The 2009 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to our president, Barack Obama by the committee in Oslo Sweden. President Obama became the 4th U.S. President to win the award, and the first to win it in his first year in office. The three preceding President Nobel Laureates ( Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Jimmy Carter ) all had won the prize for outstanding achievements while in office. President Obama’s was unique in that he had been nominated for the award only 11 days after election to office.
The committee gave President Obama the award for his “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples…. ( with ) special importance to Obama's vision of, and work for a world without nuclear weapons”. During a press conference, President Obama confessed that he “did not view at as a recognition of his own accomplishments, but rather as an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations…..I do not feel as though I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who have been honored by this prize.” The president plans to donate the 1.4 million dollars of prize money to charity.
The nomination of President Obama has given rise to a great deal of controversy. Many argue that it was presumptive to give the president the award 11 days after becoming President. No real actions were taken within that time period and most do not believe that a campaign slogan can be Nobel Prize worthy.
Being an American, I have to feel a bit skeptical about this award. The President has failed to accomplish most of his campaign goals, including some he claimed would be fixed on his first day in office, like closing Guantanamo Bay. Political parties aside, you must concede that his presidency has not been as productive as we would have “hoped”.
I have not spent time overseas however, so I do not know how the rest of the world views our president. This award has led me to the conclusion that while maybe the president has not done amazing things yet for America, the award signifies that other parts of the world have gained hope through his presidency. This does not mean that he already deserves the award, but maybe it will humble him, and pull him out of his White House honeymoon enough to really start changing things. Like it or not, President Obama is our president for the next four years, so I think as proposed by Glenn Beck and Bill O’Reilly during the Bush administration, it is unpatriotic not to give him our support when he is making the decisions for our country.
To argue back and forth over whether or not the president deserves the award this early is rather pointless, because he is going to get the award anyway. The real question is: will he live up to it? Only time will tell.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Sergio Cisneros
Freshman Sergio Cisneros was recently picked to be an intern for Representative John Wu next summer. Starting the first week of July, Sergio will be flying out to join Representative Wu in our nation’s capitol for the 12-week program. Although Sergio does not know the duties for his position, he is excited to be in the center of the world’s most powerful democracy.
Sergio met Wu this October on a special trip arranged by political science professor Mark Hall. During the trip, Sergio heard about the internship program and application process that he would eventually participate in. After typing up his resume and an apparently convincing cover letter, Sergio was picked for the position.
Sergio’s formidable resume began to take shape last year in his final year of high school in Klamath Falls. He was nominated by the principle of his high school for the United States Senate Youth Program. The selection process for the Senate Youth program included a three-hundred word essay that was reviewed by state superintendant, Susan Castillo. After his essay was chosen with three others from around the state, he was provided an all expenses-paid trip to the state capitol to learn about the state and have an interview with our state’s governor, Ted Kulongoski. He also was able to meet Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury, and Treasurer Randal Edwards.
Sergio was then chosen with one other applicant from Halsey Oregon to fly to Washington DC. In Washington, the representatives met President Obama, and other dignitaries and important people. They also were able to sit out in the senate gallery with their state’s senators, (for Oregon it is Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden) view the democratic process and watch as bills were being passed.
Currently, Sergio is studying Political Science and Economics here at George Fox. Plans after college include attending law school at Harvard or the University of Oregon and eventually becoming a judge. He also hopes to become the second Hispanic Supreme Court Justice.
Goals and accomplishments like these do not come without considerable motivation. He was first sparked to the idea of a career in democracy when he started the Senate Youth program in high school. Other important influences in his life have included his father, a successful restaurant entrepreneur, and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. His father, a Spanish immigrant was able to work his way up from humble roots and capture the American dream. Sergio hopes to follow suit, and this internship is an important step for the completion of his plans.
Sergio met Wu this October on a special trip arranged by political science professor Mark Hall. During the trip, Sergio heard about the internship program and application process that he would eventually participate in. After typing up his resume and an apparently convincing cover letter, Sergio was picked for the position.
Sergio’s formidable resume began to take shape last year in his final year of high school in Klamath Falls. He was nominated by the principle of his high school for the United States Senate Youth Program. The selection process for the Senate Youth program included a three-hundred word essay that was reviewed by state superintendant, Susan Castillo. After his essay was chosen with three others from around the state, he was provided an all expenses-paid trip to the state capitol to learn about the state and have an interview with our state’s governor, Ted Kulongoski. He also was able to meet Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury, and Treasurer Randal Edwards.
