Yesterday we held our annual elections and had an excellent turnout. Thanks to everyone who came to vote, ran for a position, and helped with the grill-out!
Congratulations to our new officers:
Chair: Jackie Beatty
Vice Chair: Nathan Orlando
Treasure: Matt Ketron
Secretary: Matt Cole
Events Director: Brittany Pohl
Technology Communications Director: Kate Martin
Community Liason: Elliot Gaiser
Publicity Director: Sonny Gast
Registrar: Andrew Cureton
Historian: Jessica Wasson
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
New Constitution
Today the College Republicans ratified various amendments to our constitution. If you are interested in running for office next year, there are some things you should know:
1. The position of Speakers' Bureau Director no longer exists, as Hillsdale stopped holding an annual Speakers' Bureau some years ago. The job of coordinating speakers is now under the Events Director.
2. The position of Publicity Coordinator has been installed in place of the Speakers' Bureau Director. This officer is responsible for "produc[ing] and hang[ing] posters for all College Republicans Events as directed by the Executive Board, coordinat[ing] all on-campus publicity efforts as directed by the Executive Board, including dorm canvassing and representing College Republicans at The Source." (Article IV Section 8)
3. The position of Historian has been split into two separate jobs, Historian and Registrar. The Registrar holds custody of the Constitution and other CR documents. (Paraphrased from Article IV Section 10).
4. Candidates for Chair and Vice-Chair must have a GPA of at least 3.0. Candidates for Treasurer and Secretary must have a GPA of at least 2.5. If you are interested in any of these positions, you must submit a transcript (available on WebAdvisor) to a CR advisor by Monday. If you need the CR advisors' names, email me lady_liberty_86@hotmail.com and I will provide these for you. You may also submit a transcript to me at that address.
5. If you are a current board member and wish to run again this year, for your current office or any other, you must have attended a majority of E-board meetings in each semester of the past year. If you are unsure of your standing in this regard, please speak with Jessica who has recorded attendance in our minutes.
Our elections are this Wednesday at 11:30 on the patio behind the old snack bar. In case of inclement weather, we will move the elections inside the snack bar. Lunch will be provided and the elections should not take long. If you want to come, please give your Student ID number to CRs at the Student Union kiosks on Monday. If we do not have your ID number, we cannot feed you. And pay $3 dues at the election.
Hope to see you there!
1. The position of Speakers' Bureau Director no longer exists, as Hillsdale stopped holding an annual Speakers' Bureau some years ago. The job of coordinating speakers is now under the Events Director.
2. The position of Publicity Coordinator has been installed in place of the Speakers' Bureau Director. This officer is responsible for "produc[ing] and hang[ing] posters for all College Republicans Events as directed by the Executive Board, coordinat[ing] all on-campus publicity efforts as directed by the Executive Board, including dorm canvassing and representing College Republicans at The Source." (Article IV Section 8)
3. The position of Historian has been split into two separate jobs, Historian and Registrar. The Registrar holds custody of the Constitution and other CR documents. (Paraphrased from Article IV Section 10).
4. Candidates for Chair and Vice-Chair must have a GPA of at least 3.0. Candidates for Treasurer and Secretary must have a GPA of at least 2.5. If you are interested in any of these positions, you must submit a transcript (available on WebAdvisor) to a CR advisor by Monday. If you need the CR advisors' names, email me lady_liberty_86@hotmail.com and I will provide these for you. You may also submit a transcript to me at that address.
5. If you are a current board member and wish to run again this year, for your current office or any other, you must have attended a majority of E-board meetings in each semester of the past year. If you are unsure of your standing in this regard, please speak with Jessica who has recorded attendance in our minutes.
Our elections are this Wednesday at 11:30 on the patio behind the old snack bar. In case of inclement weather, we will move the elections inside the snack bar. Lunch will be provided and the elections should not take long. If you want to come, please give your Student ID number to CRs at the Student Union kiosks on Monday. If we do not have your ID number, we cannot feed you. And pay $3 dues at the election.
