Eagle Eye advice is committed to providing real answers to everyday problems. As it is Black History month I wanted to dedicate this space to the integral issue of mental health and suicides among African Americans. One question came across my desk right after the passing of Don Cornelius, long time host of Soul Train, due to an apparent suicide.
This is the time of year when taxpayers start receiving documents and information to be able to prepare and file their federal and state income tax returns. Being a student puts one in a position to look for additional information that needs to be reported. Students have tuition payments, as well as expenses for books, materials, fees and sometimes room and board. These can be very expensive out- of-pocket legal obligations for students but we have to be careful about which items the IRS will allow as a deduction.
NEIU is among a few Illinois public universities that participate in the Illinois General Assembly Legislative Scholarship Program, brought to you by the state of Illinois. This has been going on since 2003, yet when I asked around the various financial aid departments of NEIU, virtually no one knew this program existed. Upon further research, some troubling information was found about this scholarship.
I remember one day in grammar school, my class had shared what our ethnicities were. When the circle finally got to me, I didn't know what to say, because I am of both Caucasian and Latina descent. When I was even younger, I remember thinking my grandfather, whom I loved dearly, was African American because he was so dark skinned (my mom thought so too when she was little). Of course, I didn't know that my grandfather was Mexican-American until I asked both my mom and my grandfather.
Can you blame me though? Growing up in the 90s and even before that, TV barely showed Latinos, let alone dark skinned Latinos. That just wasn't something for which the TV had enough color. As I got older and became more interested in theatre, I started to watch older musicals like "American in Pairs" or "Show Boat". My fascination and love for musicals grew so much that if there was one on TV or being featured on my Kindlefire, I would watch it. I just recently watched Gypsy (1962) and at one point of their act, the kids were wearing black face paint (blackface) to make them look like African Americans. I had seen blackface before in other musicals but for some reason this times around, it bothered me.
Africans Americans were already freed, yet in the early to mid-1900s, we still had "White" actors trying to perform as "Black". The roles given to these blackface actors didn't help the image of African Americans in our culture. The roles were always some poor "black" person who sang, danced and even though they were not so intellectual, they still were good hearted, happy and hopeful that things would get better. The media's view of being "too black" hasn't changed much since. Recently, a friend (who is a very light skinned Puerto Rican) posted a video on Facebook, which was called "Black and Latino". This video featured many Afro-Latino singers, actors and media personnel who were "too Black" to be Latino but "too Latino" to be Black. For the actors, most of them were cast for African American parts.
However, despite the blurred lines of skin color, they all were asked to choose which one they were: Latino or African. It seemed that they all came to the conclusion that while yes, there weren't the Hollywood version of Latino/a, they embraced their indigenous, African and Spanish roots. There is a unique beauty for the Afro-Latino and their dark skin color. Ultimately, I feel that despite our technological advancements and the fact that we are in the year 2012, things are still black and white in the world of media. However, with acceptance it seems as though we get and will continue to get wisps of gray and brown in between our Black and White.
Every now and again while reading a newspaper or any periodical there's an article about Northeastern Illinois University. Northeastern was ranked at the top among other ethnically diverse universities in the Midwest. I have also witnessed articles that speak of the fact that students who graduated from NEIU did so with relatively little debt. When I read articles that boast positive information about Northeastern, it makes me proud.
The recent movie about the Tuskegee Airmen, "Red Tails", has been stirring up a lot of noise with it being number two in the box office in its first weekend. While I did support this movie and made my contribution to the cause, I have one particular personal problem that has been pulling my chins. It is the constant harassment, badgering and accusation about the authenticity of one's commitment to their race, which is solely based on their interest and commitment to support Red Tails.
How do you feel about the job President Obama has done as President? What would you like to see from the next
administration regardless to whether President Barack Obama gets a second term or not.
You know how you've been dying for an answer to that question that you just can't seem to find anyone to answer in a no-holds-barred kind of way? You know – the one that's been eating at your gut and keeping you up at night when you so desperately need to sleep for your morning class, or worse, your final exam. Well look no more! Independent is proud to welcome its new advice column, where students can ask genuine questions, and expect answers that "keep it real". When the "Ask Me" campaign just won't do the trick, Independent gets to the meat of the situation.
