Collegian: News

An Ode to Dear Ol' State...

2007-05-02T10:27:00.000-07:00

Dear Penn State,

It's been four years since we first began our relationship together. And oh what a time we've had. Like all good relationships we've had our ups and down — our fights, our triumphs, our special little moments. In a few days we'll be going long-distance. Some may think our relationship is doomed, but not I, Dear State. I don't want you to ever forget me when I'm gone so I'm dedicating this ode to you:

It has been four years since it all began,
Ian served as president then — he was the man.
Our football team back then wasn't so swell,
Mills was the QB and fans gave him hell.
USG was still the cream of the crop,
Mazzante was the scoring Lady Lion to stop.

Then along came the year 2004,
When Eastview Terrace opened its doors.
iPods popped up, and music became hip,
Foulke 'n' A ran the show, along with Vicky Trip.
The Red Sox won the Series, and Boston cheered!
Bush was reelected, and most students jeered.

In 2005 we announced that "We're Back!"
MRob and Tony led the football pack.
And on that fateful November day,
Our hatred for Michigan grew after just one play.
Dreams of roses were shattered, but hopes still alive,
For in Miami, oranges and South Beach do thrive.

Come 2006 the freshman class expanded,
and into student government, the UPUA ship landed.
Bundy made headlines, and students were shocked,
And thanks to J. Timberlake our bodies were rocked.
State Theatre opened with a formal affair,
And drunk driving problems had us all taking care.

This year has already started with quite a full force,
Portland left the Valley, for her own reasons, of course.
New ticket systems have got all the students up in arms,
and possible football player suspensions may cause the team harm.
Penn State, I'll miss you..whether you're in the wrong or the right
From now until forever, I'll bleed Blue and White.

Polls closed - totals forthcoming

2007-04-25T22:00:00.000-07:00

It's 10 p.m., so the polls are officially closed. Hopefully we'll have the results soon.

- Ian

One hour left to vote

2007-04-25T21:00:00.000-07:00

The polls will be open for only an hour longer, and the candidates are still out campaigning. I've seen Ricardo Torres and Mike Anderson walking around the ground floor of the HUB, and saw about 10-15 yellow-clad Gavin Keirans supporters heading up to East Halls for some last minute campaigning.

Head election commissioner Frank Criscione said the dinner crowd of voters, which he thought would be the last big push, was "substantial, but not as good as [he] would've hoped.

- Ian

Confirmed winner won't be announced tonight

2007-04-25T18:15:00.000-07:00

Because of a large number of elections code violations committed by candidates, head election commissioner Frank Criscione said the vote totals would be announced tonight as planned, but the winner would not be confirmed.

"There's no way we'll be able to actually confirm anyone tonight," he said. "With the amount of violations and the amount of candidates with violations, it's just not going to happen."

Criscione said it would likely be a couple days before the violations would be processed and the financial statements would be reviewed, meaning it will be a couple days until a confirmed winner is actually announced.

- Ian

Prince of Darkness

2007-04-25T17:53:00.000-07:00

I spent some time in the nerve center of the UPUA elections operations and got to meet a man who's known to some as "The Prince of Darkness."

The Prince, who usually goes by Frank Criscione (senior-microbiology), is the man behind the elections machine. He's the UPUA head elections commissioner and from what he told me, he's had a long day so far.

"I was in class giving my final presentation and I got four phone calls during it," Criscione laughed.

Crisicione helps acts as the "translator" of the 16-page, 11-article elections code that all candidates must comply with.

Because the document, which contains over 100 clauses, can be interpreted different ways, candidates call Criscione if they have any questions about whether or not their campaign strategies are legit.

"Candidates might not understand the spirit of the code as we've interpreted it," Criscione said. If they have a question, "the best thing to do is call and ask so we can say 'OK, that's kosher,' instead of them interpreting it however they see fit."

Criscisone told me that he earned his nickname from his by-the-book management of the UPUA elections.

"I've got friends on all the campaigns, but today, I can't be their friends," he said. "It's been difficult because I've been in their position and I know what they're going through, but the code's the code."

- Bill

Don't rain on my (presidential inauguration) parade

2007-04-25T17:25:00.000-07:00

Penn State fans were fortunate enough to have a gorgeous day for the Blue and White Game this year.

They weren't so lucky on election day.

The rain has been "affecting candidates ability to roam around campus and campaign," UPUA head elections commissioner Frank Criscione said.

He added that it's been affecting voter turnout and plans to "really push" public polling spots in East and West residential commons areas.

Previous student government elections had public polling, but it wasn't always run by the elections commission. Sometimes the candidates themselves ran the public polls.

Criscione said the elections commission planned to implement polling in the commons anyway, but the rain has pushed them to step up their game.

"It's almost 4:30," he said as some members of the elections commission were heading off to set up the polls. "We're going to try and hit the dinner crowd."

- Bill

"Jay Bundy with no shirt on!"

2007-04-25T16:08:00.000-07:00

Robert Corrado has a great way to get people's attention.

"Jay Bundy with no shirt on!" he yelled, while handing out the student magazine ALT near the UPUA election table in the HUB.

Corrado (sophomore-public relations) was handing out the magazines with Kyle Wall (sophomore-marketing, journalism) and Kelly Murphy (sophomore-public relations, French, international studies).

One side of the double-cover issue features a shirtless Bundy wearing a wrestling championship belt and holding a towel over his shoulders. So even though Bundy decided to throw in the towel for this election, his image can still be found five feet away from election booth.

- Bill

Last chance

2007-04-25T15:58:00.000-07:00

I've talked to a few seniors at the HUB, and they all have different thoughts about today's UPUA election.

David Paige (senior-electrical engineering) said he hasn't voted yet and he's not sure if he will.

"I'm graduating, so it's not going to affect me," he said, adding that he hasn't been following the race. Paige said he's never found the elections to have a significant impact on his life at Penn State.

"I've never known a decision UPUA's made thats affected something that I've had to do," he said. "I don't know if they're involved or not, they're just not visible.

Another senior, Jeff Attimy, echoed Paige's thoughts.

"I'm not going to be here to benefit," he said. "They should include freshman, sophomores and juniors more because they're going to be here a lot longer."

At least one senior I talked to said she'll vote.

"It's not going to affect me because I'm graduating next month, but I'm still going to vote anyway," Ariel Hunt said. "It'll show support for the upcoming upperclassmen."

- Bill

"The candidates are getting a little feisty right now."

2007-04-25T12:52:00.000-07:00

Frank Criscione, head election commissioner, said all the candidates turned their financial statements in on time, but there are still a number of violations they can commit throughout the rest of the day to get disqualified, as the candidates themselves are apparently not afraid to point out in reports to Criscione.

"The candidates are getting a little feisty right now," he said. "It's turning into a competition of seeing who can get the most fines on another candidate, not the most votes from voters."

