The Nutcracker

Even The Fashion Police Can Use Brutality

2007-04-12T17:07:00.001-07:00

Did any one feel insulted by the article entitled Socks and sandals: A spring style guide for guys that was published in the 3/30/07 issue of the Acorn. I felt that the author bluntly insulted many people do to their fashion sense. Don't get me wrong the Acorn should have published the article after all if the author had submitted it to this blog it would have been posted as well. I just feel that I should express my oipion that the article took on a very presumptuous tone. For example this quote "By no means do I expect boys to risk distorting their comfort with their sexual orientation by buying out the J. Crew spring line, but the following carnal sins should be acknowledged." My distaste for J Crew by no means is related to my sexual orientation. For me I much rather wear something that does not say "I’m Preppy look how much money I have, but this is my opinion and I try not to judge other based on it. I hope others will offer me the same courtesy. After reading the article I felt insulted, after all I violate many of the so called "Carnal sins" of fashion that are described. I enjoy spring because it warm and it allows all those who are forced to bundle up to break out the cloths that they like and that they feel express who they are. For me high fashion is all the different styles one can find on campus. I give my best wishes to the author of this article and hope she enjoys the season even with the blatant fashion “mistakes” because they will always going to be there.

What do y'all think?

The Art of the class Doodle

2007-04-10T20:43:00.000-07:00

Welcome to this schools first ever online doodle art show. Here is some examples of some of my better class doodles. All these pieces of "art" started as random lines that grew meaning. I find that this type of drawing always produce odd images with odd meanings. For those with an eye for detail I edited many of these on the computer.I

I and the other would love to see others doodles, any student cans use the scanners in the computer lab in the basement of brothers college perhaps their will be a vote at the end to declare a winner.

List of past qoutes of the day

2007-04-09T09:43:00.000-07:00

I have complied a list of past qoutes of the day, keep your eyes on the right side of the screen there is a new qoute every day

Å "Life is what happens to you, while you're busy making other plans"- John Lennon,

Å It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man. – jack handey Deep Thoughts

Å Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. The world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. -Dwight David Eisenhower

Å When others asked the truth of me, I was convinced it was not the truth they wanted, but an illusion they could bear to live with. -Anaïs Nin

Å Sometimes there's truth in old cliches. There can be no real peace without justice. And without resistance there will be no justice. -Arundhati Roy

Å No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. - Eleanor Roosevelt

Å How far should one accept the rules of the society in which one lives? To put it another way: at what point does conformity become corruption? Only by answering such questions does the conscience truly define itself. ~ Kenneth Tynan

Å Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity. King

Å Man's loneliness is only his fear of life.- Grim

Å To punish me for my contempt for authority, fate made me an authority myself.
Albert Einstein

Å If liberty means any thing it means the right to tell people things they don’t want to hear- unkown

Blame Game, Change and Unity

2007-04-08T13:06:00.000-07:00

Some One made this comment on the previous post:

"I wonder though, if the acorn posted on your site like that because they just feared you because they didn't know your intentions, or if it was because this blog purported to give a voice to the many disgruntled students who feel like they don't have a voice within the acorn or the school in general. Maybe instead, the acorn just wanted to protect their position, and ultimately their power, from those very students.

I wonder, if students had an up or down vote to many of the groups and institutions on campus, to keep them or disband them, i wonder what they would do. The real problem is that they don't, and in my opinion, Drew will continue to be a somewhat repressive place for the foreseeable future. With those few who have the power and want to keep it for themselves poised against the rest of us who are pushed to the fringes of campus life.

I wonder, if students had an up or down vote to many of the groups and institutions on campus, to keep them or disband them, i wonder what they would do. The real problem is that they don't, and in my opinion, Drew will continue to be a somewhat repressive place for the foreseeable future. With those few who have the power and want to keep it for themselves poised against the rest of us who are pushed to the fringes of campus life."

I some what agree with this statement drew or any other administration run institution can be repressive but I think can it is a mistake to believe there are those who do this on purpose. The fact of the matter is that student separate into group by themselves either through mistrust, apathy, tradition or pop culture. The acorn does not censor students with malicious intent to gain more power; I believe that it is just a byproduct of one group of students trying to write and publish stories they agree with. Let them explain themselves before you blame them. The S.G.A does not want to ignore the students or repress them, the organization is restrained by the university, bureaucracy as well as student apathy. There is no reason why the University really has to listen or do anything the SGA suggests. I believe it is a mistake to blame “the man” or any organization for something that is really a problem that is created as a byproduct of fragmented youth culture. People need to stop blaming others, blame has never accomplished anything in fact it ceases progress. I believe that people need to work on changing themselves and helping others do the same instead of wasting time.

You are right we do need unity to accomplish any social change in the future. This campus has multiple groups that strive for the social change. Just look at the student group home pages and you will find these groups, Amnesty international, circle K,S.A.V, Women Concerns,GBLTQ, SDS and even the SGA all strive for social change as well a better life on campus. My recommendation is to provide a club, council or official forum that could help organize these groups so they can form one single loud voice when it is needed. My recommendation is to resurrect or create a group like the Drew Community for Social Justice. This club was based in the theological department but was disbanded in 2005 a fate that many of these clubs share. The clubs mission statement was;

We are a student-led organization dedicated to education, advocacy and action regarding issues of social justice and change.

Objectives

· To improve communication and cooperation between various justice-related student groups on campus.

· To share information with students, faculty and staff in order to increase awareness and inspire greater involvement in justice work.

· To provide access to specific tools and resources in the interest of empowering students to advocate for justice in their own contexts.

· To provide forums for dialogue in an increasingly culturally and religiously pluralistic campus and society.

· To organize opportunities for direct action and witness concerning specific issues.

· To network with other groups on local, regional, and national levels.

