Category: Opinion

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Opinion Uncategorized

Lack of decisions causes government shutdown

Justin Marinelli
Writer

As I have established in previous pieces this year, I believe that the legitimacy of a government derives from its capacity to govern the populace. A government that refuses to govern, like ours, quickly hemorrhages its legitimacy, contingent on the arising societal dysfunction. Luckily, though, things seem to be carrying on just fine for the most part, so I see no need to declare the illegitimacy of the current government, and I look forward to the day it resumes its duties. Still, it does concern me that it was allowed to shut down in the first place.

It strikes me as downright absurd that our government can just stop functioning without our elected officials suffering any sort of repercussions. If a business were to shut down due to internal disagreements, would there not be lay-offs and reorganizations to prevent such a thing in the future? Yet, does anyone really expect that similar measures will be adopted by our government with its unperturbed functioning?

It seems that the incentives for our elected officials to avoid a government shutdown are simply too ambiguous to be reasonably effective. While it is possible that there will be reprisals in the next election, I suspect that Democrats will blame Republicans, Republicans will blame Democrats, and there will be no unified condemnation of both parties for their childishness and immaturity. It is because of this that I have decided to propose a few measures that should be implemented to ensure that we do not again suffer the embarrassment of having a non-functional national government.

First off, in the event of a government shutdown, all members of Congress should become immediately ineligible for re-election. They may finish serving the rest of their tenures, but that should be the end of their political careers. They should be banned from holding any other political office in the future, whether it is a federal, state, or local position, since they have demonstrated their inability to live up to the responsibilities of public service.

Additionally, Congressional pay should be suspended for a year. Why should we pay people who refuse to work? Our taxes pay their salaries so that they can make laws and govern our country. If they refuse to hold up their end of the bargain, they should not receive compensation. The contract is violated, and thus rendered void.

Finally, there is nothing like public shaming to keep people in line and really hammer home the impropriety of certain behavior. I wouldn’t necessarily be opposed to putting politicians in the stocks for a day as punishment for this kind of impropriety, but I prefer a more subtle approach. Why not make them wear a scarlet letter, at least until the shut-down is over? Nothing like a little social opprobrium to keep people within the  bounds of responsible and reasonable behavior.

This may all sound extreme, but is not the very idea that our government can simply stop governing in the event of sufficient disagreement an extreme possibility in itself? This is such a departure from historical norms of governance that the overwhelming majority of humanity throughout time would be unable to comprehend it. Moderate solutions cannot fix extreme problems. We need strong measures in place to discourage politicians from shirking their duties, and strict punishments in place for those that do. To do anything less is to invite dysfunction, squabbling, and an ineffectual government.

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Opinion

An overwhelming amount of options hinders our society

Kimberly Davis
Writer

Imagine walking through any aisle at a grocery store. Say, for instance, you are walking through the bread aisle. Now imagine deciding between white bread, wheat bread, and everything in between. An overwhelming variety of options is not unique to the food industry, as it is the case with most consumer products, internet websites, and even sports teams. In almost all situations in our lives we have multiple options. Of course it’s convenient to walk through a store and have hundreds of options, but is this convenience necessarily a good thing? This abundance of choices makes it easy for us to take everything for granted and limits our personal decision making. The idea that less can be more has been forgotten, and we rely on the production of even more options.

Every day a new product is revealed to the public, but this was not the case decades ago. Each generation grows up with more than the previous generation. If people believe they must have more, they appreciates less. If people don’t treasure what they have, they are more likely to feel unsatisfied. This dissatisfaction will only make people feel as though they need even more in their lives. When someone keeps consuming to relieve this dissatisfaction, the cycle will repeat itself. Where does it end? If people are given so many options, will there ever be a point where they restrict themselves? Having less allows people to appreciate what they have, and not dwell on what they do not have, but companies force people to feel otherwise.

Open any magazine or turn to any television station and there will be an advertisement. Whether it is the latest phone, a promising energy drink, or a new hair product that will turn women into Rapunzel, companies fill consumers’ heads with the idea that to be more, they have to have more. Today’s propaganda thrives on what people feel they lack. By using phrases like “You have to have it,” or “This will complete you,” advertisements imply that people are less without a certain product. Of course, this is effective for the company because its sales go up, but such advertising techniques negatively affect consumers. When consumers feels as though they are lacking something, they indulge in these choices and the cycle begins again.

