Who Will Serve?

Defense Secretary Robert Gates addressed this question and the growing divide between the civilian and military communities. Never was it more obvious than at Tuesday evening's final editing session for the campus newspaper.
I was working on my column, a compilation of news stories. Lately, I've been including the ranks, names and ages of our fallen military. That came under fire Tuesday evening, when, for want of space, I was asked why I print that, because "it seems like filler." I was then told that "We aren't the Military Times," and then spent the next fifteen minutes arguing that the ages bring our military to a more personal level -- I can look at those names and realize that the specialist killed by an IED last week was my age, that the staff sergeant who gave his life yesterday could have been my best friend. For those who have never had any sort of contact with the military community, this is one way in which we can all relate.
Also, since my college campus has little to do with the military, it seems hardly enough to even devote a few inches of column space to the deceased. Can we not give them that much? They have fought and died for my right and privilege to contribute to the mass media -- can we not show them perhaps the only form of respect we are able?
Thirdly, posting a list of the war dead appeases two groups: anti-war and pro-war. Those against the war are able to look at the list and realize that people are dying, even though combat operations have ended. Those for the war can be proud of the fact that a small, private liberal arts college is devoting a portion of its newspaper to researching and printing the names of our fallen military personnel.

Saudi Jeans

I found this video, and a link to two other commercials from the same campaign, at Saudi Jeans, a blog by a 25-year-old Saudi man. Saudi Jeans focuses primarily on politics, human rights, women's rights and freedoms. I also forwarded this video to my History professor.

Also, this is Mid-Term week for me, and then the following week is Spring Break, so posting will be intermittent on my end.

Extracurriculars 101

[EDIT 2/28/10]
I thought I should forewarn everyone that clicking on the "this" link will direct your browser to a rather crass article.

Dear Mom and Dad,

I just thought I'd let you know that the +$40,000 you spend yearly (according to the sticker price on collegeboard.com not only contributes toward my liberal indoctrination, but also such practical and important education as this. Oh man. Aren't you psyched that this is what we're learning? I'd add a screenshot of the comments that followed the article, but I lost Adobe Paint Shop Pro 8 when my hard drive crashed.

Obama's WMD, According to a College Prof

Oh, D.C. I can't believe you've shut down. Just what does the Kremlin think of us now?

Media History on Tuesday was interesting (I won't have class tomorrow, as the snowpocalypse has cancelled classes both today and tomorrow). First, there was my seeming inability to shut up, which started when my professor said that families with loved ones in the military/deployed watch CNN for their news, and I said that they watch Fox, and then continued when she mentioned that the military and government have hid the number of casualties in war, and I proceeded to enlighten her about Honor the Fallen. But the highlight of my life occurred when we were discussing Saddam's lack of weapons of mass destruction and suddenly she said something to the effect of: When Obama was building his arsenal. . . . At which point a round of "OOOOOH!" sounded throughout the room and my jaw dropped as I started laughing. And then she looked up at the ceiling, shook her head, placed her hand on her chin and said, "Freudian slip." Is she aware of what a Freudian slip is? If so, I must admit that she just rose a few notches on my Opinion Pole.

Challenging Atheism

While watching this video, I felt the sudden urge to take notes on everything this woman said in order to challenge my professors. The first urge was quickly quelled by a second urge to not kill my GPA and actually graduate in two years.

Less Than 2 1/2 Years to Go.

I'm taking Media History under the same professor who, last year, docked points from my presentation on military advertising because I failed to address her claim that people have become leery of enlisting since 9/11. An acquaintance who happens to be an Army recruiter debunked that statement (he provided me with most of the material I used in my presentation), but my grade remained unchanged.
This semester seems as though it will be equally interesting. On the first day of class, she tore into the failures of Vietnam, and according to our syllabus, our topics of discussion will include the following: "Abolition," "Exposing Joe McCarthy," "Is This What You Mean By Color TV?," "The Black and the Beautiful," "Restrictive Portrayals of Asians in the Media," "Consumerism and the Construction of Black Female Identity," "Lesbian Chic," "Lots of Friends at the YMCA," "Popular Culture and Queer Representation," "Vietnam War," "Watergate," "Rush Limbaugh," "9/11," and "What We Really Miss About the 1950s." Do you know what I really miss about the 1950s? Women as homemakers, rearing kids and making sandwiches for their husbands. We're also going to watch "Hairspray" and "Pleasantville." And if nap time could be worked in there somewhere, that would be lovely.
This morning, we managed to talk about Glenn Beck for a rather lengthy amount of time, though none of it was really positive (on the other hand, the discourse never became completely became uncivilized, either). We also watched a segment of the Thomas Paine video that is currently on YouTube and was featured on Fox News, and my professor mentioned that Beck had written a book titled Common Sense. I almost volunteered to bring in my copy for her to read.
And we talked about the Tea Party movement, at which point my professor asked if I'd attended a tea party, because she thought she remembered me mentioning something about that. So I explained that yes, I'd attended a small tea party locally, and I'd also gone to the one in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 12, and I'd also met Glenn Beck when I attended his show last Spring. And then, since I thought I might as well shovel the dirt on top of myself since I'd clearly just dug my grave, I told her that there were quite a few liberals and Democrats at D.C. on 9/12, and the media lied about the number of people actually in attendance, and Glenn Beck is really a nice person.
I decided to add the video we watched today. We stopped around 1:37. 1:00 - 1:27 is my favorite.