He said he was about to put a stop to "nitpicky policing" by "conversing nicely with the candidates."

- Ian

Quick fixes for a couple technical difficulties

2007-04-25T12:33:00.000-07:00

Deputy election commissioner Shawn Gordon sent me these common questions about ballot access to post for anyone who's having trouble voting. He said the commission has not heard from many students that are having trouble voting, but just wanted to make sure students had this information so they could vote "confidently." Here are the two questions and answers:

"1. I get an error accessing the ballot through the "Click Here to Vote" button. The error says my timezone is incorrect. How can I vote?
Answer: The vote.psu.edu site uses your PC/MAC time to verify that it is between 6am and 10pm. This is in addition to the voting server validating the time through the voting system. PC/MACs on Eastern Daylight Time should be on UTC -4. However, some are still set to UTC -5, and others are on different times. Students can simply use the international page via the lower button (second on the page) and select from the various timezones one that is correct.

2. I changed my password recently. I can't log on with it.
The simple changing of a new password should not be a problem. However, if a student's new password has "special characters," these characters do not work with all of PSU authentication systems, and subsequently the system is rejecting user IDs with these "bad" passwords. Students with compliant passwords will be able to vote. The links below provide information on passwords and how to change them.

ITS has a website with these disallowed characters: http://its.psu.edu/password/bestpractices.html#disallowed
Students can check passwords for assurance in working with all PSU authentication systems at https://clc.its.psu.edu/users/VerifyPassword.aspx

Students with additional concerns can reach the Commission via vote.psu.edu and clicking on 'Contact Us.'"

- Ian

So far, so good

2007-04-25T11:13:00.000-07:00

Head election commissioner Frank Criscione stood beside a public polling place at the bottom of the HUB’s main staircase ready to help students vote around noon today.

“It’s looking good so far,” he said about the election. “It’s looking better than the last semester already.”

There’s a sign posted that says no campaigning is allowed within 10 feet of the polling place.

Criscione said he hasn’t had any problems with campaigners breaking that rule.

“They’re behaving so far,” he said, mentioning that since many of the candidates are close their spending limits, they don’t need any problems that could lead to disqualification.

--Rossilynne
Posted at 2:22 p.m.

"I'm actually starting to go crazy."

2007-04-25T10:50:00.000-07:00

As I walked toward the HUB today, I heard a sound that reminded me of a hybrid between Ginuwine’s “Pony” and the voice of someone who’d just sucked the air out of a few dozen helium balloons.

The words “Vote Gavin, Gavin, Gavin” burst from a small speaker system. I had to admit, the rap was incredibly catchy (it’s been in my head ever since).

A group of about five guys in yellow T-shirts were eager to hand me a yellow flier endorsing Gavin Keirans and Mike Wallace.

Patrick Byrne (freshman-biology) said he’d been up since 6 this morning campaigning for Keirans.

He admitted that the tune was getting on his nerves.

“I’m actually starting to go crazy,” he said with a laugh.

--Rossilynne
Posted at 2:10 p.m.

Free pizza in the HUB

2007-04-25T08:34:00.000-07:00

The UPUA election commission has a public polling place set up at the bottom of the main staircase in the HUB, and they'll be giving away a free slice of pizza to every student who votes there beginning at 12:30.

Deputy election commissioner Sean Sherlock said they would have 14 pies to give away.

"Just cheese, unfortunately," he added.

- Ian

"Now that's dedication."

2007-04-25T08:25:00.000-07:00

I just spoke to a student in the HUB, Kendall Eberhardt (senior-civil engineering), who had a unique story about why he voted for Ricardo Torres and Mike Anderson.

Eberhardt said he was walking to class this morning with a cup of coffee in one hand and a crumb cake in the other, when a representative from Torres' campaign stopped him and carefully slid of the campaign's lime green fliers between Eberhardt's only two free fingers.

"Now that's dedication," Eberhardt said. "If someone goes through that much effort just to give me a flier, I'm going to vote for them."

- Ian

UPUA election day officially begins.

2007-04-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

As the clock strikes 6, the polls for the UPUA elections are now officially open, as they will remain until 10 p.m. We’ll keep you posted on what’s happening around campus and within the elections on this blog throughout the day.

Here are a couple storylines that could develop further today, besides the obvious question of who will win:

1. What sort of campaigning will the candidates do? If it rains, will they still campaign in full force?

2. Will all the candidates make it through the day without getting disqualified? Head election commissioner Frank Criscione said yesterday that several are close to their spending limits.

- Ian

Be thankful

2007-04-18T12:21:00.000-07:00

We've all heard about the Virginia Tech shooting by now. We've been inundated with the photos, the sound clips the video footage. It's been horrifying — every single aspect of this situation has been hell for everyone involved.

It's easy to say we can learn from this, or that something good will come from this situation, but is that true? I remember after 9/11 Jon Stewart, of all people, said something profound. A week after the attack on the World Trade Center, tearfully he said on The Daily Show:

"The view... from my apartment... was the World Trade Center.... And now it's gone. And they attacked it. This symbol of American ingenuity, and strength, and... and labor, and imagination and commerce, and it is gone. But you know what the view is now? The Statue of Liberty. The view from the South of Manhattan is now the Statue of Liberty. You can't beat that..."

Simple, but beautiful. The Statue of Liberty is a symbol of the United States: a land of opportunity for people from all over the world. Is it ironic that Cho Seung-hui, the man suspected of shooting and killing 32 people at Virginia Tech on Monday was an immigrant from South Korea? Is it ironic that his parents moved him here, possibly looking for opportunity in a new land?

I don't know.

All I know is that our community — the United States; State College; York, Pa; whatever — is made up of thousands of different personalities. Each of them deserve respect and compassion, now especially.

I guess it's this kind of attitude that makes it hard for me to hate Cho Seung-hui. He was obviously a troubled individual in need of a great amount of psychiatric help. More and more I feel bad for him than anything else.

You can blame anyone you want. Maybe his parents didn't hug him enough as a kid — didn't nurture him to the best of their ability. Maybe he was bullied in elementary school. Maybe he listened to too much Marilyn Manson. Maybe he played too many violent video games. Eventually you run out of things to blame and you stop and ask yourself:

"What would I have done in his situation?"

It's scary to think about, and no one can ever definitively answer that question. I guess there is something positive you can take from all this:

Be thankful.

Thank God, or Allah, or whatever you prescribe to, that your circumstances growing up led you to become the person you are today. Be thankful you were never in Cho Seung-hui's position. Be thankful you have some support system. Be thankful and hope that you never have to face what the family of those 33 Virginia Tech students and faculty have to face.

She's beauty and she's grace...

