Thursday, November 6, 2008 other voices 5
Left, right must change view of president-elect
to respond to the 44th president. protect the American people, not because members of his own party complaining I can do, but Obama
I realized that for us to welcome provide for them. I might sound didn’t do enough to check up on will listen to those who elected
President-elect Obama in the like a broken record, but the him. Oh sure, a few liberals wailed him.
correct way, we need a change Constitution guarantees us life, and moaned and demonstrated in So today I challenge
of heart from conservatives and liberty and the pursuit of happiness the streets of Washington, but few conservatives and liberals alike
liberals alike. – everything else must be earned. rational thinkers came up with to put aside their presuppositions
Perhaps the greatest victory Suspicious conservatives must solutions to problems that plagued about Obama. Whether you danced
for conservatives in this election make sure that Obama doesn’t try the Bush Administration. around in an Obama-suit on
Zach Vicars is that we have the chance to to use government As a left- Election Day or waved McCain
revive a fundamental American in a way that it minded president signs to passing cars, it’s time to
As the electoral votes started value: mistrust in the government. was never intended Our Founding Fathers takes the oath of face the reality that Obama is no
to rack up for Barack Obama on For far too long Americans have to be used.
Tuesday night and the senatorial viewed government as an entity Conservatives never intended for us office, liberals
must be wary
longer a candidate for the highest
office in the land — he’s heir to
seats slowly gave way to the that was created for our benefit and must be willing to to enjoy being not to commit the throne, you might say. Obama
Democrats, I found myself sinking enjoyment, when the truth is quite serve Obama, but governed by the the same mistake holds in his hands the power to
into a state of depression. I told the contrary. they need not trust that so many bring America back to “her best
myself I wouldn’t – that I’d trust Our Founding Fathers never him implicitly. powers that be. conservatives did. traditions” or keep America on the
in the American people no matter intended for us to enjoy being I know that for The love affair path to destruction. As president,
what happened in this election, but governed by the powers that much of the last eight years I was that so many Americans have with Obama needs neither our love nor
ultimately my cynicism took over. be. Indeed, one of our principle guilty of blindly following George Obama must end now if we are to our hatred. He needs our service,
I began to think ahead to Jan. 20, historical documents, the W. Bush wherever he led when I have any chance of recognizing and he needs our scrutiny.
2009, the day I thought of as the Declaration of Independence, is should have been scrutinizing his America four years from now.
death of American conservatism. based on a mistrust and disdain for actions as president. Such blind Liberals must be sure to examine Zach Vicars is a freshman
I took a run through the streets the governing body. trust is unfair both to the people Obama’s every move, making sure English and history major from St.
of Kirksville, hearing people Conservatives need to drive it and to the president of the United that he doesn’t overstep his role as Charles, Mo.
shout “Obama!” and I tried to home during the next four years States. Bush was able to greatly president. As a conservative, I’ve
piece together in my mind how that our government is meant to increase our national spending learned that there’s only so much
Juicy Campus tempts around the quad What is your reaction to the
presidential election results?
curious students with “I’m glad McCain didn’t “I didn’t actually vote,
smears, lurid gossip win. I’m scared he’d
die and Palin would be
president.”
but I’m glad Obama
won. It’s good to break
down stereotypes.”
ranging from a girl who allegedly
“pooped her pants on the way to Angelina Guidos Jonathan Whitfield
class” to the obligatory “easiest lay junior junior
on campus.”
But the strange part, dear
readers, is that I was hooked.
Once I started looking at some of “I was satisfied but I “Totally stoked.”
the comments, I just had to see wasn’t surprised.”
