The Needle

Should the Olympics be a Platform for Protest?

2008-04-07T15:55:00.003-04:00

The 2008 Summer Olympics will take place in China later this year. The passing of the Olympic torch, a longstanding tradition with the Olympic games, is already underway. The torch left Athens in mid-March and is currently on a trip around the world. When the torch arrived in London and Paris it was met with protest. Many human rights activists are protesting the Chinese games. Some groups are specifically protesting the recent Chinese attack on Tibetan protesters. Other groups want the Chinese government to use its influence over the Burmese government or government of Sudan to calm situations in both countries.
This leads to an interesting question-Are the Olympic Games an appropriate venue to stage a protest?

Yes- The Olympics is probably the best place to stage a protest. Besides perhaps the Oscars or World Cup soccer, there are very few opportunities when so many people around the world are participating and paying attention to the same event. Any protest at the games would immediately draw international focus. The Olympics games are the best vehicle political groups and countries can use to show their displeasure over another country's actions.

No- the Olympics is the last place a protest should be staged. One of the main objectives of the Olympics is to bring together all nations in the spirit of harmony and in the celebration of athletics. From opening to closing ceremony, the spirit of the games encompasses expressing national pride and the recognition of other countries' achievements as well. Political protests would only disrupt an event that every four years encourages cooperation and peace.

Well we obviously know what side the protesters fall on. What do you believe?

Same Sex Marriage Debate

2008-03-24T16:35:00.000-04:00

The University Program Board’s Arts and Entertainment Committee is sponsoring a Same Sex Marriage Debate on Wednesday April 9, 2008 in Transitions.

Same sex marriage is a hot button issue among liberals and social conservatives. James Madison University provides the perfect setting for this debate. The university is located smack dab on Bible Belt, which stretches across the South-Midwest United States. This area tends to be socially conservative and take the stance that marriage between either two men or two women is wrong. There is also a notable population of JMU students from northern Virginia, which arguably may be a little more liberal and from northern states such as New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York. These states tend to be “blue” states and students from those areas may side with sanctioning same sex marriage. Of course there will be students from blue states that are social conservatives and there will be students from the south who believe gay people have a right to get married. There may even be a mix- someone who is religious but who also believes in allowing same sex marriage to continue. There are several positions that can be taken on this issue, and a debate between the two extremes could certainly prove to be interesting.

Millennials and Spring Break

2008-03-11T18:37:00.003-04:00

To many college students the phrase ‘spring break’ denotes a tranquil week at home, a trip on a cruise, hardcore partying, sunbathing on a beach, or simply a small break before the onslaught of post-spring break due dates and tests. JMU, like many other colleges, also offers alternative spring breaks- a chance for students to volunteer and be productive in their time off. In the following weeks college students will flood the popular spring break hotspots and drink and dance the vacation away. However, it seems that the Millennial generation (born between 1980-2000) is gradually becoming more interested in volunteer trips or even split volunteer/vacation trips. These trips are an alternative to breaks that revolve solely around blitzing livers and stumbling intoxicated down the streets of Cancun or Ft. Lauderdale.

I decided to forgo a spring break at home, and opted for a volunteer trip instead. A friend of mine and her boyfriend organized a trip down to New Orleans for a small group of friends. They had researched various non-profits in New Orleans and decided upon LowerNine.Org. We stayed in an unfinished house, which was actually the headquarters of sorts for the organization. There were permanent volunteers there, people who either had a background in construction or who picked it up on the job. There were also temporary volunteers. During this week, there were 4 volunteers from William and Mary, 2 from University of Virginia, and 15 from Notre Dame.

Every morning, each volunteer group was assigned a different project at a house in the Lower Ninth District of New Orleans. The work varied from project to project. The JMU group worked on the house we were staying in and mostly did sanding of dry wall, spackling (or as they called it in the deep south “mudding”), priming, painting, and various odd jobs. Other groups had house gutting and clean up duty.