What I envision is that this group could gather members of the clubs I listed as well as other concerned student. The new entity could attempt to get these group as well as students to band together for a selected cause. Imagine a group that truly represents students. Through such a society this school could attempt to unify and create a voice loud enough even the administration would have to take notice. Even a direct democracy needs to be funneled through an entity to give a face to those voices, in addition those who are familiar with various social issues could facilitate. The club could offers services to help student in disciplinary actions or to get their voice heard or a multitude of other things. In addition the group could pool resources to attract speakers as well as other services. While I know there many who disagree with me on this they believe that these clubs all have specific cause and that there is no need for such a group I still believe that it is worth an attempt. I do not know the exact details of such a union I think it could be done. Many claim that this is too Utopian ideal but I think it deserves a try. If there is someone who was part of the DCSJ please contact me especially if you disagree with my assessment of the organization.

- Spooky D

(Please put any comments if you see a grammar mistake, I will try to fix it)

A MESSAGE TO THE ACORN AND THE WORLD

2007-04-02T23:22:00.000-07:00

For those who still read this blog, I thank you. After discussing this blog with others I realize that the effort I put into this is greatly appreciated. I loved the idea of this blog and I still do. I am a busy college student and I do not have a great deal of time to devote to stories and their quality is a testament to that. I apologize for my poor grammar skills. I will continue to work hard to make this work. For those who are wondering I wish to stay anmonus because I feel that amenity helps this blog stay free from outside influcleance. In addition I feel better if those who do not agree with what is said to get angry at a name instead of a person. I will offer the same service to any poster. I will sooner give my name to any authority then a true identity of a poster. I realize that I gave up to early and will continue to create and improve this blog. In addition I will attempt to settle a rift that has formed between this blog and the school newspaper the Acorn. I have sent the editor this apology:

Hello my name (for now) is Spooky d and I am the Administrator for the Nutcracker. I wish to give the staff of this newspaper a formal apology. I understand that early in the nutcrackers history some comments were made in regards to the acorn’s content and how article submissions were handled. I understand that the staff is restricted by deadlines, the university as well as the bureaucracy of running an official paper. I will apologize that the blog initially took an anti-Acorn position; I now realize that this was unprofessional. I have removed all negative mention of the Acorn from the blogs main page . I will continue to try to create credibility for the Nutcracker. I am willing to start a dialogue between our publications. I realize that there is no reason why the nutcracker and the acorn can not coexist or even have a partnership. I believe that there is a great potential in a possible partnership. The Acorn has many talented staff members and I as well as many readers would love to see a partnership form. As the sole admin of this site, I ask those who are on staff to feel free to post any work they want. If the editor of the acorn or any staff member wishes to contact me feel free to email me at thedrewnutcracker@gmail.com

I truly hope that a partnership does form. If any reader has the ability to facilitate this feel free to email me or comment. YOU the reader are were this blog power lies. I know that all of you have hard this before but we do have the power to change things.

Thank you – Spooky D

3 Things You Should Know About Digital Rights Management

2007-03-29T21:17:00.000-07:00

Stories about Digital Right Management (DRM) have been starting to scare me. This technology has the potential to reek havoc on the already established digital network in this nation . For those of you who don't know what DRM is, its any software that limits the distribution of data. Existing DRM is being used on iTunes store as well as computer software. The software often has to connect to a remote third party server by means of the Internet in order to validate and regulate the use of encrypted data. The use of DRM scares me for three reasons

1. Corporate Control
Your Computer and what You do on it is now dependent on how the owner of the DRM protected software regulate their software, a position that could lead to infringement of our personal rights. The servers that run this nations infrastructure and the average personal computer could be and are dependent on corporate regulation of DRM. Me personally much rather have any organizations private or governmental control my actions on a computer even if it is to protect copy-right interests.

2. Loss Of Ownership
It is the very nature of DRM to have a third party enact controls on consumer goods, a process that could potentially lead to abuse of the technology in the future. The very basis of ownership is the right to use, move and manipulate a good. iTunes once again is a prime example, you pay money to get a song but you can only put it on iTunes and an iPod all the other mp3 players are shit out of luck. While not definite there is a big potential for negative repercussions of being manipulated by how corporations regulate DRM. Providers of DRM technology could assume control of products that have already entered the market place.

3. Security
A real world example of this was DRM software that Sony created for it high definition DVDs . When A DVD was inserted into a computer it opened a “secret” link to the internet to check that DVD was not being copied. While this process was not harmful to the computer it was discovered that the hidden link left a “gap” in antivirus software and that virus could enter and infect the afflicted computer, and while not harmful it was still an example of how this software chould e used to spy on the inccent masses.

BE WARY

Governmental and corporate ignorance about the digital age is no longer a form of protection. We the consumer, we the millennial’s need to educate our self so we don’t get burned by misinformation and give up digital rights we don’t even know we have.I am a full believer in copy-right protection but the fact of the matter is that this technology leaves the consumer wide open. DRM presents a major security risk for computer that contains the software. Over all consumers should be weary of DRM and consider the negative repercussions of its implantation.

-Spooky D

So What Do YOU Want To See

2007-03-27T15:45:00.000-07:00

Hi to all of you out there, I just want to thank you all for reading. This blog has just entered it fifth week and the site is up to
2591 hits! Since this blog is dependent on your submissions, I was wondering what you the reader want to see on this blog. Do you think the blog needs? Perhaps a new look, a daily wikipedia article or even the scores of the last drew sports game These are all improvements that might make its way onto the blog. As A site admin I am always looking for good suggestions. So feel free to use this post as a place to submit your ideas or comment on the ones I have suggested. Just remember that your Idea may not make it to the blog. Keep those post submissons coming in, this site needs you!

- Thanks for reading, Spooky D

Who I Will Be Voting For

2007-03-26T15:57:00.000-07:00

I’ve been waiting an awfully long time to be allowed to vote. 2008 will be the first election I directly participate in, and so I’ve tried to be as keenly aware as possible of the developing details. I’ve looked into candidates on both sides of the political spectrum, and attempted to educate myself through what means are available to me as to what agendas the candidates have. Careful consideration has brought me to the conclusion that Barack Obama is the person who should become President of the United States.

Here’s a list of some of the reasons why I (and I hope you as well) will be voting for Barack in 2008:
Alternative Energy
Universal Healthcare
End to War in Iraq
Affordable Education
Stem-Cell Research
Homosexual Civil Union
Separation of Church and State

He’s not quite perfect, of course. For example, he supports affirmative action, which I loathe on ideological grounds. But that isn’t enough to keep him from standing far, far ahead of my current second-place presidential pick, Rudy Giuliani.

