The Anatomy of a Freshman
How do upperclassmen spot The Freshman? We gently break down the anatomy of first-year Hoosiers.
44 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
How do upperclassmen spot The Freshman? We gently break down the anatomy of first-year Hoosiers.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Something once in a lifetime happened to me. And no matter how much longer I have on this planet, I’ll never have another such experience. I celebrated my golden birthday this year. And it wasn’t just any birthday; it was my golden 21st birthday. Yes, it was a big day, but I didn’t really reflect on its significance because, well, when it was happening, I wasn’t in the clearest frame of mind, and when it was over, I wasn’t really in the mood to think. That, and I was definitely more concerned with the re-telling of the ridiculous stories and, three days later, I was far too busy scarfing down a massive stuffed bird. When I got back to school, all I wanted to do was re-live the celebration all over again. But now, as my opinion editor position comes to an end, and I’ve reached my milestone of adulthood on a rather momentous occasion, I can’t help but feel the desperate need to offer some words of reflection to you, my fellow readers. I’ve written on quite a few topics this fall, on issues as serious as Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit’s release and IU student Lauren Spierer’s disappearance to subjects as eccentric as pudding wrestling, the unmistakable anatomy of a freshman and, of course, the extremely illogical IU B bus route. All in all, this semester has been analogous with one conscious thought spasm complete with moments of breakthrough rage and hysteria. And, now that I’ve reached the age where I am deemed a fully-functional legal citizen, I thought I’d offer a more seasoned stance on the columns I’ve written this semester. Yes, I still believe pudding is one of the most versatile desserts/weapons I’ve encountered this year. I am open for more suggestions, but Jell-O is far too solid and cake has a mostly splatter-proof consistency which fails to provide the same satisfaction as a sloppy pudding mess. Yes, I still believe the campus bus system can do more to help the students at IU get home safely and securely. I still hold the opinion that safety is more important than convenience and efficiency. I acknowledge that some readers found my views on the subject to sound more like of a rant against convenience than safety, but I assure you, commenter Eric Jones, when Bloomington has so many reasons to be deemed “unsafe,” this is one easily implementable change that could reassure concerned students.Yes, I still believe Gilad Shalit’s swap with more than a thousand Palestinian prisoners may have been unjustified. But I also believe my perspectives are narrow given my limited education and experience with Israeli politics and international affairs. I could certainly benefit from speaking with local Israeli citizens and politicians to gain a more credible, educated opinion. And I plan to do it. Next semester, I will be in Israel studying at Tel Aviv University.Yes, I still believe some of the answers to Lauren Spierer’s disappearance lie in the deafening silence of a few IU students. Until students come forward to assist the police, Spierer’s family will needlessly suffer.I won’t be around next semester to further build upon these opinions, but I am confident the future IDS opinion staff will continue to question these inquisitive subjects. Best of luck to the spring semester’s opinion editors Francisco Tirado and Patrick Beane. — esalomon@indiana.edu
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Two months ago, I wrote a column entitled “Campus failed to consider safety when changing route.” The piece included a shocking, yet extremely revealing quote from Christopher Manning, a student supervisor for IU Campus Bus Service, about the recent changes to the B Bus route: “We didn’t really think about late night dangers when we removed the stops.”In response to this, I recommended the campus buses maintain the current route system during the day but reinstate the old route for night hours to increase overall safety and efficiency. On Oct. 17, The IU Student Transportation Board voted on changing the B Route to the former route pattern starting at 8 p.m. on weekdays and weekends to include stops along Third Street, Indiana Avenue, Seventh Street, Woodlawn Avenue and 10th Street. Unfortunately, the bus system still does not understand the importance of such a change because they voted it down.“The STB voted not to make any changes to the B Route at this time,” said Perry Maull, Operations Manager for the IU Campus Bus Service in an email.I applaud the bus services for considering the concerns of so many students around campus, but what I don’t understand is why they felt the need to turn down such an easily implemented change.Was it a question of efficiency? It shouldn’t be, considering there is little to no traffic after 8 p.m., meaning a bus can smoothly maneuver through campus with minimal delays. Was it a question of safety? Certainly not, since the bus services were able to drive this route in the past without a security issue.I ask these questions with the knowledge that IU CBS has asked students to voice their concerns but has yet to follow up.Associate Vice President of University Communications Mark Land argued that few students have complained about this topic. To Land and the IU CBS: I assure you I am not alone in these complaints. Senior Michelle Holleb said the bus services visited her sorority house Alpha Xi Delta several months ago to ask about any issues they had with the revised bus system. Holleb, a journalism student, said she questioned the B Bus route efficiency and the removal of the stop outside of the IU School of Journalism.