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Hurricane Ike Closes Schools
Tweet Share on Facebook September 12, 2008 Comment (20)Hurricane Ike is slated to be one of Texas's most devastating storms in four decades, and school closings and game cancellations abound.
College closings in Louisiana:
- McNeese State University in Lake Charles
- Nicholls State University in Thibodaux
- Lamar University in Beaumont
- Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches
- Rice University
- Texas Southern University
- All University of Houston campuses
- University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
- Brazosport College in Lake Jackson
- Prairie View A&M University
- San Jacinto College Central in Pasadena
- Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi
- Del Mar College in Corpus Christi
- Texas A&M University at Kingsville
Although Austin is more than 200 miles from the coast, Texas postponed its game against Arkansas until Sept. 27. McNeese State canceled its game against. Cal Poly. Prairie View A&M's game against Sam Houston State was canceled.
Stephen F. Austin canceled its game against Kentucky Wesleyan. Oklahoma State vs. Missouri State and Texas Christian vs. Stanford were moved to earlier starts on Saturday. Baylor will play Washington State at home Friday night instead of Saturday.
Houston's home game against Air Force will be played at Southern Methodist's campus in Dallas.
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Obama and McCain Create Chaos at Columbia
Tweet Share on Facebook September 12, 2008 Comment (3)Much like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit in September 2007, the affectionately named Obamacain event at Columbia University wreaked havoc on normal life on the New York campus Thursday. Republican and Democratic hopefuls John McCain and Barack Obama convened on campus on the seven-year anniversary of the September 11 attacks to talk about the importance of public service, the Columbia Spectator reports.
More than 7,500 students (there are 6,400 undergrads at Columbia, but I guess grad students are interested in politics, too) jammed the center of campus to hear the two speak at the rare bipartisan event. Also in attendance were Usher, James Franco, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, and Jonathan Taylor Thomas (yes, the one from Home Improvement). The diligent bloggers at Columbia did their bit to liveblog the event, which was briefly marred by technical difficulties, hilariously chronicled by the student journalists. Here are some highlights from the J-school-run blog (Obama and McCain at Columbia), Bwog, and IvyGate, who all do their best to write about each other. How meta.
Obama and McCain at Columbia
- 7:08 p.m.: Todd and I were just talking about the scene on campus for today's event and he's pretty surprised by the difference between this morning and right now. Columbia is packed with people, protesters and students outside watching the event on the steps of Low Library.
- 7:49 p.m.: Toby Maguire just spoke. Todd does not like actors. One wonders how appropriate it is to have Spiderman speaking at such an event.
- 8:50 p.m.: Habiba Nosheen, who is watching the speeches outside, got this quote from Columbia Alum Shelly Bendavid: "If McCain went last, everyone would have left by now."
- 9:05 p.m.: Spotted by Greg Bocquet: During the commercial break, audience members were crowding to the front of the aisles to snap pictures of Obama, completely ignoring superstars Usher, Queen Noor of Jordan, Tobey Maguire, and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Bwog
- 5:32 p.m.: The mic keeps going out but Bwog heard the phrases "community lunch" and "not to be too corny, but to quote Martin Luther King . . ."
- 5:53 p.m.: New Chris Colombo Kevin Schollenberg is sporting very dapper plaid suit. Let the record state that he is better dressed than Usher.
- 7:06 p.m.: Ooh, we're starting, we're starting! Thank you to our sponsors, Target and Time magazine, and others!
- 7:30 p.m.: Shocking reports from the unruly lawn: the live feed has cut out! There are boos and demands for the Jumbotron to be turned up.
- 7:40 p.m.: Overheard: "Let's drink every time they say 'service.' " Please don't kill yourselves.
- 7:53 p.m.: The screen is gone again. You can actually feel panic. Everyone is silent but screaming on the inside.
- 8:0 p.m.: Everyone in the country is frustrated with the Republican government. McCain, who is a Republican but also a Maverick, agrees.
- 8:12 p.m.: McCain made a mumbly joke about having a terrible temper.
- 8:17 p.m.: He just insulted Target! Target is a sponsor.
- 8:22 p.m.: Woodruff brings up Iraq, uh oh. This could get partisan.
