ROBERT MORRIS UNIVERSITY

Arlington HeigHts • Bensenville • CHiCAgo • DuPAge • elgin • lAke County • orlAnD PArk • PeoriA • sCHAumBurg • sPringfielD

Issue 16.07

Oct 2012

freshmanissue

ChiCagO’s TOp haunTed hOuses pg. 14

OBaMa Vs. ROMneY2012 eleCTiOn COVeRage pg. 10

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THE NEWS

By Dan Ciaglia

It is official, with the Republican and Dem-ocratic National Conventions opening and closing in early September, the 2012 elec-tion season has finally kicked off. Presi-dent Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will once again run the Democrat ticket, and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney will head the Republican tick-et with Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan as his running mate.

As both parties prepare for their rigor-ous campaigns leading up to the November election, news outlets will frequently release polls revealing the recent voting trends amongst the population. The first major poll, released immediately following the

Democratic National Convention in Sep-tember, showed that Obama-Biden leads Romney-Ryan 48 to 43 among likely voters. Obama increased the gap between him and Romney because following the Convention in North Carolina, he swung a substantial amount of independent voters as well as strengthened the support he gets from fe-male voters. Following the GOP Conven-tion, Romney held a 10 point margin over Obama among independents. When the DNC closed, Obama swung that lead in his favor, and now holds a 5 point lead. Polls as recent as September 12 show that mar-ried and unmarried women favor Obama over Romney by 14 points and 38 points re-spectively. Before the DNC, independents favored Romney by 12 points.

If you look away from specific voting de-mographics, you will also see that voters trust Obama over Romney on majority of the major topics and issues expected to take precedent during campaigns. Polls show that the only major issue voters support Romney on is gov-ernment spending. Obama holds a big lead over Romney on topics of foreign policy, Medi-care, education, health care, and terrorism. He also has more trust from voters on argu-ably the most important issue in this election season – the current economic status. Obama leads Romney 47-42 among voters who said fixing the economy is the most important is-sue which, if it is in fact the most important, gives Obama-Biden an early advantage.

The numbers and polls are a good indica-tion of early voting trends, but there’s always

one thing to keep in mind – it’s still early. There’s no telling of what may or may not happen on the campaign trail. There are still many pending debates ahead, so who knows what might happen in the next few weeks. What we do know is this: given our current economic status, this election could very well be one of the most important elections in American history. Will Barack Obama get a second chance, or will Mitt Romney be-come the 45th President of the United States? It’s up to us, the voters, to decide. Who do you trust? Who can lead? Better yet, who will lead? v

More Election Coveragepage 10

ObaMa LEads ROMnEy

After Last Month’s Conventions,

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for each student, which will help con-serve a lot of the university’s resources.

After testing out the new registration process during the Summer 2 quarter, the feedback received has, for the most part,

been positive. Both faculty and students found the ease and convenience of the process very helpful. Michael Washington, a senior at the Chicago campus, sees many

opportunities for this program, “Allowing students to register for their own classes will expose the student body to a wider breadth of Robert Morris’ offerings as an institution. This will also free up student advisers to spend a greater deal of time offering in depth personal assistance to students.”

The new process is a good change for RMU, but there are still some changes which might need to be made. “Online registration should be a list of classes that is populated based upon a simple set of pa-rameters linked to the students’ accounts. This would allow for registration to be done through MyRMU or even Black-

B o a r d ,” s t a t e s W a s h -ington.

The new online regis-tration gives stu-dents more opportu-nities to become involved in their class schedules, and many hope to see the program grow to become a tool for students to learn more about subjects which interest them. Any questions regarding the new online registration, can be directed to your academic adviser. v

Content TeamLindsay Dahl [Editor-in-Chief]

Rich Connolly [Executive Editor]Kim Martinez [Editor]

Blake Whitmore [Editor]Joe Looney [Writer]

Stacy Zamskaya [Writer]Adrian Saucedo [Writer]

By Stacy Zamskaya

Technology is changing the way registra-tion for classes is done at RMU. Starting this fall quarter, students will have the op-portunity to electronically sign their class schedules using a new online system. This process works with academic advisers by submitting lists of classes for individual students online, and are then made into schedules which can be verified and signed with the click of a button.

Katie Suhajda, Vice President of Aca-demic Administration, explains the ease of the new registration, “The main ben-efit of online registration is to make the registration process more flexible while utilizing technology.” The process will prove to be very convenient for the Rob-ert Morris student body, especially many students with a commute, since the form can be accessed at any time from any computer or mobile device.

In the future RMU hopes to cre-ate more options for its student body through the new online registration process. Due to students being in accel-erated programs, class selection is often very limited. With the new online regis-tration, students will eventually be able to create their own class schedules; which will give them more opportu-nities to explore different classes and majors. At the same time, academic ad-visers will remain available to students if any questions or concerns may arise throughout the process.

The new online registration process also supports RMU’s goals and initia-tives. “One of RMU’s long-range goals is to increase sustainability efforts. Therefore, many departments are using technology to support this initiative,” explains Suhajda. Paper copies of sched-ules and audits will no longer be made

I would like to welcome all of the new and returning students to Robert Morris Uni-versity. This issue has been specially de-signed to provide you with some valuable information about the school. We have worked really hard to also reformat the design and layout of the paper. Hopeful-ly you enjoy it and continue to read our future issues. If you are interested in writing, designing, or advertising for The Eagle please feel free to email me at Eagle-Editor@robertmor-ris.edu. Good Luck this quarter!

Lindsay DahlEditor in Chief

gOes digiTalCLAss RegistRAtion

Contributors

ad Manager

design Team

advisory Board

Letter from the Editor

the main benefit of online registration is to make the registration process more flexible while utilizing technology.

David Belotti • Lake CountyDBelotti@robertmorris.edu

Beth Gainer • BensonvilleBGainer@robertmorris.edu

Nicole Hager • SpringfieldNHager@robertmorris.edu

Beth Gainer • BensonvilleBGainer@robertmorris.edu

Nicole Hager • SpringfieldNHager@robertmorris.edu

eagle advisor

Campus Faculty

Paul GaszakPGaszak@robertmorris.edu

Nate Daubert [Art Director]Dylan Broll [Asst. Art Director]

Rich Connolly

David PyleMick McMahon

Tania LeeOlivia Bodley

Mishel ChinbatEbony LangDan Ciadia

Bethany MeekerAaron Wilson

Lashondra Graves

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THE NEWS

By Blake Whitmore

Many Robert Morris students travel home for a weekend or over the holiday break, but next time students book their tickets they might want to think about the mode of transportation. Recently Megabus, a roadside bus service, has been in the news for several incidents. Some of these incidents included fatalities of passen-gers and pedestrians. Megabus is now paying out big money in lawsuits over the accidents, including a $5 million dollar settlement in the case of Donna Halstead. On August 7, 2012, Halstead was walking across the street when Megabus driver Shemeka Hudson struck and killed Halstead at the corner of Ca-nal and Adams in downtown Chicago. This incident only adds to the long list of accidents starting back in 2008.