I believe that if elected in the Democratic primaries, Obama will become the next President. However, there is one obstacle to this; one ugly, soulless obstacle. I am speaking of course of Hillary Clinton. She has no political ideology save whatever the most recent opinion polls indicate is most advantageous. For example, she voted in favor of the initial invasion of Iraq, and today decries the invasion as a foolish blunder of the Bush administration. She has no interest in anyone’s benefit but her own. She expects that women will vote for her simply on the basis of her gender. But of course, her key advantage is mere name recognition through her husband and through her First Ladyship. She publicly attacked Obama for accepting campaign donations on the grounds that the donator was a former Clinton sympathizer who became estranged after realizing Hillary’s true character. Quite simply: Hillary is deplorable.

Polls indicate that Hillary leads Barack in the popularity; however, the election is still far over the horizon, and she is steadily losing her lead. I hope I am not being overly optimistic in predicting that this trend will continue.

- Enoch

Come learn your rights!

2007-03-22T16:32:00.001-07:00

Come to TOE this friday (March 22) at 4 PM to learn what you can do to defend yourself against all forms of law inforcment. Learn what to do if Public Safety shows up at your door rambling about "a strange odor." Learn how to react of police get violent. Learn how to resist with non violence. Come learn how to not get your shit taken! This is a subject everyone needs to know about!

-Outsider

Why Walk Out?

2007-03-21T18:27:00.000-07:00

On March 20, students at over 80 high schools and universities around the United States walked out of class to protest the war in Iraq on its fourth anniversary. Included in that assemblage were 76 Drew students. As someone who attends many club-sponsored events at Drew, I can tell you that that’s a pretty good turnout on a campus often accused of being riddled with apathy. However, what I have to say is not really about student body apathy or numbers. I want to share why the walkout and the rally that followed it were invaluably important to me, to my friends, to my adversaries, to the social climate of this school, to the learning process at Drew, and to the town of Madison.

When my friend Rich sent out an e-mail to the list serve of Drew Students for a Democratic Society urging us to start organizing a walkout in solidarity with other schools across the country, I was eager to get the ball rolling. As someone who helped organize and participate in a walkout from my high school on March 5, 2003, before the war in Iraq had officially been waged, it upsets and disgusts me that not only was my voice ignored by those in power back then, when my fellow students and I advised that there were not WMDs in Iraq and that Saddam Hussein was not an immediate threat to our country, but that they have continued to ignore it year after year, protest after protest.

I don’t go to protests anymore because I think the government actually takes notice or gives a fuck what I have to say. I go to protests because I need a space to share my frustration and sadness, my hope and knowledge with other like-minded people. I think that the walkout at Drew on March 20 truly embodied and exemplified such an event.

After reading Rich’s e-mail, I did some googling to find out what other schools were doing. I was directed to SDS: March 20 Student Day of Action Against the War Blog, where at the time over 70 schools were sharing their organizing strategies. One that I particularly liked was to create a facebook event site for the walkout. Inspired by the recent success of the Democratic Party in online grassroots organizing, I took the initiative to put the event on the Drew facebook network, and invited all of my friends.

At first the response was positive but mild. However, on the second day of the event being posted, some pro-war invitees posted on the event wall to say that they felt that the walkout was not supportive of American troops. I and some other anti-war students wrote back defending our position that being against the ideology of the war does not contradict supporting the soldiers who fight it. Over the next five or so days, the wall of the event became a fertile breeding ground for this discussion to be elaborated upon. People from many walks of life and many political affiliations took part in it. When I suggested that a more appropriate forum for the discussion would be in a facebook group devoted solely to a discussion of the war, some of the dialogue spilled over there, while it also continued furiously on the event page. I received and sent many personal messages and e-mails with people on both sides of the discussion, people who I had and still have never spoken to face to face.

Watching the spontaneous, organic creation of this online community, tense as it sometimes was, (and is, the event may be over but the discussion isn’t) was, for lack of a better word, really cool. Having so many students from different clubs, teams, graduating classes, dorms, etc participate in meaningful dialogue about something they were so passionate about was beautiful, even when I felt personally frustrated with having my political views offended.

By Monday night, the eve before the walkout, there were two groups making plans: the anti-war ralliers and the pro-war ralliers. Separately we made signs, planned strategies, and discussed our passion for the cause. The community was no longer on the internet, now we were sharing ideology in person.

On Tuesday, we walked. I won’t go into the details of everything that happened that afternoon, there are too many, but here are some of the events from that day which are most meaningful to me:

- Sitting in a circle in the courtyard of the UC, sharing stories of friends and family who are or have been stationed in Iraq. Sharing concerns for veterans’ physical and mental health, sharing concerns about the security of our country and others around the world. Reading aloud statistics, newspaper articles, poems, and blog entries about the war.

- Marching into town with my fellow students, waving signs and playing instruments, chanting, talking to shoppers and shop-owners and receiving approving honks from drivers passing by.

- Receiving the support of many of the professors and administrative staff at Drew

- Bonding with 75 new friends

Some people I spoke with before the walkout said they weren’t sure if they could come because they didn’t think they could afford to miss class. My friend Kristin was one of them, and while we marched past the library she confided “I’m skipping my test to be here right now.” “Good for you,” I replied, “Which will you remember in 10 years?” Other people told me that they definitely would not be coming because they attend Drew to learn, and that is their priority. I would like to remind these people that learning is not an activity confined to a classroom or mandated solely by an approved institution. Learning is life. I learned more about myself, my peers, my faculty, and the town of Madison on Tuesday than I’ve learned in weeks of going to class. Maybe semesters. In the words of Mark Twain, “I never allowed schooling to interfere with my education.”

Today, Wednesday, as I again browse SDS: March 20 Student Day of Action Against the War Blog
and read and view the actions that took place at schools across the country, it warms me to see that despite the feelings of isolation that sometimes brew when I view what is often an apathetic campus, I am not alone. There are hundreds of thousands who agree with me, and on Tuesday we made a statement. And while of course it is our desire for the government to take notice of our views and to act upon them, that’s only one reason to walk out. The personal satisfaction and empowerment of communicating with so many people in such an impassioned way is why it was worth it for me to walk out. Why did (or didn’t) you walk out?

