Katie

Too Much Technology?

by Katie • Nov 18th, 2008 at 1:40 pm • 13 comments

After last week’s Chief column, I decided to go a little lighter on this one. Here is today’s column about our dependence on technology- does it enrich our lives? Or are we all destined for social self-withdrawal?

Chambana Secrets

by Katie • Oct 28th, 2008 at 8:26 pm • 18 comments

Here is this week’s column. I had a list of about 30 things I wanted to include as Champaign-Urbana’s best kept secrets, but there’s only so much you can do with 750 words.

I’d love to hear other people’s C-U favorites!

‘Saving second base’ stealing our dignity

by Katie • Oct 25th, 2008 at 5:54 pm • 15 comments

Here’s last week’s DI article:

As a Cubs fan, baseball season ended for me a few weeks ago with a disappointing loss to the Dodgers. To avoid any further salt in my open wounds, I have avoided ESPN and the DI sports section as much as possible. But despite my withdrawal from all things baseball, I’ve heard a lot lately about second base.

If you pay any attention on your walk to class (and judging by the number of bicycle/student collisions I see, you may not), then you’ve noticed a new fashion trend on campus: T-shirts that read “Save Second Base” with two large, suggestively placed baseballs across the chest.

CP$

by Katie • Sep 16th, 2008 at 12:31 pm • 15 comments

My column this week is about the Chicago Public School’s new “Paper Project,” a cash-for-grades incentive program being tested at some inner city high schools.

Sex Ed 101

by Katie • Sep 4th, 2008 at 8:20 am • 4 comments

Hi all-

I’m writing as a DI columnist this semester, and Josh suggested I post my columns on Urbanagora.

Here’s this week’s.

Anonymous

by Katie • Jul 20th, 2008 at 9:08 pm • 11 comments

In high school, my (crazy) AP English teacher insisted that we write our full names on all course evaluations. We were “women of integrity,” our school motto, and anonymous comments were beneath us.

I had a conversation with Brenda Kay about anonymous posting to websites. We are both infuriated by rude comments, often devoid of substance, that are posted to sites like the Daily Illini and Urbanagora by “Anonymous” authors.

First Amendment rights certainly guarantee a freedom to express opinions, and standards of journalistic integrity protect anonymity, but to what extent can we respect a person’s opinion when they refuse to embrace it as their own? And, in the cyberworld where everyone is a stranger, does name recognition even matter?

Our discussion eventually came to the question of whether or not anonymity should be protected by blogs, newspapers, or the law. A phenomenon called Juicy Campus has recently swept college campuses, and it makes me wonder. Contributors, if you can even call them that, post comments about people they dislike. It gets pretty messy; posts use full names, disclose phone numbers and addresses, and smear reputations. The posting is completely anonymous, leaving little recourse for victims to defend against false attacks.

Similarly, most blogs and many newspaper websites allow readers to comment on stories with invented names or no names at all. I understand that, at times, identity must be protected to avoid conflicts of interest. It’s a whole different story when people use anonymity as a cloak for ignorance and tactlessness.

My English teacher may have been crazy, but her point still stands. Is anonymity cowardly?

Things to Come

by Katie • Jun 9th, 2008 at 5:06 pm • 5 comments

In the midst of heated Hillary/Barack debates, we sometimes forget the historic nature of this election. Regardless of whose name sits atop the Democratic ticket, or who emerges as a running mate, Election ‘08 marks a victory in the battles of sexism, racism, and even ageism.

But we can’t forget that these are mere battles, temporary triumphs in a greater war against intolerance and ignorance. I came across this link today. It is a sober reminder of American reality and probably an indication of things to come.

The Great Ira Carmen

by Katie • May 18th, 2008 at 4:19 pm • 29 comments

If you are a U of I alum, chances are you’ve heard of the name “Ira Carmen.” He is a legend on the Urbana campus, at least in the Political Science Department. A ripe young 73, the man still runs three miles a day and regularly reminds students of his superior fitness level. He teaches various undergraduate Constitutional Law classes and a few seminars, including his specialty: Genetics and Politics (which Billy and I are taking in the Fall).

For those of you not lucky enough to attend a Carmen class, let me give you a glimpse of his one-act-show. Picture a small Jewish man with somewhat unkempt white hair wearing a neutral-colored sport coat and skinny tie. He stands at the front of the class, sometimes behind a podium, sometimes gesticulating wildly inches from the front row. He glances periodically at a yellow legal pad while lecturing about Supreme Court decisions, always including the Carmen opinion.

Known for his wit and clever remarks, he never ceases to entertain. A few Urbanagora contributors and former-students asked me to record some of his quotes from the past semester. Here are a few of my favorites:

Discussing Roe v. Wade: “I have sufficient wisdom to remember the urge to fornicate… do it at a rock concert! Don’t do it on the Supreme Court and offend my sensibilities!”

