Tomorrow, the most storied rivalry in College Sports will be on display. Both teams having played exceptionally well. The conference title is on the line. The last game either team has played where they were not the heavy favorites, was the one they played a year ago, against their despised rivals.
No, the game will not be held in either Columbus, Ohio or Ann Arbor, Michigan. The teams that take the field will not be donning the Blue and Maize of the Michigan Wolverines or the Scarlet and Grey of the Ohio State Buckeyes. Rather, the Sons of Eli will be taking on the dark Crimson warriors at the Class of 1954 Field. This will be the 124th Edition of "The Game". It is the first time where the outright Ivy League Championship has been on the line in nearly forty years.
Even the President, who attended both fine instituitions, has weighed in, predicting undefated Yale (ranked #11th in D-IAA) lead by junior running back Mike McLeod to prevail over 7-2 Harvard in a game where emotions run high and tradition runs deep.
Many a Harvard man (and woman?) remain bitter over Yale's "We Suck" Prank.
Michael Kai and David Aulicino, two Yale students from the Class of 2005, created and coordinated the plan. Disguised as the "Harvard Pep Squad," they and twenty classmates handed white and crimson placards to fans in the central area of the Harvard side of the stadium, which comprised primarily Harvard alumni, as well as a few faculty, students, and other fans. The group told the crowd that by lifting the placards they would spell "GO HARVARD." The placards were actually arranged to spell "WE SUCK."
Most of the Harvard student section, sitting to the placards' left, did not see the placards at all. Many Harvard fans left the stands not knowing what had taken place. Unable to see what the placards spelled, many Harvard fans did not know they had been duped until days later.
But the Harvard football team witnessed the prank and soon began spreading the news.
"It was almost sad," said Davey. "There were all these grandfather and grandmother types -- and they all had big smiles, saying, 'Oh you're so cute, I'm so glad you're doing this.' I felt bad for about two minutes. Then I got over it."
Friday, November 16, 2007
Columbia University President, Racist Hypocrite: Lee Bollinger
tNew York City is often referred to as the “melting pot” of the many nationalities and cultures that make America such a diverse nation. This diversity, enriches the quality of life in America, and is one of the basic building blocks of the American dream. Columbia University, whose historic Morningside Heights campus is located in the heart of Harlem, epitomizes this cultural coming together, with over 450 different student groups with religious/social concerns. Columbia University President, Lee Bollinger, has been an advocate of tolerant use of First Amendment rights, authoring The Tolerant Society, Images of a Free Press.
All of this makes the latest happenings at Columbia University all the more troubling.
On the September 26th, 2007 the following message was scrawled on the wall of a bathroom in the International Affairs Building “Attention You pinko Commie Motherfuckers and Arab Towelheads: America will wake up one day and Nuke Mecca, Medina, Tehran, Baghdad, Jakarta, and all the savages in Africa. You will all be fucked! America is for White Europeans."
This came in light of the University’s decision to invite Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to speak before the University’s Student Body at the Roone Arledge Auditorium. Lee Bollinger introduced Ahmadinejad with the most caustic of remarks, going as far as saying that Ahmadinejad “exhibit[s] all the signs of a petty and cruel dictator.”
In a very reserved and professional manner, Ahmadinejad replied “I think the authorities and officials of the university should practice a little more listening to other points of view and listen to things they don’t like to hear.”
Americans are proud of their freedom of speech, exercise this franchise more than any other, and use it to justify their speech—except for speech they hate.
A consortium of seven Iranian Universities issued this statement “Such an insult, in a scholarly atmosphere, to the president of a country with ... a recorded history of 7,000 years of civilization and culture is deeply shameful.”
Bollinger continued his inflammatory remarks by suggesting that “Ahmadinejad lacks courage to answer questions”.
The David Project, a center for Jewish leadership that allegedly promotes a fair and honest understanding of the Arab-Israeli conflict, insinuated that Columbia professors discriminated against Israeli students or those who defended Israel’s right to exist.
These remarks were based on a biased report by a biased committee which ignored the facts to protect its own. Despite an absolute lack of concrete evidence, Bollinger sought to concretely supporrt the matter. And why wouldn’t he, their position fell right in line with his. The Zionist Propaganda against Iran proved to be the driving force that “justified” Bollinger’s remarks.
