October, 2012 - Robert Morris University

Issue 16.07
Oct 2012
Arl in gton H e i g h t s • B e ns e nv i l l e • C h i cag o • D u Pag e • E l g i n • La k e C o u n t y • O r land Par k • Peo r ia • Schaum bur g • Sp r ingf ield
freshman
issue
Chicago’s Top
Haunted Houses pg. 14
OBAMA VS. ROMNEY
2012 Election CoVERAGE pg. 10
ROBERT MORRIS UNIVERSITY
2
THE NEWS
After Last Month’s Conventions,
Obama Leads
Romney
By Dan Ciaglia
It is official, with the Republican and Democratic National Conventions opening and
closing in early September, the 2012 election season has finally kicked off. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe
Biden will once again run the Democrat
ticket, and former Massachusetts Governor
Mitt Romney will head the Republican ticket with Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan
as his running mate.
As both parties prepare for their rigorous campaigns leading up to the November
election, news outlets will frequently release
polls revealing the recent voting trends
amongst the population. The first major
poll, released immediately following the
Democratic National Convention in September, showed that Obama-Biden leads
Romney-Ryan 48 to 43 among likely voters.
Obama increased the gap between him and
Romney because following the Convention
in North Carolina, he swung a substantial
amount of independent voters as well as
strengthened the support he gets from female voters. Following the GOP Convention, Romney held a 10 point margin over
Obama among independents. When the
DNC closed, Obama swung that lead in his
favor, and now holds a 5 point lead. Polls
as recent as September 12 show that married and unmarried women favor Obama
over Romney by 14 points and 38 points respectively. Before the DNC, independents
favored Romney by 12 points.
If you look away from specific voting demographics, you will also see that voters trust
Obama over Romney on majority of the major
topics and issues expected to take precedent
during campaigns. Polls show that the only
major issue voters support Romney on is government spending. Obama holds a big lead
over Romney on topics of foreign policy, Medicare, education, health care, and terrorism.
He also has more trust from voters on arguably the most important issue in this election
season – the current economic status. Obama
leads Romney 47-42 among voters who said
fixing the economy is the most important issue which, if it is in fact the most important,
gives Obama-Biden an early advantage.
The numbers and polls are a good indication of early voting trends, but there’s always
one thing to keep in mind – it’s still early.
There’s no telling of what may or may not
happen on the campaign trail. There are still
many pending debates ahead, so who knows
what might happen in the next few weeks.
What we do know is this: given our current
economic status, this election could very well
be one of the most important elections in
American history. Will Barack Obama get
a second chance, or will Mitt Romney become the 45th President of the United
States? It’s up to us, the voters, to decide.
Who do you trust? Who can lead? Better
yet, who will lead? v
More Election Coverage
Page 10
3
Class Registration
GOES DIGITAL
By Stacy Zamskaya
Technology is changing the way registration for classes is done at RMU. Starting
this fall quarter, students will have the opportunity to electronically sign their class
schedules using a new online system. This
process works with academic advisers by
submitting lists of classes for individual
students online, and are then made into
schedules which can be verified and signed
with the click of a button.
Katie Suhajda, Vice President of Academic Administration, explains the ease
of the new registration, “The main benefit of online registration is to make the
registration process more flexible while
utilizing technology.” The process will
prove to be very convenient for the Robert Morris student body, especially many
students with a commute, since the form
can be accessed at any time from any
computer or mobile device.
In the future RMU hopes to create more options for its student body
through the new online registration
process. Due to students being in accelerated programs, class selection is often
very limited. With the new online registration, students will eventually be able
to create their own class schedules;
which will give them more opportunities to explore different classes and
majors. At the same time, academic advisers will remain available to students
if any questions or concerns may arise
throughout the process.
The new online registration process
also supports RMU’s goals and initiatives. “One of RMU’s long-range goals
is to increase sustainability efforts.
Therefore, many departments are using
technology to support this initiative,”
explains Suhajda. Paper copies of schedules and audits will no longer be made
been positive. Both faculty and students
found the ease and convenience of the
process very helpful. Michael Washington,
a senior at the Chicago campus, sees many
opportunities for this program, “Allowing
students to register for their own classes
will expose the student body to a wider
breadth of Robert Morris’ offerings as an
institution. This will also free up student
advisers to spend a greater deal of time
offering in depth personal assistance to
students.”
The new process is a good change for
RMU, but there are still some changes
which might need to be made. “Online
registration should be a list of classes that
is populated based upon a simple set of parameters linked to the students’ accounts.
This would allow for registration to be
done through MyRMU or even Black-
Eagle Advisor
Content Team
Paul Gaszak
[email protected]
Lindsay Dahl [Editor-in-Chief ]
Rich Connolly [Executive Editor]
Kim Martinez [Editor]
Blake Whitmore [Editor]
Joe Looney [Writer]
Stacy Zamskaya [Writer]
Adrian Saucedo [Writer]
for each student, which will help conserve a lot of the university’s resources.
After testing out the new registration
process during the Summer 2 quarter, the
feedback received has, for the most part,
The main benefit of online
registration is to make the
registration process more
flexible while utilizing
technology.
Advisory Board
David Pyle
Mick McMahon
Campus Faculty
David Belotti • Lake County
[email protected]
Beth Gainer • Bensonville
[email protected]
Nicole Hager • Springfield
[email protected]
Beth Gainer • Bensonville
[email protected]
Nicole Hager • Springfield
[email protected]
Design Team
Nate Daubert [Art Director]
Dylan Broll [Asst. Art Director]
Rich Connolly
Ad Manager
Lashondra Graves
Contributors
Tania Lee
Olivia Bodley
Mishel Chinbat
Ebony Lang
Dan Ciadia
Bethany Meeker
Aaron Wilson
B o a r d ,”
states
Wa s h ington.
The new
online
registration gives students more opportunities to become involved
in their class schedules, and
many hope to see the program
grow to become a tool for students to
learn more about subjects which interest
them. Any questions regarding the new
online registration, can be directed to
your academic adviser. v
Letter from
the Editor
I would like to welcome all of the new and
returning students to Robert Morris University. This issue has been specially designed to provide you with some valuable
information about the school. We have
worked really hard to also reformat the
design and layout of the paper. Hopefully you enjoy it and continue
to read our future issues.
If you are interested in
writing, designing, or
advertising for The
Eagle please feel free
to email me at [email protected]. Good Luck
this quarter!
Lindsay Dahl
Editor in Chief
4
THE NEWS
FOOD
It’s not a Political Thing.
It’s a People Thing.
Low Fares, High Risk
Recent Megabus Accidents Raise Questions
By Blake Whitmore
By Jane Wendorff-Craps
Students at the Robert Morris University
Peoria campus are sustaining a relationship
with the Peoria Area Food Bank and helping
to feed Central Illinois. On September 13, a
group of students from Rose Coppola-Conroy’s CMT 220 class volunteered their time
to help pack boxes of non-perishables for
area pantries to pick up from the food bank.
The Peoria campus has worked with the
food bank for the past two years offering
volunteers as well as monetary donations.
Medical Assisting student Towanda Brown
was amazed at the pallets full of packed boxes after 2 ½ hours of work: “It means giving
back and showing my appreciation of what I
have, and doing whatever I can, to help those
who may have less than my family.” Students
found out later that they had packed over
2,839 pounds of food that day.
