I am seeking a major in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and a certificate in Women, Public Policy and Leadership.

But that is not why I support the Women’s Resource Center.

I support the WRC because I think it is key to achieving our university’s goal of being an institution of pride, inclusion, and student-centered policy, and I think that the WRC’s outspoken critics have often been misinformed, abrasive, and incorrect.

The WRC is neither useless nor redundant. WI is not a WRC. For example, one of the WRC’s key purposes is the decentralization and mainstreaming of sexual assault resources. This will make the process of reporting and receiving support for rape and sexual assault easier, less emotionally volatile, and more efficient. These resources, although created for a problem that affects women disproportionately, will help all students at AU and create a much safer campus climate. Similarly, the WRC will offer programming and guidance on other issues of interest to women and that disproportionately affect women- economic problems stemming from institutional sexism, disordered eating and relationship violence, to name a few. The WRC will also offer resources for women hired by AU itself, making it easier for them to navigate professional situations in the male-centered world of academia. Most importantly, the WRC will institutionalize and further expand on progress made by WI, shifting what is now a student-run effort to include women in the decisions of our campus leaders to a professional, faculty-led movement to make sure women on campus are respected, heard, and represented fairly.

The WRC is not a bastion of man-hate, nor is it a dig at all the guys at AU. It is a safe space, with literature concerning women, issues affecting women disproportionately, and women of import; with trained faculty to counsel students on issues from academics to date-rape; with guidance and resources available for students and faculty alike on how to succeed - in the AUniverse and the larger world - despite the obstacles of institutionalized sexism and pervasive discriminatory practices in our culture.

A Women’s Resource Center is much less about feminism and women than it is about equality and all people on campus. It is a much-needed step toward creating a truly student-friendly campus climate, and no amount of argument about the number of women on campus or the “mythical pay gap” will not only fail to conceal its necessity, but will rather exacerbate it.

Carmen Rios
Sophomore, CAS and SOC

Knepper misses point about resource centers

I am appalled at the opinion piece written by Alex Knepper in the Nov. 16 issue of The Eagle. His article, “Feminist — err, women’s center wastes money,” is not only one of the most disgusting things I have ever read, but also one of the most misinformed. He states that there is not an academic, economic or health-based need for a Women’s Resource Center to be established, but the arguments he makes based on “fact” are both wrong and highly offensive.

He presents the fact that far more women attend AU than men as an argument against the academic need for a Women’s Resource Center. Now, perhaps if all of the women on campus were women’s studies majors, this would be true, but we’re not. A resource center would be a valuable supplement to both sexes interested in furthering their knowledge on women’s issues.

Next, he argues that women “make more money than men in about 40 professions.” According to Knepper, this completely discounts the “myth” of the pay gap. I would argue, however, that it isn’t about who makes more in 40 out of several hundred professions, but that everyone is paid equally for equal work. It is not a competition between the sexes as to who can make more money, but it is a fight for parity in the workplace for both men and women. I’m not quite sure what he meant by there being no economic need for a resource center, but there is indeed disparity in which kinds of jobs women hold, as well as in what they’re paid; I think educating people about this fact is an undeniably important task that a resource center could help to accomplish.

Lastly, he argues that there is no health-based need for a women’s resource center. Women who have been raped or sexually assaulted, according to Knepper, don’t need “a room filled with feminist buttons and books by Andrea Dworkin.” As a survivor of rape, I would emphatically state that if anything, I would trust a Women’s Resource Center to help me find what I need before I would trust Knepper to do the same. Women are different. Experiences with rape and sexual assault are different. One woman might find Dworkin to be a comfort, while another may not. The fact that such a resource is there is a good thing for survivors, as well as for people who want to dissect the rape culture in which we do indeed live.

As Knepper also points out, I will agree that, yes, there are hospitals in the area. Yes, there are sexual assault hotlines and a Student Health Center on campus. But I can attest to the fact that rape is a traumatic, terrifying and confusing trespass on one’s body and mind and a hospital or a hotline are not options a survivor may realize she has or feels safe with. A resource center, on the other hand, can point women and men in the right direction in terms of recovery and empowerment after an attack. Resources can help survivors heal and grow after one of the worst experiences of her life. If this center were to help just one person cope, then I think my tuition money is worth it, at least.

Basically, I think this article was insightful as to why a women’s resource center is so important to the AU community. There are numerous misconceptions in regards to women’s issues that could be dispelled by adequate resources.

As a final comment, I don’t know what Knepper was trying to accomplish by derisively calling it a “feminist resource center” instead of a women’s resource center. It’s 2009. Feminist is not a dirty word. It is not a degrading word. It is not an obscene word. It is a powerful word — and it can be threatening to those who fear equality and empowerment exhibited by women. Alex Knepper, you don’t need to be threatened by that word. Strong and smart women are actually a pretty good thing.

Erica E. Best
Junior, SPA

Veterans’, Women’s resource centers should not be compared

I am writing this letter in response to the editorial, “Questioning new resource center” dated Nov. 1. I strongly resent the board’s utilization of veterans’ issues as the basis to attack the necessity of supporting women’s equality at AU. This nation was founded upon the premise that “All Men are created Equal.” This notion has been defended and secured by those service members whose efforts you seek to manipulate for your own petty political purposes. While I firmly believe that veterans deserve all of the support that we can provide, I have a hard time believing that any veteran would want this support to come at the expense of others who are also in need of it.

If you wish to make the argument that women do not necessitate added assistance from the university or that the services offered by the proposed Women’s Resource Center are duplicitous with other resources within the university, then I respect your right to do so. I disagree, but even more to the point, I would posit that the creation of a veterans’ resource center is completely immaterial to your argument and that a veterans’ resource center should not be associated with the attempted deprivation of a service aimed at benefiting the general welfare of the student body. Your motivations in this instance are readily transparent and are not at all consistent with the notion of service that this university and our Armed Forces were founded upon. In the future, I would suggest that you allow your arguments to stand on their relative merit and that you resist the temptation to resort to cheap political pandering.

If you wish to support the veterans on campus, I would suggest doing that as opposed to arguing against other initiatives.

Daniel Rogers
Veteran

Sex column questionable to LGBT community

When I learned that there was an article in The Eagle addressing stereotypes of the lesbian community, I was excited to pick up a copy of the paper.  This enthusiasm quickly dissipated by the third sentence when I learned that, according to the AU Threesome, lesbians are not a community, but a “phenomena” to be studied.

In an effort to acknowledge that the column attempted, but failed, to be humorous, I can look past the inaccurate comparison of lesbian sex to Jell-O shots, the offensive implication that lesbians are all biologically the same and even the language that suggests that “encountering a lesbian” is similar to running into a strange creature in the wild.  What I cannot seem to move past, though, is the Editor’s Note at the bottom of the column, which reads: “In an attempt to prevent misinterpretation, we would like to acknowledge our sex columnists are of varying sexual orientations and genders.”

While I’m glad that The Eagle has taken a non-heteronormative approach to the sex column, what this note implies is that The Eagle staff does not regard members of the LGBT community to be capable of saying things that offend and hurt persons in their community. It also assumes that all LGBT people are the same and that if one gay identified person finds something acceptable, then the rest of the LGBT community will too. 

This is not the first time The Eagle staff has used this problematic argument.  On Sept. 2, in an effort to defend the AU Threesome column “Sex-perimentation Defines Welcome Week,” the Eagle stated, “the Scene section’s editorial staff, which is comprised entirely of women, reviewed and approved the piece before it went to print. They thought it was fine.”  This, again, implies that because a few women found something “fine,” so would all women. Based on the controversy that article raised, I would hope they have learned that this is not the case.

People of marginalized communities — LGBT identified people, women, people of color, people with disabilities, economically disadvantaged people, etc — are not homogeneous.  We do not all find the same things acceptable, funny or offensive.  The Eagle can publish a sex column that is offensive to some lesbian women if it so chooses, but it should not use the presence of a LGBT columnist to justify doing so.