Multiple incidents involving Megabus drivers also included alcohol. On Sep-tember 1, 2008, a Detroit bound bus was pulled over for swerving in and out of its lane. Driver Kenneth Lewis failed so-briety test at the scene and was arrested. The Michigan State police prevented an accident that time. On October 21, 2011, Chicago native Carl H. Smiley was driv-ing a bus heading for Iowa City and Des Moines when Iowa police pulled the bus

over for failing to maintain a lane. Upon being pulled over, Lewis openly admit-ted to “having a few drinks” prior to driv-ing. According to the police report Lewis “smelled strongly of an alcoholic bever-age.” Luckily the police stopped these two drunk drivers before anything happened, but that is not always the case.

On August 2, 2012, a St. Louis bound bus slammed into a concrete pillar of an overpass on I-55 near Litchfield, Illi-nois which resulted in at least one fatal-ity and many injured passengers. One of the worst incidents was on September 11, 2010 when a double decker Megabus missed its exit and slammed into a railway overpass. Four passengers on the top deck in the front were killed when the top deck was smashed into the lower deck, while 17 others were injured.

Megabus is an appealing mode of transportation because of its low fares, but it might not be worth the risk. Am-trak offers tickets sometimes for the same price or slightly higher, but Am-trak has fewer accidents. Amtrak has its problems as well with delays and construction, but fatalities have been much lower than Megabus fatality rates in recent years. Next time you book your tickets consider this; is a slightly cheap-er fare worth your safety? v

Low Fares, High RiskRecent Megabus Accidents Raise Questions

By Jane Wendorff-Craps

Students at the Robert Morris University Peoria campus are sustaining a relationship with the Peoria Area Food Bank and helping to feed Central Illinois. On September 13, a group of students from Rose Coppola-Con-roy’s CMT 220 class volunteered their time to help pack boxes of non-perishables for area pantries to pick up from the food bank. The Peoria campus has worked with the food bank for the past two years offering volunteers as well as monetary donations.

Medical Assisting student Towanda Brown was amazed at the pallets full of packed box-es after 2 ½ hours of work: “It means giving back and showing my appreciation of what I have, and doing whatever I can, to help those

who may have less than my family.” Students found out later that they had packed over 2,839 pounds of food that day.

Barb Shreves, the Peoria Area Food Bank director, told students that 1.33 pounds of food is equivalent to a meal, so the students’ 2 ½ hours of work provided over 2,000 meals. She reported that there are over 50 million Americans facing hunger; 17 million are children. Broken down, that means 1 in 6 Americans live in a household that is food insecure, meaning there are families who are unsure when their next meal will be.

Unfortunately, Shreves explained, many politicians consider food programs an ex-cess in the state and federal budgets, and

FOOd It’s not a Political Thing.It’s a People Thing.

FOOd pg 5

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CLUb PROFILE

JaPanEsE CULTURaL sOCIETy

food banks are continually losing funding and support for their programs. She feels that too many politicians do not understand or con-nect with what is happening in the real world. The cut in funding may be linked to the neg-ative, and false, notion that those who use the food bank programs feel “entitled.” Shreves adamantly points out that food is not an en-titlement; it is a necessity. It is often a “hid-den problem” where research and data do not accurately reflect the problem. Shreves also reported that the central Illinois pantries are showing a 40% increase in usage, and that the “food chain” has been decreased by a drop in government commodities.

Shreves noted that her food bank is fortu-nate enough to have a store donation program through Feeding America. She receives dona-tions from Kroger, Wal-Mart, and Sam’s that supplement other donations and food drives. The other 7 area food banks that serve central Illinois also work together and share addition-al food with one another.

The students feel that the time spent volun-teering at the food bank was truly worthwhile. Kristian Mack said, “This experience was a lot of fun and worth my time, especially if you have others around you, talking to each other and having a good time.”

While a good time was had by all in the vol-unteer effort and RMU students are continuing the Making RooM effort that started 2 years ago

as an institutional initiative, the message that hunger is both a state and community problem still needs to be impressed. RMU students are often surprised when they learn that someone who sits next to them in class once needed to use the food bank to feed her family. One RMU student admitted, “If it weren’t for my local food pantry, it would be a struggle to provide even 2 meals a day to my family. There were times that after utilities, rent, and school fees were paid, I just didn’t have enough left for groceries.” The idea that participants of the food programs sit idly and expect “handouts,” as some poli-ticians call it, is unrealistic. The reality is that low wage earning families do struggle for ba-sic necessities. That is not a partisan issue; it is a people issue.

RMU students who participated in the volun-teer day were: Towanda Brown, Tim Chitwood, Kristian Mack, Jeff Parlier, Presley Kinkead, Robert Janssen, Becky Grant, George Van Hoo-rebeke, Kathryn Shockley, Dominic Powell, Ab-igail Peterson, Jake Emmons, Courtney Little, and CMT instructor Rose Coppola-Conroy.

The Peoria campus will continue to organize volunteer days at the food bank. They are also holding their 2nd “Sock Out Hunger” silent auction during week 1 of the Fall quarter. New men’s, women’s, and children’s sock donations from faculty and staff will receive bids all week; proceeds will be given to the food bank.

Peoria campus students stand next to pal-lets of non-perishables that they packed for area pantries to pick up. v

By Richard Connolly

Lucky for many, in today’s society being a nerd is the new cool, but in a world of Reddit and 4chan subgroups - where the easiest place to share your love for things like Dragon Ball Z and Dr. Zoid-berg memes is behind the warm glow of a computer screen - it can be hard to meet some good ole fashioned real peo-ple. RMU’s Japanese Cultural Society offers students a chance to meet face to face with fellow like-minded enthusiasts to hang out, watch anime and enjoy the nerd subculture together.

The club started four years ago by Art & Design instructor Jacqueline Carter at the Chicago campus. The organiza-tion was originally called the Japanese Animation Club, but after a few years as the ranks grew in numbers and diversi-ty, the club adopted its new title which reflects the broad range of interests of all its members. Most meetings consist of screening anime (they are currently watching the Supernatural anime), play-ing board games, discussing video games and learning about Japanese culture.

The JCS is not just about sitting around campus – the club regularly enjoys field trips off campus to places like Asian themed restaurants, Chinatown, and conventions. This past year members at-tended Chicago’s largest anime, manga and Japanese culture convention, Anime Central (or ACen for short), which had over 24,000 people in attendance during the 2012 weekend event.

The club itself is loosely structured and serves primarily as a catalyst for its members, making it difficult to pre-dict what’s on the horizon for the JCS, since activities are planned around cur-rent member’s interests. In the past, the club was made up of primarily females who were more passionate about artis-tic endeavors, like drawing and cosplay (short for costume play, or dressing up like a favorite character). These days with more of a gender-balanced group, the members spend a lot more time dis-cussing their favorite animes, and con-ducting role-playing games. One of the best parts about the JCS is that it adapts to its members, so no one is ever left out, yet everyone can enjoy being introduced

to new things. Advisor Jacqueline Car-ter gives members the opportunity to become even more immersed in Japanese culture with activities that help members learn the language. The group hopes to soon start participat-ing in other cultural ex-changes with Japanese natives, and with other universities, like DePaul’s version of the Japanese Cultural Society. One day JCS aspires to dive into the ultimate cultural immersion and have a study abroad program in Japan.