Since I shared a room with the William and Mary volunteers, I became fairly acquainted with them. They did what I referred to as the volunteer/vacation trip. They were in New Orleans only for a couple days, but they worked hard while they were there doing various projects, like cleaning out an old attic. Midweek they left Louisiana and headed down to enjoy Daytona and the Sunshine state. It seemed like an interesting combination. Our group stayed the whole week, however we also combined work and play. From 9-5 we rolled up our sleeves and were available to do whatever task was assigned to us. At night we dined on Cajun cuisine, French beignets, and strolled down Bourbon street. We contributed to the reconstruction effort and enjoyed ourselves in the process.

I believe the Millennial generation recognizes the need for service. It is more common to hear students doing study abroad in off the beaten path locations like in Africa and South America. I certainly recognize this desire to help people among my circle of friends. As a senior, it was also nice to finally be able to go down to New Orleans, considering Hurricane Katrina hit at the beginning of my sophomore year. So while spring break may still mean booze cruises or downtime at home to some, and hey to each his own, to others it means a chance to give back. It would be nice though, if service and the ability to recognize those in need was the legacy of the Millennial generation.

Dreams Can Come True on Oscar Night

2008-02-25T17:59:00.001-05:00

February 25, 2008-If you are an avid Daily Show watcher like myself, than you might have tuned in to the Oscars on Sunday night, mostly to see Jon Stewart’s opening monologue. Yet, I kept watching, not only to see the glitz, glamour, and awkward acceptance speeches, but also because I was curious as to who was going to win Best Picture. Most critics predicted No Country for Old Men, but I was rooting for my personal favorite and complete underdog, Atonement. Of course, the Best Picture is the last award presentation, so I had a while to wait. Yet, Stewart made it enjoyable with his political quips and off the cuff remarks.

I was glad I stuck it out and watched the entire show, because I was pleasantly surprised by some of the wins. It was nice to see Marion Cotillard win for Best Actress for her haunting performance as French singer Edith Paif in La Vie En Rose. She beat out the favorite, Academy Award winner Julie Christie, who was predicted to win her second Oscar. I felt justified in rooting for Cotillard by her gracious and emotional acceptance speech. She stumbled a little on her English, but her shock and genuine enthusiasm brought a smile to my face. At an Oscars that had many nominations from dark, violent movies, it was nice to see someone with such sincerity and joy.

It was also a pleasure to hear Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova win Best Original Song with their piece, Falling Slowly, from the movie Once. Again the earnestness and hope that these winners portrayed, was so refreshing in a Hollywood, that can oftentimes be snobbish and self obsessed.

As you may have heard, No Country for Old Men, won Best Picture. I’m sorry, to admit I haven’t seen this flick yet, but alas I do not believe no matter how wonderful a performance by Javier Bardem, that this movie is not exactly my cup of tea. Speaking of tea, two Brits rounded out the Best Supporting Actress and Best Actor category, Tilda Swinton and Daniel Day Lewis. So all in all, no major surprises, even though my heart did sink a little when Atonement was not called. (I think mostly because I wanted to see its star, James McAvoy.) Now, some may call the couple hours I spent watching the telecast a waste of time. I could have simply looked up the Best Picture winner the next morning, and Jon Stewart said his funniest remarks in the beginning. Yet, it is so relatable and wonderful to see deserving new comers receive their awards, that it left me with a feeling of such optimism and “dreams can come true” attitude that I would consider it a night well spent.

Say Anything!

2008-02-25T17:24:00.002-05:00

Say Anything is performing tonight in Wilson at 8PM!

'Uganda Rising' Screening

2008-02-17T13:35:00.004-05:00

As part of Uganda Child Solider Awareness week, the movie Uganda Rising will be showing tomorrow, February 18 from 7-9pm in room 2105 of Harrison Hall.