- 8:33 p.m.: According to McCain: McCain:Goldwater::Obama:JFK
- 8:34 p.m.: Bwogger Downie reports that the Steps crowd boos Palin's name.
- 8:51 p.m..: It's Obama! Bwog can hear the cheers from outside.
- 9:19 p.m.: Stengel was asking Obama questions off-camera, about service. Is this allowed? Why does Rick Stengel think the rules don't apply to him?
- 9:32 p.m.: Uh, oh. Palin question. Was Palin being unfair when she said those things about community organizers? Obama is talking about small time mayors. Obama was "surprised" by several remarks around "community organizing and belittling it."
- 9:34 p.m.: Working as a community organizer was the best education Obama ever had. No offense to Lee Bollinger, he hedges.
- 9:41 p.m.: "Change happens from the bottom up."
- 9:41 p.m.: It's over. There's a stampede to the fences!
IvyGate
- 6:30 p.m.: The boring Teach for America people have finally stopped blathering on, and it looks like there's going to be a 30 minute break before the speeches begin. Cue long lines at every campus restroom . . .
- 7:29 p.m.: The jumbotron has died! Repeat! The jumbotron has died!
- 7:31 p.m.: LADIES AND GENTS, WE HAVE SOUND! and black and white (no, not the candidates, I mean the TV reception).
- 7:37 p.m.: OHEMGEE IT'S TOBEY MAGUIRE! /fangirl 8:16: Oh no he di;int! McCain is talking about faith in government. His voice is actually trembling as he mentions the Resurrection Baptist Church . . . my Jewish relatives are shuddering.
- 8:50 p.m.: Aaaand McCain just winked into the camera like a creepy old john.
- 8:59 p.m.: Obama just announced that he wants to reduce dependency on foreign oil, and some girl just screamed like a 12-year-old fan at a Jonas Brothers concert.
- 9:41 p.m.: What? It's over? Over? But . . . Obama, come back! Noooooo.
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Student Newspapers Are in Trouble, Right?
Tweet Share on Facebook September 11, 2008 Comment (5)The Chronicle of Higher Education says: "Student Newspapers Escape Most Financial Problems of Larger Dailies." But Inside Higher Ed says: "Print Journalism Squeeze Hits Campuses."
So, which one is true? Well, both.
As publications from UC-Berkeley, Syracuse, and now Missouri report pretty bad news, it seems that a large number of papers are doing "just fine."
Advertisers have been fleeing from professional publications for years, but many still recognize student newspapers have a niche audience. They paid $35 million in advertising last year, a 15-percent increase from 2006. The papers, which are often free, typically have steady circulation, and free/cheap labor (students who will slave away just for the journalistic thrill) keep costs down. A number of publications report relative stability and the papers from the University of North Carolina (Daily Tar Heel) and the University of Florida (Independent Florida Alligator) were both cited as doing pretty OK.
Still, although the outlook for student newspapers is far sunnier than that of the print journalism industry as a whole (which saw a 9 percent drop in print advertising revenue), the weakened economy has discouraged advertisers from ponying up cash as a whole. Both Georgia's Red and Black and UCLA's Daily Bruin are experiencing economy-related problems.
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21 Months Later, Berkeley Tree-Sitters Come Down
Tweet Share on Facebook September 10, 2008 CommentThe UC-Berkeley administration's long tree-sitting nightmare is now over. After 640 days of living almost 100 feet off the ground, the four remaining tree-sitters were arrested and escorted from atop a redwood tree by police yesterday, ending the longest urban tree-sit in history, the Daily Californian reports. The protest, which opposed the removal of an oak grove for the construction of a $124 million athletic center, has included hundreds of people and resulted in dozens of arrests over the past 21 months.
Last Thursday, a state appellate court ended a long legal battle and gave the final go-ahead for the school to begin construction. Negotiations to get the protesters to voluntarily leave the tree fell apart over the weekend, and by yesterday morning, 41 redwood trees had fallen, and only the occupied redwood remained. Yesterday afternoon, police and arborists raised a crane-supported platform to the tree-sitters' abode, where they were cuffed and safely removed.
Campus officials say security measures, which included police presence and barbed-wire fencing to keep out angry football fans, have cost the campus nearly $1.5 million.