How do we end this cycle? The first step is realizing that we are being forced to believe that we need more. When we open our eyes and realize what is happening, we can finally step back and readjust. Instead of buying something because we feel like it will complete us, buy something only if you truly want to. The idea of less is more is having things that matter, not having everything just for the sake of having it. We as consumers are ultimately in charge of what we buy and what we don’t buy. The overabundance of choices can be appreciated, but should not be taken for granted.

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Opinion Uncategorized

Wealth of social media platforms causes procrastination

Caroline Schaeffer
Writer

Anyone with a laptop knows the deal: you go on your computer with the intention of getting some work done, you open up your e-mail, Moodle, and then Facebook happens. Suddenly your productivity level has shot down to zero and you’re scrolling through your news feed with a level of attention that your statistics teacher wishes you would give to your homework. Inevitably, one of these many Facebook posts will lead to a BuzzFeed article or a post on Tumblr. As soon as you click on it, you can say goodbye to productivity of any sort. Why is it that we’re entertained by things like BuzzFeed and Tumblr? Realistically, all they are is a stream of photos and animated pictures called graphic interchange formats (gifs) with captions underneath them. Such sites hook people because they are relatable and make procrastination easy.  

Tumblr pages like #Whatshouldwecallme and the BuzzFeed website in general do a great job with creating a general sense of relevance to everyone’s life. The posts are never incredibly specific–they’re simple, funny, and quick to read, everything the young adult’s mind and attention span desires. These posts are funny because the pictures, (often taken from popular television shows and movies) help to make our everyday experiences more humorous. A gif of Zooey Deschanel shoving her face with food is funny, but it’s made better and more relatable to the masses when the caption beneath it reads “Me on a diet.” It validates the way we feel about our own lives, and it gives us permission to now share these habits with the rest of the world via social media. Everyone wants to feel like they’re special, but no one wants to feel like they’re “special.” Gif websites not only allow people to see humor in the simple things in their life, they let them know it’s okay that they occasionally spaz-dance around their living room because, hey–Zooey Deschanel does it too!

In all honesty, the posts on these websites provide people with a good reason to not do their work. When you’re avoiding doing work–and, if you’re like me, you’re always in this predicament–gif websites provide a perfect distraction. By going on them and reading through the articles, you almost convince yourself that you’re doing something productive. It’s a step above online shopping and Facebook stalking, so it feels as if you’re not really avoiding your homework at all–you’re just doing something else.

BuzzFeed and Tumblr provide an effective form of procrastination and self-validation for people. They are simple, fun to read, and often humorous. The only real issue with them is that two hours after clicking on them, you realize you have a Spanish essay due tomorrow and the most progress you’ve made on it is a blank document and an open tab to the “Google Translate” page. On the bright side though, I’m sure it would make a really funny gif.

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Opinion Uncategorized

University students lack political curiosity

El McCabe
Writer

As you have probably heard by now, the U.S. government is shut down until further notice as of Oct. 1, 2013. On that day, Facebook and other social networking sites erupted with statuses and comments about the shutdown. It was the first time millions of people heard about this huge issue, let alone understood the implications. The issue did not exist for so many people because of the lack of interest with current events that continuously plagues our generation. Even after people inquired and found out the causes and implications, they continue on with their daily lives, in the process pushing such political issues to the side and assuming they will fix themselves.

Though this issue extends past students trapped in the “Bucknell Bubble,” it is still prevalent on campus. University students and other people of our generation feel like political and government issues are reserved for the “adults.” We demand the respect of adults, yet part of us still does not want to face the adult world and its issues. This paradox leads students to shelter themselves from adversity and remain uninformed.

What people do not realize are the consequences of this mindset. First of all, without any understanding of politics and current events, students will not be able to participate in the governmental decision-making process and help make crucial changes to our government. America needs our generation to step up, voice our opinions about political issues, and make a difference in the outcomes. This access and knowledge to political policies, events, and strategies is essential to informed decisions in the voting booth and functioning in the “adult world.”

Unfortunately, this shift in thinking often does not happen for young people until after college or even graduate school when they enter the workforce. Those who have no knowledge of current events prior to entering the workforce find themselves struggling to catch up with all that has happened in the last 25 years of their lives. That is a long time to be uninformed and unaware. It is crucial this process of information happens sooner.

