The Crier Thursday, January 29, 2009 Issue 16 Spring 2009 What’s Happening in Student Government? By Anthony Popkin Each week your Student Association Government Assembly (SAGA) meets to discuss issues and concerns that affect students, college wide. You may be asking, what is SAGA? As any other governing body, it is comprised of several different levels of government in order to keep a form of checks and balances. It consists of the Executive Board, the Student Senate, and the House of Representatives, each ol which plays a significant role in allowing communication, between students, staff, faculty, and administration. Your SAGA began meeting the second week of the semester; below are some of the areas that have been going on and are being discussed. Your feedback is important - if you have any questions, concerns, or comments please see members of your SAGA. The offices are located in the lower level of the Commons building. Auditing Treasurer The position of Auditing Treasurer has recently been filled in the Student Association Executive Board by Christy Cramer. She will be filling this position for the rest of the semester and plans on running for the position for the upcoming academic year. Senator Ratifications The Student Senate recently ratified two new Senators who will be filling their respective positions for the duration of the spring semester. Jeremiah Baldwin, majoring in Liberal Arts, is in his last semester at CCC but believes he can be helpful in his last semester. “There are so many issues out there and I have some great ideas I would like to bring to the Senate," says Baldwin. Jerome Brooks, an alumnus with a degree in Liberal Arts now majoring in Business Administration, believes that he will be quite the asset to the student Senate. “I have been here before and played sports, my ability to network is my strongest asset,” he says. Elections Elections will be taking place during che spring semester for members of SAGA for the following academic year. The following positions will be available during the elections: President, Vice President, Student Trustee, Auditing Treasurer, Treasurer, Secretary, 5 Senators, and 10 Judiciary Candidates. If you are interested in any of the positions or have any questions please see Anthony Popkin in the SA Executive Board office in the lower level of the Commons. If Anthony is not available, please see Woody Knowles in the Student Life office. Election packets will be available on January 29, 2009 after 2pm. Regalia During the first week of the semester at the Campus Life Fair, students were given the chance to vote on which regalia they would prefer to wear during commencement. After a total of 97 students votes were received, the following results were tallied; 23 votes for Red Regalia (13 votes for a white seal, and 10 votes for a black seal), 43 votes for Black Regalia (13 votes for a white seal, and 29 votes for a red seal), and 31 votes for the previous Black Regalia. House of Representatives Sara Manley, former Deputy Speaker of the House Representatives, moved into the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives. Due to this move, nominations for the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives will be taken during the next SAGA meeting. Tip of the Week from Student Administrative Services Financial Aid Enrollment Status Deadline - January 30 Students have until January 30 to establish their enrollment status for financial aid purposes. What does this mean? Your financial aid award amounts will be paid based on the amount of hours you are registered in that apply to your program of study as of Jan. 30. If you intend to be full-time (12 hours or more), three-quarter time (9-11.5 hours), half-time (6-8.5 hours), or less than half-time (less than 6 hours), be sure that you are registered in the appropriate hours for your program of study by Jan. 30. If you add coursework after Jan. 30, your financial aid awards will not increase but your tuition costs could increase. If you fail to attend courses and they are dropped, your aid will be decreased accordingly. If you have questions, please contact Student Administrative Services at 962-9222 or stop by our offices in the Administration Building. Please check your financial aid status to ensure that you have met all requirements. - Log into MyCCC - click on the Student tab - click on My Banner Links - click on Student and Financial Aid - click on Financial Aid - click on Financial Aid Status Renew your FAFSA for the 2009- 2010 Aid Year You can renew your FAFSA by going to www.fafsa.ed.gov. You will need your federal PIN number to access your application. If you need additional information or any assistance, please contact Student Administrative Services by calling (607) 962-9222. Hie Crier is currently looking for someone to fill the position of Student Association Representative Duties: - Act as a liason between Student Association and The Crier - Attend The Crier meetings on Tuesdays at 12:40 p.m. and SAGA meetings on Thursdays at 1:00 p.m. - Contribute weekly to The Crier - Attend student leadership meetings This is an Executive Board position that looks great on resumes and applications, and is a great way to get involved! If you are interested, contact our editors at criernewspaper@yahoo.com Thursday. January 29. 