The atmosphere at meet-ings is always incredibly lively, and while they or-ganize for group activi-ties, there is often many conversations and joking happening at once. Sit-ting in on a meeting is a great way to not only have a good laugh, but to learn about a new culture. The group’s energy can only in-crease with more members, so the doors are always kept open to prospective students. Anyone interested is encouraged to attend a meeting held on Tuesdays at 2pm in room 202 at the Chicago campus. v

FOOd pg 4

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THE FRESHMAN SPECIAL

By Aaron Wilson

Names can mean a number of things. They can make very forward statements about people or products that stand behind them. They can also reveal personality traits and characteristics that give people an idea of the thought patterns, potential, and reputation of individuals or business entities. One name that stands above all others at our university is Robert Morris.

Robert Morris Jr. was born in Liverpool, England on January 20, 1734, to his senior and Elizabeth Murphet. At age thirteen, Mor-ris emigrated to Oxford, Maryland to live with his father, a tobacco merchant. Upon arriving in the states, he was provided a tutor to learn how to run his father’s business. After picking up the trade fairly fast, his father arranged for him to go to Philadelphia where he would ap-prentice at the shipping and banking firm of then mayor, Charles Willing. A year later, his father died as a result of being wounded by the wadding of a ship’s gun which was fired in his honor. Continuing his merchant training, Morris was made partner at the prominent shipping-banking firm of Willing, Morris & Co. in 1757.

Known primarily for his affiliation with the Revolutionary War, Morris produced a paper called “On Public Credit,” modeled after Alex-ander Hamilton’s more famous paper of the same name. The idea behind the writing was to sell America’s abundant land to finance the war. The greatest obstacle posed against this was the depression of the price of the land compared to European land, mostly because

naVigaTe RMuWHO IS ROBERT MORRIS?

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there was so much of it. The challenge was to create a system where trade could expand throughout American soil among individual states and foreign investors. At a time when boundaries of the U.S. and issues concerning the makeup of society were still being set-tled, Morris served a pivotal role in devising ways to base the credit of the U.S. on its land wealth. With only a vision of what economic America could look like, he put a lot of money where his mouth was; which seemed to be in all of the right places. His reputation for be-ing trustworthy in all of his affairs, both pub-lic and private, demanded his input toward growing international commerce at the same time as this country was pulling away from Britain.

During crucial points of the Revolutionary War, Morris employed his clout to provide military and monetary support for American soldiers. It has been said of him, “There were few men who viewed with greater indignation the encroachments of the British government upon the liberties of the people, or were more ready to resist them, than Mr. Morris. Nor did he hesitate to sacrifice his private interest for the public good, when occasion demanded it.” His earlier activities in global mercantile and his undeniable track record for building trustworthy continental markets made him a shoe-in for secret committees put together by the U.S. government to make timely decisions on how to turn adverse conditions into some-thing that would stimulate immediate and on-going fiscal progress. Sometimes funded from his own pocket, Morris served as a main catalyst for getting people who barely knew or trusted one another to “deal” with each other. His patriotic helmet of sorts was decorated mostly by the many hats he wore all over the world.

Eventually evolving into what was known as the Bank of North America, commercial concepts coming from confidential commit-tees formed the infrastructure for the econ-omy we live by today. Trust regulations were established that piqued the interest of foreign

investment in what was considered a rolling frontier of prime land. Cur-rency was given a face-lift, with new notes serving as documents of confidence for payments of bills owed. Many public officials, on the verge of being jailed for non-payment of debts, were able to now buy time and influence that had almost evaporated. A circulation “medium” was produced with money that also allowed for easy converting for foreign exchange.

Distinguished in many respects, Rob-ert Morris was integral in uniting our states during a time of great stress. It was said of him, “amidst his severest trials, he maintained a firm-ness and an independence of character, which in similar circumstances belong to but few.” His disinterested generosity cost him dearly, at times, in his personal affairs. But the complete picture that such a visionary man must have seen, was big enough for him to throw all of his mar-bles into the hat. Present-ly, in times where similar challenges loom over our continent, it appears we all need a rabbit to draw from that very same bonnet, or maybe just a foot, as fig-uring out how to give inches while taking miles may take a while. What has already been prov-en to work once, can certainly lend a hand in meeting today's demands. Let us once again look to our fore-fathers for di-rection. v

MORRis pg 6

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SPORTS & HEALTH

By Bethany Meeker

Before any of us has stepped foot onto campus, we have all been warned about the dreaded “freshman fifteen” by our friends and family. Many, though, might have scoffed it off and thought to them-selves that the undesirable weight gain would never happen to them; they won’t allow it to. An associate professor and as-

sistant dean in the School of Nursing at the University of Texas, Dr. Gayle Tim-

merman, has conducted studies on college students and their eating be-

haviors. Dr. Timmerman states, “There are a lot of transitions, especially for a freshman. You may be away from home for

the first time. You may have to live with someone you may or may not like. There are a lot of expecta-tions and a lot of new demands. In

the realm of emotional eating, eating to cope with stress

is quite common. And all of these transitions can lead to stress for students.” Freshman

fifteen may seem to only be affected

by your diet and exer-cise habits; h o w e v e r, your sleep p a t t e r n s and your stress lev-

els can ei-ther prevent

or cause the weight gain and affect your overall wellness.

Weight loss or weight gain be-

gins with the food you put into your body.

It has been ingrained into our minds throughout pri-

mary, middle, and high school

that we should follow the food pyramid; this still holds true even today. Students should also skip the soda or other sugary drinks for water instead; drinking enough water helps keep you from overeating and

keeps you hydrated. Another way to pre-vent overeating is to practice portion con-trol. While out on the town, try to split a meal with one of your friends or just box half of your meal to take home with you. Many students tend to be busy between school, homework, and a part time job. This is not an excuse to skip a meal; make time to eat, especially breakfast, which is the meal that jumpstarts your day.

Good health can truly be acquired when healthy eating is coupled with exercise. Before start-ing your routine you should always stretch to help pre-vent injuries and keep you pain free and active. One way to get a great workout in without it feeling like a workout is to join a sports team. If you live close to campus, walk or ride your bike to your classes; you save on gas money and you stay active. Some people don’t like to exercise alone so bring a friend along with you to the gym. By having a workout buddy, you not only have a blast while feeling the burn, but he or she is relying on you to show up, which makes you accountable. Many campuses have gym facilities along with fitness courses; take advan-tage of these great services since you are already paying for them through tuition.

Many college students have the men-tality that we don’t need a lot of sleep. The amount of sleep you get great-ly impacts your health. Besides being cranky and irritable when you don’t acquire enough sleep,

your ability to concentrate and excel in your classes is impaired. It is best to avoid all nighters. As mentioned above, the lack of sleep can reduce your ability to con-centrate; instead, before an exam you should get a full night’s rest. A great way to boost your energy is to revert back to kindergarten and take a nap. Make sure, though, that you don’t nap for too long or too close to bedtime. To help you fall asleep, don’t do your homework in bed; you should try to keep your work area separate from your sleep area.

While being in college, it is a given fact that at some point in your college career you will fall victim to the jaws of stress. To help ward off stress, students need to learn how to manage their time wisely and create a routine. By having time management skills, students find it easier to get their assignments com-pleted. Avoid procrastinating because the time crunch to get a project done

creates unnecessary stress and anxiety.