Sergio was then chosen with one other applicant from Halsey Oregon to fly to Washington DC. In Washington, the representatives met President Obama, and other dignitaries and important people. They also were able to sit out in the senate gallery with their state’s senators, (for Oregon it is Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden) view the democratic process and watch as bills were being passed.
Currently, Sergio is studying Political Science and Economics here at George Fox. Plans after college include attending law school at Harvard or the University of Oregon and eventually becoming a judge. He also hopes to become the second Hispanic Supreme Court Justice.
Goals and accomplishments like these do not come without considerable motivation. He was first sparked to the idea of a career in democracy when he started the Senate Youth program in high school. Other important influences in his life have included his father, a successful restaurant entrepreneur, and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. His father, a Spanish immigrant was able to work his way up from humble roots and capture the American dream. Sergio hopes to follow suit, and this internship is an important step for the completion of his plans.
Healthcare Reform Bill
On Saturday the 7th, The House of Representatives voted on the newest version of the healthcare reform bill. This new bill known as H.R. 3962, or the Affordable Healthcare for America Act had to gain at least 218 votes to pass. The bill passed a little after 11 PM with a vote of 220-215.
The vote was predicted to go down to the wire because it was unknown how the conservative Democrats would vote. The final tally told that 219 democrats voted for the bill and 39 voted against it. This means that only one Republican voted for the bill, Representative Joe Cao of Louisiana.
With eight seconds left in the voting period, the democrats began a countdown to zero, at which point the bill would be passed. The bill was the culmination of many months and years of work, for not only this administration, but also the Clinton Administration. The final House version of the bill is 1018 pages long on size 11 font!
Although the bill states that its purpose is “to provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending, and for other purposes,” some are skeptical of the bills efficiency in accomplishing these goals. The Republican National Committee released a press statement saying,
"Today with help from their liberal House allies, President Obama and Nancy Pelosi finally got what they have been creating behind closed doors these past months -- a government-run health care experiment that will increase families' health care costs, increase the deficit, increase taxes on small businesses and the middle class, and cut Medicare".
Healthcare reform has been one of the most highly debated issues in recent history and was also one of President Obama’s main points of interest during his 2008 campaign. With 45.7 million Americans lacking healthcare, President Obama called the issue a “moral obligation”, and has worked to persuade the House and Senate to pass the bill, and get more Americans health insurance as soon as possible. On the other side of the aisle, many Republicans and conservatives claim that subsidizing healthcare will decrease competition in the Healthcare Trade, decrease quality of healthcare, and create a larger government, which is the next step to socialism.
Although some claim that the 45.7 million Americans without healthcare are largely composed of illegal immigrants and generally lazy people, no official breakdown of the statistics has been released. This version of the bill retains the Public Option which means that the public will be able to choose among several levels of coverage with different costs. The bill also contains caps on co-pays, deductibles, as well as subsidies to help people pay for coverage if they can’t afford it.
Although the bill was passed in the House, it is still a sizeable distance from being a law. The bill still must be passed by the Senate, and then brought back to both the House and Senate, where any differences between the two bills will be reconciled. Only after passing these two steps can it be signed into law by President Obama. It is unknown how long it will be before the Senate takes a vote on the bill, but it is hoped that it will pass before the year is done.
The vote was predicted to go down to the wire because it was unknown how the conservative Democrats would vote. The final tally told that 219 democrats voted for the bill and 39 voted against it. This means that only one Republican voted for the bill, Representative Joe Cao of Louisiana.
With eight seconds left in the voting period, the democrats began a countdown to zero, at which point the bill would be passed. The bill was the culmination of many months and years of work, for not only this administration, but also the Clinton Administration. The final House version of the bill is 1018 pages long on size 11 font!
Although the bill states that its purpose is “to provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending, and for other purposes,” some are skeptical of the bills efficiency in accomplishing these goals. The Republican National Committee released a press statement saying,
"Today with help from their liberal House allies, President Obama and Nancy Pelosi finally got what they have been creating behind closed doors these past months -- a government-run health care experiment that will increase families' health care costs, increase the deficit, increase taxes on small businesses and the middle class, and cut Medicare".
Healthcare reform has been one of the most highly debated issues in recent history and was also one of President Obama’s main points of interest during his 2008 campaign. With 45.7 million Americans lacking healthcare, President Obama called the issue a “moral obligation”, and has worked to persuade the House and Senate to pass the bill, and get more Americans health insurance as soon as possible. On the other side of the aisle, many Republicans and conservatives claim that subsidizing healthcare will decrease competition in the Healthcare Trade, decrease quality of healthcare, and create a larger government, which is the next step to socialism.
