Loading...For anyone who has trolled past Sports Center on ESPN in the past few months, it is safe to say the National Football League’s offseason this year has been nothing but entertaining. Every year there are trades made, free agents picked up, and coaches fired and hired across the board. What makes this year so different is the magnitude of media coverage devoted to a lot of the changes being made. To date we have witnessed a future Hall of Fame quarterback be dropped from his team of 14 years, a controversial quarterback traded, and a star-studded team, which is home to a Purdue Boilermaker, fall into one major controversy. Continue…
One on One Interview with New Political Science Dept. Head
As a junior in political science and sociology, the popularity of Dr. Rosalee Clawson is well known. She has a unique manner of engaging students and creating dialogue. Her lectures are always insightful, and it is hard to walk away without learning something. Several students were gripped with excitement once they learned she was named to be the new department head in political science. I had the opportunity to interview the professor and learn about what she plans to bring to the table. Continue…
Lock the Damn Door!
In early March, campus safety was brought into the spotlight when a criminal broke into the house of eight female students from the University of Washington. The level 2 sex offender broke through a window at 3:30 a.m. and bound seven of the women with duct tape, threatening them with a knife the entire time. Luckily, the eighth roommate was able to hide in her room long enough to contact the police. It took police less than four minutes to respond and the women were not physically harmed. Continue…
The Truth About Rush Limbaugh’s Advertisers
After years of getting away with his hideous abuse of free speech, Rush Limbaugh finally got what he had coming. In an angry rant, Rush called an innocent college student a “slut” and a “prostitute” for demanding basic healthcare. He then tried to spit out a fake apology, but the damage had been done. Driven by angry listeners, advertisers began to flee the program, cutting off Rush’s main revenue source. The snowball effect commenced, pushing more and more advertisers to abandon the hateful shock-jock, until Rush was forced to end his radio career in disgrace… Continue…
My Recent Obsession: Trail Running
Battling a knee injury sucks. The pain is tolerable, and I can handle training less, but what hurt the most was my performance in a trail race this past Saturday, March 24th. The weather was perfect, the trail was awesome (the parts that were actually a trail, at least), and the atmosphere was electric. I actually did very well my first mile, but that is when my knee started acting up, and I ended up being passed constantly until the end of the race. Being unable to run to my potential (or at all since that race) has allowed me some time to think about why I love trail running. Continue…
Sturm Ruger Stops Orders, Stocks Surge
You want a new Ruger for personal protection? Too bad, so does everyone else. Sturm Ruger & Co. has announced that it has suspended new orders of its guns. This is due to the fact Ruger has a back order of 1 million guns. Also, Sturm Ruger stock is soaring. It is up 115% from last year, and year-to-date firearms sales in 2012 have already beaten 2011 sales. Continue…
Exercising Your Vote
The deadline to register for voting in the 2012 Primary Election is only 5 days away. With so many races on the ballot this year, it is important that you exercise your right and your civic duty to vote. Although many of you will show-up on Primary Election Day to vote in the presidential primary, you should know that there are many state and local races for you to vote in as well. Some of those races that feature multiple candidates include: Republican candidate for U.S. Senator; Republican candidate for Governor of Indiana; Democratic candidate for U.S. Representative District 4; Republican candidates for State Representative Districts 13, 25, & 27; Democratic candidate for State Representative District 26; and Republican candidates for Tippecanoe County Council At-Large. Continue…
A Grand Tradition: Grand Prix
It is about to be that time of year again here at Purdue. Students across campus engage in preparing for a one day event through a week-long build-up, typically through drinking and partying. Some are actually involved in the race itself and find themselves working on various activities. As always, some students choose not to be involved at all, and that is okay too. However, Grand Prix Week (aka Gala Week) is supposed to be all about the progression towards a racing event which began in 1958 using carts built from scratch with lawnmower engines. When you realize the history that goes into it, you can develop a better appreciation for the upcoming event, as well as what great things the organization itself does for students at this university. Continue…
Purdue Professor Investigated for FB Comments
According to the Journal & Courier, a Purdue University professor on the Calumet campus believes university officials are seeking to suppress his freedom of speech.
University officials launched an investigation against Maurice Eisenstein after students complained about comments Eisenstein made on his personal Facebook page regarding Muslims linked to killings of Christians in Nigeria. The comments lead to a two-day protest by students who called for the professor’s classes to be boycotted and for him to be fired. Officials responded by stating that while Purdue supports the exchange of diverse opinions, Eisenstein’s comments on Facebook were intolerant.
The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, or FIRE, sent a letter to the Calumet Chancellor, Thomas Keon, last month stating that Eisenstein is in fact being harassed due to his opinions on politics and religion. In the letter, Adam Kissel, FIRE’s vice president of programs, wrote “Please do not let your students abuse the university’s disciplinary process in order to interfere with the personal expression and academic freedom of one of your own professors.”
Eisenstein believes he is being targeted due to his conservative point of view. He stated, “If anyone is offended, then I don’t have a right to say it.” Since the controversy began, Eisenstein has felt pressured to stray away from certain topics in the classroom. “It’s not fair to me. It is not fair to the students,” Eisenstein stated.
__
Are students guaranteed their First Amendment rights at Purdue?
Campus Latino Organization Helps Students
If you were to talk to Angmagssalik Garcia, a junior in pre-landscape architecture, about which Latino organization one should consider joining, she would not hesitate to tell you about The Latino Alliance, commonly known in smaller circles as LA. She is the president of the well-diversified group, and I had a chance to talk to her about what they do. She began by stating, “The main mission of Latino Alliance is to create awareness of the Latino culture and promote unity through student involvement in social, academic, and philanthropic activities.” Continue…