Hate Crimes

This past week has been a difficult one for members of the WSU community and it's not simply because of the slaughter we call a "game" played against USC. This week our town was the setting of three separate – though presumably related – hate crimes.

Hate crimes are the most frustrating and disappointing of the possible offences to commit in the wide spectrum of crimes, because there is no motive or gain for the aggressor.

There is no reward for the violent act committed toward the victim. No money or possession to gain, no economic or personal benefit, save for a possible sick and twisted satisfaction I could not possibly begin to understand.

In the same regard, there is no motive for hate crimes. Very rarely should violence be the solution for any situation. If violence is the answer for your circumstances, then I don't want to know the problem. But the victims in hate crimes did not partake in any action which would justify violence. It's disturbing to know that there are individuals capable of aggression onto other groups when the targets have done nothing to deserve such treatment.

And although you may not personally indentify with the group targeted by the criminals, imagine if you were violated for being Hispanic, a women, a democrat, from California or even for liking the color red. That's how ridiculous targeting a nonthreatening demographic is.

If members of the GLBTQ are being violently targeted and the criminals evade prosecution unscathed, it won't be long before our relatively safe and tranquil town becomes uneasy as various other communities and demographics anticipate hate crimes levied onto them.

We now have an opportunity to come together as Cougs for more than supporting athletics, going green or getting fit. You and I have the chance to prevent further hate crime tragedies from happening in the community we value and treasure by coming together and taking action.

Encourage your friends and peers to utilize resources available to them as a better alternative to traveling alone. The WSU police and Cougar Security Program were created and funded for your safety. In times like these, accepting assistance from these programs may be one of the wiser decisions possible.

In addition, you and I are key surveillance cogs for our law enforcement groups on campus. By reporting any suspicious or violent activity, you won't be labeled a snitch, and you may actually help save a life from being disastrously scarred. It takes courage, but your small inconvenience may be the difference in recreating a safe campus for everyone involved.

We have come a long way as a society. It wasn't that long ago when we began treating women with equality and respect, something many of us take for granted today. More recently, we have become accepting and encouraging to individuals of various ethnicities. Even to the point where we're on the verge of electing a president of African-American decent.

The next frontier for us will be the acceptance of members in our community whom identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. Regardless of your ethical or moral values, we must appreciate and accept every individual for who they are. Judging and condemnation of others should be reserved for those who are perfect and blameless. And since none of us are, let us respect and recognize one another.

At the core, we are all the same. We are all people entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. So let us practice what we preach and follow the golden rule of treating others the way you want to be treated.

Decisions

Note: For obvious reasons, this will NOT be in the Evergreen. This is strictly for fun and for ranting.

Life is essentially a series of decisions.

And the majority of decisions break down into a fork in the road.

One road is comfortable, safe and predictable. This road will generally lead you to contentment and security. This road is the guarantee which won't let you down. But this road also tends to be mediocre and monotonous. It's typically a path that doesn't challenge you or allow for personal development on various levels.

The other road is usually one of excitement, unpredictability and of much greater reward. Although it may contain more challenges, a successful journey will bring forth a much higher level of satisfaction, joy and personal growth. But this road is risky and will require a step out of your comfort zone. You don't even know if you will make it down this path successfully, but it interests you because of the potential benefits in the future.

While there are certain paths which are simultaneously safe and rewarding, there really is no decision involved in pursuing it. It's a no brainer. So fundamentally, decisions boil down to the comfortable and predictable versus the uncertain but potentially gratifying.

Should I go to Manoa for my education, or try a school on the mainland? Should I just go on the computer in my room, or go check out the club meeting/seminar tonight? Should I even bother applying to the internship which requires essays and recommendations, or just stick with my decent job from last summer? Should I just stick with this significant other who really likes me and is nice to me, or go for the one which I feel challenges me, intrigues me and could potentially complete me better? Should I stick to sleeping in Sunday mornings, or go and check out a church like my parents and/or friends encourage me to?

These are just a sample of predicaments an individual may find themselves in.

