The following is just a quick update of the current direction of my blog "A Little Light" and a brief update on my life. For the past year, I have used this blog primarily as a platform for my drafts before final editing and publication in the Evergreen a couple of days after it appeared in this space. During this past year with the Daily Evergreen, I have learned a lot and have grown as a writer. So, roughly nine months and a dozen articles later, a decision has been made in which I will no longer write for the Daily Evergreen. Journalism lies outside of my career goals, and writing is simply a hobby, therefore it would make sense to shift my time and efforts elsewhere. If you are interested in exploring my legacy left with the Daily Evergreen through my written pieces, you may refer to this link: http://www.dailyevergreen.com/writer/9089. As I am applying for certification in my major, I am also intending to land employment in occupations closer related to my potential field. So along those lines, I am also drastically reducing my role as a Cougar Connector – the student ambassadors for WSU. I will no longer be manning the phone lines for recruitment purposes, but will simply be conducting guided tours during visitation events. So if you happen to be interested in taking my position, you have until the end of this month to apply. The only position in which I will continue to invest my resources in is my position as a student mentor for Multicultural Student Services. However, I am also taking upon another position which relates closer to Information Technology, in addition to carrying 18 credits. So while my roles and titles may have adjusted, I anticipate a perpetual busy and filled schedule. That said, I am excited to actually take classes related to my field of Information Systems and to work in a department which offers the closest thing to a hands on experience while drawing funds from my work study allotment. In regards to "A Little Light," I see myself continuing maintenance of this blog, although the updates will pertain more on a personal level rather than a professional journalistic publication tier. I will probably create more frequent, though shorter, posts depending on the situation. I am also exploring the possibility of moving this onto WordPress, as I have heard that it is far more powerful than Google's Blogger service and could provide much more services. In addition, I am exploring the possibility of purchasing a permanent domain. I am hesitant to pour funds into an area where I see no immediate investment, but I will continue to explore this possibility, as it is the natural next step in the life on this blog. I have a few comments to make about this semester, and it will probably appear in a post shortly after this, as I don't want to ramble on in one continuous session. Cheers!
Time for Change
Labels: Personal
Apple Cup
In the 101st meeting of the biggest collegiate rivalry in the state of Washington, let's just forget it all. Let's forget the fact that the teams involved are 0-19 against Division 1A opponents this year. Or that a conference opponent (USC) outscored the Washington schools by a combined score of 125-0. Let's forget that neither team is able to start the quarterback who began the season at the top of the depth chart. Let's ignore the fact that UW ranks 117 out of 119 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in total offence – and that WSU ranks 118. Let's overlook the idea that WSU set the record for most points allowed in Pac-10 play (350) in a single season – when there were three Pac-10 games yet to play. Let's put it all aside because it's Apple Cup time. The biggest game of the season is about to take place with many critical outcomes weighing on the final score. Beyond the blatantly obvious year long possession of the trophy and the claim to 9th place in the Pac-10 is the associated pride which undeniably attaches with the game – despite this miserable season. If the past few Apple Cups are any indication, football fans will be treated to a close and competitive contest – which is all we can ask for as spectators and fans. After all, a must-not-lose game is much more critical than a must-win game – since humiliation is a much greater motivator than pride. But the significance of this game transcends the scoreboard on the field and seeps into the entire university and communities as a whole. College football has been society's indicator on the general success of a typical Division IA university. A successful football team generally correlates to increased attention and interest onto the institution of higher education. In this regard, another victory by WSU – making it four out of the past five games – in this year's Apple Cup will tangibly demonstrate the progress our university has made in recent years. Stated with a hint of bias, I believe it's clear that we're far superior to our western brethren – an Apple Cup win will provide convincing and undisputable evidence. Looking past the game itself, we see that this friendly rivalry tends to bring out the best in both universities – a perfect opportunity to improve and influence the community surrounding us. Three years ago, Crimson and Gray blanketed and waved on top the Seattle skyline via the Space Needle when WSU raised more money in the "Tackling Hurricane Relief" fundraiser. In trumping UW by over $30,000, we not only invaded Husky territory for a weekend, but improved and changed the lives of thousands who were affected by Hurricane Katrina. Organizations get involved as well. For nearly three decades, WSU and UW chapters of the Kappa Sigma fraternity have competed in a Pass-Run competition to raise money for Northwest Harvest – an organization which provides hot and canned foods to about 300 hunger programs in Washington State. Examples of unique competitions occurring this year include the "one thing" challenge directed toward residence hall students at both universities. The premise of this challenge in asking students to change one behavior which will build onto future adjustments for the betterment of the environment is significant and primarily motivated by the competitive spirit between the two universities. A WSU sorority – the Sigma Kappa foundation – is currently engaged in a contest with their UW counterpart in raising money for Alzheimer's research. While it's easy for the players to look ahead to a weekend in Hawaii and for Cougar fans to salivate over what is hyped to be the best recruiting class in school history coming next year, we cannot ignore this very critical weekend and what it means to not only to the football programs involved, but the universities and community as well. So let's spend one additional day in Pullman to get behind and support our boys as we face-off in one of the biggest Apple Cup's in the history of the event – just try to forget why it's so significant this time around. Go Cougs!
Registration
After many weeks of anticipation, hype and waiting – it is finally upon us. We've been eagerly looking forward to this moment, as it will significantly alter our collegiate experience for the next semester. Unfortunately, many of us are unsure of the key individuals who will essentially be determining the level of success we may achieve. While I could have easily been talking about Cougar basketball, I am instead talking about a semi-annual ritual which has become as static and ineffective as it has ever been: class registration. Our college professors are the individuals who play the largest external role in our educational journey. They are the ones who deliver the material to us in a manner which is comprehendible and digestible. However – during class registration period – these professors mean little to us other than last names next to the classes we are required to take. This is why I would like to see WSU do its part in assisting students with the class registration process by providing critical information which would help students make wiser and more effective decisions in deciding which class to take. One way WSU could help the students is by requiring professors to upload copies of the course syllabi onto a website database prior to class registration. This would be great for the students because they would be able to understand the expectations and requirements before taking a step in the classroom. This is especially useful for courses such as Gen Ed 110 because each professor has their own standards and method for teaching similar content. It would also expose students in greater detail what the course would entail far better than the current one sentence description located in the course catalogue, which would increase student enrollment in more obscure and less known classes. It would be great for professors as well because students will be enrolled in a class where the expectations and class course work were pre announced, decreasing the amount of roster shuffling taking place in the first couple weeks of each semester. Universities such as Harvard and Princeton already employ a system similar to this. If WSU has an intention to join the ranks of upper echelon universities, this would be a great step in such a direction. Another way WSU could be of service to students would be to open end-of-the-semester course evaluation data to the university body. Obviously, this would be great for the students because we would be able to know what our peers thought of a particular class and professor before we actually take the class. While sites such as ratemyprofessor.com claim to provide such information, most of the students who bother to critique the professor have strong opinions about them. Either they love them or they hate them. But you usually never see someone leave average marks across the board. The sample sizes from such sites are limited and bias, but information from the university will be extensive and objective. This is also great for the professors and administration because the students may actually make an effort in completing these evaluation sheets. At its current state, I am aware of many students who rush through these evaluations because it means an early exit from class, or they believe that their opinion matters little. But if these anonymous assessments were placed on-line for others to view, a far stronger effort to be comprehensive and beneficial would likely take place. WSU has made great strides in recent years to improve itself in serving its students with better facilities, advising emphasis and other steps. But it's time that students become more knowledgeable of the most important individuals on their academic journey – the professors and their distinct expectations. We appear to be wrapped in a season of change, so let's improve and innovate a class registration system for the betterment of everyone involved.