Sarah Brown
Senior, CAS
Director, Women’s Initiative

CLEP exams cause missed opportunities for students

The Eagle’s Nov. 11 staff editorial, “Touting tests worth taking,” suggested that more students should be encouraged to take CLEP exams and the university should accept more CLEP exams for course credit, mentioning as potential benefits the savings in tuition dollars and the possibility of smaller General Education classes. The two recommendations are linked, in that if the university does not accept CLEP exams for course credit, there is no real incentive for students to take them. Review of exams is the province of the university’s academic departments and faculty, and at present the faculty have only found five of the CLEP exams to come up to AU’s academic standards. The only way for that to change, ultimately, is for the CLEP exams to become more rigorous, so that the faculty feels comfortable granting course credit for students who do well on them.

As for the General Education Program, The Eagle’s editorial board would do well to remember two things. First, a student may only use four exams overall for General Education credit; that includes AP exams, IB exams, and the like. Thus, it is far from clear that more students taking CLEP exams would result in smaller General Education classes. In the end, the most important determinant of average class size is the overall faculty-to-student ratio of the university, and no number of exams accepted for course credit is likely to affect that. Second, AU’s General Education Program is not simply a list of courses, but also an overall program with learning outcomes that faculty, teaching across the program, strive to achieve. A General Education course is more than just disciplinary content, but also a course that includes the promotion of such intellectual capacities as critical thinking and ethical awareness. The Eagle’s writers should think twice before encouraging students in a course of action that would lead to their avoidance of important opportunities to acquire those capacities.

Patrick Thaddeus Jackson
Director, General Education Program

• Why doesn’t The Eagle Twitter follow me? :(

• Why do we need more college fraternities? Aren’t there enough ways to buy friends on campus?

• I understand that the basement of the library is not a quiet floor. I don’t care if people are talking quietly. But is it really necessary to sit BY YOURSELF in a chair talking loudly on the phone? Can you not go somewhere else to do that? Home, perhaps?

• I’m a science major at AU. Biggest waste of money EVER. FML.

• Ugh, I hate the online layout of The Eagle. Not that I often bother to navigate around it.

• The only reason I know straight guys exist at AU is because they are in one of my night classes. In fact, they make up the majority of the class. And they’re all attractive. Night classes FTW.

• I can’t wait to go home for Thanksgiving and see who got fat this semester.

• To the girl on Leonard 8 who just continued having a personal phone conversation while on the toilet ... REALLY?????!!!

• STOP SNORING on the QUIET FLOOR of the LIBRARY.

• Don’t diss greek life to tell us you like us. ~Zete

• Why is it either very sunny and warm or pouring rain and freezing?? D.C. weather, make up your mind already!!

• Why is it acceptable to text during the middle of a conversation? Or even a make-out session for that matter? Texting is the downfall of America!!

• Dear Judgmental Pricks,
Today I got some dirty looks as I went through the handicapped door into Anderson and then proceeded to take elevator to the second floor.  Next time I’ll try not to be as lazy…
Yours,
The guy on crutches

• I may be the only one, but I don’t think I am; I have loved all of the AU Threesome’s articles. Please bring them back.

• RE: Legos and getting laid
Legos are hot. If you’re into females, there are plenty of nerdy, fairly attractive ladies on this campus.

• An Eagle rant — or seven — a day keeps the doctor away! I’m pretty sure my daily Eagle ranting is how I’ve kept swine flu at bay this semester. Thanks, Eagle Rants!

• Can we get shag carpet in Mary Graydon Center?

• Dear Pompous Asshole,
You’re a sophomore (I’m assuming) and yet you still blabber on about your AP test scores? No one cares! If you AP’d out of this class, why are you wasting your tuition and time that could be spent taking other, more exciting non-gen ed classes? You’re an idiot.

• I don’t care if they’re practical, longboards look dumb.

• Bob Dylan needs to put out at least one more good album before he dies to atone for the monstrosity that is his new Christmas album. I know proceeds go to Feeding America, but I’d offer to use all of my meal swipes and more to feed the hungry so long as they never have to hear that horrible garbage.

• I never have to interact with ATV, but they bother me so much. They bother me in such an irrational way.

• I stopped reading the print Eagle and now only read the online Eagle rants. I’m so addicted.

• Library,
MOOOREEEEEE OUTLETS PLEASE! Will settle for extension cords. Even like a rental system or tape them to the walls. I need my computer fully charged to rant!

• Tito is too cute of a cat for someone such as Charlie!
EDITOR’S NOTE: I am offended! But he is very cute.

• I wish professors were less vague when assigning major assignments!

• I am legit LOLing at SEVEN of my friends who got Macs and now their batteries are shot to hell and no longer have warranties. Love my Dell and never had a problem with it!

• I wish that my parents would still pay for AU after I came out… It’s gonna feel so nice to tell them after they have paid for both undergrad and law school ... Suck on that $250,000 worth of debt MOMMY AND DADDY!

• I really think you should have run Megan Lynch’s letter to the editor rather than Alex Knepper’s column. It was much more thought out and really was a better argument than that inflammatory columnist. I understand he brings people around, but he makes no sense. He just can’t write.

• I JUST RAISED ONE EYEBROW! I NEVER USED TO BE ABLE TO! THIS IS SUCH AN EXCITING DEVELOPMENT IN MY LIFE!!!!!!

• Freshmen: You have shiny new computers with batteries that last for hours! You don’t even bring your chargers to the library! WHY then must you take up one of the limited number of tables next to an available outlet?? Get out of my way!!!

• Can everyone shut up complaining about all the work they have to do before Thanksgiving? Everyone else is having the same problem.

• My roommate watches One Tree Hill every week and then scoffs and quickly turns off the TV when Gossip Girl comes on. I’m not sure why she thinks the umpteenth season of OTH is somehow “above” GG. They’re both inane.

• I hate it when the sidewalks on campus (ESPECIALLY between McKinley and MGC) are deceivingly uneven and I trip and flail like a goon, trying to not fall over.

• I agree, I’d like to be able to cook with wine on campus, too! Then again, I’d also like it if the drinking age were lowered so I could buy the wine myself ...

• It would be so much easier to get over you if you weren’t so freaking hot.

• Hey AU Economics Department: 19 sections of principles courses but only 4 of Intermediate? You could add another section of each just with the waitlists. Let the market function!

• Pro-tip: If you’re from Jersey, don’t add that you’re from “the good part.” You all say that, regardless of which part you’re from, and it’s still a lie either way. Your whole state sucks, and that’s why you don’t go to school there, like the rest of us.

• Dear boss,
I know you’re sick; why come in coughing and choking trying to get me sick?! Please stay home. No swine for me, please.
Your work study student

• ALADIN has 11 copies of Audacity of Hope, but only one of Going Rogue. Biased much?

• The Centennial 2 kitchen is always disgusting and I always clean it. Why aren’t people more considerate?

• Why can DSS put on programs about disabilities and sexuality but can’t provide

And here begins an epic Rant subject, presumably someone who loves two Eagle editors but hates The Eagle ...

• What’s the difference between The Blade and the Eagle?
When the Blade shut down people cried.

• What’s the difference between The Blade and the Eagle?
One is highly regarded, well written paper that respects gay rights, the other is the official paper of American University.

• What’s the difference between The Blade and the Eagle?
The Blade reporters are all unemployed after having jobs. The Eagle Reporters are all unemployed after graduation.

• What’s the difference between The Blade and the Eagle?
The Eagle has an amazing guy named Charlie. The Blade doesn’t.
EDITOR’S NOTE: I’m flattered?

• What’s the difference between The Blade and the Eagle?
One has significant ad revenue, the other is the Blade.