Kosovo Declares Independence

2008-02-17T13:22:00.002-05:00

February 17, 2008-Today will remain a special day in the hearts of many citizens of Kosovo, since today the Kosovo parliament declared its independence from Serbia. Kosovo, a former province of Serbia, mostly consists of ethnic Albanians, but it also has a small minority of Serbs. During the 1990s, Kosovo was the setting for political and ethnic conflict. The Kosovo Liberation Army and the Serbian army battled for control of the province. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) intervened, and when the Serbs would not cease their attack on Albanian citizens, it began airstrikes in March 1999. Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic and the Serb army were brutal in their strikes against the ethnic Albanian citizens and there were reports of mass killings. Thousands were forced to flee their homes. By June, the NATO airstrikes forced President Milosevic to withdraw his troops and the United Nations was given temporary governing powers over Kosovo. Yet, today, to the dismay of the Serbian government, Kosovo has now become a separate and independent state.

Source: BBC News. 2008. Time Line Kosovo. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/country_profiles/3550401.stm. (accessed February 17, 2008).

Deadly Series of Tornadoes Strikes 5 States

2008-02-09T00:19:00.000-05:00

February 9, 2008- The American Red Cross is assisting communities affected by tornadoes that ravaged the mid-South of the United States Tuesday, February 5. About 60 tornadoes struck parts of Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Arkansas, and Mississippi killing 56 people. The American Red Cross has opened shelters, assembled hundreds of volunteers, and is supporting families devastated by the storms. The Red Cross is also offering counseling services to the communities affected by the tornadoes. On February 8, President Bush joined aid workers and toured Lafayette, Tennessee, a community damaged by the tornadoes.

Even though Harrisonburg, Virginia is not an area that would typically be afflicted with tornadoes, JMU does have a broad severe weather safety plan http://www.jmu.edu/safetyplan/index.shtml.

The United Nations and United States Condemn Recent Violence in Chad

2008-02-04T16:56:00.000-05:00

February 4, 2008- There has been an outbreak of fighting in Chad, a central African country that is sandwiched between Niger and Sudan. The situation has turned critical as people flee the capital city of N'Djamena, while the government and rebel forces battle for control. According to BBC, the rebel forces consist of three main groups (The United Force for Democracy and Development, Rally of Forces for Change, and UFDD-Fondamentale). The conflict between the government and rebel forces has ethnic and political roots. The BBC has reported that the rebels believe that the current president of Chad, Iriss Deby, is corrupt and favors the minority ethnic group, the Zagwa Clan.

President Deby decided recently to extend his presidency to an unconstitutional third term. According to BBC, this decision accompanied with previous accusations of misappropriating oil profits and appointing people within the minority Zagwa Clan to government positions caused the recent conflict.

Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, is concerned about the fighting in Chad. The United Nations does not approve of the military forces attempting to seize power over the government. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also “deplores any action that could worsen the already grave humanitarian situation especially in eastern Chad, where the international community is actively engaged in activities to provide relief and secure the voluntary, safe and sustainable return of refugees and displaced persons in eastern Chad and north-eastern Central African Republic.”

The United States Department of State, also released a statement two days ago condemning the violence in Chad. The State Department would like “calm in the capital and supports the AU’s [African Union] call for an immediate end to armed attacks and to refrain from violence that might harm innocent civilians.”

Chad borders the already critical area of Darfur, Sudan where a humanitarian crisis has been occurring for the past several years. If the fighting continues, Darfur may be affected if Chadian violence and refugees spill into Sudan.

Source:
BBC News. 2008. Q&A Chad Rebellion. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7225023.stm.
(accessed February 4, 2008).

Save a Life Tour Coming to JMU

2008-01-30T23:46:00.000-05:00

January 30, 2008- I would probably not shock the average JMU student if I informed him (or more likely her) that alcohol consumption by students is a popular weekend activity in this and most college communities across the United States. Many seniors can probably still recall freshman year and the first time they ventured on the weekend night shuttle from Godwin bus stop and the crazy shenanigans that ensued. They might think back, and sigh as they remember walking back to their dorms at 4:00 in the morning from their first college party, since they did not know what time the buses stopped running. These same seniors are probably 21 or over and perhaps their days of taking the night shuttle are over. They may even prefer bars to apartment parties. However, are these seniors any wiser from their freshmen selves? Are most college students sensible enough to drink responsibly? I raise this question, because drunk driving is still a consistent problem for many college students.