Hate Crimes
This past week has been a difficult one for members of the WSU community and it's not simply because of the slaughter we call a "game" played against USC. This week our town was the setting of three separate – though presumably related – hate crimes. Hate crimes are the most frustrating and disappointing of the possible offences to commit in the wide spectrum of crimes, because there is no motive or gain for the aggressor. There is no reward for the violent act committed toward the victim. No money or possession to gain, no economic or personal benefit, save for a possible sick and twisted satisfaction I could not possibly begin to understand. In the same regard, there is no motive for hate crimes. Very rarely should violence be the solution for any situation. If violence is the answer for your circumstances, then I don't want to know the problem. But the victims in hate crimes did not partake in any action which would justify violence. It's disturbing to know that there are individuals capable of aggression onto other groups when the targets have done nothing to deserve such treatment. And although you may not personally indentify with the group targeted by the criminals, imagine if you were violated for being Hispanic, a women, a democrat, from California or even for liking the color red. That's how ridiculous targeting a nonthreatening demographic is. If members of the GLBTQ are being violently targeted and the criminals evade prosecution unscathed, it won't be long before our relatively safe and tranquil town becomes uneasy as various other communities and demographics anticipate hate crimes levied onto them. We now have an opportunity to come together as Cougs for more than supporting athletics, going green or getting fit. You and I have the chance to prevent further hate crime tragedies from happening in the community we value and treasure by coming together and taking action. Encourage your friends and peers to utilize resources available to them as a better alternative to traveling alone. The WSU police and Cougar Security Program were created and funded for your safety. In times like these, accepting assistance from these programs may be one of the wiser decisions possible. In addition, you and I are key surveillance cogs for our law enforcement groups on campus. By reporting any suspicious or violent activity, you won't be labeled a snitch, and you may actually help save a life from being disastrously scarred. It takes courage, but your small inconvenience may be the difference in recreating a safe campus for everyone involved. We have come a long way as a society. It wasn't that long ago when we began treating women with equality and respect, something many of us take for granted today. More recently, we have become accepting and encouraging to individuals of various ethnicities. Even to the point where we're on the verge of electing a president of African-American decent. The next frontier for us will be the acceptance of members in our community whom identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. Regardless of your ethical or moral values, we must appreciate and accept every individual for who they are. Judging and condemnation of others should be reserved for those who are perfect and blameless. And since none of us are, let us respect and recognize one another. At the core, we are all the same. We are all people entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. So let us practice what we preach and follow the golden rule of treating others the way you want to be treated.
Decisions
Note: For obvious reasons, this will NOT be in the Evergreen. This is strictly for fun and for ranting. Life is essentially a series of decisions. And the majority of decisions break down into a fork in the road. One road is comfortable, safe and predictable. This road will generally lead you to contentment and security. This road is the guarantee which won't let you down. But this road also tends to be mediocre and monotonous. It's typically a path that doesn't challenge you or allow for personal development on various levels. The other road is usually one of excitement, unpredictability and of much greater reward. Although it may contain more challenges, a successful journey will bring forth a much higher level of satisfaction, joy and personal growth. But this road is risky and will require a step out of your comfort zone. You don't even know if you will make it down this path successfully, but it interests you because of the potential benefits in the future. While there are certain paths which are simultaneously safe and rewarding, there really is no decision involved in pursuing it. It's a no brainer. So fundamentally, decisions boil down to the comfortable and predictable versus the uncertain but potentially gratifying. Should I go to Manoa for my education, or try a school on the mainland? Should I just go on the computer in my room, or go check out the club meeting/seminar tonight? Should I even bother applying to the internship which requires essays and recommendations, or just stick with my decent job from last summer? Should I just stick with this significant other who really likes me and is nice to me, or go for the one which I feel challenges me, intrigues me and could potentially complete me better? Should I stick to sleeping in Sunday mornings, or go and check out a church like my parents and/or friends encourage me to? These are just a sample of predicaments an individual may find themselves in. I believe that there is no such thing as a wrong decision. There are certain choices better than others, but none which is wrong. Furthermore, I feel that once a choice has been made, it is pointless and unproductive to second guess or regret the decision. Playing the "what if" game only leads to disappointment and frustration. While society has many views on these ideas, there is no correct mindset. Phrases such as "Go Big or Go Home" push the idea of taking risks for big gains, while others such as "a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush" encourage settling and appreciating the guarantees in your life. In my opinion, a culmination of decisions based around a certain moral tendency to lean in a particular manner is what determines your success in life. While every choice must be calculated and evaluated carefully, the bottom line is that you must take risks to be successful. Everyone will fail, but some will experience a greater amount of success when taking risks than others – an inevitable characteristic which pushes the idea that luck and chance plays a large role in determining your triumphs in life. Life is not about the number of breaths you take, but the number of moments which take your breath away. The amount of significant and monumental moments experienced is directly correlated with the number of risks you take. After all, you can't experience something breathtaking if you're comfortable and safe. In conclusion, I encourage you to not only think outside of the box, but to step out of it. Try new things, experience new environments, embrace new challenges and built new relationships. Even if you have trust issues, the only way to really trust someone is to, well, trust them. It's your decisions. It's your life. Viva la Vida – Live your Life.
College
The most overpriced and overrated product in America today is not the MacBook Air, Gucci handbag, H2 Hummer, Adobe Creative Suites or any other item which you may ogle at with envious eyes. But rather, it is a single piece of paper which easily costs hundreds of thousands of dollars but nine times out of ten holds very little value in the "real world." I am speaking of the Bachelor of Arts degree you and I are currently tirelessly working toward. The current post-secondary education system is one where the acquisition of a BA represents educational success. We push the youth into spending – regardless of their path of study – four or five years of their prime at institutions where the majority of them lack the adequate ability to complete their intended major or goal. After spending years and thousands of dollars, we feed the incompetent students into General Studies or Liberal Arts. Welcome to the most robust and grounded of all business models. Welcome to a four year University. Outside of engineering or science majors, the content learned at universities generally do not translate into effective workplace competency. And the statistics which show that college graduates tend to earn more than high school graduates is misleading. I assure you that if you locked an Ivy caliber student into a closet for four years and then had him compete with a high school dropout, he'd still find better employment due to his intellect and inherent motivated personality. The true solution is not a better college system, but no college at all. In lieu of degrees, high school graduates should work toward earning certification in their desired field. Imagine going straight into employment out of high school in a field which you decide you may enjoy. Working on the bottom of the totem pole, you learn through hands on experience and mentorship of supervisors. When you feel prepared, you take a certification exam such as the CPA for public accountants. Technical schools would still exist, but toiling and wasting away at a university where you spend your time studying for material you'll never use again would never happen. Unfortunately, this likely won't develop, as an entire social mindset shared across the globe cannot simply be changed overnight. So I implore my fellow Cougs at this point to do something radical. I am asking of you to make the most of the product which you sacrifice so much for. Obtaining a degree from WSU can consist of more than a rush to 120 credits over 8 semesters with the best GPA possible. It can be the best period of your life where the greatest amount of your academic, social, emotional and spiritual development occurs – if you plan carefully and step out of your comfort zone. Never take a class without knowing about the professor beforehand. If your education is top priority at WSU, then the professors are the most important employees at the university, no offence Mr. Floyd or Mr. Bennett. Pick the good ones, not the closest ones to your other classes or the one not teaching before 11am. Along those lines, take time in the semester to personally meet every one of the professors teaching your classes. Beyond the classes which we religiously attend, go to the guest lectures and speakers which come to WSU. If they came all the way to Pullman, they should have something interesting and important to say. Go ahead and check it out. There's nothing better to do on an evening in Pullman anyway. Outside of academics, there is an entire world seeking your guidance and assistance. Go join a registered student organization or two and go beyond the meetings. Volunteer and participate in activities. Believe it or not, college is supposed to be the time in which you have the most freedom in life. It won't be long before careers, spouses and children consume every waking moment of your day-to-day living. So do a mission trip, study abroad or simply spend time helping others locally. Opportunities come fewer and farther in between in the future. Our investment into graduating as Cougars is undeniably costly in time and money. But we can make the most of it by developing relationships with professors, enriching ourselves academically, and taking advantage of opportunities to explore life outside of the classrooms and residence halls. The future started yesterday, so let's get to it.