This anti-Semitic sentiment was not the first time Bollinger has directly experienced his racist views. In 2003, Bollinger made headlines as defendant in the Supreme Court Case Gratz v. Bollinger. The court found by a 6-3 margin in that the undergraduate admissions policies of Michigan were not narrowly tailored to a compelling interest in diversity, but rather designed to artificially restrict the number of applicants of certain racial backgrounds, particularly students of Asian background (Middle Eastern, Oriental, Sub-Continental etc.) This was in clear violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
On the surface, Bollinger is the compassionate man, concerned about the well being of others. In response “Jena at Columbia”, the placement of a hanging noose in front of the door of an African-American professor, Bollinger said in a prepared statement, “This is an assault on African Americans and therefore it is an assault on every one of us. I know I speak on behalf of every member of our communities in condemning this horrible action. I also want to express our full support of Teachers College and President Susan Furhman in dealing with this matter.”
Yet when push has come to shove, particularly in the case of the building of the Manhattanville Campus, Bollinger's anti-Afro sentiments take center stage. Columbia University is currently in the works of constructing a new campus in the West Harlem neighborhood of Manhattanville. Any time large-scale construction efforts are undertaken on a community with the socioeconomic make-up of Manhattanville, there will be severe ramifications. The most significant of these is the complete deletion of land set aside for affordable housing. Additionally, the proposed buildings are glass encased high rise buildings designed by Renzo Piano. In today’s world, glass is the material of power and “transparency” does not equal inclusion. Rather, it further contributes to the “campus fortress effect”. Furthermore, Columbia states that it is only willing to preserve two National Register Landmark buildings in the expansion zone, while the twelve other buildings of similar classification are set to be bulldozed.
Among the facilities to be built is a state-of-the-art BioTech Level Three Lab. Biotech Labs are rated on a scale of 1 to 4 with Level Four labs being the most dangerous. Columbia has gone forth with the building of the lab despite the threat of transmitting potentially lethal diseases to the neighboring communities via pollution of the airways. Columbia University has a poor safety record. It was fined $792,029 in 2002 by the U.S. Environmental Protection A gency for violations involving improper storage and disposal of toxic waste and faulty emergency plans.
This lethal biohazard, in addition to the loss of local jobs, and destruction of the history of a neighborhood born out of the culturally rich Harlem Renaissance has stirred up a whirlwind of protest. In blatant disregard to obvious community concern, Bollinger has repeatedly stated that the community’s opposition is confined to a small and vocal minority. This is over course, completely ignorant of the Community Board’s 32-2 vote against Columbia’s plan.
Bollinger’s approach is based on the discredited Bob Moses type of development that is achieved only through the destruction of the existing community. Why cant’ there be a genuine partnership between with so much to offer, and a vibrant, diverse community with a rich history of inclusiveness and creativity? Why must it be campus or community? Bollinger’s eviction-based, eminent domain driven plan seeks to eliminate a predominantly Afro-Hispanic working class community.
Up until now, Bollinger has managed to cower behind his Board of Trustees; he has been able to justify his actions as “for the greater good” of the University and its Community. But between a mangled PR debacle with the African-American community over the Manhattanville campus and a consistent stance of siding with the radical views of Zionist Project David (and by extension, the existence of Israel) even in the face of overwhelming evidence in the opposite direction, it is clear that Columbia University President Lee Bollinger is nothing more than a racist hypocrite, a man whose ideals have less backbone than a chocolate éclair.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
The Evils of Poland Spring
Poland “Silent” Spring
In September of 2007, the Poland Spring Bottled Water Company introduced its new “Eco-Shape Bottle”. Poland Spring claims that the new cap is “100% Recyclable” and that the body of the bottle is made up of 30% less plastic than the average half-liter bottle.
Such claims are misinformed at best.
Plastic recycling, especially for those with Resin Identification Number of 1 or 2, involves the process of recovering scrap or waste plastics and reprocessing the material into useful products. This could mean melting down polyester soft drink bottles then spinning the polymer into fibers.
From The Second Law of Thermodynamics we know that “mechanical work can be derived from a body only when that body interacts with another at a lower temperature; any spontaneous process results in an increase of entropy”. In a nutshell, the Second Law of Thermodynamics tells us that, there is an “energy toll” to any spontaneous process. It seems that “Envi-Sci Braintrust” at Poland Spring forgot that in the waste hierarchy of prevent-reduce-reuse-recycle-energy recovery-disposal, that recycle is worse than prevent, reduce, and reuse, three easily achieved goals.
By extension, this means that if we wanted to do anything in the way of recycling plastic, we must first pay an “energy toll”, and since the Law of Conservation of Mass tells us that we will not be creating any matter, we are essentially paying an energy toll to recover material that should not have been in the solid-waste stream in the first place.