To submit your questions for advice that's tried and true - email your questions to: eagleeyeadvice@gmail.com. You can remain anonymous, or leave a name. Make sure to include your year in school.
Q. How can I get my partner to reciprocate oral sex? – Anonymous, Senior
My name is Jackie; I am currently a junior with a major in communications, media and theatre and a minor in music. I have been a member of Trio NEIU for about a year and a half now and I'm very proud to say I am. Originally I had heard about Trio as an incoming freshman from a friend who was apart of Trio's Upward Bound program at Robert Morris University. At the time NEIU did not have Trio on its campus, however my friend still encouraged me to join if they did. Trio became an organization on campus about 2 years ago and aside from their bright yellow advertisement that was posted almost every where on campus; I became interested in the services Trio offered.
The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) is an illegitimate son of Hollywood fathered by our very own house lobbyists. God forbid, if passed, this bill literally can shut down all user-content websites such as YouTube and Wikipedia, among others. The legislation would authorize law enforcers to remove an entire internet domain due to something posted on a single blog, arguing that an entire online community could be punished for the actions of a tiny minority.
SOPA's older sister is the PROTECT IP Act (Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act of 2011 or PIPA) bill of senate. According to BBC, PIPA is a re-write of the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act (COICA), which failed to pass in 2010, the failure eventually led to the formation of SOPA.
I think it may be safe to say that I am a Jersey Shore-aholic. Ok…well maybe that is a bit extreme, but I do get excited forJersdays (Jersey Shore and Thursday)! I started watching Jersey Shore when they were in their 2nd season in Miami. Like others, I swore I would never fall into the "shore craze"; however thanks to MTV's marathon of Jersey Shore a couple years ago, I am now a fan. I have quite a few friends who will refuse and to this day still question why I watch such a show and as bad as this sound, I'm going to say it anyway. I love to watch Jersey Shore because during the middle of the week when things are crazy busy and I feel like the weekend can't come fast enough; I can come home every Thursday night to find that my DVR just recently recorded my weekly fix of Guidettes and juice-head problems. It sounds really dumb I know, but I just feel a lot better knowing that there are some people out there that not even Wikipedia can help.
Remember the good old days when people used to communicate with actual people? Well those days are gone! We now live in the age of information, technological advancements are being made at the speed of light, and the more we advance in technology, the more ignorant we become and the more separated we become as people.
I can remember as a child, getting on the King Drive bus and hearing all kinds of conversations; elderly women talking to younger women about TV shows, fashion, men, and motherhood, elderly men talking to younger men about sports, women, and manhood. These days we are all off into our gadgets. Next time you get on public transportation, or in a public place such as a bus, restaurant, social gathering, or elevator, pay attention to the heads of other's, as they lay plowed down into their devices. Observe the proximity of personal space increase, as people refuse to move their bags from seats on a crowded bus. Due to the breaking news delivered to their gadgets by mass media. The fear of outbreaks of highly contagious diseases such as Swine flu, Mad Cow, HIV/AIDS, herpes, the common cold, whooping cough and many others, convince people to stay away from other people. Anti-bacterial soap and gel can be found in the lobby of all major office buildings, due to the fear of the aforementioned. True enough as these things do exist, but the manner in which it is delivered to the people can be modified, so that the people seek understanding about these issues rather than seclusion.
It's obvious that as students, you should avoid getting into debt. Look around and read some business publications such as Wall Street Journal, The Economist and others and you will see all kinds of headlines about European countries in debt and how much trouble they're in. Just like some countries – people in general, and students in particular get into the trap of overspending, which leads to debt.
Student loans are great, but only to a degree. Your college education should not be financed solely by student loans. Remember, student loans aren't a debt you can get from under. It's the type of debt that cannot be wiped off even in the case of a bankruptcy. So think twice about how much you want to borrow. Do not borrow more than you can realistically afford. This level will be different for each student.
When he campaigned for mayor, Rahm Emanuel promised that his government would be transparent and accountable. Every mayoral candidate since the Jane Byrne has promised something similar – only a few actually followed through. The real test would come once he assumed power. Seven months into his term, it is clear that while Emanuel deserves some credit for taking some steps toward increasing transparency, he still has a long way before Chicago city government could be transparent in any meaningful way.