Discussing his top ten list of women (which he never actually revealed): “None of the women from your generation make my list… women of my generation knew how to act, how to dress. [Falsetto voice] ‘I want to run a corporation!’ You can run a goddamn corporation, but you’re not making my list!”

“You are moving toward elite status, and I ought to know because I am an elitist. You are moving toward elite status because you have had this opportunity to take this class! There are really good people on this campus and I’m one of them!”

“You can be brain dead at 70 and brain dead at 20. No? Consider the people you know that are brain dead.”

Stopping mid-lecture and looking out the window at a man mowing the lawn: “What’s this noise? There’s always noise on this campus interrupting my thoughts. There’s always construction going on. As if better buildings make for better instruction. I can teach you in a shit hole! We are in a shit hole!” (A few minutes later, stops mid-sentence) “I’ll out-shout that bastard!”

Discussing his old age: “My y-chromosome shrivels, thankfully not in plain view. [Pause] I won’t go any further than that.”

“Obama’s constituency is made up of blacks, young independents, and college professors… and a handful of other self-proclaimed intellectuals who I call SNOBS!”

“I consider myself an environmentalist. I have to be, I live with my wife. She’s so green it looks like she spent the last 10 years sailing the Atlantic on a life boat.”

Discussing his prediction that Clinton will take the ‘08 Democratic nomination: “The Clinton machine will grind him down. You have to drive a stake through the heart of the Clintons. Obama doesn’t have the right stake. He’s been fiddling around for it. [Falsetto voice] ‘Where’s the stake? I can’t find it!’”

“No Country For Old Men was an absolute blood bath. They should have dedicated it to Osama bin Laden.”

“I was babysitting my grandboys. They’re 8 and 9, so we give them some slack. They were watching this show- ‘The Survivor.’ You’ve got to be a goddamn moron to watch that show. They’re all over there in Micronesia. They should be marooned over there!”

This semester, Carmen received a taker for the Carmen Challenge, introduced to a class many years ago, which consists of a three mile race, best 2-out-of-3 for chess, and best 2-out-of-3 for ping pong. The challenger was a past student that many of you know, known for his liberal tendencies: “That was 10 years ago! I’m an old man now. I’ve lost more neurons than you’ve swallowed little pink ACLU pills!”

Billy has suggested that U of I post some lectures on iTunes U to eternally capture the brilliance that is Ira Carmen. Until then, we’re all keeping our fingers crossed that he sticks around for semester, year, or even decade.

Keep Your Pamphlets

by Katie • Apr 14th, 2008 at 8:34 pm • 10 comments

If you have ever walked on the U of I Quad on a nice day, you have inevitably had some brightly-colored piece of paper thrust at you- an advertisement for a pizza place, some student event, or a concert. Usually, I willingly take one, glance at it briefly, and when I’m safely out of eyesight of the person who handed it to me, I toss it in a garbage can. It doesn’t really bother me, and I go on with my day. But about twice a year, I’m handed something that really offends me. It’s always the same- a yellow pamphlet with pictures of dying pigs, chickens smashed into cages, and cows bleeding to death.

I recently read an excerpt from a book called People or Penguins: The Case for Optimal Pollution by William Baxter that sums up my opinion about things like this (more specifically, extreme animal rights activists and extreme environmental conservationists). William Baxter argues that there are two kinds of decisions: the collective and the private. Collectively, humans must act to benefit humans. Privately, we can be as altruistic as we choose. Our collective actions may prove beneficial to other living things, but we cannot act solely for that end; it would be self-destructive. (Side note: I do not consider myself anthropocentric and my views do not entirely coincide with Baxter’s. I think his argument is applicable here, but not always.)

In the case of the aforementioned pamphlet, vegetarianism/veganism is a private choice, one that does not currently benefit humankind as a whole. An individual can sacrifice his own right/need/desire to eat meat if he holds the value of the animal’s life above his own rights/needs/desires. However, it is impractical (and obnoxious) to impose this choice on society as a whole.

Baxter explains, “Many of the more extreme assertions that one hears from some conservationists amount to tacit assertions that they are specially appointed representatives of sugar pines, and hence that their preferences should be weighted more heavily than the preferences of other humans who do not enjoy equal rapport with ‘nature.’” He goes on to say, “Only humans can be afforded an opportunity to participate in the collective decisions.” That’s right, only humans. Our collective actions are selfish because we are programmed to survive.

So, to the vegetarian extremists with the yellow pamphlets, I know that animals bleed when they die. I know that the way they are killed is often not humane. I respect your decision to abstain from meat, but, please, do not imply that I have a moral obligation to do the same.

Spitzer, again.

by Katie • Mar 19th, 2008 at 2:03 pm • 0 comments

I was skimming the “Savannah Morning News” today and came across this story. I thought all good jokes about Spitzer had been made, but this one is pretty entertaining. I especially like the discounted tickets for anyone named “Eliot,” “Spitzer,” or “Kristen.”

Considering the conservatism of the South, it will be interesting to see how this is received by the locals.

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