2007-04-11T10:15:00.000-07:00

It appears, dear friends, that even Momma Nature isn't immune to the constant competition and beauty pageantry bombarding today's society. That's right, it wasn't enough that she bestows beautiful golden sunrises and rosy sunsets. Forget the fact that she's covered our Earth in lush green forests and wildflowers. Now, it appears, her creations are being judged...and I, for one, don't think it's a good idea to anger Mother Nature.

'What in the Hades is this girl talking about?', you ask. Simple — the Lehigh River has recently been named Pennsylvania's "River of the Year" — and I, for one, am appalled.

Growing up a Susquehanna kind of gal myself, I found myself curious — what makes the aqua in the Lehigh supreme?

According to a press release quoting Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Michael DiBerardinis — the man, myth and legend who gave the river its crown — “The Lehigh River is alive and thriving, with water quality better now than it has been the last 150 years.”

Alive and thriving, eh? And this makes it different from all other rivers how?

I mean I understand that it was used to transport coal back in the day, and I'm sure it's scenic and has a nice assortment of fish and waterfowl...but, so what? I stand firm that in a river fight, the Susquehanna would undoubtedly drown the Lehigh.

I'll pontificate.

According to Wikipedia -- being the fine, gospel-like research tool that it is -- the Susquey is considered to be one of the oldest major geographical systems on the continent. Sure it may be my hometown favorite, but it's the longest river on the East Coast for golly's sake. Oh, and to top it all off, it provides HALF of the freshwater inflow for the entire Chesapeake Bay. That's River of the Year worthy to me. And if that weren't enough Joseph Smith, Jr. and Oliver Cowdery (some heavy hitters in the religious world) claimed to have been visited by the angel John the Baptist on the banks of the Susquehanna River near Harmony, Pa. in 1829.

But that's cool, Mr. DiBerardinis...you go ahead and tell me that my angel-visited river ranks behind the mighty Lehigh...no biggie. But I think we can all appreciate a lesson once taught to us by a Chiffon Margarine commercial in the 1970s — It's not nice to fool with Mother Nature.

Dogs are cool, but not "sucide" cool

2007-04-04T11:49:00.000-07:00

Pets are great. They provide companionship, comic relief and love.

I'd have to say I'm a dog guy at heart ("Ye like dags?"). They're great. From adorable puppies to comforting adults, dogs are the greatest pet in the world. It's a scientific fact.

So I guess you could say I love animals just as much as the next person, but apparently not as much as C.N. Madanraj and his wife, Tarabai. I guess the "Mad Dog Madanrajs" (as their friends called them) just couldn't go on after the loss of their beloved "Puppy" and decided to end it by hanging themselves one Sunday afternoon.

I think I'm less puzzled by the fact that they killed themselves than that they couldn't think of a better name for their dog. I mean, if you value a pet as highly as the Madanrajs apparently did, why not give it a real name?

In other news: Keith Richards told NME Magazine (a music magazine, apparently, though I've never heard of it) that he mixed his dad's ashes with some cocaine and snorted the pile in loving memory of his father. Raise your hand if you don't find this surprising.

Richards has since clarified the tale in a recent AP story which uses an extraordinary amount of exclamation points (apparently Richards was very emphatic — lots of fist-pounding and whatnot).

I always knew coyotes were awesome and this recent story just proves it. Those Warner Bros. cartoons always gave them a bad wrap. I'm just wondering how a coyote got to downtown Chicago. Did he ride the L just like everyone else? I just like that he stood there and modeled the "Blue Steel" from Zoolander for the photographer.

Booty-licious

2007-03-28T10:14:00.000-07:00

While sifting through the laundry list of recent headlines (Gonzalez is doomed, Anna Nicole's overdose, British hostages) a wise sensei hinted to story that's only been surpassed, in my mind, by the plight of little Knut — see below.

It appears, my friends, that cavemen liked the ba-donk-a-donk.

For those of you not with it, wikipedia.org informs me that a badonkadonk "is a slang term for a woman's buttocks that are voluptuously large and firm, yet bouncy."

Now that we've got that established, I'll explain.

In an article found on Discovery.com, recent findings show that cavemen may have preferred their women with a little meat on their bones. Paleontologists have discovered flint figurines carved as women with lots of... assets.

According to the article, "Most of the carvings show a slight curve in the breast area. Very exaggerated curves depict the buttocks, while tiny rounded tops served as heads." That's right men, booty is beautiful.

Paleontologists believe the carvings were probably done by "young men." Imagine that.

Maybe it's because mammoth is a fatty meat, or perhaps having men with clubs drag you around by your hair required extra padding against brushburns and stray rocks. Either way, it appears that while today's society is trying to de-carb, un-fat and sweat off our tushies — prehistoric papas were all about the feminine form.

So perhaps thin is chic now, but 15,000 years ago voluptuous vixens were hot. Maybe instead of starving ourselves we should take a lesson from our ancestors — after all, they did discover fire.

So ladies, live in the spirit of the cavewomen and enjoy your sugar-filled lattes and carb-filled burger and fries. And please, above all else, don't be afraid to shake what your momma gave ya.

He's just a little guy...

2007-03-21T12:35:00.000-07:00

I'm a bleeding heart for all things cute and cuddly. So when I was perusing CNN.com a few days ago and spotted a photo of a cute little polar bear looking adoringly at the camera, I immediately ooh-ed, ahh-ed and clicked to read more.

The first thing that caught my eye in the article: "The zoo must kill the bear."

Beg your pardon?

I'll explain...Knut — a little ball of polar bear fluff, was ignored by his Mama after birth and so zookeepers at the Berlin Zoo decided to handfeed and raise him. Stellar of them, right? But some animal rights activists believe the bear would be better off dead.

Yes, dead.

These activists believe it's in the best interest of the bear to put the little guy to sleep, because if zookeepers raise him, he may not ever be able to fit in with his polar bear friends. Clearly being dead is a better option than having awkward social moments.

Things like this make me wonder if people should need a license to breed and pass on their genes.

Yes, I'm aware cute little Knut eventually grows into a gigantic killing machine, but for now he's just a little guy who just wants a bottle and a nap.

We've got a war going on a little south of Deustchland fellas. If you're really trying to protest something, take all that energy you're spending on trying to give Knut the axe and put it to better use.

Last dance with Mary Jane...

2007-03-07T14:56:00.000-08:00

Captain America is dead. Britney Spears may be the anti-Christ. Scoot’s guilty. With so much material, how is it I had so much trouble trying to think of something write about?

Perhaps it’s because I could give a rat’s fanny about what Ms. Spears is doing with her time, I’m not entirely convinced Scooter’s going to prison and the only Captain that matters in my life works best in a pina colada. But then I saw an article on CNN.com, and I knew I found my muse.

On Monday, CNN reported that police in Texas, who were searching for stolen goods, found a video that appears to show teenagers convincing a 2-year-old and his 5-year-old older brother to smoke some pot.