Barb Shreves, the Peoria Area Food Bank
director, told students that 1.33 pounds of
food is equivalent to a meal, so the students’
2 ½ hours of work provided over 2,000
meals. She reported that there are over 50
million Americans facing hunger; 17 million
are children. Broken down, that means 1 in
6 Americans live in a household that is food
insecure, meaning there are families who
are unsure when their next meal will be.
Unfortunately, Shreves explained, many
politicians consider food programs an excess in the state and federal budgets, and
FOOD pg 5
Many Robert Morris students travel home
for a weekend or over the holiday break,
but next time students book their tickets
they might want to think about the mode
of transportation. Recently Megabus,
a roadside bus service, has been in the
news for several incidents. Some of these
incidents included fatalities of passengers and pedestrians. Megabus is now
paying out big money in lawsuits over
the accidents, including a $5 million
dollar settlement in the case of Donna
Halstead. On August 7, 2012, Halstead
was walking across the street when
Megabus driver Shemeka Hudson struck
and killed Halstead at the corner of Canal and Adams in downtown Chicago.
This incident only adds to the long list of
accidents starting back in 2008.
Multiple incidents involving Megabus
drivers also included alcohol. On September 1, 2008, a Detroit bound bus was
pulled over for swerving in and out of
its lane. Driver Kenneth Lewis failed sobriety test at the scene and was arrested.
The Michigan State police prevented an
accident that time. On October 21, 2011,
Chicago native Carl H. Smiley was driving a bus heading for Iowa City and Des
Moines when Iowa police pulled the bus
over for failing to maintain a lane. Upon
being pulled over, Lewis openly admitted to “having a few drinks” prior to driving. According to the police report Lewis
“smelled strongly of an alcoholic beverage.” Luckily the police stopped these two
drunk drivers before anything happened,
but that is not always the case.
On August 2, 2012, a St. Louis bound
bus slammed into a concrete pillar of
an overpass on I-55 near Litchfield, Illinois which resulted in at least one fatality and many injured passengers. One of
the worst incidents was on September
11, 2010 when a double decker Megabus
missed its exit and slammed into a railway
overpass. Four passengers on the top deck
in the front were killed when the top deck
was smashed into the lower deck, while 17
others were injured.
Megabus is an appealing mode of
transportation because of its low fares,
but it might not be worth the risk. Amtrak offers tickets sometimes for the
same price or slightly higher, but Amtrak has fewer accidents. Amtrak has
its problems as well with delays and
construction, but fatalities have been
much lower than Megabus fatality rates
in recent years. Next time you book your
tickets consider this; is a slightly cheaper fare worth your safety? v
5
CLUB PROFILE
The JCS is not just about sitting around
campus – the club regularly enjoys field
trips off campus to places like Asian
themed restaurants, Chinatown, and
conventions. This past year members attended Chicago’s largest anime, manga
and Japanese culture convention, Anime
Central (or ACen for short), which had
over 24,000 people in attendance during
the 2012 weekend event.
The club itself is loosely structured
and serves primarily as a catalyst for
its members, making it difficult to predict what’s on the horizon for the JCS,
since activities are planned around current member’s interests. In the past, the
club was made up of primarily females
who were more passionate about artistic endeavors, like drawing and cosplay
(short for costume play, or dressing up
like a favorite character). These days
with more of a gender-balanced group,
the members spend a lot more time discussing their favorite animes, and conducting role-playing games. One of the
best parts about the JCS is that it adapts
to its members, so no one is ever left out,
yet everyone can enjoy being introduced
to new things. Advisor Jacqueline Carter gives members the opportunity
to become even more immersed in
Japanese culture with activities
that help members learn the
language. The group hopes
to soon start participating in other cultural exchanges with Japanese
natives, and with other
universities, like DePaul’s
version of the Japanese
Cultural Society. One day
JCS aspires to dive into the
ultimate cultural immersion and
have a study abroad program in
Japan.
The atmosphere at meetings is always incredibly
lively, and while they organize for group activities, there is often many
conversations and joking
happening at once. Sitting in on a meeting is a
great way to not only have
a good laugh, but to learn
about a new culture. The
group’s energy can only increase with more members,
so the doors are always kept
open to prospective students.
Anyone interested is encouraged
to attend a meeting held on
Tuesdays at 2pm in room 202
at the Chicago campus. v
Shreves noted that her food bank is fortunate enough to have a store donation program
through Feeding America. She receives donations from Kroger, Wal-Mart, and Sam’s that
supplement other donations and food drives.
The other 7 area food banks that serve central
Illinois also work together and share additional food with one another.
The students feel that the time spent volunteering at the food bank was truly worthwhile.
Kristian Mack said, “This experience was a lot
of fun and worth my time, especially if you have
others around you, talking to each other and
having a good time.”
While a good time was had by all in the volunteer effort and RMU students are continuing
the Making RooM effort that started 2 years ago
as an institutional initiative, the message that
hunger is both a state and community problem
still needs to be impressed. RMU students are
often surprised when they learn that someone
who sits next to them in class once needed to
use the food bank to feed her family. One RMU
student admitted, “If it weren’t for my local food
pantry, it would be a struggle to provide even 2
meals a day to my family. There were times that
after utilities, rent, and school fees were paid, I
just didn’t have enough left for groceries.” The
idea that participants of the food programs
sit idly and expect “handouts,” as some politicians call it, is unrealistic. The reality is that
low wage earning families do struggle for basic necessities. That is not a partisan issue; it is
a people issue.
JAPANESE CULTURAL
SOCIETY
By Richard Connolly
Lucky for many, in today’s society being
a nerd is the new cool, but in a world of
Reddit and 4chan subgroups - where
the easiest place to share your love for
things like Dragon Ball Z and Dr. Zoidberg memes is behind the warm glow
of a computer screen - it can be hard to
meet some good ole fashioned real people. RMU’s Japanese Cultural Society
offers students a chance to meet face to
face with fellow like-minded enthusiasts
to hang out, watch anime and enjoy the
nerd subculture together.
The club started four years ago by Art
& Design instructor Jacqueline Carter
at the Chicago campus. The organization was originally called the Japanese
Animation Club, but after a few years as
the ranks grew in numbers and diversity, the club adopted its new title which
reflects the broad range of interests of
all its members. Most meetings consist
of screening anime (they are currently
watching the Supernatural anime), playing board games, discussing video games
and learning about Japanese culture.
FOOD pg 4
food banks are continually losing funding and
support for their programs. She feels that too
many politicians do not understand or connect with what is happening in the real world.
The cut in funding may be linked to the negative, and false, notion that those who use the
food bank programs feel “entitled.” Shreves
adamantly points out that food is not an entitlement; it is a necessity. It is often a “hidden problem” where research and data do not
accurately reflect the problem. Shreves also
reported that the central Illinois pantries are
showing a 40% increase in usage, and that the
“food chain” has been decreased by a drop in
government commodities.
RMU students who participated in the volunteer day were: Towanda Brown, Tim Chitwood,
Kristian Mack, Jeff Parlier, Presley Kinkead,
Robert Janssen, Becky Grant, George Van Hoorebeke, Kathryn Shockley, Dominic Powell, Abigail Peterson, Jake Emmons, Courtney Little,
and CMT instructor Rose Coppola-Conroy.
The Peoria campus will continue to organize
volunteer days at the food bank. They are also
holding their 2nd “Sock Out Hunger” silent
auction during week 1 of the Fall quarter. New
men’s, women’s, and children’s sock donations
from faculty and staff will receive bids all
week; proceeds will be given to the food bank.