Why I Vote
This country is in distress. We are in the middle of a war in the Middle East where victory is not possible but is expected to cost U.S. taxpayers $2.4 trillion dollars assuming a withdrawal by 2017 (http://is.gd/3rsz Reuters). Wall St. is in trouble on a level not seen since the Great Depression. The value of the U.S. dollar has been decreasing steadily since the turn of the new millennium (http://is.gd/3rvl Oanda corp.). Gas prices were once as low as $0.92 cents a gallon but averaged $4 this summer (http://is.gd/3rw7 CNN). And the biggest export for our nation is now debt, which is increasing our inflation rate rapidly, making you and me poorer on a perpetual basis while creating a huge bill that we will have to pay later (http://tinyurl.com/4238ny TIME). All this has taken place under pathetic leadership of our 43rd president, George W. Bush. According to the History News Network, President Bush has an approval rating of 28% by the American public, but when evaluated by 109 professional historians, only 2% considered his presidency a success (http://is.gd/3rEj HNN). We could ramble on his inadequacy and incompetent abilities as president, but rather than crying over spilled milk I prefer to seize my opportunity to ensure this type of character does not inhabit the white house for another four years. In the first presidential election I am able to participate in, I am prepared to vote for the only candidate who can turn our country around. I am voting because of Senator Barack Obama. The opposition to Senator Obama is Senator John McCain. McCain is essentially an extension of Bush and his flawed policies. According to Congressional Quarterly's Voting Studies, McCain has voted with Bush 95%, a rate that has been increasing over the past couple years (http://is.gd/3rFG). President Bush's term has been riddled with unaccountability, poor decisions, and appalling management. It appears as though a McCain term is essentially a third Bush term, a status quo our country does not need right now. This brings us to Senator Obama. Obama represents change and progress in every facet imaginable. Politically, as a first term senator, he defeated the giant Clinton machine in a fashion never witnessed before. The way Obama organized volunteers, voters, and donors were mesmerizing. He helped ensure that for the first time in 20 years, a Bush or Clinton would not take the Oval Office. Culturally, Obama understands our generation better than any other presidential candidate in recent history. By using text messaging to reveal his running mate, creating an iPhone application to connect his supporters, turning his webpage into a social networking site and by using various forms of media on his blog and official webpage, Obama is a candidate who understands and embraces technology and innovation. Socially, Obama represents a direction our country needs to head in. Being an individual of African-American decent, Obama's residence in the White House will deliver a much needed blow to the underlying racism which is present in our Country. Generations which follow Obama's tenure will be more welcoming to diversity in ethnicity. Obama is also a true exhibit of the American dream, rising from modest beginnings in my hometown in Honolulu to becoming the first African-American head of the law review at Harvard graduating magna cum laude in 1991. A decade and a half later, he reached the position of Senator, a rapid and outstanding climb considering his humble origins. Obama is truly a man from Main St, not Wall St as McCain and Bush are. An Obama win will remind us that, through hard work and dedication, we can achieve our dreams and ambitions. I am voting because Senator Obama represents the course needed for our country. But I'm just one vote. According to the secretary of state, about 27,000 of 88,600 newly registered voters in the past four months were between the ages of 18 and 24 (http://is.gd/3rOm Seattle Times). If you have not already registered, you have until tomorrow to register at secstate.wa.gov/elections. This could be our banner year. After all, there is no reason to wait on the world to change when the ability to change the world is a couple mouse clicks away.
Text Messages
There is a trend which has been taking off exponentially over the past couple years. And no, I am not talking about Cougar basketball supporters or WSU incoming freshmen. I am talking about a tool widely used by the youth, but whose value is just beginning to reveal itself to the general public. We sent 75 billions of these this past June, compared to barely 7.2 in June of 2005, according to CTIA – The Wireless Association. I am referring to Short Message Service, better known as text messages. Text messaging has reached such a pinnacle in our society that is has become a verb. As text messaging continues its' rapid adaption into our society, it's time we begin to develop guidelines of use for etiquette, safety, and begin to realize the potential in these 160 characters. We can all agree that it's rude to speak on the phone during dinner, conversation among friends, or class. But the level of inconsideration committed by texting during these situations has not seemed to be formally established. We can easily give examples of individuals whom text in situations where speaking on the phone would be considered overwhelmingly disrespectful. We need to remind ourselves that while we may not be generating verbal noise; our actions may be just as distracting. Beyond text messaging regulations due to simple courtesy is regulation due to safety. A recent Nationwide Insurance survey of 1,503 drivers found that nearly 40 percent of driver's text while driving. This comes at a time when the cause of accidents from text messaging is increasing. While hard numbers are difficult to obtain, this disturbing trend has had emergency room doctors issue a warning in July against texting while doing other activities due to a rise in injuries and deaths in emergency rooms derived from texting. Law makers, as behind as they are on a number of issues, have already begun to take action to prevent further tragedies stemmed from texting. States such as California and Washington have made it illegal to text while driving. Law makers are not just concerned over the dangers of texting, but also the financial cost. A couple weeks ago, Senator Herb Kohl sent a letter to our top four national wireless carriers asking them to justify the significant increase in text messaging prices. Consumers are now paying more than 20 cents a message, compared to 10 cents back in 2005. It's also worth noting that all carriers are increasing the rates simultaneously, a behavior inconsistent with a competitive marketplace. Senator Kohl has reason to be concerned; text messages experience an astronomical amount of mark-up. One character in a text message is equivalent to one byte. So every text contains up to 160 bytes of data. If 160 bytes costs twenty cents, then 1MB of data would cost $1,310.72. Meaning one song download over the air would cost somewhere around $5,242.88. All while the cost of a text message to wireless carriers is virtually zero. Perhaps we have become so reliant on text messaging that we'll simply stomach these rates. Text messaging has become integrated to the point where presidential candidates use them to announce running mates, American Idol uses them to collect votes, Universities such as WSU use them to communicate with staff and students and many individuals text more than they actually talk on their phones. According to Nielsen Mobile, the average American sends about 357 text messages a month, while making 204 phone calls. Teens send about 1,742 in a month. As law makers continue to shake out the logistics around the laws and pricing of text messaging, let's exercise caution and courtesy in using this increasingly popular communication tool. Kthxbye.