If you find yourself with too much on

your plate, try to cut back work hours, drop a

class, or cut an extracurricular ac-tivity out of your schedule to keep yourself from becoming run down. When studying for hours at a time, students should take a short break to allow their eyes and minds to relax. Another way to fight off stress is to relax; take time to do activities that you love.

Freshman fifteen is not an absolute fate for college stu-dents. This phenomenon can

be prevented by eating healthy, exercising regularly, developing good sleeping patterns, and re-maining stress free. Not only do these contribute to your fight

against freshman fifteen, but the tips can also help

you obtain overall well-ness while in college and throughout life. v

in the realm of emotional eating, eating to cope with stress is quite common.

Fighting the Freshman Fifteen

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SPORTS & HEALTH

By Richard Connolly

College is a time of huge life changes. For many students it’s the first time away from home - be it in a new apartment, a new city, or even a new country. One thing that often gets left behind in this time of rad-ical change in surroundings, late nights studying, and even later nights partying is eating properly. There is often a cliché im-age of a college pantry stocked with Raman noodles and PopTarts, but during a time in life where you’re trying to balance so much, a healthy diet cannot be put on the back burner. The classic adage “You are what you eat,” continues to say it best. If you eat junk, you’re going to feel like junk, but if you eat good food - you’ll feel just as good. Here are a few tips to keep your self well fed, without breaking the bank.

1.  You can’t eat what you don’t buy - This is the first and most important step in eating well. If you’re buying sugary cereals and li-ters of soda, then that’s what you’ll consume. Next time you’re in the grocery store, don’t even walk down the snack aisle to avoid the temptation.

2. Make a plan - By writing up a list, por-tioning, and cooking for yourself each meal, you not only can keep better track of what you’re eating, but it greatly helps when on a budget. Cooking can be time consuming, but the amount of money saved versus buy-

ing each meal more than makes up for it. Eating well will keep you focused and give you more energy for a few extra hours throughout the day.

3. Be a smart shopper - What you buy is the most important step, but how you buy it is just as important on a budget. Keep an eye out for seasonal deals, clip coupons and don’t be afraid to buy generic brands. Most generic brands taste exactly the same and are side-by-side identical as far as ingredi-ents go, and at much less cost. Consider buy-ing certain staple food items like rice, pasta, and beans in bulk for quick & easy meals.

4. Buy versatile foods - Although it’s great to try new things, keep stocked with foods you know you will use and can be prepared easily in a variety of ways. There’s nothing worse than buying food only to have it spoil before it’s used.

5. Make friends with others who cook - By encouraging your friends to cook for themselves as well, you can get more vari-ety in your meals, and often try something new. Start up a potluck with people in your area to combine eating well with a means of meeting new people.

In the short run, an extra value meal from the fast-food joint down the street will fill you up for cheap, but seeing as how college is a multi-year affair - where you have to be in your best form - it’s best to operate at 100% and that all begins with what you eat. v

CheerleadingThe RMU Cheerleading team at-

tended the UCA/UDA Camp at The

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee,

bringing home 4 trophies for their

performance.

BaseballSenior second baseman James Daw-

son was named the CCAC Player of

the Year. Junior pitcher Rey Rodri-

guez was named CCAC Pitcher of

the Year and earned 1st team NAIA

All-American honors.

Men’s Cross CountryThe Men’s Cross Country Team

opened their season strong with a 5th

place finish in the Spartan Invitational.

FootballThe football team set a program re-

cord for points scored when they put

up 62 points against Haskell Indian

Nations University on September 8th.

Sports Report

College dietThe Proper

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Vote 2012Barack Obama (Democrat) is the 44th Pres-ident of the United States of America. He was elect-ed into office

on Novem-ber 4th,

2 0 0 8 w i t h

J o e Biden as

his run-ning mate.

He is in the Democratic

Party and is the first Af-

rican American president of the

U.S. He also won a Nobel Peace Prize in

October of 2009.Obama was born in Ha-

waii. His mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, was originally

from Fort Leavenworth, Kan-sas and his father, also named

Barack Obama, was original-ly from a small village in Ken-

ya, called Kogelo. Both parents were students at the University of

Hawaii, where they met. They later divorced and Obama and his mother

returned to live with his grandparents.

Obama moved back to Hawaii with his grandpar-ents to go to high school. After graduating high school in 1979, he moved to Los Angeles, Cali-fornia to attend Occi-dental College, later transferring to Colum-bia University in New York, New York.

In 1985 Obama moved to Chicago where he became a community organiz-er. His job was helping people improve their lives and becoming reg-istered voters. Three years later, 1988, he moved to Cam-bridge, Massachusetts to attend Harvard Law school. He became the first president of the Harvard Law Review, a prestigious publication from the univer-sity. He graduated from Harvard in 1991.

After Obama graduated law school, he moved back to Chicago, where he stayed until beginning his presidency. In Chi-cago he married Michelle Robinson and they had two daughters, Malia and Sa-sha. Obama was a professor and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago for 12 years. He was also elect-ed into the Illinois State Senate in 1996, 1998, and 2002. He lost the election in 2000. In 2004 he was elected into the US Senate.

In 2008, Obama began running for the presidential election. Not only was he the first African Amer-ican president, but he was also the first African American to be the candidate for a major polit ical par-ty. He won the election against the Republican Party ’s John McCain and was inaugurated on January 20, 2009. v

about Obama:

ObaMa’s sTanCE On...immigration healthcare gay marriage environment

global warming is a threat to the environment

gay marriage should be le-galized.

obamacare is good, wants to expand Medicare.

Children of illegal immi-grants should be granted citizenship.

BARACK OBAMA

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Vote 2012by nate Daubert

about Romney:

immigration healthcare gay marriage

global warming and cooling are caused by natural forces, not humans

Marriage should be between a man and a woman.

some aspects of obamacare are good, wants to reform Medicare.

Children of illigal immigrants should not be granted citi-zenship.

environment

ROMnEy’s sTanCE On...

Mitt Romney (Republican) is running to be the next President of the United States in the 2012 election. He served as the Gov-ernor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007.

Romney was born and raised in Bloom-field Hills, Michigan. He is the son of Le-nore and George W. Romney. In 1966 Rom-

ney went to France for 30 months as a Mor-mon missionary. He married Ann Davies, after returning from France. The couple had five children. In 1971, he earned a Bachelor of Arts

from Brigham Young University.

Four years later, he received a Juris Doctor

and Master of Business Administration from Har-

vard University. Romney entered the management

consulting industry and he received a position at Bain &

Company. In 1984, he cofounded and led the spin-off company Bain

Capital, a private equity investment firm, which was very successful. With a net worth estimated at $190–250 million, he helped finance his politi-cal campaigns prior to 2012.

Romney served as the bishop of his local congregation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Lat-

ter-day Saints. He also ran as the Republican candidate in the 1994 U.S. Senate election, in Massachusetts, but lost. He re-sumed his position at Bain Capital. Hired as the President and CEO of the Salt Lake Or-ganizing Committee for the Winter Olympics in 2002, the increased visibility gave Romney the opportunity to give politics another shot.