Peoria campus students stand next to pallets of non-perishables that they packed for
area pantries to pick up. v
6
THE FRESHMAN SPECIAL
WHO
NAVIGATE RMU
IS
ROBERT
MORRIS?
By Tania Lee
1st Floor
7
4th Floor
5
6
7th Floor
4
14
Administration
3
15
2
By Aaron Wilson
Names can mean a number of things. They
can make very forward statements about
people or products that stand behind them.
They can also reveal personality traits and
characteristics that give people an idea of the
thought patterns, potential, and reputation
of individuals or business entities. One name
that stands above all others at our university is
Robert Morris.
Robert Morris Jr. was born in Liverpool,
England on January 20, 1734, to his senior
and Elizabeth Murphet. At age thirteen, Morris emigrated to Oxford, Maryland to live with
his father, a tobacco merchant. Upon arriving
in the states, he was provided a tutor to learn
how to run his father’s business. After picking
up the trade fairly fast, his father arranged for
him to go to Philadelphia where he would apprentice at the shipping and banking firm of
then mayor, Charles Willing. A year later, his
father died as a result of being wounded by
the wadding of a ship’s gun which was fired in
his honor. Continuing his merchant training,
Morris was made partner at the prominent
shipping-banking firm of Willing, Morris &
Co. in 1757.
Known primarily for his affiliation with the
Revolutionary War, Morris produced a paper
called “On Public Credit,” modeled after Alexander Hamilton’s more famous paper of the
same name. The idea behind the writing was
to sell America’s abundant land to finance the
war. The greatest obstacle posed against this
was the depression of the price of the land
compared to European land, mostly because
MORRIS pg 7
2nd Floor
8th Floor
10
11
9
16
3rd Floor
6th Floor
17
Basement
13
12
1
8
1
Career Services
7
ICenter
13
Computer Lounge
2
Bookstore
8
Eagle’s Nest
14
Library
3
Art Gallery
9
Medical Wing
15
Student Center
4
Performing Arts Room
10
Lopata Center
16
Fitness Wing
5
Publication Room
11
Art & Design Wing
17
Culinary Wing
6
Financial Aid
12
Advisors’ Office
7
MORRIS pg 6
there was so much of it. The challenge was
to create a system where trade could expand
throughout American soil among individual
states and foreign investors. At a time when
boundaries of the U.S. and issues concerning
the makeup of society were still being settled, Morris served a pivotal role in devising
ways to base the credit of the U.S. on its land
wealth. With only a vision of what economic
America could look like, he put a lot of money
where his mouth was; which seemed to be in
all of the right places. His reputation for being trustworthy in all of his affairs, both public and private, demanded his input toward
growing international commerce at the same
time as this country was pulling away from
Britain.
During crucial points of the Revolutionary
War, Morris employed his clout to provide
military and monetary support for American
soldiers. It has been said of him, “There were
few men who viewed with greater indignation
the encroachments of the British government
upon the liberties of the people, or were more
ready to resist them, than Mr. Morris. Nor did
he hesitate to sacrifice his private interest for
the public good, when occasion demanded
it.” His earlier activities in global mercantile
and his undeniable track record for building
trustworthy continental markets made him a
shoe-in for secret committees put together by
the U.S. government to make timely decisions
on how to turn adverse conditions into something that would stimulate immediate and
on-going fiscal progress. Sometimes funded
from his own pocket, Morris served as a main
catalyst for getting people who barely knew or
trusted one another to “deal” with each other.
His patriotic helmet of sorts was decorated
mostly by the many hats he wore all over the
world.
Eventually evolving into what was known
as the Bank of North America, commercial
concepts coming from confidential committees formed the infrastructure for the economy we live by today. Trust regulations were
established that piqued the interest of foreign
investment in what
was considered a rolling
frontier of prime land. Currency was given a face-lift, with
new notes serving as documents
of confidence for payments of bills
owed. Many public officials, on the
verge of being jailed for non-payment
of debts, were able to now buy time and
influence that had almost evaporated. A
circulation “medium” was produced with
money that also allowed for easy converting
for foreign exchange.
Distinguished in many respects, Robert Morris was integral in uniting our states
during a time of great stress. It was said of him,
“amidst his severest trials, he maintained a firmness and an independence of character, which
in similar circumstances belong to but few.”
His disinterested generosity cost him dearly,
at times, in his personal affairs. But the
complete picture that such a visionary
man must have seen, was big enough
for him to throw all of his marbles into the hat. Presently, in times where similar
challenges loom over our
continent, it appears we all
need a rabbit to draw from
that very same bonnet, or
maybe just a foot, as figuring out how to give
inches while taking
miles may take a
while. What has
already been proven to work once,
can certainly lend
a hand in meeting
today's demands.
Let us once again
look to our forefathers for direction. v
8
SPORTS & HEALTH
Fighting the Freshman Fifteen
By Bethany Meeker
Before any of us has stepped foot onto
campus, we have all been warned about
the dreaded “freshman fifteen” by our
friends and family. Many, though, might
have scoffed it off and thought to themselves that the undesirable weight gain
would never happen to them; they won’t
allow it to. An associate professor and assistant dean in the School of Nursing at
the University of Texas, Dr. Gayle Timmerman, has conducted studies on
college students and their eating behaviors. Dr. Timmerman states,
“There are a lot of transitions,
especially for a freshman. You
may be away from home for
the first time. You may have to
live with someone you may or may
not like. There are a lot of expectations and a lot of new demands. In
the realm of emotional eating,
eating to cope with stress
is quite common. And
all of these transitions
can lead to stress for
students.”
Freshman
fifteen may seem to
only be affected
by your diet
and exercise habits;
h o w e v e r,
your sleep
patterns
and your
stress levels can either prevent
or cause the
weight gain and
affect your overall
wellness.
Weight loss or
weight gain begins with the food
you put into your body.
It has been ingrained into
our minds throughout primary, middle, and high school
that we should follow the food pyramid;
this still holds true even today. Students
should also skip the soda or other sugary
drinks for water instead; drinking enough
water helps keep you from overeating and
In the realm of
emotional eating,
eating to cope
with stress is quite
common.
keeps you hydrated. Another way to prevent overeating is to practice portion control. While out on the town, try to split a
meal with one of your friends or just box
half of your meal to take home with you.
Many students tend to be busy between
school, homework, and a part time job.
This is not an excuse to skip a meal; make
time to eat, especially breakfast, which is
the meal that jumpstarts your day.
Good health can truly be acquired when
healthy eating is coupled
with exercise. Before starting your routine you should
always stretch to help prevent injuries and keep you
pain free and active. One way
to get a great workout in without it
feeling like a workout is to join a sports
team. If you live close to campus, walk
or ride your bike to your classes; you
save on gas money and you stay active.
Some people don’t like to exercise alone
so bring a friend along with you to the
gym. By having a workout buddy, you
not only have a blast while feeling the
burn, but he or she is relying on you to
show up, which makes you accountable.
Many campuses have gym facilities
along with fitness courses; take advantage of these great services since you
are already paying for them through
tuition.
Many college students have the mentality that we don’t need a lot of sleep.
The amount of sleep you get greatly impacts your health. Besides
being cranky and irritable when
you don’t acquire enough sleep,
your ability to concentrate and excel in
your classes is impaired. It is best to avoid
all nighters. As mentioned above, the lack
of sleep can reduce your ability to concentrate; instead, before an exam you
should get a full night’s rest. A great way
to boost your energy is to revert back to
kindergarten and take a nap. Make sure,
though, that you don’t nap for too long
or too close to bedtime. To help you fall
asleep, don’t do your homework in bed;
you should try to keep your work area
separate from your sleep area.
