| Tale of Two Presidents by David Morin, Columnist March 9, 2007 Of the millions of people who have lived in America, only 43 men have been elected President of the United States. It is difficult to compare a president in one era to a president in an entirely new era; however, it is necessary to do so in order to gain a frame of reference for presidential legacy and leadership. Read more...Sex and the ‘Burg: Welcome
The first column is an introduction to each of the characters and to the column itself. Future columns will appear regularly on Fridays. Welcome to Sex in the ‘Burg. What's Your Recipe?
Unconditional caring and support. Is it when someone comes into your life and wakes you up? Absolute comfort. Is it when you would do anything for somebody? Passion. A reason to live. A supreme desire to be with somebody. Oneness. When your conscience can clearly communicate with theirs. Wait…Today is What?? Oh how I long for the simple days of elementary school puppy love. Oh how nice and sweet were those days when all you had to do was send each person in your homeroom class a generic, insincere, little square of paper with an unbelievably lame play-on-words phrase about love and sign their name on the back? Oh how long o Lord? Take me back to the days of yesteryear. Take me away from the stress and vexation of finding your girlfriends underwear size, finding her ring size, finding what kind of diamond she fancies, finding her favorite flower or finding out whether she likes marble white chocolate or chocolate covered strawberries or better yet cherries! Aaaahhhhh!!! Just breathe. It is only one day. Sound the Bell: A Tribute to an Unreal Man They awe us. They inspire us. They revolutionize us. Ladies and gentlemen, I am referring to our childhood idols. We all have them. Yes, they often vary from person to person and are usually influenced by the era in which we grow up. But, that does not change the significant role that our childhood idols play in our lives. Breaking Down The Code There has been a fury of controversy over Dan Brown’s novel “The Da Vinci Code” since it first hit bookstore shelves in 2003. The novel may be a work of fiction; however, critics did not hesitate to crucify the novel because of its conspiratorial religious and historical implications. Turn on the Lights “Mr. Street, is it true that you can throw a 400 yard touchdown pass to three different receivers at the same time?” asked Lyla Garrity of the new TV drama “Friday Night Lights.”
Football runs the town of Dillon, Texas, and the Panther football team has been rewarded with state championship rings year after year. The North Face: A social phenomenon
The Gay Marriage Debate is a Legal Matter, Not a Religious One Deciding whether gay marriage should be legal is a hot topic of debate amongst Americans, especially around election time. However, regardless of what various political and religious groups are saying, it is not a religious issue. Let me say that again. Deciding whether gay marriage should be legal is not a religious issue. The Old Professor Has a Dream I had a dream. Not your ordinary, run-of-the-mill dream, either. This one was a real lu-lu. Suddenly, professors, not coaches, were appearing in the local ads of chiropractors, clothing stores, grocery chains and the like. Manners…please President Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Courtesy is as much a mark of a gentleman as courage.” If only more people took his words to heart. True “gentlemen,” the tuxedo-wearing, clean-shaven, well-spoken type, are a rare species nowadays. And courtesy? It’s more a myth than reality as proper manners have generally disappeared. Allowing Guns On Campus Would Endanger Students’ Safety Considering Virginia’s lax gun laws, Virginia Tech’s ban on guns is the safest way to protect students. Changing it would be a dangerous mistake. Does the Web Mask Non-Verbal Communication? "What will he say today I wonder? I turn on my computer, waiting impatiently as it boots up. I go online, and my breath catches in my chest until I hear three little words: 'You've got mail'. I hear nothing, not even a sound on the noisy streets of New York, just the beat of my own heart. I have mail…from you."
On the Flip Side - Escalating U.S. Energy Crisis a Delight to Others The U.S. government has recognized the worldwide oil crisis of today and has spent billions of dollars researching and developing alternative energy sources. In 2005, the Bush Administration signed the first energy bill to be passed in over 10 years, and today a mad rush to find cost-efficient fuel for America’s demand is in high effect.