I am not saying go study The New York Times and become obsessed with every negative news headline you see. Since almost every news headline is negative, you can drive yourself insane becoming fixated on it all. Simply watching a little bit of the news a week or reading the weekend paper can make a world of difference. Only then will our generation be able to make a dent into political happenings and participate in all aspects of society.

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Letters to the Editor

Letter to the Editor

To the young man who I sent away from my booth at family weekend:

I was running the College of Engineering’s “Engineering Design” outreach, where we ask people to make bridges out of two pieces of paper with no fasteners, and then ask them to do it again when the constraints change. It can be a surprisingly difficult challenge for some people – to get two pieces of 8”x11” paper to span 13”. The optimum age group for this task seems to be 10-13 year olds. Younger kids have trouble with some of the motor skills needed to make a bridge as elegant as they imagine, and some of the adults have trouble imagining something that works without tape. But that’s part of the point – iteration is key to successful engineering design – so it was not surprising that you and your friend thought the task would be easy but were surprised to still be working at it even after the child at the next station finished. Particularly since the beers you brought to my table and the rate of speech from your mouth indicated that perhaps you were experiencing some regression in your motor skills as well. Nevertheless, I was happy to let you have a go at our challenge.

You got a bonus that no one else who was bridge building got. You got to see me angry. Let me tell you how special that is. My students and colleagues might tell you that I can be cranky, that I can complain, but a vanishingly small fraction of them would tell you they’d seen me angry. You’d almost certainly have to go into the alumni rolls to find a student would could remember that. But within ~6 minutes of acquaintance, you got me there. And do you remember how? You asked what had been the most successful bridge and I told you about an impressive one that had been made a little bit earlier. And you then turned to your friend and in a voice plenty loud enough for the table to hear, referred to the (unknown to you) builder of that successful bridge as a “faggot.”
You seemed genuinely surprised when I sent you away from my table at that point, and even more surprised when your assurances that you were “just kidding” didn’t change my mind. I was luminously angry, so I did not have sufficient command of rhetoric to explain what you had just done. Allow me to tell you now.
Let’s say for a moment that you had chosen a more neutral insult for the person who bested you at paper bridge building. That doesn’t fix things much. You were insulting one of my students. She may not have been there to hear it, but that doesn’t matter. You don’t do that in my presence and get away with it.
You were using crude language in the presence of children.
You were using crude language in the presence of adults with whom you were not personally acquainted. I would hope in both cases your parents raised you better than that.
You were, perhaps, sufficiently full of beer that the brakes that otherwise would have stopped you using such language one foot away from someone who’s name tag says “Associate Dean” had come off. You have failed to realize that there are some levels of inebriation that you should choose to keep in company of those engaged in like pursuits, rather than bring into the Family Weekend tent.
The ease with which that came out of your mouth implies that you expected and understood that those you converse with would hear this as an insult. I’m insulted that you even thought I might be part of that group.

And finally, you implied by your particular choice of language, that to be gay is to be less of a person. That it was ok for you to fail at a task at which six year olds succeed more rapidly as long as that person, the person who could do this better than you, doesn’t happen to be a heterosexual (one assumes) like yourself. The sheer irrelevance. The sheer arrogance. The sheer thoughtless of your speech is what moved me to order you out of my area. Take your hateful language, and get away from the College of Engineering activity. Get out of the Family Weekend tent. And while you’re at it, take your attitude off of my campus.

Margot Vigeant
Professor, Chemical Engineering Associate Dean of Engineering

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Editorial Opinion

Students give away trust too easily on campus

Generally, the University is a safe place. Take a lap around the library or the caf and see the countless number of laptops and cell phones lying around unattended. It’s a trustworthy campus, which makes people feel comfortable and safe while we are here.

Unfortunately, this was not the case on Wednesday night. After last year with all the break-ins and other scares that we’ve had, somebody broke into the mods again.

Even though it was not a University student involved in the break-in, it brings up the point of safety and security that needs to be addressed. We understand that since the mods are far away from campus, most people do not venture that far out of their way to do anything to them. However, the mods also do not have some of the safety measures on campus dorms such as ID pads, giving the student more responsibility for the safety of their property. Since the mods don’t have an ID pad to let them in, students have the equivalence of living downtown in that they can choose whether or not to lock their door, as opposed to the entire building being open to University students.