While being in college, it is a given
fact that at some point in your college
career you will fall victim to the jaws of
stress. To help ward off stress, students
need to learn how to manage their time
wisely and create a routine. By having
time management skills, students find
it easier to get their assignments completed. Avoid procrastinating because
the time crunch to get a project done
creates
unnecessary
stress and anxiety.
If you find yourself
with too much on
your plate, try to cut
back work hours, drop a
class, or cut an extracurricular activity out of your schedule to keep
yourself from becoming run down.
When studying for hours at a time,
students should take a short break
to allow their eyes and minds to
relax. Another way to fight off
stress is to relax; take time to do
activities that you love.
Freshman fifteen is not an
absolute fate for college students.
This phenomenon can
be prevented by eating healthy,
exercising regularly, developing
good sleeping patterns, and remaining stress free. Not only
do these contribute to your fight
against
freshman
fifteen,
but the tips can also help
you obtain overall wellness while in college and
throughout life. v
9
The Proper
College Diet
By Richard Connolly
College is a time of huge life changes. For
many students it’s the first time away from
home - be it in a new apartment, a new
city, or even a new country. One thing that
often gets left behind in this time of radical change in surroundings, late nights
studying, and even later nights partying is
eating properly. There is often a cliché image of a college pantry stocked with Raman
noodles and PopTarts, but during a time in
life where you’re trying to balance so much,
a healthy diet cannot be put on the back
burner. The classic adage “You are what you
eat,” continues to say it best. If you eat junk,
you’re going to feel like junk, but if you eat
good food - you’ll feel just as good. Here are
a few tips to keep your self well fed, without
breaking the bank.
1. You can’t eat what you don’t buy - This
is the first and most important step in eating
well. If you’re buying sugary cereals and liters of soda, then that’s what you’ll consume.
Next time you’re in the grocery store, don’t
even walk down the snack aisle to avoid the
temptation.
2. Make a plan - By writing up a list, portioning, and cooking for yourself each meal,
you not only can keep better track of what
you’re eating, but it greatly helps when on
a budget. Cooking can be time consuming,
but the amount of money saved versus buy-
ing each meal more than makes up for it.
Eating well will keep you focused and
give you more energy for a few extra hours
throughout the day.
3. Be a smart shopper - What you buy is
the most important step, but how you buy
it is just as important on a budget. Keep an
eye out for seasonal deals, clip coupons and
don’t be afraid to buy generic brands. Most
generic brands taste exactly the same and
are side-by-side identical as far as ingredients go, and at much less cost. Consider buying certain staple food items like rice, pasta,
and beans in bulk for quick & easy meals.
4. Buy versatile foods - Although it’s great
to try new things, keep stocked with foods
you know you will use and can be prepared
easily in a variety of ways. There’s nothing
worse than buying food only to have it spoil
before it’s used.
5. Make friends with others who cook
- By encouraging your friends to cook for
themselves as well, you can get more variety in your meals, and often try something
new. Start up a potluck with people in your
area to combine eating well with a means of
meeting new people.
In the short run, an extra value meal from
the fast-food joint down the street will fill
you up for cheap, but seeing as how college is
a multi-year affair - where you have to be in
your best form - it’s best to operate at 100%
and that all begins with what you eat. v
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10
BARACK OBAMA
About Obama:
Barack Obama
(Democrat) is
the 44th President of the
United States
of America.
He was elected into office
on November 4th,
2008
w i t h
J o e
Biden as
his running mate.
He is in the
Democratic
Party and is
the first African American
president of the
U.S. He also won a
Nobel Peace Prize in
October of 2009.
Obama was born in Hawaii. His mother, Stanley
Ann Dunham, was originally
from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and his father, also named
Barack Obama, was originally from a small village in Kenya, called Kogelo. Both parents
were students at the University of
Hawaii, where they met. They later
divorced and Obama and his mother
returned to live with his grandparents.
VOTE 2
Obama moved back to
Hawaii with his grandparents to go to high school.
After graduating high
school in 1979, he moved
to Los Angeles, California to attend Occidental College, later
transferring to Columbia University in New
York, New York.
In
1985
Obama
moved to Chicago
where he became a
community organizer. His job was helping
people improve their
lives and becoming registered voters. Three years
later, 1988, he moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts to attend
Harvard Law school. He became the first
president of the Harvard Law Review, a
prestigious publication from the university. He graduated from Harvard in 1991.
After Obama graduated law school, he
moved back to Chicago, where he stayed
until beginning his presidency. In Chicago he married Michelle Robinson and
they had two daughters, Malia and Sasha. Obama was a professor and taught
constitutional law at the University of
Chicago for 12 years. He was also elected into the Illinois State Senate in 1996,
1998, and 2002. He lost the election in
2000. In 2004 he was elected into the
US Senate.
12
3
3
7
4
3
3
5
6
6
55
11
9
6
7
5
In
2008,
Obama
began running
for the presidential
election. Not only was
he the first African American president, but he was also
the first African American to be the
candidate for a m ajo r po lit ic al party. He wo n t he elec t io n ag ains t t he
R epublic an Par ty ’s Jo hn Mc Cain
and was inaug urat ed o n Januar y
20 , 20 0 9. v
OBAMA’S STANCE ON...
immigration
healthcare
gay marriage
environment
Children of illegal immigrants should be granted
citizenship.
Obamacare is good, wants to
expand Medicare.
Gay marriage should be legalized.
Global warming is a threat to
the environment
38
11
MITT ROMNEY
OTE 2012
by Nate Daubert
10
29
10
16
6
5
20
20
18
11
8
10
6
5
6
6
6
6
13
15
11
7
ney went to France for
30 months as a Mormon missionary. He
married Ann Davies,
after returning from
France. The couple
had five children.
In 1971, he earned
a Bachelor of Arts
from
Brigham
Young
University.
Four years later, he
received a Juris Doctor
and Master of Business
Administration from Harvard University. Romney
entered the management
consulting industry and he
received a position at Bain &
Company. In 1984, he cofounded
and led the spin-off company Bain
Capital, a private equity investment
firm, which was very successful. With
a net worth estimated at $190–250
million, he helped finance his political campaigns prior to 2012.
Romney served as the bishop
of his local congregation of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He also ran as the
Republican candidate in the 1994 U.S. Senate
election, in Massachusetts, but lost. He resumed his position at Bain Capital. Hired as
the President and CEO of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the Winter Olympics
in 2002, the increased visibility gave Romney
the opportunity to give politics another shot.
16
38
29
About Romney:
Mitt Romney (Republican) is running to
be the next President of the United States
in the 2012 election. He served as the Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007.
Romney was born and raised in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. He is the son of Lenore and George W. Romney. In 1966 Rom-
Romney was
elected
Governor of Massachusetts
in
2002. During
his term, he eliminated a $3 billion
deficit and assisted in the development and signed
into law the Massachusetts
health
care reform legislation, which provided
near-universal health
insurance
access.
Massachusetts also
recieved new federal
grants and revenue
from a capital gains
tax increase. Romney did not try for a
re-election,
instead
running for the Republican nomination
in the 2008 U.S. presidential election, which he
lost to John McCain.