For many years the popular talk of the day has been global warming and the greenhouse effect, how industrialized nations are emitting endless amounts of carbon dioxide and other toxins into the atmosphere, burning holes straight through the ozone layer. But why is it that only recently people are being concerned with the other side of the coin, the possibility that soon we will no longer be spewing greenhouse gases from our cars because we will have run out of CO2-releasing fuels to consume? Why Does Religion Divide? There is Judaism. There is Islam. There is Christianity. There is plenty of other lesser heard of religions to. Then within Christianity, there are subdivisions. There is Catholicism. There is Protestantism. Within Protestantism there are subdivisions. Then there are evangelicals. There are subdivisions within the evangelicals to. Within subdivisions of all religions there are sub-subdivisions. Then within the sub-sub divisions there are people who say they follow multiple religions. Whew! Is this what God had in mind? God teaches love, kind and forgiveness among other values in life. Nowhere does God say that there is one right way to honor, praise and worship Him. So why do some people believe their religion is the one and only? Semi-Happy Endings In between the outbursts of screaming, she breaks down and cries. All of her emotions are just pouring out of her like a dam that has just been cracked in half. She is consumed with anger, sadness, distress, confusion, along with some other things you just don’t understand. This train wreck that is your girlfriend could have been avoided if you had just worded your breakup a little better. Breaking up seems like a simple concept, but as the Carpenters so aptly put it – breaking up is hard to do. The only thing harder than breaking up is breaking up with a girl. |
Column: Death of Democracy by David Morin, Columnist March 18, 2007 What can you do with $500 million dollars? According to Forbes, you could build sixteen Eiffel Towers in your backyard. If you don’t like French architecture, you could hire Stephen Spielberg for five years to direct your personal movie. If you are not a movie buff, you could always buy the St. Louis Rams football franchise. If none of these options seem appealing, you could use your fortune to run for President of the United States. The New Face of News If you were born before 1977 and have no high school or college-age children, the following names might mean nothing to you: Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. If you were born after 1977 or have high school or college-age kids, you probably already know and have come to love the new faces of nightly and comedic news. Stewart and Colbert host The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, respectively. These comedians turned reporters have come to represent Generations X and Y not only as conduits of newsworthy events, but also as hip role models. Political Predictions for 2007 Unlike Nostradamas, I am not claiming to predict events that will occur hundreds of years after I die. In fact, I cannot even predict what is going to happen next year. What I can do, however, is offer my predictions of what is going to occur this year in American politics. Although I may be dabbling in dark magic, it is my hope my predictions may shed light into the smoky realm of American politics. To Cliché or Not to Cliché, That Is the Question We live in a world of clichés. One only needs to listen to and look at the people in our world to see that this is true. Clichés are clichés simply because they are everywhere. It’s The Thought That Counts Pink hearts, flowers, and fuzzy trinkets aside, I would like to clear up the misconception that Valentine’s Day is a girl holiday. Although it may be true that we all enjoy a nice meal and a thoughtful gift, it’s the ‘thoughtful’ part that’s going unfulfilled, and females are facing the tougher end of it. Valentine’s Day has long been touted as a “Hallmark Holiday,” devoid of any true meaning. But just because a couple chooses to celebrate a meaningless occasion doesn’t mean their gestures have to be empty as well. The Price of a Return to Childhood Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you could be a kid again? What if you had the opportunity to return to those carefree days of childhood that escape us all? Would you do it? Virginia Loses Two of Its Finest Soldiers Over the weekend a Black Hawk helicopter went down in Iraq, killing all 13 aboard. Colonel Paul Kelly and Staff Sergeant Daryl “Big Daddy” Booker were among those who lost their lives in that crash. The news reports out there have given a few details about these men’s lives, but do little to describe who they really were.
The official military press release reads, “All Virginia Guardsmen are saddened by the terrible loss of these brave soldiers. Col. Kelly and Staff Sgt. Booker understood the dangers facing our nation and were fully prepared to do whatever was necessary to protect this country and Commonwealth. I know that I speak for all of the citizens of Virginia when I say that we owe these Guardsmen and their families immeasurable gratitude.”
The Redefinintion of Terrorism in America My childhood was filled with angels and demons. I never saw or felt the presence of either of these entities, but at a young age I was convinced that these forces were entwined in every aspect of my life. Halloween, Ninja Turtles and my bad dog Sparky were all aligned with Satan (I’m not kidding). Every Sunday, I witnessed dozens of adults lose themselves in religious ecstasy. I could speak in tongues before I could read or write, and I ate up every biblical story I was ever told. Read more...What Happened to Valuing News Values? More and more, it seems news values are on life support, desperately clinging to every breath. Unfortunately, it seems no one has an interest in resuscitating them. And that is disconcerting news. No one seems to care about where they get their news anymore. Is it from a respectable and reliable source? Is it important, quality information? Is it objective? A More Connected College Communication Experience Recently, the annual Business Horizons Career Fair parked its wheels in Squires Commonwealth Ballroom. Instead of rolling out of bed in pajamas and frizzy, electric hair, students actually took a shower, brushed their teeth, and dressed fancy, all in an attempt to impress someone enough to actually earn an interview. Interviews are initiated quicker these days, and the subtle, but friendly nods from employers are quickly turning into hypertext greetings via your inbox. Student Reflects on Manhunt Experience The scene on campus was anything but normal for the first day of classes at Virginia Tech. I started to make my way down Kent Street from my Media Writing class in Shanks Hall. Upon leaving class, everything seemed fine. The sun was shining, people were embracing and talking about their summers and about how early they had to wake up for their first classes. Got Dumped? Date a Freshman I am a smart, attractive senior girl at Virginia Tech. Life’s been pretty good to me so far until this past weekend. If you are a senior girl who happened to be dating a senior boy, life may have recently gotten a little rocky for you as well. In case you haven’t heard, the hurricane Katrina of the social realm hit and a lot of senior women are now single. Dating With Distance The saying goes, “distance makes the heart grow fonder,” but some question whether or not this philosophy can be applied to every relationship. Transitioning to college life is a challenge in itself, and with the added complexities that long-distance relationships entail, it can prove to be a stressful situation for anyone to cope with. A New Taste in Christiansburg
One of the greatest aspects of Red Robin is the atmosphere. Upon entry, I found a large waiting area filled with arcade games and balloons. Wolf Creek Has a River of Problems The feature film Wolf Creek, which was recently released on DVD home video, is nothing but a boring, cliché horror genre film. Artistically, it offers people nothing but regret for losing the 99 minutes of their lives they spent watching the movie. The film, which is loosely based on true events in the Australian outback, follows three twenty-some year old adults as they visit Wolf Creek, a creator that has become a tourist attraction in Australia. However, their lives become endangered as they become the hostages of an insane local. |
North Face jackets have officially taken over the Virginia Tech community surpassing even the ever-popular Ugg boot, (this is probably due more to the fact that men can wear North Face jackets, but Uggs tend to be strictly women’s footwear). 
