— STAFF EDITORIALS —
Blue > green
We don’t have a lot of hobbies besides putting this fine publication together, but one of them is attending Xavier basketball games.
So naturally, we decided to stay in town for a few extra days after finals to go to the Tennessee game.
When we got to our seats before the game, we were absolutely horrified by all of the people sitting in the student section wearing Tennessee gear.
While this made us unhappy, we assumed that not enough students showed up to get tickets, so the ticket office put them up for sale to the public (which would be perfectly reasonable).
However, several of our sources started telling us that the ticket office had actually put tickets in the student section up for sale before the student ticket distribution.
In fact, many students who took time out of their day to stand in line for tickets were turned away by the ticket office, as they had already peddled their tickets to Tennessee fans.
Seriously, denying your own institution’s students tickets in order to sell them to opposition fans? Is Dr. Claw running the ticket office?
Look, we get that Xavier’s got to make some green to help make this college function.
We also get that ticket sales to basketball games are a valuable source of income that helps make this institution become a better place for all students.
But at some point, having some institutional pride has to outweigh making a few extra bucks.
The few, the proud, the friends
“I hate those people, they are so elitist.” Actually, we hate that saying and we hear it a lot about all sorts of different groups on campus. People say that about social justice advocates, the X-treme Fans, RAs, SGA and even (gasp) the Newswire.
And while we believe that elitism does exist on some campuses, it is our general opinion that we are mistaking elitism for the simple fact that it’s easy to make friends with the people you work with.
When you see someone you know at a party, especially someone that you work with so much, its natural to acknowledge them and strike up a conversation. Most of that time its about the latest office gossip, or a new idea you have or relating an inside joke. People should not confuse this for elitism. It’s called friendship! It makes the world go round!
And maybe we label people as elitist because we can’t participate in the office gossip or know what its like to be an RA and be hated. It is our fear of not fitting in that breeds elitism.
And what’s the harm in having pride in the organization that invest some much time and brain power into? At the Newswire we are proud that we still exist to publish weekly and that people actually read us. And all the other clubs at Xavier should be proud of the good things that they accomplish that make the university better. While that sentence just oozes cheesiness, we believe it’s true.
’Roid rage
In case you were wondering why our nation’s lawmaking branch of government deems it necessary to spend time investigating rule violations in a for-profit company, Sports Editor Doug Tifft tells us that it has something to do with Congress allowing MLB to have a monopoly on the sport of baseball sometime in the 1930s.
Apparently, this was done on the conditions that Congress would be allowed to intervene in MLB’s affairs if deemed necessary.
Good thing we get to vote.
How about we vote for lawmakers instead of baseball fans next time? Because we feel that there are more pressing issues we as a nation must face than whether or not Roger Clemens cheated at a game.
The art of communication
Darren LaCour
Opinions & Editorials Editor
On my drive back from St. Louis, I thought of a great idea for a column. I’m talking bubbling genius. Of course, it was probably excessively didactic, chock-full of witty criticisms on how typical college students should live their lives as opposed to how they actually do.
Immediately upon my arrival here at X, I forgot that idea.
Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending upon how much you need my wisdom), Xavier provided me with a welcome replacement.
You see, since registering for classes, I have been increasingly pumped about my course load. Since we’re only a week in, whether or not this enthusiasm is deserved remains to be seen, but nevertheless, I was excited about the classes I signed up to take.
Wasting away the last day of break trying on a new sweatpants-and-robe combination, I thought to myself, “Hey, I should probably print out my schedule so I know where to go tomorrow.”
After downloading and installing and re-downloading and re-installing various and probably pointless wireless-access programs onto my computer, I was finally able to navigate onto the portal and bring up the oh-so-handy Week-at-a-Glance feature.
Pulling up the screen, something went amiss. While I expected a few large gaps due to having a mere one class on Friday, there was an extra gaping hole on Monday. And in tiny print at the bottom of the screen, I had a listing of “Courses with Time Conflicts.”
Now, we all know that the university registration system is smart enough to prohibit students from signing up for two classes at the same time, so this change would have happened AFTER I’d signed up.
Of course, I know that there’s the disclaimer on the Registrar’s Schedule of Classes that the days and times of the courses are all subject to change.
I even understand that things happen and there are reasons why instructors cannot make the classes that they got assigned to teach. Things like sudden births of babies, weekly sicknesses which are confined to specific days of the week, potential conflicts within a department stemming from accusatory behavior and impending lawsuits all could impact the availability of an instructor.
Despite my understanding in these matters, I do not know why I was never informed about the change.
You would think that if a department deems it necessary to screw up my entire schedule, the least they could do would be to let me know. And especially in this age of hyper-communication, how hard is it to send an email?
Talking with other students who signed up for the same class, it seems that the lack of notification wasn’t limited to me. And it also seems that this department is notorious for pulling this kind of stunt.
So while I would encourage departments to stick to the schedules they give to the Registrar, I understand if circumstances arise where they are unable to do so, but come on people. Let us know.
