Newspapers / Elon University Student Newspaper / Sept. 18, 2003, edition 1 / Page 2
Part of Elon University Student Newspaper / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
y **• I f »" Ir- T* i/i •>v 'nH'^1 Page 2 Thursday, September 18, 2003 % I Ti Ml in iM *n I The Pendulum E»tnblishol J971- So much for global: Elon uncultured on own campus Every student at Elon must take the required Global Studies class. Its primary purpose is to teach students to recognize that we are living in an increasingly more diverse society. Any predetermined, ethnocentric views we may openly or silently carry are to be washed away completely after enduring a semester of global. So what exactly have we gained from that experience? Certainly, at least, a rudimentary understanding of what it means to live in a globalized America. But do we really absorb the subject? Take in information ai)d synthesize it? The answer is no. You don’t have to look farther than Elon’s campus to arrive at that conclusion. Elon has tried hard in recent years to promote diversity of all kinds, such as race, sexual orientation and religion. But diversity still remains a tough subject to tackle. For example, the Black Cultural Society, a branch of the Multicultural Center, participate in innumerable impor tant events. But if you’re not in it, you don’t know it. It’s easy to say you want to leam more; you need to learn more. It’s something completely different to take the proactive measures to immerse yourself in an unknown organization. Diversity requires total under standing. Understanding requires total immersion. Too often, judgments are made quickly and without pre tense. So lean back on that global experience and attend meetings and talk to members. Understand how much bigger and diverse Elon really is. The Pendulum Coiln Donohue, EdItor-in-Chief Lindsay Porter, Managing Editor Stephen Earley, News Editor Matt Belanger, Asst. News ■Editor Brittlny Dunlap, Opinions Eo'tor Kaltlyn North, A & E Editor Mary-Hayden Britton, Features Editor Nick Palatlello, Sports Editor Jeff Heyer, Photography Editor Tim Rosner, Asst. Photo Editor Ellis Harman and Jessica Kemp, Copy Editors Annette Randall, Bus. Manager Matt Ford, Online Editor Janna Anderson, Adviser The Pendulum is published each Thursday of the academic year. The adverlising and editorial copy deadline is 5 p.m. the Monday before publi cation. Letters to the editor and guest columns are welcome and should be typed, double-spaced, signed and Include a telephone number for verifica tion. Submissions are also accepted as Word documents on disk or by e- mail. The Pendulum resen/es the right to edit obscene or potentially libelous material. Lengthy letters or columns may have to be trimmed to fit. All sub missions become the property of The Pendulum and will not be returned. To reach The Pendulum at 233 Moseley Center, call 278-7247 or fax 278- 7246. Contact The Pendulum by e-mail at pendulum@elon.edu. Visit our Web site at www.elon.edu/pendulum. Each individual is entitled to one free copy. Opinions The Pendulum Incorrect facts in article Nick Palatiello Sports Editor Ladies and gentlemen, I was outraged when I read an opinion article in the Sept. 4 edition of The Pendulum titled “Alcohol use becoming abusive.” Not because the author of the article thought the use of alcohol was abusive, but because the information in the article was false! In the United States Constitution, where is the line “No person under 21 cannot con sume alcohol?” Nowhere will you find that line. In fact there was no notion of that law in the minds of the founding fathers at the time. Benjamin Franklin once said, “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” I want to make one concurrent point clear. Drinking and driving as well as going to the hospital are not cool. Period End of discus sion. Now with that said, I would like to uncover the faults of the article that was written with opin ion (gasp) and without actual knowledge. The reason that as a 20-year-old I am prohibited from consuming alcohol legally is because of the Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984. Not becpse of the Constitution. This piece of legislation restricted fed eral funding to states for highway use. If the states did not raise the drinking age to 21 the federal government would not give states funding to maintain their highway systems or to build new ones. There are a few facts about the drinking age law that will come as a shock to many of you. The law was only established in 1984, after many of you (including myselO were bom. In fact, many of your parents were able to con sume alcohol (beer) at the age of 18. Hard liquor has been regulat ed since Prohibition in every state since the 18th Amendment was passed. From 1970 to 1975, dur ing the Vietnam War, almost all states lowered their drinking ages to 18 because they believed that if you would fight and die for your country, you should be able to consume alcohol as well. The drinking age law also pro hibits those under age of purchas ing and consuming alcohol in public. The law does not prohibit consumption to those under the age of 21 for religious rituals and in private clubs. The law was also passed the way many laws are passed today. by pressure from interests groups. Cindy Lightner, the founder of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), is the creator of the minimum drinking age. She along with other members of the organization, pushed Sen. Frank R. Laughtenbrg, D-N.J., and oth ers to create the bill. The President at that time was Ronald Reagan who opposed the bill at first and threatened to veto it if Congress passed the bill. To make a long story short, the bill was passed because there was pressure from MADD and because it was an election year. The drinking age law was established less than 20 years ago. It not only prohibits citizens (peo ple 18 or older) rights protected by the Constitution, but it also limits states rights. These rights are protected in the 10th Amendment of the Constitution. There are times when we are not always protected by the Constitution, and the only way that this bill will ever be over turned by the Supreme Court is if there is a massive lobbying cam paign brought upon by the youth of America. Contact Nick Palatiello at pendu- lum@elon.edu or 278-7247. Do not fear Hurricane Isabel Leigh Wiley Columnist What’s been all over the news this week? Well, maybe not the news, but definitely The Weather Channel. Hurricane Isabel is des tined to hit somewhere in the Americas full force. Even though this is the first category 5 hurricane to come tear ing towards the East Coast since 1992, most weather experts can’t pinpoint where the hurricane plans on touching down. So the big question for those who are not from the southeast is: Will Isabel hit Elon? No. Talk to anyone from the Piedmont region about hurricanes and they’ll all respond the same. In 1989 Hurricane Hugo some how made it past the coast of the Carolinas and hit the Piedmont region, one of the few hurricanes to ever do that. Some families took off for the mountains. Some barricaded themselves in their bathrooms. My dad put my little brother and I into bed with our mom then stood in front of three glass doors and watched the cat fly by. But Hugo was unusual. Since then no hurricane has traveled that far into the mainland. Most die down after tearing apart everyone’s beach houses. But according to the authori ties on The Weather Channel there is still reason to panic. Much like when the Carolinas receive an inch or two of snow, they all recommend that you trav el immediately to Wal-Mart, wait in line for a couple hours and stock up on water and toilet paper. Of course these “authorities” don’t surface for a while after the hurricane dies overnight and you’re stuck with a closet over flowing with water and toilet paper. So go about your daily lives. Ignore the authorities. Refuse to buy toilet paper. Well, maybe don’t go that far. But definitely don’t worry, about Hurricane Isabel. Contact Leigh Wiley at pendu- lum@elon.edu or 278-7247.
Elon University Student Newspaper
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Sept. 18, 2003, edition 1
2
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75