“I expected to hear about changes because they said they hadn’t thought about some of these issues and would take them into consideration,” Holleb said. “However, they came at least a couple months ago, and they have not addressed any of these concerns.”Although I specifically asked Maull to offer a response to students who say they don’t feel safe walking through campus in the dark to catch a bus, I received no direct answer. Instead, I was told the following: “Safety is job number one of any public transportation operation.”If safety is such a priority, then why has this plan been overlooked? The city of Bloomington feels less safe these days. As IDS columnist Patrick Beane pointed out Tuesday, “strange and disturbing things keep happening without warning.” In the span of 10 days, four random shootings occurred, killing one and wounding another. And although no one was hurt his past Sunday when a non-student pointed a gun at fraternity members and then fired it in the air, I’m sure everyone remembers the fear they experienced when told by the IU administration to “remain inside your home.”What is it going to take for the bus service to realize that campus isn’t as safe as it used to be? Instigating a change in response to these awful crimes is the only logical answer. I am not implying the changed route is responsible for any crimes, but unless the bus services become part of the solution, there is no way IU can completely reassure students and parents they are doing everything in their power to guarantee safety on campus. So please, IU CBS, vote again on this issue. When there are so many uncertainties about the safety of Bloomington, why not provide one reliable certainty? — esalomon@indiana.edu
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Last Thursday, the opinion staff ran an editorial titled “Benefits of US-Canadian oil pipeline.” As an editorial board, we agreed the Keystone XL pipeline would benefit America’s economy, national security and pose little environmental risk. After running this staff editorial, the opinion desk was confronted by several angry readers and an influx of critical emails.As the opinion editors of the IDS, we welcome such criticism. However, we found it necessary to lay out some ground rules for those who might have problems with future opinion columns and editorials.First, we would like to explain how we, as an editorial board, write our editorials. Every Friday afternoon, members of the opinion staff meet to discuss interesting stories in the news. When we came across the pipeline story, we encouraged debate among the staff, like we would for any other issue. While the result was in favor of the pipeline, that doesn’t mean there were no dissenting arguments. What was published was the general consensus of those at the meeting. When told we should consider retracting the editorial, our response then and now is the same: no. We will not censor the opinions of the staff, and we will not retract the editorial or offer any corrections. The facts included were properly cited and supported.Please keep in mind we produce opinions, not articles. An opinion editorial is intentionally biased, and we will not apologize for that. More so, the opinions expressed are those of the opinion staff, and not of other IDS reporters and editors.Second, if you disagree with our opinion, please tell us in a polite way. Threats only weaken your argument. When readers storm the IDS office emotionally charged, it’s difficult to achieve any productive results. If readers are passionate about a subject, we are more than happy to meet with them and publish letters to the editor, but we expect criticism to extend beyond simple mockery. Finally, we would like to acknowledge that while we do enjoy and encourage letters to the editor, we are constrained by the limited amount of space on the page. We choose to publish letters, comments and guest columns on a case-by-case basis. Today’s guest column on the pipeline was published because it accurately represents many critics’ opinions.A last thought: In the past few weeks, we have also received a good deal of criticism on our coverage of the Occupy Bloomington movement. We’ve been told our commentary is too “negative” and “neutral,” at best. We’d like to tell readers we’re not here to produce “fluff” pieces. As opinion editors, we will not tell our staff what to write. Often, we are confronted with stories we don’t necessarily agree with. However, we respect the views of our writers, and we will defend their right to be published.That said, we are an open forum, and we respect the views and opinions of our readers just as much. We are simply asking to interact in a professional manner.— esalomon@indiana.edu and njacobs@indiana.edu
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I aspire to be a professional journalist one day, but before I get there, I have to own up to a controversial piece of my past. It happened last weekend, and it’s not very clean or pristine. It’s not very aristocratic, either. Picture the following: a small, blown-up plastic pool filled with a dark substance dripping over the edges in the backyard of a fraternity. The smell of chocolate is pungent in the air.At this point, I’ll just spell it out for you: As part of the kick-off to Homecoming, I participated in what will be referred to as a pudding party.Cue the sound of a splash as a girl is flung face-down into the dark sea of dessert by a fratiator who shall not be named.With the subsequent shrill ringing in my ears, I took off in my Nike kicks, game face on and all. Pouring out the contents of my cup, I reached into the pool and scooped up some of the muck — quite deviously I might add. Then, like a sniper, I carefully analyzed my