Although some claim that the 45.7 million Americans without healthcare are largely composed of illegal immigrants and generally lazy people, no official breakdown of the statistics has been released. This version of the bill retains the Public Option which means that the public will be able to choose among several levels of coverage with different costs. The bill also contains caps on co-pays, deductibles, as well as subsidies to help people pay for coverage if they can’t afford it.
Although the bill was passed in the House, it is still a sizeable distance from being a law. The bill still must be passed by the Senate, and then brought back to both the House and Senate, where any differences between the two bills will be reconciled. Only after passing these two steps can it be signed into law by President Obama. It is unknown how long it will be before the Senate takes a vote on the bill, but it is hoped that it will pass before the year is done.
An Adventure in Preparation
This is the beginning of the newest column in The Crescent that will feature stories from our reporters, editors, and submissions from students. The theme of this column is a crazy story from your life at Fox. This article is for that story that you will tell to your kids, and coworkers and at every dinner party for the rest of your life. The kind of story that only happens in college.
Growing up in rural Oregon, you come to appreciate nature. You have to, or you come to appreciate drugs. Those were basically the two options for people at my high school. Luckily, I came to appreciate nature early on and was able to participate in activities like cross-country, hiking and backpacking. Backpacking has always been my favorite, so for the last few years I have taken off into the Columbia River Gorge as often as I have been able to, and have slept under the beautiful Oregon stars.
One fine weekend early this September I took off for the weekend with my buddy Zach for a relaxing weekend on Larch Mountain. Those who know the trails in the gorge would tell you that there are two main trails to get to Larch Mountain: the first is the Oneonta Gorge trail which takes you by stunning ravine that has been carved out of the cascades and then curves Southwest back towards Portland, and the second takes you directly up through Multnomah Falls, one of the most popular tourist spots in the state.
The Oneonta Gorge Trail was closed this particular weekend because a landslide had covered up part of the trail so we were forced to hike up through the tourist-infested trail of Multnomah Falls. During this hike I was often reminded of the bumper sticker “why do they call it tourist season if you can’t shoot ‘em?”
We eventually got to the top of the falls, which would mark the beginning of the enjoyable section of the trail. It was an absolutely gorgeous day as we hiked and photographed the scenery. In fact, the only problem we had was occasionally the trail would explode with butterflies in front of us and we had to brush the little creatures out of our hair.
After a while, we decided to stop hiking for the night because there was no official camp sight and we knew we would need to have a place with moving water. The spot we chose was nestled between a dry creek bed, and a barely flowing stream. We set up our camp for the night. We hadn’t brought tents or any spare clothes for that matter because it was beautifully clear and we wanted to pack as light as possible if we were to climb the mountain.
We set out our sleeping bags and mats, ate some rehydrated dinner, read a little bit, and hung out clothes, boots and sacks up to air out before hitting the sack. We were in great spirits and full of energy; little did we know that this would be the end of those feelings on this trip.
At about three in the morning I felt a few tiny droplets of water hit my face. I was sleeping enough to not feel compelled to do much about it, so I rolled over. When I woke up next, the back of my head was pretty wet, so I pulled my bivy sack over my head and went back to sleep. I finally awoke for the last time at about seven the next morning. Our camp sight was a lake. The dry creek bed I had mentioned was no longer dry, on the contrary, it was now just a regular creek. The stream to the other side of us was quickly approaching riverhood, and all of our clothes, boots and packs were filled with water.
As I surveyed the damage, I grabbed my pack and turned it out to find that about three liters of water had accumulated over night. Zach had made his bag and mat into a sort of teepee under a tree to conserve heat; his stuff was in no better condition.
“This sucks.” I said flatly. “Let’s just leave. Skip breakfast, skip the mountain, let’s just leave.”
I then looked at my pile of clothes on the ground. My Carhart pants were soaked, and as any Alaskan will tell you, wet cotton kills, not to mention the risk of a mean diaper rash (which is a misleadingly infantile name for the amount of pain that causes). I threw on my jacket and boots and strapped my waterlogged pants to my pack. We packed our whole camp up in about ten minutes and headed right back down the direction we came.
It was about five miles later, at the top of the Multnomah Falls trail, that I remembered how popular Multnomah Falls was. Here I was, hiking down one of the most visited (and photographed) places in Oregon in my boxers, looking like a drowned rat. I knew that if I was going to get diaper rash anywhere though, it would be on this final mile down the falls. The steepness of the trail and speed from the momentum of our packs would basically turn my inner thighs into the brakes on a your dad’s car he let you borrow for your first date. I knew the pain would be worse than any amount of embarrassment suffered at the hands of any amount of tourists, so I tightened up my waste strap on my pack and headed down the trail.