2009 Page 2 ULTIMATE ROAD TRIP ULTIMATE ROAD TRIP v • jMw* 1 ' •„ *-* i*m- '_!*■«. ‘l*^ ‘ *~mr . *«♦ ^ *>»-:: ^ jL •**•* !-'«► ■ * * .**»« ■ •*» 3. -> •' V- I*- The Ultimate Road Trip™: Campus2Career Program can show you how..... Conic to one of the following presentations to learn more about: - Successfully Managing the Transition to College - l ips for Getting Great Grades and Managing Time - The Power of Work Experience and Internships - Meaningul Extracurricular Involvement - The Importance of Starting NOW Tuesday, February 3. 2009 Main Campus 12:45 - 1:45 pm Triangle Lounge. Commons Tuesday, February 3. 2009 Elmira Center 3:00 - 4:00 pm U004 This program can help you navigate through life and career options - which can ultimately lead to successful experiences in college and beyond. For more information, check out the website at www.makingitcount.com. The Crier Staff • Editor Lindsay Woodruff Advisor Assistant Editor Paul McNaney • Jacquelyn Goebel • Treasurer Reporters Michael Coates # # Michael Coates Anthony Popkin • Secretary Caitlin Woodruff David Spencer 9 Student Association Representative • Sasha Wilkins Photographer Anthony Popkin Thursday. January 29. 2009 Page 3 A Fond Farewell By Michael Coates I had originally intended to allow former President Bush to depart the national scene with little comment; I had originally hoped to contain the boundless rage that has built in my spleen for the past eight years for just a little longer, and allow the man to slide smoothly into the obscurity he so richly deserves. I had hoped not to tarnish the rise of our new President with bitter memories of eight years under an incompetent despotism. I tried -1 really, really did - to look only ahead and allow the past to remain behind us all. Unfortunately, I cannot force myself to remain silent in the face of Ms. Hoyler’s criticism of our generation, nor allow the record of history to be burdened with such an inadequate assessment of our problem. Because the problem with my generation, with our generation, is not a lack of gratitude or sympathy for our leaders at all: quite the contrary, the problem with my generation seems to be an inability to become properly irate with official incompetence. In the world of classrooms and child care, it might be perfectly fine to thank everyone for anything they do, so long as it was they have “done their best;” in the fast paced world of modern geo-politics, however, doing one’s best is hardly a reliable standard of conduct or performance. Simply put, while the gross incompetence of the Bush administration may well have been the “best” that the former President could do given the extraordinary circumstances of his tenure in office, it was still gross incompetence. Whether or not Mr. Bush spent the last eight years exerting the full scope of his abilities on our behalf is irrelevant, because the simple fact left to us is that the man nearly ruined our country. Just as you would not thank a surgeon who had "done his best” but still managed to leave a bit of sponge or a spare clamp lodged in your abdomen, there’s really little to thank Mr. Bush for, unless of course it be for providing the people with a stellar example of poor leadership and ample time to rethink omitting utter incompetence from the grounds listed for impeachment under the Constitution. And so, thank you, former president Bush, for reminding us all why complacency is dangerous, why un-observed officials are a threat to the common good, and why a free press is truly indispensible to the maintenance of a healthy republic. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to learn geography the American way: by invasion; thank you for promoting such a miasma of rampant paranoia that the people are once more afraid to speak freely even in their own homes. Thank you, Mr. Bush, for making it clear to the world that the phrase “all men are created equal” applies only to those conceived and born on American soil; thank you, Mr. Bush, for your stalwart attempts to relieve us of the burden of all those pesky civil liberties... At the end of it all, though, and to close what I hope will be my last rant against any of the Bush family, we can be thankful for one simple thing- and that one thing is perhaps the best gift that Mr. Bush could have given to the nation. We can be thankful that he’s gone. A Tribute to Bush By David Spencer It is now after January 20, and we have a new President. Many people would like to paint George W. Bush as the worst President ever. While I disagree with many things Bush did, there are still many aspects of his Presidency that can be regarded as better for our nation and the world. Domestically speaking, he is blamed for all that’s bad. One must note when he entered office there was a small recession, and 9/11 