[EDIT]
Aside from Media History, I am also studying Human Diseases (like ebola and anthrax, which make any class exciting), Contemporary Middle East (Iranian Revolution to today) and Psychology. Are my courses interesting? Yes. Are they applicable? I don't foresee myself needing to know how to create trypticase soy agar after this semester. On the other hand, one of my best friends attends a Christian college (and it's not just a nominal one, either). She's taking a course titled "Christian Home" this semester, which, according to the college's course catalog (yes, I admit I researched it), "explores the biblical views of dating, engagement, marriage, parenting, and other family life issues. Special attention is given to the development of an effective family ministry within the local church which addresses contemporary family life problems." I don't even know how to file taxes properly. But then again, neither does Sec'y Geithner.

Withdrawal in 2011?

In Obama's Foreign Policy today, we discussed the fact that Switzerland has placed a ban on the building of more minarets. Don't ask me what that has to do with Obama's foreign policy. However, did spend some time talking about the 30,000 troops Obama plans to send to Afghanistan. My professor thinks General McChrystal is one of the least qualified men Obama should take advice from regarding the war, because has no experience in the area. Experts on the region, those who speak the native languages and know the history of the area, are better suited to make a decision about the war (which, by the way, is just like Vietnam -- it's an issue of not whether we'll lose the war, but under whose administration). I know I would definitely take the advice of a desk jockey with book smarts over that of a man with his boots on the ground. That's clearly the logical choice.

On another note of the same level of happiness, the semester ends in sixteen days and I have a rather large amount of work and studying to do between now and the start of finals on the 15th. Therefore, I will once again be intermittently posting, at least until the 18th, when finals end and I return home for six weeks.

Hiatus

First of all, I would like to apologize for my hiatus -- this semester has been very busy for me. However, it's given me time to think about Licentia Loquendi and my purpose as a writer here. I've decided to focus more on the college aspect of life in my writings.

Second of all. Why has this semester been very busy for me? I've been taking a class on journalism, which I believe I'm finally beginning to understand. I had started off the semester earning poor grades, but am finally earning higher marks. That, coupled with the fact that my professor never fails to make some sort of degrading comment against conservatives, left me very frustrated in regards to the journalism field. Then there was my foreign policy class. I must admit that we are finally starting to learn about foreign policy (sort of). Since I'm no expert, it's difficult for me to discern lies from the truth, and I find it unfortunate that such discernment is even necessary in regards to professors. If you've not seen "An American Carol," I highly suggest it. The scene about colleges and universities is completely true.

Indoctrination Round II

Just as a forewarning, I intend to rant about my classes so feel free to skip over this entry.

The first week is finally over (I've been wanting to bash my head off of a wall since it started), and I can already say that I agree that Sophomore year is the most difficult. I am currently taking a course regarding journalism, and today my professor was talking about Sarah Palin and her so-called "death panels." He also mentioned Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck and their lies -- they're "idiots. I'm not being very tactful here, but it really is idiocy on one level." The best part is that, in the first class, we were required to write biographies of ourselves as writers. I included in my biography that I attended the Glenn Beck show, which enabled me to better understand broadcast media.
Directly after this class, I have a class on Obama's foreign policy. Please note that this class is not American foreign policy, but Obama's foreign policy. And, goodness, we are just in such an exciting time right now, having Obama as president! The class is actually quite informative. I've learned that we knew 9/11 was going to happen, and therefore if the world was just, Condoleezza Rice would be imprisoned. We also deserved 9/11 due to the boomerang effect, because we really can't control people (go figure). This imperialistic war needs to stop! Saddam was really just a dictator like any other. All of the starvation and everything else that occurred in Iraq due to U.N. sanctions was our fault. Also, the "let's roll" story wasn't true, though it's inspiring. It doesn't match up. In reality, people saw ground-to-air missiles launch, and that's what took down the plane in Pennsylvania. No, really.

