The Occidental Weekly

Pro-Technology Tyler Kearn (Contributing Opinions Editor) Roger Ebert can't speak. The movie critic, famous for the television show At the Movies with its thumbs up and thumbs down ratings and his written reviews in the Chicago Sun Times, no longer has the ability to communicate verbally, due to a tracheotomy two years ago.… 3 Comments

Think back to your childhood. Have you heard this song: "You simply melt right in/It doesn't matter what your skin/where you're from or your religion/You jump right in to the great American melting pot." This song is from Schoolhouse Rock, the classic educational children's TV show. What's wrong with a catchy song celebrating American diversity? Nothing, except that the Great American Melting Pot is a lie, or at best, a myth.

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For months now, the United States has been on accelerate, prepping for one of the most historical elections since John F. Kennedy was the first, and thus far only, Catholic elected into office in 1961. The race between John McCain and Barack Obama has been politically, racially and socially charged. With all the build-up however, now the new President, Barack Obama, faces the task of following up on all the promises they've made in the past months.

While candidates base their campaigns on their political parties, the state of the world does not fall neatly into Democrat or Republican. Barack Obama will be faced with the same challenges fueled by national and international issues. There is no denying that party association determines, in a sense, how issues will be dealt with, but what if certain issues don't allow for much variation?

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About two weeks ago, gunmen killed a female British aid worker who was walking alone on a tree-lined stretch of road in Kabul, Afghanistan. A few days earlier, Taliban slaughtered 40 people on a local bus in the southern city of Kandahar. American bombings take the lives of civilians every week. I've stopped tallying the deaths; the military's careless operations destroy rural communities so often that I can't keep up with the news anymore. The numbers are simply staggering.… Post the First Comment

Many comparisons have been made between our current economic crisis and that of the Great Depression. The images of the Depression - hundreds of people waiting in line for food rations, investors committing suicide by jumping out of buildings - were so foreboding that it always seemed to be presented as a situation that was a blip in American history. A crisis of this magnitude was something that our country would never face again.

Why then, are people not more concerned about the possibility that this could happen again?

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Dear Editor, As a member of the Center for Gender Equity's Student Advisory Board, I would like to show some love to Katie Presley for her article on the center last week. Programs like the CGE and Project SAFE are essential as safe outlets for issues of gender and sexuality.… Post the First Comment

Dear Editor, This is a letter in response to Audrey Lamsam's exceptionally stale "Critique on Hollywood." According to Lamsam, "movies are starting to get less and less original" and "no one appreciates the art of filmmaking anymore." The only assumption I can safely make from these statements is that Lamsam has little or no grasp of what constitutes an innovative or, using Lamsam's words "truly awe-inspiring" or "groundbreaking" film.… Post the First Comment

Dear Editor, Students can now apply for funds from the Renewable Energy and Sustainability Fund. If you have an idea for a project that would help make Oxy a greener campus, don't hesitate to apply. Applications are available on the ASOC Web site and due on November 6.… Post the First Comment

Dear Editor, I realize that there have been many e-mails from numerous members of the administration regarding this issue, but I would really like to take this moment to voice my frustration. I transferred to this wonderful institution and luckily still managed to go abroad and be a Biology major.… Post the First Comment

Dear Editor I spend a lot of time in the basement of the student union building, where the news office and the SAC are. Sometimes, I get really thirsty. Also, I'm not exactly a giant, but I'm not a midget either, and I'm completely able to use the "big kid" water fountain.… Post the First Comment

Dear Editor, I am extremely impressed by three articles in the last issue pertaining to Oxy as the most liberal college of the United States. Instead of boasting and celebrating that fact, each article presented the ranking with more prudence than passion.… Post the First Comment

Dear Editor, Many students have been surprisingly hit with the increase of price in both the laundry and dryers in the modernized residence halls. In addition there are many times in which it just takes forever to wash a load or two of clothes because of the high demand on certain days.… Post the First Comment

Dear Editor, I'd like to take the opportunity to commend the school dining facilities for doing a sectacular job this semester. The Marketplace has been consistently providing healthy and enjoyable options within and outside of their "usual repertoire" and the Cooler's service and selection has been outstanding.… Post the First Comment