First, let us examine what Emanuel did right. He established a data portal that published over 200 "data sets" that included information on community area crime rates, city employee salaries, and lobbyist disclosures and abandoned buildings, among other things. In the past, much of that information was either hidden from the public completely or deliberately obscured. Granted, the way this data is formatted isn't exactly conductive to easy comprehension, but the very fact that this data is available at all is very commendable.
Commentary
In a few weeks we will celebrate Thanksgiving and the ‘official' start of the holiday buying season beginning with the infamous ‘Black Friday.' With the economy still struggling and many people still out of work, it will be tougher to find the funds we would like to have to spend on those presents that we want to give. As students, we have it tough during normal times, let alone during a bad economy and the holiday season. We want to share the spirit with those we care for but wonder how to afford it.
There is some controversy over the Supreme Court refusing to review the case of a same sex couple Oren Adar and Mickey Ray Smith. The case arose when a Louisiana official refused to give the same sex couple an updated birth certificate, even though the child was adopted in New York where the adoption is legal. The argument for the couple was that due to the full faith and credit clause of the U.S. Constitution, Louisiana officials would have to accept their adoption claim, even though their state law considers it unlawful.
Virtual socializing can be tedious, hideous and sometimes disgusting. Last week Facebook users were shocked and enraged by some disturbing and sexually explicit images that suddenly appeared on home pages. Those images included hardcore pornography, torture, animal abuse and even Justin Bieber. The images also appeared on some younger kids' news feeds, potentially making Facebook party to exposing youngsters to obscene materials.
What could be more exciting than a multimillion dollar wedding? Beats everything on your list, right? Recently, Kim Kardashian got married to her boyfriend Kris Humphries. The wedding itself was arranged like an amazing fairy tale wedding that would surely be any woman's dream. The wedding aired on E! Network as a special titled "Kim's Fairytale Wedding". One must, however, sit down and analyze if this marriage was ever real.
In the recent case U.S. vs. Jones 10-1259, the Supreme Court expressed "deep concerns" over law enforcement agencies' use of GPS tracking without a warrant. Law enforcement has previously grouped placing a GPS tracking device on a suspect's car with other surveillance activities that do not require a warrant, such as following a suspect and rifling through their trash. Lower courts have previous ruled that attaching GPS tracking devices without a warrant is acceptable, citing a ruling from 28 years ago about police using short-range tracking to follow beeper signals for more accurate suspect tailing as precedence.
Hear what you're classmates have to say. Be on the lookout for Independent staff, you could be next!
Would You Like to Have More General Education Classes Offered at the CCICS Campus?
Your CCICS counterparts chime in on the subject of class lists for our south-side satellite campus.
Recently, the Michigan Senate—led by the majority of Republicans—passed Matt's Safe School Law, a bill that aims to ban harassment in schools and requires every district to have an anti-bullying policy. Though the bill is named after Matt Epling, a Michigan teen who killed himself after being the victim of anti-gay hazing, there has been controversy as to whether or not the legislation will prove to be effective due to loopholes pointed out by Democrat Senator Gretchen Whitmer.
Things are looking up for North Africa. With the capture and near-immediate death of Libya's former dictator, Muammar Ghaddafi, Libya is now free to remake its political and governmental infrastructure in the image of more liberal and successful countries. Tunisia held its first democratic election on Oct. 23 during which more than one party ran without guns to their heads and the "winning" party didn't get a staggering 99.9 percent of the vote. Having sent their former dictator scurrying into the waiting arms of Saudi Arabia's Al Saud family with only the clothes on their backs and millions of dollars in gold bars, Tunisia seems poised on the brink of governmental and political reform.
Charlie Hebdo (Charlie Weekly), a French satirical magazine, joined the ranks of Danish newspaper, Dutch filmmakers, Swedish artist, US Facebook cartoonist, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, by placing the prophet Mohammad on the front cover as a ‘guest editor' of its November 2011 issue with a caption reading ‘100 lashes if you don't die from laughter,' to salute the victory of an Islamist party in Tunisian elections. Earlier that day, the office of the magazine was bombed and its website was also hacked and replaced with an image of the Grand Mosque in Mecca and the words "No God but Allah."
