The Brown and White eagerly described ten days worth of events honoring Martin Luther King Jr, but excluded many details that those that those in attendance would be quick to point out. While events such as convocation and the oratorical contest were summarized, the Brown and White failed to report on the underlying issues and concerns associated with these events. The large majority of students who did not attend any of these functions now may have a broad description of what occurred, but still cannot understand the meanings and implications of these events as well as someone who had attended.

In relation to MLK events, the paper has clearly given up any effort to analyze events or discuss possible controversies. The Brown and White covered the MLK oratorical contest but failed to mention the lack of Lehigh students, excluding contestants, at the event. Their article merely reiterated contestants’ views for Lehigh, failing to report low attendance. Yes, a few professors, as well as, Dean Washington attended, but the contestant winner himself called for the student body as the basis for change at Lehigh. The Brown and White missed the critical issue. With such low attendance; how the change contestants hoped for possibly become reality?

Our school’s newspaper is still missing one very important piece in the administration and student body’s push for equality and social justice on campus. Mario Paredes, winner of the oratorical contest, calls for Lehigh to be “a place of community and inclusiveness.” During the student rally, Darius Callier, Vice President of the Black Student Union, voiced his belief that in regard to violence based on sexual orientation, marginalized ethnicities, or persecution, “Lehigh is not immune to, or apart from any these challenges.” The Brown and White missed an opportunity to report real issues, this time by ignoring the effort by Lehigh’s administration, specifically the Council for Equity and Community, to remedy the problems and cultural issues articulated throughout campus by various speakers during MLK week.

President Gast and the administration are actively pursuing the CEC’s request for a chief diversity officer at the level of vice president (VPEC). The administration hopes that this position will better administer efforts to promote social equality and diversity on campus while simultaneously boosting prestige and admission numbers. Why has the Brown and White chosen to not report on this vital affair? Is it for fear of the controversy and opposition that may arise? Possibly, but why not educate students on the advancements happening on their campus instead of worrying about remaining in lockstep with the administration. Lehigh students are suffering because of the Brown and White’s refusal to cover controversial issues on campus.

Many students have no idea of the university’s plan, and probably have many questions about the CDO position. Why does the CDO need to be at a Vice President’s level? The answer to this question can be found in the VPEC’s Benchmarking Report assembled by Lehigh’s CEC: “Over the course of the information gathering, it became obvious that perception of one’s title makes a big difference. If the VPEC/CDO’s charge is merely a segment of the institution, a diversity initiative will not be as effective. But when the VPEC/CDO’s charge encompasses the entire institution, everyone will be engaged.” Or how much would the CDO get paid? According to Lehigh’s research, “among American colleges and universities, the average annual salary of CDOs/VPECs is $250-$300,000.” Will there be a tuition increase to account for this new position’s salary? If not, what parts of the internal budget will be allocated for the CDO?A cycle has emerged where Lehigh students fail to attend key events and are truly unaware of the pulse on campus. Meanwhile, the Brown and White fails to help these students become informed by avoiding any and all controversy and simply not present divisive topics. Critical changes are happening on campus, such as the pending appointment of a CDO and having a majority of students unaware of that is a problem on many levels.

Photo credits to Young Americans for Liberty
It seems that Obama still has the fan-boy crush he enjoyed while campaigning for presidency.  His latest admirers?  the Nobel Committee.  In their decision, they noted “Only rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world’s attention and given it better hope for the future.”  Obama’s broad campaign slogans of Hope and Change have become empty shells of their former meanings.

When Alfred Nobel created the Nobel Prizes, he specified a peace prize, based on “the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses”.  Despite Obama’s overtures to foreign nations, he still posts two glaring failures in the Middle East.  Despite a draw-down in forces in Iraq, Afghanistan has seen increased troop levels over the past nine months.  Furthermore, our efforts in Afghanistan are futile; replacing one corrupt dictatorship with one corrupt puppet government does little to further peace in the world.