Yes, you read that right. A toddler and his kindergarten-aged brother were allegedly shown how to smoke a doobie.

What is going on in this world?

Bruce Ure, director of public safety for the Watauga Police Department, told CNN that the video showed the teenagers laughing while the kids stumbled around. These kids should be watching Blue’s Clues, not getting the munchies for cheerios and apple juice.

The article said the teenagers are being charged with third-degree felony charges.

We live in a scary world. Nuclear bombs are falling into the hands of lunatics in power. KFed is starting to look like the lesser of the two evils for Sean Preston and Sutton Pierce (or is it Jayden James). Did anyone ever figure out what they named babe #2? But nukes and war don't scare me nearly as much as the fact that someone in this world thinks it is OK to teach a toddler how to smoke a joint.

We're worried about terrorists from other countries invading our country and ruining our lives, but maybe we should be more concerned with what's going on in our own backyard.

That's the scary stuff.

Sexy news

2007-02-28T11:46:00.000-08:00

I was reading an article on Sports Illustrated's Web site about a new steroid scandal in which athletes, as well as certain famous celebrities, have been the recipients of steroids from two Orlando-based pharmacies, when something Albany County (N.Y.) District Attorney P. David Soares said struck me as funny.

"I understand that the involvement of athletes and celebrities makes this a sexy story, but I assure you we are not, at this point, we are not concerned with the celebrity factor," Soares said. "Our focus here is to shut down distribution channels."

Hell yes. I would imagine nothing is sexier to women than roid rage, horrible acne and testicles the size of raisins. But this quote got me thinking: What exactly is sexy news?

So I spent all week scouring the "Internets" for the sexiest news I could find and compiled them for you, our sexy readers, reading this sexy blog, on our sexy Collegian Web site.

Sorry, it was a hard decision, but neither Strom Thurmond, nor the Rev. Al Sharpton made it on to the list...

So here we go:

1) Nothing is more sexy than a baby tiger. Wait, did I say sexy? I meant adorable. And nothing is more adorable than baby tigers befriending baby orangutans and frolicking together at the Taman Safari zoo in India. And you know what adorable baby tigers do. They grow up into sexy adult tigers... and then they eat orangutans. Oh yeah... sexy.

2) Robert Blake used to be sexy, right? And this once-sexy (now old and frightening) actor is appealing the $30 million dollar wrongful death verdict in the death of his former wife. Nothing is sexier than Hollywood drama. Isn't that why E! entertainment channel is so popular? Wait, I was looking old pictures of Robert Blake and he was never sexy. Oh well, too late to turn back now. On to more sexiness!

3) Bratz dolls are sexy. TOO sexy some parents feel. Well, at least too sexy for young girls. Some Canadian schools have decided to sell books featuring the popular but controversial Bratz dolls, drawing the ire from psychologists and parents. I never realized Canada was so up-and-coming in the world of sexiness (disregarding Canadian "actress" Pamela Anderson). Go Canada!

4) This just in! Poly-Wall protective coatings have just jumped from a 2 to a 10 on our Collegian "Sexy-meter." Poly-Wall "goes on faster, and lasts longer." Oh yeah, that's what she said. Protective Coating Technology has just hired a design firm to make their product more sexy. Is this a trend in construction companies? We'll see. What I want to know is: How is a sealant that contractors apply to basements to prevent air and moisture from seeping in not sexy to begin with?

What to write about?

2007-02-21T14:00:00.000-08:00

It's come to my attention recently (through the verbal jabs of one of our esteemed page designers) that lately, all I've been using this blog for is to be outraged at things that are outrageous.

Cases in point: my Barbaro post, my post about that girl who was denied birth control in jail after she was raped, my post about O.J. Simpson's book on killing his wife... and so on...

So along comes the ops page chief, Meg Rundle, and writes a post last week that completely blows any post that I've written away.

Crap...

I wouldn't say I'm competitive in nature, but I do like to write things that don't suck. And I certainly don't want people to see my name under the post line and say, "Oh I bet Alex was outraged at something again, shucks..."

I'm witty too guys, I swear. I promise that all 12 of you who actually read this blog will believe me by the end of it. (Actually I'm just hoping that we still have 12 readers by the time this post is over.)

Holy crap! Okay, I just read that Heather Mills is going to be on this season's "Dancing with the Stars" on ABC. Justifiably I hate this betty for being a nut job, and also for sullying Sir Paul McCartney's good name (I'm a Beatles fan, who isn't?).

But with all that aside, I'm wondering: Doesn't she have a huge disadvantage?

I mean, the lady only has one leg, and I'd assume that would make it difficult to compete against the likes of Clyde "The Glide" Drexler, and Olympian Apolo Anton Ohno. These guys are born athletes, AND Muhammad Ali's daughter, Laila Ali, is competing. (I'm actually, genuinely interested to see who the saint is who'll have to dance with this monster of a woman.)

So many questions are running through my head:

Aren't some of those dances pretty strenuous? How much will they penalize her if her fake leg falls off during a routine? Am I going to hell for thinking about this?

I can't see this ending well for Mills at all. In fact, if she makes it to the finals I'll take some salsa lessons at the White Building. (Remember, no one reads this blog anyway so who's going to hold me to it?)

In other news:
- The whole Anna Nicole Smith dealie is turning out to be a story fit for an afternoon soap opera. All we need now is an inordinate amount of good-looking people gathered together in one room, acting horribly to a poorly-written script. Wait, is Laguna Beach still on?

- It's a sad day for comedy, folks. No, Paris Hilton hasn't branched out into stand-up (and yes, you are still reading this blog, so comedy is obviously suffering). Two clowns were shot dead at a traveling circus in Colombia. Soooo yeah, I guess a "knocked 'em dead" joke would be entirely inappropriate at this point in time. Zing!

- And finally, the woman who threw her McDonald's (registered trademark) drink through the window of the car that cut her off received two years in jail. Look, if you're going to get two years in jail for throwing something at someone, at least keep a brick handy, I mean seriously. The carnage and destruction fitting for a two-year prison stint simply can't be met by a cup of ice. I hope someone informed this woman that those stupid fast-food joint sporks make awful skivs.

I scream, you scream . . .

2007-02-14T13:44:00.000-08:00

It seems like lately, if you want to talk news, there are two issues of concern — What's going on in Iraq and, more importantly, who really is Dannielynn’s daddy?

I don’t care much for politics and everyone knows Trimspa fathered Anna Nicole’s child, so today’s topic, ladies and gentlemen, is found in one of the seven wonders of the world — ice cream.

Ben and Jerry’s recently announced their newest flavor "Stephen Colbert’s Americone Dream," A delightful combination of vanilla ice cream with chocolate covered pieces of waffle cone. The company says those who indulge will feel "the sweet taste of liberty in your mouth."

