college students

Columbus Day: Yay or Nay?

by Patrick Simas on October 10, 2011

Every second Monday in October, the Unites States observes Columbus Day, celebrating Christopher Columbus and his triumph in “discovering” the New World in 1492. In 1937, Columbus day officially became a Federal Holiday thanks to  FDR, but the Anti-Columbus day movement has always made this holiday a controversial one to observe. Should we really observe a man who was part of the exploitation of Natives?

Reconsider Columbus Day is a website petitioning against the recognition of Columbus Day and wants a nationally-praised Indigenous Holiday in place of it. Since 2009, this campaign has been trying to gain support and spread their message, belittling the so-called triumphs of Christopher Columbus.

They vehemently assert that Columbus is a “man who committed heinous crimes against the Indigenous people of the Caribbean and throughout the Americas,” which is surprisingly a fair argument. Columbus, like many of the other European explorers following him, enslaved, mistreated, and murdered Native Americans. But is it really the brutal exploitaition of Natives that Americans are celebrating?Without Christopher Columbus’ encountering the Taino natives, then the course of history would have changed. It was inevitable for Europeans and Native Americans to have met and conflict between both cultures would still have been devastating, but what resulted from the tragedy is a clash of diversity with the exchange of cultural ideas, beliefs, crops, and other goods. European civilization in the New World was one of the foundations leading up to the culmination of the United States, but the conflict (in ANY  form) was inevitable.
I’m not dismissing what had happened in 1492 – not one bit. What had happened to the Taino native tribes was wrong and immoral, and those actions of racism and exploitation are not to be celebrated. If anything, Christopher Columbus should be celebrated for one thing and one thing only: exploring across the sea, landing on a New World, which lead to expansion and civilization. As for the actions the explorers took to expand and explore, it shouldn’t be celebrated.

The only way to compromise this issue is to form some kind of Indigenous Holiday that observes the Natives in our country before Columbus. Before we are allowed to say that  this is “our” country, we need to recognize that it was once solely the Natives’ country. Whether it’s a simple name change, or a separate holiday entirely, the most important thing that needs to be solidified is a national appreciation for the convergence of two cultures and what is now an incredibly diverse nation. Whether you are Native American, Italian American, African American, etc…, you are both still American.

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Pat Uncensored: Freedom to Challenge

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by Patrick Simas on September 29, 2011

As college students, the First Amendment enables us to have a free exchange of opinions and ideas, though negative or offensive. It’s our responsibility to dispute claims and participate in discussions challenging our morals.

“Being offended is what happens when you have your deepest beliefs challenged,” said Greg Lukianoff, president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE). “If you go through four years of college without having your beliefs challenged, you should ask for your money back.”

FIRE is an organization who’s mission is “to defend and sustain individual rights at America’s colleges and universities.” As a writer, the First Amendment is a right that I hold dearly, which allows me to challenge and be challenged.

This should be a must have in everyone’s education. What exactly are we paying for? We should be developing new ideas and being progressive with our education.Yes, college is a fun experience, but what we do with our education is important.

If some one is saying, writing, or doing anything that is offensive, hurtful, or unethical to you, then you should dispute them with logic, knowledge, and what you think is right. Never stoop down to their level – prove them wrong and stand tall.

It’s sad but true that we have to refute ideas of hate or otherwise hurtful speech, but if people focus on an ultimate goal of working together and calling for new ideas, then perhaps we can grow, prosper, and live together. Free of Hate. Free of Racism. Simply free..

 

 

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5 Amusingly Weird Mascots

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by KellyWhelan on September 28, 2011

On my first day of college, as I was moving into my freshman dorm room, I encountered a bear. Obviously, it wasn’t a real bear—how would a bear get into a dorm building without a Connect Card?!

I soon learned that this fake bear, who smiled and offered to pose for a picture, was BSU’s mascot, Bristaco. As far as mascots go, Bristaco isn’t winning any awards in the weirdness department. The same cannot be said, however, for the following five characters

5. The Fighting Pickles

Yes there really is a mascot that’s a pickle—I’m not gherkin you around…get it? When a contest was held in the 1970s to name the mascot at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, this veggie came out on top. Even though UNCSA has no official athletic teams, the students are still very proud of their little cucumber. One thing’s for certain, UNCSA’s mascot certainly isn’t dill (dull). (*editors note- Got enough puns, Kelly? -Heidi)

4. Gray Harbor Chokers

Would you want to play against a college team whose mascot is called the choker? Depending which definition of the word you’re working with, your answer will be very different. But the Gray Harbor Chokers weren’t named for acts of violence or for losing their nerve on the field—their mascot actually represents a particularly dangerous job in the logging industry.

3. The Mythical Gorlock

Ever heard of a mythical creature called a Gorlock? If you haven’t, it might be because it was completely made up by the students and staff at Webster University. A Gorlock apparently has the paws of a cheetah, the horns of a buffalo, and the face of a Saint Bernard. This mascot, like the pickle, was created during a contest. Its name is a combination of the two streets that intersect at the heart of the Webster University’s campus, Gore and Lockwood avenues.

2. Go Geoducks Go!

Geoducks (pronounced Goo-ee-duck) are not ducks at all. They’re a kind of mollusk that’s native to the Pacific Northwest. Why Evergreen State College chose a saltwater clam (which looks suspiciously like a sex organ) for its mascot, we may never know. But, they certainly appreciate their mascot, since they even honor it with a song (which I seriously encourage everyone to check out).

1. Eutectic

I chose this as the number one weirdest mascot because it fits the St. Louis College of Pharmacy so well. And because of the creativity it must have taken to make a lovable, furry mascot out of a scientific process. Eutectic is apparently a common term in pharmacology—it’s when you combine two solids to form a liquid. The school website claims their mascot is the perfect metaphor for their combination of “athletics and a demanding academic program.” Mortimer McPestle (“Morty”), the Eutectic, has been the school’s mascot since 1993 when he took over for a purple dinosaur named “Rex”(Rx).

These certainly aren’t all of the many weird college mascots. But, whether you school roots for Banana Slugs, Boll Weevils, or Bears, mascots are often an amusing part of the college experience.

 

If you ran your own college, what would YOU choose as a mascot?

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