A Crash Course in Politics

The Democratic National Convention has been a great chance for political aficionados to convene and share their opinions, but it has also been a powerful opportunity for those “less informed”, such as myself, to explore their own political beliefs. Politics has never been my cup of tea, and it has always seemed like such a daunting task to dive in and start sifting through all the different policies and plans to find out which candidates to support. For a long time, my only political knowledge came exclusively from the esteemed duo of Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert, but with the DNC in Charlotte I decided to broaden my horizons.

Instead of settling for Comedy Central’s take on the issues of the day, I found myself watching and attending various speeches and panels in order to educate myself on how important this election really is. I began to ponder issues I had formerly turned a blind eye towards, such as marriage inequality, Obamacare, and education. Living at the center of the political world for these past few days has been a crash course in formulating my own political views, but I encourage anyone reading this to take a little time out of your day to search for your own political identity. If that means researching  how politicians approach the important issues in your life or simply making time to watch the news before seeing how Mr. Colbert can turn it into a farce, it really does matter. After all, it’s our duty as a citizen of any country to have a say in the political process. It’s our duty to elect leaders who best represent the ideals of the country, not just the people willing to take a stand and vote. The great thing about this nation is that everybody’s voice makes a difference, so I encourage you to make yours heard this election season. 

Is This What College is Supposed to be Like?

As high school seniors, many of us couldn't wait until the day we packed up, and headed off to college.  Though our parents may have shed a few tears thinking about sending their babies away, and out of their reach, we still anxiously awaited to experience our first taste of adulthood, and being away from home.  I went thirteen hours away from home for college, my freshman year, hoping to gain the same experience as all of my peers and other rising college freshman.  Unfortunately, things took an unexpected turn for the worst a few days after my parents dropped me off.  I lived in a real-life nightmare my freshman year, until I made the wise decision to transfer before my sophomore year.

            I don't want to go into exact details, or downplay my former school, however, I feel it's my responsibility to raise awareness in this area.  I understand that it was my decision to attend my previous institution; however, I did not make the choice to be mistreated and discriminated against on a daily basis.  Never before had I experienced so many accounts of racism and pure cruelty.  Not once did I ever disrespect any of the people who directed their negativity towards me; for  my parents always taught me to treat others kindly, and that’s’ what I did.

            I wouldn't wish what I went through for a year on my worst enemy.  Whether you have experienced discrimination based on your race, culture, religion, physical appearance, etc. (the list goes on) it's not acceptable.  Actions have been made to try to tone some issues down, and hopefully things will get better; however, all I ask of you in return is to simply express towards people. 

-Brittani Hunter

Wikileak this.

            With Wikileaks being the main topic of discussion on almost every news channel, it is hard to avoid.  For those of you who live under a rock, Wikileaks is a whistle blowing website known for releasing information not intended for release.  This case is no different.  Recently, Wikileaks released over 200,000 United States classified cables to the public causing media hysteria.  The links discussed topics ranging from our relationship with our allies to the relationships with Middle Eastern countries and unstable Iran.  Here is the debate which has so many people riled up, should Wikileaks found Julian Assange (who is currently arrested in the UK for sexual assault charges) be targeted by a United States investigation, or should he be allowed to walk the streets a free man.  Many people feel as though he was just doing his job and providing information to civilians.  However in doing so he put the United States at risk.  The Army Sergeant responsible for leaking the information to Assange is Bradley Manning.  I believe that Manning should be charged for treason.  He leaked classified documents to a public website knowing the intent and putting our nation at risk.  This has the making to be a widely contested debate, so let me hear what you think, should Assange and Manning be set free, or should they be prosecuted to the fullest.

Thanks for Reading,

-Miles Kerbein 

What is artistic creation?

What meaning is there in artistic creation?

According to Carl Jung – Modern Man In Search Of A Soul – “What is essential in a work of art is that it should rise far above the realm of personal life and speak from the spirit and heart of the poet as man to the spirit and heart of mankind.”

A twentieth century spiritual writer and monk whose work was censored in his time for outspoken social commentary says this about the art.

In an aesthetic experience, in the creation or the contemplation of a work of art, the psychological conscience is able to attain some of its highest and most perfect fulfillments. Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time. The mind that responds to the intellectual and spiritual values that lie hidden in a poem, a painting, or a piece of music, discovers a spiritual vitality that lifts it above itself, takes it out of itself, and makes it present to itself on a level of being that it did not know it  could ever achieve.