But after thinking about all of the flavors Ben and the Jer-meister have made in honor of celebrities (Cherry Garcia, Phish Food, Dave Matthews Band Magic Brownies), I couldn’t help thinking if they can do it, so can I.

So here you go ladies and gentlemen, the legends of Penn State ala mode.

Ode to Graham Cracker — Named after Dear Old State’s beloved president, this creamy concoction is combination of vanilla ice cream with a hint of fun spice. A little too smooth for some people’s liking, this dish is best served with a shot of Jamison whiskey from the Phryst.

Tricky Vicky’s Butter Pecan — Sickeningly sweet, this ice cream appears as sweet as can be. Be careful though, over-indulgence can lead to a stomach ache.

Joey P’s It’s-an-oldie-but-a-goodie Vanilla — Sure this flavor may be nothing new, but there’s a reason it’s a classic. A favorite of many alumni, this flavor is best served as a float in coke-bottle glasses.

Rene’s Rainbow Sherbet — A diverse combination of flavors, this ice cream comes at a high price ($10,000 a scoop!) Watch out for random protesters demanding fair treatment for the eating of all flavors.

Bill "I’m the Mahon’s" Rum Raisin — Note: This ice cream is liquor-free. In no way does Bill "I’m the Mahon’s" Rum Raisin condone drinking. Enjoy responsibly.

So there you go folks. Look for these items coming soon to a McLanny’s near you. In the meantime, go enjoy another State College treat: snow!

How bout a horse of a different color? (I'm talking real news here people)

2007-02-07T12:51:00.000-08:00

On Monday one of the Collegian columnists, Chris Mueller, wrote a column that sparked a barrage of letters unlike anything I’ve ever seen here at the Collegian. What was the topic of this column, you might ask?

A stupid horse.

If you haven’t heard yet (in which case you’re illiterate and deaf, or just living in a closet playing video games all day) the equine equivalent of the Messiah died on Monday. Barbaro was a great competitor, energized the sport of horse racing for many and was an all-around amazing horse.

But he was just that: a horse.

Reading the letters we received, you would have thought Mueller had advocated the destruction of an orphanage, while the children were still in it. Someone from South Carolina threatened to do something unkind to his posterior region (yeah…I cleaned that up a bit); he was called an idiot numerous times; and was told, by people who have no knowledge of grammar or syntax, that he was a terrible writer.

I laughed at these letters at first, and then I got angry, and then I got bored. (There’s only so many ways you can call someone worthless with any sort of conviction, and the word "idiot" was worn out by the thirteenth letter.)

But now I’m angry again and with good reason. I just finished reading this wonderful column by Chris Donnely, who writes for the University of Connecticut’s paper, the Daily Campus, and he hit the nail on the head.

"Forget Barbaro, Remember Humans," is the headline of his column and, quite frankly, it explains everything I’m feeling perfectly.

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in things emotionally that when someone criticizes what we love, we fly off the deep end, which I'm guessing is what happened with the reader who called Mueller "disgusting" and a sick son of a female dog. (How she knows this I have no idea. I didn't even realize Mueller was feeling under the weather, and I've met his mother and she's a wonderful lady.)

What Donnely says in his column is that there are much more serious news stories happening in the world to get emotional about. Yeah, it sucks that Barbaro bit it, but hello, there are still children starving to death in Darfur, and I'm pretty sure there's a large portion of New Orleans laid to waste.

Troops are still getting killed in Iraq. A former NASA astronaut allegedly flew off the handle and tried to murder someone. Hell, even a Snickers add that some are deeming "homophobic" is creating a stir. These are all infinitely more topical and important to our society than the death of a racehorse. Where are the letters about these things?

Do any students realize that we still don't know where all the tuition we pay goes to? How about the fact that tuition will inevitably rise next year; the State College Borough Council is trying to tax alcoholic drinks at bars; St. Patrick's day was just moved to March 2 so that students can still get wasted before Spring Break. Doesn't anyone care about these things?

We got one letter today about the kid who was jumped and beaten with metal rods. One letter compared to almost 50 letters the Collegian and Mueller received about a horse.

Where do our priorities lie?

Rape Victim Jailed

2007-01-31T16:41:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you read news that makes you wonder about the society we live in. It angers you, or disgusts you, or embarrasses you to call yourself part of a certain group of people.

As I was reading CNN I was confronted by an article that made me feel all of these. The headline read, "Rape victim is jailed on old warrant," which of course piqued my interest. As I read it I only got more and more outraged. A college student who was allegedly raped went to police, only to be arrested on an old warrant for not paying restitution for a 2003 arrest.

Ridiculous?

It gets worse…

The girl spent two days in jail, and was denied emergency contraception for two days. In case you don’t know, the effectiveness of emergency birth control decreases significantly each hour that passes. Two days is a long time.

What’s more disturbing is the fact that so many women refuse to report rape because of embarrassment, and the hassle of having to relive the experience while filling out reports and recalling the event to police officers. This event is only going to dissuade more victims from reporting rape.

In 2003 the woman was arrested as a juvenile for grand theft and burglary, and owed $4,585. I’m wondering what the real cost of this arrest will be. If she becomes pregnant because she wasn’t given emergency contraception in time, she’ll either give birth or have to abort the child, a tough decision for anyone in her situation. This all could have been avoided if a little common sense had been implemented.

I understand the importance of upholding the law, and maybe she should have been held in jail. But there’s no legitimate reason, in such dire circumstances, that emergency birth control should have been withheld from this girl.

The next messiah ... a dragon?

2007-01-24T16:57:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, a young Komodo dragon became a happy mother of five. The twist? It was a virgin birth.

The birth didn't take place in Bethlehem. It was in England. But scientists are heralding these births as a new hope for endangered species everywhere.

So after this, I guess you have to ask yourself: What Would Komodo Dragons Do?

Pennies may soon be worth more than a cent, if a potential coin shortage comes to fruition.

Federal Reserve economists project a coin shortage which could shoot the worth of a penny up to about 5 cents. Rising prices of metal have caused people to melt and resell coins, causing the coing shortage.

So ask yourself, who would win a fight? Lincoln or Jefferson. Flip a coin, it doesn't matter.

According to CNN.com, a Chinese Communist Party Chief has vowed to "purify" the Internet.

CNN.com reports "he made it clear that the Communist Party was looking to ensure it keeps control of China's Internet users, often more interested in salacious pictures, bloodthirsty games and political scandal than Marxist lessons."

Let's hope they start with MySpace.

Hey, good news! Now you can have all the fun of lighting your friends on fire, without actually lighting them on fire.

The military has developed a new ray gun that creates a sense of being lit on fire in the victim it is aimed at. The military says it may save thousands of lives in Iraq, as it is a non-lethal approach to warfare.