- Robin

Hey Check It Out

2007-03-21T12:08:00.000-07:00

Come one, come all and view the a new feature that was just added to this blog. We have created an events page, this page will be a place to post upcoming club, social event and concerts on and around Drew.

Clubs take notice: this page allows pepole to look for event they want with out reading emails

Features include:
- A calender view of all events
- feeder (allows pepole to get atoumatic updates)
- cool new look and trial logo

SO CHECK IT OUT CLICK HERE

We Can Do Better

2007-03-21T12:02:00.001-07:00

If I understand correctly, there has been an event at Drew very recently
in which students choose not to attend class in protest over the War in
Iraq, the idea being that our absence from class represents the troops’
absence from their homes.
I don’t feel I need to devote a great deal of energy to this, so I’ll
just say as simply as possible that I think this is pretty weak. An
event like this has no positive effect at all. Not only will the troops
never benefit from it or know about it, it’s unlikely that they’d care
even if they did know; they don't worry about whether you skip class or
not any more than anyone else. Further, I think that promoting absence
from class is an ill-conceived strategy. Whoever comes up with things
like this and participates in them should realize that we’re in college
to learn things. Holding protests and demonstrations should be lower on
a student’s priority list than academics.

-Enoch

So What Is A Menstrual Cup?

2007-03-19T21:35:00.000-07:00

Recently, there has been a lot of discussion at Drew about the failures and successes of the school. As much as we all hate the Commons, the unreasonable treatment we often receive from ResLife and Public Safety, and the fact that there’s still no soap in the bathrooms, my time at Drew has not, by any means, felt like a waste. Some students complain that there is nothing to do on campus. I don’t know about them, but nearly everyday, out of the deluge of campus wide emails, I manage to find at least one message advertising an event that strikes my fancy. I’ve attended some pretty awesome events over the past three years, learned some stuff I never would have learned in a classroom.

I can think of no better example of this than when I attended a menstrual health workshop in the fall of 2005. It was hosted by, I believe Earth House and Womyn’s Concerns House, and out of curiosity, I attended with my roommate. This is where I first learned about menstrual cups and reusable pads, and after coming home from the event, I googled them both extensively. I ended up receiving my menstrual cup a couple months later, as a Christmas present from my slightly confused but supportive parents. Since then, menstrual cups have become my obsession. I feel like a Born Again Christian, except my passion is periods, not Jesus Christ Our Lord and Savior. I find myself proselytizing to anyone with a vagina who is willing to listen, and have converted a couple handfuls of friends and quadmates. So, if your mind is inquisitive, you probably have a couple questions.

What the hell is a menstrual cup?

A menstrual cup is a small cup that is inserted into your vagina and holds menstrual blood. It can then be removed, dumped, cleaned, and reinserted. There are both reusable and disposable varieties (the Instead being the disposable variety, and DivaCups, Keepers, Lunettes, and Mooncups being the reusables). Aside from the Keeper, which is made of rubber, the other reusable cups are made of medical grade silicone, which is hypoallergenic and very durable.

Why would you ever want to use one?

There are many different reasons why someone with a period would want to use one, but personally, I’m not fond of tampons or pads. I’m REALLY not fond of them now that I know what else is out there. The most basic reasons that I chose to try a cup out was that they are cheaper, better for the environment, and better for my body.

The initial cost of a reusable cup puts many people off at first, because they do cost more than a box of tampons. Generally, their price runs from about 20 to 35 dollars, depending on what deals you can find online. However, reusable cups pay for themselves quickly. It is a one-time investment, unlike disposables that you need to keep buying every month. A reusable silicone cup can last at least five years (although theoretically they can be used indefinitely. You just have to make sure not to drop it down the toilet or lose it). Some brands even offer a money back guarantee.

Because the cup is reusable, there is no waste produced. A woman will use an average of 17 shopping carts full of tampons or pads in her lifetime. That’s a lot of shit! Menstrual cups are much better for the environment. Wasting less and caring for the earth makes me feel good about myself!

Finally, menstrual cups are in many ways healthier for your vag. They don’t absorb your natural secretions (the ones that keep your vagina lubricated and self-cleaning), unlike tampons, which often come with the unfortunate side effect of absorbing EVERYTHING, not just blood. This results in a happier, healthier vagina, especially when coupled with the fact that it no longer has to worry about TSS (toxic shock syndrome), since silicone isn’t a hospitable environment for TSS bacteria to grow.

And if you needed more reasons to be convinced, there are plenty:

You can keep your cup in for longer amounts of time than tampons; I’ve kept mine in for a full 24 hours before with no problems. Especially awesome if you have a light period.
You’re not supporting huge, gross, profit-hungry corporations (who couldn’t care less about the women using their products)!
You can sterilize your cup as often as you want. Just stick it in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes and you’re good as new.
You can feel more connected with your body and your period. Some people think it’s gross and not to be talked about or dealt with any more than necessary, but it’s empowering and just damn interesting to see what your body is actually doing. If you really were curious, in fact, you can measure how heavy your flow is (the cup has markers that show how many mL it contains).
You can recycle your menstrual blood by making a water/blood mixture and watering your plants with it. I’m not even making this shit up. Plants love it, because menstrual blood is very nutrient-rich.
If you have any problems or questions, there are tons of other cup users eager to help you out. I am one of them, but there is a livejournal community dedicated to cups and can be found here: http://community.livejournal.com/menstrual_cups/

That, in short (or not so short), is why I love my cup. And one reason why, when all is said and done, I can feel good about the things I’ve gained from my time at Drew.

-emily

Student Government

2007-03-19T11:39:00.000-07:00

So, there is a lot of talk going on about the SGA and Student Union. I was lucky enough to have the time to sit in on a meeting between both the SGA and SDS (Students for Democratic Society). Many great ideas were shared, and many misconceptions were cleared up.

What do YOU think? Should there be a student union? Do you think we should have direct democracy on campus? What about the SGA? Do you feel sufficiently knowledgeable on how their process works? What do you think can be done to raise the dismal level of student participation? What would you like to see happen with our student government?

