10. Saying goodbye to Harry (July 19)
(Jaap Buitendijk/Provided by Warner Bros./MCT)
While some were happy to see the end of a years-long movie franchise, others met the coming of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” with a deep feeling of loss.
Would it do justice to the series? Would everything turn out for the best?
Questions abounded and former Daily Aztec EIC, Ruthie Kelly, was there to walk us through the end of a decade.
Story by Ruthie Kelly:
Previewing “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” is like trying to describe my senior year of high school — almost impossible to do in 500 words or less — so I’ll begin with the simple observation that people with glasses should not watch 3D movies in the theater. Ever.
That latest craze sweeping the moviegoing public is not designed with the bespectacled in mind. It speaks volumes about how likely a given attendee is to see a preview or poster and exclaim, “Gee! I hope they did that in 3D!” much less agree to pay $20 for the experience.
I was not actually looking forward to seeing this film as much as those who have been subject to my persistent Harry Potter references would think. There was so much the makers could mess up. Like so many, I grew up with these books. The novels’ release, and the characters’ ages, proceeded at nearly the exact same pace as my own.
I have an emotional connection to the characters and their journeys; I remember the midnight release parties, the frantic need to finish each new volume as soon as possible, the slow realization that J.K. Rowling was serious and would not spare us the ugly reality of death or torture or bureaucracy, that none of the questions about who was good or bad were as simple as we thought, that someone I cared about could die.
When I think of Harry Potter, I think of growing up, of how magical and exciting and scary it is.When the movies were first released I didn’t like them, for the same reason I don’t like wearing someone else’s sneakers. Even if they’re the correct size, they don’t feel right … they’re formed to someone else’s feet, not my own.
The films did not conform to my imagination of Hogwarts, and that ruined the magic for me. I expected this film to be the same as its predecessors, so I was surprised how familiar and right it felt. The actors have grown up with the characters too, and they’re more comfortable in them now, slipping into the scenes like putting on an old jacket, with an ease noticeably absent from the earlier films. Nowhere does that certainty show more than in the final installment.
I was not actually looking forward to seeing this film as much as those who have been subject to my persistent Harry Potter references would think. There was so much the makers could mess up.
Watching the Harry Potter movies in short succession is particularly interesting. The first two years at Hogwarts are bright and magical; by the eighth movie, the film is practically black and white, desaturated of even the little color present in “Part 1.” It mirrors the darkness of the world itself, all the magic and color of childhood drained, only stark reality left.
As we left, one guy sitting behind me said: “It’s been 10 years, and it’s finally over.” The sense of achievement, of completion, is palpable, and I could feel it ripple across the crowd. It was done, and we were satisfied.I skipped out on the theater experience for most of the previous movies, and I’m glad I didn’t for this one.
Even though they left out parts of the book, or even blatantly changed others — Harry very explicitly didn’t say goodbye to Ron and Hermione; the Voldemort of the novels couldn’t feel his Horcruxes being destroyed; Harry and Voldy did not wrestle with each other while falling off a turret and inexplicably clawing at each others’ faces — all of the changes made sense in the interest of time, pace, or avoiding the stilted feeling that comes from following the book too closely.
Read the full story here
9. Time to game IRL (Nov. 17)
Arvind Balaraman
2011 was a big year for gaming here at the Daily Aztec.
We launched a blog named “Digitized” and a print section entitled ”Unpaused,” both of which are run by gamer extraordinaire Cody Franklin (read more of Cody’s work here).
For this story, Cody took us into BarCraft – a worldwide event where gamers around the world joined together to play in public.
Story by Cody Franklin:
On an unassuming night, dozens of people are crowding into bars across the nation to watch their favorite teams and players clash in epic battles of will, determination and unmatched skill. As the game begins, the bar is packed full of roaring, excited fans ready for an adrenaline-pumping night.
Sounds like a typical Chargers game here in San Diego, right? Wrong.
Rather than lining up on the football field, the players on the screen are sitting in front of computers. Rather than pushing their bodies to new heights, these players are performing incredible feats of mental prowess at rates as high as 300 actions per minute. This is e-sports, and the fans are here for BarCraft.
BarCraft is a movement to bring e-sports from the locked confines of nerd caves into the public eye. For a night or two every few weeks, sports bars across the world have begun changing their televisions to competitive video gaming coverage of “StarCraft II.”