Thomas Merton - No Man Is an Island

The spirit of the ages or “collective unconscious” of the masses according to the psychology of Jung is a powerful force that will find a way to express itself. “A great work of art is like a dream; for all its apparent obviousness it does not explain itself…”

Why does the dirge Bye Bye Miss American Pie still mesmerize listeners with its repeating verse of love lost and death? What song have you heard lately that draws you into its rhythm and lyrics so profoundly?

The nineteenth century German poet Ranier Maria Rilke in Letters To A Young Poet wrote-

“Works of art are of an infinite solitude, and no means of approach is so useless as criticism…Allow your judgments their own silent, undisturbed development, which, like all progress, must come from deep within and cannot be forced or hastened.”

 Personally I have a love/hate relationship with my editor. More importantly, how do you view the creative process and the final product of art that is produces? What style speaks to you at a high level of vitality? And, are you working on anything?

 -Julie Post

Pro Athlete Pay Cuts

In a day and age where people are crazy about there sports teams whether its football, basketball, hockey, or baseball, players don’t seem to stay put in the same location for to long. This can be blamed on several things the most popular being the salary cap. People argue that by teams having a set amount of money but player’s salary changing from year to year makes it impossible to stay put in one location. But I don’t buy it! What happened to players taking slight pay cuts to be on a winning team. Back in the day this was something that was much more common then it is today. The last time I remember this happening was in the 2004 off-season in the NFL. Long time patriot’s linebacker, Teddy bruscki, was needed to be resigned after their super bowl win. Instead of using his new found super bowl ring to cash in on potential contract offers he humbly resigned with the patriots to a small contract so that they could sign more players from the previous year as well. In my books those are the types of individuals I would want on my team. I mean they already make huge amounts of money I am sure a couple hundred thousand is not going to hurt these athletes very much. Anyways tell me what you guys think! Thanks. 

Ross Radcliffe

New Traditions

Holidays call for traditional family and religious practices. Year after year, families engage in activities such as cooking a big feast for holidays such as Thanksgiving, Easter and Christmas. On Thanksgiving, many of us arrange to visit family and contribute to cooking part of the massive family feast.  For Christmas, we pride ourselves on making mega-Christmas lists that include numerous gifts that amount to a costly sum. Tradition calls for picking out a tree, decorating the house, carolling, and much more.  Each year, it's these types of traditions that generate holiday cheer. 

Now, think about this. We live in a world where change is constant. Designers break away from tradition to make way for newer, more contemporary creations.  We have several, new methods of communication that didn't exist years ago.  There's just something exciting about newness.  Even mixing traditional methods with a new twist still create a new, unique outcome.

Although our society is always on the verge of change and discovery, many people still continue to approach
holidays traditionally.  My question, though, is:  Is it ok to mix up the holiday season to keep it fresh?  For example, my immediate family opted to spend the day together (movies) and dine out for Thanksgiving this year. Even though we didn't travel to my grandmother's house in Raleigh and help cook, we still called them, and let them know how much we loved them.  This Thanksgiving was just as memorable and filled with loving memories as all of the others.  For Christmas, we plan on sponsoring a family, and providing them with things on their wish list.  Instead of getting gifts for each other, we've opted to take a vacation instead.  We still put up the tree and decorated, however, we're having Christmas with a twist this year. 

Im curious.  What do you all think about the holiday seaason? Would you prefer to stick to tradition? Or do you agree with switching things up sometimes?

-Brittani Hunter

XBox Kinect Injuries

While reading a tech blog this weekend, I read about injuries that are related to the new Xbox Kinect system. Apparently a lot of people have been getting minor injureies when playing various kinect xbox games. A good amount of people are getting hurt because you have to sometimes flair your arms, legs, and body to do certain things in the game. In one YouTube video, I saw a father and son playing a Kinect game. The kid playing was about 12 years old and came up to his dad’s waist and his dad did a move and elbowed the kid really hard in the face.  The system itself warns you to make sure that the area is clear of any obstacles that may get in your way during gaming. I also saw a video of two guys playing tennis and one guy went to serve and he slammed his hand into the ceiling extremely hard. Honestly, I think some people are just being stupid when it comes to Xbox Kinect. You just need to use common sense with the games and not stand right beside someone who is using violent motions while playing the game. What do you think about these injuries? Do you think they are Microsoft’s fault or just bad judgement on the players?   

 -Clay Chapman