Until the recent drought and famine, very little was being discussed in the United States regarding Somalia beyond the occasional pirate attacks. Few people had ever heard about or understood the depth of violence and poverty that the country has been enduring for decades. Even now it is difficult for many of us to grasp the magnitude of what the Somali people are enduring as a result of clan wars, Al Shabab terrorism, and now – famine. The lack of a stable government amplifies the problems created by these issues, and the only way that hundreds of thousands of lives can be saved is through outside help.
Occupy Wall Street is a people-powered movement, that the official website, occupywallst.org, says "began on Sept. 17 in Liberty Square in Manhattan's Financial District, and has spread to over 100 cities in the United States and actions in over 1,500 cities globally. OWS is fighting back against the corrosive power major banks and unaccountable multinational corporations wield against democracy, and the role of Wall Street in creating the economic collapse that has caused the greatest recession in nearly a century.
As a young, underprivileged, yet educated Black woman, I have experienced multiple accounts of sexual assault and harassment in my lifetime; whether it was in private, public, or academic spheres.
In response to my experiences, I know that I am not alone. I have decided to shed light on an issue that is rarely discussed: the entitlement and objectification of Black and Brown women's bodies. Now you might ask; what do I mean? And most importantly, why now? My answer would be: "Why NOT now?"
On May 26th, 2011 Google announced Google Wallet; you might ask yourself why Google would want to be our wallet? Google Wallet allows you to store all your credit cards and gift cards on your phone. That means that all your credit cards and gift cards can be left at home because they will all be stored on your phone. Your phone becomes your wallet. Google wants to evolve the way we pay at retailers.
What do you think of the newly opened Angelina Pedroso Multicultural Center? What other cultural centers should we have on campus?
"If students in the Council of Clubs are not allowed to wield ownership over their leadership roles, then they will never learn to accept leadership roles as adults. 20 of our 70 student organizations from last year have gone inactive as a result of the difficulties involved in sustaining their operations."
The most inaccurate statement circulating our country today is, "We live in a post racial society". Since the election of President Barack Obama, there have been many instances to prove that this particular statement is a fallacy. But here, on our humble campus; where we are constantly reminded that our university is considered the ‘Most Diverse University in the Midwest', we don't expect to find proof in the invalidity of the aforementioned statement.
According to New York Times, President Obama proposed that Congress adopt his "balanced" plan combining entitlement cuts, tax increases and war savings to reduce the federal deficit by more than three trillion dollars over the next ten years. He said he would veto any approach that relied solely on spending reductions to address the fiscal shortfall. President Obama unveiled a three trillion dollar long-term deficit reduction plan that relies heavily on raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans, on Sept. 19.
Undocumented students have to pay for school themselves, because, in order to receive financial aid, one must have a social security number. However, there are some scholarships that do not require the recipient to provide a social security number. Theoretically, without a green card, undocumented students can't even make the money they need in order to pay for their education, but we all know that's not true. If undocumented people could not get jobs here, they would not be here. The problem for undocumented students is not getting into school or paying for it, the problem is that after going through all of that, no one will hire us.
When Google Plus was first announced, it was really exciting to imagine the veritable nirvana of virtual happiness people were going to have using this radically new social network site designed by the saviors of the internet themselves, Google. Many were up in arms over Facebook's irritating and frequent reformatting of Facebook's amenities.
As the prices of everyday items continue to rise, students are finding it harder to purchase the essentials they need before the school semester begins. The recent spike in book prices has not made this task any easier. This has left many students wondering why the book prices keep going up. More importantly it has also raised the question as to what can be done to stop the increase of prices.
A Savior in the Making
President Barack Obama laid out his proposal to combat rising unemployment and a slowing economy in an address to both houses of Congress in Washington on Sept. 8. The American Jobs Act proposal calls for a mix of tax cuts and spending designed to jumpstart a stagnant job market, while providing opportunities for long-term infrastructure and education investment.