He ran again for the 2012
Republican presidential nomination, winning enough of the
votes to become the party’s obvious nominee in May 2012. He
was officially nominated during the
Republican National Convention in
August of this year along with running
mate, Paul Ryan. v
ROMNEY’S STANCE ON...
immigration
healthcare
gay marriage
environment
Children of illigal immigrants
should not be granted citizenship.
Some aspects of Obamacare
are good, wants to reform
Medicare.
Marriage should be between
a man and a woman.
Global warming and cooling
are caused by natural forces,
not humans
12
CUISINE
Restaurant Review: Wrigleyville’s Raw Bar
By Richard Connolly
Wrigleyville as a whole is known for quite
a few things: a lively bar scene, some great
places to grab a hot dog, and of course as the
home to the Chicago Cubs. One thing you don’t
often associate with the neighborhood however,
is seafood. Yet nestled right in the heart of this
famous area you’ll soon stumble across a set of
neon lights flashing: Raw Bar.
Like many bars and restaurants in the area,
the Raw Bar is a very unique and you might
say eclectic establishment. Upon entering, one
immediately finds themself in the dimly lit
barroom, illuminated by the bluish glow of
fish tanks. After being led through the bar
to the adjacent dining area, the atmosphere
changes to a mishmash of assorted 40’s and
60’s art deco and differently colored flooring.
The spacious room appears to seat close to 60
patrons at once, but at 9pm on a Friday night
it seats only a drunk couple, and a noticeably
vacant piano.
Due to the small crowd perhaps, the service
was very attentive. Not including the evening’s
server, two other members of the staff offered
to take drink orders from the bar. The drink
menu is complete with a seasonal wine list,
draft beer, and a wide variety of cocktails - all at
a reasonable price. After taking care of the drink
situation and breaking into the fresh bread, you
can finally get a good look at the menu, which is
diverse to say the least. As the restaurants name
implies, the menu features a variety of shellfish
and fish, but it hardly stops there. Raw Bar serves
a number of beef, poultry and pasta dishes, and
if you’re in the mood for something exotic, you
can try out some of the alligator or ostrich tapas
along with your oysters. The appetizer sampler,
which features oysters with caviar, crab claws,
top neck steamers and king crab legs was bland
and the accompanying cajun butter did little to
improve the assorted seafood.
At 9pm on a Friday
night it seats only a
drunk couple, and
a noticeably vacant
piano.
Luckily the entrees were delivered quickly,
and took the attention away from subpar
appetizers. The crispy filet of salmon was
cooked very well, but the roasted almond
sauce was the true highlight of the meal. The
shrimp, scallop, and scampi entree fell short
of the satisfying level of the salmon - with its
undercooked and bland scallops especially but the risotto which accompanied the seafood
saved the dish from being a total loss. As the
entrees disappear, a dessert menu finds its way
to the table, but with decently sized entrees, togo boxes for leftovers and the bill is a preferable
alternative to cheesecake.
The Raw Bar has a good number of
Groupon and Living Social deals, and before
using a voucher the bill for two entrees, an
appetizer, and drinks was just shy of $70.
For the most part the overall experience
at this Wrigleyville scene is hardly
memorable. With mediocre food, a midrange price and it’s eclectic decor, Raw
Bar may only be worth checking out for
a moderately priced cocktail after a Cubs
game, or with a Groupon deal. If you’re
in the mood for seafood, either shell out
a few extra bucks for something slightly
more upscale, or stick to something from the
grocer. The next time you’re in Wrigleyville
stick to what the neighborhood knows best beer and hot dogs. v
Caprese Salad
Quick & Easy Meal
By: Richard Connolly
As the gardening season comes
to an end and the freshest
tomatoes are available,
it is the perfect time for
caprese salads. This simple
and mouth-watering
dish is a great way to
truly appreciate those
ripe tomatoes from the
farmers market, or your
own backyard.
Ingredients:
» 1lb Fresh Mozzarella
» 1 bunch of Basil
» Balsamic Vinegar
» 2-3 Vine-Ripened Tomatoes
» Olive Oil
» Salt and Pepper
Directions:
1. Begin by reducing the balsamic vinegar.
This can be done by measuring 3/4 cup
of the vinegar into a small saucepan
and placing over medium heat on the
stove. Bring to a gentle boil and allow it
to sit for 10 to 20 minutes until it starts
to thicken. When it is thick and runs
slowly, place into the fridge to cool.
2. After washing, slice the tomatoes into
1/4 inch slices, and slice the fresh
mozzarella to the same thickness.
3. On a large plate place the mozzarella
onto the tomato slices, and topped
off by a leaf or two of the fresh basil.
After the vinegar reduction has cooled,
drizzle on top of the salad along with
some olive oil. Finish with a light
coating of salt and pepper. v
13
Pumpkin
Bars
By: Lindsay Dahl
Ingredients:
Directions:
Pumpkin Bars
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
2. In a large bowl combine the eggs,
sugar, pumpkin puree and butter.
Mix well.
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups pumpkin puree
3/4 cups melted butter
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
Whole pecans (to decorate)
Frosting
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
1 pkg cream cheese
3 Tbsp soft unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp cream
3 cups powdered sugar
3. Slowly add the flour, baking powder
and baking soda and continue
to mix until all ingredients are
thoroughly mixed together.
4. Pour the mixture into a 10x14 inch
baking pan and cook for 25 minutes.
5. While the bars cook, combine the
frosting ingredients and with a
mixer whip together and place into
the refrigerator to cool.
6. Allow the bars to cool for 10 minutes
after removing from the oven and
frost before serving. Place a few
whole pecans on top for a little flair
and sprinkle a little cinnamon for
a little extra seasonal flavor. v
Happy Hour
Old Fashion
By: Richard Connolly
Ingredients:
With an old fashion in hand, it’s like
automatically adding +5 suave or sexy points
to yourself for the evening (or for the day, no
one’s judging you). The drink of choice for
Mad Men’s Don Draper, the old fashion is one
of the most classic cocktails around. The drink
was first popularized at a gentleman’s club in
Louisville, Kentucky in the late 19th century
by one of the club’s bartenders. Although
it was originally made with rye whiskey,
a substitution of bourbon whiskey is
commonly used today due to the rarity and
price of most rye whiskey.
Like most cocktails, everyone has their
own variation - and will often inform you
of how your method is incorrect- but by
sticking to these ingredients and basic
preperation directions, you’ll soon have
a good idea of what this classic American
cocktail is all about. Or at the very least,
you’ll look good with one in hand.
~ 2oz Rye or Bourbon whiskey
~ 2 dashes aromatic bitters
~ 1 sugar cube or 1tsp sugar
~ 2 Maraschino cherries
~ 1 orange wedge
~ Splash of club soda
~ Old fashion glass and ice
Directions:
1. In an old fashioned glass begin by
placing the sugar and a cherry at the
bottom and add 3 dashes of bitters.
2. Splash in the club soda, and with a
muddler (wooden spoons work great
too) crush the sugar and cherry in the
bitters and soda.
3. Add the whiskey of your choice and
top off with ice.
4. Garnish the glass with an orange
wedge and another cherry. v
14
ARTS & CULTURE
SPOOKYWEEEN!
chicago’s top haunted houses
By Blake Whitmore
It is October and that means a few
things to people; fall weather, pumpkin patches, apple orchards, but most
of all Halloween. Halloween closes out
the month with a bang. Trick-or-Treating and costume parties fill up the calendar, and for those looking for a good
scare there are always haunted houses.