-Outsider

Why Are You So Hard On The Acorn?

2007-03-18T02:48:00.000-07:00

Readers and writers of the Nutcracker, this isn't much of an article as it is a long winded question. I "hear" an underlying negative magnetic flow through various writer's and responder's musings on this website towards the Acorn.

My question is, simply- Why? Have many/any of you submitted articles to the Acorn only to have them ____________, which was so very wrong in your point of view? (You can fill in the blank for me). I'd like to open up a discussion about this general opposition to one of the (from what I know) hardest working, ever pressured, and consistently degraded student group on campus. Yet, despite the anger and biting (rather than constructive) criticism they receive daily by their peers, they report for duty into the wee hours of the nights. Nights we spend drinking to our hearts desire, getting that coveted ass, or maybe studying for that exam. Those are luxuries few editors are able to receive.

How much do all of you know about journalism? Do you know what the University limits the Acorn to? When and if you submit an article, have you optioned to have them go over the editing process with you? Have any of you approached members of the Acorn staff with your qualms? Where, in your mind, are you justified in your attacks?

Like any group on campus, I know the Acorn suffers from lack of interest and participation. In the paper, I see the same writers every week. How do we expect them to improve if we aren't giving them any help? I especially love the letters to the editor. They're always an interesting read.

Where I came from, the newspaper was everything. On most campuses, the newspaper is a cause for controversy, as it should be. It tells you what's going on, whether you like it or not. And misquotations, sure they suck, yet how quick can you jot down a conversation, getting every last word? Even on a recorder, it's very hard to hear. Also, most campuses pay their newspaper staff, offer them credits for their hard work, give them a stipend, etc. I know the Acorn is self motivated, with fairly little help from the University.

I don't think a community should ever cut its major source of communication slack, but I do believe a lot of effort is wasted in complaining rather than in improving. Why do you criticize the Acorn with such disdain? And why aren't you using your energy to write something productive? Something that maybe you can take pride in? You can't claim an anonymous posting on a blog, but a clipping of an article you wrote is much more rewarding. I am all for improving our newspaper. After all, Drew isn't getting any better, and we all know that.

I'm just worried our priorities are out of line, and that the student body is turning into quite the complaining, narcissistic and self righteous bunch. It's very easy to criticize. And we all enjoy our defense mechanisms. But, first the SGA, now the Acorn. What are we going to take down next? The GLBTQ? Act Out? Rugby?

Where's the love?

-Prince Ali

War Protest

2007-03-17T15:29:00.000-07:00

Students will be walking out of class (or work, practice, whatever) at 12:00 NOON on Tuesday, March 20 as part of a National Day of Action Against the War, taking place at schools across the country.March 19th is the 4 year anniversary of the US war in Iraq. Four years?? That's how long most of us were in high school!check out this site to see what other schools are doing on march
http://march20antiwar.blogspot.com
(taken from the Student Walkout Against the War: 3/20 @ Noon facebook group)

SPEAK UP!

2007-03-06T22:16:00.000-08:00

I want to write in regards to the "controversy" that has presented itself in the past few entries. To be honest, its great. I'm glad people are writing comments and sharing their views. THIS IS A GOOD THING. If there is something that you disagree with, make yourself heard. Thats what this whole blog is about. We want you to speak up! Seriously, send us something. We'll put it up. Anything that matters to you.

-Outsider

I know this blog contains some heated issues but I have to ask that the comments be kept clean and professional. Please don't make any personal attacks or comment will not be published or even removed. If you take issue with a post WRITE YOUR OWN VIEW AND SUBMIT IT!!! If it is clean, we will post it. This site needs post created by the reader to continue to thrive. The site has more than a 1000 hits so people are reading. Come on I know someone has something to say and wants to put it in writing, WE NEED NEW POSTS.

- thanks for reading
A message from Spooky D

2007-03-06T15:10:00.000-08:00

This post comes a bit late, perhaps after anyone can relate. But last week in the Acorn, i read an article on cosmetic medical procedures. The article was accompanied by a very good, but somewhat disagreeable, drawing of two women's profiles. One looked young and pretty, the other was old, wrinkled, and grandmotherly. The younger-looking face had arrows pointing to various parts that proclaimed "Botox injections" and "chin lift," while the elder face had things such as "50th anniversary" and other pleasant memories.
The article spoke about how the high standard of beauty in today's society is pusing people to try with all their might to look beautiful, and pondered why respect for our elders and the aged beauty and wisdom they posess is at a low. The article asks, "since when is beauty strictly physical?"
I say: "So what?"
Beautiful doesnt mean vain. Attractive doesnt mean unloving. Gorgeous doesnt mean inexperienced.
What's wrong with Botox? or a face-lift? or a boob job? Really, what's wrong?
Beauty can be on the inside, but the ouside is definitely a place beauty should reside. And as if physical beauty has only been put on a pedestal recently! The ancient Greeks were definitely on a level here, not to mention numerous other cultures.
But i digress.
What i really got miffed about was how the article trashed my life's work. You see, i'm at college to go to med school, and my dream is to become a plastic surgeon. And there's nothing wrong with that.
Also, you cant change the standard of beauty with a tyrade of dissent. You can try really hard, but all you'll ever get is mad. Fat is gross. Wrinkles are undesirable. Zits arent rising in popularity either. We have the technology to help people improve their self image and dramatically change lives for the better. And i have to ask: what's wrong with that?

-savagery&grace

Norovirus Strikes Campus

2007-03-06T09:09:00.001-08:00

Norovirus has landed. This nasty virus has struck Fairleigh Dickinson and now the Drew campus. According to the CDC, the symptoms of Norovirus illness usually include

Nausea,

vomiting,

diarrhea,

stomach cramping

Sometimes

low-grade fever,

chills,

headache,

muscle aches,

general sense of tiredness.

The illness often begins suddenly, and the infected person may feel very sick. In most people the illness is self-limiting with symptoms lasting for about 1 or 2 days. In general, children experience more vomiting than adults. Most people with Norovirus illness have both of these symptoms.