Romney was elected Gov-ernor of Mas-sachusetts in 2002. During his term, he elim-inated a $3 billion deficit and assist-ed in the develop-ment and signed into law the Mas-sachusetts health care reform legisla-tion, which provided near-universal health insurance access. Massachusetts also recieved new federal grants and revenue from a capital gains tax increase. Rom-ney did not try for a re-election, instead running for the Re-publican nomination in the 2008 U.S. presi-dential election, which he lost to John McCain.

He ran again for the 2012 Republican presidential nom-ination, winning enough of the votes to become the party’s ob-vious nominee in May 2012. He was officially nominated during the Republican National Convention in August of this year along with running mate, Paul Ryan. v

MITT ROMNEY

12 13

Like many bars and restaurants in the area, the Raw Bar is a very unique and you might say eclectic establishment. Upon entering, one immediately finds themself in the dimly lit barroom, illuminated by the bluish glow of fish tanks. After being led through the bar to the adjacent dining area, the atmosphere changes to a mishmash of assorted 40’s and 60’s art deco and differently colored flooring. The spacious room appears to seat close to 60 patrons at once, but at 9pm on a Friday night it seats only a drunk couple, and a noticeably vacant piano.

Due to the small crowd perhaps, the service was very attentive. Not including the evening’s server, two other members of the staff offered to take drink orders from the bar. The drink menu is complete with a seasonal wine list, draft beer, and a wide variety of cocktails - all at a reasonable price. After taking care of the drink situation and breaking into the fresh bread, you can finally get a good look at the menu, which is diverse to say the least. As the restaurants name implies, the menu features a variety of shellfish

and fish, but it hardly stops there. Raw Bar serves a number of beef, poultry and pasta dishes, and if you’re in the mood for something exotic, you can try out some of the alligator or ostrich tapas along with your oysters. The appetizer sampler, which features oysters with caviar, crab claws, top neck steamers and king crab legs was bland and the accompanying cajun butter did little to improve the assorted seafood.

Luckily the entrees were delivered quickly, and took the attention away from subpar appetizers. The crispy filet of salmon was cooked very well, but the roasted almond sauce was the true highlight of the meal. The shrimp, scallop, and scampi entree fell short of the satisfying level of the salmon - with its

undercooked and bland scallops especially - but the risotto which accompanied the seafood saved the dish from being a total loss. As the entrees disappear, a dessert menu finds its way to the table, but with decently sized entrees, to-go boxes for leftovers and the bill is a preferable alternative to cheesecake.

The Raw Bar has a good number of Groupon and Living Social deals, and before using a voucher the bill for two entrees, an appetizer, and drinks was just shy of $70. For the most part the overall experience at this Wrigleyville scene is hardly memorable. With mediocre food, a mid-range price and it’s eclectic decor, Raw Bar may only be worth checking out for a moderately priced cocktail after a Cubs game, or with a Groupon deal. If you’re in the mood for seafood, either shell out a few extra bucks for something slightly more upscale, or stick to something from the grocer. The next time you’re in Wrigleyville stick to what the neighborhood knows best - beer and hot dogs. v

By Richard Connolly

Wrigleyville as a whole is known for quite a few things: a lively bar scene, some great places to grab a hot dog, and of course as the home to the Chicago Cubs. One thing you don’t often associate with the neighborhood however, is seafood. Yet nestled right in the heart of this famous area you’ll soon stumble across a set of neon lights flashing: Raw Bar.

As the gardening season comes to an end and the freshest

tomatoes are available, it is the perfect time for caprese salads. This simple and mouth-watering dish is a great way to truly appreciate those ripe tomatoes from the farmers market, or your own backyard.

By: Richard Connolly

Ingredients:

directions:

Restaurant Review: Wrigleyville’s Raw Bar

Caprese saladQuiCk & eAsy MeAL

» 1lb Fresh Mozzarella» 1 bunch of Basil

» Balsamic Vinegar» 2-3 Vine-Ripened Tomatoes

» Olive Oil» Salt and Pepper

1. Begin by reducing the balsamic vinegar. This can be done by measuring 3/4 cup of the vinegar into a small saucepan and placing over medium heat on the stove. Bring to a gentle boil and allow it to sit for 10 to 20 minutes until it starts to thicken. When it is thick and runs slowly, place into the fridge to cool.

2. After washing, slice the tomatoes into 1/4 inch slices, and slice the fresh mozzarella to the same thickness.

3. On a large plate place the mozzarella onto the tomato slices, and topped off by a leaf or two of the fresh basil. After the vinegar reduction has cooled, drizzle on top of the salad along with some olive oil. Finish with a light coating of salt and pepper. v

CUISINE

At 9pm on a Friday night it seats only a drunk couple, and a noticeably vacant piano.

12 13

With an old fashion in hand, it’s like automatically adding +5 suave or sexy points to yourself for the evening (or for the day, no one’s judging you). The drink of choice for Mad Men’s Don Draper, the old fashion is one of the most classic cocktails around. The drink was first popularized at a gentleman’s club in Louisville, Kentucky in the late 19th century by one of the club’s bartenders. Although it was originally made with rye whiskey, a substitution of bourbon whiskey is commonly used today due to the rarity and price of most rye whiskey. Like most cocktails, everyone has their own variation - and will often inform you of how your method is incorrect- but by sticking to these ingredients and basic preperation directions, you’ll soon have a good idea of what this classic American cocktail is all about. Or at the very least, you’ll look good with one in hand.

Old Fashion

pumpkin

By: Richard Connolly

By: Lindsay Dahl

1. In an old fashioned glass begin by placing the sugar and a cherry at the bottom and add 3 dashes of bitters.

2. Splash in the club soda, and with a muddler (wooden spoons work great too) crush the sugar and cherry in the bitters and soda.

3. Add the whiskey of your choice and top off with ice.

4. Garnish the glass with an orange wedge and another cherry. v

~ 2oz Rye or Bourbon whiskey~ 2 dashes aromatic bitters~ 1 sugar cube or 1tsp sugar~ 2 Maraschino cherries~ 1 orange wedge~ Splash of club soda~ Old fashion glass and ice

Ingredients:

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. In a large bowl combine the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and butter. Mix well.

3. Slowly add the flour, baking powder and baking soda and continue to mix until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed together.

4. Pour the mixture into a 10x14 inch baking pan and cook for 25 minutes.

5. While the bars cook, combine the frosting ingredients and with a mixer whip together and place into the refrigerator to cool.

6. Allow the bars to cool for 10 minutes after removing from the oven and frost before serving. Place a few whole pecans on top for a little flair

and sprinkle a little cinnamon for a little extra seasonal flavor. v

directions:

» 4 eggs » 2 cups sugar » 2 cups pumpkin puree » 3/4 cups melted butter » 2 cups flour » 2 tsp baking powder » 1 tsp baking soda » Whole pecans (to decorate)

» 1 pkg cream cheese » 3 Tbsp soft unsalted butter » 1 tsp vanilla » 1 Tbsp cream » 3 cups powdered sugar

Ingredients:Pumpkin Bars

Frosting

Bars

HAppy HouR

14 15

By Stacy Zamaskya

There is more to Northern Ireland than con-stant political conflict, such as an indie trio en-titled, Two Door Cinema Club. Formed in 2007 by Sam Halliday, Alex Trimble, and Kevin Baird, the group has been leaving a visible mark on the indie music scene.