It would be a naïve of us to think that such an egregious error was the product of underdeveloped thought. Rather, there is evidence of some foul-play. Poland Spring seems to have embarked on its new “eco-friendly” campaign after receiving harsh criticisms for its other products. Launched in March of 2007, the new “Safe-Twist Bottle”, allegedly designed with the safety of children in mind, certainly did not have the safety of the children’s Earth in mind. The caps of the “Safe-Twist Bottle” are not only irremovable, but made up of a hard plastic with a Resin Identification Number closer to 2 than 1. This boils down to a Racamier Paradox, a "mental formation that indissolubly binds two propositions or directives that are irreconcilable and yet not contradictory" -- while the recycling processes for the bottle and the cap itself are completely different Poland Spring has made the two inseparable, joined like biracial Siamese twins.
The flaws of the Paradox extend further; the hard plastic cap is both too large and too hard to be crushed by most industrial-sized recyclers. An attempt to recycle the bottle would at best jam the machine and take it out service for a set amount of time, at worst, it would cause spontaneous combustion within the reactor phase of the recycling process. The recycling machine would try too hard too crush the uncrushable bottle, and since the cap is removable air pressure builds within the bottle, once the machine finally tries too hard to crush it, either by increasing the temperature of the system, or simply by adding more power, the bottle would spontaneously combust within the machine, destroying both the machine and tons of recycled material.
Poland Spring’s claim that by using 30% less plastic, it would reduce its toll on the environment—this claim seems to make too much sense. Reduce is higher than recycle in the Waste Hierarchy; why waste and recycle when you can reduce? There is however, one instance where putting in extra plastic serves a benefit, when it reduces the amount of “Plastic Leaching” generated by the water bottle. Because more plastic content means greater structural integrity for the water bottle, the bottle is less likely to “leach chemicals” when there is more plastic in the bottle. Dr. Vreni Gurd of the Chek Institute had this to say about chemical leaching:
Plastic water bottles are very convenient for carting water around when we are on the go, as they don't break if we drop them. However, it is worth paying attention to the type of plastic your water bottle is made of, to ensure that the chemicals in the plastic do not leach into the water. If you taste plastic, you are drinking it, so get yourself another bottle.To be certain that you are choosing a bottle that does not leach, check the recycling symbol on your bottle. If it is a #2 HDPE (high density polyethylene), or a #4 LDPE (low density polyethylene), or a #5 PP (polypropylene), your bottle is fine. The type of plastic bottle in which water is usually sold is usually a #1, and is only recommended for one time use. Do not refill it. Better to use a reusable water bottle, and fill it with your own filtered water from home and keep these single-use bottles out of the landfill.
Bisphenol A is a xenoestrogen, a known endocrine disruptor, meaning it disturbs the hormonal messaging in our bodies. Synthetic xenoestrogens are linked to breast cancer and uterine cancer in women, decreased testosterone levels in men, and are particularly devastating to babies and young children. BPA has even been linked to insulin resistance and Type 2 Diabetes.
Nor is this the first time the Poland Spring Bottled Water Company has lied. A subsidiary of Nestle, the Poland Spring Bottled Water Company has not been drawing its water “pure, refreshing taste” from Poland Spring, Maine; for many years now, the water that Poland Spring claims to be from “carefully selected natural springs in Maine”, has in fact been bottled in Stamford, Connecticut.
Poland Spring, does in some part, dig its own grave. In its own published studied, they reported the presence of 82 different organic compounds found within their water. In contrast the US EPA Journal reported they had detected at the Love Canal Industrial Dump traces of 82 different compounds, 11 of them suspected carcinogens.
Coincidence? I think not.
**Disclaimer** This exposé is academic in nature and not published with the intent to hurt the revenue, profits, or earnings of Nestle Waters, its subsidiaries, or its employees, anymore than their malpractices have hurt the health, well-being, and quality of life for the citizens of the United States of America.
In September of 2007, the Poland Spring Bottled Water Company introduced its new “Eco-Shape Bottle”. Poland Spring claims that the new cap is “100% Recyclable” and that the body of the bottle is made up of 30% less plastic than the average half-liter bottle.
Such claims are misinformed at best.
Plastic recycling, especially for those with Resin Identification Number of 1 or 2, involves the process of recovering scrap or waste plastics and reprocessing the material into useful products. This could mean melting down polyester soft drink bottles then spinning the polymer into fibers.