Treatment

Currently, there is no antiviral medication that works against Norovirus and there is no vaccine to prevent infection. Norovirus infection cannot be treated with antibiotics. This is because antibiotics work to fight bacteria and not viruses.
Norovirus illness is usually brief in healthy individuals. Those who are infected should drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. Dehydration is the most serious health effect that can result from Norovirus infection. Sports drinks do not replace the nutrients and minerals lost during this illness.

I know one person who had all these symptoms. So BECARFULL all those out there beware
beware the virus it transmitted through touch and ingestion so wash your hands and don’t share food

- Spooky D

Its Comic Time

2007-03-05T22:54:00.000-08:00

The Nutcracker is looking for funny comics , we need funny comics! So send in some those ideas or even better some of your comics

Heres one of a not funny comic, Click on the image to make it full size then post any comments

To Be Honest......

2007-03-05T22:27:00.000-08:00

The V-Day movement is obnoxious. For anyone that doesn’t know, it’s some creepy cult’s plan to make Valentine’s Day into a celebration of female independence through vagina-empowering rhetoric and rape stories formulated to stimulate male guilt. The chief weapon employed by this fringe faction is known as the Vagina Monologues, and it is Eve Ensler’s (a militant lesbian vengeful over being abused by her father) episodic play in which some women get on a stage and say stuff about vaginas.

So I figured I’d get into the play, sit down, and sit fuming for two hours about all the bullshit the audience was being fed. But to my surprise, there wasn’t nearly as much of that as I anticipated. In fact, the whole ordeal was pretty un-evocative. I don’t mean just fury, I mean in general. I was actually quite pleased to discover that about two thirds of the play is potty humor.

Yes, there was some bullshit, obviously. Like in the monologue of the woman who gets all offended that no one’s invented a more comfortable tampon. Takes it personally that it’s uncomfortable to go to the doctor’s office. Thinks that it’s a conspiracy against women.It might have been a joke, but it was hard to tell.

And in all the stories about all the abuses men inflict. Every story about rape built up dramatically to it, putting the event on a pedestal from which it could be seen by all men, that they might feel ashamed. They sometimes seem even to go so far as to neglect touching on the woman’s trauma at being raped in favor of using the story to lash out against the male gender.

But for the most part, the Vagina Monologues was just some harmless fluff. Some gross-out anatomical descriptions, some crude references for shock value, some lame potty humor, some cutesy kid-babble, some stupid would-be poetry about the vagina as some sacred something-or-other. Final opinion: Skip it next time. It’s hardly even worth getting mad about.

-Enoch

FREE MUSIC!

2007-03-05T12:17:00.000-08:00

Coming back to this whole "free shit on the internet" thing, we found a great program where you can download FREE MUSIC. Check it out Ruckus.com. Designed for college students, Ruckus allows you to download any of their 2.5 MILLION songs for free. The only catch is that you cant play it on itunes or through an ipod/mp3 player. Legally that is. Go to the website, download the player. Get music.

-Outsider

WHERE DID SHE GO!?

2007-03-05T12:16:00.000-08:00

There is one question that I think has been at the back of many of our minds...

What happened to the cookie lady!?

Meeting with the Students for a Democratic Society

2007-03-04T11:44:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday night, the 28^th of February, I attended a gathering – no, something much more – a passionate convergence of highly motivated and inspirational Drew University students; a convergence vibrating not only with a want and determination for a functioning democratic participatory system, but above all, vibrating with frequencies of peace, love and a desire to do good by bettering our campus and its inhabitants. If you have not already guesses, the meeting I attended, was a Students for a Democratic Society meeting. After an hour an a half of observing and conversing with the members of this group, I, myself, was inspired to produce a reaction to what I experienced which I present to you now.

The meeting adjourned at approximately 10:00 pm with students commenting around the circle what SDS was in their eyes. Newcomers like myself, of which there were a few, were also encouraged to comment on why they were at the meeting. I mentioned that having heard about SDS through several friends, I was there to learn more and also that I had sat in on an SGA meeting and now I wanted to sit in on an SDS meeting. The meeting then continued with the first topic on the agenda which was to discuss the execution of a police brutality workshop to inform students what they can and can’t say or do to Public Safety and police in general, as well as other information pertinent to DPD officers being dicks towards students.

Now I will not try to pretend that I am the most outgoing person on campus, nor that I am quick to make friends or even casual acquaintances, least of all as a newcomer in a group of people, the majority of which I have never met before, however I was almost shocked as how quickly I felt that my presences at the meeting was not only acknowledged, but what’s more, greatly appreciated. Forget for a moment the fact that SDS is a group of people aspiring to function as a truly participatory system which would required them to acknowledge every voice that speaks up. Throw this aside, and trust me when I say that this is a group of genuine, sincere, wholeheartedly caring and accepting people that want to be your friend. I truly feel as though I have just made a dozen now friends with whom I could go to right now and strike up a conversation with.

Now toss back into the salad the fact that all these real and caring people are gathering under one roof and you’ve got a band of powerfully compassionate people with vibrations of devotion and sincerity resonating together into one strong voice that deeply desires to bridge the gap between the administration and the students of Drew University.

I am seriously turned on and I want to hear more.

-Dan Bindschedler

Weird History

2007-03-03T13:14:00.000-08:00

We all know the term "420" but not many know the origin of the term. According to Snopes.com an urban legend site '420' began in 1971 as a bit of slang casually used by a group of high school kids at San Rafael High School in California. The term was a reminder of the time they planned to meet to light up, 4:20 p.m. Keep in mind this wasn't a general call to all dope smokers everywhere to toke up at twenty past four every day; it was twelve kids who'd made a date to meet near a certain statue.
Read the whole article

Free Stuff

2007-03-03T11:55:00.000-08:00

The web is cluttered with stories about supposedly free software. A person will likely find that most of these claims are false. I have combed through all the offers and selected one program that stands above the rest. In the future I will post some of my other finds

This program is a mix between Adobe Photoshop and paint. It has many of the same photo editing tools as Photoshop but has better drawing tools like Microsoft paint. I actually prefer this program to Photo shop. The interface is mush simpler and the program functions like Microsoft paint. It only takes a short while to figure out the various tools unlike the complex Photo Shop. The major drawback is some tools are missing like the “magnetic lasso” and others are not as effective as in Photoshop. Over all this is a kickass program that is worth a download and as a plus is faster to get then illegal copies of Photoshop.