Hope to see you there!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Elections and Upcoming Meetings
While the school year is wrapping up, College Republicans still has several oppertunites for you to get involved. We're having our annual elections next Wednesday, the 29th at 11:30. If you want to eat with us, sigh up tomorrow and Monday outside of SAGA. If we don't get your name then, we won't be able to give you food, so please sign up!
Also, this Saturday, we're voting on amendments to our constitution at 12pm in the Formal Lounge. Come and use your voice and vote!
Also, this Saturday, we're voting on amendments to our constitution at 12pm in the Formal Lounge. Come and use your voice and vote!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
I hope some of you caught former Vice President Dick Cheney on Sean Hannity earlier this week - if not, I highly recommend you do. Some of his comments have made quite a stir in the Obama Administration. What impressed me most about this interview was the way Mr. Cheney always stayed above the personal. Not once do he lob a personal attack on President Obama, but rather his policies. The former Vice President reminded all of us that while it's important to respect the office of the Presidency, and the man who holds that position, that doesn't mean that we can sit idle when policies we strongly disagree with are passed. Let's learn a lesson from Mr. Cheney, and continue to speak out against unconstitutional acts, while remaining classy.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Are We Really Volunteering If We're Getting Paid?
After President Obama realized that mandating volunteer requirements for all college students would constitute as slavery, he turned to a new avenue to encourage community service from Americans. Today he signed a new law that increases government education subsidies to Americorps, a service organization began in 1993 under President Clinton. According to the Americorps website, people who 'volunteer' through Americorps receive $4,725 to pay for education expenses. With this new law, more of your tax dollars will be given as payment to people who volunteer. Explain to me how this protects my life, liberty, or property?
Monday, April 20, 2009
Hear No Offense, See No Offense, Speak No Offense
At San Jose State University, you can’t “publicly [tell] offensive jokes.” That’s according to their speech code, which just garnered them FIRE’s Speech Code of the Month award.
But that’s not all. What qualifies as an “offensive joke”? By the speech code’s words, whatever the aggrieved party wants.
I am not making this up. Though if I were trying to come up with a better picture of absurdity, I’m not sure I could.
For this, SJSU deserves not only FIRE’s Speech Code of the Month, but a lawsuit. One in which the university must remain silent while the judge tries its case from the viewpoint of whoever SJSU has offended.
But that’s not all. What qualifies as an “offensive joke”? By the speech code’s words, whatever the aggrieved party wants.
I am not making this up. Though if I were trying to come up with a better picture of absurdity, I’m not sure I could.
For this, SJSU deserves not only FIRE’s Speech Code of the Month, but a lawsuit. One in which the university must remain silent while the judge tries its case from the viewpoint of whoever SJSU has offended.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Perspectives: So What if the Earth is Warming?
There's a question my old debate coach taught me to ask of every argument I hear. It's made up of two little one-syllable words. When it comes to the arguments made in favor of more government controls to prevent Global Warming –- the alleged rise in temperature and melting ice -- I just can't keep from asking that same, and often inconvenient question:
So what?
Let's assume Al Gore and the environmentalists are correct for just a moment. The temperature will rise. The ice will melt. So what? Well, by golly, that's some of the best news I've heard. I'm serious. Global warming, if it's occurring, may be just about one of the best things that can happen to our world, according to three interesting facts I've discovered.
First, imagine just how much damage is done by hurricanes. Think of the billions of dollars lost each year rebuilding flooded cities, and the scores of deaths. New Orleans, anyone? Well, according to the Cato Institute: “global warming is likely to increase winds, several kilometers aloft, that actually destroy hurricanes.” So global warming equals more upper-atmospheric winds that lead to less hurricanes. I don't know about you, but that sounds pretty darn good.