This recent break-in can also serve as a good lesson to students. After college, most of us will be heading out to live places where many of the security measures we have at the University will not be present. We have to learn at some point to adopt basic practices of living safe, which includes keeping our homes secure. However, has it also reached the point where the University needs to put in more security measures at places like the mods, especially if people are walking into dorms when students are in them?

It is nice when we are in college and live in a world where we have the security of the University and the administration on our side if anything goes wrong. But it’s still important to be responsible for your valuables and to understand the consequences of your actions. While we do live in a trustworthy environment where most of the people will cause you no harm, it is always safe to keep caution with little things like locking your door when you leave. Especially living with a group of people where everyone is liable for each other’s property.

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Opinion

University police are overwhelming campus

Colette Brottman

Writer

I am deeply concerned about the events downtown in the recent weeks. Last year, when I walked down St. Catherine’s during one weekend, I could hear the music booming in the houses, people singing to Taylor Swift or old 90s jams, and people moving along the streets. During the past two weekends, I walked down St. Catherine’s and felt nervous. There was no music, no people milling around, but rather there were police cars parked throughout the street, and policemen following me as I walked back to my room.

I have heard many stories in the past couple days about people being harassed by the Buffalo Valley Regional Police Department (BVRPD), and a tale about a questionable undercover policeman entering households hosting parties. I am gravely concerned that University students are unaware of their rights. I feel that the police are taking advantage of this lack of knowledge, and students are getting put in harm’s way.

There has been an increase in reported sexual assaults and hospitalizations for upperclassmen. I see two ways to look at this. The first is that there is a serious problem on campus that needs a solution. But the way the police and administration have dealt with the issue is inappropriate, and I am disappointed in the disconnect between students and the administration. As a member of the University I feel like my voice has been silenced, and the school I chose to attend is being taken away from me. The second way to look at these increases, though, is pride that students are finally doing the right thing by reporting assaults and calling for help. With the new amnesty policy, students are more comfortable calling for help, and with the hard work of various sexual abuse awareness groups, students feel more comfortable speaking up.

This University is my home, and in that home I have a voice. We all have a voice. I urge every member of this University to briefly review their rights, email University President John Bravman, and open up discussion about these issues. I am not denying that there is an alcohol abuse problem at the University, or on college campuses in general, but the way it has been dealt with in the last few weeks has been more harmful than beneficial. We should be concerned about the direction our school is headed, because I’m starting to feel like I’m living in George Orwell’s “1984.”

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Editorial Opinion

Editorial: Community needs open discussion about social life

We are all aware that the number of hospitalizations of drunken students was unfortunately high the first few weekends of school, totaling 19 students. On the positive side, last weekend was the first weekend of this school year that nobody was hospitalized.

This is a skewed fact, considering that the decreased number in hospitalizations last weekend was mainly a factor of the lack of parties that occurred off campus, which was likely a result of the increased police activity occurring last weekend. It seems students were too afraid to go out this weekend, considering the extreme and excessive measures that the police went to in attempt to control the party scene.

We understand that students at the University like to go out and party on weekends. We also understand that some of these parties get out of hand and can lead to danger. The question is: do we want to completely stop the party or just control it moderately?

In many ways, measures taken to shut down partying do not always result in improving the safety of students. The administration and the police department often fail to understand that it is nearly impossible to completely shut down student partying, and attempts to do so drive students to underground drinking that is often more dangerous.  We think that Dean of Students Susan Lantz and the students that met last week created a better solution to the problem by not shutting down partying but rather eliminating hard alcohol to make them safer. We were unable to see if this is a viable solution because the excessive police activity caused most parties to be shut down.

It’s difficult for the University and students to take measures downtown because the University has no jurisdiction there. Perhaps an open discussion between the University, students, and the Buffalo Valley Regional Police Department (BVRPD) would better result in a cooperation between everyone. From there, parties can begin to become better under control so that police do not have to feel they must resort to harsh tactics to control downtown.

The school and the police department have taken numerous measures in order to secure safety for the students. As students, we understand that. But the tactics they are using to approach it are actually creating an environment that will lead to more harm. If there is a way for everyone to work together to think of a new solution rather than continuing down a road that perpetuates a cycle, we think that students would be more cooperative with the administration and the BVRPD.

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Opinion

Lack of action plagues our legislature

Tom Bonan 

Contributing Writer

Throughout the current season of the Congressional Circus, now entering its fifth year, one obvious fact is that everyone must bear some responsibility for the inaction that is plaguing our legislature. 

