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Greeks: It's Not Just About Money, Alcohol, and Sex. We Complain a Lot, Too
Tweet Share on Facebook July 31, 2007 Comment (4)Because everything we see on TV is real, the national organizations for sororities and fraternities are up in arms over ABC Family's new show "Greek," Ohio State's Lantern writes. The show–which is not about big, fat weddings but rather debaucherous coeds with an affinity for stripping on front lawns and drinking too much tequila–has drawn criticism from sisterhoods like Delta Delta Delta, which condemns the program for promoting "the stereotypical and mistaken misconceptions about greek [sic] life." Fine, but let's back up here. This is on ABC Family? What? –Alison Go
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Bad News for Campus Campers
Tweet Share on Facebook July 31, 2007 CommentUC-Santa Barbara's chancellor alleviated two of the administration's most irritating problems in one fell swoop by banning camping on school property, reports the Daily Nexus.
Citing health and safety concerns, the ban forbids anyone to overnight on campus grounds in a sleeping bag, tent, or other such structure. The university says the reason for the ban is concern over a growing number of "transients" (read: the homeless), but student activists, who have set up tent cities in the past, could also be affected by the new rule.
However, the more militant activists aren't protesting the antiprotesting measure, because it's not really civil disobedience if it isn't illegal in the first place. "I think it's great," says one student. "The fact that they were letting us do it didn't give us the opposition we wanted." –Jackie Mantey
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'We Swear. He's Not a Chaplain'
Tweet Share on Facebook July 31, 2007 CommentIn the newest chapter of Iowa State's "Chaplain? Or not a chaplain?" saga, not much progress seems to have been made. While the athletic department had earlier conceded and appointed a "life skills assistant" instead of a "chaplain" for the football team after 130 professors threw a massive hissy fit, the Iowa State Daily reports the same person who would have been named the team's religious counselor now fills the PC-ified position. The appointee is a Texas Baptist pastor and friend of the coach.
And no surprise here: Professors are still pissed off. –Alison Go
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Feral Felines and Their Fleas
Tweet Share on Facebook July 31, 2007 Comment (1)A pack of feral cats got the boot at Texas Tech this week after they sneaked into basement classrooms of a campus building and subsequently infested the area with fleas, reports the Daily Toreador. These ain't no lolcats, though. Instead of acting completely adorable, the feral felines used sand intended for engineering projects as their litter. The humans who ratted them out said their presence wasn't the problem: It was the parasites (fleas) they dragged in since their arrival over the winter. The cats have been conveniently relocated to another part of campus, and school officials have crossed their fingers hoping they don't return with their itchy, ankle-biting friends. –Christina Mueller
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Monks Waste Perfectly Good Colored Sand
Tweet Share on Facebook July 31, 2007 CommentTibetan monks invaded Sophomore Family Weekend at Dartmouth University this week. According to the Dartmouth, the main event was monks meticulously painting with sand, messing it up, and then throwing it into the Connecticut River–all to "symbolize the evanescence of life." One student described the visit as "thrilling," a word we never thought we'd see in the same sentence as Tibetan monk. –Alison Go
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One More Reason to Love Wine
Tweet Share on Facebook July 30, 2007 CommentRemember that one time when you tried to figure out how many days in a row you could go out drinking? But then, after 3
1 /2 weeks, you got inexplicably sick and were forced to stop your Dionysian ways? Next time, you might want to try drinking just wine, and lots of it. Studies suggest that wine not only helps you fight heart disease and the ravages of time (if you're capable of drinking hundreds of glasses a day), but also—because of its antibacterial qualities—it may prevent strep throat, Penn State's Daily Collegian reports.Sound too good to be true? The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Pavia in northern Italy, an area known for wine production. Don't throw out your Listerine quite yet. —Alison Go
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Questionable Pundits Explain Why Women's Risky Behaviors Are Closing In on Men's
Tweet Share on Facebook July 27, 2007 CommentMen take many more risks when it comes to sex and drugs than women, but women are catching up, Penn State's Daily Collegian writes, summarizing a survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics. Now that the "news" is out of the way, let's play the game "Spot the clichés, painful generalizations, and obvious statements."
1. "Women seem to be trying to catch up to men," says a Penn State professor.
2. But some seem to think that the numbers are even more equal than the surveys suggests. "[The professor] said because of socialization, men also tend to exaggerate their sexuality while females usually under-report their sexual past." (Cue American Pie).
3. "However, most people don't have an exact scorecard," she adds.
4. More reason why the numbers may be more equal than not: "If females have a lot of sex, they are labeled as a whore," says a student. "But if guys do it, they are called a pimp or player and get more respect." (Do people even say "pimp" anymore?)
5. And one student, who conducted a similar survey to the national one, but obviously much, much smaller, says she found less discrepancy between men and women's self-reported sexual activity. "It does take two to tango." True, and now we're all the wiser. —Alison Go
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Your Pet's Time of the Month
Tweet Share on Facebook July 26, 2007 CommentFluffy and Rover acting up again? Perfectly legitimate government-funded research suggests checking your lunar calendar or the night sky. One Colorado State scientist set out to debunk the urban legend about a full moon making animals crazy but instead found that medical visits were 23 percent more likely for cats and 28 percent more likely for dogs during the monthly lunar alignment, the Rocky Mountain Collegian reports.
The popular theory is that the extra light emitted by the moon makes animals more active, creating more chance for injury. However, many of the reasons for the visits (toxins and heart attacks) seem to have no direct correlation with light levels.
Two studies testing humans for similar werewolf-like behavior have proved inconclusive, yet some scientists attribute our immunity to full moons to our over-developed brains. Obviously, those researchers have not read this, this, or this story. —Jackie Mantey and Alison Go
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Trail Mix
Tweet Share on Facebook July 26, 2007 Comment (1)*The North Carolina State student government overspent their budget, the Technician reports. And looking at their damage control strategy ("The problem is during the last administration" and "There was only so much I could do"), these kids have a flourishing future in grown-up government.
*A sports columnist from the Lantern is worried that Ohio State's returning school president "could spell trouble for Buckeye athletics." Part of the problem? He is "well-known for his stance on increased academic standards by student-athletes." Trouble indeed.
*The Indiana Daily Student diligently reports that psych researchers have trouble finding test subjects in the student-sparse summer and that the shortage is neither unexpected or detrimental. So...what exactly is the news here? --Alison Go
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What Did You Expect? I'm Just an Anthropomorphic Squirrel
Tweet Share on Facebook July 25, 2007 CommentSmokey Bear has lasted almost 63 years, yet Kent State University's crime prevention mascot, Simon the Squirrel, may be abandoned after just one year because of budget constraints, reports the Daily Kent Stater.
Taking a cue from Iowa State University's Frank the Flamingo, KSU's grotesquely dark-haired "squirrel" was created to inform students in a "nonthreatening manner" about the consequences of alcohol and drug violations. Almost $2,000 worth of budget funds was spent on posters, T-shirts, ad space, decals, and—of course—nuts to promote Simon's message. The didactic rodent's fate is now in the hands of police, who will determine whether the stuffed squirrel has been worth two grand in undergrad drinking prevention. —Jackie Mantey