Be Crimson, Go Green
Open up a newspaper and look at articles making national headlines. You'll probably see lots of Palin, some news on hurricanes threatening along the Texas coast, a few things on McCain, and even a piece on Obama here or there. What you won't see these days is an issue which is on everyone's mind, just not at the forefront due to its lack of entertainment factor or instantaneous consequence. I am speaking of Global Warming. As WSU continues to push toward sustainability and recycling, it would be inspiring to see the student role models and WSU representatives lead by example. It would be appropriate to see the Greeks take the lead in going green through accountability and competition. Global Warming is an issue which cannot be ignored. We are disrupting our planet's environmental equilibrium in a manner never before witnessed in the billions of years Earth has been in existence. Although much damage has been done, it's important to take a "better late than never" approach when it comes to Global Warming. And the biggest change that can be taken to lessen future damage to our biosphere is not what the government or corporations can do, but what each and every one of us can do on an individual basis. Which is why it's disappointing to see a demographic often referred to as campus leaders fail to make the change to going green. As Ms. Wellington pointed out in a Letter to the Editor on the 29th, it does not appear as if certain members of WSU's Greek community are taking the initiative to go green seriously. If our dining halls, campus facilities, and housing have special disposal areas labeling the sustainable items, our proud Greeks should go with the trend and make an effort to recycle more. It might even help if the houses were inspected on a consistent basis to determine the level of recycling occurring at each house. This takes us to the incentive which often brings out the best in us, competition. Having a collection and evaluation of the aforementioned inspections would result in a quantitative and comprehensive rating scale where we could determine the house most effective at going green. An award, media recognition, and other forms of compensation would be suitable awards for the achievement of such a task. A quick glance through the webpage of WSU's Pan-Hellenic Council and Interfraternity Council show more than outdated content, but also a lack of any initiative toward sustainability and recycling. In a period where WSU's attempts to go green are reflected in a LEED certified CUB and a massive campaign emphasizing recycling and decomposable materials attached with the slogan of "be crimson, go green", let's have the student leaders and Greeks take charge. So lead the way Greeks, because the rest of the student body has already embarked on the road toward sustainability.
The High Cost of Text
Note: This blog post will be cut significantly before being published. I am at nearly 1000 words, where the limit should really be 600 something. But as the author, I am having a difficult time deciding what needs to go. I will speak with my editor, but this is my article in its full, unedited glory. Check the edited version in an upcoming Evergreen, shoots! Emails have replaced letters. Text messaging is used more than phone calls. We no longer purchase CDs, but obtain them through the internet in various methods. We spend more time streaming videos off YouTube and other sites than we spend in front of a television. Typical newspaper classified advertisements are far outnumbered by the listings on sites such as Craigslist. We are in the midst of a technological revolution, and it's time we being this change to the realm of which college students are vocal, but previously powerless to do anything about. It's time we shake up the textbook industry and develop alternatives to killing trees and our checking accounts. The current situation college students are in is quite troubling, based on simple economics. There is a significant and inelastic demand for textbooks, which cannot be adequately combated with piracy and secondary markets because they are updated every couple years. Rarely do we see someone with the authority over consumers to buy a product from unregulated and meager vendors, except from our professors. An Evergreen article on the 2nd cited that students spend, on average, nearly $1000 on textbooks in a year. That's over a quarter of what is typically spent on tuition. Technology was supposed to assist in bringing down costs by bringing the content online. Instead, online material simply complements the traditional text, and costs a significant amount to access, independent of the book. Worse yet, the odds are pretty good that books purchased this semester will not be bought back for the next because a new edition is en route or the bookstore is overstocked with the book in question. To top it off, the access codes are nontransferable and good for the semester only. None of this is the fault of the Bookie or Crimson & Grey; it's the publishers, who take a cut of nearly two thirds. Now, there are obvious ways to ease the cost of traditional textbooks. You could check chegg.com, buy the international version, borrow a sample copy, purchase the electronic version, use the library, or even find out which books are absolutely necessary before shopping. But these methods only place buckets under a leaky roof. We need to repair the water holes. It's time we change the textbook industry. Enter door number one, the Amazon Kindle. The Kindle is an e-book reader which has been flying of the virtual shelves of Amazon since its inception a mere 10 months ago. The Kindle is a powerful device, with a high resolution and paper like screen, wireless connectivity, and thin design; it is a wonderful first generation product. Reading text off a machine may seem cumbersome and counterintuitive initially, but so was the idea presented by Apple of storing music in $500 bricks which you could not put music in or out of without the assistance of a computer. An e-book reader cuts out the middle man, the shipping costs, and, theoretically, most of the publishing costs which goes into a typical textbook. Yes, we'll probably see DRM (digital rights management) on the books, so you can't transfer books onto your friend's Kindle, and we'd still see online access codes for a lot of classes, but it's a step in the right direction. A new version of the Kindle is rumored to be in development with a lower price tag aimed at college students, it would be wonderful if WSU and colleges embraced this format. Door number two is even more interesting and potentially staggering. Door number two explores the domain of open source. Imagine if electronic copies of textbooks were available for free and capable of consumption either on a laptop, tablet PC, high resolution phone such as an iPhone, or, preferably, on a Kindle. Maybe there would be advertisements in between chapters to support server and hosting costs, but probably not. If scholars were willing to contribute and donate small amounts of their time in the interest of accessible knowledge, in an environment where information could be modified at a moment's notice, we could produce high quality text in a controlled environment. Look at the success experienced by Firefox and Wikipedia. We check Wikipedia before we do the Britannica, and most individuals are aware that Firefox is superior to Internet Explorer. Open source is generally the accepted method in producing high quality products with individually low resources. Finally, behind door number three, we see what may be the most obvious and effective method in lowering textbook prices: get rid of them. According to The Daily Herald, one Utah Valley State sociology professor has removed textbooks from the curriculum. After requiring his students to buy a nearly $100 textbook, the students couldn't sell the book back because a new edition was out. Dr. Ron Hammond now assigns reading material from articles and original research found in the library or the web. He also redid all his quizzes and exams because he had no test bank which accompanies textbooks. While the jury is out on the effectiveness for the students academically, it certainly encourages students to develop their research skills and lightens their financial burden. While not feasible in many cases, it would be fascinating to observe if this technique could be implemented in classes in which it is possible. And if embraced by enough instructors, it would transmit a cordial message to the textbook industry that tripling prices in a two decade period is unacceptable. Times have changed. If we are truly fed up with the treatment towards students by the textbook industry, we need the assistance of our faculty and administrators. Current solutions such as those proposed by ASWSU in making buy-back easier just add another bucket under the increasingly leaky and deteriorating roof. What wasn't possible a few years ago is on the horizon. The only question is, will WSU lead the drive to innovation, or will we follow other universities as we transition from physical text to the digital.