The first BarCraft event took place in San Diego at Joe’s Pizza, and was created by popular e-sports personality “Diggity,” also known as Zach Smith.
“BarCraft is really no different from any other sports gathering. It’s just like the bar scene during MLB, NFL or NBA playoffs but nerdier,” he said.
Southern California is the heart of BarCraft. The Irvine chapter has seen massive success, partly because of its proximity to “StarCraft II” developer Blizzard Entertainment’s headquarters. More than 400 people attended the event, including Blizzard staff such as CEO Michael Morhaime and lead designer Dustin Browder.
Host of the Irvine event, Caleb “CableSC” Finn, a UC San Diego graduate, said the game was “chess on steroids and in real time.”
He said outsiders shouldn’t be afraid to come to the events because of their accessibility to all people. According to Finn, many patrons who weren’t there for BarCraft ended up coming back and getting involved. He even has a “StarCraft for Rookies” sheet he hands out.
The San Diego BarCraft scene has also continued to grow. Jeff Nehlsen and Mikel Markham have organized several events at Randy Jones All American Sports Grill in Mission Valley. Markham described e-sports as “Monday Night Football for nerds,” and they both described “StarCraft” as being “sort of like a soap opera where person X and person Y have no idea what they’re doing and have a grudge against each other.”
However, Nehlsen said while other sports have a lot of rules, “The thing about “StarCraft” is it comes down to one rule: Blow the other guy up.”
Markham mentioned some bars have had a better turn out for BarCraft than other events, including the Super Bowl. He said BarCraft is “breaking the stereotype of the nerd living in his mom’s basement.” He also said it made the bar owner very happy, to have “110 nerds show up at (the) bar on a Sunday.”
BarCraft has now expanded around the world. This weekend there will be events held in Austria, England, Germany and Israel. “Diggity” was surprised to see how BarCraft has spread.
“I always felt that San Diego and Southern California in general was e-sports nerd central, but recently I have heard about the gigantic turn out in Montreal and elsewhere.
Read the full story here
8. Missing SDSU student found dead abroad (Mar. 6 – 8 )
Austin Bice (left), was studying abroad in Spain, when he was reported missing after last being seen on Feb. 25 while out with friends. His body was found days later in a river in Madrid. Photo Courtesy of Facebook
Tragedy struck earlier this year when the body of 22-year-old Austin Bice was found in a river in Madrid.
Bice, who was studying abroad at the time, had been missing several days before his body was discovered.
At the time of discovery, there were few clues as to what happened to the former Aztec football player.
Sarah Grieco and Ruthie Kelly reported:
POST #2 – March 8: Authorities in Spain discovered the body of San Diego State exchange student Austin Bice Tuesday, more than a week after he went missing in Madrid. Bice, a Torrey Pines High School graduate and native of Carlsbad, had not been seen since he decided to walk home after he was turned away from a nightclub on Feb. 25.
His body was found in the Manzanares River, which runs through the western portion of the city. Though the official cause of death has yet to be determined, there are currently no signs of foul play.
POST #1 – March 6: A San Diego State student has gone missing while studying abroad in Spain. Austin Bice, a senior studying international business at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, was last seen early Feb. 27 after he couldn’t get into a nightclub. He told friends he was going to walk home and no one has heard from him since. A fellow study abroad student reported him missing the next day, and since then Bice’s father has flown to Madrid to help authorities with the search.
The Spanish police have issued a European-wide search for him and flyers with Bice’s picture and information have been posted throughout Madrid.SDSU spokesperson Gina Jacobs said that nothing like this has happened in recent history and is an isolated incident.
Jacobs said that there were seven additional SDSU international business students with Bice in Spain. One of those students alerted the authorities of Bice’s disappearance. “My first reaction to this was thinking, ‘What? In Spain?’ I couldn’t believe it,” she said.
“My first reaction to this was thinking, ‘What? In Spain?’ I couldn’t believe it,” – Former study abroad student.
“SDSU is providing support where we can,” Jacobs said. “We are very concerned and are staying in constant contact with the family.”
Bice is a graduate of Torrey Pines High School and is well liked throughout the community. A good friend of his, Jenna Scaduto, is devastated about his disappearance. Scaduto met Bice three years ago in the residence halls. She said he isn’t known to be a risk taker, but that he is very confident and collected.
