On Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009 when President Barack Obama was sworn into office as our 44th president, I stood among the two million teary-eyed spectators on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. As he recited those 35 words to become the next leader of the free world, a thunderous roar echoed over the two miles of supporters that traveled from all over the country to witness the moment of change actually occur.

Our trip started off the morning of Sunday, Jan. 18. I, along with Pam Kurylowicz, Autumn McClellan, and Bree Bland made the trip to our nation’s capitol together. On the morning of Monday, Jan. 19, we were invited to attend the Michigan Democratic Party’s Pre-Inaugural Open House. This gathering of Michiganders took place at the Library of Congress. Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm was also a sponsor of the event, so of course she was there. When we met her, she was thrilled that students from Ferris took time away from classes to witness history being made.

We spent Monday afternoon scopeing out the National Mall and getting a feel for where we wanted to stand the next morning. Over 200,000 tickets were distributed over the capacity for the inaugural ceremony itself, but none of us were able to secure any tickets. For all of the people that did not have tickets, the National Mall, which is a two and one-half mile long stretch of open area that extends from the U.S. Capitol building all the way to the Lincoln Memorial, was open for free viewing. The Presidential Inaugural Committee placed 20 “Jumbotrons” throughout the Mall so everybody would be able to see the entire ceremony.

Waking up at 4 a.m. Tuesday morning, we headed for downtown D.C. In order to get to the Mall on Inauguration Day, spectators that were staying outside of D.C. had to use the Metro subway system. Having never been to a large city with a subway system, I was very impressed with the Metro despite what others said. Yes, it was very, very crowded. With some patience and waiting, we were able to use the Metro just fine.

Walking throughout downtown D.C. was a different story. Most streets near Pennsylvania Avenue were blocked off due to the Inaugural Parade. In order to get to the Mall, we had to circumnavigate the parade route. It wasn’t very hard to know where to go though because several other thousands of people were headed in the same direction. We arrived at the Mall around 9:30 a.m., and there were surprisingly no security checkpoints for the general public.

After weaving around and between several thousand people, we finally settled on a spot about one and one-quarter mile away from the U.S. Capitol building. Our view included three Jumbotrons and a small glimpse of the Capitol Building if several people moved their heads just right.

The temperature outside was around 30 degrees. You could tell if a person was from a warm state just by the way they were dressed. Being from Michigan, all four of us are used to walking to class in negative temperatures, so 30 degrees was like a heat wave to us. The sky over D.C. was perfectly clear and sunny, the complete opposite of what all weather forecasts were predicting.

Around 10:30 a.m., the program began with some musical entertainment and the introduction of VIP guests. As the introductions went on, the crowd that gathered on the Mall had an opinion about almost everybody that was introduced. Around 11:30 a.m., former President George W. Bush was introduced. All of a sudden, the entire crowd’s demeanor turned sour with boos and hissing noises propagating throughout. When President Barack Obama was introduced just moments later, the entire Mall was filled with the thunderous roar of clapping, stomping feet, cries of joy, and some people even shed tears.

A few more minutes passed and then it was finally time for what many of us had been waiting to see for eight years; the end of the Bush administration and the beginning of change. As the oath of office was given, most spectators on the Mall, including myself, thought a glitch happened with our Jumbotron when Chief Justice John Roberts messed up the oath. It wasn’t until later that evening that I learned that Roberts embarrassed himself at one of the biggest moments in our nation’s history. Once the oath was finally completed correctly, the entire Mall was filled with a noise I had never heard before in my entire life. It was a very odd noise, comprised of mostly screams and sobs of joy. Many spectators, including myself, were brought to tears by this moment that will probably be one of the most historical moments of our lifetimes.

The thing that stuck out to me the most was the fact that over two million people were gathered in our nation’s capitol for one cause; to witness change and history being made. I have never been part of a crowd of that magnitude before that was all gathered for a united purpose. It was an amazing experience and a beautiful display of the American spirit. I will certainly remember this day for the rest of my life.

An hour to get ready and an hour to get there . . . Last Saturday, my girlfriend, six mutual friends and I took a journey to a restaurant unknown, and for reasons unknown . . .

Ok, to tell the truth some of us did know the restaurant, and we all knew why we were there. It was “Swanky Saturday.” To celebrate a random, non- Hallmark holiday we all decided to go on an outing and just enjoy ourselves.

My girlfriend and I got all gussied up in our Sunday’s best and left town around 5 p.m. We hit Grand Rapids right on schedule and went in to reserve our table. San Chez was the destination, and it was a classy (“swanky”) restaurant in downtown GR.

We enjoyed good company and good, but expensive, food. The two of us ate for just shy of $50. This added in with the drive down did add up, but it was a great one-time event.

This is my (final) senior year here at Ferris and I am reflecting on the things I have done and accomplished. I have won a national competition, greatly furthered my knowledge in my field, broadened my knowledge in related fields and met some very wonderful people along the way.

