2008 Woodie Awards
It seems nothing can happen in the state of Massachusetts without utter political confusion and debate. Although the engineering marvel that is the Big Dig has suffered years of criticism for costs that spiraled out of control, for delays and for crucial mistakes in ensuring the proper construction of the new highways, there is plenty to inspire pride.
Russian politics are a notoriously strange business, seeing as they are particularly fond of poisoning their adversaries. Their politically murderous peccadilloes made for some interesting Bond movies, and, what's more, an interesting globally schizophrenic worldview known as the Cold War.
It seems like on every turn of campus there is somebody griping about something. Griping about a bad grade on a paper, griping about a professor, griping about how hideously ugly the Campus Center is, just griping. Maybe it's the weather. Sure, people are talking about how badly they want to wear their favorite college sweatshirt (typically exemplifying their first encounter with real rejection), but fall is actually going to be here soon, and then students will become as bitter as the weather.
Let it just be said that the debate about the Jena Six on this campus has been scattered and isolated at best. Despite the efforts of students groups and faculty, if you ask any random person walking through campus whether they've even heard of Jena, La., you're liable to get a varied response.
Imagine this scenario for a second: three upper-class black college students are falsely accused of a heinous crime. Despite an overwhelming preponderance of evidence indicating their innocence, local prosecutors make no effort to see the facts in the case.
A little more than a week ago, Vice Chancellor Mike Gargano sent a message out to the students warning of the consequences of a potential riot. His premonition is not unfounded, as demonstrated by last December's Southwest riot, which broke out after UMass lost the division 1-AA football championship to Appalachian State.
Dear Editor, The arrival of ultra-conservative anti-feminist Phyllis Schlafly to UMass Amherst causes an array of political and personal responses. Schlafly has been one of the most vocal counter-feminism activists over the past 30 years. She established a "pro-family" group, the Eagle Forum, which mobilizes people across America to oppose gay marriage, abortion, female empowerment, and most notably, the federal Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), as well as several other states' ERAs.
Dear Editor, In what may be the least persuasive editorial ever written, Devon Courtney explains that hookahs are bad. If I understand him correctly, he has two basic problems with hookahs: 1.) Hookahs, and the people that use them, are annoying.
Dear Editor, I see Mr. Brad DeFlumeri is cheerfully advocating slavery and fascism in his piece in the Collegian. Under the wonderfully-sounding name of "National Service," DeFlumeri advocates the first steps towards some of the most shameful movements in history.
Dear Editor, As we consider the rally that started Monday at the Student Union and winded its way to Amherst center, we indeed believe this to be one of the many times when one is impelled by prudence, common sense and a commitment to the inherent solidarity of humankind to speak out against racism, which has no other intention or purpose other than to systematically oppress the people of our world.