• What’s the difference between Jen Calantone and Sun Myung Moon?
One is a crazy nut job that shouldn’t be let anywhere near a newspaper, the other is an AU student who works very hard.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Jen is flattered.

• What’s the difference between the Blade and the Eagle?
One is read by 8,000 people, the other is read by 12

• What’s the difference between the Blade and the Eagle?
One doesn’t discriminate against gays, the other is the AU newspaper.
EDITOR’S NOTE: See what I mean! I can’t figure this guy out.

• AMERICAN! FUCK YEAH
The Dav FUCK YEAH! Eagle’s nest FUCK YEAH! SIS FUCK YEAH! Sonia FUCK YEAH! MacDonald’s FUCK YEAH!! lame Frats FUCK YEAH! TDR FUCK YEAH! Library Nazi FUCK YEAH!
FUCK YEAH
<3 AU

In “Panel highlights shortfalls of DCPS,” published Nov. 12 The Eagle incorrectly identified a speaker as Sean Peterson. In fact, his name is John Peterson.

The Eagle regrets these errors.

As Public Safety Chief Michael McNair recently told The Eagle, all individuals affiliated with AU, including students, faculty and staff are prohibited from leaving cars on residential streets when coming to campus. Anyone who violates this rule risks getting a $75 ticket. The thinking behind this rule is that students should not be taking the parking spots of local residents, because many of them do not have garages or driveways.

Certainly, students should be required to respect local residents when it comes to parking. But there are several problems with the current policy. First of all, nowhere has the university specified the streets where students cannot park. Is parking off-limits a mile away from AU? Two miles? Are there certain streets that are exceptions to the rule? While The Eagle was told that this includes “walking distance” from AU, who determines what that means? Students need to know. Maybe there should be a map.

The second major issue with this policy involves the $338 Zone 3 parking permits, which can be purchased at the D.C. Department of Motor Vehicles. These are meant for students who actually live in the area and they give these students the legal right to park near their homes. The problem is that Public Safety officers have been ticketing vehicles that belong to these students.

There is an appeal process for those who feel they have been unfairly ticketed, but it’s dubious at best. Public Safety has written 923 tickets to AU community members since the beginning of the calendar year. About 800 of those have been appealed, but only about 100 appeals were granted, according to McNair.

Oh, and how are ticket-worth vehicles being identified, you wonder? That’s the worst part. Public Safety targets students who leave their cars parked around AU while going to class, because policy dictates that students have to park on campus or take public transportation. This policy is questionable to begin with, but what’s really egregious is how it is enforced. According to McNair, officers literally go around looking for cars with AU stickers on them or textbooks inside them. They just go hunting. There is no policy in place to determine which vehicles are parked in front of students’ homes. But, in a twisted bit of irony, there is a part of this “Good Neighbor Policy” that creates an incentive for neighbors to phone Public Safety and rat out students parked on the street.

Parking policies at this university needs to be clarified immediately so that students can follow the rules. But in the long term, these policies probably should be changed. Perhaps AU should work with the Advisory Neighborhood Commission to create sensible solutions to these problems. Other options should be brought to the table. But the issues here are obvious. Our current policies are unclear, unfair and unacceptable.

The SG may object by pointing out they use other forms of communication to reach out to the students of AU. It is true that both Twitter and Facebook are well-utilized to this capacity, but student funds contribute to the continued maintenance of the site. It seems irresponsible for the site’s architects and contributors to accept these payments without updating it. Likewise, our SG executive positions are paid positions. Student leaders, while understandably busy, should be cognizant of all of their responsibilities, including periodic and informative Web posts. It is important to note that prompt dissemination of accurate information helps legitimacy, visibility and effectiveness.

Generally, AU students are not involved in the SG, but students still depend on just these kinds of communications to become and remain engaged in SG issues. Even if only a few students utilize these online resources, those who do could be critical in spreading the awareness gleaned. In short, being more vigilant in updating the Web site is a small step the SG could take to further engage the student body.

In 2006, the New York Times declared that female dominance of men in universities was “the new gender divide.” About 60 percent of U.S. college students are female, and that number is even more staggering at AU, where about two-thirds of our students are women. Women’s Initiative is arguably the most powerful organization on campus. As a ratio, more women than men successfully obtain Bachelor’s degrees.

So there’s not an academic need for a Women’s Resource Center.

As an alternative justification, several commenters on The Eagle’s Web site have pointed to the feminist myth of the “pay gap.” Women, these activists claim, only make 75 cents for every dollar men make. This figure is obtained through the eyebrow-raising methodology of averaging the annual income of all women and stacking it against the average annual income of all men. This is a really, really dumb way of measuring income disparity. Women have different lifestyle choices than men: they are more likely to take part-time jobs and stay home with children and less likely to relocate for work or engage in physically dangerous jobs that pay a lot of money. Using a similar methodology — that is, one that does not account for lifestyle choices rooted in biology — one would have to say that lightning is sexist because men are struck by it five more times than women are. Indeed, according to CNN’s Jeanna Sahadi, women actually make more money than men in about 40 professions, including some — like sales engineers, statisticians, and transportation workers — in which women make a staggering thirty percent more. The “pay gap” myth is feminist religious dogma, not an economic reality.

So there’s not an economic need.

As a last-ditch argument, some point to the fact that women have special health needs. Women might get raped, or sexually assaulted. I suppose I’ll have to concede this: women, often and tragically, get raped. But a room filled with feminist buttons and books by Andrea Dworkin is not exactly what women need after being raped or assaulted.

Memo to feminists: there are these things called “hospitals.” We also already have a sexual assault hotline and the Student Health Center. A “resource center” is political in nature and has nothing to do with rape or assault. (Here is where proponents of the center point to the need to combat something that they call the “rape culture” — which only underscores my point that it’s going to be a Feminist Resource Center.)

So there’s not a health-based need.

We already know that the Women’s Initiative is a Feminist Initiative: it is vocally pro-abortion rights, allies itself with left-wing campus crusades and annually performs a play by feminist icon Eve Ensler. Why should we expect something different from a Women’s Resource Center? 

When the center opens, here’s what students can expect: it could be hostile to Republicans, Libertarians, capitalism and conservatism. Books by strong women in politics like Sarah Palin will probably not be featured. The center will be vocally pro-abortion rights. It will promote feminist interpretations of economics. Feminists will work the front desk. It will ally itself with left-wing “social justice” causes on campus. And it will be paid for with your tuition money.

Alex Knepper is a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs and a classical liberal columnist for The Eagle.  You can reach him at edpage@theeagleonline.com.

The vast majority of Americans find these people to be an insane fringe group of the population. The coverage and characterization of these groups, however, has angered Republicans who feel they are being unfairly labeled and attacked. They think George W. Bush’s critics are guilty of the same extremism but escaped the media assault. Their memory of history, however, is not exactly perfect.

This view that the media hounded George W. Bush and his critics were widely praised, leaves out some very important details, namely the first six years of the Bush presidency. After the Sept. 11 attacks, a prohibition on public criticism of President Bush was an unwritten rule. And anyone who criticized Bush or America’s policies was deemed a traitor.

Remember, Bill Maher criticized America’s foreign policy tactics after 9/11 and received universal media condemnation. Those who have become upset at White House Communications Director Anita Dunn’s critique of Fox News would do well to remember Bush Press Secretary Ari Fleischer’s words after Maher’s statement. “They’re reminders to all Americans that they need to watch what they say, watch what they do. This is not a time for remarks like that; there never is,” he said. If Robert Gibbs said that about Glenn Beck, conservatives would, rightly, lose their minds.

Public criticism of President Bush didn’t really begin until 2006. It was justified in the aftermath of the twin disaster of Iraq and Katrina, not to mention all the other more minor scandals in the administration. The media works much like a weathervane. Instead of investigating the Bush Administration, they merely began to castigate them after public opinion already had turned, and media figures that had sought ratings by defending Bush now sought them by attacking him (see: Matthews, Chris). Even though the circumstances are different, those who are in the majority now should remember their past and not treat Republican critics as unpatriotic, for the mere fact that they disagree with the President.