Go Big or Go Home
958 medals, 17 days, 132 new Olympic records, 43 new world records, and 1 wholesome pounding courtesy of the Chinese later, we have reached the conclusion of the 2008 Summer Olympics. It's been an amazing and bumpy ride for Team USA, but once we look past Michael Phelps' extraordinary performance in the swimming events, we begin to realize one thing: Team USA better take 2012 in London seriously, or we are witnessing the decline of American athleticism on the global stage. If the USA continues to harbor and shelter its best athletes for her personal selfish and entertainment purposes, it will never have the strength to compete against the best of the world. For example, baseball is considered America's pastime and America's game. But we took bronze because we refused to send our best baseball players such as Derek Jeter, David Wright, Josh Beckett, or A-Rod. Because it would inconvenience the MLB season, we were forced to send a scruffy group of armatures and prospects. It was a miracle we even medaled. Imagine how much greater interest American's would hold in Olympics baseball if we sent a Dream Team of American players like we do for basketball. It would also increase the marketability of baseball overseas, and may have saved the sport from Olympic extinction. Just look at what our Redeem Team accomplished in Beijing. By actually sending some of our best athletes in basketball, we were able to comfortably defeat the opposition in bringing the gold back to the country which invented the sport. Of course, for the USA to return to Olympic dominance, we need to not only send our best athletes, but we also need to begin developing Olympians, not marketable athletes. The young children in our society, especially male, with athletic potential are generally bred to be football and basketball players; which happens to account for a grand total of one out of over 300 events in these Olympic Games. Sorry, but two individuals participating in two artistic gymnastics events has a more significant impact than the entire USA basketball team on the gold medal count. For the record, China won 8 artistic gymnastics gold, while USA won 2 gold. Try and envision what may happen if we had the best athletes within America train for the Olympics rather than the Super Bowl or World Series. Tackle Walter Jones from the Seahawks at 6'5" and 325 lbs could have trained for weightlifting rather than blocking and possibly have given USA its first weightlifting medal for 2008. Of course, he makes millions from the NFL and conventional wisdom says he would be crazy to pass that up. But imagine if Dwight Howard was trained as a boxer instead of our center. Or if Jason Kidd's vision was used for rifle shooting, where there are nine men's gold's to be won, instead of dropping dimes. The lure of a huge paycheck prevents us from producing the best Olympians we are capable of. According to the World Watch Institute, China has a population of around 1.3 billion people. In contrast, USA stands in at 300 million, or 0.3 billion. We can no longer send our second tier athletes and expect to leisurely take home the gold, just ask our basketball team of 2004. With China's resurgence as a world power, we are helplessly out resourced and out classed. Which is why if USA intends to dominate the only category which matters to the rest of the world, the gold medal count, it's time to begin training our best athletes to be more than entertainers, but Olympians.
Nice to meet you Facebook, again
Starting today, and over the next few weeks, Facebook will be slowing and progressively unveiling their new redesign to users depending on what networks you're in. Having experimented with this new design through www.new.facebook.com since a couple of weeks ago, I just wanted to share my thoughts on this new look, and what it means to us, the users. Let's begin with what everyone else will notice first, its look. The first thing I noticed was white space, lots and lots of white space. Initially, this disappointed me, as I thought it was wasted space. But as I reevaluate this, I think it was an intelligent move. The items are now less cluttered, giving Facebook back its simple and clean looks which drew users away from MySpace in the first place. I also love the integration of the wall and mini-feed. Facebook seems to be telling us that activity is activity, regardless if it's a wall post or the creation of a photo album; this discourages users from deleting items from their mini-feed since it's a different feeling from deleting a wall post. The new profile tabs are a nice touch as well, as they deemphasize applications, and refocus on Facebook's bread and butter, revolutionized communication. With the redesign, it also appears as if Facebook has remembered its primary purpose, to be the best social networking site in the world. With the introduction of the application platform a while ago, it seemed as if Facebook was trying to be a portal page and jack of all trades. It wanted to do games, music, comparing people, etc. And all these applications temped users to add applications to the point where the ease and cleanness of Facebook was replaced by laggy behavior and spam application invitations, giving Facebook the messy impression once regulated towards its notorious brethren, MySpace. With the allocation of the applications to the "Boxes" tab and the side bar of the wall, Facebook has reminded developers and users alike what its primary purpose is, to transform and simplify the way people of our generation communicate with one another. The next major aspect influenced is usability, which has remained constant, throughout the changes. Everything still takes about the same time to accomplish, messages, wall posts, etc. It may take a series of different steps, but the number of steps is relatively the same, perhaps one could argue that its now more intuitive, although it really comes down to taste. Facebook has also gotten rid of the left sidebar and placed on the profile something much more important in that space, you. Our eyes are trained to study left to right, up to down, so now your profile picture is in the upper-left corner, putting the attention on you, not your applications, a really nice touch. With the removal of this left sidebar, the homepage right sidebar has now doubled in size, giving you greater access to status updates, requests, notifications, and other core components of Facebook. Your top 8 applications can quickly be located on this sidebar, so you don't always have to click on the top of the screen, which is admittedly cumbersome. Furthermore, it's clear that Facebook wants all of our content, which includes you and me. With the introduction of the Publisher section located at the top of everyone's profile and at the top of your home page (Newsfeed), Facebook has placed less of an emphasis on quality, but rather quantity. Notes can be quickly published in two clicks, photo albums don't require you to give information such as location, you can now upload single photos, videos are only a couple of clicks away as well, and sharing a link has never been more prominently promoted. Facebook wants you to share your content with them, and they have never made it easier to do so. However, its not all pretty and cherry. As Facebook has now cannibalized a top application from a popular developer with the introduction of customizing which friends will show up on your friends space in the left of your profile, effectively killing the application "Top Friends" and creating the MySpace "top 8" drama some are far too familiar with. Also, I use Ad Block Plus with my Firefox, protecting me from ads on the internet, but judging by where the space is, it looks like advertising will be a lot more prominent on the right side of your profiles, and that these ads will be targeted based on the content on each profile; a genius move for Facebook for its developers and investors, but a reminder to its users that nothing is free. Facebook will be holding its developer conference this Wednesday, so its motives and direction with these new profile changes will become apparent then, but for now, this is an evaluation of what information is available to me. It's clear that Facebook is not content with being the social networking site of choice for college students, but wants to do to internet communication what Google has done to internet search. The only questions remaining whether will the application developers will tire of Facebook's closed environment and continuous adjustments, and will users continue to flock to a site which appears to have placed a lid on profile customization and which perpetually changes, giving the impression that it's difficult to use? Regardless of what the answers may be, Facebook has made clear that it's not interested in childish games and time wasting applications, only taking care of business by making communication easier and simpler than ever before.