"Where are we going? Back in time?" -Michael Mallone
"We don't have to. We're at a university." -Gen. Patton
-An American Carol

SERV & July 4th

Teacher guides vets back to campus
Major props to John Schupp and the Supportive Education for the Returning Veteran (SERV) Program.

Taliban militants were nowhere in sight as the columns of U.S. Marines walked a third straight day across southern Afghanistan. But the desert heat proved an enemy in its own right, with several troops falling victim Saturday to temperatures topping 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Marines carry 50-100 pounds on their backs. But because they are marching through farmland on foot, they can't carry nearly as much water as their thirst demands.

Few even realized the date was July 4, but once word of the holiday spread through the company, several said they knew relatives would be holding lakeside celebrations — a world away from the strenuous task Bravo Company of the 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment was taking on.

I'm going to be a career college student.

Recently I've been posting more about my personal life, as opposed to straight politics, current events and my opinions of the aforementioned. I hope no one minds, not that I'll suddenly stop doing so if anyone objects.

I've begun the process of creating an ISP (Individualized Study Program), which will enable me to officially major in Political Science and History. I may even be able to change History to Middle-Eastern Studies, though I'm not entirely certain that I want to, as I'm rather fond of American history (with the exception of the Industrial Revolution and Reconstruction). Unfortunately, Communications (possibly Journalism) will be relegated to a minor, as I need five courses in two fields and four in the third. By the end of next semester, I will have two Political Science credits, possibly four in History (I'm debating adding Modern Middle East, as that will force me to take five classes, which apparently is rarely accepted here), and three in English.
While my Political Science adviser-to-be is encouraging me to create an ISP, my History adviser-to-be seems to be encouraging me to stick with co-concentrations and a few Communications courses.
I suppose my main concern at this point is not only what will make me most marketable, but also what will least affect my GPA negatively. Also, I want to be able to continue my education and earn a Master's degree as quickly as possible, so I still have at least another four years of schooling. And while, freshman year of high school, I would have said that that's quite a bit of time, I've recently realized that four years will pass far more quickly than I'd like (and perhaps in some respects, a lot more slowly than I'd like).

Due Tomorrow

In a story completely unrelated to and far less entertaining than the above, "more than 110 students at Pueblo County High School were given two minutes to to come up with their history project" (FNC). What was their history project? "To plot an act of terrorism by a foreign government on American soil as part of a lesson on terrorism." Parent Gini Fischer, said that "'To ask them to use their creative energies to come up with a plot for an act of terrorism is very ludicrous.'" "The school superintendent told [TheDenverChannel.com] students may have misinterpreted the assignment."
. . . Just how does one "misinterpret" such an assignment? Just as ludicrous as the assignment is the superintendent's response. And what sort of an educator devised such an assignment? I studied terrorism last semester in International Politics, and not once did my professor require me to create my own terrorist plot.

Sophomore Year

I scheduled my classes for next semester earlier. I'm going to be up bright and early for Chinese at eight on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Which may or may not kill me. How is it that less than a year ago I was awake at 6:30? On Monday and Wednesday, I also scheduled an almost-two hour class in Computer Graphic and Art Design, which lasts from 2:00 - 3:50. Even though I don't plan on pursuing graphic design as a career, I've always loved creating graphics and designing website layouts on PSP8 (although the class i'll be taking uses PS). On Tuesday and Thursday, I have Writing/Mass Media from 9:30 - 10:50, which I'm looking forward to. And from 11:00 - 12:20 on Tuesday and Thursday, I have . . . Obama's Foreign Policy.

My adviser told me that I should keep up with politics, and since I couldn't take Comparative Politics next sem. due to scheduling conflicts, she marked me down for Obama's Foreign Policy. I'm actually sort of interested in it, as I've heard that the professor is "crazy, but it's a good crazy" (whatever that means), and I know if my adviser hadn't scheduled it, I doubt I'd have done so voluntarily. I think it's important that I learn more about the current administration. After all, tolerance and understanding are key! Right?
Also, because of my schedule, I won't be able to eat lunch in the caf on Tuesday or Thursday (I still haven't decided whether or not that's a bad thing).