subject and fired, sending the pudding flying through the air.But instead of hitting the directed target, the custard splattered across the face of a poor soul with no intention of participating in such barbaric behavior. How was I supposed to know the excessive powdered mix, water and flour combination would add such weight to the substance? Lucky for me, these moments were caught on camera. About 18 months from now, I’ll be looking for jobs, and as I’ve frequently read, employers are looking at Facebook and other social networking sites before they interview applicants. A 2010 Microsoft survey found 70 percent of recruiters and hiring managers in the United States have rejected an applicant based on information they found online. Now, I don’t have any photos detailing drug use, orgies or any other illegal behavior. I’m a good kid. But I do have some shots of this slimefest, with a video soon to come. Will this pose a problem? But what kind of problem could pudding pose, anyway? Maybe it’s the concept of people covering themselves in a feces-colored substance; maybe the issue has underlying racist tones. More likely, it’s because 86-year-old Blue from the movie “Old School” participated in a slightly similar situation (just substitute the pudding with baby oil and the clothes with, well, barely no clothes) and he keeled over and died from the excitement. Who knows where these problems stem from, but as an aspiring journalist, I thought it might be a good idea to offer this full disclosure before it bites me in the butt later on. Or to quote good ol’ Blue, I decided not to be a pansy and ring the effin’ bell.As for the future employers who get their hands on my pudding photos, I have to say the following:1. Yes, it did take several washes to remove the grime from my hair.2. Yes, I’m aware these types of festivities are neither the height of sophistication nor an example of my academic merits. 3. Sorry, I’m not sorry. College is a time for a little pandemonium here and there, and pudding is tasty. Put the two together, and you’ve got a winning combination. — esalomon@indiana.edu
OP-EDGE
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After more than five years in captivity, Israeli Defense Force soldier Gilad Shalit was welcomed home on Tuesday. Shalit was kidnapped by Hamas militants, a Palestinian terrorist organization, in 2006 and after months of negotiations, Israel and Hamas reached an agreement last week to swap a thousand Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Shalit.While many Israelis are celebrating Shalit’s homecoming, just as many are in mourning — and for good reason. Hundreds of guilty terrorists have been released, and they are rubbing it in the faces of the families whose lives they destroyed.In a letter to Haaretz, a major Israeli newspaper, Frimet Roth spoke of her outrage over the release of her 15-year-old daughter's murderer.Roth’s daughter, Malka, was killed in a Hamas terrorist attack by Palestinian Ahlam Tamimi at a Sbarro pizza parlor in Jerusalem in 2001. And under the authority of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, she is now free.Roth said Tamimi’s appeared in a local TV interview, expressing zero remorse for her crime.“Would you do it again if you had the chance?” the reporter asked. “Yes,” Tamimi said.This sparked a question from Roth.“I wonder whether PM Netanyahu has heard Tamimi’s statements?” Roth asked in the letter. “Could he possibly have agreed to free an unrepentant, cold-blooded murderer, sentenced to 16 life terms after she publicly committed to murder again?” Sadly, this outlook of revenge among newly released prisoners is quite common.Wafa al-Bass, imprisoned since 2005, told The New York Times the Palestinians should “take another Shalit” every year until the remaining 5,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails are freed. Al-Bass, who was originally granted entry into an Israeli hospital for treatment, was incarcerated when she attempted to enter the country wearing a suicide bomb vest. As happy as I was watching videos of Shalit embrace his father, or as prideful as I felt seeing thousands of people celebrate his homecoming via Twitter and Facebook, I am infuriated knowing hundreds of terrorists are now free to continue murdering innocent civilians.In my last column on Shalit’s impending return, I questioned Israel’s future plans to release vast numbers of prisoners should another Israeli soldier be kidnapped. Now, it appears the Israeli government might actually reconsider this stance for the future. If so, this law would break with precedent.Various ministers and members of the Knesset, the legislative branch of the Israeli government, are drafting a bill dubbed the “Shalit Law,” according to Haaretz. The bill includes a recommendation that Israel not release more than one Palestinian prisoner for each Israeli prisoner of war/kidnapped victim. Shalit’s homecoming and the subsequent release of what will number more than 1,000 prisoners in the next few months means it is imperative the Israeli government seriously debate the implications of such a policy.This law is harsh and may well be unrealistic, but Israel must reconsider its current policies for the future well-being of its people.The State of Israel has not established itself on the misguided stance that one Israeli life is worth thousands of others. During the last 63 years, the country has fought seven wars for self-defense and sacrificed thousands of soldiers, including Netanyahu’s brother. Indeed, Israel must not lose sight of its responsibility to the rest of its people.What was done for Shalit’s family was remarkable, but it was neither reasonable nor fair for those who have come before him and for victims yet to come.— esalomon@indiana.edu
How high will you be at GLOWfest?