From The Second Law of Thermodynamics we know that “mechanical work can be derived from a body only when that body interacts with another at a lower temperature; any spontaneous process results in an increase of entropy”. In a nutshell, the Second Law of Thermodynamics tells us that, there is an “energy toll” to any spontaneous process. It seems that “Envi-Sci Braintrust” at Poland Spring forgot that in the waste hierarchy of prevent-reduce-reuse-recycle-energy recovery-disposal, that recycle is worse than prevent, reduce, and reuse, three easily achieved goals.
By extension, this means that if we wanted to do anything in the way of recycling plastic, we must first pay an “energy toll”, and since the Law of Conservation of Mass tells us that we will not be creating any matter, we are essentially paying an energy toll to recover material that should not have been in the solid-waste stream in the first place.
It would be a naïve of us to think that such an egregious error was the product of underdeveloped thought. Rather, there is evidence of some foul-play. Poland Spring seems to have embarked on its new “eco-friendly” campaign after receiving harsh criticisms for its other products. Launched in March of 2007, the new “Safe-Twist Bottle”, allegedly designed with the safety of children in mind, certainly did not have the safety of the children’s Earth in mind. The caps of the “Safe-Twist Bottle” are not only irremovable, but made up of a hard plastic with a Resin Identification Number closer to 2 than 1. This boils down to a Racamier Paradox, a "mental formation that indissolubly binds two propositions or directives that are irreconcilable and yet not contradictory" -- while the recycling processes for the bottle and the cap itself are completely different Poland Spring has made the two inseparable, joined like biracial Siamese twins.
The flaws of the Paradox extend further; the hard plastic cap is both too large and too hard to be crushed by most industrial-sized recyclers. An attempt to recycle the bottle would at best jam the machine and take it out service for a set amount of time, at worst, it would cause spontaneous combustion within the reactor phase of the recycling process. The recycling machine would try too hard too crush the uncrushable bottle, and since the cap is removable air pressure builds within the bottle, once the machine finally tries too hard to crush it, either by increasing the temperature of the system, or simply by adding more power, the bottle would spontaneously combust within the machine, destroying both the machine and tons of recycled material.
Poland Spring’s claim that by using 30% less plastic, it would reduce its toll on the environment—this claim seems to make too much sense. Reduce is higher than recycle in the Waste Hierarchy; why waste and recycle when you can reduce? There is however, one instance where putting in extra plastic serves a benefit, when it reduces the amount of “Plastic Leaching” generated by the water bottle. Because more plastic content means greater structural integrity for the water bottle, the bottle is less likely to “leach chemicals” when there is more plastic in the bottle. Dr. Vreni Gurd of the Chek Institute had this to say about chemical leaching:
Plastic water bottles are very convenient for carting water around when we are on the go, as they don't break if we drop them. However, it is worth paying attention to the type of plastic your water bottle is made of, to ensure that the chemicals in the plastic do not leach into the water. If you taste plastic, you are drinking it, so get yourself another bottle.To be certain that you are choosing a bottle that does not leach, check the recycling symbol on your bottle. If it is a #2 HDPE (high density polyethylene), or a #4 LDPE (low density polyethylene), or a #5 PP (polypropylene), your bottle is fine. The type of plastic bottle in which water is usually sold is usually a #1, and is only recommended for one time use. Do not refill it. Better to use a reusable water bottle, and fill it with your own filtered water from home and keep these single-use bottles out of the landfill.
Bisphenol A is a xenoestrogen, a known endocrine disruptor, meaning it disturbs the hormonal messaging in our bodies. Synthetic xenoestrogens are linked to breast cancer and uterine cancer in women, decreased testosterone levels in men, and are particularly devastating to babies and young children. BPA has even been linked to insulin resistance and Type 2 Diabetes.
Nor is this the first time the Poland Spring Bottled Water Company has lied. A subsidiary of Nestle, the Poland Spring Bottled Water Company has not been drawing its water “pure, refreshing taste” from Poland Spring, Maine; for many years now, the water that Poland Spring claims to be from “carefully selected natural springs in Maine”, has in fact been bottled in Stamford, Connecticut.
Poland Spring, does in some part, dig its own grave. In its own published studied, they reported the presence of 82 different organic compounds found within their water. In contrast the US EPA Journal reported they had detected at the Love Canal Industrial Dump traces of 82 different compounds, 11 of them suspected carcinogens.
Coincidence? I think not.