Haunted houses started out as old buildings that were supposedly inhabited by
ghosts, ghouls, and spirits from the afterlife or another dimension perhaps.
Today haunted houses have turned a bit
more commercialized for the public.
The Chicagoland area has a number of
haunted houses, so which one do you
break out the bucks for?
Voted #1 in all of Illinois is Eleventh
Hour in Elk Grove, Illinois. This single
location is actually home to four killer haunted attractions including Eleventh Hour, Catacombs, Intensity, and
Creatures of the Corn. One of the best
parts of the attraction is the graveyard
scene in the courtyard. The caretaker
of the graveyard is as creepy and eerie
as they come. It is part of Berthold’s
Great Pumpkin Fest which also includes
pumpkins, straw mazes, animals, crafters, vendors, and more. The Eleventh
Hour and other attractions are located
at 434 E Devon Avenue, Elk Grove, Illinois 60007. Visit http://www.eleventhhour.info/ for more information on the
#1 voted Halloween event in Illinois.
Another famously attended haunted
house is Statesville Haunted Prison in
Lockport, Illinois. The story goes that
“the prisoners have rioted the guards
have fled, and the darkness has seized
control of this Maximum Security Prison
and the Warden has opened the gates for
visitors.” After being shuffled through
and the prisoners have processed “the
meat” or visitors, you will be forced to
navigate your way through 23 cells and
artist to know
Two Door Cinema Club
By Stacy Zamaskya
There is more to Northern Ireland than constant political conflict, such as an indie trio entitled, Two Door Cinema Club. Formed in 2007
by Sam Halliday, Alex Trimble, and Kevin Baird,
the group has been leaving a visible mark on the
indie music scene.
The band released its debut album, Tourist
History, in 2010 under the French record label,
Kitsuné Music. The album was indeed a breakout for the trio with its catchy upbeat songs and a
signature style, attracting many listeners worldwide. The album featured the hit single “What
You Know”, which combined melodic guitar riffs
and emotional lyrics into an irresistibly danceable mix. Two Door Cinema Club wrote the album with what they call “youthful excitement”,
focusing on the future of where they hoped to
see their music go.
After the release of Tourist History, the band
went on a two year long worldwide tour. Two
Door Cinema Club opened for bands, which
included Foals, Phoenix, and Metronomy. Performing in all parts of the world and at numer-
ous festivals, such as Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo
and Coachella, the band gained positive attention from hundreds of critics.
On September 4th, Two Door Cinema Club
is released its sophomore album, Beacon. The
album features eleven electro pop songs, which
closely follow the formulas set up by Tourist
History. Each track follows a melodic rhythm,
full of synth riffs and guitar chords which get
stuck in your head. The lyrics follow a slightly
different path, unlike Tourist History’s teenage angsty motifs. Beacon brings on deeper
meaning within its chorus lines, and captures
more emotion by cutting right into
the listener’s heart. The group manages to flawlessly create the perfect
blend of heartbroken and optimistic instrumentals. The entire album
seems to bring more cohesion to Two
Door Cinema Club’s sound, but at the
same time closely follows Tourist History.
Many bands face a huge dilemma
when releasing a sophomore album after the debut was a giant success. Due
to this, Two Door Cinema Club seem to have
chosen to not take any major risks with Beacon. The album will satisfy its current fans by
bringing a more cohesive and mature sound,
while following the same steps as Tourist History. The band is making slow progressions,
which leaves one wondering whether the next
album will bring on a radical change.
Find Beacon at your local record store after
September 4th and be sure to catch Two Door
Cinema Club on October 9th at the Riviera
Theater. v
15
come face to face with over 100 hardened criminals in their territory. “No
one escapes.” Statesville Haunted Prison
is located at 17250 S. Weber Road, Crest
Hill, Illinois 60441. For more information on the haunted prison visit www.
statesville.org.
If you are looking for a 15,000-squarefoot haunted house than look no further
than Disturbia: Torment of Fears! Disturbia: Torment of Fears is full of more
than 25 different scare zones. Each
zone is particular to a different phobia,
whether it is clowns, monsters, bugs,
or small spaces. Rita Neri, one of four
partners of Disturbia told the Huffington Post, “What makes us unique is we
rely more on actors than on animatronics, so the scare might be different every
time you enter the house.” Every year the
house is different from previous years
and according to Neri this year the at-
traction is “bigger, better, and scarier.” This large attraction is located
at 880 W. Lake Street, Addison,
Illinois 60101. For pricing and
hours of operation information visit www.disturbiatof.
com.
Haunted houses are the
big entertainment attraction every October. There
are a number of haunted
attractions in the Chicagoland area. The scares keep
getting bigger every year and
the competition is getting
heavy, so go out and judge for
yourself. What is the scariest
haunted house in Chicago? v
GAME REVIEW
By Richard Connolly
Just short of three years ago, gamers first
found themselves dropped on the planet of
Pandora and shooting their way through the
first Borderlands. This first person shooter
with an RPG twist (along with it’s four followup downloadable expansions) became
an instant classic among gamers. The recently released sequel, Borderlands 2, has
done nothing short of improving every facet
of it’s predecessor’s greatness.
Borderlands 2 is the perfect mashup of
the first person shooter aspect of Halo, the
vast explorable landscape of Skyrim, and the
plethora of loot from Diablo 3. The sequel
brings back many of the beloved characters
from the first including: everyone’s favorite redneck mechanic - Scooter, munitions
hustling Marcus, and the “funny little robot” known as Claptrap. In addition to the
return of many old faces, Borderlands 2
introduces a handful of new figures; most
notedly the game’s pretentious antagonist
- Handsome Jack.
One of the things that differentiates and
Borderlands 2
makes Borderlands 2 as satisfying as it is,
is the game’s sense of humor. Although incredibly crude (and often gory), the immature jokes never cease. Whether it’s your
nemesis making jokes about naming his
horse “Butt Stallion” over your communication device, Claptrap revealing
his need to find something absorbent
enough for his robot tears, or just the
pure, manic stupidity of many of the
lesser enemies; gamers are challenged as
well as entertained.
If you’re a fan of finding awesome ingame treasure, Borderlands 2 will more
than satisfy your “epic loot” cravings. Developers promised gamers “millions, upon
millions of weapons” to be found throughout the game. You can smite your enemies
from a distance with a sniper rifle that
shoots fire, or go for the close and personal encounters by blasting bad guys with a
face full of acid bullets out of the barrel
of an enormous shotgun. Customization
does not end with guns; there are abundant
shields, custom modifiers, and skill trees.
Each of the four playable classes has three
unique skill trees - which essentially gives
players 12 different specialities to choose
from. The game’s developer, Gearbox, has
already promised a new class will be released soon and is already taking pre-orders
for upcoming expansions.
The multiplayer aspect allows for an
even more dynamic experience by allowing players to benefit from one another’s
strengths. You can either play along
side a friend, or find a game online to
take on the enemies of Pandora with a
few allies. With the enormous amount
of guns, variety of different
characters to play, vast
landscape, rewarding
quests, entertaining
plot, and upcoming
expansions - Borderlands 2 is
certain to keep
gamers satisfied and shooting for at least
another three
years. v
16
ARTS & CULTURE
New to DVD
Cabin in the Woods
By Adrian Saucedo
Film Review
LOOPER
By Adrian Saucedo
Time travel – one of the biggest concepts filmmakers have played around with, dating back to
Robert Zemeckis’ Back to the Future and James
Cameron’s Terminator. In its entirety, it is a fantasy concept in cinema and a theoretical arena
for scientific speculators. Therefore, the writer
on the topic is adherent to the rules of his or her
story. What makes Looper an exceptionally impressive film compared to these previous entries
is Rian Johnson’s commitment to following the
rules of his story. He does not resort to falling in
the clichés of Hollywood formula but he carefully assesses the implications of paradoxes – something many films failed to be wary of.