In addition to Obama’s continued nation-building abroad, he has done little to maintain peace at home. With the Patriot Act still in full effect, Guantanamo Bay getting little more than a name change, and an escalating police state the notion of “peace” is further away than it was nine months ago. In the wake of Governmental actions such as A woman facing jail time for buying cold medicine or People being charged with Obstruction of Justice for using Twitter to communicate poilce actions during the G20 protests, America has grown from land of the free home of the brave to land of the oppressed home of the cowards.

Was the Nobel Prize a consolation to Obama for not getting the Olympics in Chicago?  Maybe not, but his actions are hardly fitting of a Nobel-Prize winner; let alone a President who has been in office for only nine months. Only after a full term in office, where Obama’s overtures have been met with success should he have been awarded such a prize. The Nobel Peace Prize should have been given to a nominee who has actually accomplished tangible peace; or at the very least did more than do political grandstanding to accomplish “change.”
CNN

More sensationalist take on the subject

The other day, three students in my Economics class told me they were robbed in their fraternity the previous evening. They all missed class because they had to file police reports and get their lives back together.

I read in the Brown and White that a student claimed she was sexually assaulted, and then recanted.

Soon enough, I suspect, we will get our first report of a binge drinker being hauled into the emergency room at St. Luke’s for treatment.

All this is very disturbing. None of it should happen, but it does. Some people are thoughtless; some people are just plain bad.

At the same time, every day of school has been sunny and beautiful.

My freshman students are as enthusiastic and bright as any I have ever taught.

I saw a student writing assistant, part of Greg Skutches’ Writing Across the Curriculum program, meeting with younger students in the library, patiently helping them through their first theme.

The professors I hang around with at lunch seem pumped up about their classes. I see Rosemary Mundhenk, who has been teaching serious students serious literature for decades here at Lehigh, scribbling last minute notes before her first class on David Copperfield, one of the great works of the human imagination.

I frequently run into Paul Brockman, our most distinguished newly minted Joseph and Amy Perella Professor of Finance, zooming around campus, anxiously preparing his first course for Lehigh undergraduates.

When I asked him if he had been to the Linderman Library, he said he had. “Nice building,” I said. “That’s the most elegant academic building I have seen on any campus,” he replied.

A year after the collapse of Lehman Brothers and the beginning of the greatest financial crash since the Depression, the stock market is recovering nicely. While Yale and Harvard reported endowment losses of about 30 percent, Lehigh has been doing relatively well. I would guess that we are down less than 10 percent from our highs. Not bad, all things considered.

All this blizzard of conflicting activity puts me in the advice-giving mood.

Here goes.

First, there is always plenty to be cheerful about.

But to enjoy the good times, we must all battle to keep life simple.

Lehigh is far too willing to admit all the pressures and temptations of the outside world into what should be a refreshing, less complicated college experience. We have too much competition, too many clubs and affinity groups (they do not unite the campus, they fragment it), too many outside speakers (a shameful waste of money), and too many noble causes and diversions. Avoid them all. Avoid the speakers (they are usually blowhards anyway), don’t join the clubs, and don’t worry about saving the planet, or curing cancer, or eliminating poverty—at least not yet. And stay away from television.

Here is some advice on the subject from the great Yale intellectual, Harold Bloom: “Do not attempt to improve your neighbor or your neighborhood by what or how you read. Self-improvement is a large enough project for mind and spirit.” That’s an understatement. Think about it.

Make friends, do your homework, and if you have an interest—sports, or singing, or journalism, or something like that—do it. But avoid the rest. The classroom experience should be the centerpiece of your college life. Only in the classroom can you get your money’s worth here—if your teachers are no good, study with others who are. Classes should not be boring. The great teachers are what most old-timers remember about college. Don’t make class work an afterthought, and don’t accept mediocrity easily.

Finally, behave yourself. Be reasonable.