IDS opinion editors Evie Salomon and Nick Jacobs explain the opinion staff's new video blog OP-EDGE
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The impending release of Israeli Defense Force soldier Gilad Shalit serves as a victory, but the question is: Who benefits the most?Shalit’s family and friends are certainly celebrating his return, but it is also an emotional victory for the entire State of Israel, largely because the country’s conscription policy ensures that nearly everyone has a family member or a close friend in the army. At the same time, Shalit’s release may also serve as a victory for the Palestinian terrorist organization of Hamas, the governing administration in the Gaza Strip. Indeed, many convicted terrorists are being exchanged for one innocent Israeli soldier who was kidnapped while manning an army post in Gaza.After five years of captivity, Israel and Hamas reached an agreement Tuesday with Egyptian mediation to exchange 1027 Palestinian prisoners for Shalit, age 25, according to Haaretz, Israel’s major newspaper.In a statement to the Israeli Cabinet, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Shalit will return in the next few days. “We are all mutually responsible for each other, as our sages said, ‘He who saves one soul, it is as though he saved an entire world,’” Netanyahu said.While Hamas has released several confirmed letters, an audio recording and a video from the soldier during the past five years, Hamas has illegally barred the Red Cross from visiting Shalit — a breach of the 1949 Geneva Convention agreement.Despite the good news and the support of the overwhelming majority of the Israeli government, Cabinet Minister Uzi Landau said Wednesday the agreement was a “great victory for terrorism,” according to Haaretz.Regrettably, Landau does, in fact, have a point. The past five years has been a constant struggle for information, and while Shalit’s letters and recordings were confirmed as valid, they came with a price. In exchange for a two-minute videotape in 2009, Israel released 20 female Palestinian prisoners. And now, because of the agreement, Israel will release the murderers of three kidnapped IDF soldiers, as well as the perpetrator of the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem bus attack in 1989, according to Haaretz.Israel’s perseverance and dedication to the safe return of Shalit is inspirational and truly speaks to the unbreakable bond of the Israeli people and their view about the sanctity of a life. Perhaps, it also bodes well for future meetings of the mind between Israelis and Palestinians.Yet, it is important to consider the following: If Israel is willing to release thousands of prisoners for the life of one Israeli soldier, what is stopping Hamas from abducting more soldiers in hopes of liberating thousands more Palestinians, many of whom are terrorists?More so, what is stopping the newly liberated prisoners from assisting in the downfall of Israel? Hamas leaders admit to such treachery. Khaled Meshal, the political leader of Hamas, called the deal “a national accomplishment” for the Palestinians, who he said hoped to “cleanse the land, and liberate Jerusalem, and unite the Palestinian ranks.”While Shalit’s homecoming is a grand victory for Israel, it is critical to consider the impact of his release on the overall future of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Like Netanyahu, I’ve been brought up to believe that to save one life is to save humanity. Unfortunately, though, given the challenging state of affairs in Israel, this decision is not without adverse future consequences.— esalomon@indiana.edu
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It’s led to endless nights of studying, stressing, pacing and cursing, and I don’t have enough negative things to say about the SAT and ACT exams. If these standardized tests weren’t responsible for enough in high school, they’ve now led to the arrest of six students for participating in an underground cheating ring in Long Island, N.Y.At least half a dozen students from Great Neck North High School paid college student Sam Eshaghoff, age 19, between $1,500 and $2,500 to take the test for them. Eshaghoff, a graduate of the school, which ranks 71st in Newsweek Daily Beast’s top 500 high schools, allegedly flew home from college just to take the SAT twice in the same weekend. After the school discovered those involved, Eshaghoff was arraigned on charges of scheming to defraud, criminal impersonation and falsifying business records, according to the New York Times. I don’t condone cheating, but I don’t condone these standardized