Because Johnson doesn’t want to follow
mainstream convention in building the film’s
tension, Looper’s narrative structure is rather
unique, managing not to lose the viewer’s attention.
When it comes to this specific subgenre of science fiction, you expect twists and turns but with this one it is
quite the contrary. You are still quite surprised as the
story unfolds, allowing for a more complex depiction
of each character. Aside from being a science fiction
piece, this film has a lot of thematic elements spread
evenly throughout, contending with the ideas of free
will versus fate. It also shines the spotlight on morally
questionable choices that will not be divulged specifically from the film. Looper does not at all progress
in the mechanical plot fashion that is typical in most
sci-fi action cinematic works.
The film takes place about 2044. The world
isn’t that much different from what it is today.
Cities have expanded and are dirtier than ever
as industrializing jobs are set here, creating a
further gap between the rich and the poor. Rural towns are pretty much the same with corn
fields, single family houses, and stables still present. Organized crime is on the verge of gaining
oppressive power but that is 30 years into the
future. By the early 2070s, is when time travel
has been discovered but has been legally banned
and only the most powerful criminals have access to it. Since bodies cannot be disposed of
easily in the future, the unfortunate are tied up
and sent back in time to 2044 where they are
met by a “looper” with a shotgun. The looper
finishes the job, takes his reward (bars of silver
strapped to the victim), and waits for his next assignment. However, when the decision is made
to terminate a looper, he is sent a future version
of himself to eliminate (“closing the loop”). Once
he succeeds his task, he marks his remaining
thirty years of life.
The main protagonist is Joe, the best looper
from gang lord Abe’s group. The conflict starts
when Joe makes the mistake of harboring his
friend when he screws up on an assignment.
Thereafter, Joe is sent on an assignment that
places him face-to-face with his future self.
When he hesitates, Old Joe knocks him out and
goes on the run. That puts Joe in a bad spot with
Abe. If he doesn’t rectify things quickly, he will
end up dead – future and present. There is a
stint conversation with Old Joe about his aged
intentions and his planned destinations. One of
these locations lies with Sara and her son, Cid.
Joe goes on route to stop Old Joe and restore his
life, regardless of Sara and Cid’s safety. And Joe
has one distinct advantage in any confrontation
– he can kill his future self but Old Joe can not do
the same to his past self.
Joseph Levitt-Gordon is easily described as
one of the best American actors working in cinema. Despite wearing prosthetics to have a Bruce
Willis like face, he deserves high recognition for
brilliantly portraying a cold-blooded assassin.
Yet, one cannot help but develop a connection
with him as the first signs of a compassionate
Looper’s narrative
structure is rather
unique, managing
not to lose the
viewer’s attention.
soul begin to appear. Bruce Willis is the second
main star of this film. This is Gordon-Levitt’s
film and although Willis has a smaller role, he
is able to give an unusual dramatic performance
but also defeat those stereotypes that have
plagued action scene setups. The rest of the cast
is comprised of Paul Dano (another great upand-coming American actor), and Emily Blunt.
Especially good are Jeff Daniels’ portrayal of Abe
as the unique head of the stable looper gang, and
Piper Perabo as the hooker.
The entire feel of the movie had the audience’s
attention from beginning to end. The action
and suspense flowed perfectly. The little humor and romance didn’t feel out of place. The
style of photography was impressive, creating familiarity yet a distinct futuristic world.
It was an intellectually stimulating cinematic work and surprisingly, it was an enriching
entertaining film. v
One of the best horror movies this year, The
Cabin in the Woods, takes an interesting turn
and redefines the social conventions of the
horror genre, earning the praise of many critics, the flick is deemed by many as the ultimate
horror film.
The film begins with the introduction of
five college students: the jock, Curt played by
Chris Hemsworth; the promiscuous blonde,
Jules portrayed by Anna Hutchison; the pot
head, Marty depicted by Fran Kranz; the nerd,
Holden played by Jesse Williams; and the innocent virgin, Dana portrayed by Kristen
Connolly. These five individuals decide to visit
a remote cabin in the woods during their break,
where they fall victims to unexplainable horrific
events. Sound too familiar? Although the beginning scene depicts a classic horror movie setting
where the characters are one-dimensional and
lack any versatility, as the movie progresses the
film explains why these characters act the way
they do and why they are victims to such horrendous events. The explanation the movie provides
makes it so magnificent. Throughout the film
clues are given to the audience, providing insight
about the reality of the situation; however the
ultimate revelation is unforeseeable. The last
ten minutes of the film provide the audience
with one of the boldest and refreshing endings
mainstream horror movies need.
The two main responsible for this ultimate
horror film are Director/Writer Drew Goddard
and Writer Joss Whedon. Drew Goddard is most
recognized for writing the show Lost and horror
movie Cloverfield. Pair that with Joss Whedon
responsible for writing the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the action movie The Avengers.
With these credentials it is no surprise that this
dynamic duo created a horror movie that goes
beyond anything horror fans had ever seen.
In its totality, the film is a huge love letter to all
horror movies. During the flick there are many
references to monsters depicted by other movies,
such as werewolves (Werewolf of London, 1935),
killer clowns (It, 1990), and even the twins from
The Shining, 1980. The film was enjoyable and
a must see for all horror fans. To those who are
not fans of the horror genre, do not worry, unlike most horror movies the main focus was on
the storyline rather than the guts and gore. v
17
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18
COMMENTARY
He Says // She Says
Presidential Candidates
Adrian Saucedo
With the presidential elections approaching, it is important to study the
economic policies that each of the presidential candidates have to offer. While
President Obama and Mitt Romney
have both stipulated their policies aim at
boosting the economy, Mitt Romney has
the advantage of not being in power. By
contrast, Obama has four years promising the same thing. While the economic
situation did improve, unemployment
continues to be a major concern. In fact,
unemployment has increased during
President Obama’s term.
Romney’s economic policies are as follows: To reduce taxes and federal spending to stimulate job growth and investment; To cut regulations in order to
encourage business; To encourage free
trade and opening new markets; To increase energy production domestically;
To provide labor flexibility through free
enterprise; To increase human capital
by retraining American workers and attracting highly skilled foreign workers;
To build a simpler, smaller, and smarter
government.
These policies encourage economic
growth by promoting employment domestically and by reducing taxes, government spending and regulation. To
compensate for tax cuts, Romney plans
to eliminate tax reductions for mortgage
interest of second homes and deductions
of state income and property tax.
President Obama did not reduce
spending, on the contrary, he increased
spending as a means to get the economy
flowing. The reality is that this has not
helped the economy; it has instead increased the debt we are in. What Romney proposes seems more logical than
the steps President Obama has been taking to improve the economy. The more
Blake Whitmore
Barack Obama has been the President
of the United States during some of the
most difficult economic times. We are
currently in a recession that rivals the
Great Depression. This recession, starting in 2007, has been called the Great
Recession, the Lesser Depression, and
the Long Recession. Any economist
will tell you that recessions are a natural part of the economy and it forms
a sinusoidal wave. The lower points of
the wave represent a recession and the
higher points representing a boom or
expansion of the economy.
