2
November 4, 1999
Opinion^
Viewpoint
TTiis past weekend, most oifhe Penduium staff had the pleasure of
attending ie 75th Associated Collegiate Press (AC?) Convention in
Atlanta, Georgia. While we were there one major legal point was
repeatedly driven home: Student journalists at a private school* iikeElon,
do not have any fundamental Fii^t Amendment ri^ts.
It’s true. Leo Lambert or any other high-ranldns member of
administrative machine can come into this office and, notask, but tell the
editor in chief that they are going to read the entire paper before it goes
to press and change anything that they feel doesn’t paint the college in a
positive light. Tliey can even abort a story because of bad grknmar or
speiiing mistakes.
On top of that, if any staff member goes against a decision that the
administration has made, they can be punished* They can lose the
privilege of writing for the paper or even be suspended from the school.
As private’school Journalists we need to recognize that it could Imppen
at anytime.
Throughout the entire convention, we heard horror stories about
how sUident journalist, at private schools had to face censoj^hip and prior
restraint on a daily basis. It was so bad that their news stories were
essentially, ‘*On Saturday, between the hours of t a.m. and 1
something happened, to someone somewhere on bampus. Nobody h»s
any comments/' They would consider that a major scoop,
It was then that we realized how lucky we are to have the
administration that we do. The staff here is given vlrtudly fiw reign to
write and print anything it pleases and suffer no fepetcussions. Blon is a
private school te chooses not to exercise its legal right to control tiie
products of the campus media. That is extremely rare in this worid of
public image. ^
We have written things that would have gotten us expelled at other
private schools, but we’re still here and still writing. Why is that?
Elon is obviously committed to integrity in journalism and trudi In
reporting. It is dedicated to it’s students and the programs in which they
are involved. For all student journalists everywhere, we would like to
thank the Board of Trustees and the administration for being supportive
of campus media. You hold the ultimatepower of censorship, but do not
use it. Thank you for your integrity.
• The Pendulum Editorial Staff
tME
Informing the Elon College Community
Editor in Chief
Carrie Lancos
Senior Editor
Chuck Buckley
News Editor
Alan Medeiros
Opinions Editor
Chris Rash
Focus Editor
Tammy Tripp
A & E Editor
Lisa McChristian
Sports Editor
Travis Suber
Photo Editor
Emily MacDonnell
Business Manager
Jenna Denton
Office Manager
Carolyn Lampila
Online Director
Jeff Sanders
Adviser
Byung Lee
Reporters
Reid Albright
Melissa Anderson
Kate Botty
Kellie Brielmaier
Patrick Collins
Kristen Conn
Samiha Khanna
Johannah Lawrence
Bill Monken
Annie Reilly
Jessica Rivelli
Jennifer Shelton
Erica Stanley
Mike Trainor
Jason Tully
Jessica Vitak
Photographers
Greg Boger
Jessica Snow
Meredith Vesely
Columnists
Brie Bittenbender
Rich Blomquist
Cameron DeJong
Ethan Pell
Advertising
Becky Robmson
Copy Editors
Elizabeth Butler
Christine Zon
The purpose of The
Pendulum shall be to inform
and entertain the Elon College
community, the Pendulum
shall be a forum where all
members of the college
community are able to express
their ideas and opinions.
Address all
correspondence to:
The Pendulum
7012 Campus Box
Elon College, N.C.
HIM.
Phone: (336) 584-2331
Fax: (336) 584-2467
E-mail:
pendulum© elon.edu
Web page:
http ://www.elon.edu/
pendulum
New millennium calls for new
kind of presidential candidate
Next year, we as a nation
will decide who leads us into the
next millennium. The candidates
we have are all fine politicians, or
at least as fine as they come.
The trouble with them is
we’ve already had their kind. How
many old white men do we have to
have running this country before
we hand the reigns over to some
one else?
Variety is the spice of life,
kids. Sadly, I much regret Eliza
beth Dole dropping out. I know it
seems gimmicky, but how cool
would it have been to have a woman
leading us into the next millen
nium?
Just don’t let her drive the
presidential car, for God’s sake,
she is a woman at heart. {Note:
That last sentence was written so I
could win a bet I made this week
end. Susan, pay me, vile woman!)
I think there are many people
who could be stronger candidates
than who will probably run. How
about Judge Mills Lane? The man
is a complete beast in the court
room, he’s all of 5-foot-nothing,
but he’ll still give you a verbal
lashing like your daddy never did.
Mills would get stuff together.
Steve, the crocodile hunter,
aside from probably not having his
citizenship, would be just what we
need. Simply put, the man is a
crazy, crazy bastard and just does
not care. He’d be excited to be our
president, but then again, he gets
excited feeling wallaby genitals.
If you want a candi
date that tells it like it is,
then Chris Rock is the an-
Ethan Pell
The Pendulum
lcatelon@aol.com
swer. He’s the only per
son who can successfully
make fun of every celeb
rity at the MTV Music
Awards. You can’t win with Chris.
I’m sure “Stone Cold” Steve
Austin would have the South’s vote
for presidency. It’d be worth it to
see him at a UN meeting badgering
some foreign leader, get pissed off,
deliver a couple Stone Cold Stun
ners, and flick the “sumbitch” off.
Drinking on the job and his theme
music instead of Hail the Chief...
gives ya goosebumps, don’t it, kids?
If you have to have someone
who’s held office and has political
background, I’d go for former mayor
of Cincinnati, Jerry Springer. This
is definitely a businessman and he
knows what people go for: Crap.
I guarantee if the Lewinski
scandal had happened widi Springer
in office, there would have been no
lie to cover up a lie, he would have
come clean. There’s no shame in
Jerry’s game.
Internet amateur and frequent
Color Me
Naughty guest,
Natasha, could
run this country.
All I’m go
ing to say about
her is that we
need someone
who’s not afraid
to bare all and do
so in an uninhib
ited fashion.
Okay, maybe Natasha’s a bit
unnecessary, but so is this column.
If not her, then our own Elon Col
lege student who got busted in New
York recently. She seems to have
the same qualities Natasha pos
sesses, but she’ll do it in public.
Now that’s a woman.
It’s never too late to convince
these, or any other celebrity to run
for office. If Jesse “The Mind”
Ventura can do it, that’s pretty much
open game for anyone else. If I
were eligible. I’d appoint the Spice
Girls... they already keep their cook
ies on the top shelf, why not put
them in the cabinet?
Liberal Art?
Prairie, a sculpture in between Koury Center and Model Center,
is one of the many new pieces of art decorating campus.