Prone is for the Grown
I enjoy body boarding. There is something about being pushed by a force which is far stronger than one you can generate yourself to reach speeds which allow you to flip, spin, carve, and ride which brings a certain level of satisfaction for me. It's also a gamble and fresh experience every time because every wave is different, even if you're at the same break, at the same take off point. There is a certain amount of chance and exhilaration because you won't know if you're get it clean, if it'll close out early, if the lip will curl, until you are on it and feel it. But as I've expanded my repertoire of breaks, I've grown increasingly bothered by wave hogging surfers whom undoubtedly look down on spongers. I have experienced too many drop ins by surfers, and have grown tired of surfers who cut in line after I had already let them catch a wave before me; which is why I'd like to spend the next few paragraphs selling a case for respecting and appreciating the legitimacy and pros of body boarding. Just as a precaution, I will be ranting, so please either push aside judgmental and opinionated mindsets, or cease reading at this point. Body boarding is cheaper than surfing. A new short board runs at least $400 from T&C, and a new long board about $700. Mean while, body boards are in the $100 price range, much more affordable. One might argue that spongers also have to buy fins, which is true, so you'd have to add about $70 or so to the total price, but surfers also have to buy fins for their boards, which can easily be the same price. Any way you cut it, body boarding costs less, while still providing an opportunity to riding most of the waves desired by surfers, plus the shore breaks. I keep my body board and fins in the trunk of my 4 door sedan, that way if I get off work early, or plan on hanging out after, I can easily do so. Just pack and go. There is nothing more convenient. If I were surfing, I would have to place the boards on a surf rack and hope they won't get stolen as I take care of the other tasks I have throughout the day. Otherwise, I would have to drive all the way home, pick up the surf boards, go surf, then go back home, before I could do anything else, lest by surf boards be stolen. Along the same lines, a body board can fit anywhere, in the back seat, the trunk, or even on the bus. Surf boards either go on the bed of a truck, take up 2 rows and the trunk of a van, or on surf racks. And vans and trucks offer poor gas mileage, and are difficult to park. The cost of owning a truck or van becomes greater than cars each day as gas prices increases. Meanwhile, you can just throw your body board in the back of your Civic and go. The portability of the body board is rivaled only by the trays used by body surfers. Body boarding is also easier to pick up. It's easy to begin riding, and it doesn't take long before spongers learn to turn, drop knee, and pull off more difficult maneuvers. And since it was so easy to pick up, even if the advanced techniques are a struggle to grasp, you can still have fun in the water as you learn. Mean while, most aspiring surfers take at least a session or two to just learn how to stand. I argue that the same reason why some sports are more popular globally such as soccer and basketball over baseball and golf is because of simplicity to understand and play. In the same regard, the ease of body boarding should be an advantage over surfing. People don't want to do what everyone else is doing. They don't like to hit crowded breaks, buy the same clothes, or generally do and buy what everyone else does. Surfers, especially, pride themselves on individuality, as each board is hand crafted and separate from the rest. So what's more original, being one of two or three body boarders at Bowls, or one of 40 surfers? Yes, kids with body boards swamp Walls, but that's only because they are unwelcome, or unable to reach other breaks. If uniqueness is what you seek, I'd suggest body boarding among surfers. A common misconception is that there is less to do on a body board than on a surf board. Surfers can carve, pull floaters, shuffle their feet, rip the lip, and perhaps a few other moves. A body boarder easily matches those maneuvers with 360s, carves of their own, and off the lip flips. Plus, body boarders can drop knee, opening a whole new bag of tricks including 360s and ripping the lip. I'd argue that it's just a much fun as surfing, and depending on the individual, maybe even more. As I prepare to conclude my tirade, allow me to state that I love surfing. If I were in a different situation, I would surf as much as I body board, maybe more. I'm not arguing that body boarding is better, because that would be doing the whole apples and oranges thing. But I am stating that surfers should stop believing they are superior to body boarders and treat them with disrespect. This mostly pertains to young, twenty-something haole guys on their short boards, not so much to older local men on their long boards, those guys are always nice to me. Share the waves, mahalo for reading. Shoots! P.S. I'm always down with having sessions. I get off usually around 1pm, so if you like go, it me up!
Do not leave a message after the beep.
Voicemail is dead. Please pass it along so we will stop using it. Prior to text messages, emails, IM, and social networking sites going mainstream, voicemail had a purpose. It was an effective method of relaying a message if a direct telephone conversation was not possible. But it is no longer the most efficient method available for accomplishing this task. It takes much longer to listen to a message than reading it. Most information presented orally need to be written anyway, and its simpler to transcribe from text-to-text rather than speech-to-text. It is also difficult to forward or reply to voicemails, as listening to voicemail is essentially a task in itself, and is generally not a repetitive action in our lives at the same level email and social networking sites are. How many times have you returned someone's call saying, "Hey, I'm returning your call, but didn't listen to your voicemail. What's up?" And many people these days don't even bother setting up their voicemail, leaving a generic message of "You have reached xxx-xxx-xxxx, please leave a message after the tone." If that's not the case, then the voicemail could also be full, to the point where callers cannot even leave a message, because the owner of the mailbox lacks the time or motivation to tidy their inbox. And the worst crime of all, are committed by individuals whom leave voicemails saying, "Hey, it's me. Call me back." It's a waste of minutes and a waste of productive time. Calling people can quickly lead to games of phone tag, which become annoying quite quickly. Voicemails also tend to be chatter heavy, but text messages have a 140 character limit, creating an efficient and direct message for the recipient. Furthermore, an increasing amount of individuals have cell phones with data planes, allowing their phones to check for new email around the clock, providing an even easier method of communication. Text messages and emails will always be superior to phone calls, as the recipient may respond at their leisure, and there is no need to align two busy schedules for the conversation to take place. These days, the best way of reaching a busy person is to: Unfortunately, the reality is that voicemail needs to hang around for a few more years. Many businesses have blocked numbers, making voicemail essential for recording call back numbers and subject matter. Also, older members in our community continue to hold onto voicemail like a crutch, as it remains a tool in which they are comfortable with using. But as the voicemail technology quickly becomes outdated with the penetration of more efficient tools, let's think before we voicemail unless it's necessary, the other party will thank you for your consideration.
Hello? Blog?
Ok, so I have been doing a poor job of maintaining my blog. Why? This is my daily schedule: 8-10am: Class 10-12: Class 1-5pm: Work After work, I eat dinner, spend a little time unwinding, and then proceed to do a few hours' worth of homework. I am also not receiving compensation for my work this summer, unlike this past semester when I wrote for the school newspaper, thus lowering publishing on my priority list. But I do have some thoughts to share, some topics of which include the condition of Hawaii, the economy, and other miscellaneous subjects. I will not pretend to claim authoritative knowledge over these matters, just one man's humble opinion. Now the challenge is to find time and motivation to do so, as the lure of the beach and friends can be an understandably strong draw when I am not going through the aforementioned routines. Plus, there is a south swell kicking in… shhh… keep it down….
Quick Update
I've been stressed and blessed simultaneously these past few weeks home.
I want to make an update soon, but today's post will be short, as I am extremely tired.
I just wanted to post up a quote.
Quote of the day: "When the Power of Love Overcomes the Love of Power, the World Will Know Peace" - Jimi Hendrix
Something to think about, for sure.
Dalai Lama live blog
This begins my live comments on the Dalai Lama convocation from my
iPhone.
2:00 - we just got seated after going through an extremely long line.
Line moved fast as it seemed as if sercuity was more concerned with
speed rather than safety.
3:05 - let's get this show on the road, with the arrival of the UW mace.
312- there must have been a 4 minute standing ovation when he arrived.
320- chair of UW called the Dalai Lama the captian of the spaceship
called earth. Then began reading the honorary degree citation. The
degree is then presented, doctor of humane letters.
325- the newest husky is introduced to the crowd.