Whitney Fay the rest. I felt compelled to read
As I looked up, eyes glazed every nasty personal assertion,
from my computer, I realized that shrill sorority denial and mindless
I had been glued to my monitor for fraternity grandstanding. And even Lauren Jensen Ashley Hufft
almost three quarters of an hour. more strangely, most of the people freshman sophomore
No, I wasn’t researching for that I talked to about the site felt the
Media Criticism paper or reading same phenomenon. But, dear God,
Extra credits give underclassmen
my back-logged e-mail, I was why?
doing something far more petty — The only explanation I could
I was browsing JuicyCampus.com. come up with is that buried deep
down inside all of us is undeniable
unfair advantage in registration
Juicy Campus came to my
attention about a week ago when schadenfreude. No matter how
the president of my sorority read evolved and enlightened we
us a letter from think we are, there is a part of us
Interfraternity that still enjoys to have this advantage. Some high
credit classes from high school or
Council telling I felt compelled to read watching and
ridiculing other
summer classes from colleges back schools don’t offer college credit
us not to look at every nasty personal people’s pain. I home. I only have a few credit courses, and some students can’t
the Web site. You hours from outside the University, afford to pay for summer classes.
can’t give candy assertion, shrill like to think that
but some people had enough to be Forcing this hardship on students
to kids and then sorority denial and I generally am a
compassionate and
counted as sophomores by credit who didn’t have these advantages
tell them not to eat mindless fraternity thoughtful person, hours as incoming freshmen. available to them is simply unfair.
it, so of course I There’s certainly nothing wrong Freshmen and sophomores
looked. The sole grandstanding. yet I chuckled
with putting in extra work to get might not be happy getting stuck
in evil glee as I Tyler Retherford
purpose of this a head start on college, but the with the classes no one else wants,
Web site is to provide a completely saw people that I but it’s a necessity for the system
The frantic, desperate struggle way registration currently works,
anonymous forum for select disliked get bashed on the site. It to work. During the first couple of
for class registration is stressful these extra hours give some
college communities to dish on the was like a disease of pettiness that years in college there are a lot of
enough. However, in addition to students an unfair advantage when
latest gossip. Truman now has a I caught through my own eyes. required courses to take care of,
competing with hundreds of other registering for classes. Not only
page. Another possibility is that some especially Liberal Studies Program
students for the few prime spots does this allow some students to
When you go to the site people truly do enjoy that outlet for requirements. In most departments
in the classes I really need with register sooner than others with
and find Truman, some of the the frustrations they feel they can’t there are an abundance of these
the professors I want at the times I as many semesters left before
first comments that pop up are fully express in real life. Maybe classes, which means if you can’t
can manage, I’m realizing my one graduation, they also have more
“gingers,” “Coke” and “I want this is the only place these people get into a higher level class that
solace — that it will get easier as I required classes taken care of,
to have sex with…” so clearly have to fully vent their frustrations. you wanted you can at least find
near the end of my four years here doubling the disparity. This also
redheads, drugs and soda and sex I have to admit, there were some a class you need to fill the hours.
at the University — is not quite as puts students close to graduation
are some of the most pressing pretty evil ideas that popped into As an upperclassman this isn’t the
certain as I had thought. I blame at a disadvantage if they don’t
things on Truman students’ minds. my head when I realized the full case. By the time you’re a junior
all those credit hours we tend to have as many credit hours. To fix
As I delved a little deeper the capabilities of what I could say on or senior there aren’t many classes
bring in from high school. It’s this problem registration priority
site became both more and less Juicy Campus, but I’ll keep those to fill your schedule with, making
always nice to be ahead, but these should be based solely on credit
menacing. thoughts safely tucked in the back it important that you get to pick
hours are distorting the way that hours from the University, making
Some people chose to use the of my mind. After I finish writing the harder to get classes first.
the registration process is supposed suitable exceptions for transfer
site to ask questions about local this column, I’ve made a promise Counting non-University credit
to work. students.