Yes, it was about as embarrassing as you think it was. On the other hand, it was fun to see the faces change on the old people as I shuffled down the trail. One man stopped me, laughing, he said he knew exactly what was happening. When we finally got to the bottom, we threw our packs in the back of Zach’s truck and took off back for school, only able to laugh at our ridiculous lack of preparation.
Growing up in rural Oregon, you come to appreciate nature. You have to, or you come to appreciate drugs. Those were basically the two options for people at my high school. Luckily, I came to appreciate nature early on and was able to participate in activities like cross-country, hiking and backpacking. Backpacking has always been my favorite, so for the last few years I have taken off into the Columbia River Gorge as often as I have been able to, and have slept under the beautiful Oregon stars.
One fine weekend early this September I took off for the weekend with my buddy Zach for a relaxing weekend on Larch Mountain. Those who know the trails in the gorge would tell you that there are two main trails to get to Larch Mountain: the first is the Oneonta Gorge trail which takes you by stunning ravine that has been carved out of the cascades and then curves Southwest back towards Portland, and the second takes you directly up through Multnomah Falls, one of the most popular tourist spots in the state.
The Oneonta Gorge Trail was closed this particular weekend because a landslide had covered up part of the trail so we were forced to hike up through the tourist-infested trail of Multnomah Falls. During this hike I was often reminded of the bumper sticker “why do they call it tourist season if you can’t shoot ‘em?”
We eventually got to the top of the falls, which would mark the beginning of the enjoyable section of the trail. It was an absolutely gorgeous day as we hiked and photographed the scenery. In fact, the only problem we had was occasionally the trail would explode with butterflies in front of us and we had to brush the little creatures out of our hair.
After a while, we decided to stop hiking for the night because there was no official camp sight and we knew we would need to have a place with moving water. The spot we chose was nestled between a dry creek bed, and a barely flowing stream. We set up our camp for the night. We hadn’t brought tents or any spare clothes for that matter because it was beautifully clear and we wanted to pack as light as possible if we were to climb the mountain.
We set out our sleeping bags and mats, ate some rehydrated dinner, read a little bit, and hung out clothes, boots and sacks up to air out before hitting the sack. We were in great spirits and full of energy; little did we know that this would be the end of those feelings on this trip.
At about three in the morning I felt a few tiny droplets of water hit my face. I was sleeping enough to not feel compelled to do much about it, so I rolled over. When I woke up next, the back of my head was pretty wet, so I pulled my bivy sack over my head and went back to sleep. I finally awoke for the last time at about seven the next morning. Our camp sight was a lake. The dry creek bed I had mentioned was no longer dry, on the contrary, it was now just a regular creek. The stream to the other side of us was quickly approaching riverhood, and all of our clothes, boots and packs were filled with water.
As I surveyed the damage, I grabbed my pack and turned it out to find that about three liters of water had accumulated over night. Zach had made his bag and mat into a sort of teepee under a tree to conserve heat; his stuff was in no better condition.
“This sucks.” I said flatly. “Let’s just leave. Skip breakfast, skip the mountain, let’s just leave.”
I then looked at my pile of clothes on the ground. My Carhart pants were soaked, and as any Alaskan will tell you, wet cotton kills, not to mention the risk of a mean diaper rash (which is a misleadingly infantile name for the amount of pain that causes). I threw on my jacket and boots and strapped my waterlogged pants to my pack. We packed our whole camp up in about ten minutes and headed right back down the direction we came.
It was about five miles later, at the top of the Multnomah Falls trail, that I remembered how popular Multnomah Falls was. Here I was, hiking down one of the most visited (and photographed) places in Oregon in my boxers, looking like a drowned rat. I knew that if I was going to get diaper rash anywhere though, it would be on this final mile down the falls. The steepness of the trail and speed from the momentum of our packs would basically turn my inner thighs into the brakes on a your dad’s car he let you borrow for your first date. I knew the pain would be worse than any amount of embarrassment suffered at the hands of any amount of tourists, so I tightened up my waste strap on my pack and headed down the trail.
Yes, it was about as embarrassing as you think it was. On the other hand, it was fun to see the faces change on the old people as I shuffled down the trail. One man stopped me, laughing, he said he knew exactly what was happening. When we finally got to the bottom, we threw our packs in the back of Zach’s truck and took off back for school, only able to laugh at our ridiculous lack of preparation.