I mentioned upperclassmen, because as 21 year olds, they are possibly more likely to venture beyond where the buses go, they may not want to fraternize with the freshmen on the night shuttle, and they may not want to shell out the cash for a taxi. In these circumstances, the mature and responsible thing to do is designate someone who will sacrifice their alcohol intake for the night, and drive everyone safely home. Yet, it never seems to be this simple. For some social circles, it may be difficult to find a volunteer who will deliver everyone home safe and sound. People start to throw out thoughts to the group, like “Well your apartment is what- two blocks from the bar? We’ll be fine.”

Yet, too often, people are not fine. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about 3 in every 10 Americans will be involved in some type of alcohol related accident in their lifetimes. They also report that about one person every half hour is killed in an alcohol related traffic accident. Don’t you think those drunk drivers thought they would be fine too?

Many JMU students are responsible and take buses, taxis, walk, designate a driver, sleep over a friend’s house, or use Safe Rides when they know they will be drinking. However, chances are there still are the occasional few who think they can beat the odds. For those foolish few and those interested in drunk driving prevention- there will be an event just for you. University Program Board is collaborating with the Health Center to bring the Save a Life Tour to campus on Tuesday, February 26, 2008. Save a Life Tour is an educational program aimed at preventing drunk driving. Along with promotional materials and a discussion with a representative who has personal experience with a drunk driving incident, there will be a drunk driving simulator. The simulator will test a participant’s reaction time, once an alcohol intake delay is added.

According to University Mothers Against Drunk Driving, about 2.1 million college students between the ages of 18-24 will drive under the influence of alcohol each year. Many college students, maybe some of those 2.1 million, feel invincible and that accidents happen to ‘other people.’ Well kudos that they feel so confident in themselves and their driving capabilities, but they need to do themselves and the rest of us a favor and get off the road! For one amazing night of drinking and driving, may lead to many nights of regret.

Sources:

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “2006 Traffic Safety Annual Assessment – A Preview.” DOT 810 791. Washington DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, July 2007. http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/810791.PDF

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “The Traffic Stop and You: Improving Communications between Citizens and Law Enforcement.” National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, March 2001, DOT HS 809 212. http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/enforce/Traffic%20Stop%20&%20You%20HTML/TrafficStop_index.htm.

UMADD. Underage Drinking and Drunk Driving Statistics Among College Students. http://www.madd.org/getdoc/69e5fc38-7840-48b2-9186-027b21a3d5c7/CollegeStatistics.aspx. (Accessed January 30, 2008).

Violent Clashes in Kenya

2008-01-30T00:07:00.000-05:00

January 29, 2008- This past December, Kenya held presidential and parliamentary elections. Immediately following the elections, President Kibaki announced that he was victorious and would continue his presidency into another term. This announcement was met with strong criticism from the opposition party and its leader Raila Odinga, who believed that the election was corrupt and the results manipulated. Political tensions increased as the opposition protested the elections. The situation turned deadly when some Kikuyu people, (Kikuyu is the ethnic group that President Kibaki belongs to) felt threatened by the opposition’s anger over the election. Some from the Kikuyu community sought refuge in a church in the city of Eldoret, located in the Rift Valley in western Kenya. The church was attacked and burned and at least thirty men, women, and children were killed. According to BBC news, people who tried to escape, including a three year old girl, were thrown back into the flames.
Conflict continued throughout January as BBC reported members of the Kikuyu community attacked people of the Lou and Kalenjin ethnic groups in revenge for the church attack. The violence erupting in Kenya’s Rift Valley is so dangerous because not only does it involve political cleavages, but ethnic ones as well. According to the BBC, at least 612 people have been killed due to the violence in the aftermath of the election.
The political and ethnic clashes within Kenya are extremely complicated. Ethnic tensions are nothing new to this country. However, Kenya has been viewed as a generally stable country. It has yet to be determined how far this conflict will escalate. According to the BBC, 25,000 people have been displaced by these clashes so far. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, peace activist and Nobel Prize winner, and Kofi Annan, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, are trying to mediate and encourage negotiations between the opposing groups. The spokesperson for current UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, released a statement that the Secretary General as well as the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) is “very concerned” about the worsening situation in Kenya.
If the current ethnic and political crisis in Kenya is not resolved, one can only wonder if this will turn into a more pervasive and violent situation. Will the violence in Kenya’s Rift Valley escalate? Will it turn into a civil war, and is there the possibility for genocidal attacks? Images coming out of Kenya already illustrate mobs brandishing machetes. These pictures are reminiscent of the violent gangs that were responsible for the genocide in Rwanda in 1994. As the world honors International Holocaust Remembrance day, a humanitarian crisis grows in Kenya. Hopefully, enough international pressure will be placed on the opposing sides to force them to agree to a true before more Kenyans are killed and more people displaced.