**Disclaimer** This exposé is academic in nature and not published with the intent to hurt the revenue, profits, or earnings of Nestle Waters, its subsidiaries, or its employees, anymore than their malpractices have hurt the health, well-being, and quality of life for the citizens of the United States of America.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Today's Caucasian Female-Guest Contributor: Gillian Van Geslie
Due to technical difficulties, guest contributor Carolyn McElroy was unable to electronically transmit her article to The Disturbing Truth, Gillian Van Geslie has kindly offered to give her “two cents” on the struggles of Today’s Caucasian Female.
Next week, we will analyze the disturbing truths in this soliloquy written from the perspective of a troubled Caucasian female. And while her struggles are very different than that of the females of yesteryear, one can argue that the fight of the female, and thus by extension the fight of the feminist movement, has not ended. Rather shockingly, (especially for the male gender) it has just begun.
Note from the author: Because of the nature of today’s topic, in assurance of the inculcation of a message, strictly vernacular will be utilized. My apologies—I do not mean to soil the sophistication and expression of this author’s admirable writing fashion.
…Woman? I’m not even a woman. I don’t know why I was asked to write this blog, other than the fact that I’m a stuck up white girl, with too many good things going in my life to ever have the right to complain about anything. But for a second, I’m going to take the time and do Arthur Richardson a favor. (Fuck anonymity, by the way. This is your blog, and everyone knows it.) Sure, I’ll complain for you. Willingly.
Today’s Caucasian woman doesn’t even know what Caucasian means. Cock… asian…? No. You’re an idiot, go back to remedial English, ya fugly whore. I don’t want to talk about those bitches, who have nothing better to do than judge what kind of shoes your wearing (even if they are dyke-y). I’m not an idiot Caucasian teenager. I’m not even all Caucasian, and I don cur that I’m revealing this information, sorry Arthur.
I’m gonna talk about what I want to, because I can. I want clothes. I want clothes and shoes and money and lots of it. I want to be the smartest, prettiest, funniest, best at everything. I want to get straight A’s, without trying. I want to be normal. I don’t want to feel like lying when people ask me what school I go to. I want to be able to wake up in the morning and not have to care about what I look like. I don’t want to feel like the world is ending when a boy only answers my text message with “ok”. I want to not be a giant. I wish I wasn’t so critical. I want my parents to care more… I want to get into a good college and grow up and marry someone and have a family with 2 girls and 2 boys and live happily ever after. But more than anything, I don’t want to be insecure.
That is a white teenage girl’s mind in a nutshell. Stupid and petty—but really just insecure when it comes down to it. I’m really not as selfish as I may come off to be, but they say you’re shaped by your environment. Lucky for girls, we live in bitchland. So when you meet a ditz... your run of the mill white girl… don’t be fooled by appearances. She is a victim to upper middle class society’s twisted perspective on life. Give us a chance to live for just a little bit more, and then you can judge. There’s nothing worse than a 16-year-old living in the body of a botoxed middle aged single mom.
P.S. Francis Seamus O’Gura has tourettes. Oh, and I predict J.T. Gadenzy will read this blog and will be seeming with man anger by the end. Good.
Next week, we will analyze the disturbing truths in this soliloquy written from the perspective of a troubled Caucasian female. And while her struggles are very different than that of the females of yesteryear, one can argue that the fight of the female, and thus by extension the fight of the feminist movement, has not ended. Rather shockingly, (especially for the male gender) it has just begun.
Note from the author: Because of the nature of today’s topic, in assurance of the inculcation of a message, strictly vernacular will be utilized. My apologies—I do not mean to soil the sophistication and expression of this author’s admirable writing fashion.
…Woman? I’m not even a woman. I don’t know why I was asked to write this blog, other than the fact that I’m a stuck up white girl, with too many good things going in my life to ever have the right to complain about anything. But for a second, I’m going to take the time and do Arthur Richardson a favor. (Fuck anonymity, by the way. This is your blog, and everyone knows it.) Sure, I’ll complain for you. Willingly.
Today’s Caucasian woman doesn’t even know what Caucasian means. Cock… asian…? No. You’re an idiot, go back to remedial English, ya fugly whore. I don’t want to talk about those bitches, who have nothing better to do than judge what kind of shoes your wearing (even if they are dyke-y). I’m not an idiot Caucasian teenager. I’m not even all Caucasian, and I don cur that I’m revealing this information, sorry Arthur.