tests, either.While the ACT is a content-based test and the SAT focuses more on critical thinking and problem solving both are worthless exams that fail to reflect a student’s true academic capability, not to mention the multi-million dollar industry that benefits from students’ fear of failing. The Princeton Review guarantees a student can raise their score 200 points by attending one of their classes, but that costs a thousand bucks. The standardized test industry is like a cruel sugar daddy; it takes and takes, guaranteeing results, and then slaps you so hard across the face you don’t know what to do but come back crying for more.Eshaghoff was clearly trying to get in on some of that profit. Given the already impossible and, more importantly, inequitable nature of the exam, a little more corruption here and there doesn’t seem so bad.Indeed, students who can’t afford tutoring are disadvantaged even before they sit down to take the test. Allowing students to compete with one another for a better score when there is a definite divide in terms of financial resources is wrong. More so, the test has since reached its peak of pointlessness. As of March 2011, the SAT asked students to answer a prompt on reality television. This outdated test is obviously attempting to keep up with the times, but what’s the point?If persuasive essays on reality television are what college boards deem necessary knowledge, then we’ve got bigger problems. Schools like Drew University in Madison, N.J., offer an SAT-optional policy, allowing students to submit a graded paper rather than the results of their standardized test. A forward-thinking school like this understands that some students don’t necessarily thrive when asked to write an inspiring essay under the gun, and other schools are following suit.Columbia College and Lakeforest College in Illinois have both implemented similar policies along with hundreds of other schools who have deemphasized the use of standardized tests. Put simply, these exams cannot measure a student’s worthiness and academic capacity. As for Eshaghoff, he plans to plead not guilty. In a small sense, he’s not.It seems wrong to throw the book at a student for fraud when he was clearly inspired by the already unethical foundation of the standardized test industry. — esalomon@indiana.edu
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Today marks the 111th day since Lauren Spierer went missing.More than 150,000 flyers have been distributed and more than 5,000 people have participated in searches, and still, there is no answer for the question: Where is Lauren Spierer? The deafening silence in this investigation has inspired today’s “Shine 4 Lauren” concert, which will symbolically focus light on information that remains unknown.With the four-month anniversary of Lauren Spierer’s disappearance quickly approaching, the missing student’s parents, Robert and Charlene Spierer, have voiced doubt about the statements made by persons of interest and the theories presented thus far.One of the most serious discrepancies arose on July 24 when a source told Journal News in Westchester, N.Y., that Lauren Spierer appeared incapacitated while at Smallwood Plaza, allegedly stumbling out of the elevator and resting on the wall for support. The source said Lauren Spierer was then gathered under the arm of a male companion and assisted out of the building.Yet Carl Salzmann, a lawyer for person of interest Corey Rossman, provided a conflicting account: Lauren Spierer was helping his client walk home after he was punched in the head and allegedly suffered memory loss.“It’s very convenient to have memory loss in connection with an event like this,” Robert Spierer said.As the days pass, Robert and Charlene Spierer are growing more and more concerned that theories are being confused with facts.Lauren Spierer’s parents have also questioned the authenticity of the statement, given their daughter’s size. They said they believe that at 90 pounds and 4’11”, she could not have had the physical strength to carry a man much bigger than herself.Salzmann essentially opened the door to skeptics and nonbelievers when he later changed his statement to say Spierer and Rossman “helped each other” home that night.