I believe that there is no such thing as a wrong decision. There are certain choices better than others, but none which is wrong. Furthermore, I feel that once a choice has been made, it is pointless and unproductive to second guess or regret the decision. Playing the "what if" game only leads to disappointment and frustration. While society has many views on these ideas, there is no correct mindset. Phrases such as "Go Big or Go Home" push the idea of taking risks for big gains, while others such as "a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush" encourage settling and appreciating the guarantees in your life.

In my opinion, a culmination of decisions based around a certain moral tendency to lean in a particular manner is what determines your success in life. While every choice must be calculated and evaluated carefully, the bottom line is that you must take risks to be successful. Everyone will fail, but some will experience a greater amount of success when taking risks than others – an inevitable characteristic which pushes the idea that luck and chance plays a large role in determining your triumphs in life.

Life is not about the number of breaths you take, but the number of moments which take your breath away. The amount of significant and monumental moments experienced is directly correlated with the number of risks you take. After all, you can't experience something breathtaking if you're comfortable and safe.

In conclusion, I encourage you to not only think outside of the box, but to step out of it. Try new things, experience new environments, embrace new challenges and built new relationships. Even if you have trust issues, the only way to really trust someone is to, well, trust them.

It's your decisions. It's your life. Viva la Vida – Live your Life.

College

    The most overpriced and overrated product in America today is not the MacBook Air, Gucci handbag, H2 Hummer, Adobe Creative Suites or any other item which you may ogle at with envious eyes. But rather, it is a single piece of paper which easily costs hundreds of thousands of dollars but nine times out of ten holds very little value in the "real world." I am speaking of the Bachelor of Arts degree you and I are currently tirelessly working toward.

    The current post-secondary education system is one where the acquisition of a BA represents educational success. We push the youth into spending – regardless of their path of study – four or five years of their prime at institutions where the majority of them lack the adequate ability to complete their intended major or goal. After spending years and thousands of dollars, we feed the incompetent students into General Studies or Liberal Arts.

    Welcome to the most robust and grounded of all business models. Welcome to a four year University.

    Outside of engineering or science majors, the content learned at universities generally do not translate into effective workplace competency. And the statistics which show that college graduates tend to earn more than high school graduates is misleading. I assure you that if you locked an Ivy caliber student into a closet for four years and then had him compete with a high school dropout, he'd still find better employment due to his intellect and inherent motivated personality. The true solution is not a better college system, but no college at all.

    In lieu of degrees, high school graduates should work toward earning certification in their desired field. Imagine going straight into employment out of high school in a field which you decide you may enjoy. Working on the bottom of the totem pole, you learn through hands on experience and mentorship of supervisors. When you feel prepared, you take a certification exam such as the CPA for public accountants. Technical schools would still exist, but toiling and wasting away at a university where you spend your time studying for material you'll never use again would never happen.

    Unfortunately, this likely won't develop, as an entire social mindset shared across the globe cannot simply be changed overnight. So I implore my fellow Cougs at this point to do something radical. I am asking of you to make the most of the product which you sacrifice so much for.

    Obtaining a degree from WSU can consist of more than a rush to 120 credits over 8 semesters with the best GPA possible. It can be the best period of your life where the greatest amount of your academic, social, emotional and spiritual development occurs – if you plan carefully and step out of your comfort zone.

    Never take a class without knowing about the professor beforehand. If your education is top priority at WSU, then the professors are the most important employees at the university, no offence Mr. Floyd or Mr. Bennett. Pick the good ones, not the closest ones to your other classes or the one not teaching before 11am. Along those lines, take time in the semester to personally meet every one of the professors teaching your classes.

    Beyond the classes which we religiously attend, go to the guest lectures and speakers which come to WSU. If they came all the way to Pullman, they should have something interesting and important to say. Go ahead and check it out. There's nothing better to do on an evening in Pullman anyway.