The band released its debut album, Tourist History, in 2010 under the French record label, Kitsuné Music. The album was indeed a break-out for the trio with its catchy upbeat songs and a signature style, attracting many listeners world-wide. The album featured the hit single “What You Know”, which combined melodic guitar riffs and emotional lyrics into an irresistibly dance-able mix. Two Door Cinema Club wrote the al-bum with what they call “youthful excitement”, focusing on the future of where they hoped to see their music go.

After the release of Tourist History, the band went on a two year long worldwide tour. Two Door Cinema Club opened for bands, which included Foals, Phoenix, and Metronomy. Per-forming in all parts of the world and at numer-

ous festivals, such as Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo and Coachella, the band gained positive atten-tion from hundreds of critics.

On September 4th, Two Door Cinema Club is released its sophomore album, Beacon. The album features eleven electro pop songs, which closely follow the formulas set up by Tourist History. Each track follows a melodic rhythm, full of synth riffs and guitar chords which get stuck in your head. The lyrics follow a slightly different path, unlike Tourist History’s teen-age angsty motifs. Beacon brings on deeper meaning within its chorus lines, and captures more emotion by cutting right into the listener’s heart. The group man-ages to flawlessly create the perfect blend of heartbroken and optimis-tic instrumentals. The entire album seems to bring more cohesion to Two Door Cinema Club’s sound, but at the same time closely follows Tourist His-tory.

Many bands face a huge dilemma when releasing a sophomore album af-ter the debut was a giant success. Due

to this, Two Door Cinema Club seem to have chosen to not take any major risks with Bea-con. The album will satisfy its current fans by bringing a more cohesive and mature sound, while following the same steps as Tourist His-tory. The band is making slow progressions, which leaves one wondering whether the next album will bring on a radical change.

Find Beacon at your local record store after September 4th and be sure to catch Two Door Cinema Club on October 9th at the Riviera Theater. v

artist to know

Two door Cinema Club

ARTS & CULTURE

spookyWeeen!chicago’s top haunted houses

By Blake Whitmore

It is October and that means a few things to people; fall weather, pump-kin patches, apple orchards, but most of all Halloween. Halloween closes out the month with a bang. Trick-or-Treat-ing and costume parties fill up the cal-endar, and for those looking for a good scare there are always haunted houses. Haunted houses started out as old build-ings that were supposedly inhabited by

ghosts, ghouls, and spirits from the af-terlife or another dimension perhaps. Today haunted houses have turned a bit more commercialized for the public. The Chicagoland area has a number of haunted houses, so which one do you break out the bucks for?

Voted #1 in all of Illinois is Eleventh Hour in Elk Grove, Illinois. This single location is actually home to four kill-er haunted attractions including Elev-enth Hour, Catacombs, Intensity, and

Creatures of the Corn. One of the best parts of the attraction is the graveyard scene in the courtyard. The caretaker of the graveyard is as creepy and eerie as they come. It is part of Berthold’s Great Pumpkin Fest which also includes pumpkins, straw mazes, animals, craft-ers, vendors, and more. The Eleventh Hour and other attractions are located at 434 E Devon Avenue, Elk Grove, Illi-nois 60007. Visit http://www.eleventh-hour.info/ for more information on the

#1 voted Halloween event in Illinois.Another famously attended haunted

house is Statesville Haunted Prison in Lockport, Illinois. The story goes that “the prisoners have rioted the guards have fled, and the darkness has seized control of this Maximum Security Prison and the Warden has opened the gates for visitors.” After being shuffled through and the prisoners have processed “the meat” or visitors, you will be forced to navigate your way through 23 cells and

14 15

By Richard Connolly

Just short of three years ago, gamers first found themselves dropped on the planet of Pandora and shooting their way through the first Borderlands. This first person shooter with an RPG twist (along with it’s four fol-lowup downloadable expansions) became an instant classic among gamers. The re-cently released sequel, Borderlands 2, has done nothing short of improving every facet of it’s predecessor’s greatness.

Borderlands 2 is the perfect mashup of the first person shooter aspect of Halo, the vast explorable landscape of Skyrim, and the plethora of loot from Diablo 3. The sequel brings back many of the beloved characters from the first including: everyone’s favor-ite redneck mechanic - Scooter, munitions hustling Marcus, and the “funny little ro-bot” known as Claptrap. In addition to the return of many old faces, Borderlands 2 introduces a handful of new figures; most notedly the game’s pretentious antagonist - Handsome Jack.

One of the things that differentiates and

makes Borderlands 2 as satisfying as it is, is the game’s sense of humor. Although in-credibly crude (and often gory), the imma-ture jokes never cease. Whether it’s your nemesis making jokes about naming his horse “Butt Stallion” over your com-munication device, Claptrap revealing his need to find something absorbent enough for his robot tears, or just the pure, manic stupidity of many of the lesser enemies; gamers are challenged as well as entertained.

If you’re a fan of finding awesome in-game treasure, Borderlands 2 will more than satisfy your “epic loot” cravings. De-velopers promised gamers “millions, upon millions of weapons” to be found through-out the game. You can smite your enemies from a distance with a sniper rifle that shoots fire, or go for the close and person-al encounters by blasting bad guys with a face full of acid bullets out of the barrel of an enormous shotgun. Customization does not end with guns; there are abundant shields, custom modifiers, and skill trees. Each of the four playable classes has three

unique skill trees - which essentially gives players 12 different specialities to choose from. The game’s developer, Gearbox, has already promised a new class will be re-leased soon and is already taking pre-orders for upcoming expansions.

The multiplayer aspect allows for an even more dynamic experience by allow-ing players to benefit from one another’s strengths. You can either play along side a friend, or find a game online to take on the enemies of Pandora with a few allies. With the enormous amount of guns, variety of different characters to play, vast landscape, rewarding quests, entertaining plot, and upcoming expansions - Bor-derlands 2 is certain to keep gamers satis-fied and shoot-ing for at least another three years. v

gAMe ReVieW borderlands 2

come face to face with over 100 hard-ened criminals in their territory. “No one escapes.” Statesville Haunted Prison is located at 17250 S. Weber Road, Crest Hill, Illinois 60441. For more informa-tion on the haunted prison visit www.statesville.org.

If you are looking for a 15,000-square-foot haunted house than look no further than Disturbia: Torment of Fears! Dis-turbia: Torment of Fears is full of more than 25 different scare zones. Each zone is particular to a different phobia, whether it is clowns, monsters, bugs, or small spaces. Rita Neri, one of four partners of Disturbia told the Huffing-ton Post, “What makes us unique is we rely more on actors than on animatron-ics, so the scare might be different every time you enter the house.” Every year the house is different from previous years and according to Neri this year the at-

traction is “bigger, better, and scari-er.” This large attraction is located at 880 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101. For pricing and hours of operation informa-tion visit www.disturbiatof.com.