I say who cares about mace and pepper spray with this ray gun available.

So this is the New Year

2007-01-17T16:52:00.000-08:00

As the Collegian's former Opinion Page chief, nothing made me happier than getting dozens of letters to the editor. It didn't matter if they were bashing the Collegian, bashing fellow students, or bashing the administration. These letters are the students' voice in our newspaper, and I love it when the students take advantage of this option to let the rest of the university know what they're thinking.

As the Collegian's new Opinion Page editor, I have to say I'm a little disappointed by the lack of letters we've received so far. I know, I know, it's only a few days into the semester, but what used to be a river has dwindled to a trickle (I know, it's an awful analogy, but if you hate it, write in about it!)

Last semester you had a wealth of things to talk about. The infamous Jay Bundy incident started a wildfire of letters and even a simple, innocuous mention in the Arts section about the meaning of the Confederate flag created an outpouring of letters that we weren't expecting.

Sometimes it's amazing to witness what small things spark debate among the students here at Penn State. But that's the beauty of a college, and a college newspaper. So many differing viewpoints within a small rural Pennsylvania town can be broadcast to thousands through the newspaper, and subsequently, through our web site.

Last semester we got letters from Kentucky, Texas, California and even a few from overseas. Over winter break we even received a few letters from Iran. We get letters from prisoners, from working mothers, from concerned students. We get letters from all walks of life, but they all have one thing in common:

Each letter represents the voice, and opinion, of the person who wrote it.

So what do you have to say?

Good news!

2006-12-13T16:53:00.000-08:00

Okay folks, as it is the last News blog of the semester, and my fellow Ops Editor, Kathleen, has forsaken me once again to write the blog. I think I'm going to list the top news stories of the semester, in no particular order.

The Democrats took the House and the Senate. They better make some changes or else the pendulum is going to swing back the other way and we're all in trouble again.

Seals started attacking people on the west coast. We blamed Spielberg for this one.

In September, Former President Clinton verbally slapped Chris Wallace. People need to stop upsetting Clinton, he's got a bad heart for God's sake...

Also in September a drunken Chinese tourist bit a panda at a local zoo, and finished his meal off with some fresh yak. Well, not really, but he did bite the panda, which in turn mauled him. Note to self: Don't bite pandas.

Britney Spears gave birth to another child, and she STILL hasn't had her kids taken away by the government yet. It's only a matter of time, don't worry.

Rush Limbaugh is still an idiot.

O.J. Simpson... also still an idiot.

An Amish school was attacked by a lone gunman earlier this semester. The Amish people handled the situation admirably, and won the hearts of the nation.

Foley is a pervert.

That's about it! Well I'm sure there's been more news. But that's the best of what we've written about here on our blog at The Daily Collegian's Web site. Tune in next semester when we tackle more hard hitting news, and of course, stuff that's just plain odd.

Family first

2006-12-06T16:25:00.000-08:00

Families dominated the headlines yesterday.

Why shouldn't they? Everyone has a family, or had a family, or is planning to have a family, if child services allows it.

That said, families are big in news. Vice President Dick Cheney's family, is getting ready to welcome a new child. Mary Cheney, Cheney's lesbian daughter, is pregnant, and gay-rights activists are loving it. Cheney, who has served in an administration vehemently opposed to gay marriage and the recognition of same-sex couples, is now faced with a dilemma. Ironic, no?

In Oregon, officials have found the body of James Kim, the father who wandered into the wilderness looking for help for his wife and two daughters after the family's vehicle was caught in snow. Kim's wife and daughters were rescued on Monday without him knowing it, and he ended up walking "a long distance" according to CNN.

A story of such compassion can only be followed by the other side of the coin. In South Carolina, a mother had her 12-year-old son arrested for opening his Christmas presents early. The mother said it was the only way to teach the boy a lesson. What happened to a good old-fashioned spanking? Remember when we were young and we were sent to our rooms? Now you're sent to a prison cell. Almost as nice, but you have to go to the bathroom in front of everyone...

Surreal news

2006-11-29T18:18:00.000-08:00

Do you ever read something that just makes you say, "What the heck?"

No?

Do you live in a cave?

Well in that case, here are a couple news stories that should make you scratch your head, laugh, and wonder about the stupidity of your fellow citizens:

In Florida a man decided to smoke crack cocaine and woke up naked in the mouth of an alligator. Authorities had to wade into waste-deep mud and wrestle the man from the gator's mouth, like a toy from a dog. The man lost an arm and severely broke his other arm.
Lesson: Don't smoke crack cocaine and go wading. (Don't smoke crack cocaine.)

In San Francisco sea lions are terrorizing local beach-goers. A renegade sea lion has bitten 14 different individuals. Our assistant sports editor, Dan Winklebleck has a theory that Steven Spielberg is responsible for this. After the movie Jaws people went crazy and started killing off sharks left and right, which led to a mass increase in sea lion population. And now we're seeing the consequence.
Lesson: When you see a sea lion, run like hell.

Prince Charles recently released a cook book. Have you seen this guy? He looks like he's been dead for 20 years. Whatever he's eating I want no part of. Plus it's organic food, so it's got to be pure rubbish.
Lesson: When you're already rich, don't try to branch out.

2006-11-15T18:02:00.000-08:00

What’s a two-letter synonym for a disgusting excuse for a human being?

O.J.

If you haven’t heard yet, O.J. Simpson plans a book and TV interview to discuss how, hypothetically, he could have killed his ex-wife and her friend — a story his book publisher considers "his confession," according to an article on CNN.com.

I’ve got a 5$ bet that says the Goldman family won’t see a dime of the money Simpson owes them from the civil trial where he was found liable for Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman’s death.
How much does he owe again? Oh, that’s right: $33.5 million.

How low does your self-respect have to be to discuss how you "hypothetically" would have murdered an already-dead victim?

I can’t even imagine how his kids must feel.
‘Hey did you hear Dad’s writing a book about how he would have killed Mom?’

Simpson is obviously trying to cash in on his notoriety and, unfortunately, it’s going to work. Millions of people are going to tune into Fox to see his "confession," and his book will be a best seller.

Is this really the world we live in?

The most wonderful time of the year

2006-11-08T13:58:00.000-08:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

Well, really, elections are probably only wonderful for journalists who love covering politics.

For politicians and political die hards, it's the culmination of a lot of working, hoping and praying. For everyone else, it means the end of all the annoying commericals seen on TV and election pamphlets stuck in the front door.

If this election proved anything, it says that one party really can win an election by blaming the other. Apparently, setting out a cohesive set of individual policy ideas isn't always necessary.

It's the 2006 version of the women's movement...