events and to make comical posts to myself to never look at the site hours allows students to cheat this
The registration process is Some people might argue that
about students’ dogs. Then there again. For the same reason that I system, making life unnecessarily
based on credit hours, theoretically students with substantial pre-
were those posts praising various refuse to watch the “Saw” movies, harder for students who really need
meaning that juniors and seniors admittance credit hours worked
fraternities – obviously written by I refuse to look at Juicy Campus — the classes that are filling up even
get priority for classes so as to help hard and earned this advantage.
members – and posts calling these it can only rot my brain, not create faster than usual.
them graduate on time and pick up Having those classes out of the
same people out, even telling them anything positive.
those last few tough-to-get classes way, freeing up time for electives
to grow up. they really need. Of course, that’s and making it feasible to not Tyler Retherford is a sophomore
Some chose to take the path that Whitney Fay is a junior anthropology major from
not exactly how it always works. get every class they need each
has been blasted by national media communication major Springfield, Mo.
I, like almost all of my friends, semester and still graduate on time
and college students alike — they from Columbia, Mo.
have come in with credit hours should be reward enough. Frankly,
chose to defame and ridicule their from Advanced Placement or dual not everyone has the opportunity
fellow students. There were posts
Awareness of current events
web poll
should continue after election
Which of these issues influenced your for our protection or the fighting foresee its outcome changing our lives
presidential candidate preference the most? in the Democratic Republic of the
Congo that could lead to its potential
a great deal, and most –– although
not all –– of the media coverage was
collapse? Nope, we Americans only vital. The media gave us debates and
want to hear about how Obama’s a speeches, which provided citizens
National socialist or how much money Sarah with the knowledge needed to vote
security: 26% Palin spent on clothes. The campaign for the best candidate. But because of
was everywhere. It was almost all the scandal stories, phony ads and
Economy: 24% sickening. Even Saturday Night Live continuous polling updates we were
Molly Skyles
skits had turned into strictly political bombarded with, we seemed to forget
Other: 14% News flash: There is a war going comedy during the last few weeks. that the rest of the world still exists.
on in the Middle East, and American Granted, Tina Fey was hilarious as Now that the polls are counted,
Health care: soldiers are dying on a daily basis. Palin, but is nothing sacred? though, and Barack Obama is
11% But how would you know that? I Correct me if I’m wrong, but I can officially the next president of the
mean, with all the campaign coverage really only think of one major issue United States, will anyone even watch
Foreign we just don’t have enough hours in that the media covered as much as or read the news anymore? It’s sad to
policy: 7% the day to dedicate to anything other the election recently. Even though the say, but I think most Americans are a
than election propaganda. Perhaps that press coverage only lasted a week or little ignorant about issues that aren’t
Education: 4% was a bit overdramatic. Of course you continually thrown at them. I mean
two, the financial status of the United
Immigration: know that there is a war going on, but States did obtain mass amounts of if it doesn’t directly affect you, why
3% I bet there is a lot you have missed media exposure. But my question bother paying attention, right? I hope
lately because of election coverage. is, did it really take something as that’s not the mind-set of most people,
For the past year or so you catastrophic as an economic crisis but I am not convinced. I may be
couldn’t go a day without seeing similar to the Great Depression for generalizing too much and not giving
Barack Obama or John McCain’s face Americans to take their eyes off the people enough credit, but I know
This week’s question: plastered on newspapers, billboards, campaign? I know the world did not my stack of New York Times to be
magazines, TV commercials or stop because the United States was in recycled at the end of every week has
the Internet. In fact, after a little the midst of an election, so it makes been much bigger lately than in the
How often do you participate in investigative research, I found me wonder what we have all missed past because of election coverage.
Drinkin’ with Lincoln? that for the week leading up to the out on while our eyes were glued to
election, six out of the seven front anything that said “Election 2008.” Molly Skyles is a freshman
cover pictures on the New York I don’t mean to downplay the communication major
Vote online at trumanindex.com Times dealt with the election. What importance of the election because from St. Louis, Mo.
about the soldiers dying in Iraq I think it was very important and I