A few weeks ago, she talked to Bice through Facebook chat, but became curious when she noticed less activity on his page.
“I didn’t see much from him in the past week or two on Facebook at all,” she said. “Usually he’s one of those names that pops up on the news feed pretty often.”
Scaduto said she is also shocked because Bice is known for his physical fitness. The former Aztec football player is 6 foot 5 inches tall and participates in triathlons.
However, before even thinking about his size, Scaduto was shocked to hear this is happening in Madrid.
“My first reaction to this was thinking, ‘What? In Spain?’ I couldn’t believe it,” she said.
Scaduto is not the only person surprised. Brittany Johnson, an ISCOR senior, lived in Madrid last year and is stunned that this happened.
“I felt 100 percent safe the whole time I was in Madrid,” she said. “I never felt threatened by the people.”
Read the full story here
7. With low acceptance rates, SDSU enters new chapter (Apr. 4)
Artwork courtesy of staff artist Melodie Lapot
Becoming a freshman this fall meant something a little more than it did last year.
Across the board, SDSU buffed-up the incoming class with higher GPAs and test scores; at the same time the school admitted less students.
What did it all mean and was the move for the better?
Opinion Writer, Brody Burns, explains:
Montezuma Mesa is in the midst of a drastic change. San Diego State is overhauling its reputation as a perpetual spring break school, a mere mainstay on the Playboy Magazine party radar and a basketball-crazed campus. SDSU is challenging many Ivy League schools with a paltry acceptance rate near 10 percent, and the academic standing of its incoming students only continues to bloom. Being an Aztec has a new meaning in the eyes of the public and every student — whether past, present or future — stands to benefit.
Last fall, SDSU received nearly 60,000 undergraduate applications for the fall semester. Counting both transfers and incoming freshman, only 6,174 undergraduate students were admitted, which puts the acceptance rate at just more than 10 percent. Moreover, the GPA and SAT scores for the incoming class, 3.78 and 1148 respectively, are the highest in SDSU history. The class starting in Fall 2009 had an average incoming GPA of 3.47, and an SAT score of 1039.
Scores are continuing to increase, which is inevitably making admission into SDSU a more highly valued achievement. This upward trend is a direct consequence of receiving more and more applications for fewer available spots, which only bolsters the competition. The result? A radical improvement among SDSU’s future pools of applicants.
There’s a stark reality with these statistics. Ivy League schools such as Cornell, Dartmouth and the University of Pennsylvania all reported higher acceptance rates than SDSU last year. Even notable public universities had higher acceptance rates than SDSU — University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (29.9 percent), UT-Austin (45.9 percent), the University of Wisconsin-Madison (54.62 percent) and the University of Iowa (78 percent).
Acceptance rates alone do not measure the prestige of a university, but they are indicative of the type of students who are seeking an education there. This plays directly into the public’s perception of the value a degree from a particular university.
SDSU has long been perceived as a party haven, a perception supported by drug busts, “undie” runs and a hungover student body after weekends of ceaseless parties. But change is happening.
These acceptance statistics are directly related to larger systemic factors. Prevailing economic conditions, the cost of pursuing higher education, budget cuts, overall increases in educational scores and the number of applicants for these schools are all elements of the bigger picture.
At SDSU specifically, the incoming student body is much different than in recent history. The quality of education among incoming students is clearly improving. This fact alone will inevitably result in an improvement of the educational value of a degree from SDSU, which thereby enhances the value of every Aztec’s education.
SDSU President Stephen L. Weber has watched this perception change, and said, “I think this is a great university and I don’t think it was perceived to be as good as it is, and in recent years, thanks to a lot of people working very hard, we’ve begun to get the recognition it deserves and that is very gratifying.” Many of these admissions limitations are a result of California’s budgetary cuts to the California State University system, which will likely slash an additional $500 million this year.
Read the full story here
6. Despite concerns, The Show goes on (Feb. 23)
SDSU’s student section, known as "The Show," dressed as Mormon missionaries in 2010. File Photo
“The Show” became the center of focus early in 2011 when Aztec fans started to ruffle the feathers of opponents.
While it seemed to help boost pride among students, some were starting to get concerned with the tactics fans would create after an Aztec basketball player suggested they use the “funniest, craziest things they can come up with.”