He is speaking, at least initially, in his native tounge, and is using
a translator.
He begins by thanking everyone and speaks humbly, and jokes that he is
glad to have a doctorate degree without doing any studying
330- now begins speaking without a translator, uses English. Jokes
that he is bright, like the students, while pointing at his bald spot.
He says that young people are the basis of our hope.
Says during war, there is no value to the preciousness of life. And
that last century was one of war and violence. Our generation, of the
21st century is the hope for a century of peace and tranquility. No
more bloodshed.
Peace doesnt come from the sky, war and violence is our creation.
Peace must come from us.
In order to carry out peace, we need willpower to resist violence, and
use dialouge. Dialouge is the only way to resolve conflict.
Solving global warming, less resources, more population, requires
dialouge, not more violence. This takes determinearion based on
compassion.
Instinctively refrain from haring others.
We need wisdom. Everything is interdependant. No nation or group of
people should be an enemy, but rather a part of yourself. Your future
depends on the future of your enemy. Violence on our neighbor is
meaningless today, hurts both parties. Concept of war is outdated.
Real world peace is possible, if we believe in interdependancy and a
personal mindset of tranquility.
345- continues speaking:
Through one persons individual peace, we can have a peaceful family.
Then a peaceful community. Then it can spread to a peaceful world.
He feels shy to speak in front of big scholars, but feels encouraged
because modern education focuses on external dvelopment, but he and
the church focuses on internal and family development.
Therefore, educational institutions should not only develop the brain,
but also moral and ethics, no longer just the churches job.
He calls professors to also train moral values, not just knowldge.
Jokes that he doesnt know what else to say.
Destruction of negative emotions are impossible, but inner reduction
can help and be possible.
Anger prepares your body for violence, which is already wrong. It is
important for survival and is thus evolutionally hardwired, but we
should limit it to defense.
Intelligence must help us grow compassion, not disposal of hatred.
Anger and hatred is supposed to harm others, but you only hurt yurself
by losing sleep and concentration, helping your enemy. But by
remaining calm, even if its unfair, analyzing the situation, you can
make effective judgements.
Hatered is of no use. Infinite compassion can keep peace of mind.
Countires with no armies have the best lifestyle, because their
resources are uses better. We need a demaririalized world. Won't
happen overnight, but fall of Berlin wall is the beginning of a
dematiliaryized world. NATO headquarters should shift to Ruasia, to
remove fear and doubt.
Eventually, north America will be united. Gradually.
Asks students to be more peaceful, and create the ripple effect of
peace.
400- done, greeted with long standing ovation.
Dialouge between students and Dalai Lama begins:
Says the simplest act of compassion is ... He doesnt know. Funny guy.
Says we should pay attention to inner world and emotions. Says to get
information, and personally experiment.
Says his ultimate vision for the world in the near future is to make a
greater effort through education to create peace. Wants to close the
gap between rich and poor, as it is widening. Its morally wrong and is
a source of our problems. Through education, training, and self
confidence, all races can be equal. Everyone is the same at birth, and
with same opportunity, everyone can achive the same, regardless of race.
How to show compassion to someone who has been harming other people...
2 types: bias and unbias compassion. Bias compassion can extend toward
your enemy. Negative consequences will happen to those whom harm
others, through karma or god. Secular laws have secular consequnces,
so we feel compassionate toward them.
420- On global climate change:
Its a new subject to him, as Tibet has a nice environent, so they are
oblivious to the change. But recently realizes the danger. Says moon
doesnt count, as it is hopeless and unliveable. Earth is our only
home. By the time we realize the true effects of global warming, it
will be too late. Concern for the environent should be a part of our
daily lives. He jokes, he only showers once a day, to she water;
doesnt shower twice like others do as a luxury. Initiative must come
from individual, then it may multiply.
HIV in Africa:
Medicine should bring relief, then educate people in these areas.
Increase "rubber" or condom use, big laughs. Communities must not look
down on those with HIV.
Society must accept released prisinors, in order to give them hope and
belonging.
How to cultivate compassion into each other:
Thinks hard... Everyone is the same at birth, but environental growth
determines creates differences. Mothers should then spend more time
with child.
He doesnt know how to smack compassion into someoe without one.
But always exercise paitence. Good to bad, easy. Bad to good, hard,
takes more effort, takes more paitence.
Long term solution to teach compassion is through education. That's
the only way. Cannot be brought about by bullying and orders.
Short term is to ... He doesnt know. Some people hold in their anger,
others dont, those who dont tend to live happier.
Strong definition of compassion: civic responsibilities. Compassion is
the sense of concern at anothers suffereing.
450- discussion is over.
Seeds of compassion choir begins performing.
505- Dalai Lama has left the stage and the building.
That's the log. I'll probably be making a wrap up post or article in
the near future.
I'm on my way back to Pullman in a bit, shoots!
Race
The snow is gone, spring break has passed, and April is upon us. April typically generates thoughts of April fool's day, showers, and the end of a semester. But that is not all April is associated with; perhaps more important than a day of jokes, April is also Asian Pacific American (APA) Awareness month. While April is a designated period intended to celebrate and promote awareness of APA history and issues, it is also a convenient moment to reflect upon an issue of which we are consistently mindful of, but are either too scared or too immature to discuss on a serious note: race. As an Asian American, I routinely cope with the stereotypes that follow individuals of my ethnicity. Others have asked why I struggle with Calculus, if I was a United States citizen, if English was my second language, and why I am terrible with chopsticks, just to name a few stereotypes that come my way. It is frustrating because I was born and raised in the U.S., and spent all but seven days on U.S. soil in my life. Yet, assumptions and labels seem to systematically take precedence over courtesy and common sense. In January, Kyle Descher was an alleged victim of a possible hate crime. Over three months later, a violent act that took place in a crowded bar continues to inconceivably bring forth no witnesses to assist detectives in bringing justice upon the offender. In late March, a collaborated effort from WSU organizations brought premier scholar Dinesh D'Souza to the campus to explore the topic of race in America. But instead of an intellectual discussion with one of America's most influential thinkers, we were left with close minded, microphone hogging, blabber mouths of whom insisted that race must exist and that there was nothing we could do about it. In light of the lack of progress on the Descher case, the misguided central theme of D'Souza's speech, and the repeated notion that WSU lacks intellectual diversity, WSU has placed itself in a defining moment of its institutional history. We can continue to hold fast to our narrow mindsets and develop offense on ideas which contradict our own; or we can say "not this time." Now could be the time when we quit turning a blind eye towards obvious acts of needless and excessive hate. Now could be the moment where we respect and consider admitting that a bestselling published author might have something valuable to say. Now could be the occasion in which we permit new ideas to enter our minds and allow our cognitive reasoning independently evaluate the validity and strength to the new concept. Now could be the time. A few weeks ago, a gentleman of mixed color wrote and presented a speech that ranks among the greatest speeches of our generation. You may have heard of this man, Mr. Barack Obama. In his speech entitled "A More Perfect Union," which you can find on YouTube, Obama essentially said that it is time for us to sit down and have a mature discussion regarding race in America. Obama insisted that if we were to continue on "our path of a more perfect union," we would have to "move beyond race." Obama presents us with two options, one is to continue to be distracted by race, and the other is to say, "Not this time." Let us mature and begin eliminating race and racism from our daily lives. It won't happen overnight, it may not even happen over a thousand nights; but we have to take it one day at a time. Abolishing the political distraction of race will enable us to handle the true crisis such as global climate change and our faltering economy. Uniting our nation under one country rather than several separate ethnic entities will allow the United States to remain the most prosperous in the world. We are the United States of America, not the divided states of America. Now could be the time, let's make it happen.