Free speech is a delicate balance, critics of Obama need to resist extremist language, which some like Glenn Beck and Michelle Bachmann have sometimes failed to do, and supporters of Obama should not begin to squash reasonable dissent in the name of patriotism.

Nick Field is a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs and a liberal columnist for The Eagle. You can reach him at edpage@theeagleonline.com.

I was sorely disappointed in The Eagle’s “AU’s Busiest Student” competition. Why is this something that even needs to be featured? It is a fact that most of us are very busy with jobs, internships, classes and clubs. While I applaud students like Vitas, Dooley and Olson for pursuing their passions, the overworked lifestyles of these students and many others at American are just ridiculous. What happened to having some time to just kick back, relax and watch a movie or read a book?

I’m also curious as to why sleep has become such a low priority. Assuming Vitas’ Monday schedule is similar to the rest of his weekdays, he gets five and a half hours of sleep a night - unless he is pulling an all-nighter, something that he says happens “at least once a week.” Dooley reported that she gets roughly four hours of sleep a night. Neither of these students are anywhere near the Centers for Disease Control’s recommendation of seven to nine hours of sleep a night (and let’s face it, college students generally prefer more than that). This is just plain unhealthy, and yet many of us seem to think nothing of it.

By making this feature a competition, The Eagle is contributing to a mindset that says that our GPAs and our resumes are more important than our physical, emotional and mental well-being. I certainly hope to see an in-depth, well-researched article on what the consequences of such lifestyles are.

Carolyn Browender
Senior, School of Public Affairs

Vyse makes errors of terminology in column

Graham Vyse’s Nov. 12 account of his trip accompanying members of AU Students for Liberty to Philadelphia contained a significant error of terminology. Vyse states that “there are two main camps within the libertarian movement: the minarchists and anarcho-capitalists, or anarchists.” This is incorrect. The term “anarcho-capitalist” might be apt, but anarchism, by definition, is a leftist movement that seeks to place power in the hands of the workers, not in the state, nor in a privileged capitalist minority. More specific terms such as “anarcho-syndicalism” and “anarcho-communism” help to clarify things. Anarchism is properly understood as the ultimate expression of the anti-authoritarian left, associated with labels like “libertarian socialism.” In fact, in Europe, the word “libertarian” is almost exclusively associated with anti-authoritarian leftists.

American-style libertarians claim to oppose tyranny and coercion, and while they have much to say about state power, most of them have no problem with private tyranny, i.e. abuses committed by capitalists and corporations. Ron Paul and some other libertarians at least give lip service to this (they use the term “corporatism”), stating that megacorporations would not exist if not for the market-distorting subsidies (among other things) that they receive. I respect their intellectual honesty, particularly because far too many people dishonestly use libertarianism to excuse and rationalize their own privilege and greed with a veneer of jargon.

I recently attended a presentation on “The Solidarity Economy,” sponsored by Community Action and Social Justice, which demonstrated numerous successful examples of anarchist (or anarchist-like) economic ventures. We anarchists seek to propagate such things, in pursuit of a more equitable, healthy and happy world. All the while, we have to explain that anarchism does not stand for chaos and disorder, and that we only partially overlap with American libertarians.

Scott Charney
Graduate student, School of International Service

Cady column goes a bit too far

I’m not going to pretend that I respect Ms. Cady’s opinion that American should implement a Smoking Ban policy. I notice she is only a freshman and is probably ignorant of the fact that this issue was quite fervently debated about a year-and-a-half ago. The same arguments that advocates of the ban made then are the same arguments that Ms. Cady makes in her column. The arguments are just as persuasive as they were then; that is to say, they are not persuasive at all.

A campus-wide smoking ban is little more than a policy enacted on the part of non-smokers to remove the inconvenience of smokers from campus. In the final analysis, smoking ban advocates want simply not have to put up with smokers on campus. The flower beds are ugly, the smell is discomforting, and smokers are ubiquitous; all these they (and Ms. Cady) cite as legitimate arguments to ban smoking. Reading Ms. Cady’s column, it would appear smoking on campus is, at worst, an inconvenience.

She cites the very real negative impacts of secondhand smoke almost as a secondary argument; she does not mention anything about health until the middle of the column. Now, if her column were about the serious issue of responsible ownership of one’s health, this little epistle would have a different tone entirely. But that’s not what Ms. Cady writes. She should heed her own advice and just let people take responsibility of their own health, instead of allowing an enlightened few to assume it for them.

Despite the contents of this letter, it may surprise Ms. Cady that I am not part of the wretched throng defiling the flower beds. I have never been a smoker; I took a drag once when I was thirteen and decided it was not for me. I arrived at this decision in my own personal way, just as Ms. Cady arrived at hers. I hope that if Ms. Cady learns anything in her studies here at AU, it is that freedom has its difficulties and living in freedom is often uncomfortable.

Voltaire Cortez
Senior, SPA

Women’s Resource Center Must Not Waste Money

On Nov. 1, The Eagle ran an article announcing two new resources at AU: the Women’s Resource Center and the Veterans’ network. This was followed by an editorial and lively discussion at theeagleonline.com questioning the necessity of “special interest resources.”

Of course, the Women’s Initiative submitted a follow-up Letter to the Editor and debate article followed that. It is this last article that prompted me to write.  Only two men were quoted as opposed to the Women’s Resource Center and, of course, this just leads the reader to believe that The Eagle managed to find two sexist men. Therefore, as a woman, I would like to voice my opposition not only to the Women’s Resource Center but to the logic behind its creation.

Sarah Brown and Jenny Keating, directors of Women’s Initiative, wrote, in a Letter to the Editor, that it is sad “that The Eagle staff and other students who agree with them still need to be convinced that a Women’s Resource Center is a valuable and needed investment.” They go on to express distaste for many “systems” that prove unfair to women, and that “a Women’s Resource Center isn’t going to dismantle this system, but it is one tangible step we can take toward equality.”

I would actually argue that equality will not be achieved and such “systems” will not be broken down until women stop whining and patting each other on the back. As women, we should be more concerned with strapping on our boots, getting our hands dirty and heading out to the front lines (both literally and figuratively). For more information, find out who General Dunwoody is.

But really, who am I to judge? That’s what I thought until someone was kind enough to post the proposed budget in response to one of the articles. The Women’s Resource Center does not just take up AU real estate, it costs students more than $50,000/year. Of course, we can’t just look at the price; we have to consider its costs and its benefits. Personally, I have trouble identifying benefits for a campus that is more than 60 percent female, already provide wellness, medical and psychological support services, as well as specialized programs through the Women’s Initiative. Now I am being judgmental.

Let’s consider one more statement made by the directors of Women’s Initiative in their Letter to the Editor: “It’s about a system of oppression that hurts all people ... a system that teaches us to place groups in need on a hierarchy, to argue that veterans need more resources than women, instead of acknowledging that we, as a society, have a lot of work to do so that neither group faces violence or inequality.” Statistically speaking, if you are reading this article, you are a middle class white girl. I am a middle class white girl. I find it appalling that any of my peers consider themselves equally or more deserving that a veteran of the United States armed services.

The new veterans’ network was supported by The Eagle’s original editorial on the subject when the Women’s Resource Center navigating the VA system is usually more difficult that anything the average AU student encounter in his or her four collegiate years. Imagine the average, stressful college experience. Now add a four- to six-year gap between high school and college. Fill that gap with high intensity training, repeated deployments to Iraq and/or Afghanistan and contending with the loss of a fallen comrade.

