Monthly Archives: March 2012

Forum: WTF is Student Government?

By Owen Henry

It’s finally official: student government at Oberlin is irrelevant. Anyone who suspected otherwise was among the 12 students who bothered to come to the recent “What the Fuck is Student Government” panel in Wilder this past Thursday, which made the holding of the panel a most egregious error: before the panel they at least had 12 people who thought our student government had even a semblance of power or authority. After what was said, that number has likely dropped. Continue reading →

Political Realities: Obama’s Hypothetical Second Term

By Marcus Johnson

Obama’s hypothetical second term has been on the minds of both Democrats and Republicans since his first term began. Now that a second term is inching closer to reality, both parties (and everyone else for that matter) are imprinting their greatest hopes and fears onto the President. Liberals hope for widespread reforms and the completion of social initiatives such as the Dream Act. Conservatives warn against out of control spending and record tax hikes. LGBTQ activists believe the president will deliver a national solution to the same-sex marriage issue, and black rights groups think the President will work on issues concerning African Americans. The truth probably lies somewhere in between these hopes and nightmares. Obama is very unlikely to try anything drastic, and without control of Congress, it’s unlikely he would have the power to do so anyway. Continue reading →

Political Realities: Obama vs. Romney

By Marcus Johnson

With the 2012 election fast approaching, liberal students across the nation are wondering: “Has Barack Obama done enough to get re-elected?” The answer is a lot more complex than most people want to believe. Critics like to point to his “perceived” accomplishments or failures and then decide whether they believe Obama has done enough. But while accomplishments matter, they are not nearly as important as the selection of the Republican nominee, overseas events, and the possibility of economic upturn. Continue reading →

How to become a FOSSIL

By Harlee Ludwig

In my first semester at college I enrolled in a dinosaurs class in the geology department because it counted as a science requirement.  The visiting professor had just defended her thesis at Yale.  Her name was Michelle and she was young enough to appreciate humor and the hilarity of googling “hipster dinosaurs” and the video by the whitest kids you know titled “Getting High with Dinosaurs.”  During one of the first classes she gave us a seven-point list on how to become a fossil; little did I know that becoming a fossil is pretty much the same as becoming a successful human being. Continue reading →

Reflections on John Bolton Lecture

By Owen Henry

I have good news and I have bad news.

The bad news is that, as I sit here typing this piece, I can look to my left and see a world return to the blank white canvas upon which creation is painted. It inspires a gentle peace and quiet sense of reflection in me, and I will be using this as an excuse to leave my house as little as possible until it is neither cold nor wet. As a consequence, I will not be writing about Student Senate this week. Continue reading →

The Dictator

By Owen Henry

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk

If you were watching the Oscars on Sunday, you probably saw Baron Cohen, in character as the protagonist of his latest film “The Dictator”, spilling the ashes of Kim Jong-Il all over Ryan Seacrest. If you are among those unfortunate few who didn’t, it is doubtless you are now heading over to YouTube to watch it; you may even be headed over for a repeat visit. Just please come back afterwards, I’m not finished with you yet. Continue reading →