— STAFF EDITORIALS —
Judge and jury
Let’s face it, this lawsuit is probably one of the most interesting things to happen at Xavier University in some time.
It’s not every day that you come across official documents that refer
to your English professor as “a man known for his sexist beliefs,”
or your COMM-329 professor as “a supporter of Machiavelli.” On a
certain level, it’s enthralling to watch the ivory tower get a few black
marks on it.
We always wonder how people become so obsessed with the legal troubles of people
like Martha Stewart, O.J. Simpson and Paris Hilton, but as soon as a juicy lawsuit
hits Xavier, we’re all riveted.
However, everyone in the Xavier community needs to remember how important it is to not jump to any conclusions about this case. You don’t know all the facts, we at the Newswire don’t know all the facts, and even the parties in the case don’t know all the facts yet.
As tempting as it is to run around telling your friends how we’re all screwed, try and exercise some restraint. The court of public opinion may be just as important as the Hamilton County Court of Common pleas in this case.
So please don’t be like the individual who earlier this week told us that the reason they hadn’t demolished Zumbiel yet was because Xavier is saving money for the lawsuit (this is so ludicrous it makes us want to cry). This case will be resolved in the coming weeks, months or perhaps years, and until then, try not an issue your own verdict.
The book battle and the faculty’s front
As the semester draws to a close, students get ready to sell their textbooks back to the bookstore in hopes of making some kind of money, only to have to turn around and fork over at least 200 percent of that sum for next semesters books.
The Newswire always makes a stink about textbook prices, and we’ve received letters from students and faculty members alike offering suggestions for how we can all help curtail the rising prises.
First of all, we’d like to express our gratitude that faculty members are aware of the burden placed on students’ shoulders.
And faculty members, we feel that you can not only sympathize with us, but also be a part of the solution as well.
The Newswire knows that professors are required to submit textbook orders sometime in October so that eFollett can get the necesarry textbooks for courses being offered in the spring.
Since the professors compile this information far in advance, we don’t feel like it would be too much extra hassle for the professors to send out a mass email to the students enrolled in their classes next semester letting them know the books that are going to be used next semester.
We also feel that professors should only tell students to buy books that they will ACTUALLY use; not the $50 books that contain 5 pages worth of relevant material.
The piece of critical information that the professors should share with the students is the ISBN numbers of the textbooks, thus enabling the students to locate the exact copy they need for the course.
This isn’t to say that we’re trying to completely avoid the bookstore; students will still shop there because of the accurate selection and convenience.
owever, providing students with ISBN numbers will allow bargain hunters to search for deals that better fit their college budgets.
College is all about choices; we should have the choice to shop where we want for our textbooks.
List-mania
Madeline LaFave
Editorial Columnist
I recently received a phone call from an eager Xavier male about a list he and his friends had composed of 50 things that men love. Desperate to share their views with the Xavier community, he pleaded to have it printed in the Newswire.
I quickly realized that printing that men like Buffalo wings, pizza and cars would be quite uninteresting, and I asked them to reduce it to 10 things, and make it what they love about the opposite sex, as I noticed that much of the original 50 was on this topic (a list of things we hate may be printed at a later date).
I then took input from a variety of females about males and pooled this into a compilation of my own.
Disclaimer: These lists are meant to be both entertaining and enlightening. Offense should not be taken as this piece is purely opinion-based. Responses and input for future topics are gladly accepted at lafavem@xavier.edu.
Ten things guys love about women
She can look good in sweats: If a girl can look good while wearing sweats, just imagine how she can clean herself up...
Smokin’ hot legs: Long, toned, tan legs with no cankles are universally attractive.
Perfume: This turns dudes’ heads and perks his eyebrows. Pheromones do
wonders.
Flexible (physically/emotionally): It’s cool when a girl can touch her
palms to the ground without bending her knees. It’s also cool when a girl
is laid-back and can go with the flow.
Lingerie: The right kind can make any guy’s jaw drop—Push-up bras, lace thongs and anything black.
Good Dancer: A girl that can sway her hips like Shakira or move her body like a snake is hot in any man’s book.
Cooking skillz: Yes; this is stereotypical, but still holds true. Know your way around the kitchen.
Intelligence: We like it when you’re not dumb…but we don’t like it when you’re smarter than we are either.
Eyes: You know you have stunning eyes if he’s looking here instead of your chest.
Head/Back Scratches: The male G-spot is found during a really good back or head scratch with just enough nails and just enough pressure.
Ten things women love about guys
Along with the standard desirable traits of dressing well, white teeth, studly shoes, regular hygiene and being the most fun ever, here are five more things the girls love about their dudes:
In Good Shape: It matters to a girl to know that her boy takes care of his body. Even if it’s not perfect, the effort counts. No, you do not have to man-tan, use hair gel or take diet pills (in fact, please don’t...we like Xavier studs, not UC duds), but a sedentary lifestyle is quite unattractive
Personality: To many, this is more important than looks. In my opinion, if you can make a girl laugh (learn to recognize the fake laughs...) and feel good about herself, you’re 80 percent there.
Knowledge/Intelligence: We really are genuinely impressed that you know the stats of every player who graces the screen on ESPN. We’re even more impressed when you know just as much about other stuff too.
Interests: Sports, food, friends, family, beer and X-Box...what more is there to care about? When a guy has individual hobbies beyond standard college life and beyond us, that’s attractive.