Haunted houses are the big entertainment attrac-tion every October. There are a number of haunted attractions in the Chicago-land area. The scares keep getting bigger every year and the competition is getting heavy, so go out and judge for yourself. What is the scariest haunted house in Chicago? v

16 17

ARTS & CULTURE

By Adrian Saucedo

Time travel – one of the biggest concepts film-makers have played around with, dating back to Robert Zemeckis’ Back to the Future and James Cameron’s Terminator. In its entirety, it is a fan-tasy concept in cinema and a theoretical arena for scientific speculators. Therefore, the writer on the topic is adherent to the rules of his or her story. What makes Looper an exceptionally im-pressive film compared to these previous entries is Rian Johnson’s commitment to following the rules of his story. He does not resort to falling in the clichés of Hollywood formula but he careful-ly assesses the implications of paradoxes – some-thing many films failed to be wary of.

Because Johnson doesn’t want to follow mainstream convention in building the film’s tension, Looper’s narrative structure is rather unique, managing not to lose the viewer’s attention. When it comes to this specific subgenre of science fic-tion, you expect twists and turns but with this one it is quite the contrary. You are still quite surprised as the story unfolds, allowing for a more complex depiction of each character. Aside from being a science fiction piece, this film has a lot of thematic elements spread evenly throughout, contending with the ideas of free will versus fate. It also shines the spotlight on morally questionable choices that will not be divulged specif-ically from the film. Looper does not at all progress in the mechanical plot fashion that is typical in most sci-fi action cinematic works.

The film takes place about 2044. The world isn’t that much different from what it is today. Cities have expanded and are dirtier than ever as industrializing jobs are set here, creating a

further gap between the rich and the poor. Ru-ral towns are pretty much the same with corn fields, single family houses, and stables still pres-ent. Organized crime is on the verge of gaining oppressive power but that is 30 years into the future. By the early 2070s, is when time travel has been discovered but has been legally banned and only the most powerful criminals have ac-cess to it. Since bodies cannot be disposed of easily in the future, the unfortunate are tied up and sent back in time to 2044 where they are met by a “looper” with a shotgun. The looper finishes the job, takes his reward (bars of silver strapped to the victim), and waits for his next as-signment. However, when the decision is made to terminate a looper, he is sent a future version of himself to eliminate (“closing the loop”). Once he succeeds his task, he marks his remaining thirty years of life.

The main protagonist is Joe, the best looper from gang lord Abe’s group. The conflict starts when Joe makes the mistake of harboring his friend when he screws up on an assignment. Thereafter, Joe is sent on an assignment that places him face-to-face with his future self. When he hesitates, Old Joe knocks him out and goes on the run. That puts Joe in a bad spot with Abe. If he doesn’t rectify things quickly, he will end up dead – future and present. There is a stint conversation with Old Joe about his aged intentions and his planned destinations. One of these locations lies with Sara and her son, Cid. Joe goes on route to stop Old Joe and restore his life, regardless of Sara and Cid’s safety. And Joe has one distinct advantage in any confrontation – he can kill his future self but Old Joe can not do

the same to his past self.Joseph Levitt-Gordon is easily described as

one of the best American actors working in cine-ma. Despite wearing prosthetics to have a Bruce Willis like face, he deserves high recognition for brilliantly portraying a cold-blooded assassin. Yet, one cannot help but develop a connection with him as the first signs of a compassionate

soul begin to appear. Bruce Willis is the second main star of this film. This is Gordon-Levitt’s film and although Willis has a smaller role, he is able to give an unusual dramatic performance but also defeat those stereotypes that have plagued action scene setups. The rest of the cast is comprised of Paul Dano (another great up-and-coming American actor), and Emily Blunt. Especially good are Jeff Daniels’ portrayal of Abe as the unique head of the stable looper gang, and Piper Perabo as the hooker.

The entire feel of the movie had the audience’s attention from beginning to end. The action and suspense flowed perfectly. The little hu-mor and romance didn’t feel out of place. The style of photography was impressive, creat-ing familiarity yet a distinct futuristic world. It was an intellectually stimulating cinemat-ic work and surprisingly, it was an enriching entertaining film. v

By Adrian Saucedo

One of the best horror movies this year, The Cabin in the Woods, takes an interesting turn and redefines the social conventions of the horror genre, earning the praise of many crit-ics, the flick is deemed by many as the ultimate horror film.

The film begins with the introduction of five college students: the jock, Curt played by Chris Hemsworth; the promiscuous blonde, Jules portrayed by Anna Hutchison; the pot head, Marty depicted by Fran Kranz; the nerd, Holden played by Jesse Williams; and the in-nocent virgin, Dana portrayed by Kristen Connolly. These five individuals decide to visit a remote cabin in the woods during their break, where they fall victims to unexplainable horrific events. Sound too familiar? Although the begin-ning scene depicts a classic horror movie setting where the characters are one-dimensional and lack any versatility, as the movie progresses the film explains why these characters act the way they do and why they are victims to such horren-dous events. The explanation the movie provides makes it so magnificent. Throughout the film clues are given to the audience, providing insight about the reality of the situation; however the ultimate revelation is unforeseeable. The last ten minutes of the film provide the audience with one of the boldest and refreshing endings mainstream horror movies need.

The two main responsible for this ultimate horror film are Director/Writer Drew Goddard and Writer Joss Whedon. Drew Goddard is most recognized for writing the show Lost and horror movie Cloverfield. Pair that with Joss Whedon responsible for writing the show Buffy the Vam-pire Slayer and the action movie The Avengers. With these credentials it is no surprise that this dynamic duo created a horror movie that goes beyond anything horror fans had ever seen.

In its totality, the film is a huge love letter to all horror movies. During the flick there are many references to monsters depicted by other movies, such as werewolves (Werewolf of London, 1935), killer clowns (It, 1990), and even the twins from The Shining, 1980. The film was enjoyable and a must see for all horror fans. To those who are not fans of the horror genre, do not worry, un-like most horror movies the main focus was on the storyline rather than the guts and gore. v

LoopeRFilm Review

new to dVdCabin in the Woods

Looper’s narrative structure is rather unique, managing not to lose the viewer’s attention.

16 17

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18 19

With the presidential elections ap-proaching, it is important to study the economic policies that each of the pres-idential candidates have to offer. While President Obama and Mitt Romney have both stipulated their policies aim at boosting the economy, Mitt Romney has the advantage of not being in power. By contrast, Obama has four years promis-ing the same thing. While the economic situation did improve, unemployment continues to be a major concern. In fact, unemployment has increased during President Obama’s term.Romney’s economic policies are as fol-lows: To reduce taxes and federal spend-ing to stimulate job growth and invest-ment; To cut regulations in order to encourage business; To encourage free trade and opening new markets; To in-crease energy production domestically; To provide labor flexibility through free enterprise; To increase human capital by retraining American workers and at-tracting highly skilled foreign workers; To build a simpler, smaller, and smarter government.

These policies encourage economic growth by promoting employment do-mestically and by reducing taxes, gov-ernment spending and regulation. To compensate for tax cuts, Romney plans to eliminate tax reductions for mortgage interest of second homes and deductions of state income and property tax.

President Obama did not reduce spending, on the contrary, he increased spending as a means to get the economy flowing. The reality is that this has not helped the economy; it has instead in-creased the debt we are in. What Rom-ney proposes seems more logical than the steps President Obama has been tak-ing to improve the economy. The more

people that are working, the better the economy is going to be. During President Obama’s term, unemployment and more specifically long-term unemployment has increased, which is a more serious and alarming factor.