I’m gonna talk about what I want to, because I can. I want clothes. I want clothes and shoes and money and lots of it. I want to be the smartest, prettiest, funniest, best at everything. I want to get straight A’s, without trying. I want to be normal. I don’t want to feel like lying when people ask me what school I go to. I want to be able to wake up in the morning and not have to care about what I look like. I don’t want to feel like the world is ending when a boy only answers my text message with “ok”. I want to not be a giant. I wish I wasn’t so critical. I want my parents to care more… I want to get into a good college and grow up and marry someone and have a family with 2 girls and 2 boys and live happily ever after. But more than anything, I don’t want to be insecure.
That is a white teenage girl’s mind in a nutshell. Stupid and petty—but really just insecure when it comes down to it. I’m really not as selfish as I may come off to be, but they say you’re shaped by your environment. Lucky for girls, we live in bitchland. So when you meet a ditz... your run of the mill white girl… don’t be fooled by appearances. She is a victim to upper middle class society’s twisted perspective on life. Give us a chance to live for just a little bit more, and then you can judge. There’s nothing worse than a 16-year-old living in the body of a botoxed middle aged single mom.
P.S. Francis Seamus O’Gura has tourettes. Oh, and I predict J.T. Gadenzy will read this blog and will be seeming with man anger by the end. Good.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
The Rest of This Week's Literature
I would like to thank all my members of my loyal readership, which numbers at least five individuals in its second hour of existence. You have extended an offer to visit this blog, on average, at least once every 36 hours. In return, I will return the favor by updating this blog, on average, at least once every 24 hours.
The outlook for the rest of this week's literature is as follows:
Wednesday, November 14th:
Today's Caucasian Female: Guest Contributer Carolyn McElroy
Thursday, November 15th:
Poland Spring's New "Eco-Shape" Bottle and the Threat it Poses to Society
Friday, November 16th:
His Racist Hypocrisy, Columbia University President Lee Bollinger
Saturday, November 17th:
Is Death Fair? Elementary Metaphysics Exploration
Sunday, November 18th:
The First or Last Day of a Week?-How the White Man has used Sunday to conquer the Western Hemisphere.
The outlook for the rest of this week's literature is as follows:
Wednesday, November 14th:
Today's Caucasian Female: Guest Contributer Carolyn McElroy
Thursday, November 15th:
Poland Spring's New "Eco-Shape" Bottle and the Threat it Poses to Society
Friday, November 16th:
His Racist Hypocrisy, Columbia University President Lee Bollinger
Saturday, November 17th:
Is Death Fair? Elementary Metaphysics Exploration
Sunday, November 18th:
The First or Last Day of a Week?-How the White Man has used Sunday to conquer the Western Hemisphere.
Today is Random Acts of Kindness Day
Stick a dime in the expired parking meter of a stranger's car. Visit a housebound relative. Compliment a coworker. Let a harried parent and child check out ahead of you at the supermarket. Help serve dinner at a local soup kitchen. Give up your seat on the bus. Write a note of thanks to someone who has had an influence on your life. Collect bottles and cans for recycling and give the proceeds to charity. Smile. It's Random Acts of Kindness Day.
In reflection of this rather banal but ultimately beneficial "holiday". I thought it was appropiate to discuss community service, and its overriding negative effect on society.
Nowadays, it is an all too common sight to see hours upon hours of community service piled onto the ever-thickening college resume. In fact, the number of 16- to 19-year-old volunteers rose from 4.3 million in 2002 to nearly 4.8 million in 2004, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports (Magee). Why in the last half decade, has there been such a large trend toward youth philanthropy? Clearly it is not solely caused by a sudden change of heart amongst members of Generation Y to provide for the common good, more so than its predecessors. In all actuality, more than anything, this trend towards increased service to the community can be attributed to government action. At least 23 states and countless school districts have some policy on the books that support youth service or service-learning (ECS.org). While this enforced service has definitely made recent statistics more pleasing to the eye, we must now ask ourselves, is service being done for the sake of doing it? With the advent of much more menial service with the simple goal of racking up hours to meet graduation requirements, has meaningful service lost some its luster? Despite the fact that mandatory service has indeed increased community awareness and understanding of the importance of service amongst students, this new wave of community service has made the truly beneficial service projects of yesteryear diminish in both value and prestige.
America’s movement towards increased community service has started at the top, with governmental action implementing mandatory community service requirements. While proponents of such legislation argue that such requisites is but one form of citizenship education, far too many of the alleged students have felt that this is simply involuntary servitude. According to the Education Commission of the States, students in the City of Philadelphia must complete a service-learning project to advance from the 4th, 8th or 12th grades. (ECS.org) Making a service project requisite for advancement from the 12th grade is but a surreptitious and underhanded way of making service a graduation requirement. Such action, designed to benefit students and the greater district is actually hurting the district as precious funds are being diverted from more meaningful projects towards providing professional development in service-learning methodology for teachers and other staff.