Why Winning Isn’t Always Enough
Over the last few weeks, several Middle Eastern and North African countries have had peaceful revolutions. Widespread protests forced the leaders of Tunisia and Egypt out of power and as a result, civil war broke out in Libya. As of this writing, protests have been slowly gaining traction in Yemen, Bahrain, Morocco and Lebanon.
What do you think of U-Pass? Do you use it?
What do you think about having to pay for it?
Muammar Qaddafi's tyrannical reign as Libya's dictator appears to be coming to an end. In the last six months, Libyan rebels and NATO forces have subdued Qaddafi loyalists and since the last week have taken the capital, Tripoli, by storm.
Libyan citizens have endured 42 years of oppression and have sparked the continuation of the "Arab Spring." This revolution has opened the door to a multitude of possibilities for the Libyans, who were justified in their efforts to oust Qaddafi. Libyans can now strive for a more democratic nation where their voices can be heard and respected.
For more than 40 years, Muammar Qaddafi was living the good life. Dining off of gold-plated crockery, Qaddafi focused on the important things in life, such as dabbling in assassinations, funding terrorism and having his image engraved on gold jewelry for distribution to his entourage.
He had complete control of Libya's political and legal structure, the lives of Libya's people, considerable oil reserves and almost all Libyan wealth. Had he been an American, he would have been considered a heavy-hitter, a big-time celebrity, albeit with the eccentricity and mental stability of Charlie Sheen. But as a North African leader, he was instead reviled and opposed for his Jay-Z style opulence and hypocritically strict policies.
With a new school year, comes a new crowd of students running around attempting to get their books and/or book waivers. Besides books, this year they will also have to run and get their CTA U-Pass, made possible by the NEIU Student Government Association (SGA).
Although the much anticipated U-Pass has been welcomed with open arms by many students, some cringe at its mere mention. Jaime Goldfine, a communications major in her third year, called the U-Pass useless, adding that it would have been more useful for the school to give her the money she has to pay for the U-Pass, which she could better use as gas money to get to school.
If you asked a person 20 to 30 years ago about what the greatest obstacle to world peace was, you would most definitely get political ideology for an answer. After all, it was during the middle of the Cold War. However, if you asked the same question now, you'd get a completely different answer.
For those of you who have read my previous articles published in this section, you may be aware that I tend to worry myself with serious matters of a political and/or societal nature. If you have not read any of these previous articles, well, now you know what my focus has historically been in this section.
As anybody who's tried to connect their Playstation 3's to Playstation Network in the last week knows, PSN is currently down, and has been so for over a week now. With any luck, by the time you read this the servers will be repaired (the target date is Tuesday, May 3, according to Sony's blog), but even if they hit their deadlines, the service will have been down for almost two weeks.
The Women's Studies Program of NEIU encouraged women to celebrate themselves by inviting students and staff to the "Sex is Good Workshop" on Tuesday, March 29, to top off Women's History Month. Serah Deysach, from Early to Bed, gave a seminar on how sex is different for women than it is for men, as well as empowering women by discussing orgasm and explaining the nuances of vaginas, with the help of a vagina puppet.
Imagine a highway (I-94). A nice, dark asphalt or concrete road shines under sunny weather, its bleak under gloomy conditions, and it cracks under smashing winds, snow and too much salt. We keep repairing it every summer, or sometimes (in a few years) we decide to execute a full renovation.
Where exactly is the middle ground? Is it possible to ever find it? In our political system, we have two sides in a constant dispute over the best policy for the American people. The Left argues with the Right, the Conservatives dispute with the Liberals, and Republicans and Democrats always seem to out-rule the other in various situations and the continued argument of what is the best system to follow is as useless as an argument debating who the best president was, Kennedy or Reagan? So it seems that the whole political spectrum is based on who will end up on top, the Blue Team or the Red Team.
On Monday, April 4th, 2011, America celebrates a legacy of a constant struggle for social equality, peace, love and justice with the 43rd anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's assassination. When I think of Dr. King, I think of truly loving your enemies.
What happened to the days when a small "ma and pa" shop existed where you could ask questions while getting straightforward answers which included eye contact and an authentic thank you? Do you remember a time when you could actually find a friendly cashier to ring up your sale, or an apparently somewhat content and focused aisle employee to help point you in the direction of the frozen broccoli florets? Do you remember the days of the official handshake and follow-up phone call, or God forbid, the forgotten "Thank you card"? It may be hard to believe, but not so long ago people actually served hot (and fresh) coffee to their interviewees and/or newly added employees/co-workers, and maybe even pastries too.
