“Today we dine in Lansing”

That’s right students from across the state of Michigan descended on its capital to let its legislators know one thing, stop putting the financial burden on the backs of the students.

The message was heard buy legislators in the form of a rally held on the capital lawn and talking with them in their offices.

I spent the morning with about a dozen Western Michigan University students lobbying legislators in their offices then joined hundreds of my peers on the lawn of the capital.

We can only hope that our message will be taken to heart and action and an investment in Higher Education will be taken.

links 09-24-2007

• Stop putting the financial burden on the students and fund higher education fairly.

Think Before You Type

The internet can be a blanket of anonymous bickering. People don’t sign their names to comments and leave crude remarks that they would never say in a face to face conversation. We are all a little guilty of having these feelings every once in awhile but some choose to let it out online.

Surprisingly though, some do so with there names attached as if no one will ever catch them. Watching discussions on Facebook go back dozens of times, with the next response more brutal then the next is astonishing that people lay out their dirty laundry in such a way.

We are all of a sudden in the midst of what has turned into a personal yet publicly held confrontation. It’s like driving by a very slow car accident each post one more crumple in the fender. It’s hard not to read the next post and find out who is at fault.

Discussions of troubling topics are important, but at the same time how much of the internal slander is appropriate for the rest of the world to see? What kind of impression does this give others? If the topics revolve around university functions, how will others then perceive the institution?

Recently this ornate discussion in the news and on Facebook have brought a few topics come to mind; the creation of the new football student section named “The Western Waldos”, the parking lot turned seating area in front of Sangren Hall, and more name calling about are we “Wastern” or Western Michigan University.

To those involved take a moment to please think before you type. Buckle up because college is more than an experience had online and we don’t need anymore accidents to watch on the World Wide Web.

links 09-19-2007

• May You Be Inscribed in the Book of Life

לשנה טובה

• Well wishes from flickr

Firsrt Day of School

Most students had class Tuesday while I did not because the only Tuesday class I have is a lab which does not meet the first week. I made up for it, by having all four of my courses Wednesday and spent close to eight hours at the engineering campus. But it will be worth it. My Mondays and Wednesdays are long but the others three days of the school week and relatively light.

Above is my yearly first day of school photo. We would take one every year in front of our house. I still continue the tradition and have only missed taking one my freshmen year due to a lack of camera.