If we have $50,000 to spend, it should be on guaranteeing that the men and women who have served our country and chosen to attend AU at minimum have access trained mental health personnel who have the relevant training to address PTSD, academic support services that help veterans bridge the gap in their education and maximize their wealth off on the ground experience and creating an environment where faculty understand the unique situations and perspectives of their student veterans.

From the sounds of it, this project will move forward regardless of popular reactions. With that, I sternly suggest that the supporters and leaders of the new Women’s Resource Center ensure that precious dollars do not go to waste and consider every step of the way that there are, in fact, groups and minorities on this campus that are more deserving and more in need of our time, space and financial resources.

Megan Lynch
Graduate student, College of Arts and Sciences

• Dear Leonard 8,

Is it necessary for you all to be Skyping or talking on the phone during every hour of the day? Especially in front of my room?

• The pep rally tonight was pathetic.

• TDR has the Comfort Zone and the Danger Zone: Cucina Verde. That shit never looks edible.

• It’s humbling to think that right now, somewhere in the United States, a former child actor is probably almost as high as I am.

• I think we can all agree that the third season of “So Weird” was not as good as the first two.

• If Lincoln were alive today, he would be really old.

• My long-distance boyfriend can’t get it up on those rare occasions when we get to be in the same state. I’m an honest woman and I love him, but if he doesn’t give me an orgasm over winter break I may break up with him. Yes it’s shallow, but I’ve got needs. For serious.

• I haven’t had TDR or the Tav once since I’ve moved off campus. IT’S AN AMAZING FEELING.

• I can’t wait to graduate and move back to New York aka A REAL CITY.

• I paid $8 for a sandwich at the Katzen Cafe. Yeah.

• To the unbelievably perfect, cute boy I am seeing: I think I am falling in love with you, but I’m afraid to tell you. I need to leave here, but I need to have you in my life too!

• Dear Eagle-
Stop posting page long advertisements that no one cares about and start putting eagle rants back in your papers. Rants are why people read it!

• Is Charlie a Boxers or Briefs kind of guy?
EDITOR’S NOTE: Neither.

• Are we ADD? What happened to the follow up to the Thurber Story?

• A legitimate off-campus fraternity? Thank God. AU greek life is crap, and filled with whiny jerks. If they hate ZP so badly, sign me up for the next ZP rush.

• Yes, I’m playing Mafia Wars in class. This is a Gen Ed and I’m still getting an A. Stop caring about what I do with my class time.

• Hey 5th floor Anderson basketball team, I understand that having to walk an extra 12 feet to the men’s room on the other side of the dorm is difficult, but using the ladies restroom is still gross. No wonder the Eagles suck this year, none of their players know how to aim.

• OK. 6 to 8 page paper is NOT going to happen. I’m trying, but I only have a paragraph done and it’s due TOMORROW. Not to mention all the events I have to attend for other classes so I can write my awesome “reaction” papers for them ... seriously? You want me to pay $45 for a ticket to a concert and then write a 10 page paper about it? I’d rather enjoy myself watching Maroon 5 at GW ... *sigh*

• Why is there no research on quiet hours the noise policy here at AU? And why is there no enforcement of said policy? really? REALLY???

• Why can I not focus in my room anymore? can I get some tips on how to focus? Oh! Could The Eagle write a story on focusing and studying tips because finals are coming up in about a month? it would be greatly appreciated.

• Dude. Where are all the AU fellas who love a girl above a size 2? FOR REALS.

• Zeta Psi, we support you.

• Dear girls in front of me in the library,
Stop having fun. The second floor is for ANTIFUN. Go dance to Miley Cyrus (or whatever is playing in your mind for your silent dance party) in your room.

Love,
Someone who’s making a legitimate effort to pass college

• Dear ridiculously cute APO boy,
Ask me out. I’d really love to get to know you better. TDR date please?
xoxo
Frustrated Lady

• I miss using AIM. Especially reading people’s profiles.

• The Eagle should have a “Missed Connection” section just like Craigslist. It would make reading it so much more entertaining.

• One more reason having a dry campus sucks: I can’t cook with wine.

• Bob Vitas: I think you’re busy and Ima let you finish, but I’m so busy I didn’t even have time to nominate myself for AU’s Busiest Student.

• The more you frat snobs hate ZP, the more I want to be a member.

• I am terrified to be the roommate that never leaves the room.

• Listen, just because I go home to visit my boyfriend doesn’t mean you can talk shit. I love AU, but I also love being with my boyfriend. You have everything you love in one area code, LUCKY YOU. Also, please stop telling me that when you two were apart for summer break it was worse, because last time I checked, summer is THREE MONTHS. I’m apart from him almost all YEAR.

• I whole heartedly believe in Karma. There is no need to seek revenge, the powers of the cosmos will get the assholes messing with my life in the long run. And when they finally do get what’s coming to them, all I will do is sit back, relax and be entertained.

• ‘Tis the season to eat drink and be merry.

• I was about to rant, but class is over! yayyyyyyyyyyyyy

• Hey friend ... can we be more than friends? I wanna hold your hand.
• Fact: Fraternities don’t respect women.

• Fact: Greek life does not promote socioeconomic diversity.

• Sometimes I find myself being extra spiteful in my Eagle rants; they bring out the worst in me. And I like it.

• Is it a “prereq” for the Scene “writers” to use “quotation marks” in every single one of their “headlines?”

• Elvis Costello, you used to look so good in tight pants. I’m swoonin’ over you.

• Eagle Rants brings down my self-esteem sometimes, especially when I’m sitting around trying to come up with something remote scandalous for an Eagle Rant .. and then I can think of nothing :(

• RE: AU is garbage.
I’m sorry that you only got into AU, and are now taking advantage of AU’s easy grading policy to obtain a high enough GPA so schools like GWU or Georgetown will accept you. Best of luck with majoring in douchebaggery!

• After losing track of how many rants I’ve submitted, I have to pause and wonder, “Am I ranting too hard?” No.

• RE: If I rant enough, will someone love me?
Yes.

• The Eagle’s newest column, True Life: I Eagle Rant.

• I wish Sassy Chef would start poisoning the food in TDR so all of the self-entitled assholes who bitch about it will finally shut the fuck up.

• If I accomplish one thing before I graduate, I will find out the identity to Sassy Chef! MARK MY WORDS!

• Is it bad that I’d rather watch Oprah than go to my boring lit class?

• To the lame ass who basically bashed AU in the last rant - We know you’re just some pompous Georgetown reject in disguise, so thanks for your enlightening review of AU, now get the fuck out, thanks.

• Originally I just wanted to write out the whole Boondock Saints prayer in this rant, but I figured it might be too long, so I talked myself out of it, and now this rant is basically pointless.

• I think everyone knows the SOC is actually where it’s at!

• I learned long ago to imagine the audience naked during public speaking. But I have yet to figure out how to hide my resulting boner.

• I know what you did.

• Anyone interested in exploring the snuggie sutra (http://thesnuggiesutra.com/) with a single bisexual man, please e-mail snuggiesutra@gmail.com.

• GET DRUNK COMMENT ON THE EAGLE.

• Why did the AU administration think enough to admit us, but not enough to give us a say in how the university’s run?

• When audio-visual dance/club mash-ups become the shit, you all will regret that you weren’t at Eclectic Method.

• Why did the AU administration think enough to admit us, but not enough to give us a say in how the university’s run?

• My roommate is an idiot.

• The SG travel subsidy should cover personal trips home.

• I wonder what percentage of these rants are all coming from the same 10 people.

• You don’t think the Lego plane on my dresser has anything to do with my inability to get laid… do you?

• I don’t understand how the Eagle’s Nest gets away charging such outrageous prices. Everything there is marked up at least double what a normal store would sell it at. And their selection is horrible so that can’t even cite that as a reason for high prices. The administration at this school needs to address this blatant abuse of the store’s monopoly power on campus.

• I got a request for @spottedatau to follow me on Twitter. Discuss.