On the bright side, I'll be done at 8:50 on Fridays, which gives me a longer weekend and more time to procrastinate. I mean, more time to do my work Friday morning and be done for the rest of the weekend.

That Lasted Long

This afternoon I was walking through a tunnel on campus. Since yesterday, there's been a poster on one of the two bulletin boards in the tunnel (as well as in various halls). The poster features a U.S. soldier in Iraq and advertises a public lecture on the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq. It immediately caught my eye when I first noticed it yesterday. I didn't notice it today.
Someone took it off the bulletin board (using enough care so as to replace the four tacks on the bulletin board) and tossed it on the ground. I must confess I wasn't totally surprised when I saw people obliviously trampling on the face-down poster, but I immediately knew what it was. So I picked it up, dusted it off, and took it back to my dorm with me. I'm debating where I should stick it. At the moment it's on my bed. I might put it on my wall -- but that would require me to take down the McCain/Palin signs.

Also, I'm probably infringing some sort of copyright by taking a photo of a photo on a poster. So I apologize if I am. And if I should be giving someone credit, let me know.

Party Like It's 1773!

At the moment, I'm watching Glenn Beck play Jenga.



I don't agree with everything suggested, and I must admit, the word "revolution" put me on edge. Of course, that word immediately conjured images of Jason Isaacs running Heath Ledger through with a sword, and Mel Gibson as a South Carolinian plantation owner who makes rocking chairs in his spare time and somehow manages to retain freed slaves to work his land.
Regardless of the "R" word, I still thought that this video was very inspiring. Also, CafePress has a wide variety of tea party paraphernalia -- just type "tea party" into the Search bar.

Speaking of tea parties! Today I parted with two bags of Twinings of London Earl Grey tea. One is adorning my backpack, the other is tied to my over-sized Victoria's Secret bag. I even took a few MySpace-ish photos.

Love the dog hair -- I carry bits of Maddie and Sally around with me everywhere I go.

Don't you love the McCain/Palin signs in the background?

Today was my first day back at college from Spring Break. And even though I didn't spend a week tanning in Cancun and drinking mojitos, I did have a few informal 9-12 coffee talks, and I spent a day at the Antique Arms Show in Baltimore.
I received my Islamic History mid-term exam today. Unfortunately, I only earned an 85.4%, in part due to the fact that I somehow mislabeled the Tigris as Baghdad and the Euphrates as Karbala (and vice versa). Even though I labeled all of the other black circles with white font as cities and the white circles with black font as geographical features, I somehow confused those four. Which is really depressing since I'm partly a History Major and am concentrating in MidEast Studies.

[EDIT 9:47 PM]
I'm rewatching the Thomas Paine video at the moment and, in my opinion, he seems quite similar to Hugo Weaving's character V in the film "V for Vendetta" (which I highly recommend).

For even more information about tea parties, check out Tea Party Day.

"Study Session"

This evening's study session for Islamic History turned into a two hour and fifteen minute discussion of politics and religion (with about five minutes' worth of discussion on who died at the Battle of the Camel and designation of Muhammad's uncles as The Evil Uncle, The Good Uncle, The Heroic Uncle and The Nobody Uncle). The interesting part was that the three participants in the discussion included an African-American Christian, a Korean-American Christian, and an Iranian-American Muslim. We discussed a great deal of theology -- both men thought that deeds supersede actual beliefs, and neither really believe in the Trinity, while I believe the opposite. It was very enlightening and I really loved the discussion.

The Bright Side

The military advertising presentation I worked so hard on only earned me 140/150 points (~93%). I lost ten points because I failed to address post-9/11 fears and hesitations regarding enlistment.

Army General David McKiernan claims that, due to a stalemate between insurgents and US/allied forces, a 55,000 troop surge in Afghanistan will most likely remain around that level for the next five years (and those 55,000 are only two-thirds his requested number of troops).
When I first read the article (at FNC), I was completely shocked. I completely support our troops, but when I learned in December that a friend was being deployed to Afghanistan for a year, everything seemed to shift and the war suddenly became personal. Five years seems like such a long time to fight a war.
On the bright side, within five years I'll have finished school and hopefully will be able to secure a journalist job that will send me to Afghanistan so I can document the war (a la Joe Galloway, Martha Gellhorn and Michael Yon). If that can be considered a bright side.