Download it here

-Spooky D

2 Legit.

2007-03-02T14:38:00.000-08:00

Legitimate Business is playing a FREE show this sunday at the Space. Come get your face melted by their awesomeness.

This Sunday, the 4th, 8:00 P.M. @ The Space

Music!

2007-03-02T14:31:00.001-08:00

If you're bored on campus... LEAVE! Go see some of these upcoming concerts. Music is good for your health.

Stellastar @ Gramercy Theater, NYC - 3/7/07

Big D and the Kids Table, Anti Flad, Alexisonfire @ Irving Plaza - 3/8/07

Bob Weir and Ratdog @ Beacon Theater, NYC - 3/8-9/07

Of Montreal @ Irving Plaza, NYC - 3/9-10/07

Flogging Molly @ Starland Ballroom NJ - 3/9/07

Sparta with Mewithoutyou @ The Warsaw, NYC - 3/11/07

The Roots @ The Nokia Theater, NYC - 3/11-12/07

Public Enemy @ B.B. Kings, NYC - 3/11/07

Isis @ Irving Plaza, NYC - 3/14/07

The Shins @ The Theater at Madison Square Garden, NYC - 3/14/07

Aretha Franklin @ The Palace Theater, Albany - 3/16/07

The Pogues @ Roseland Ballroom, NYC - 3/17/07

Powerman 5000 @ Starland Ballroom, NJ - 3/18/07

Explosions In The Sky @ Webster Hall, NYC - 3/20/07

Clutch @ Irving Plaza, NYC - 3/20/07

Allman Brothers Band @ Beacon Theater, NYC - 3/20 through 4/07 (*Annual Beacon Run)

Indigo Girls @ Town Hall, NYC - 3/21/06

Lamb of God w/ Trivium @ Roseland Ballroom, NYC - 3/22/07

Christina Aguilera @ Madison Square Garden, NYC - 3/23/07

Tea Leaf Green @ Irving Plaza, NYC -3/24/07

Snow Patrol @ Theater at Madison Square Garden, NYC - 3/27/07

Bloc Party @ United Palace Theater, NYC - 3/30-31/07

Taking Back Sunday @ Palace Theater, Albany - 4/1/06

Long Winters @ Union Hall, NYC - 4/2/07

Tool Originally 4/15/07 but is being rescheduled.

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE w/ Wu Tang Clan @ Rock The Bells, NYC - 7/28/07

Looking for something to do this summer, check out these kick ass summer music festivals:

Bonnaroo
Langerado
Coachella
Summer Camp
Wakarusa

Check this out. Its worth the time.

2007-03-02T11:56:00.000-08:00

Here is a very interesting (albeit slightly scary) informational packet on Global Warming done by the Intergovenmental Panel On Climate Change.

This is definitely worth taking the time out of your day for.

Want to to do something about this massive problem WE ALL face?

Here's a good place to start.

-Outsider

President Weisbuch's Student Meeting

2007-03-01T19:13:00.000-08:00

Yesterday evening in the Welch/Holloway lounge, president Weisbuch held an intimate meeting with students. An interesting and enlightening conversation was had. The president wanted feed back from the student body (with out the middle man we call the SGA), and that is exactly what he got. Many topics were discuss over pizza, soda and chips.

One student brought up the topic of making a stronger effort to bring more well known bands to come play at Drew. Weisbuch was seemingly very interested. He spoke of how he loved when bands would come splay his college back in the day, as well as how he would like to attempt to draw larger bands here to Drew. Since the school is located so close to New York City, it would be easy for bands to stop here the night before or after a show in the city.

The topic of the school's food problems brought out almost everyone's opinions. Weisbuch revealed that the administration is currently looking at 6 different food vendors. When he asked the audience if everyone hated the food, there was a resounding "YES" from almost everyone in attendance. It was brought up that perhaps the school shouldn't spend so much money on decorating the commons, and instead use that money to improve the food.

Very interestingly, the president revealed that he had bee toying with the idea of adding a possibly 24 hour convenient store on campus in which students could get "grab and go" food at all hours.

Many different students brought up various stories of unfulfilled work orders, and various other problems with technical aspects of the school. A student spoke of how the Holloway 3rd floor showers have been broken for the past four months. A work order was filed by both the floor RA and the building's RD before winter break. Another student spoke of how part of the Pub's roof had collapsed. It was not fixed for two whole semesters. President Weisbuch said that he was both "embarrassed and saddened" to know that this was going on. He spoke of trying to "fix the system."

The President also revealed that the school is heading towards a big capitol (fundraising) campaign.

It was good to see the president listening to what the students of this university had to say. He seemed to be actually interested no less. But as they say, the proof will be in the proverbial pudding.

What do you think? What should the school focus its attention on? Food? New dorms? Fixing the dorms we already have? Bringing famous bands here? Share your view!

-Outsider

The Perks of Running a Legitimate Business

2007-03-01T17:46:00.001-08:00

This is an article that ran in the February 23^rd Issue of The Acorn. I, the author have restored it to its unedited state as originally intended. Two main paragraphs (which The Acorn cut out) are highlighted in red. Many other words and sentenced were edited out or changed around by The Acorn. This point of submitting this article to The Nutcracker is primarily demonstrate the censorship that the executive editors employ over their writers, and secondarily as a shameless plug for my work in attempt to obtain feedback on my writing style. Ok, well, voila…

The Perks of Running a Legitimate Business

By Dan Bindschedler

Sharp guitar chords cut through fierce waves of a melodious horn section while a persistent walking bass line outlines the harmony. A steady drum beat rumbles below while heartfelt lyrics lay down an eternal credo: “We are the strong, the brave, the few.”