• Q: What’s the protocol if someone sneezes on the quiet floor of the library? I’m a very polite person so I feel terrible not telling the person “bless you” but I clearly don’t want to disturb the other people around us.

• Dear cute AV guy,
I love it when you come to my classes to help out the professor. Stop staring and speak to me already.

• What is with the Charlie fan club, I mean really ... Come on, Chuckles.

• My dad has his secretary call and check up on me.

• I want more AU Threesome columns to be published. It’s the only interesting thing to read in this “paper”
EDITOR’S NOTE: Despite the snarky quotes, I will assume you are being serious and direct you to this issue’s Scene section.

• Why are we losing to bad teams like Macon and St. Francis? It’s time for Jeff Jones to go.

• What kind of mascot is Scobby Doo? I mean it’s better than some lame Eagle, but who chooses Scooby Doo?

• What a touch choice, we can see that loser Arlen Specter, or we can see those losers the AU Eagles Basketball Team. Tough choice ...

• I just want the girl who was in my FSE group as one of the freshmen I lead that I’m so glad she found love with her girlfriend - I sat behind them on the shuttle and they seemed so happy - I hope it lasts forever!

• Klingonese should be taught at AU. It’s more useful talking with my roommate than french or Spanish.

• I heard love-making noises from my RA’s room. Yuck.

The only questions worth asking about these exams are why they aren’t better publicized and why they aren’t more widely utilized. At $1,148 each, credits are awfully expensive at this university. CLEP tests provide a huge opportunity for savings. Students who do well on them free up space in their schedules to take courses they otherwise would not have taken. This may seem like a trivial point to make, but imagine the number of extra electives students could fit in by taking CLEP tests for general education credit.

Plus, imagine how much smaller general education class size would be if more students got credit through CLEP tests. Students might get more personalized attention from professors.

AU currently gives course credit for good scores on five different CLEP tests — American government, general chemistry, introduction to macroeconomics, introduction to microeconomics and introduction to sociology. The university should drastically expand the number of tests it accepts. Meanwhile, students should seek more information about the tests and certainly pass it on to their younger siblings.

One final point: College Board should publicize the heck out of this. Not since AP and IB tests were introduced has there been a better way to get advance college credit and save huge amounts of money. In these tough economic times, the College Level Examination Program is a great deal for students.

Our society has become mean, spiteful and even in some ways, disgraceful. There are many facets of this but I want to focus on the two main ones, the way we treat celebrities and reality shows. First, celebrities used to be treated as gods, and while that wasn’t exactly a good thing, look at what we do to them now. Magazine upon magazine, blog upon blog, snoops on and stalks these people so that they can’t go anywhere without being photographed and/or harassed. This phenomenon is becoming deeply embedded and accepted in our media culture. There is now even a daily syndicated show on FOX created by the popular paparazzi Web site TMZ.

What’s worse is this process often follows an ugly cycle of putting people on a podium and knocking them off. I call it the “Britney Spears Cycle.” First, you build the person up into a superstar. Then, you tear them down. You push and push and push them, until they make fools out of themselves. And finally, just before their career, and perhaps their life, is about to bottom-out, you love them again, so you won’t have any guilt over the torture you just put them through. What a cruel way to treat people; imagine what it must be like for other countries to witness this American phenomenon.

This isn’t limited to celebrities, either. This foundation of hate has been used to build the gigantic reality show monopoly that has taken over TV. All reality show producers look for as many contestants who are clearly mentally unstable as they can, and then let them loose and push them to their breaking point. Entertainment has become watching an emotional meltdown, a bitter fight, a screaming match. And it’s not like scripted television or film — there’s no real point or lesson or food for thought contained in reality shows. You’re only meant to hate who they want you to hate, laugh at who they want you to laugh at, and put-down who they want you to put-down.

My question then is: Why do we always have to tear people down? Why do people buy tabloid magazines that harass famous people? Is it so we can feel better about ourselves? And if it is, is this any way to live? Why not, instead of tearing others down, we build ourselves up. I know it’s not easy out there — our economy’s a mess, unemployment is at a high, and real progress has faced an uphill battle all year long. I’m also not saying satire and humor are bad things; I love them. But this hate, this viciousness, which is at the base of this behavior, is not good for us as a society. So I propose this: that we collectively stop buying these magazines, stop reading these Web sites, stop watching these TV shows and put that time, money and effort towards something productive. Or we can all buy Snuggies, whatever works.

Nick Field is a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs and a liberal columnist for The Eagle. You can reach him at edpage@theeagleonline.com.

If you look closer at the flowerbeds, bushes or bases of tree trunks around campus, you’ll notice cigarette butts littering the ground.  In fact, take a look at the LA Quad and the steps of Ward while you’re at it. There are cigarette butts everywhere. This isn’t just littering, it is detracting from the natural environment that is AU. And that’s not okay with me. 

I was shocked in my first few days on campus by how many students smoke cigarettes. Walking into or out of any building on campus, you’re greeted by a cloud of smoke that follows you until you’re either well into the building or far from the smokers’ perch.  Where I’m from — outside of Philly — smoking just isn’t that prevalent. In fact, it’s more of an anomaly than it is a rule.  A smoker who lights up outside of the Wawa or Ice House in my town is far more likely to get a couple of angry looks than they are to find another smoker looking for a light.  So, to come to American and be greeted by a cloud of noxious, cancer-causing fumes whenever I leave my dorm, get out of class or go to dinner at TDR, is just not okay with me. I have made a personal choice not to smoke because I have no desire to die prematurely from any one of the numerous cancers that smoking causes. As much as I respect smokers’ personal rights, I just don’t think that their right to smoke should outweigh my right to breathe clean, fresh, carcinogen-free air. This is why AU should implement a smoking ban on campus grounds. 

Now, I don’t propose that we ban smoking completely on AU property, like it has been done for all Pennsylvania public schools. A specific area (or areas) should be designated for smokers who want to light up on campus. However, these areas should be well out of the way of the quad, dorm entrances and class buildings, so that those who choose not to smoke will not be affected by those who do. Hopefully this policy will help wean AU students away from cigarettes. Seriously, though, to all of the smokers out there, pick up a paper — from the 1960s. Everyone knows that smoking kills. It’s time to be responsible for your own health. AU has free smoking cessation programs for students, faculty and staff. Take advantage of this resource. Hopefully, one day there won’t be any smokers.  Until then, a smoking ban would keep us all healthy and preserve our campus’ natural environment. A smoking ban: it’s green; it’s progressive; it’s totally AU.

Erin Cady is a freshman in the School of Public Affairs and an AU Affairs columnist for The Eagle. You can reach her at edpage@theeagleonline.com.

In Omnivores Dilemma, Michael Pollan takes Wendell Berry’s quote, “eating is an agricultural act,” a step further to say that “[eating] is also an ecological and political act.” As a community of passionate learners, we have the responsibility to be questioning where our food comes from and what we are putting into our bodies. We cannot afford to be complacent and eat what ever we please. We must escape this mindset and begin to understand that our selection of foods not only shapes our health, but affects the ecology of the planet. Best said by Wendell Berry, “We have lived by the assumption that what was good for us would be good for the world. We have been wrong. We must change our lives, so that it will be possible to live by the contrary assumption that what is good for the world will be good for us.” Eating locally solves an array of problems that have exacerbated our current situation (desertification due to commodity crops, rising CO2 levels to name a few).

By building tight relationships with nearby farmers we are making a closer connection with our local ecology. A farmer’s use of fertilizers, pesticides, hormones and antibiotics; his treatment of workers, how he plants and many other practices will be visible to customers. It will raise questions like: “Do I really want to be buying something that comes from destructive practices that directly affect the water my family drinks or the well-being of employees, my neighbors? The customers’ purchasing power can push the farmer to become more accountable. The distance from our sources of food allows us to be ignorant to where it’s coming from and what its effects are on the local community.