“We don’t believe the story. Clear and simple, we don’t believe it,” Charlene Spierer said. The Spierers have worked closely with the IU Hillel Center since the initiation of the search and as a Hillel board member, it was brought to my attention that certain statements should be questioned.After speaking with the Spierers, I don’t believe some of these theories, either. I don’t believe that Lauren decided to walk home alone at 4:30 a.m. when she didn’t have her phone, keys or shoes. How was she supposed to get inside her apartment?It’s 111 days later, and the story still doesn’t add up. It is evident that someone is not offering the full truth, and it is clear that one or more persons must come forward.As fellow members of the IU community, it is our responsibility as peers, friends and neighbors of Lauren Spierer to speak up about the details missing from this case. The watchword of the Department of Homeland Security is, “If You See Something, Say Something.” Similarly, the Spierers have said “anything small could be big.”If you overhear something at a party or in class, say something.If you know someone involved is acting suspiciously, say something.This investigation simply cannot progress with these limited and cramped facts and testimonies. We must aid law enforcement so they can do their job.“We can’t rule out anything,” Charlene Spierer said. “That’s the most frustrating thing: There has been nothing ruled out because we don’t have enough information.”Ultimately, it is not only a question of responsibility; it is also a question of moral conscience.As for those who know something, I hope tonight’s concert will inspire you to come forward with the information. Do not allow this search to continue for another 111 days. If not for Lauren, then do it because it is the right thing to do.Anyone with information on Lauren Spierer’s disappearance can contact the Bloomington Police Department at 812-339-4477 or send an email to helpfindlauren@gmail.com. Anonymous tips can be left at 1-800-274-6388 or P.O. Box 1226, Bloomington, Ind., 47402-1226.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Since returning to campus, I have been leading a double life.In the daytime, I walk from home to class and back, embracing my “crunchy” side as I soak up the rays and the warmth of the last days of summer.But as the sun sets and darkness spreads over campus, I transform into a ninja-like figure, gripping my pepper spray canister until my palms are sweaty. I really don’t have a choice but to adhere to this alter ego.The change in campus bus routes has me wandering through a pitch-dark campus, feeling unsafe and tense. I’m not the only one who feels this way. It’s spreading through campus like an epidemic.Anyone who relies on public transportation and works into the late hours of the night can relate.The change to the B-bus route, initiated at the beginning of the fall, means no more stops near the Herman B Wells Library, most of the buildings along Third Street or the Indiana Memorial Union.The IU bus service said the former B-bus route of more than two dozen stops on campus added unnecessary delays.“We didn’t really think about late night dangers when we removed the stops,” said Christopher Manning, student supervisor for IU Campus Bus Service. “The reason we cut out the stops was to increase overall efficiency.”With the route cut down to only 10 stops, the ride is certainly smoother during the busy school day, but at night, this is simply not a safe option for students. Manning recommended students arrange their schedules so they don’t have to be out late at night, but most students don’t have a choice.Students who work at the IDS are required to stay late in order to get the newspaper out the next day. The same goes for students working elsewhere around campus.Too often, evening classes are the only way a student can hold down a job and fulfill credit hours. Manning also recommended students take the D-E bus route to 10th Street near Herman B Wells Library and transfer to the B-bus route.While this is an option, it is also an inconvenience and there is no guarantee bus schedules will constantly line up.Simply put, if the bus service makes it difficult for students to use the transportation system, they won’t use it. Or worse, they’ll become impatient and walk alone in the dark.In the wake of the disappearance of Lauren Spierer, IU must encourage students to make safe choices, especially when it comes to walking alone at night on campus. I recommend the campus buses maintain the current route system during the day but reinstate the old route for night hours.This will ensure efficient use of time during rush hour and safe options at night. Until then, I will continue to embrace my tiger-like instincts and hope my self defense skills from high school will still prove useful if the time should come.Honestly, I know the school can do better. It should do better.— esalomon@indiana.edu
Applications due Sept. 2 at 5 PM
An itemized anatomy of a freshman.