But Tuesday night had enough twists and turns to keep everyone interested. In case you missed it, we will likely have a female Speaker of the House for the first time in history. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who helped organize the Democratic takeover is probably one of the happiest people on earth right now as she will more than likely ascend to the speaker's office. Bye bye, Denny Hastert.

Those good ol' boys are still trying to hang on...

The Senate will probably be up in the air for a few weeks. Although James Webb (D) declared victory in Virginia, Sen. George Allen (R) isn't about to give up his seat without a fight. Looks like Allen's presidential aspirations just hit a dead end.

If you give a legislator a pay raise...

Oh, and then there are those rockin' state assembly races. The anti-pay raise activists were still chomping at the bit, and minority whip, Rep. Mike Veon (D) was the victim. Bye Mike. That's what happens when you tell voters you're going to take their money and keep it for yourself and your friends.

In a game of cat and mouse..

Really, the best story of the election came out of Allentown, where a voter believed that Republicans were conspiring to take over the election by rigging the electronic voting machines. So, he attacked the machine with a cat paperweight. Poor kitty cat.

Oh, and did anybody really expect Swann to win?

Close, but no cigar

2006-11-02T10:14:00.000-08:00

You know it’s almost Election Day when politicians come trolling into town.

It’s been a busy week at Penn State. Gov. Ed Rendell was here on Tuesday, Lynn Swann came Wednesday and Bob Casey comes today. They all want our vote, or so it seems.
But interestingly enough, Swann didn’t make it to campus. Well, he came to the Penn Stater Hotel Conference Center, but in case he didn’t notice, students don’t really go out that way.

You might make the trek if you are a die-hard GOP fan who wants to meet the gubernatorial candidate. Or, if you have classes at Innovation Park or work at the hotel, you might be able to stop in for a chat.

But for most students, meeting the GOP candidate wasn’t an option.

Rendell spoke to a standing room crowd in the HUB. He talked policy and answered questions at an event hosted by College Democrats. He easily deflected criticism, and plugged his record as Governor. He talked about tuition and jobs for students once they graduate.

Swann, in contrast, visited the Centre County Business Industry Expo at the conference center.

Hey Mr. Swann, in case you missed it, Penn State students vote. Yes, overall, student turnout across the country has never been high. But if you were on campus during the 2004 election, you would have noticed that lines were out the door to vote at the HUB.

Groups have been working incredibly hard to register students to vote this fall, and Penn State students will vote. Also, contrary to popular belief, not all college students are liberal. And, there are student voters who haven’t made up their mind yet about which candidates they like.

So, at the biggest university in the commonwealth, you’d think students would get the chance to see all the candidates.

Mr. Swann, please come to campus and let students at least see you before Election Day. Students want a choice this Election Day. But, you’re not really letting them see that choice.

A simple rant

2006-10-25T16:59:00.000-07:00

In the past I've tried to do something creative with the blog — you know, spice it up a little, make it interesting.

Sorry folks, this week it's going to be a simple rant: Rush Limbaugh is an idiot.

If you all haven't heard yet, this past week, Limbaugh has stooped so far as to question an individual's disability.

If that's not bad enough, the disabled is none other than Parkinson's sufferer Michael J. Fox, a beloved actor... no... a national treasure.

Teen Wolf anyone?

Limbaugh accused Fox of playing up his Parkinson's disease while appearing in Democratic campaign commercials to advocate stem-cell research.

I feel like maybe Limbaugh is the one who is truly disabled, stricken with a severe case of idiocy at birth. Through his life, his disability has only worsened with age to the point where the average American can't stand the blowhard.

Some of the symptoms of idiocy include: asinine comments and a childish need for attention.

People who show symptoms of idiocy may also suffer from a high divorce rate and the need to abuse prescription pain killers.

Call your doctor if you think you suffer from idiocy, as potential risks may increase with political affiliation.

News of the weird

2006-10-18T14:56:00.000-07:00

Wait for it, wait for it… Mike Tyson is "very serious" about fighting women on his upcoming world tour.

Awesome.

Because there aren’t already enough scumbag guys out there beating up defenseless women. And Tyson does have a history of sexual assault, so it’s only logical that he should try to legitimize his inner-Neanderthal and call out some of the most prominent female boxers in the field.

It makes you wonder how people like Tyson can even function in normal society. I almost want to see it happen because, the way that Tyson has been spiraling downward, he’d probably lose anyway.

In other odd news this week, scientists have located a rare meteorite in a Kansas wheat field. The meteorite is a pallasite meteorite. Less than one percent of meteorites found on Earth are pallasite, making this find very rare.

I hate to draw parallels, but didn’t Clark Kent a.k.a. Superman also crash to Earth in a strange meteorite in a Kansas wheat field?

It might just be the comic-book nerd in me, but I’m going to put that theory out there, and you guys can think whatever you want. I’m just saying that if a blue-suited bumpkin starts saving cute, female reporters from The Daily Planet, I called it way ahead of time.

Apparently confident students do worse in math than self-conscious kids.

According to a report by the Brookings Institution's Brown Center on Education Policy, nations with the best math scores also have the least happy, least confident math students.

Wow, so there is a reason mathematicians are nerds with poor social skills. Thank you Brookings Institution for supplying bullies (of all ages) across the world with more artillery to make fun of geeks.

World’s most generous woman dies at the age of 100 and donates 35.6 million dollars to cancer research.

Apparently this lady lived in a small condo and denied herself in-home care in an effort to raise as much money as possible for diabetes and cancer research. She willed it away after her death because she didn’t want any recognition.

Thank you Eugenia Dodson, the world needs more individuals like you.

News in surround sound

2006-10-11T17:05:00.000-07:00

I think life needs a soundtrack.

How great would that be? Having the perfect, most relevant tune playing while experiencing everyday life would enhance all of our experiences.

Imagine reading a newspaper — but with sound (yeah, I know you can just watch CNN, but agree with me for the sake of argument). Every article would have a different track that would be perfectly appropriate for that story.

Unfortunately, this is impossible in the newspaper biz — but this isn’t a newspaper it’s a blog.

This is purely experimental, understand, and my idea of the perfect tune won’t be yours, but I’m going to run down some of the major news stories of the last week, and include an "appropriate" track.

So get your Morpheus running, because here we go:

The Amish School Shooting: Isn’t it a pity, by George Harrison
The saddest and most touching story in recent news deserves the saddest most touching song I can think of. The Amish school shooting at Nickel Mines was terrible, but some good may still come of it. The Amish community is handling the situation bravely and teaching the rest of the world what it means to be truly forgiving and openhearted.

Study: Men delay medical care when the game's on: Keep me in your heart, by Warren Zevon
Simply put, us men are delaying our visits to the emergency room because the big game is on. Zevon’s song discusses his family remembering him when he’s dead and gone, which is what these guys will be if they don’t start prioritizing things. Me man, me like football…

Terrell Owens returns to Philadelphia: Sympathy for the devil, by the Rolling Stones
After this week’s performance against Philly, you can’t help but feel bad for T.O. He was booed mercilessly, and played like crap. The Eagles did romp on the Cowboys, so that makes it a little easier to hate T.O. a little less.