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84 GMAT Scores Thrown Out
Tweet Share on Facebook September 10, 2008 Comment (5)The GMAT scores of 84 wannabe business school students who have been accused of using a website to cheat on the test have been thrown out, the publisher of the entrance exam announced today. ScoreTop.com, which gave users access to unauthorized "live" test questions and answers, was shut down by the Graduate Management Admission Council after it won $2.35 million in a copyright-infringement lawsuit in June.
The council investigated 6,000 scores from 2004 to 2007 and has decided to bar 12 people who posted questions from retaking the exam for three years. The other 72 who posted messages saying they had seen questions from the site on their test will be allowed to retake the exam. GMAC also sent letters to more than 100 schools, notifying them of the students who have had their scores canceled.
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East Carolina Investigates Police Brutality
Tweet Share on Facebook September 10, 2008 Comment (1)Officials at East Carolina University are investigating accusations that police used unnecessary force when students rushed the field after Saturday's football win against West Virginia, the East Carolinian reports. The ECU police chief confirmed that some students were tackled or pushed to the ground by police officers and that punches were thrown by a sheriff's deputy. "I can't determine a reason why [these things] happened," he said, "but I can determine that they happened."
As of Monday, police have received around a dozen complaints and were still reviewing video and photos from the game. Only one arrest was made after the game. Check out the 22-second mark on this YouTube video, and make your own decision.
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Duke Study Says Legacy Students Underachieve
Tweet Share on Facebook September 9, 2008 Comment (4)A Duke sociology professor published a study last month that claims legacy students at the school tend to underperform once class starts, the Chronicle reports. The professor compared Duke legacy students—those with family members who graduated from Duke—with students whose parents are also college-educated but not Duke alumni.
[They] collectively have lower-than-expected grades during freshman year, slightly lower SAT scores and typically do not choose to major in the natural sciences or engineering. According to self-reported academic skills, legacy students also had slightly lower levels of ability and confidence, although they normally close any academic gaps by the time they graduate.
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Southern Mississippi Fraternity Evicted After Hazing Probe
Tweet Share on Facebook September 9, 2008 Comment (9)At the University of Southern Mississippi, 19 members of the Kappa Sigma fraternity were kicked out of their house Friday after the chapter's charter was revoked and the house was closed following an investigation of hazing, the Student Printz reports.
Two female students who were attending a welcome event for little sisters—friends or girlfriends of active fraternity members—were transported to a local hospital for alcohol poisoning two weeks ago. One was released the next day and the other, who had blood-alcohol content of 0.47, remained in hospital for days.
The fraternity members were unable to secure housing on campus because of a housing crunch, and most are now living in off-campus apartments, according to the Printz, which had no comment from the group.
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Wisconsin Program Nabs 16 for Bike Theft
Tweet Share on Facebook September 9, 2008 Comment (1)Police at the University of Wisconsin are nabbing bike thieves left and right after implementing a "bait bike" program, the Badger Herald reports. By leaving about 20 locked and unlocked GPS-enabled bikes around campus to "attract" criminals, police have been able to trace the bikes and catch 16 alleged thieves since the beginning of August.
During the 2007-08 school year, only one citation for bike theft was issued, yet between January 2007 and May 2008, police received 100 reports of stolen bicycles, which everyone agrees underrepresents the number of thefts.
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Foreign Students 'Shocked' by Black College
Tweet Share on Facebook September 9, 2008 CommentAs if studying abroad wasn't enough culture shock already, two European international students arrived at North Carolina Central University this fall to find out to their surprise that they had unwittingly enrolled at a historically black university, the Hilltop reports.
"As I was looking at the pictures on the website, I noticed there were only black people," said Bernard Schmid, who studied at the University of Stuttgart in Germany. "So I guessed that the white people were the minority. It was a culture shock."
Martin Skogmalm, who studied at the University of Växjö in Sweden, had a similar reaction. "The first thing I noticed was that there was a lot of black people here," he said. "I got a really big shock."
He continued. "I thought, 'I'm at an all-black school and I'm going to be the only white person here.' But I like it. The people are really nice and I think this is going to be a good year."