Apply for the fall 2011 opinion staff
Apply for the fall 2011 opinion staff
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I’d tap that.The expression — once used to express sexual interest in another — may gain a new meaning since the News of the World phone hacking scandal.As investigative journalism continues into the world of new age media, “I’d tap that” is no longer just a provocative innuendo, but a reference to the future societal norm of wiretapping and phone hacking.Now, that’s simply my prediction, but let’s look at the series of events during the past few months and years.When the Rupert Murdoch story struck in July, I was still recuperating in New York from the severe jet lag I had acquired on the way back from London.I’m sure you’re asking yourself (or at least I’m asking myself), how did I miss one of the biggest stories to hit all summer by just a few days? I can’t believe it either, but after spending two months working at the London Bureau of Investigative Journalism, it was interesting to watch as the British media quickly became the center of international attention.If you read a newspaper or watched a broadcast, it was evident that the people of this planet were stunned. Shocked, even. More so, there was an overwhelming feeling of repulsion, which assisted in coining the term “intellectual terrorism.”Criticism and outrage followed shortly after the story broke, and people were quick to turn their noses up as if to say, “We don’t have that same level of ‘chut-zpah’” — as Michele Bachmann would put it — “to pull that kind of scum-of-the-earth move.”David Cameron went so far as to call the scandal “absolutely disgusting,” and The Federal Bureau of Investigation even launched an investigation into whether News Corp hacked 9/11 victims. However, let’s not forget: This is not the first time journalists have “tapped that.” In 1998 the Cincinnati Enquirer tapped the voice mail messages of Chiquita Brands, whom they had accused of violating the law. Despite the allegations, the newspaper printed an apology on the front page and offered about $10 million in compensation. And in August, The Guardian’s investigations editor and a senior member of the team that uncovered the News Corp phone hacking scandal admitted to hacking phones for their own pieces. The story was about the punishment associated with phone hacking, specifically about the arrest of Clive Goodman, the former royal editor of News of The World, who served time for hacking voice mails.Nevertheless, The Guardian’s David Leigh defended his methods and argued that hacking is justified if it serves the public interest. “Unlike Goodman, I was not interested in witless tittle-tattle about the royal family,” Leigh said. “I was looking for evidence of bribery and corruption. And unlike the News of the World, I was not paying a private detective to routinely help me with circulation-boosting snippets. “I think the rule should be that deceptions, lies and stings should only be used as a last resort, and only when it is clearly in the public interest. “And, as for actually breaking the law? Well, it is hard to keep on the right side of legality on all occasions,” Leigh said.Can there truly be a double-edged sword when it comes to phone hacking? The answer is yes.Of course, News of The World certainly crossed the line when they hacked the phone of Milly Dowler, a 13-year-old who was abducted and subsequently found murdered. However, when it comes to corrupt politicians and abuses of surveillance powers, investigative journalism is essential. Given the climate of today’s competitive, take-no-prisoners media, it is expected that “dubious methods” are used, thus fueling a “paradox,” as NYU professor Simon Chesterman explains in an article “Phone-Hacking, Muck-Raking, and the Future of Surveillance.”The Bureau of Investigative Journalism’s Managing Editor Iain Overton acknowledges the discrepancy as well.“Journalists do not have the right to break the law,” Overton said. “However, there are always times when the law itself needs to be broken to reveal a more fundamental iniquity. Sometimes journalists have to be non-violent activists. I cannot state that phone tapping or hacking should never, ever happen. “Faced with a corrupt judiciary and government, some journalists in some cultures might be justified to act in this way. “In Britain, I have yet to come across a case where phone tapping is justified.” While Cameron may claim that British media is in dire need of a makeover, the real concept to take away from this controversy is that hacking and tapping are here to stay. We live in an instant information age where people want their news as quickly as possible — it’s quantity over quality. It’s not just in London; it’s everywhere.Ultimately, our society encourages this kind of culture. As long as we progress with new age media, the customs will only get worse with time. People will expect information at an even more rapid pace, thereby inducing more controversial information gathering methods.Although hacking and tapping include a hefty amount of legal baggage and privacy violations, I do believe many journalists will be willing to take the risk. Indeed, hacking is the latest, most sensationalized trend. In July, the Pentagon admitted that nearly 24,000 Defense Department files were stolen, which was one of the worst Internet break-ins the Pentagon has suffered. A few weeks earlier, the Fox News Twitter account tweeted “the President is dead” only to announce that they, too, had fallen victim to cyber hacking.To be quite frank, hacking and tapping is not a difficult trade. In the next few years, it will be about as easy to tap a phone or hack a computer as it is to illegally download music or pirate a movie. Not only that, but more people will get away with it, too.This culture is certainly a product of the times, and it appears an underground industry is slowly, but surely, forming.— esalomon@indiana.edu