Confidence: Not to be confused with cockiness, a form of false confidence that oftentimes gets the girl but not the relationship, confidence is something girls subconsciously love about guys. High self-esteem and confidence in yourself and your abilities, no matter how vast or slim they are, is a turn on. A confident guy doesn’t mind looking like a fool because it doesn’t take away from who he is. Anyone can be a stud, no matter how lame others may think you are. Confidence=studliness. Straight up.
— LETTERS TO THE EDITOR—
X-tremely Unfair
As seniors, the Crosstown Shootout rivalry should be a highlight to our student careers. Unfortunately, many seniors who have been supporting and attending games since 2004 will not have the privilege to attend the upcoming shootout.
This year X-treme Fans, the Xavier Athletic Department and Student Life decided to allow students to begin lining up tents at 8 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 7 for ticket pickup. The ticket office did not actually open until Monday at 1:30 p.m. Herein lies the problem.
At this point in time for seniors and upperclassmen, they are not only concentrating on their school work and upcoming exams but are also much occupied with searching for post-graduate job opportunities. Many of these students are probably working part-time jobs as it is. For those who work part-time and have classes during the week, ticket pickup is always at a busy time during the day. Not only is the time of pickup an issue, but there is a definitive advantage to those living on campus compared to those living off campus.
It is December in Ohio, and doing schoolwork in freezing temperatures isn’t exactly a comfortable setting. Underclassmen living on campus can easily go back and forth from the tent to their dormitory in a matter of minutes, whereas seniors and others living off campus do not have that luxury.
Also, many seniors do not have the available time to camp out for four days, and sustain minimum occupants in a tent.
How do these people have time to be out in a tent for four days?
Why is it fair that someone who has been in this school for four months gets to attend this game over individuals who have been allocating their time, money and effort into being fans for four years?
A seniority system must be set so that those who have been supporting that team the longest get to be in that atmosphere for their last year. Just because some of us do not paint ourselves blue, run around yelling things that make no sense and boo good officiating does not mean we are not the same caliber fans.
Eric Dublikar | 2008
Terror Under the Big Top
Every year, the circus come to Cincinnati and people fill the stands to partake in the “innocent” enjoyment of this American tradition.
However, in the last few decades, some Big Tops have received massive criticism for their cruel treatment of animals. While unethical conduct may not be apparent to the show’s spectators, real cruelty has gone on behind the scenes. In so many ways these circuses violate the Jesuit mission of peace, justice and compassion.
How does this industry obtain animals such as elephants, lions and tigers in the first place? Most times these animals are stripped away from their wild, open, natal habitat and forced to live the rest of their lives in miserably small crates. To make matters worse, the training to which these animals are subjected usually includes the use of bull hooks and electrical rods, inducing torture on these creatures so that they will perform silly tricks for our ignorant amusement. While being transported from one venue to another, animals are generally caged and chained in train cars, which are usually unheated, unventilated and unpastured.
It would be comforting to think, then, that after all of this torment the animals are placed in some sort of sanctuary when they have grown too old to perform. Unfortunately, these animals may be sold to other road shows or sometimes even to slaughterhouses after they have surpass their prime performance age.
While many people have grown up enjoying their visits to the circus, it is not worth the suffering of those creatures. Please choose to stop unnecessary animal cruelty by opting for circuses that rely purely on human talent, not those that are cruel to animals.
Editor’s note: A very similar letter was submitted by the same member
of Advocates for Animals in the Feb. 28, 2007, issue of the Newswire. The Newswire
does not have a policy against submitting repeat letters that are spaced out
over seperate semesters, but it should be noted that if a repeat letter is competeing
against a newly submitted letter for space on the page, we will select the new,
previously unpublished letter.
Doug Kramer | 2009
Chuck “Good Luck Chuck”
Let’s get one thing straight: I’m all for a good laugh, and I have no problem spending 10 bucks to see a funny movie every now and again. But I must admit that the last time I visited the movie theater I was forced to redefine for myself what could be considered a “funny movie.”
I hadn’t heard much about this new movie “Good Luck Chuck,” so I decided to tag along with some friends—I mean, it couldn’t be that bad right? Mr. Cook, you have once again exceeded my expectations.
Never have I been so humiliated, not only for myself for actually PAYING to watch such a repulsive presentation of “comedy,” but for all women who sit back and laugh as our bodies are objectified and our intelligence is undermined as we are portrayed as nothing more than the object of some man’s fantasy. For those of you who have seen it, there is no way you can disagree that nothing, and I mean nothing, is left to the imagination.
Needless to say, I was elated to see that our very own Xavier University—yes, the Xavier University that prides itself on promoting equality and respecting the dignity of every human being—would be willing to pay handsomely to support such a movie and offer it for the viewing pleasure of each and every student.
I find it to be an embarrassing contradiction that we stand so strongly as a pillar of justice and equality and then eagerly invite an outrageous display of the degradation of women.
So while I am aware that the showing of “Good Luck Chuck” as part of the GSC Late Night Movie Series has come and gone, and I’m sure that many of my fellow Xavier students got a good laugh from Dane Cook and his childish antics, I want to challenge the Xavier student voice to speak out and be held to a higher standard.
I should hope that we as young adults might value our intelligence just a little bit more than to mindlessly support such entertainment.
Let’s face it—the way we spend our money and time will determine what will continue to be acceptable in the eyes of our generation.
I pray that I am not the only one to send my plea to SAC when I say please,
please, reconsider the way Xavier’s money is being spent to uphold the
dignity, both intellectual and moral, of each and every one of its students.
Rachel Stoney | 2010
Darren LaCour
Op-Ed Editor
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