Story by Edward Lewis:
D.J. Gay meant the comment as a lighthearted, encouraging, funny statement.
After San Diego State’s captain said it though, it likely opened up a Pandora’s Box of horrors for SDSU’s Athletic Department.
“I would ask The Show to come up with the funniest, craziest things they can come up with to help distract Jimmer at the free throw line,” Gay said of BYU’s star guard Jimmer Fredette. “Just to be as creative as they can be and be our sixth man.”
Somewhere, in some part of the Aztec Athletics Center, SDSU officials collectively cringed.
Last year, SDSU’s student section created such a controversy after the BYU game that Sports Illustrated writer Seth Davis labeled it as “totally classless.” It was smashed on the message boards by angry BYU fans, and columnists all across the country took it behind the woodshed.
The Show had dressed up as Mormon missionaries – decked out in short-sleeve button-ups, black ties and bicycle helmets – and had made signs poking fun at BYU and its religion, and ultimately ended the night with a “You’re still Mormon!” chant.
Loading ...This year, SDSU is concerned something like that could happen again, and its administrators are asking fans and members of The Show to police themselves.
“I would say we didn’t represent our university in the way that it should be represented,” Senior Associate Athletic Director Don Oberhelman said of last year’s game and ensuing controversy. “The university is bigger than the game and bigger than The Show. We want to represent the university in a respectful way that it deserves. I don’t know if we did that last year.”
Oberhelman and his colleagues have talked to The Show leaders and have asked them to “tone down any offensive chants, signs or T-shirts.” Saturday’s game against BYU will be televised nationally on CBS, and the last thing SDSU wants is for the storyline to be about its fans more than its basketball team.
“I just want to make sure all the news on Sunday is about the game,” Oberhelman said.
But The Show is still planning to wear its missionary garb. Its leaders created a Facebook event titled, “Wear Missionary Gear to the BYU game,” and as of yesterday, it had more than 300 people “attending.”
Vincent Silva, a mainstay of The Show and a 2009 SDSU graduate, said the attire isn’t supposed to offend BYU, Mormons or anybody’s religion.
“If you’re trying to disrespect it and degrade the dress and attire, then I think that’s one thing,” Silva said. “But that’s not what we’re trying to do. For us, it’s more of a humorous thing. It’s more of, ‘Hey, look at all these missionaries rooting for San Diego State.’ Some people when they first hear about or see it, they jump to the conclusion that ‘Oh, they’re doing it in a mocking sense.’ That’s definitely not what we’re trying to do.”
Regardless, Oberhelman would rather not see it on Saturday.
“I don’t like it,” he said. “I wish they wouldn’t do that, but bottom line is the kids are wearing shirts and ties to a basketball game and there’s really not much we can do to prevent that from happening.”
Read the full story here!
5. Discover Disneyland’s hidden park secrets (Mar. 22)
MCT Campus
The most magical place on earth has held a special place on our site all year.
Since we ran this story in March it’s popped up on our most viewed list every other week.
Why is this? Probably because it’s chalk-full of secrets about Disney you might not know. Read on and find out what you’ve been missing!
Story by Rachel Verbits:
It’s hard to deny that magical feeling when leaving the real world behind and entering the gates of Disneyland. No matter how many trips have been made to this wonderful amusement park, part of the magic of the “Happiest Place on Earth” is that millions of people have been visiting for more than half a century, and there are still secrets to be revealed.
Many people know the Disneyland Firehouse nestled on Main Street is not just for show. The Disneyland Fire Department is fully functional and ready at the drop of mouse ears to stop a fire in its tracks. While the fire department may not be a hidden Disney treasure, what sits above it, Walt Disney’s only finished apartment, is. Although the light in the upstairs window used to signal his presence to cast members, it now stays on continuously as a salute to the man who started it all.
While delving deeper into the magical world of Disney, don’t be surprised to see a cat or two roaming the premises. When Disneyland first opened its gates in the 1950s, about 50 cats were released throughout the park out of necessity to control a pesky mice problem. While it’s unsure how many there are today, they still roam Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure, keeping the rodent population to a minimum.
wdwmemories.com
Even though Disney passed away in 1966, he has never really left the park. Ever notice the telegraph clicking at the New Orleans’ train station? It’s ticking out the speech Disney gave on the park’s opening day.