First, the culture of obstructionism on the part of the GOP is probably the most significant issue at hand. Harry Reid, in his six and a half years as Senate Majority Leader, has had to face over 400 filibusters, effectively curbing his ability to push legislation from the House or to promote his own legislative agenda. As a point of reference, Lyndon Johnson, who is considered one of the most effective Senate Majority Leaders in history, faced the filibuster once between 1955 and 1961, the year he resigned.

Meanwhile, House Republicans voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act 41 times as of the beginning of September. This unruly behavior has completely stopped the GOP from being a legitimate opposition party since they do not actively promote an agenda other than blocking legislation. Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell stated it himself when he said to the National Journal in 2010 that his “number one priority is making sure Barack Obama’s a one term president.”

Lacking the ability to lead within the House and the Senate, the party’s main voice is the president, who has come up short on almost every issue since he took office in 2009, not always to his own fault. Recently, there were many instances in which his response added legitimacy to the outrageous claims of the GOP. The “Birther” incident and his defensive reaction to the storming of the Libyan Embassy in September of 2012 distract the nation from debating appropriate issues.

Furthermore, Obama’s passivity on issues such as immigration and education reform–the main focus of his 2013 State of the Union Address–has lead to the complete withdrawal of those issues from national debate. This all adds to the continuance of the economic problems that have not been adequately addressed in recent legislative sessions.

The cyclical nature of congressional turmoil–with one party obstructing, leading to the other party not being able to consider legislation–becomes strikingly obvious. It’s not clear how this issue can be resolved, as the federal government has never faced factious behavior this severe before, but two clear facts remain: the nation cannot be governed by obstruction, nor can it be governed through passive legislature.

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Opinion

Police may perform their job too well

Dylan Yuska

Contributing Writer

I’d like to use this bit of space to send a big shout out to the local police for their diligent and productive policing. Some may despise them for being overzealous, but no one can deny their skills in pumping out underage citations, and that it is truly admirable. Their ability to track and breathalyze loud or stumbling students is unparalleled. Never mind the fact that the sidewalks have not been redone since ’Nam, all of that tax money should just keep flowing to the police department to fund its supercharged cars. It’s clear that it needs them since so many students need to be driven back to their dorms. A simple Crown Victoria just will not do!

We have been a disruption to this fine police force for too long. We the students need to start taking simple steps to make the local police department’s job easier. This crisis needs to stop, and it falls on us to sacrifice our personal liberties. This is what I propose. Since local police clearly care about our well-being so much, we should help them identify anyone who is at risk off-campus. Every major party night, student-run breathalyzer stations will be set up on all major corners along Sxith and Seventh Street. Everyone is subject to being stopped and breathalyzed. Students must carry proper identification at all times so underage students can’t hide. Windows must not be blocked so police can immediately break up any gathering before it turns into a party. These simple and reasonable steps will only help make the University the most sober campus in the country, since the local police think this is the right strategy! Once police put pesky college kids in their place, they can finally spend time doing more important things, like, I don’t know, maybe cracking down on the growing meth problem in central Pennsylvania, stopping lunatics from carrying guns on the streets, or maybe even setting up DUI checkpoints on Route 15. But hey, at least they’re hunting kids down who consume a few drinks, then safely walk home. That’s a very important job.

Now, more than ever, the University’s students have the opportunity to graduate with not just a great education, wonderful friends, and permanent memories, but also a criminal record. I’m sure we can all sympathize with the police since underage drinking is such an epidemic for the town. I can’t even imagine a grown person having a few beers and laughs, then walking back to their room. This tragedy must be stopped and there is no one better at it than our local police.

All jokes aside, I do make major concessions. We as University students need to take steps to be safer. I like going out as much as most of this campus does, but hospitalizations for excess drinking and vandalization of residential properties are serious problems. That being said, if local police are truly concerned for our well-being, then they must realize that busting every party and stopping every student on Friday nights is not the solution. Fixing this problem will require both sides to come together to make a reasonable agreement. In our modern day society, and especially on a college campus, citing every person who reeks of beer is ridiculous. Let us be hung over and let us make regrettable decisions, because the best way to learn is through experience. Having big brother demand us not to do something is not the solution. It only makes everyone’s lives tougher. Unfortunately, cops and students are in the same boat. A storm is brewing on the horizon and we must change course now.