In retrospect, Obama is not to blame
for our poor economy. He has done a
number of things to attempt to combat
the natural cycle as much as humanly
possible. Obama favored bills to raise
minimum wage, which has been shown
to stimulate the economy. Obama has
also called for higher pay for teachers,
who are some of the hardest working individuals in society. If teachers receive
higher pay they will spend more - which
people that are working, the better the
economy is going to be. During President
Obama’s term, unemployment and more
specifically long-term unemployment
has increased, which is a more serious
and alarming factor.
An interesting fact to note is that while
President Obama has been highly criticized for his economic policies, Mitt
Romney has the support of five Nobel
economists who believe his policies will
in effect improve the economy and give
it the boost it needs to get us out of this
deficit. They believe his economic plans
to be superior to that of President Obama,
and that in fact President Obama has not
helped the economy improve at all. It is
will also help stimulate the economy.
Obama also favors the concept of
equal pay or the abolition of wage differences between men and women. It is
often thought that women have accomplished equal rights in all facets of society, but in fact there are still many issues when it comes to equality between
men and women. Obama has supported
bills to improve the effectiveness of the
Equal Pay Act of 1963. On January 29,
2009 Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. The bill had struggled
to make it through the Senate the first
time around, because of a Republican
filibuster. Thanks to Obama and other
democrats the act eventually did pass in
the 111th congress.
The most talked about topic in
Obamas campaign and policies is
Obama Care, which supports universal
healthcare. Universal health - or sometimes referred to social health protection - is the idea of a basic health care
package for all members of the nation.
also worth mentioning that in addition
to the five Nobel laureates, Mitt Romney
has the support of more than 500 economists.
If elected president, Mitt Romney
would be one of the richest presidents in
the history of the United States. Romney
plans on reversing President Obama’s
economic policies, with a focus on the
private sector where he sees the future
for economic growth. Mitt Romney believes President Obama’s policies were a
temporary relieve that will only hindered
economic growth in the long run.
The biggest criticism against President
Obama is that he did not lower unemployment during his term, and his plan
It is hard to explain why anyone would
be against universal health care. The
health systems in America are supposed
to be in the business of helping people,
but instead they have got into the business of making money. The inflation in
the medical field is three times that of
regular national inflation. With universal health care, medical supply companies and hospitals cannot take advantage
of people who cannot afford insurance,
but need medical attention.
Although this article only scratches the
surface of Obama’s policies and his campaign, it is a good start for any first time
voter who feels the pressure of becoming
an informed voter. This is my first year
voting in a presidential election and this
article in no way emulates who I would
vote for, but is instead a more of a fact
driven article to help inform the first
timer. In the end voting is a battle to find
the lesser of two evils. The first thing you
must learn is to never trust a politician.
That is my opinion on the matter. v
on federal spending did not stimulate
the economy. Despite the stimulus package, the economy did not improve. While
some critics argue that the stimulus
package was useless, others argue that it
wasn’t enough. Even with the tax cuts of
2010, unemployment remained higher
than 9%, and regulation on Wall Street
didn’t improve employment either. People in the financial industry actually
claimed that the regulations contributed
to high unemployment and less competitiveness. The point is, none of President
Obama’s policies have proven sufficiently
effective, while Mitt Romney’s policies
are - according to many economists based on proven principles. v
19
Avoiding the
Dark Side
By Lindsay Dahl
In an accelerated program, such as this one, it is far too easy to get disorganized and overwhelmed. As soon as you are finally getting used to things, they change again and there is
only a short break for anything. Fortunately, there are several ways to stay on track and to
avoid the “dark side” of college.
1
2
3
4
Write it down-Start off by writing things down, even if you have a great memory
it down because you will eventually forget something and without a reminder
it probably will not get done. Many people get a daily planner, some use blackboard, and others use their email to set these reminders, experiment with all of
them to see what works best for you. Using lists are also a good way to focus short
term, so that way you can see how much you have accomplished in one day.
Pick a spot- Find a few good study/homework spots that are quiet and not distracting. Have places that are strictly for fun and places that are only for homework. Try to have two places, one at home or in your dorm and one at school.
Avoid places with televisions and lots of people, like the student center,
hat should be for relaxing or surfing the internet. The best place in
he school to study is easily the library; the worst is the student center
hen an event is going on. Also try to avoid working on your bed, get
your mind and body to associate your bed as a place to relax by not doing
work in it.
Figure out how you work- Everyone has different methods to help them study
and be observant of your habits, both good and bad. For example, some people
work well with music and others do not, but they might not realize it. Anytime
that you get distracted figure out why and what you were doing to avoid that
diversion.
Get involved- There is such a thing as too much free time and it can easily lead
to procrastinating because you have so much time to do it later. So join a club or
maybe two, find the happy medium between school, clubs/sports, and free time.
Some need to be really busy to stay on top of everything, so add one at a time and
don’t over or underwhelm yourself, stop when you are happy.
Customer Sales/Service
Need a job during the semester?
Great pay ($16 base-rate).
Flex schedules.
Part-time hours available.
Apply at workforstudents.com/np
OR call 847-665-8158
Training ASAP.
5
6
7
Make friends- Student organizations are also great ways to make friends and
meet similar people. Use class projects to make new friends as well. Try to make
friends with people that you work well with because, as you go through the program, there are many large group projects to do. Having hardworking friends will
also encourage you to keep up with your classes and your friends.
Take breaks- After hours of class, try to take a short break, no more than an
hour, to clear your head and de-stress. And while studying or doing homework
take a break every hour or two, even if it is just to walk around for a few minutes.
Most people can’t go to class for 4 or 6 hours and then study for another 4-6, so
don’t just throw in a break as you need it. This is also a great way reward yourself;
for example, if you like computer games then set a timer and play for a half hour
after studying for two and repeat.
Remember who this is for- The most important thing is to remind yourself why
you are here; is it for your parents, spouse, children, or just to create a better life
for yourself? Whatever the reason remind yourself of it continually, it will motivate you and focus your attention on what needs to be done. If it’s for a family
member keep a picture of them on your desk, phone, and laptop. If you just want
it for yourself, keep a picture of your dream home or vacation destination nearby.
Well, hopefully these tips help and give you a few ideas on the ways in which you
can control your future. There are many distractions and a lack of organization
can easily ruin a bright future, so find your methods and use them. v
20
PUZZLES
Sudoku WordScramble
INSTRUCTIONS Fill the grid with numbers so each
row, column, and 3x3 block has every number from 1 to 9.
Puzzle 1 (Easy, difficulty rating 0.34)
1
1
4
3
9
2
8
8
5
6
3
4
5
7
3
1
8
5
5
4
7
9
7
4
9
6
7
INSTRUCTIONS Unscramble the letters to make meaningful words and write them in the space given at the
bottom. Use the letters entered in the squares, as well as the hint provided, to unscramble the answer phrase.
ksycsprrae
teniamni g cf _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
2
7
_____
niyw d
lacbkaswhk
8
__________
iry g elw
__________
_______
Hint: Famous Chicago Building
Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/~jdhildeb/software/sudokugen/ on Wed Sep 26 17:38:05 2012 GMT. Enjoy!
No Class by Richard Connolly
im d wya
______
crcommikc _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
oh d ot g
olpo
errfsi
______
____
______