The Vanderbilt Torch

Vanderbilt closes Center for Ethics

When the economy crashed and Vanderbilt decided it need to cut its budget, it first looked around to find what it deemed to be unnecessary programs.  The entire campus received an email that detailed certain budget cuts, some of which have received considerable attention (such as the salary and hiring freezes for faculty).  One cut, however, seems to have gone almost entirely unnoticed by the student body: the Center for Ethics.

Obama's inaugural falls short of Lincoln's

With the many parallels that now-President Barack Obama drew to Abraham Lincoln during the last month, his inaugural address fell short.  I was expecting (or perhaps hoping) for an inaugural address with a similar format, a clear plan, and words that were more than a collection of sound bites from the election.  Lincoln’s first inaugural address met all of these criteria; I found Obama’s to be seriously lacking them.

Meanwhile, back at the Senate: Breaking down the Senate races

With all of the hype surrounding the 2008 Presidential election, the races in the House and Senate have been all but overlooked in the major media outlets.  For Republicans, it looks like Nov. 4, 2008 is going to be a dim day, with Congress going to the Democrats.  The Senate races are particularly interesting, because the Republicans have the bad luck of holding 23 seats up for reelection compared with the Democrats’ 12.  Of those 23 seats, the Cook Report is listing 7 of them as toss-ups, meaning they could go either direction and an additional 3 seats that are “likely” or “lean” democratic.  The Democrats, in contrast, have 0 seats that are toss-ups, “likely Republican,” or “lean Republican.”  Where are these seats that the Republicans may lose on Nov. 4?  And what does this mean for the Republican party?

John Warner (Virginia): Warner’s seat opened up in this election when he chose not to run as the incumbent.  Interestingly, the Democratic nominee is named Mark Warner, and the Republican nominee Jim Gilmore.  Both nominees are former governors, but it looks like Mark Warner is going to take this seat, as it is classified as “likely Democratic.”  That’s one for the Democrats.

Gas Crisis: "It's Okay. We'll Move to Dickson."

“No gas” is a sign that’s been seen all around the Nashville area, ever since Hurricane Gustav hit Louisiana and Hurricane Ike made landfall on the coast of Texas.  There have been days when gas has literally run dry in every gas station in the Nashville area, prompting concern and even a kind of hysteria to keep tanks full.

So why is the aftermath of the hurricanes (particularly Ike) affecting Nashville so severely?  Two reasons: 1. supply and 2. demand, as cliché as it sounds.

General Advocates Realism in Middle East

General John Abizaid, perhaps IMPACT’s most distinguished guest for 2008, had a surprise for listeners during his speech.  Most listeners expected to hear a long talk justifying the war in Iraq.  Indeed, a group from the Middle Tennessee Veterans Association handed out copies of a formal letter to the General asking him to address the war and condemn it along with them.  But Abizaid had a different goal in mind. In keeping with the theme of IMPACT this year (Middle East Meets West), he barely mentioned the war at all.  Rather, he discussed military organization in the Middle East, and he pinpointed what he believes to be the four primary “problems” of the region. 

Scientology and Scandal

Scientology, a practice that combines religion, philosophy and, in some countries, non-profit organizations, has recently come under fire for its questionable practices. A group known as Anonymous has declared war on Scientology, claiming that its practices and beliefs are nothing short of fascism. Perhaps a brief look into Scientology and its controversies can give some insight into this claim.

Do Sororities Rush to Judgment?

Rush for 2008 is finally over, and after a long week of emotional upheavals, every young lady who went through the process has either been offered a bid or has been dropped altogether.  The first day of classes for this semester was met with tired eyes and sore throats as half the female student body dragged themselves to lecture.  There is a lot of drama that surrounds the Panhellenic recruitment system, and a lot of secrecy as well.  What really goes on behind the scenes?  As a junior in the Greek system, there are a lot of things I can tell you… and a lot that remains a mystery to me.

Student Council: Law and Order

Have you ever had to go to the Office of Student Conduct? My only personal experience involved a citation for illegally possessing a toaster (no, I’m not joking), but I know they deal with far more serious situations on a daily basis. If you have been one of the unfortunate students to sit in the citation office, think back on your experience. Were you scared, worried, or just plain confused about why you were there?

Paying Twice for Private Needs

In the recent Supreme Court case Board of Education of the City of New York v. Tom F., the court split a 4-4 decision in what could come to be a very important issue for taxpayers.

Finding Faith in Charity

Several weeks ago, I sat in on a presentation given by the Office of Active Citizenship and Service (OACS). I watched as first-year students fell asleep with excitement to get involved in the community. OACS addressed both sides of their mission: local community service and broader public service. They showed films from Freedom Ride and a slideshow from the Kampala Project, which seemed to make very little impact on a student body more concerned, for the most part, about the injustices of meal plan options and slogans for fund-raisers. Very shortly afterwards, the Mother Theresa “scandal” broke, and I found myself comparing the two incidents.  I still don’t like what I saw.