An interesting fact to note is that while President Obama has been highly crit-icized for his economic policies, Mitt Romney has the support of five Nobel economists who believe his policies will in effect improve the economy and give it the boost it needs to get us out of this deficit. They believe his economic plans to be superior to that of President Obama, and that in fact President Obama has not helped the economy improve at all. It is

also worth mentioning that in addition to the five Nobel laureates, Mitt Romney has the support of more than 500 econ-omists.

If elected president, Mitt Romney would be one of the richest presidents in the history of the United States. Romney plans on reversing President Obama’s economic policies, with a focus on the private sector where he sees the future for economic growth. Mitt Romney be-lieves President Obama’s policies were a temporary relieve that will only hindered economic growth in the long run.

The biggest criticism against President Obama is that he did not lower unem-ployment during his term, and his plan

on federal spending did not stimulate the economy. Despite the stimulus pack-age, the economy did not improve. While some critics argue that the stimulus package was useless, others argue that it wasn’t enough. Even with the tax cuts of 2010, unemployment remained higher than 9%, and regulation on Wall Street didn’t improve employment either. Peo-ple in the financial industry actually claimed that the regulations contributed to high unemployment and less compet-itiveness. The point is, none of President Obama’s policies have proven sufficiently effective, while Mitt Romney’s policies are - according to many economists - based on proven principles. v

Barack Obama has been the President of the United States during some of the most difficult economic times. We are currently in a recession that rivals the Great Depression. This recession, start-ing in 2007, has been called the Great Recession, the Lesser Depression, and the Long Recession. Any economist will tell you that recessions are a nat-ural part of the economy and it forms a sinusoidal wave. The lower points of the wave represent a recession and the higher points representing a boom or expansion of the economy.

In retrospect, Obama is not to blame for our poor economy. He has done a number of things to attempt to combat the natural cycle as much as humanly possible. Obama favored bills to raise minimum wage, which has been shown to stimulate the economy. Obama has also called for higher pay for teachers, who are some of the hardest working in-dividuals in society. If teachers receive higher pay they will spend more - which

will also help stimulate the economy.Obama also favors the concept of

equal pay or the abolition of wage dif-ferences between men and women. It is often thought that women have accom-plished equal rights in all facets of so-ciety, but in fact there are still many is-sues when it comes to equality between men and women. Obama has supported bills to improve the effectiveness of the Equal Pay Act of 1963. On January 29, 2009 Obama signed the Lilly Ledbet-ter Fair Pay Act. The bill had struggled to make it through the Senate the first time around, because of a Republican filibuster. Thanks to Obama and other democrats the act eventually did pass in the 111th congress.

The most talked about topic in Obamas campaign and policies is Obama Care, which supports universal healthcare. Universal health - or some-times referred to social health protec-tion - is the idea of a basic health care package for all members of the nation.

It is hard to explain why anyone would be against universal health care. The health systems in America are supposed to be in the business of helping people, but instead they have got into the busi-ness of making money. The inflation in the medical field is three times that of regular national inflation. With univer-sal health care, medical supply compa-nies and hospitals cannot take advantage of people who cannot afford insurance, but need medical attention.

Although this article only scratches the surface of Obama’s policies and his cam-paign, it is a good start for any first time voter who feels the pressure of becoming an informed voter. This is my first year voting in a presidential election and this article in no way emulates who I would vote for, but is instead a more of a fact driven article to help inform the first timer. In the end voting is a battle to find the lesser of two evils. The first thing you must learn is to never trust a politician. That is my opinion on the matter. v

Presidential Candidates

COMMENTARY

He says // she saysAdrian saucedo Blake Whitmore

18 19

Make friends- Student organizations are also great ways to make friends and meet similar people. Use class projects to make new friends as well. Try to make friends with people that you work well with because, as you go through the pro-gram, there are many large group projects to do. Having hardworking friends will also encourage you to keep up with your classes and your friends.

Take breaks- After hours of class, try to take a short break, no more than an hour, to clear your head and de-stress. And while studying or doing homework take a break every hour or two, even if it is just to walk around for a few minutes. Most people can’t go to class for 4 or 6 hours and then study for another 4-6, so don’t just throw in a break as you need it. This is also a great way reward yourself; for example, if you like computer games then set a timer and play for a half hour after studying for two and repeat.

Remember who this is for- The most important thing is to remind yourself why you are here; is it for your parents, spouse, children, or just to create a better life for yourself? Whatever the reason remind yourself of it continually, it will mo-tivate you and focus your attention on what needs to be done. If it’s for a family member keep a picture of them on your desk, phone, and laptop. If you just want it for yourself, keep a picture of your dream home or vacation destination nearby.

Well, hopefully these tips help and give you a few ideas on the ways in which you can control your future. There are many distractions and a lack of organization can easily ruin a bright future, so find your methods and use them. v

aVOIdIng THE

By Lindsay Dahl

In an accelerated program, such as this one, it is far too easy to get disorganized and over-whelmed. As soon as you are finally getting used to things, they change again and there is only a short break for anything. Fortunately, there are several ways to stay on track and to avoid the “dark side” of college.

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Training ASAP.

Dark sideWrite it down-Start off by writing things down, even if you have a great memory it down because you will eventually forget something and without a reminder it probably will not get done. Many people get a daily planner, some use black-board, and others use their email to set these reminders, experiment with all of them to see what works best for you. Using lists are also a good way to focus short term, so that way you can see how much you have accomplished in one day.

Pick a spot- Find a few good study/homework spots that are quiet and not dis-tracting. Have places that are strictly for fun and places that are only for home-work. Try to have two places, one at home or in your dorm and one at school. Avoid places with televisions and lots of people, like the student center, hat should be for relaxing or surfing the internet. The best place in he school to study is easily the library; the worst is the student center hen an event is going on. Also try to avoid working on your bed, get your mind and body to associate your bed as a place to relax by not doing work in it.

Figure out how you work- Everyone has different methods to help them study and be observant of your habits, both good and bad. For example, some people work well with music and others do not, but they might not realize it. Anytime that you get distracted figure out why and what you were doing to avoid that diversion.

Get involved- There is such a thing as too much free time and it can easily lead to procrastinating because you have so much time to do it later. So join a club or maybe two, find the happy medium between school, clubs/sports, and free time. Some need to be really busy to stay on top of everything, so add one at a time and don’t over or underwhelm yourself, stop when you are happy.

20

PUZZLES

no Class by Richard Connolly

insTRuCTiOns Unscramble the letters to make meaningful words and write them in the space given at the bottom. Use the letters entered in the squares, as well as the hint provided, to unscramble the answer phrase.

WordscrambleK S Y C S P R R A E

T E N I A M N I g C F

N I Y W d

L A C B K A S W H K

I R Y g E L W

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _

I M d W Y A

C R C O M M I K C

O H d O T g

O L P O

E R R F S I

HINT: FAMOUS CHICAgO BUILdINg

sudoku1 7 5 4

1 4 3

7 9 2 8

8 5 6 7

9 3 4 5

7 3 1 8

8 4 2

5 9 6 7

Puzzle 1 (Easy, difficulty rating 0.34)

Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/~jdhildeb/software/sudokugen/ on Wed Sep 26 17:38:05 2012 GMT. Enjoy!

insTRuCTiOns Fill the grid with numbers so each row, column, and 3x3 block has every number from 1 to 9.