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar, is standing against his party on a number of key issues, causing Tea Party dissent.The 78-year-old senator has been in Congress since 1976 and is the third most senior member of the U.S. Senate and longest serving U.S. senator in Indiana history.“One of the Tea Party’s core beliefs is that people who have been around Washington for a long time can’t always be trusted,” IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs professor Leslie Lenkowsky said. “Clearly, Senator Lugar has been around Washington a long time, and there will be Tea Party groups in the state of Indiana that would like to replace him.” Lugar opposed his party when he voted to confirm liberal Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor and most recently when he declined to sign a brief supporting a state lawsuit against President Obama’s health care law.Lugar also ruffled a few feathers after supporting an arms control treaty with Russia, an earmark ban and an immigration bill that would create a path to citizenship for some illegal immigrants.The New START Treaty would combine nuclear weapons of the U.S. and Russia and resume lapsed mutual inspection. While Republican colleagues have opposed the treaty and attempted to set the matter aside until January for the 112th Congress, Lugar has pushed for the bill to pass. Lugar has been a leader in reducing the threat of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons for most of his career. In 1991, he and Sam Nunn, the Democratic senator from Georgia at the time, worked to secure and dismantle weapons of mass destruction. Supporters of the Indianapolis Tea Party protested Lugar’s co-sponsorship of the DREAM Act, the immigration bill, outside his Indianapolis office last month.“That’s the American dream,” said Mark Helmke, Lugar’s senior adviser. “If you work hard and you don’t get in trouble, you should receive the benefits of our society, and in a sense, the tax payers have already invested a lot of capital in these young people — they’ve gone to public school and high school and have done well. To throw that away is just wasteful.”Helmke said while it is possible Lugar may lose votes as a result of his support of the DREAM Act, he still has a 66 percent approval rating in the state, according to a poll Lugar commissioned in October.Four years ago, Lugar won the primary when no one was willing to challenge him, and the Democrats chose not to put up a candidate to oppose him.“Senator Lugar’s support cuts across party lines,” Lenkowsky said. “He has so much support from the Democratic party that Democrats have had a hard time finding candidates to oppose him.”There is speculation that Republican State Treasurer Richard Mourdock, who won re-election with 62 percent of the vote, may be interested in a primary run. Other Republicans that may challenge Lugar include State Sen. Mike Delph and banker Don Bates Jr., who ran in this year’s party primary. “Treasurer Mourdock would probably be the most likely person, but he is not very widely known,” Lenkowsky said.As for the rumors that Lugar may be retiring, Helmke confirmed these to be fictitious.Helmke said there’s no reason to question Lugar’s conservative values, and voters can count on the fact that he will be running again for re-election in 2012.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In an era of declining revenue, Indiana state legislators are discussing means to help counties pay for death penalty cases rather than abolish executions entirely. The average cost of a death penalty trial and direct appeal is more than $450,000, according to a fiscal impact report prepared by Indiana’s Legislative Services Agency for the 2010 Indiana General Assembly. This is more than 10 times the cost of a life without parole trial — $42,658.A 2005 death penalty case in Warrick, Ind. racked up $558,000 in defense costs just for the trial, Indiana Attorney General spokesman Bryan Corbin said. “Right now, the defense costs are what’s making it so expensive — defense costs for both attorneys and expert witnesses — and I think that’s the primary expense, and I personally don’t believe it’s all necessary,” Vanderburgh County Prosecutor Stan Levco said.Levco said he recommends instilling a cap system on the defense costs.“Right now it’s essentially a blank check, and I think what happens is the costs get run up for that reason,” Levco said. These comments are in response to remarks made by Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller at a Criminal Justice Summit on Nov. 15 at the University of Notre Dame. “Attorney General Zoeller has voiced his concern about the costs about the death penalty generally and has tried to raise this issue within the legal community,” Corbin said.At the summit, out-of-state experts discussed the costs of the death penalty systems and the difficulties county governments and tax payers face in paying the costs, especially during a time of economic instability.Rutgers University economics professor Anne Morrison Piehl presented a study on ways Indiana could lower costs by developing stricter limits on reimbursement for trial expenses.State Sen. Brent Steele (R-Bedford) and the chairman of the Senate Corrections, Criminal and Civil Matters Committee said he did not favor placing a cap on expenses.“I think every county can afford it,” Steele said. “I know there’s a staggering cost to it, but we do it most efficiently as we can.”Steele said he doesn’t think there are enough votes from legislators to eliminate the policy.Twenty inmates have been executed in Indiana since the state reinstated the death penalty in 1977. Eleven other inmates are on death row and in five other cases prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. A prosecutor in Indianapolis said he might seek the death penalty in one case that involves a 22-year-old defendant accused of smothering his ex-girlfriend, then setting their infant daughter on fire.“Some crimes are so heinous in nature that society cries out for it,” Steele said. Nevertheless, Levco said the death penalty costs must be decreased.“The way the economy is combined with the expenses, it seems to be spiraling out of control,” Levco said.