Sacred Unions not so Sacred
When it was finally ratified, our country's Declaration of Independence promised two specific goals to every living person. It states that every person is created as equal and is ensured the natural given right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Are we not a product of our environment? I don't think so. The environment sustains our lives. Do we sustain it? No. Why are we so destructive? We can't be a product of this planet, which is taking care of us, providing us with air, water and ground to walk on, while we destroy it.
Over the last few weeks, several Middle Eastern and North African countries have been rocked by peaceful revolutions. Widespread protests forced the leaders of Tunisia and Egypt out of power, a civil war broke out in Libya and, as of this writing, protests have been slowly gaining traction in Yemen, Bahran, Morocco and Lebanon.
Our obsession over posting our personal details on Facebook grows every other minute. Among the 500 million Facebook users, over 375,000 American Facebook users will pass away this year. This means that more than one Facebook user dies every 90 seconds, according to an estimate made by the New York Times.
The Middle East is revolting against the authoritarian regimes. People want their leaders no more, who are some of the richest people in the world, while they live in poverty. Thus, it's time for the western countries, including the U.S., to oppose these autocrats and stop supporting regimes by buying their oil.
Before I even begin to pick apart the controversial bill currently making its way through the South Dakota state government, I believe it is imperative to allow readers to actually see the bill as it is written so as to ensure fairness by allowing the words to speak for themselves: FOR AN ACT ENTITLED, An Act to expand the definition of justifiable homicide to provide for the protection of certain unborn children.
Gone are the good ol' days of being able to walk the streets of Chicago without being watched like a hawk. Thanks to the push-push efforts of our mayor, Richard Daley, our street corners and even the sides of buildings are being plastered with cameras that can study our every move and facial gesture, not to mention our habits and contacts.
As men and women across the nation were busy searching for gifts and making dinner reservations for Valentine's Day this February, a provision before the United States House of Representatives was voted down by eight votes. This was no minor provision to congratulate the Packers for winning the Super Bowl, although it would have been sweet to see such a provision get voted down.
Recently, a group of Indiana University South Bend students' staged a successful protest against the sale of Chick-Fil-A sandwiches on their campus upon having learned that the chain's President, a fundamentalist Christian who closes all franchises on Sundays so as to respect the Sabbath, donated refreshments to Marriage Rights/Anti-gay group The Ruth Institute.
Reflecting on February as Black History Month, I immediately consider that it's time again for self-reflection. In doing this, it's easy to think of the "problems" that need repair within my life. Then I ponder over the world in which I live. When I consider the state of this country and how individual citizens identify themselves, I think about the millions of Americans who are ashamed to identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, Black, Latino, Asian, poor, female, young, or as a senior citizen.
In honor of Black History Month 2011, we thought it fitting to borrow a bit of history. Standing as the preface in the historically rich work, "The Red Record: Tabulated Statistics and Alleged Causes of Lynching in the United States", a letter written by Mr.
Why Americans Put the Republicans Back Into A Position of Power
After holding the presidency for eight years and controlling both houses of Congress for four of those eight years, the Republican Party by 2008 had effectively lead this nation into the worst economic recession since the Great Depression, and started one absolutely needless war while mismanaging another costing this country roughly $2 trillion to date, not to mention the lives of numerous brave young men and women.
Will it be a model for the Arab world?
Tunisia's appearance in the headline of the New York Times in January may have welcomed it to world politics and rebranded the conceptions Westerners have learned towards the Arab world. But to those versed in the region's modern history, socioeconomic reality and Tunisia's remarkable circumstances, the popular removal of Tunisia's heavy handed executive and president Mr.
Three drunks sat at the bar on a Tuesday night arguing over what animal they wished still roamed the planet. The first man wished for a stegosaurus, the second man wished for a raptor for some sadistic reason, and the third wished for a wooly mammoth.
