In today’s ever-changing business world with more and more products being imported, how would you react if I said there was a product that was growable in America, safe, and industrially viable?

That product exists, and its name is industrial hemp. Americans import 1.8 million pounds of hemp yarn a year, simply because governmental regulation precludes the production of hemp. The laws restricting the production of hemp originate from the legislation that controls the production of Marijuana. Hemp is part of the same family of plants as Marijuana, but does not contain the amounts of THC, the active ingredient in Marijuana to create effects.

Hemp is incredibly American, as ”Both (George) Washington and (Thomas) Jefferson grew hemp and the Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper.” “In addition to providing useful fibers, hemp seed also has high nutritional value, and the plant can be used to make biodegradable plastics, some fuels, and a variety of other things.”1

Legislative efforts to allow hemp production are barred by a 2009 Court of Appeals ruling that does not allow states to supercede Federal regualtions on the substance.2

This is the 92nd November since the end of the first ‘Great War’. What was originally known as Armistice Day has transformed into Veteran’s Day and although the name may have changed the sentiment is still alive. This is a day to honor those who have served in our nation’s armed forces. For nearly a century since the end of the First World War, our troops have been deployed all over the world and put their lives on the line for the sake of their country. Their sacrifice is truly noble and we should all take some time today to reflect on the millions who have served the Red, White and Blue.

Today, 92 years since the end of the war that was supposed to end all wars, we find ourselves embroiled in yet another conflict – one that has no clear end in sight. The conflicts that are currently raging in the Helmund highlands and the neighborhoods of Baghdad are again taking their toll on those who don the uniforms of the United States military. It is our sacred duty to only put our soldiers in harm’s way when it is absolutely necessary. The deployment of troops to the Middle East, and especially Iraq, was hastily done in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. The repercussions of war are always hard to conceptualize for civilians far from a foreign battlefield. The atmosphere that enveloped the country in 2003 was an understandable but not acceptable explanation for the invasion of Iraq. Thousands of Iraqi civilians and American soldiers have been killed in the years following, a high price indeed considering the shaky evidence that brought us there. Our commitment is now a certainty and we must see this battle to the end so as not to forsake and make vain the deaths that we have already endured. It seems that every generation must re-learn the cost of war despite the warnings from those who were “over there.”

The soldiers who came back from World War I were scarred, including those who were physically in one piece. They had seen the horrors of war and did not want the world, and their children, to ever have to experience them. So let us honor those who fought before us and heed what they tell. War is hell and it should never be approached lightly, no matter the circumstances.

This video provides a frightening glimpse into the current state of law enforcement’s accountability to citizens. Although we usually think of electronic surveillance in terms of being watched by “Big Brother”, this CATO Institute video argues that people should be aware of the potential that video has to prevent unfortunate and ugly run-ins with the law. It can protect your civil liberties. The current escalation of the drug wars has led to more and more home invasions and S.W.A.T raids, many of which are ineffective at preventing crime but do succeed to lessen the respect that citizens have for those who are meant to protect them, and vice-versa. Even in minor encounters with law enforcement, people are often intimidated into submissive positions at the whim of the officer, usually because they don’t know what they can and cannot do. This can lead to inaccurate rulings and unfair convictions. CATO’s experts encourage people to videotape these encounters, even when police try to prevent this by, incorrectly, stating it’s illegal. As a nation, we need to be aware of our rights when interacting with the police and one of the best ways to level the playing field is by employing video technology.

As a freshman at Lehigh, the first week of real college life is marred with orientation, comprised of awkward handshakes, bizarre skits, and dozens of annoying “socialization” games. In fact, the stomping of the “Lehigh Rumble” and the screams of over caffeinated OLs continues to ring in my ears as I stroll to math class. Many an upperclassman have cringed at the thought of those few never-ending days, where you had to force a casual smile at every turn and act as if you wanted to be best friends with every other member of your class. (more…)

On Sept. 14, Joe Tarulli, VP of Finance at HBO shared his wisdom with a group of Lehigh students in Rauch. With a crowd of mainly business students, Tarulli embraced questions on finding finance jobs, programming for HBO, and marketing to HBO customers. (more…)

Lehigh University has joined the ranks of sixteen colleges and universities that offer Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s WeCar program. Students have been inundated with advertisements for the service and many have joined the car sharing program, despite its high prices. WeCar offers students older than eighteen the ability to rent a car after completion of an online orientation. Students can rent either a Nissan Cube or Toyota Prius for ten or twelve dollars an hour respectively (plus the unadvertised two dollar rental tax). In addition to the hourly rates, students can choose overnight or full day plans. (more…)

A quick look at the history of our fine school…

Lehigh University is our humble home atop Ol’ South Mountain. Most of us go about our daily lives here without any conception of the people or places that existed before us. Lehigh has long been known as the ivory tower of South Bethlehem, where many of America’s elite went to receive a fine undergraduate education. Lehigh is a school that practices what it preaches. As the alma mater of many-a-successful engineer and businessmen, Lehigh was always an institution that taught success and survival against all odds. Let’s look at some of the ways Lehigh broke with its past in order to stay ahead of the curve… (more…)

Which was worse: the career fair, or the coverage of the career fair? Career Services and the Brown and White face off.

Career Fair Fail:

Last month, Lehigh held its traditional University-wide career fair. The event serves as a way for underclassmen to get a taste of the job-search scene, and a way for seniors to, hopefully, find a company to start their careers. As an event that is held only once a year, it is tough for most students to compare this year’s event with past editions. However, it must be pointed out that Lehigh’s 2010 Career Fair was a failure by any measure. Here’s why: (more…)

Noam Chomsky is a hypocrite. Immediately, the Noam Chomsky disciple, who I shall from now on refer to as Bob*, will scream, “Prove it!” plus, if anonymous, various expletives. The problem with this claim is that Bob assumes that Noam Chomsky is God. In other words, Noam Chomsky is somehow infallible and thus a speaker of completely objective truth. This is obviously inaccurate, as Noam Chomsky is a human, and thus fallible. Being fallible, Noam Chomsky’s ideas include assumptions that cannot be considered part of an objective truth. While his thoughts may be “informed opinions,” it does not change the fact that whatever he says can never be objective truth. This leads Bob to assume there cannot be any objective truth. Bob is partially correct. (more…)