This is just a taste of the fast paced, gritty flow of powerful music coming from Legitimate Business, a band known fairly well among New Jersey’s underground music scene. Last semester, Drew University welcomed freshman Stephan Wozniak, bass player and co-founder of Legitimate Business. The young, yet experienced musician, may not be able to tell you how to trade stocks on wall street, or give a lecture on economic principles, but he can tell you how much the corporate music world sucks and how good it feels to own the bragging rights to a song on the Tony Hawk’s Project 8 Soundtrack. His Ska-Punk ensemble—which in truth is neither “Ska” nor “Punk”—is already a familiar face at TOE and among students on campus. Legitimate Business— comprised of Singer, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Trumpet and Trombone and Drums, is pulling into its second year as a serious musical outfit.

Wozniak started playing bass when he was 14 and soon after picked up the guitar as well. He remembers his group forming at first as a way to kill time. Soon after, they then began performing seriously around early 2005 at which point Wozniak was actually playing guitar; around November of that year, he switched over to bass. Many other changes have occurred since their creation. For example, Steve and singer Mark Ambrose are currently the only two members remaining from the original line-up of Legitimate Business. “We’ve had problems with guys who couldn’t make practice several times in a row.” Well, it looks like these changes were for the better because somewhere along the line, Legitimate Business must have struck the right chord; anyone with a Playstation 2 and a skateboard should be familiar with their music. Their hit “80 on 80” is featured on the Tony Hawk Project 8 soundtrack. The story of this breakthrough, which Steve agreed, certainly helped propel Legitimate Business’ career is a golden plug for Myspace. “I knew a guy who was working with Eversoft (creators of the Tony Hawk game series) and he heard our song on Myspace and wanted it for the game.”

Legitimate Business then had their first serious recording session at a home recording studio so they could make a better recording of “80 on 80” for the game. It was here that Steve had his first encounter with some of the more disgruntling aspects of the music world. “The owners of the recording studio had all this really amazing hi-quality equipment but they had no clue what they were doing. They ended up getting drunk and accidentally deleting our recordings.” Well, that just sucks.

However, Legitimate Business obviously has moved on to bigger and better things. Wozniak remembers how much more easily gigs were made available to the band after having their name on the Tony Hawk Soundtrack: “Before Tony Hawk, we had been invited to play at this one music scene in Syracuse, New York but it wasn’t really worth it because the promoters wanted us to drive four hours to play and they weren’t even going to pay us, so we turned them down,” Wozniak said. “After Tony Hawk came out, they really wanted us to play and were offering to pay and feed and pamper us.” This two-faced attitude, along with many other incidents marked the beginning of Steve’s taste aversion for the false colors of the music world.

It may seem like Steve Wozniak is living the dream of every garage band, yet he himself is hesitant to agree. “When I’m on stage playing, and people have driven hours to see me, it’s the best feeling of my life. But when I’m offstage, it’s the best worst feeling possible.” This disgruntled attitude, Steve explains, is a direct result of critics, promoters, the corporate aspect of the music scene, and largely because he “hates Ska.” Yes, this is a shocking statement to hear coming from one of the founding members of a successful underground Ska-punk band that has received notable success in the underground scene.

However, Steve Wozniak’s justification is rationally heartfelt and genuine. “It’s a horrible genre,” he said. “The people suck and we are constantly taking verbal abuse and criticism from music elitists that judge our music without even listening to it.” Regardless of the fact that a community of pundits come hand in hand with any form of art, Legitimate Business seems to receive a certain amount of hypocritical bashing. “People see that we happen to have horns in our band and then say we’re not Ska enough.” Wozniak say that these critics don’t know their music. He clarifies that while “Ska-Punk” may be similar Legitimate Business, the band doesn’t really fall into that genre. Wozniak would describe it as a sound that is unique and distinct and that they are assumed to be part of the genres because of their horn section.

It is problems like this that cause Wozniak, after approximately two years of playing with Legitimate Business to look at the aspects of making a career out of his band with much less eagerness. “I would be interested in seriously pursuing LB if the music world wasn’t so corporate. I hate sucking up” On the upside, Wozniak has gotten to get on stage and actually play along side bands that influenced Legitimate Business such as Big D and the Kids, The Pie Tasters, and Arrogant Sons of Bitches. “We’ve pretty much gotten to play with just about every band I’ve grown up listening to.” Wozniak also jumped at the opportunity to give some insight and support for another influential band called Bomb The Industry. He explained this unique group as more or less the musical equivalent of Communism. Fans of Bomb The Industry can get their hands on all the music and lyrics for free on the official website, and while there is no official merchandise, the band encourages fans to bring blank t-shirts to concerts where artists, using spray paint and stencils will create put Bomb The Industry designs on the shirts for free. All that Bomb The Industry asks in return is tips, food, shelter and a little appreciation for dirty commies. Other possibilities with music are intriguing to the young star. Wozniak expressed a possible interest in playing with other people and branching out into different in genres like folk-punk. He named a few other powerful noises of interest including World/ Inferno Friendship Society, Outkast, and The Beastie Boys (the Baddest Hebes this Side of Tel Aviv).

Wozniak is happy to be at Drew, but he admits that since he’s been off at college, finding time for everyone in the band to get together and crank out practice sessions has become a struggle: “It’s definitely become a lot harder at college. We’ve got two guys at William and Patterson, and two in high school who are going off to college next year.” Due to location and scheduling conflicts, Legitimate Business is forced to practice off campus. And of course the lack of space available for musicians to rock out at Drew University doesn’t help the band’s bassist get in much solo practice time.

In fact, Wozniak is among a large community of rock n rollers at drew who continue to reiterate that the music scene on campus, while abundant in potential, is lacking the means to help a whole slew of artists flourish. Yet, a vivid young fan hears hope in the echoing wails of Legitimate Business: freshman Joe Maron and No. 1 Superfan of Mr. Wozniak glorifies his esteemed college and Legitimate Business decrying that they “bring a certain element of musical energy that is lacking at Drew.” Mr. Marron whole-heartedly emphasizes that this quality, which surely many other talented musicians on campus share, necessitates an on campus “jam space.” Mr. Maron, who knows Steve Wozniak personally, guarantees that the star is dedicated to his fans and that “if enough people come to his shows, I will get him to play topless.” Well, clothed or not, Steve Wozniak and Legitimate Business are talented new addition to Drew University and should be accordingly recognized. Several up coming shows are in store for Legitimate Business, such as the 2007 Honduras Project, as well as performances off campus with Whole Wheat Bread in March.