Issue 14

In Defense of "Loners"

flipside — Wed, 02 May 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Gary Tuchman is a douche bag. I recently watched an exclusive interview on CNN (online) with two former roommates of the gunman at Virginia Tech. All he wanted to discuss with them was how weird Cho Seung-Hui was. The only details worth inquiring about were those that reinforced the fact that Cho did not fit in. Of course, the media is looking for the details that are sensational. If it bleeds, it leads…. I just didn’t realize how sensational or controversial it was for an individual to be antisocial. I didn’t realize that being a loner was a crime or even that newsworthy to dwell upon.

Interview With A Blugold

radclijd — Wed, 02 May 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Jon Radcliffe: Chip, I call you Chip, I assume?

Chip: No problem, my name is Chip E. Wa, but you can call me Chip.

JR: So, the burning question that seems to come to mind is why now? I mean this university has gone without a mascot for
quite some time? What makes now different than before?

At A Glance: RIAA Lawsuits

flipside — Wed, 02 May 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Amidst all the chatter, legal action, and commotion surrounding the Recording industry of America Association’s crackdown on illegal file sharing, there are a lot of facts to be considered. Two individuals within the university system are spotlighted as we delve into the inner workings of the recent music downloading dramas.

Soul Play: Me Tarzan. You God.

lindjd — Wed, 02 May 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Is faith in our genes? Is religion just a base need, written into the human design, unavoidable except for those who recognize and resist it? Are atheists more enlightened than the God-fearing masses?

“I’m willing to believe they’re smarter and more knowledgeable about reality than club-wielding hunter-gatherers, or the members of the Christian Coalition,” says Morton Hunt, author of The Biological Roots of Religion. “But can I suppose they’re more intelligent than such profoundly religious believers as Plato, Augustine, Aquinas, Descartes, Newton, William James, or even Einstein? Or, for that matter, the majority of today’s American scientists, who, according to surveys, profess some kind of religious belief?”

Cosplay or No Play

martinkj — Wed, 02 May 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Completely Justified

bodenaw — Wed, 02 May 2007 00:00:00 -0600

The Flip Side is a biweekly publication, which means that something interesting in the world can happen and that the timing for publishing certain articles relating to these stories can be a little late. We will be 16 days removed from the shootings at Virginia Tech by the time this article is published. However, there was another event that was all over the news last month before the tragedy in Blacksburg – the firing of Don Imus. Even though it may be inappropriate to voice my opinion on old news, especially when something of greater significance has occurred, this story still brings up many conflicted feelings on a controversial topic. So without any further ado, here’s what I have to say…