While well-intentioned legislation enforcing community service is at best mildly detrimental to the districts administered on, a thorn in the sides of the students at the very worst. Perhaps Ramos-Mrosovsky, a senior at Princeton University said it best:
“They should reflect that the value they are trying to promote depends on a sense of duty, not necessity. They risk exacerbating a dynamic through which students may increasingly come to see volunteer service as just one more box to check on the climb of life: the moral equivalent of gym class, sex education, or chemistry.”
It is quite clear that the goal of mandatory service is to foster a sense of duty and responsibility in students, one that they would carry for the rest of their lives. Yet as Mrosovsky mentioned, the results of their actions are far from that, diminishing the value of the once chivalrous act of community service.
Another alarming trend in the greater topic of community service is the apparent rise of counterproductive, or at the very least, inefficient service projects done with the sole intent of padding college resumes. The following conversation between a Princeton alumnus, who at the time was attending the university and a young “future leader”, brings this concern into focus.
"So," I asked, "what are you doing this summer?"
"I'm setting up a nonprofit to help at-risk youth attend college."
"That's great," I replied. "How are you going to fund it?"
"That's kind of the problem. I don't really know how to get any money for it."
This future leader, certainly a person with much skill, could have devoted his talent, his enthusiasm, and his passion towards bettering the community through an established non-profit organization yet instead went ahead with the option that best fit his agenda, in this case his college resume. It is a shame that such great ambition to make a difference, or at least get into college, was wasted on creating a program that would not benefit the community as much as an established one. The spirit of community service, the idea of helping others with no considerations of personal gain has been lost.
There is no debate as to whether or not community service has increased these past few years, be it through governmental action, the desire for students to spruce up their college resumes, or simple prodding from parents. Youth volunteering is up 12% over the last 10 years, the hard numbers do not lie. It is a proven fact that teenagers volunteer 2.4 billion hours annually. However, we should be weary of some statistics provided to the masses.
According to the University of California-Los Angeles Higher Education Research Institute, youth who volunteer are more likely to do well in school, graduate, vote, and be philanthropic.
What false conclusions is this leading us to draw? Is this inferring that the simple act of volunteering makes one more likely to succeed later in life? Perhaps, initially the idea that if a person volunteers, he/she is more likely to be successful should mean that volunteering is the cause for success. But if we analyze it from another perspective, the much more logical perspective; it makes much more sense to say that the same cause that caused one to volunteer is the same cause that allows people to do well in school, graduate, vote, and be philanthropic. This statistic includes people such as the future leader, who did “community service” out of the simple act of padding a resume, this ambition to succeed is the same one that would likely cause him to do well in school, and graduate, yet the true spirit of service to the community is not present. The perversion of community service from an act to benefit society into a cruel and heartless machine of superficial philanthropy must end NOW.
In reflection of this rather banal but ultimately beneficial "holiday". I thought it was appropiate to discuss community service, and its overriding negative effect on society.
Nowadays, it is an all too common sight to see hours upon hours of community service piled onto the ever-thickening college resume. In fact, the number of 16- to 19-year-old volunteers rose from 4.3 million in 2002 to nearly 4.8 million in 2004, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports (Magee). Why in the last half decade, has there been such a large trend toward youth philanthropy? Clearly it is not solely caused by a sudden change of heart amongst members of Generation Y to provide for the common good, more so than its predecessors. In all actuality, more than anything, this trend towards increased service to the community can be attributed to government action. At least 23 states and countless school districts have some policy on the books that support youth service or service-learning (ECS.org). While this enforced service has definitely made recent statistics more pleasing to the eye, we must now ask ourselves, is service being done for the sake of doing it? With the advent of much more menial service with the simple goal of racking up hours to meet graduation requirements, has meaningful service lost some its luster? Despite the fact that mandatory service has indeed increased community awareness and understanding of the importance of service amongst students, this new wave of community service has made the truly beneficial service projects of yesteryear diminish in both value and prestige.