On that subject, here’s a thought from Satchel Paige, an uneducated, itinerate pitcher, now proudly ensconced the Baseball Hall of Fame. Satchel didn’t know much about Yale, but he knew thing or two about the sportin’ life. “Go very light on the vices, such as carrying on in society” he cautioned. “The social ramble ain’t restful.”

So there. Class dismissed.

We’ve all witnessed heart wrenching losses when athletes walk away in defeat, coaches shake their heads wishing the game had gone their way, and fans sigh with disappointment.  In these dire moments, we need something to unite us, someone to step up, a “go-to” player that can raise the intensity and bring Lehigh one step closer to a win.  What we need is “Team Excitement.” This fall, Lehigh Athletics developed a program in which students “Get paid to watch Lehigh sports!”  Team Excitement is a work study program designed to enhance crowd participation and bring Lehigh PRIDE to the next level.  Lehigh “PRIDE” is a leadership program that helps student athletes build a support network of faculty, staff and peers, but also has turned into a Lehigh Athletic slogan to promote student athlete unity and school spirit.

Whether you desperately need the beer money, want to improve your resume, or feel like playing an important role in bringing the Lehigh community closer, Team Excitement needs you.  But in what sense do paid fans create a better Lehigh environment?  In fact, it may be more damaging to the morale of our athletes than anything else.

Travis Spencer, the founder of Team Excitement, said this program is designed to “create a more energetic Lehigh PRIDE environment surrounding our athletic events.”  So far, Team Excitement is targeted towards football and basketball games, which are the attendance-driven sports, but Travis hopes that over time, Team Excitement will branch out and spread the cheerleading and positive energy to more sports.  “We need a buzz to win during the playoffs, and that involves creating a better energy,” Travis explains.  The bottom line: Lehigh is not showing enough PRIDE lately, and the individuals who rise to the challenge and apply to Team Excitement are going to make that difference between winning and losing.  In another view, students are getting paid to sit on the sidelines and cheer for a couple of hours.  It might seem a bit tiring, but think of the athletes who are actually playing the game.

So far, only two students have applied for Team Excitement, but hopefully people will realize that if they are energetic, enthusiastic, and passionate about Lehigh Athletics, there is a spot for them!  Not to mention, this position speaks volumes on a resume.  Indeed, being on Team Excitement does improve your resume; you could simply say you got paid to cheer for the school you’re passionate about.  Doesn’t that show potential employers all the valuable skills and capabilities you hold?  At the very least, they will know that you’re capable of uniting a crowd of spectators in cheers (maybe inebriated ones, but spectators none the less).

It’s not all fun and games though; there are rules.  Lehigh has a zero-tolerance policy toward engaging with the opposing team or fans in an inappropriate manner, otherwise just keep it classy, and try not to make the cheerleaders jealous of your incredible cheering skills.  Lehigh is always striving to improve campus unity, and with Team Excitement, everyone will cheer and chant together making Lehigh an even closer community.  Soon, by the end of every game, all will stand and sing “Kum Bah Ya” or the Lehigh fight song.

As an athlete at Lehigh, knowing there are paid fans sitting at my game is a little degrading.  Any athlete should be disappointed that this absurd program is so disrespectful towards what we are passionate about.  I certainly don’t know of any other schools that pay their fans.  Maybe if Lehigh used the money for more scholarships, there would be a stronger athletic program and the “buzz” problem would take care of itself.  Team Excitement is making the joke of “you pay your friends to hang out with you” into a reality.

Team Excitement has a long road ahead of drawing in those dedicated cheerleaders or sports fanatics who just crave that intense atmosphere.  But even if these fans scream their heads off, student athletes are still essentially being mocked. When the team loses, the fans don’t share in the agony of defeat.  They take their eight bucks and move on.  At the end of the game, it is not about Lehigh PRIDE, it is more of a degrading experience for the student athletes.