Not only does the park itself hold a certain air of mystery, but there are many secrets to be discovered inside the rides as well.
Next time aboard Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin in Mickey’s Toontown, look for a guest appearance from the poison apple from “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” At one point the car nearly slams through a fruit stand of “wishing apples.” The wishing apple is what the Evil Queen gave Snow White in the timeless Disney movie and has nothing to do with Roger Rabbit.
There is more to the story of the poisonous apple. In Snow White’s Scary Adventures (renamed to warn children of the ride’s scary nature), the old hag previously offered a real apple, but when riders kept stealing the edible prop, “Imagineers” replaced it with a holographic version.
It is also interesting to note the original ride did not include any visuals of Snow White, as riders were supposed to feel as if they were the fairy tale character themselves. However, after disappointment and confusion from the riders, she was added in a Fantasyland overhaul in the early 1980s.
When taking to the skies in Peter Pan’s Flight, look down at the floor of the nursery in the first scene of the ride. The toy blocks spell out “DI5NEY” and “PPan.”
It’s almost impossible to spend a day at Disneyland without hitting one of the most infamous rides, which is technically located outside the park. The Haunted Mansion is not actually on Disneyland grounds.
Get more Disney secrets here
4. Marijuana dispensaries close-up shop (Apr. 12)
Photo Courtesy of M_bartosch
Nearly every student had an opinion on legalizing the use of marijuana and whether or not people should be allowed get the drug at local dispensaries.
Should it be taxed? Is the government stepping on the rights of citizens by banning it?
When a move to close local dispensaries was laid down it seemed to do nothing more than spark more conversation between legalize supporters and their opposition.
Story by Opinion Writer, Leonardo Castaneda
In a move to further thwart the will of California voters, San Diego’s legislature is looking to approve a virtual ban on legal marijuana dispensaries within city limits. The Council aims to make legal access impossible by placing unreasonable restrictions on where dispensaries can operate.
The proposed ban requires all legal marijuana dispensaries to be at least 600 feet from schools, parks, churches, libraries and each other. Dispensaries will be restricted to mostly industrial areas far from where most consumers live. Meanwhile, the 165 already legally operating dispensaries in San Diego will be closed until they can relocate and reapply for a new permit, a process estimated to take more than a year. Many will be unable to reopen because the ban effectively limits the number of legal locations for dispensaries to operate.
This flies in the face of the voter-approved Proposition 215, which guarantees safe and legal access to medical marijuana. If the new laws are enacted, legal users will be forced to drive far out into heavily industrial areas. Not only can terminally ill patients who rely on medical marijuana simply not make that kind of a trip, but there are also other risks present.
MCT Campus
Fewer dispensaries mean more predictability, and more susceptibility to patients being followed and robbed. Even further, if legislators are actively trying to place barriers between legal users and dispensaries, it’s only logical medical users may instead turn to illegal dealers in closer proximity.
With this proposal, legislators have once again ignored the potential benefits dispensaries contribute to the city. Working to put every roadblock possible to prevent a legally functioning enterprise only wastes valuable tax dollars. Much like cigarettes and alcohol, taxing medical marijuana could contribute millions of dollars to a stagnant and suffering city budget. San Diego is on the verge of bankruptcy; we’re laying off teachers, “browning out” our fire and police departments and have potholes the size of Smart cars. But naturally it’s medical marijuana that represents the greatest threat to “America’s Finest City,” right?
We should instead look up to Oakland, which in 2009 was the first to institute a tax on medical marijuana sales. In just one year, the modest tax of $18 for every $1,000 of medical marijuana sold brought in an estimated $300,000 in new revenue. A similar tax could easily be enacted in San Diego, which accounts has far more dispensaries than Oakland. Annually, a 10 percent tax on gross marijuana sales could easily result in millions of dollars in new tax revenue.
We’re in the worst budget crisis our city has ever seen, with a legal, untapped source of revenue. Can anyone tell me why we’re not capitalizing on this?
This common sense approach is a win–win for everyone involved. The city gets a much-needed new revenue stream, dispensaries and business owners are allowed to stay open and medical users can continue to purchase marijuana in a safe, legal way. Unfortunately, the ideology of a few city councilmen is keeping the city legislature from a simple and smart solution.