made things worse. After the Bush tax cuts in 2003, unemployment went down and tax revenue increased. For the first time since the 1960s the tax bracket was lowered, which also affected most middle class tax burden as well. The most important aspect of the Bush legacy is his foreign policy. Many argue he hurt our standing in the world; however that depends on where in the world you travel. He is regarded as our best President in Israel. His approach to the war on terror and defending Israel’s right to self-defense was unparalleled by any other President in decades. In Eastern Europe, the nations of the former Soviet Union have mostly prospered, helped in part by American support. These former Soviet nations love former President Bush and were very supportive of the war in Iraq. Bush bridged American relations with these growing democracies. To help allay their growing security concerns, Bush proposed placing NATO missiles in Poland (which has greatly angered Russia). One of the greatest tasks is to make sure these former colonized nations remain free. Bush also paid more attention to sub Sahara Africa than any other President. His work with AIDS gave great ties to many nations in Sub-Sahara Africa, and he also addressed the genocide in Sudan. Of course the greatest area of dispute in Bush’s legacy is with the War on Terror. Post 9/11, Bush brought our nation together as we embarked on two wars. In an act of self-defense, Bush went to take down the Taliban, who provided a safe haven to Bin Laden and trained the 9/11 hijackers. In the aftermath, the Taliban has fallen and a growing, but fragile democracy is now in place. Women for the first time in decades have some form of civil liberties in these areas. The War in Iraq is what has been the most controversial. Based on intelligence Bush saw, which was confirmed by France and Germany (even though they opposed the war), which said Saddam Hussein had stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction and was trying to get uranium, Bush had a burden - go in or let it be. He made the right choice and invaded. He took down one of the world's most brutal dictators who used biological and chemical weapons against his own people. Many want to try Bush for war crimes for going against the UN. One must remember the Oil for Food scandal which included interestingly all these major nations who opposed the war. While he broke international law to invade without UN approval, one must think, what is the purpose of international law? It is to protect people, not dictators. On a moral basis Bush broke the law, much like Dr. King did with civil disobedience. Now Iraq is a free nation, with terror decreasing and the death toll going down. I would like to say Bush was a real leader who did what was right. Instead of falling back to old mistakes of installing a brutal dictator who suited our interests, he created democracy which benefited both our nation and the people. I have no doubt Bush will go down in history of a man of principle, not a poll watcher like most politicians. Thursday. January 29, 2009 Page 4 The Cough By Alex Coates A dry mouth Parched, the flavor of defeat How? Why? Who is this? Awakening From nothingness, I am Thrown into a world of life Of patterns and desolation Irrelevance follows time is personal nonexistent to all b A shortened life Restricted bronchioles A hack, a brief choke To the refuse bin The morning sun purges the cilia Cravings endorse this behavior ,but, are not the cause What, then, is? Breath comes easy Once again I inhale thick rich blackness Once again A lack of will? Pessimism? Availability? Acceptance, prominence? The day progresses The darkness becoming less enjoyable Just one more; bedtime Contemplation The choking Hacking Blackness... A constant reminder The mind changes, Behavior lags The retardation of ones A stunting of growth We are legion, but we are not in control My will is tainted Whom does it serve? Not I! Understanding, Like water over rocks changes little is your will any purer? Do you truly believe your behavior your own? Mineralization of the mind occurs, erosion takes its toll Realization, Nothingness Epiphany Control The hot black stench of it Nothing left but the stench Smoldering life on a table top Odorous cotton reminders These hands belong to me, Why not their actions? Inhalation Respiration An immemorial action Remembered only As life exhaled Unwanted reminders! Society's control over yourself is no less your actions as mine are controlled conscious, willful action is key The strength of a will Is nothing The habit will overcome Always “in recovery" Atmospheric Melodies By Daniel Gustina 1 he hoating cranes Fornicating quietly In between the trees Because the couch Ran efficiently Around the sky Below: A new recycling center has been set up in the Science Building by the Green Task Force Committee Untitled By Michael Coates the bird was darkened by the lowering sunset his eyes were dark fire Abandoned By Lindsay Woodruff The leaves on the ground Remind me that I'm alone I know this story