Superdelegates
The economy is struggling. An unpopular war appears to have no end. A widely mocked and loathed president sits in the oval office. All these components were supposed to spell disaster for the GOP and bring the executive branch back to the democrats. But thanks to the broken primary process and appointment of superdelegates, the democrats will be spending the next few months bickering amongst themselves, paving the way for warmonger John McCain to miraculously become our 44th president. It does not help that the democrat's award delegates proportional to what percentage of votes a candidate won in a state, effectively awarding delegates to the loser in the state. Unlike the republicans – who have a winner take all approach – this process inhibits the leader to take a large lead heading into the democratic convention in August. If neither Obama nor Clinton manages to secure the committed vote of 2,025 out of 3,253 delegates by the convention – a historically rare occurrence – then the votes of the 796 superdelegates become of vital importance. Superdelegates are democratic congressman, democratic governors, mayors, members of the Democratic National Committee, and various other individuals, some of whom are only 21 years old and have never voted in a presidential election – is that democratic? Even more frightening is that the superdelegates are unchecked and are free to vote for whomever they choose, for any reason; whereas delegates are forced to vote for the winner of their district. This style of freedom opens the door for under-the-table-deals and bribes that the public will never hear about. Similar to an NCAA coach wooing a high school player, don't think that the Obama and Clinton camps have not been contacting the superdelegates in hopes of influencing their vote at the convention. We could be looking at another Gore-Bush fiasco. Obama may come into the convention with a lead in the popular – or delegate – vote, but after the superdelegates have had their say, Clinton could very well become the party's nominee, assuring the Obama camp – and the rest of America – will become incensed. Which begs the question, why do the superdelegates even exist? Why should some junior at Marquette University who can vote for whom he feels is "best for the nation" have the same authority as a delegate from California who represents thousands of voters? It is like giving Derrick Low the same voting power as all of Waller Hall. Just because Derrick may be a more recognizable student from WSU and wants the best for the university, it does not mean that the opinion that you and I hold should be much less significant. It is unfair and undemocratic. There are several issues in this tiresome and inefficient nomination process, but the controversy of the superdelegates is the most prominent. In a thrilling and unprecedented race for the white house, it would be extremely disappointing to have it tarnished by the votes of a select few members of the political elite. It is time to take the power from the superdelegates and trust the people in selecting the nominee. Now that is a super idea.
Sharing is Caring
Sharing is Caring I'm a criminal, and you likely are as well. Regardless if you tried KaZaa once to hear the latest Kelly Clarkson single, or if you keep your uTorrent client humming to keep your ratio high with a private tracker, you and I are guilty by the standards of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). But as the RIAA scrambles to file lawsuit after lawsuit towards file sharers in an attempt to alienate the consumers, I mean, hunt down terrible criminals, maybe it's time we evaluate the mindset of the youth today and adjust industry business models to reflect the new digital era. I would like to think of pirating music as a modern day library. You download, or borrow, what music you feel may be interested in. If you enjoy the product, you support the artist by spreading their talents by word of mouth, paying exorbitant fees to attend live concerts, purchase merchandise, or buy a higher quality version of their work via vinyl or DVD. If you don't, well, that's the last time you'll give those guys a spin. The issue today is that artists are perceived to be "rich enough" and are producing lower quality work. As we witness the homes of artists through shows such as "MTV Cribs," it can become difficult to emphasize and feel remorse over stealing their music. More importantly, music in America today has gone downhill. I'm sorry, but if you think you can squeeze another $16.99 out of me by telling me to "crank, super soak, or superman dat hoe," for four straight minutes, you are sadly mistaken. The newest iPod classic now has 160GB storage capacity. That's nearly 40,000 songs or $40,000 if you use the iTunes to purchase your music. Oh, and by the way, the music you purchase there is crippled by Digital Rights Management (DRM), has a relatively low bite rate, can only be stored on one iPod and played on 5 platforms. Meanwhile, the content found on OiNK and other sites are of studio quality, can be played on any platform, and most importantly, free. It doesn't take a genius to realize what route the average competent consumer will obtain their content, legally correct or not. As the public has made their choice clear, I only wish that Washington State University would reflect this new standard. Schools such as the University of Washington inactively monitors file sharing traffic, and does not attempt to vilify individuals who elect to file share. In fact, programs such as DC++ run actively on the University's bandwidth, almost encouraging file sharing. Users only get in trouble if the RIAA sends a pre-settlement letter, and UW will only forward pre-settlement letters to individuals accused of copyright infringement when they are reasonably identifiable. To date, 15 letters have been passed along to students, according to the university's official website. In contrast, WSU's ResNet actively monitors traffic looking for file sharers. If found, the offenders' network access is immediately shut down, must take a class, and have their hard drive thoroughly inspected. Furthermore, violators could be submitted to the student conduct board or to law enforcement officials. Without stating file sharing is okay, I would like to see WSU revisit their current outdated, unrealistic, and cumbersome policy. Instead of wasting time inspecting and clearing hard drives, it may be more beneficial to perform other tasks such as solving the computer issues of students in a more timely fashion. Times have changed, it's time we see the industry reflect and accommodate this change.
As file sharing runs rampant, the industry must adopt, not attack
Getting back into the flow
After an enthusiastic jump into the blogosphere, I promptly fell flat on my face due to a variety of reasons. This particular post will carry a personal tone, as I attempt to exercise my literary abilities in a natural and refreshing environment by writing about what I know best, my life. My posts became few and nearly nonexistent when I returned home to Hawaii. The distractions and pleasure in seeing friends and family again made it easy to toss blogging on the side. I went to the beach nearly everyday during winter break, particularly the east breaks which thoroughly pounded me on many occasions. Unfortunately, my return to Washington State University got off to a very rough start. I got myself involved into serious legal problems, and without getting explicit, I can reveal that I am still suffering from this situation to this very day. I am trying to keep myself busy by picking up two additional jobs on top of mentoring. I am a clerical assistant and I was hired to be a Daily Evergreen columnist. However, in my eagerness to do everything, I began to spread myself thin, and haven't been able to put together anything for the Evergreen. It's frustrating because the Evergreen is looking for specific topics, and is always looking for ways to tie an piece back to the University. It doesn't help that the University consists of about 30 thousand of possibly the most religious, politically, and socially apathetic group of people in the nation. I was looking for an outlet to nudge this lack of enthusiasm, but the limited ability of the position only allows for a whisper of a voice. At the present, I am still attempting to get rid of this legal case in the most efficient way possible, as financially and emotionally costly as it is. Once it blows over, I hope to churn out articles and pieces to both this blog and to the Evergreen on a much more regular basis. In the meantime, I hope that this explanation clarifies the lack of updates and attention to this blog. I hope that you are doing well, and if not, that you are pressing on through it all. Cheers. "Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; then stick to the path and stay safe. Don't get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil." -Proverbs 4:25-27