Local Bands of Newberg
In my short time at Fox, I have found that George Fox is not short on one thing, talented, independent musicians. One of my favorite parts of this school is the amazing music I have heard while here. All one need do is walk down a hall of Pennington or Edwards, or walk across the Quad lawn to discover a new talented musician. Within the last three weeks I have heard several artists and groups that have caught my ear.
The first artist is a man by the name of Carl-Eric Tangen. Carl-Eric is one of the most intriguing humans you will ever meet, and his music follows suit. His soulful brand of folk-rock leaves you feeling contemplative and strangely satisfied. He has an edgy voice, like Bob Dylan, and if you’re lucky, he’ll pull out his full size Victoria accordion. He sometimes plays with Lucas Tomlinsen and Ben Dubose; his shows are a truly unique and wonderful experience.
Another show that is not to be missed is that of the band Flight. Flight is composed of a group of self proclaimed, “utility men”, with many of its members switching freely between guitar, percussion, vocals, and whatever other instrument strikes their fancy. Flight’s music is as hard to define as its comprising members. It experiments with everything from deep southern blues, to folk, to freestyle rap and a bit of pop. Flight’s EP release is set for October 15th. Contact Dominique Berho to get your hands on a copy.
On a slightly different note, Off The Scratch, with guitar and vocals by freshman Alisha Hess, mixes melodic guitar riffs with the nineties grunge-style distorted rhythm guitar with a distinctly Metallica sound. One of the high lights of this band is the drummer, Connor Reilly. Reilly makes highly original beats, utilizing jazz-like cymbal licks while maintaining the classic metallic cymbal thrash. Lyrics are sung by four of the five band members. If you like bands like Third Day and Creed, you’ll enjoy this band and its occasional Newberg shows.
Foxglove Inc. is another extremely talented band that you might be lucky enough to see around Newberg. Led on guitar and vocals by Cameron DeWhitt, the band offers a twist on the sometimes mundane world of folk music. The vocals brought by DeWhitt are phenomenal and complement his knack for lyric-smithing. Their last show, at Chapters, was packed out with Fox students and Newberg residents alike.
This is just a sample of the many amazing musicians coming out of Fox, Some other noteworthy examples being Just Lions, featuring Chandler Struts on guitar and vocals, single artist Katie Carlene, and Brightwood, arguably the most successful band to come out of Fox. If you’re a music fan, keep your eyes peeled for news, because there are many opportunities on the horizon.
The first artist is a man by the name of Carl-Eric Tangen. Carl-Eric is one of the most intriguing humans you will ever meet, and his music follows suit. His soulful brand of folk-rock leaves you feeling contemplative and strangely satisfied. He has an edgy voice, like Bob Dylan, and if you’re lucky, he’ll pull out his full size Victoria accordion. He sometimes plays with Lucas Tomlinsen and Ben Dubose; his shows are a truly unique and wonderful experience.
Another show that is not to be missed is that of the band Flight. Flight is composed of a group of self proclaimed, “utility men”, with many of its members switching freely between guitar, percussion, vocals, and whatever other instrument strikes their fancy. Flight’s music is as hard to define as its comprising members. It experiments with everything from deep southern blues, to folk, to freestyle rap and a bit of pop. Flight’s EP release is set for October 15th. Contact Dominique Berho to get your hands on a copy.
On a slightly different note, Off The Scratch, with guitar and vocals by freshman Alisha Hess, mixes melodic guitar riffs with the nineties grunge-style distorted rhythm guitar with a distinctly Metallica sound. One of the high lights of this band is the drummer, Connor Reilly. Reilly makes highly original beats, utilizing jazz-like cymbal licks while maintaining the classic metallic cymbal thrash. Lyrics are sung by four of the five band members. If you like bands like Third Day and Creed, you’ll enjoy this band and its occasional Newberg shows.
Foxglove Inc. is another extremely talented band that you might be lucky enough to see around Newberg. Led on guitar and vocals by Cameron DeWhitt, the band offers a twist on the sometimes mundane world of folk music. The vocals brought by DeWhitt are phenomenal and complement his knack for lyric-smithing. Their last show, at Chapters, was packed out with Fox students and Newberg residents alike.
This is just a sample of the many amazing musicians coming out of Fox, Some other noteworthy examples being Just Lions, featuring Chandler Struts on guitar and vocals, single artist Katie Carlene, and Brightwood, arguably the most successful band to come out of Fox. If you’re a music fan, keep your eyes peeled for news, because there are many opportunities on the horizon.
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