Food grown locally bypasses the large amounts of greenhouse gases due to flying/trucking food long distances. It doesn’t need to be preserved through refrigeration, chemical preservatives or the wrapping up of products in endless amounts of plastic for the transportation process.

While having local food in TDR for one day is great and we should applaud Bon Appétit efforts towards a more sustainable menu, we must be eating locally everyday. We must push Bon Appétit to be transparent about where the food in TDR comes from. Although they neatly explain the different ways producing the food, (for example for beef they list 5 categories: industrial farming, Antibiotics, Natural, Organic, U.S Grass fed) they do not include the sources of the food they purchase. Transparency and information is core because we must know what the effects of our actions are so we can take a more responsible role. We should know where Bon Appétit is purchasing their produce.

We must seriously engage in efforts to build closer relationships with local farmers and efforts to be growing our food on campus. We must also question why we have chains such as McDonalds and Subway on campus and why we are selling such unhealthy products as Coca-Cola and others. These big companies support unsustainable practices and are much harder to make accountable for their actions. We must know the paths our foods take to get to us and what their actual costs are. We must question why food that is grown locally with less of an impact to the planet costs more than food that travels far distances, has a large input of fossil fuels and destroys the earth. Paul Hawken puts what we are doing to the earth simply: “At present we are stealing the future, selling it in the present, and calling it gross domestic product.”

With AU’s large community, it is a mystery why we aren’t supporting a larger community garden, which could serve both as learning hub for growing our own food (a cost beneficial practice, an ecologically friendly one, and one that we all must engage in, in a future of peak oil and a tipping point of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere), and a way to stop wasting money on things we can do and should be doing ourselves. The fact that we aren’t composting yet on campus shows that we have a long way to go. But we must remain hopeful, roll up our sleeves and act now.

Joseph Amsili of EcoSense

2013 SIS/CAS

• I can’t wait for Glee tonight!
It’s just filled with such wonderful warm fuzzy feelings.

• If we’re playing this badly against schools like CUA and Macon, how are we going to withstand the force of a major basketball school like Albany?

• Where can I buy an “I heart Charlie” shirt?
EDITOR’S NOTE: Only from me personally.

• McDonald’s McCafe McSucks and can McKiss my McAss.

• Dear AU Library:
Who pays your fine anyway?
Best,
AU Student

• That was an EPIC fire alarm being sprung in the MGC last night.

• I just spotted a Marine in uniform on the quad. Nom nom nom!

• Dear Tavern,
The chicken tenders were woefully miserable today. Please fix that.

•What’s the point of fraternities and sororities?
All you do is hang out with the same people every day. It’s a sad way to meet new people, and you tend to be very inclusive.

• Alright everyone ... here’s the truth. Everyone in AU are [sic] incompetent, unreliable, lazy and unmotivated to do anything. This is why we fail as a university compared to Georgetown and George Washington. They dream further and much better than us. Visualize AU as a valley of ashes where no one going to go anywhere with their degrees anyway. Just transfer, do it, I’m doing it, he’s doing it, let’s all do it. AU is garbage.

• My childhood nanny calls me more often than my parents. :(  LOVE ME, DADDY!

• Contributing to Eagle Rants gives my life meaning. Thanks Editor. You have instilled in me a new will to live.

• To the guy who sits next to me in my GOVT class: You are a complete tool and I want to punch you in the face. Stop laughing at all the professor’s jokes and answering all her rhetorical questions. You annoy the shit out of me.

• If I rant enough, will someone love me?

• Yesterday I spent 30 minutes doing homework and five hours watching Gossip Girl.

• I rant because I’m lonely, and my soul yearns to be understood.

• I love my long distance boyfriend so much. But I love my girlfriend (who he doesn’t know about) even more. Houston, we have a problem.

• Does TDR actually wash their dishes? I am beginning to suspect. I demand disposable plates and utensils.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Be careful what you wish for.

• Hi, it’s me again, the girl in the one year relationship who still hasn’t had an orgasm.
So I am beginning to think my boyfriend is suspecting that my fake orgasms are fake. I really need The Eagle to do a good story of the orgasm speaker next week. Please?...

• Dear Editor,
I was just wondering if you have the power to see what IP address the rants come from, thereby giving you the knowledge of how many students are doing the posting?  What all do you know about the ranter when rants are submitted…
EDITOR’S NOTE: We know nothing. It is completely anonymous.

•Sometimes when I Eagle Rant, I feel like I have the power to control the student body with my subliminal messages. muahahahaha

•Short boy with glasses in my JLS class: your mind turns me on.

•To the illogical person who has a problem with non-handicapped people pushing the handicapped button to open doors: Why would I voluntarily touch a germ infested handle in the middle of a swine flu epidemic when I could just as easily press a button with my foot and avoid touching the door? It’s not like the button will start rejecting opening the door for handicapped people because non-handicapped people use it. Let’s use our minds a little please.

•To whoever said they saw 13 of their Eagle Rants in a row: My record is 15. HA

• My father asked me if I was watching “the game” on Sunday. I replied that I didn’t know there was a game. Oh, if I could bottle the disappointment in his voice! You’ve raised a pansy, sir.

• Dear very cute boy,
You should talk to me more and before the semester ends! :]

• To the dick who stole my bike,
My brakes are shoddy. I hope the bike falls apart while you’re riding it. Sweet dreams douche bag.
EDITOR’S NOTE: I would like to direct this Ranter to a previous article in The Eagle entitled “Rant: Fuck you Bike Thief.” I believe you will empathize with the author.

• When did Eagle Rants become a dating service?

• Dear Eagle,
Can you possible make a classifieds section for AU singles? If you can, can I please be the matchmaker??

• Last week, I posted about my roommate interested in a semi-formal date/snuggle buddy. If you’re interested, e-mail loveisthelyrics@aim.com! Don’t be shy!!!

• Unfortunately all the guys worth dating at AU are gay. Fortunately for me I swing both ways. But where are all the cute single not-straight girls?

• Dear Neighbor,
I know you have a very healthy sex life but please keep in mind that our walls are not real walls so thumping against them is very audible.
Your Neighbor trying to sleep

• To guy sitting next to me in my German class, I think you are soo HOT!!!

• How many rings do you have, Red Sox fan? If you were all that great you would have been at the World Series but you were not.

• People in my sociology class: when the professor is lecturing and you loudly talk over him about meaningless things, it is extremely rude and annoying to those of us trying to listen! I know you’re bored but please shut up!

• Look, complaints about TDR should go on the TDR complaints board. Complaints about your roommate should go to your roommate. Complaints about your professor should go on evaluations, or Rate My Professors. Send these gripes where they’ll do some good; quit forcing the people looking for entertainment to read about your legitimate and occasionally depressing concerns!

•To everyone complaining about people taking the elevator to the second or third floor: a) stop being assholes, not all disabilities are visible; b) how can it possibly make that much of a difference to you anyway?

• Threesome seekers: not lame, just can you think of any other place possibly in the world that would be sketchier to meet people than Eagle Rants?! Apparently, a lot of people can’t, actually.

• Please stop whining about the lack of straight guys on campus. What is way more appalling and sad is the lack of lesbians and queer women on campus! Where my single ladies at?!

•Everyone at this school wants to save the world but all I want to do is work at a fashion magazine. I feel like such a freak.

• Dear neighbor,
As much as I enjoy hearing your boyfriend have sex for a few minutes, then talking effing loudly for a few minutes, then have sex again, could you do it when I’m not laying in my bed a mere inches away from all of your excitement?

• I would just like to send out a big “fuck you” to the jerk who stole my phone at TDR tonight.

• Remember the first episode of Spellbinder where the dude goes into the parallel world? Haha, that was epic.