Read the full story here
3. Leonard, White proved Jimmer is human (Mar.14)
Antonio Zaragoza / Photo Editor
In just another notch in the belt that is the rivalry between BYU and SDSU, Matt McClanahan’s column about BYU losing to the Aztecs ended up being one of our top viewed stories of the year.
Why?
We’ll we can say for sure Matt’s columns always led to input from readers on both sides of the court; furthermore his animated storytelling only makes this sports summary better.
Story by Matt McClanahan:
LAS VEGAS —- What are you going to do about it? Huh? Huh?
Do something; I dare you. Punk.
After San Diego State’s diamond-squashing effort against BYU, Jimmer Fredette approached Kawhi Leonard at midcourt.
The two in-conference titans weren’t about to address each other with a “good game,” nor were they about to cup their hand for an old-fashioned, quasi-homoerotic butt tap. And they sure as hell weren’t looking to furnish each other’s egos with “respect,” as Leonard laughably claimed in his post-game press conference. Ha!
No. What happened after the final buzzer in the conference tournament championship game was a stupendous release of highly carbonated emotions between the two best players in the Mountain West Conference.
“I’m not going to repeat anything that (Leonard) said,” Fredette told the media. “But he was excited that they won. He decided to say some things. I’m not going to back down. I said a couple things as well.”
As the scoreboard glistened with an SDSU victory and fans gushed onto the court, a derailed
Fredette marched over to puff his snout in Leonard’s face. “Stop talking trash! Stop talking trash!” Fredette yelled.
In that moment, Fredette looked small. He looked broken … even human.
Fredette not only lost the game, but he lost his grip. He didn’t look anything like the baller who scored 52 points against New Mexico the day before. In that game, grown men with wives literally raised their arms and bowed in the stands to Fredette. The BYU fans were boisterous against the Lobos, chanting, “You got Jimmered!”
But it was a different scene against the Aztecs. The Cougar “faithful” began quietly tip-toeing out of the arena with three minutes still remaining in the game. They had no faith in a comeback, no faith in Fredette. Blame that on Billy White’s defense.
Largely because of White, SDSU didn’t get “Jimmered.” Instead, BYU got Leonard, all 20 points and 8 rebounds of him. Leonard dominated the paint like da Vinci; so start calling him “Leonardo” instead. Boom.
On the subject of name changes, White should attach “On Rice” to his, because that’s how he covered Fredette. “White On Rice” excelled on the offensive end, too, scoring 21 points and capitalizing on the absence of BYU’s Brandon Davies (honor code violation).
Good thing getting your butt kicked isn’t a violation of the Cougars’ honor code; otherwise, BYU wouldn’t have a team left.
Adíos Cougars, you’re leaving the Mountain West Conference. I would say don’t let the Aztecs kick your butt on the way out, but that just happened. As for now, SDSU enters the Big Dance as a two seed.
Do you believe that they will win? Do you believe that they will win? Do you believe that they will win?
Read more of Matt’s 2011 columns here!
2. A new amendment to end corporate rule (Feb.10)
Artwork courtesy of Staff Artist Rob Piper
With a down economy, Occupy making headlines and a growing number of citizens beginning to question their economic standing in the world, you couldn’t escape the news surrounding corrupt greed.
Here Staff Columnist, Randy Wilde, tackles the idea of ending the relationship between corporations and politicians.
Story by Randy Wilde:
Our democratic process has become a business, where influence is bought and sold like any other commodity. How did we get here? Simple – by letting corporations drown out the voices of citizens.
“It’s our democracy, we bought it, we paid for it, and we’re going to keep it,” Murray Hill Inc., a Washington D.C. company, said. In a striking satirical ploy, Murray Hill Inc. has started a gag campaign to run for Congress in response to last year’s Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.
This shocking decision essentially gave corporations the right to unlimited campaign spending in federal elections. According to the justices, corporations are considered “persons” whose right to free speech — including campaign ads — is protected by the First Amendment. As outrageous as it looks, this decision is less than shocking considering the excessive entanglement of corporate and political power.
The connection between government and business needs some serious unraveling. In addition to the massive financial flows between corporate donors and pork-barreling politicians, personnel are exchanged with disturbing frequency.
There exists a rotating door between big business and government, Wall Street and Washington, whereby bureaucrats are chosen from the industries they are to oversee and politicians retire from government to a cushy position with the companies they have served in office.