    Outside of academics, there is an entire world seeking your guidance and assistance. Go join a registered student organization or two and go beyond the meetings. Volunteer and participate in activities. Believe it or not, college is supposed to be the time in which you have the most freedom in life. It won't be long before careers, spouses and children consume every waking moment of your day-to-day living. So do a mission trip, study abroad or simply spend time helping others locally. Opportunities come fewer and farther in between in the future.

    Our investment into graduating as Cougars is undeniably costly in time and money. But we can make the most of it by developing relationships with professors, enriching ourselves academically, and taking advantage of opportunities to explore life outside of the classrooms and residence halls. The future started yesterday, so let's get to it.

Why I Vote

This country is in distress. We are in the middle of a war in the Middle East where victory is not possible but is expected to cost U.S. taxpayers $2.4 trillion dollars assuming a withdrawal by 2017 (http://is.gd/3rsz Reuters). Wall St. is in trouble on a level not seen since the Great Depression. The value of the U.S. dollar has been decreasing steadily since the turn of the new millennium (http://is.gd/3rvl Oanda corp.). Gas prices were once as low as $0.92 cents a gallon but averaged $4 this summer (http://is.gd/3rw7 CNN). And the biggest export for our nation is now debt, which is increasing our inflation rate rapidly, making you and me poorer on a perpetual basis while creating a huge bill that we will have to pay later (http://tinyurl.com/4238ny TIME).

All this has taken place under pathetic leadership of our 43^rd president, George W. Bush. According to the History News Network, President Bush has an approval rating of 28% by the American public, but when evaluated by 109 professional historians, only 2% considered his presidency a success (http://is.gd/3rEj HNN). We could ramble on his inadequacy and incompetent abilities as president, but rather than crying over spilled milk I prefer to seize my opportunity to ensure this type of character does not inhabit the white house for another four years. In the first presidential election I am able to participate in, I am prepared to vote for the only candidate who can turn our country around. I am voting because of Senator Barack Obama.

The opposition to Senator Obama is Senator John McCain. McCain is essentially an extension of Bush and his flawed policies. According to Congressional Quarterly's Voting Studies, McCain has voted with Bush 95%, a rate that has been increasing over the past couple years (http://is.gd/3rFG). President Bush's term has been riddled with unaccountability, poor decisions, and appalling management. It appears as though a McCain term is essentially a third Bush term, a status quo our country does not need right now.

This brings us to Senator Obama. Obama represents change and progress in every facet imaginable.

Politically, as a first term senator, he defeated the giant Clinton machine in a fashion never witnessed before. The way Obama organized volunteers, voters, and donors were mesmerizing. He helped ensure that for the first time in 20 years, a Bush or Clinton would not take the Oval Office.

Culturally, Obama understands our generation better than any other presidential candidate in recent history. By using text messaging to reveal his running mate, creating an iPhone application to connect his supporters, turning his webpage into a social networking site and by using various forms of media on his blog and official webpage, Obama is a candidate who understands and embraces technology and innovation.

Socially, Obama represents a direction our country needs to head in. Being an individual of African-American decent, Obama's residence in the White House will deliver a much needed blow to the underlying racism which is present in our Country. Generations which follow Obama's tenure will be more welcoming to diversity in ethnicity.

Obama is also a true exhibit of the American dream, rising from modest beginnings in my hometown in Honolulu to becoming the first African-American head of the law review at Harvard graduating magna cum laude in 1991. A decade and a half later, he reached the position of Senator, a rapid and outstanding climb considering his humble origins. Obama is truly a man from Main St, not Wall St as McCain and Bush are. An Obama win will remind us that, through hard work and dedication, we can achieve our dreams and ambitions.

I am voting because Senator Obama represents the course needed for our country. But I'm just one vote. According to the secretary of state, about 27,000 of 88,600 newly registered voters in the past four months were between the ages of 18 and 24 (http://is.gd/3rOm Seattle Times). If you have not already registered, you have until tomorrow to register at secstate.wa.gov/elections. This could be our banner year. After all, there is no reason to wait on the world to change when the ability to change the world is a couple mouse clicks away.