• To the piece of shit who stole my friend’s iPhone:
REALLY? YOUR PARENTS ARE PAYING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF $$$ TO GO HERE, DO YOU NEED TO BE STEALING SHIT?

• I HATE HALLOWEEN, but thanks to the people who made mine fun, anyway. Let’s hang out again, I’m serious.

• Dear roommate,
After learning about how much of a klepto you are at stores, etc…I semi-suspect you’ve stolen the earrings, cash and thermos I’ve lost since I’ve been here. It’s unfortunate and probably wildly unlikely, but true.
Love,
Your worried roommate

• To the boy I’m actually obsessed with: I want us to date. And sit on the quad all day. And eat shitty TDR food. And watch movies. And hang out. Drunken hookups are so last month. Make a move!
EDITOR’S NOTE:
(Set to the tune of “Kiss the Girl” from “The Little Mermaid)
Sha-la-la-la-la-la
My, oh, my
Look at the boy too shy
He ain’t gonna soberly kiss the girl
Sha-la-la-la-la-la
Aint it sad?
Tell him or he won’t ever
Kiss the girl.
Kapish?

• How sad is it that I submit tons of Eagle Rants because I know I have no chance of ever having a post secret posted online?

• To the boy (who lives 2 floors below me) that I met in the basement of a party while we were waiting for the cops to leave: I see you everywhere but neither of us do anything more than acknowledge the other’s existence with longer-than-usual locked eye contact. Change this, I don’t have the confidence to.

On Nov. 4, Roll Call newspaper ran a $1,500 ad, paid for by Thurber’s center which heaped praises for Thurber’s friend, AU adjunct professor Jack Bonner. The ad thanked Bonner for “15 years of teaching excellence” and said, “Students of the Public Affairs and Advocacy Institute are grateful for the knowledge, insight and years of experience you bring to the university.” Judging by Thurber’s reaction to the situation, one can assume that he had some sort of oversight on the approval of the ad. 

On the surface, this seems benign. But as the political Web site Talking Points Memo realized, Thurber’s knowledge of this particular ad raises serious ethical questions.

Thurber wasn’t just a friend and colleague of Bonner’s at AU. He was also working pro bono as an ethics adviser to Bonner’s lobbying firm, Bonner & Associates. Bonner badly needed an ethics adviser, because his firm had faced a firestorm of criticism over the summer for sending forged letters to members of Congress. This was a serious scandal. The letters were ostensibly from the NAACP and other organizations concerned about climate change legislation. According to some members, they potentially influenced voting on the House cap and trade bill. Bonner hadn’t known the letters were fake. They were sent by one employee who was promptly fired when all this came to light. He isn’t the story anymore. Thurber is.

The ad can be seen as a public statement of gratitude from CCPS to one of its most beloved professors. However, it might also be interpreted as an attempt to get good PR about a lobbying organization printed in “the newspaper of Capitol Hill” just months after that organization had its reputation tainted by scandal.

Thurber’s reputation suggests this second scenario is unlikely. He is well-respected at AU. His history suggests he is a man of integrity. But questions remain. What was his specific role in the creation of the ad? Did he propose the idea? Did he draft the language? CCPS should explain why there was no oversight on this. They should outline a plan to prevent things like this from happening in the future.

Thurber has said he “regrets the impact” of an ad that thanked “a long-time colleague who is involved in political controversy.” But he owes this campus more than that. He should explain everything. He should be totally transparent. And he should apologize for using university money inappropriately.

It is named after Caroline Kennedy, who briefly sought appointment to Hillary Clinton’s Senate seat during December 2008 and January 2009. As you may know, in many states, including New York, the governor names the successor to a vacant Senate seat. Kennedy lobbied the governor, David Paterson, after encouragement from her uncle, Sen. Ted Kennedy and her close friend President Barack Obama. Kennedy had never served in elected office before, and her attempt to gain the appointment was met with a severe media backlash. She was dubbed “Princess Caroline” by cartoonists, usurping an office she hadn’t earned. I do not think, however, that this was because the media was vetting someone who hadn’t faced the voters; I think it was because she had yet to face the media.

It should be clear to everyone, no matter your political persuasion, that despite what you think of any single media source, as a whole they are a fickle bunch. Quite simply, their problem with Kennedy was that she had refused to do their talk shows, to participate in their short-attention span infotainment world. She seemed to act as if she was better than them, and she was, and they wanted to take her down a peg. In an interview during her time lobbying for the Senate seat, Kennedy’s 30-minute New York One television interview was criticized for her overuse of the phrase “you-know.” This whole campaign was defended under the guise that voters would not choose her and she would be thrust upon them. But this is the way it’s always been with Senate appointments and the voters would’ve had the chance to vote for or against her next year.

I use this recent example because it shows why America’s best people don’t run for office and the gap between officials and candidates that has developed. Our Founding Fathers originally envisioned a government run by the best people possible in service and representation of their country. In the late 18th century, however, the most accomplished citizens were well-known, wealthy and connected, thus they could easily win office. The Founders did not seek, in fact they sought to avoid, the adoption of political parties and campaigns. This leaves us today with an inconsistency in our government, for the best candidates for office are often not the best officials, and vice versa.

Today’s campaigns are 24-hour media circuses. Any and every instance in a candidate’s past is brought into the open. Does it now become clear why accomplished people don’t run for public office? Would you want people digging into every facet of your life? Asking about your preacher, or how much your clothes cost, or what you said or did ten, twenty, thirty or even forty years ago? The problem is that political campaigns have become a real life reality show. The only way we can fix this problem and improve our government is to begin to elect the best people for the job and not the best candidates for election and re-election. They should vote on issues, not the horse race.

Nick Field is a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs and a liberal columnist for The Eagle. You can reach him at edpage@theeagleonline.com.

The fall of the Berlin Wall was a great unifying event, not only for the two halves of Germany that were literally reunited, but for a world that had grown up in the shadow of the Cold War. The biggest physical symbol of the Cold War was suddenly a dance floor. Once people were shot trying to get from one side of it to the other, and suddenly, everyone was chipping at it with sledgehammers to get a piece of it to stick on their living room mantel as a memento. The great dividing line between East and West was reduced to an interesting piece of interior decoration. The eyes of the world were on Berlin, and the world cheered and patted itself on the back for a job well done.

The 20th anniversary of the Wall’s fall comes at a time of relative pessimism in the United States. According to a Rasmussen poll, 52 percent of Americans believe that the country’s best days are in the past. The sense of optimism that came with the end of the Cold War feels a long way removed from today’s world. The conflict between the democratic, capitalist United States and the communist USSR — and their respective allies — must have seemed relatively easy to grasp compared to today’s world stage. The United States remains in Iraq and Afghanistan with no foreseeable easy answers, while the entire world holds its breath waiting for a conclusion to the rising tensions over Iran. In a striking situation of déjà vu, Russia is reasserting its old dominance over Europe, particularly in the area of Europe’s energy dependence.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel — ­­a former East German — addressed a joint session of Congress last week. As to be expected, she thanked the U.S. for its role in securing a free and reunited Germany, but the bones of her speech were all business. She talked about the difficult problems of the here and now — a nuclear Iran, the environment, a “transfer of responsibility” in Afghanistan. Merkel’s speech was practical but at the same time it memorialized a moment of idealistic achievement in world history. 

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the world was optimistic — and rightfully so. Freedom had triumphed and a torn country was reunited. But, as one challenge has disappeared, others have risen in its place. Merkel’s speech reflects this. She realizes, as do America’s citizens, that the reunification of Germany is not only a powerful symbol of human potential and of the promise of democracy to Americans and to the world, but also an inspiration. She used her opportunity to reflect and memorialize, but also to make a pointed reminder about the work that is yet to be done.

Casey Petroff is a freshman in the School of International Service and a moderate liberal columnist for The Eagle. You can reach her at edpage @theeagleonline.com.