There exists a very thick line between an insulated snowsuit and the kind of outfit one might wear to go clubbing in Miami, does there not? Off the top of my head I can come up with a few exemplary items: a knit beret, jeans, a v-neck sweater, a wool scarf, suede boots, etc.
Commentary
As undergraduates entering our last semesters we may already feel the frigid and austere wind of the real world sneaking through the sheltered halls of academia here at NEIU. Short of an existential crisis, most of us are wondering if there will be a good job or even a decent livelihood waiting, and we're left feeling that our ascent up the scholar's mountain has only begun.
In the face of unprecedented spending and a national debt approaching $15 trillion dollars, the federal government is in desperate need of a budget reduction. The newly elected Republican House has vowed to reduce spending in all areas of government including, surprisingly, the defense budget.
A year ago I discovered that I'm a great shot a natural with a 9mm. I emptied a clip into my first target – never missing the orange "person" and achieving five "kills." Although I was proud of my unexpected talent and my ability to conquer my fear of guns, a nagging sense of unease, perhaps nausea clouded the whole experience.
How did the NEIUport crash effect you?
"I couldn't get into certain classes…they should have handled that more quickly being that they are a university not a junior college. It was real time-consuming." -Taiwan, Junior "It dropped me from classes I was registered for…when the system came back up, I lost those classes.
In the past month there has been a significant amount of publicity about the Four Loko brand of alcoholic malt beverages. Four Loko boasts a mixed concoction of caffeine, taurine, guarana, and alcohol (hence the Four brand name); but it's the mixture of caffeine and alcohol that has government officials and the FDA questioning the health risks the beverage imposes.
If so, don't read this!
Flu season is upon us, and it's time to get vaccinated! That is what the pharmaceutical companies would like us to believe. Yet, it seems that every person I know who has had the vaccine has also come down with the flu, while I have remained blissfully unvaccinated, and unscathed.
As the holidays approach, people have to worry more and more about money because of presents they are expected to give. The holidays are about getting together with your loved ones and showing them you care but for some, a lot of the focus is on how much you spend.
For those people who have a profile picture of a cartoon character in response to either some form of solidarity against child abuse or believe they are doing something to help stop child abuse, please stop. The term slacktivism was coined a while ago and this is another classic example of slacktivism.
At the beginning of this month, something great happened. The annoying political advertisements, that seemed to run every two minutes on every single television station, finally ceased. This happened, of course, because the 2010 mid-term elections came and went.
The power to cast a vote in to elect an official is exceptionally powerful. When the United States was founded in 1776, the founding fathers of this country restricted the ability to vote. Only wealthy white landowners were afforded the right to vote initially.
"Mom! I'm hungry!" This refrain greets me every day when I pick up my children from school. While I try to pack healthy food and be prepared with after-school snacks, I am not perfect, especially in times of stress. Occasionally, we go through the drive-through at McDonald's and attempt to make healthy vegetarian choices.
Can Rahm Emanuel Really Make a Difference?
Two years ago, a media darling took the world by storm and won the United States Presidential campaign. When Rahm Emanuel left his position as the Congressional representative from Illinois' 5th district to become the White House Chief of Staff, he made it clear that one day he wanted to be the mayor of the third most populous city in the United States.
My 11-year-old son is busting a move! It's a good thing our downstairs neighbors moved these days because they would be going crazy with all the toe-tapping and snappy dance moves my son is practicing. All this dancing is a result of his having been accepted into the Ensemble Espanol Youth Company.
When I think about the past, I always think about the question "what if?" Looking at how we used to be and how we are now, anyone can see the drastic change we have made over time, especially for women. Women used to be looked at as the bearers of children, so they were taught to focus on being good wives and mothers rather than attend school and graduate.
The beef you eat today may very well hinder your ability to be cured of illness tomorrow. This is a scary thought, especially if you are reading this while eating a roast beef sub at the Eagle's Nest. That is why the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) is set to issue new recommendations that cattle farmers only use antibiotics in sick animals, with a veterinarian overseeing their use.
November 9, 2010
Letter to the Editor Dear Editor, The October 26 issue of the Independent leads with the story "Faculty and Staff vs. Administration" which focuses on the contract negotiations between the University and the UPI. This is, of course, a central event in the life of the University at this moment.
is a member of the 