Source: BBC. 2008. Time Line: Kenya. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1026884.stm. (Accessed January 29, 2008).
Picture Source: Reuters http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSWAL22103220080125?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

Uganda Child Soldier Awareness Week

2008-01-28T17:15:00.000-05:00

Coming this February, a week of events dedicated to bringing attention to child soldiers in Uganda. Sarita Hartz, Founder and Director of the Zion Project, is expected to speak as well as Grace Akallo, former captive of the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda. There are also plans for a benefit concert featuring student bands. We will post more details about the event as more information becomes available.

America’s Youth Struggles with Geography Survey

2008-01-28T16:52:00.000-05:00

It was recently reported on James Madison University’s website that JMU is ranked 14^th on the “2008 Peace Corps top 25 list for large colleges and universities”. This is an amazing achievement and students, faculty, and community alike should be proud. As a senior, I have noticed a commitment to community service and charity among the JMU campus for the past four years. It is uncommon to walk through the Commons without a table set up with the goal of collecting money for a cause.

Yet, despite the JMU student body’s apparent worldliness, there have been recent accusations that the United States’ youth is anything but familiar with their surroundings. According to a 2006 National Geographic-Roper Survey of Geographic Literacy, young adults may indeed be cartographically challenged. The survey stated that out of a nationwide representative sample of 510 Americans between the ages of 18-24, half could not find New York on a map. We hear about Iraq in the media, the campaign trail, in class and conversation almost everyday, yet approximately 63% of young Americans could not locate it on a map of the Middle East- Can you? You may have heard about the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, a region in the country of Sudan. You may have become aware of the situation from campus events, class, the news, or by actors George Clooney and Don Cheadle who are big proponents of aid for this beleaguered nation. Yet, apparently, 20 percent of us think the largest nation in Africa, Sudan, is in Asia. Yikes!

What do you believe? Is our generation doomed to regress and become isolationists simply because we are unfamiliar with the rest of the world, or is there a definite split between those in the know and those that aren’t? There are students that take the time to watch the news, are fortunate enough to be able to travel, and pay attention to national and world affairs. Then there are the students who ask where the United Kingdom is (Sadly, only 36% of those surveyed could find it). A lag in geography is also symptomatic of a citizenry that is internationally ignorant. It is not simply a matter of being able to read latitude and longitude, but also having an idea about a country’s culture, its government, and its relations with the United States. It is a citizen’s responsibility, especially by adulthood to educate his or herself and keep track of current events. If you can buy a foreign lager in a bar, hopefully you will be able to also point out on a globe the country, or at least the continent that it was brewed in. If you never had a lesson on geography in school, that is unfortunate, but perhaps you should stop making excuses…now I’m just throwing this out there… and take a couple minutes to study South Africa or figure out where Finland is.

I believe our generation cannot be judged by this survey. Call me a naïve optimist, but I see the glass as half full. My very own roommate has been accepted to the Peace Corps and will be leaving to volunteer later this year. I certainly have not lost faith in out generation, (even though some of us would probably be lost if asked to point out Brazil). My confidence in JMU has also not diminished. I hope that this recent Peace Corp ranking is some kind of indication that we are an exception to the statistics. I also believe that for every person who is confused between say Australia and Austria, there are people like my roommate and like many other students who are passionate about world affairs and know exactly where they are and where they are going.