Yankees pitcher dead in plane crash: All is full of love, Death Cab for Cutie
This song is full of emotion and is more for Cory Lidle’s family — the most tragic victims of this situation.

The Foley scandal: Anything by Michael Jackson
Um… enough said.

When scandal takes over the real news

2006-10-04T14:06:00.000-07:00

It's been the type of week that reporters both dread and desire. A few big stories have taken over the news cycle this past week including the horrific Amish school shooting and the Mark Foley debacle.

A scandal like Foley's makes instant headlines. Consider the Monica Lewinsky scandal. As much as people said they didn't want to read about the President's affair, they still picked up the paper. While Foley doesn't command as much media attention as a member of the Clinton family, he is still a prominent elected official. And he acted inappropriately toward a group of under age pages. Reporters start your engines.

A few days later, a disturbed man entered an Amish school in Lancaster and murdered several young women execution style. It was horrific. It was ugly. And it was news.

Covering a shooting is never fun, but it is indeed news. It is such an extremely rare event, particularly in this case, that it commands instant attention.

However, balancing two big stories such as this can be complex. Both are undoubtedly big news. The Foley scandal could shake the GOP Congressional leadership and could affect the midterm elections. No longer can the Republican party claim total ownership of the family values slogan.

But the shooting is a horrific human tragedy. It is unfortunately bigger news - unfortunate because it had to happen at all; unfortunate because the Amish people, who are generally a private and respectful people had to be harmed in such a brutal way. And it was unfortunate that the members of the Amish community have been dragged into the spotlight they generally seek to avoid. They have been dragged into our living rooms even though they have tried desperately to stay out.

We will continue to follow both events, and we hope you will too. Consider this. These two events are formative pieces of history. One could have a dramatic effect on this year's elections, and the other may change the way millions of people see the Amish community.

Career fair, T.O., politics, oh my!

2006-09-27T14:43:00.000-07:00

All the news that's fit to blog...

The leaves are turning colors, the semester is nearly halfway over, and the Career Fair is reminding us seniors that we really need to pump up our résumés.

The first round of Teach for America applications are due soon. The LSATs and GREs are just around the corner. Let the nervous breakdowns commence.

But despite the conversations that permeate our early morning chats with the guys or girls sitting next to us in class, there are a few other minor things going on in the world. Here’s the weekly roundup.

Leading on CNN was the suicide attempt by Terrell Owens. The fact that at least two people were taken hostage at a Colorado high school got second billing.

Apparently, people are more likely to read about T.O. than more legitimate news. Flashy newsreels draw people in to the latest celebrity trial or crisis: A big celeb is on her deathbed, news at 11.

Didn’t catch ex-President Bill Clinton jumping down the throat of Fox anchor Chris Wallace? Don’t worry, YouTube has it covered. If he gets this mad at a journalist, we wonder what he’d say to President Bush.

Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings wants state universities to take standardized testing. Yeah, that will work.

On to that big Senate race taking place in Pennsylvania. You may have heard of the contestants, Rick Santorum and Bob Casey. Casey’s up by 12 points in the latest Quinnipiac Poll. He may have a reputation for being dull, but if nothing changes between now and Election Day, we may have a new Senator come November.

Then there’s that Gubernatorial race where Lynn Swann is trying to stay within striking distance of Gov. Ed Rendell. Campaign finance, debates, oh my! For all things Pennsylvania politics, go to Morning Call Capitol Bureau chief John Micek’s Capitol Ideas.

My blog can beat up your blog

2006-09-20T16:52:00.000-07:00

It’s funny how one little thing can spark a big debate.

About two weeks ago, there was a column about the new Survivor series (you know, where they segregate the tribes by race), and the writer made a mention of the Confederate flag, inferring that only racists flew it.

Well, regardless of the Confederate flag, I was pleasantly surprised with the debate it sparked in our letters to the editor section. We’ve been handling two or three letters a day about the symbolism behind the Stars and Bars, and it’s great.

It’s nice to see students be passionate about something. Whether it’s abortion or the Confederate flag, or the pope’s most recent comments, Penn State students are getting up on their soapboxes —nice.

Hopefully you’ve all been keeping up with the news lately so that you can write in letters and express your minds.

Here are some of the more interesting news from the past week:

A drunken Chinese tourist bit a panda. Yeah, you read that right… I mean I guess it’s okay because the panda bit him first, but still, who goes to the zoo drunk?

A Nigerian girl is getting the opportunity to "experience" space. Stella Felix was chosen out of a pool of around 400 students to take a flight in a special Boeing aircraft that will simulate what it feels like to be in outer space. The program is hosted by the Houston-based Spaceweek International Association.

This is a great opportunity, and Felix deserves a ton of credit for her accomplishment, but when 70 percent of the Nigerian population lives on two dollars a day, couldn’t the money for this flight have been put to a better use? How about some new school books, or clothing?

The third premature infant died last week at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis after being given an adult dosage of blood thinner. The accident was caused by a pharmacy technician who accidentally stored adult doses in the neonatal unit’s drug cabinet. This is horrible. Besides the fact that the pharmacy technician screwed up, don’t you think the person applying the medication should be well versed enough in dosages to realize something was wrong? What a tragic accident.

If you liked what you’ve read, then that’s awesome — you should write in and compliment us. If we offended you, even better! Write in and express your viewpoint. Don’t worry, we’re not too proud to publish a letter bashing us. Also, any suggestions? We’re new at this blogging thing, feel free to give us some pointers: collegianletters@psu.edu.

Here's what you may have missed.....

2006-09-13T14:09:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the first edition of "All the News That's Fit To Blog," The Daily Collegian's weekly news blog by Opinion Page editors Kathleen Haughney and Alex Muller.

In this blog, we'll remind you of recent news and tell you about all the headlines you may have missed this week, whether it's campaign news or celebrity gossip. So with that said, we begin...

What does it take to anger a bunch of college-age kids?

Well, a few things.

Try telling students they can't drink during game time or letting them know they can't bring food to class. Or, watch them log on to Facebook only to find that their "friends" now know their every Facebook action.

That's just a sampling of news that happened right here at Penn State this week.

Other things you may have missed?

The President used the 9/11 anniversary to remind voters that we were making an impact in Iraq. Have we found Osama bin Laden yet?

And in case you wondered how various people know what you're talking about in private, the Senate Judiciary Committee just approved a bill that would allow the Bush administration to continue its wire tapping program.

But in really serious news, Whitney Houston and husband Bobby Brown are on the rocks. So sad.

But in happier news, it's a boy!