The Columbia Chronicle

Freedom of information a must in Illinois

By Editorial Board

March 2, 2009

At a time when the state of Illinois may have lost faith in its government after former Gov. Rod Blagojevich was impeached, Atty. General Lisa Madigan has proposed beefing up Illinois’ Freedom of Information Act so the state can cleanse its reputation by making more information available, lessening its image of secrecy.Freedom of Information Act (or FOIA) requests are made by the public or the media for documents and othe...

New cheating policy will preserve integrity

By Editorial Board

March 2, 2009

Following concerns from faculty and administration over academic dishonesty, the current academic honesty policy will get a much-needed clarification with a step in the right direction to promoting academic integrity at Columbia and lessening the motivation for students to want to cheat.Though it is still in draft form and would not be enacted until fall 2009, the academic honesty policy will be revamped to better suit the ...

Mexico no longer safe, must save innocent ones

By Bertha Serrano

March 2, 2009

A couple of weeks ago, I found out one of my uncles almost got killed during a recent trip to Mexico. As custom, he had driven his SUV from California to avoid paying the expensive plane tickets for his whole family. A couple of miles away from their destination, three trucks came out of nowhere and surrounded them. They forced him to pull over, and from what he could tell, they had mistaken him for someone else—a drug d...

Manifest cutbacks a blessing in disguise

By Editorial Board

February 23, 2009

After the initial disappointment of cutting the headlining band from Manifest, the benefits to students have become clear.A headliner would certainly be fun for students and draw more people to Manifest, but when the headlining band is replaced with extended stage time for 15 Columbia bands, the purpose of Manifest is achieved-a chance for students to have an event showcasing their work.The reasoning for cutting the headlin...

Fascination with big families old, annoying

By Ashley Badgley

February 23, 2009

In the past few generations, there has been a major change in family dynamics and size in America. Fifty years ago, women were having 10 or 12 kids, and a big family was typical. Now, people see this as freakish, but still have the pleasure of seeing women give birth to multiple babies and watching them grow up on primetime TV.Nadya Suleman is all over the news for giving birth to octuplets. She has become an instant obsession....

No easy answer to Wal-Mart in Chicago

By Editorial Board

February 23, 2009

Chicago officials are now considering letting Wal-Mart build six locations in the city. As of now, there is only one on the Far West Side. But, with so much controversy over Wal-Mart's business practices, it seems as if everyone is divided.In a survey conducted by RT Strategies, 70 percent of Americans said they think Wal-Mart is good for consumers, but a survey conducted by Zogby differed, saying only 44 percent of Ameri...

PETA, People Embarrassing True Activists

By Steven Schnarr

February 23, 2009

In its many ridiculous attempts to encourage "humane" treatment of animals, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals just makes all vegetarians and vegans look like fools. But PETA's activism comes off as a sick joke when compared to the real issue behind vegetarianism.After nine years of a truce with McDonald's, PETA is back at it again with their outrageous antics and protests, according to a Feb. 16 Chicago Tribune ar...

Parental concern over Huberman unnecessary

By Molly Lynch

February 16, 2009

Every time I read stories about disputes in school systems, I often come to the realization that parents and students tend to do a bit of a role reversal. Like clockwork, as soon as a new policy emerges that causes a stir in a school, parents are usually the first to throw hissy fits, organize protests and make headlines as they incessantly and ignorantly whine about a topic they often don't understand.Not long after Mayor Richa...

Increase in loan availability necessary

By Editorial Board

February 16, 2009

The original stimulus bill passed by the U.S. House included a $2,000 increase in availability of Stafford student loans, but while "trimming pork" from the bill, the Senate cut a much needed provision from the final version.The current credit crunch has already made tougher restrictions on private student loans, and will likely worsen. With large numbers of students dependent on private loans to get through school, someone...

Illinois must stop refunding big retailers

By Editorial Board

February 16, 2009

Chicago has the highest sales tax in the nation at 10.25 percent, and it would be right for taxpayers to assume this all goes to public funds. But a little-known law, now in the spotlight, gives 1.75 percent of Illinois sales tax back to retailers, amounting to $126 million a year, more than any other state, according to a study done by Good Jobs First, a Washington D.C.-based research group.The study shows that 26 states...

You’re either a libertarian or a fascist

By Steven Schnarr

February 16, 2009

With all this talk of a stimulus plan uniting the country, it is easy to lose focus of ideals, even for someone as idealistic as me.But when it comes down to it, not one major politician in the public eye has said anything that makes sense.The U.S. Congress couldn't seem to reach a bipartisan agreement over the current proposal on the bill. Even though President Barack Obama stands able to unite the nation, and is trying, it seem...

Michael Phelps smoking pot harmless

By Lauren Kelly

February 9, 2009

Michael Phelps can be called an Olympic superstar, a 14-time gold medal winner, a record-breaking athlete, an all-American swimmer and, most recently, a pot smoker.A photograph of Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps smoking marijuana from a bong surfaced last week after being published in a British tabloid. The photo has since circulated in the media, forcing the press to talk about the issue of recreational cannabis use in the Unit...