Second, something global warming activists often argue is that increased temperatures lead to the loss of endangered species. Well, interestingly enough, according to National Geographic (no skeptic of global warming) on October 16, 2008, “Warmer waters around Antarctica could actually benefit a threatened population of gray nurse. . . sharks . . . ” Man-made global warming leads to higher populations of certain endangered species. I have a new bumper sticker idea.
Let's assume Al Gore and the environmentalists are correct for just a moment. The temperature will rise. The ice will melt. So what? Well, by golly, that's some of the best news I've heard. I'm serious. Global warming, if it's occurring, may be just about one of the best things that can happen to our world, according to three interesting facts I've discovered.
First, imagine just how much damage is done by hurricanes. Think of the billions of dollars lost each year rebuilding flooded cities, and the scores of deaths. New Orleans, anyone? Well, according to the Cato Institute: “global warming is likely to increase winds, several kilometers aloft, that actually destroy hurricanes.” So global warming equals more upper-atmospheric winds that lead to less hurricanes. I don't know about you, but that sounds pretty darn good.
Second, something global warming activists often argue is that increased temperatures lead to the loss of endangered species. Well, interestingly enough, according to National Geographic (no skeptic of global warming) on October 16, 2008, “Warmer waters around Antarctica could actually benefit a threatened population of gray nurse. . . sharks . . . ” Man-made global warming leads to higher populations of certain endangered species. I have a new bumper sticker idea.
I can see it now: “Save the sharks, Burn more fossil fuels.”
Third, the evidence seems to suggest that global temperature increases will lead to greater food production and increased economic prosperity. Consider this: the majority of fresh water is currently trapped in Ice Bergs, and huge portions of the worlds' land is currently inaccessible desert – frozen desert. Well, a new study, reported in National Geographic, suggests that vast areas of land previously unusable are now becoming productive: “Rapid thawing brought on by global warming on the world's largest island has opened up new opportunities for agriculture, commercial fishing, mining, and oil exploration... Dairy cattle have recently been reintroduced . . . [and are] expected to yield 29,058 gallons (110,000 liters) of milk annually. . . [the Island's] melting ice cap has triggered a rush for diamonds, gold, and other metals as mining companies prospect previously covered mineral-rich rocks.”
What island is this? Greenland. And there was a reason the Vikings named it green –- it once was green! Antarctica, Afghanistan, the Asian plains in Mongolia and China, Siberia and the Ukraine, huge tracts of Canada, Scandinavia, even northern states lile Michigan, Montana, Ohio, the Dakotas, and Minnesota, could all become more productive with even a few degrees warmer temperatures!
Not only that, but the Cato Institute notes that regions already used for agriculture are improving: “. . .observations confirm that human-induced warming takes place primarily in winter, lengthening the growing season.” Think of how much money we lose on salting roads, clearing icy accidents, missing work and school for snow days, and road construction in the summer to rebuild weakened infrastructure? We could get that time and money back with shorter winters created from Global Warming!
Furthermore, “Satellite measurements now show that the planet is greener than it was before it warmed. There are literally thousands of experiments reported in the scientific literature demonstrating that higher atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations -- caused by human activity -- dramatically increase food production.”
We've seen how global warming could lead to less hurricanes, bolstered population among endangered species, shorter winters, and increased food production. I find it very interesting that historians and climatologists note a correlation between increased temperatures in the early 1400s that corresponded with larger populations, economic prosperity, the rise of the middle class, and oh... I dunno... the renaissance.
The truth is, any environmental change is accompanied by a multitude of impacts, both negative and positive, but if we allow it, the Ultimate Resource of human ingenuity will continue to allow us to adapt to each future challenge. Unfortunately, for politicians and a media that profit from sensationalist alarmisms and for scientists that receive increased grant money the more dire they make a situation look, the numorous, potentially positive effects of global warming become the real inconvenient truths.