Mfreke’s forecast
Predictions for the year 2008
Mfreke Akpaninye
Editorial Columnist
Welcome back and happy New Year everybody. I hope you all had a happy holiday and got a lot of rest over the break. As you can already tell, classes have started and campus life is getting back into swing. So far 2008 has been kind of boring, but I have a strong feeling a lot of wild and crazy things will happen this year. It already stands out because it has been declared the International Year of the Potato by the United Nations. Potatoes have played a big role in my life. I am a big fan of McDonald French fries and as a child I had a Mr. Potato Head. International Conversation initiative Amphibian Ark also declared that this is the Year of the Frog.
How fitting that a “leap” year be the year of the frog!
Well, enough with the funny stuff, let’s get down to business as I predict events to come this year.
Xavier
At Xavier, I predict a lot of good things. With the library done, students will flock in mass numbers to see it. Grades will go up and GPAs will rise as well.
The Zumbiel building will be demolished as the new Xavier Square is built to take its place, but to everyone’s surprise there will be a secret stash of treasure found in the rubble.
With Xavier sports, both the men’s and women’s basketball team will make it to the NCAA tournament and do well. The men’s team will go to the Elite Eight before losing to eventual champion Kansas Jayhawks. On the bright side, the Musketeers will make it farther than the Ohio State Buckeyes who lose in the first round to (guess who?) the Louisiana State Univeristy Tigers. The women will win the tournament, and people will begin to attend their games in future seasons.
Sports
This year I predict that the New England Patriots will win Super Bowl XLII against the New York Giants. Yes, the New York Giants. This year’s NFL playoffs have been a bunch of rematches from the regular season, so why not a rematch from that great game in week 16?
For the NBA, I predict that the Boston Celtics win the NBA Championship and that Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett retire while on top.
In MLB, I see the whole steroids thing getting even more out of hand when they find players in the Little League World Series using steriods.
Life Style
I believe that in terms of fashion, retro will be in. Which means you can borrow your parents’ clothes and be cool for once!
I predict McDonalds will top Starbucks in the coffee brewing business with their new café-style coffee.
The writer’s strike will go well into early November 2008 and will end when the writers finally get what they ask for. Because of this, more Americans will find new hobbies to help fill their free time. This will then lead to a less obese America.
Celebs
I predict that Brad Pitt will break up with Angelina Jolie and be single for a couple of months while working on a movie. While on set, he will fall in love with his fellow co-star and they will date, get married for a few years and save a devastated American city.
Britney Spears will get her act together and become the hot pop star she once was. On the other hand, her sister Jamie Lynn will give birth to twins and go back to Mississippi.
Music/Electronics
Soulja Boy will come out with another song for 2008 and I am predicting it will have the phrase “Crank Dat” somewhere in the title. Unfortunately, once again, people will like the song for some reason.
Apple will come out with another iPod size. They will also venture into the fast-food/grocery industry and start up a brand called iFood.
These are my predictions for 2008. I have a very strong feeling that I may be incorrect on a few of these, but that’s the great thing about the future. It can change at any moment. So have a good and promising 2008. You never know what headlines you might make for yourself.
— LETTER TO THE EDITOR—
Professonalism Among Professors
Happily I am not familiar with the discursive conventions of the department that characterizes itself as “Communication Arts.”
Nevertheless, it is neither “artful” nor professional for a Xavier faculty member, on the basis of the most primitive gossip and hearsay, to characterize publicly a colleague in another department as “sexist,” whatever that vague and highly charged expression might mean.
In this case this publicly demeaned faculty member happens to be one of Xavier’s most professionally accomplished and nationally recognized scholars.
Since the increasingly large stable of Xavier administrators seems unable or unwilling to deal with what is becoming not a culture of diversity, but one of accusation, I enjoin the Faculty Committee to remind us, in whatever way it deems appropriate, of our responsibilities to each other, to our students and to the disciplines we claim to profess.
[Editor’s note: This letter was originally addressed to members of the Faculty Committee. It was reprinted with the author’s permission.]
Ernest Fontana | Department of English
Ask the Experts
We know how you feel. You have that one, burning, all-important question that needs to be asked, but you just don’t know who can answer it. The fate of the student body, and maybe the world, depends on getting this answer. What do you do? We’ll tell you. Write in to our new “Ask the Experts” feature. Just send an email to Newswire-Oped@xavier.edu with the subject heading “Ask the Experts” containing your question, and we’ll track down the person on campus most qualified to answer it, be it an administrator, faculty member or student leader. So don’t be shy. ASK!
Darren LaCour
Op-Ed Editor
Submit a Letter to the Editor
The Xavier Newswire 3800 Victory Parkway Cincinnati, Ohio 45207-2129 On-campus location: The Publications House, 3739 Ledgewood Dr. Telephone: 513.745.3607 Advertising: 513.745.3561 Fax: 513.745.2898 Email: John LaFollette
Editor-in-Chief Ellie Jaqueth
Advertising Manager Full list of staff contacts www.xu.edu/newswire