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has been accused of connections to Goldman Sachs, the largest domestic recipient of federal money in the AIG bailout, which he orchestrated. His Chief of Staff Mark Patterson also worked for Goldman Sachs. It’s time to put down the butter knife and take a machete to corporate entanglement in the election process.
It’s time to put down the butter knife and take a machete to corporate entanglement in the election process.
Margaret Spelling, former U.S. secretary of education who worked for former President George W. Bush is now the executive vice president of the business group National Chamber Foundation. William Daley, President Barack Obama’s chief of staff, previously worked at JP Morgan Chase. And I’m sure many of you are familiar with former Vice President Dick Cheney’s flip-flops between government and Halliburton, even serving as its CEO. These are only a few examples of the frighteningly common phenomena.
Corporations have also found loopholes for nearly every attempt at regulating their influence on government. They channel money through political action committees and 527s to buy a stake in a politician’s victory. These 527s are tax-exempt, unregulated by the FEC and can fundraise and donate as much as they’d like to freely influence the outcome of elections.
Corporations often even hedge their bets by funding both candidates. It’s time to put down the butter knife and take a machete to corporate entanglement in the election process.
Even after the economic meltdown largely caused by corporate mismanagement and flawed markets, voices in Washington echo those in Wall Street calling for an end to excessive and damaging regulation. Now that takes some nerve.
Read the full story here
1. The Jimmer Fredette “Poking” Saga (Feb.21)
Courtesy of Matt McClanahan
Coming in as our most viewed, and hotly debated, story of 2011 is the saga surrounding BYU point guard, Jimmer Fredette, and a Facebook page created by an SDSU student.
The story raised many questions about Aztec pride and the debate on what’s sportsman-like behavior and what isn’t. The issue grew so large that our EIC at the time, Ruthie Kelly, wrote an opinion column on it.
Story by Matt McClanahan:
San Diego State hadn’t finished beating New Mexico last week, much less played Air Force, when its student section began chanting: “We want Jimmer!”
In response to the chant, BYU point guard Jimmer Fredette reportedly said, “They are trying to do a lot of different stuff … to try to get into my head.”
SDSU student fan R.J. Ruppel said he knows what “stuff” Fredette was referring to.
Last time the Aztecs played the BYU guard, Fredette scored 43 points in a win to become a Naismith College Player of the Year frontrunner. Both Top 10 teams will enter Saturday’s matchup with even more at stake — prompting some Aztec fans to seek a psychological advantage over Fredette.
A few weeks ago, Ruppel helped create a Facebook event inviting 7,000 SDSU fans to “poke Jimmer’s girlfriend” on Facebook. The stated mission of the event was to “disrupt, upset, distract and irritate (the) opponent.”
It was titled “Poke Jimmer Fredette’s girlfriend because Jimmer can’t poke her for himself.” The event page provided a picture of Fredette’s significant other — Cougar cheerleader Whitney Wonnacott — and a link to her Facebook profile.
Hundreds of Aztec fans subsequently prodded Wonnacott with Facebook “pokes.” Some fans friend requested her and others sent Facebook messages.
“I got a few inboxes that were just, like, kind of rude with some foul language,” Wonnacott said. “But they weren’t personally attacking me.”
Ruppel said that five days after the webpage was created, Facebook shut it down, citing harassment.
“I just started a fad; I didn’t expect anything like this,” Ruppel said. “It kind of blew up in my face.”
Some SDSU students who are unaffiliated with Ruppel are now selling “I poked Jimmer’s girlfriend” T-shirts. Aztec student Brent Duclos said he is expecting to sell 200 before the BYU game. According to Duclos and Ruppel, there were talks that local pub Effin’s was interested in sponsoring a giveaway for the shirts. Duclos said he isn’t looking to make a profit and that anyone can buy one for $10. Duclos posts his name and number on a Facebook webpage entitled “SDSU Poked Jimmer Shirts.”
SDSU administration has stated it won’t allow the shirts into the game on Saturday at Viejas Arena. Men’s basketball head coach Steve Fisher has even sent a message to the students, encouraging them to keep it classy.
Part of his message read, “It is important to remember that when you are in the student section, you represent something greater than yourself … We always encourage ‘The Show’ to continue to be the most creative, funny, and loudest student section in America, but we cannot cross the line into topics that are out of bounds and distasteful, particularly making fun of one’s religion.”