If after reading this you are feeling a little nervous about your own knowledge of the world, do not be discouraged! Please turn on the news, conduct a little online research, or at the very least pull out those fourth grade social studies notes stashed away in mom’s keepsake cabinet, and give yourself a refresher, because apparently our generation desperately needs it!

Sources: GFK Roper Public Affairs. 2006. Final Report: National Geographic-Roper Public Affairs 2006 Geographic Literacy Study. New York: GFK Roper Public Affairs.

Picture Source: Geography Classroom http://home.att.net/~geographyclassroom/lav.earth.gif

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Exchanges between Clinton and Obama

2008-01-28T16:47:00.001-05:00

January 25, 2008- Recently, the media has been in frenzy over the feud between the Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton campaigns. Heated words were exchanged between Democratic presidential primary hopefuls, Senator Hilary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama during the South Carolina Democratic debate this past Monday night. At one point during the debate, Clinton suggested that Obama agreed with the Republican ideas about social security and how to balance the budget and alluded to an earlier Reno Gazette-Journal interview where Obama discussed the transformative role of President Reagan. Obama felt that Clinton misrepresented what he had said, and the two candidates entered an exchange where each tried to prove the other’s affinity for conservative President Regan. The argument turned for the worst. At one point, Obama stated, “…Because while I was working on those streets watching those folks see their jobs shift overseas, you [Clinton] were a corporate lawyer sitting on the board at Wal-Mart.” Quick remarks and accusations peppered this heated debated. Later when Clinton was once again trying to prove Obama agreed with previous Republican economic policies she shot, “I was fighting against those ideas when you were practicing law and representing your contributor, Resco, in his slum landlord business in inner city Chicago.” Both candidates played down the other’s accusations. At this time, something extraordinary happened across America. If you were listening closely enough during the debate- you might have heard a shattering noise. That was every democrat’s heart simultaneously breaking.

The political punches kept on rolling, even outside of the debate forum. Former President Bill Clinton has also taken center stage in the controversy, sharing his displeasure with the Obama campaign as well. This political squabbling does not seem to reflect well for Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, or Barack Obama. It can do nothing but encourage splits among the party. Yet, if they wish to tarnish their own images by petty political bickering in the he said-she said game, is this their own prerogative? Are they allowed to run their campaigns anyway they want? Should they not have the right to clear their names from offences made against them.

Yes- but at what cost? Of course, many democrats want the candidates to differentiate themselves from each other. However, many democrats believe this fiery conflict between the frontrunner Democratic candidates only arms the Republican Party. Clinton and Obama may need to create a semi-amiable truce for the sake of the party, or else later this year, when the contest for the Presidency is between a Republican and Democratic candidate, the Republican will already have a stock-hold of political ammo.

Besides the Republicans, one person that also seemed to benefit from this bickering was former Senator John Edwards. Edwards who typically struggles for attention against his two counterparts, managed to avoid the mudslinging. Edwards in response to the disagreement between Clinton and Obama over Republican polices during the debate stated, “…I also want to know on behalf of voters here in South Carolina, this kind of squabbling, how many children is this going to get health care? How many people are going to get an education from this? How many kids are going to be able to go to college because of this?”

It seems that Senator Obama and Senator Clinton may need to take a page from the Republican candidates’ playbook. In the Republican presidential candidacy debate in South Carolina, the candidates were civil with one another and even complimentary. (With the exception of their campaigns emailing criticisms of the other candidates to the media mediators during the debate). It should be interesting to see how Obama and Clinton act towards each other during their next encounter. They need to learn how to distinguish their characters and platforms from one another without providing Republican ammunition and deep divisions within the Democratic Party. Alas, the days of dreaming of an Obama-Clinton or Clinton-Obama ticket seem to be all but gone. A genuinely kind word, solid handshake, or even, dare I say, a nod of agreement seems all that torn democrats can hope for to occur between the two leading Democratic presidential primary candidates.

Source:

Debate Transcript provided by CNN and reprinted in the New York Times online.

CNN. Transcript: The Democratic Debate in South Carolina. 2008. New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/21/us/politics/21demdebate-transcript.html?ref=politics. (accessed January 25, 2008).