America’s movement towards increased community service has started at the top, with governmental action implementing mandatory community service requirements. While proponents of such legislation argue that such requisites is but one form of citizenship education, far too many of the alleged students have felt that this is simply involuntary servitude. According to the Education Commission of the States, students in the City of Philadelphia must complete a service-learning project to advance from the 4th, 8th or 12th grades. (ECS.org) Making a service project requisite for advancement from the 12th grade is but a surreptitious and underhanded way of making service a graduation requirement. Such action, designed to benefit students and the greater district is actually hurting the district as precious funds are being diverted from more meaningful projects towards providing professional development in service-learning methodology for teachers and other staff.
While well-intentioned legislation enforcing community service is at best mildly detrimental to the districts administered on, a thorn in the sides of the students at the very worst. Perhaps Ramos-Mrosovsky, a senior at Princeton University said it best:
“They should reflect that the value they are trying to promote depends on a sense of duty, not necessity. They risk exacerbating a dynamic through which students may increasingly come to see volunteer service as just one more box to check on the climb of life: the moral equivalent of gym class, sex education, or chemistry.”
It is quite clear that the goal of mandatory service is to foster a sense of duty and responsibility in students, one that they would carry for the rest of their lives. Yet as Mrosovsky mentioned, the results of their actions are far from that, diminishing the value of the once chivalrous act of community service.
Another alarming trend in the greater topic of community service is the apparent rise of counterproductive, or at the very least, inefficient service projects done with the sole intent of padding college resumes. The following conversation between a Princeton alumnus, who at the time was attending the university and a young “future leader”, brings this concern into focus.
"So," I asked, "what are you doing this summer?"
"I'm setting up a nonprofit to help at-risk youth attend college."
"That's great," I replied. "How are you going to fund it?"
"That's kind of the problem. I don't really know how to get any money for it."
This future leader, certainly a person with much skill, could have devoted his talent, his enthusiasm, and his passion towards bettering the community through an established non-profit organization yet instead went ahead with the option that best fit his agenda, in this case his college resume. It is a shame that such great ambition to make a difference, or at least get into college, was wasted on creating a program that would not benefit the community as much as an established one. The spirit of community service, the idea of helping others with no considerations of personal gain has been lost.
There is no debate as to whether or not community service has increased these past few years, be it through governmental action, the desire for students to spruce up their college resumes, or simple prodding from parents. Youth volunteering is up 12% over the last 10 years, the hard numbers do not lie. It is a proven fact that teenagers volunteer 2.4 billion hours annually. However, we should be weary of some statistics provided to the masses.
According to the University of California-Los Angeles Higher Education Research Institute, youth who volunteer are more likely to do well in school, graduate, vote, and be philanthropic.
What false conclusions is this leading us to draw? Is this inferring that the simple act of volunteering makes one more likely to succeed later in life? Perhaps, initially the idea that if a person volunteers, he/she is more likely to be successful should mean that volunteering is the cause for success. But if we analyze it from another perspective, the much more logical perspective; it makes much more sense to say that the same cause that caused one to volunteer is the same cause that allows people to do well in school, graduate, vote, and be philanthropic. This statistic includes people such as the future leader, who did “community service” out of the simple act of padding a resume, this ambition to succeed is the same one that would likely cause him to do well in school, and graduate, yet the true spirit of service to the community is not present. The perversion of community service from an act to benefit society into a cruel and heartless machine of superficial philanthropy must end NOW.
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Welcome to this blog!
For those of you who choose to read this blog, I offer you a word of caution. If you think that the world is full of magnanimous do gooders, do not know what the word magnanimous means, or cannot otherwise handle the evident truth.
DO NOT READ ON.
This blog seeks to expose the underlying flaws of our society. This blog is a forum for all those who are dissatisfied with the social climate of this great nation. This blog will be a watershed for a much larger, much more global quest for change.
My name is unimportant and for the most part irrelevant. The themes discussed within this forum are universal and applicable to all, events chronicled are relevant to anyone who drinks water, breathes air, and experiences frustration. If any of these three things do not apply to you, I suggest you seek immediate medical attention.
Thank you.
For those of you who choose to read this blog, I offer you a word of caution. If you think that the world is full of magnanimous do gooders, do not know what the word magnanimous means, or cannot otherwise handle the evident truth.
DO NOT READ ON.
This blog seeks to expose the underlying flaws of our society. This blog is a forum for all those who are dissatisfied with the social climate of this great nation. This blog will be a watershed for a much larger, much more global quest for change.
My name is unimportant and for the most part irrelevant. The themes discussed within this forum are universal and applicable to all, events chronicled are relevant to anyone who drinks water, breathes air, and experiences frustration. If any of these three things do not apply to you, I suggest you seek immediate medical attention.
Thank you.
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