Third, the evidence seems to suggest that global temperature increases will lead to greater food production and increased economic prosperity. Consider this: the majority of fresh water is currently trapped in Ice Bergs, and huge portions of the worlds' land is currently inaccessible desert – frozen desert. Well, a new study, reported in National Geographic, suggests that vast areas of land previously unusable are now becoming productive: “Rapid thawing brought on by global warming on the world's largest island has opened up new opportunities for agriculture, commercial fishing, mining, and oil exploration... Dairy cattle have recently been reintroduced . . . [and are] expected to yield 29,058 gallons (110,000 liters) of milk annually. . . [the Island's] melting ice cap has triggered a rush for diamonds, gold, and other metals as mining companies prospect previously covered mineral-rich rocks.”
What island is this? Greenland. And there was a reason the Vikings named it green –- it once was green! Antarctica, Afghanistan, the Asian plains in Mongolia and China, Siberia and the Ukraine, huge tracts of Canada, Scandinavia, even northern states lile Michigan, Montana, Ohio, the Dakotas, and Minnesota, could all become more productive with even a few degrees warmer temperatures!
Not only that, but the Cato Institute notes that regions already used for agriculture are improving: “. . .observations confirm that human-induced warming takes place primarily in winter, lengthening the growing season.” Think of how much money we lose on salting roads, clearing icy accidents, missing work and school for snow days, and road construction in the summer to rebuild weakened infrastructure? We could get that time and money back with shorter winters created from Global Warming!
Furthermore, “Satellite measurements now show that the planet is greener than it was before it warmed. There are literally thousands of experiments reported in the scientific literature demonstrating that higher atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations -- caused by human activity -- dramatically increase food production.”
We've seen how global warming could lead to less hurricanes, bolstered population among endangered species, shorter winters, and increased food production. I find it very interesting that historians and climatologists note a correlation between increased temperatures in the early 1400s that corresponded with larger populations, economic prosperity, the rise of the middle class, and oh... I dunno... the renaissance.
The truth is, any environmental change is accompanied by a multitude of impacts, both negative and positive, but if we allow it, the Ultimate Resource of human ingenuity will continue to allow us to adapt to each future challenge. Unfortunately, for politicians and a media that profit from sensationalist alarmisms and for scientists that receive increased grant money the more dire they make a situation look, the numorous, potentially positive effects of global warming become the real inconvenient truths.
33 Minutes
Tomorrow (or, by the point you're reading this, probably today), the College Republicans will show 33 Minutes for our April chapter meeting.
Remember the devastation of 9/11. A whole section of New York City was shut down for weeks. Much of it is still not in use. Now imagine the destruction that could be caused by a nuclear bomb in the exact same area. Add to that image the reality that we are not adequately protected from such an event, and it could happen in 33 minutes.
The showing is at 7:00pm in Phillips Auditorium and should not go much longer than an hour. There will be CR T-shirts and flag pins for sale too.
Remember the devastation of 9/11. A whole section of New York City was shut down for weeks. Much of it is still not in use. Now imagine the destruction that could be caused by a nuclear bomb in the exact same area. Add to that image the reality that we are not adequately protected from such an event, and it could happen in 33 minutes.
The showing is at 7:00pm in Phillips Auditorium and should not go much longer than an hour. There will be CR T-shirts and flag pins for sale too.
Gifts
Has anyone else noticed the frequency of which international gift giving has come up in the last couple of months? So far, we've given Russia a plastic 'redo' button, that actually had the wrong inscription on it, we've returned a bust of Winston Churchill to England, because President Obama wanted to put a Lincoln bust there instead, and we've given the Queen of England an iPod. Most recently, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez gave President Obama a book entitled, Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent. This book blames the United States for unjust actions in Latin American countries, yet according to Fox News, President Obama said, "it was a nice gesture".
Obviously gift giving is small compared to issues like the President's polices on the Iraq and Afghanistan, but if we can't get the small stuff like, like protocol, is there much hope that we'll be able to maintain successful foreign relationships?
Obviously gift giving is small compared to issues like the President's polices on the Iraq and Afghanistan, but if we can't get the small stuff like, like protocol, is there much hope that we'll be able to maintain successful foreign relationships?
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