Perhaps one of the most important lessons one can learn is that they only have so long. There are so many classes that I would like to take before leaving. There are so many great clubs that I would like to join, and activities that I would like to participate in. I just don’t have the time anymore, unfortunately.

What I am concerned about at this point is spending time with the people who have made my journey an educational and enjoyable one. “Swanky Saturday” was a great way to have a nice evening out that was greatly different that going to any of our ‘usuals.’

We were able to have an adventure, get all dressed up, and have a great time in each other’s company (and spend a lot of money!).

Great memories.

The main things missing from U.S. media coverage on Israel- Palestine are historical context, international law, human rights considerations, and the principle of universality. Let’s take a brief look at what has been largely left out.

The state of Israel was established in 1948 in what used to be one country, Palestine, although it was never an independent state. Between 1947—1949, Zionist militias (that would later become the Israeli Defense Forces) successfully drove out, with considerable violence, nearly 80 percent of the native Arab population to create the Jewish state.

By 1949, this state accounted for 78 percent of the area of historical Palestine. This is no longer a controversial matter; it has been widely documented by conservative, mainstream Israeli historians who very much support the Zionist ideal.

Many of the Palestinian victims of Zionist ethnic cleansing ended up in the Gaza Strip in horrendous refugee camps. Today Gaza’s population is 1.5 million, nearly 80 percent of which are refugees. It is of no small significance that the crude rockets which have been recently falling into Israel’s south are being fired in desperation by the children and grandchildren of Palestinians who were violently driven from the same villages during Israel’s creation.

Israel has not allowed even one Palestinian refugee to return to their land despite repeated reaffirmations of UN Resolution 194 and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. These both guarantee the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and the right to for them to be compensated for what has happened.

In June of 1967, Israel occupied the remaining 22 percent of historical Palestine: the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem. Aside from the U.S. and Israel, virtually the entire world has called for Israel to withdraw from the occupied territories so that a Palestinian state can be established in the remaining 22 percent of their land. International law has called for Israel’s withdrawal for over four decades, while the International Court of Justice reaffirmed this legality in its 2004 ruling on Israel’s annexation wall in the West Bank.

Since its occupation of the remaining Palestinian territories in June 1967, Israel has been illegally transferring hundreds of thousands of its citizens into the occupied territories in Jewishonly colonies. The colonies or “settlements” are all connected to Israeli proper through Jewishonly bypass roads and highways that segment the West Bank into hundreds of ghettoized islands for Palestinians to live in. In the West Bank, there are two separate sets of laws for Jews and Palestinians.

Israel and the U.S. have refused to negotiate with Hamas, the democratically elected Palestinian government, since its electoral victory in 2006. They demand that before negotiations can happen, Hamas must recognize Israel and its right to exist, renounce violence, and abide by past agreements.

It is instructive to note that the U.S. and Israel actually refuse to accept the same set of preconditions. They have never once recognized Palestine or its “right to exist.” The U.S. and Israel certainly do not renounce violence as the world saw during Israel’s recent massacre of Arab children in Gaza. And of course, the U.S. and Israel consistently dismiss and violate past agreements with the Palestinians and clearly reject international law and treaties.

In actuality, Hamas is far more moderate and forthcoming than both Israel and the U.S.. Within the past few years, Hamas has more or less accepted the international consensus for the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem.

The world has annually voted to resolve the Israel-Palestine conflict along these lines for two decades in the UN General Assembly with the U.S., Israel, and usually some pacific island dependency rejecting the world consensus in isolation.

All 57 Islamic/Arab states in the world have also endorsed the 2002 Arab initiative which calls for an “end to the Arab-Israeli conflict” if Israel would accept international law and end its illegal occupation of the territories seized in June 1967.

Not surprisingly, Israel has remained steadfast in its rejection of a peaceful settlement that respects international law, Palestinian human rights, and the international consensus.

Most importantly, we should remember that by definition, Israel cannot be acting in self-defense so long as it is belligerently occupying, crushing, starving, and brutalizing the native population in the occupied territories. Israel has no right to claim any military action in self-defense so long as it main tains its illegal military occupation of Palestinian territories.

If Israel allows for a Palestinian state to be established along the lines of the international consensus and still gets attacked, then it can use force to respond. Until then, its claims to self-defense should be treated with ridicule and contempt.

The roots of the Israel-Palestine conflict are simple. This has not been going on for thousands of years and this is not a religious conflict. Hamas Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyeh summed it up best this past November when he said that “our problem is not with the Jews; our problem is the occupation.”

Informing friends and family of our large realm life decisions is a difficult part of growing up and finding our place in the world.

Whether it’s being open with your sexuality, changing jobs, poor financial status or anything else, we can often take comfort in the continued support of the people who care for us to weather the storm and find a brighter tomorrow along the way.

However, a group of people most commonly known as ‘vegetarians’ are often still met with mysterious questions and confusion even by those with whom they are closest. Imagine, if you will, your best friend meets you for lunch one day and orders a large salad without the bacon bits. He or she then begins to tell you they have decided to not eat meat. A whirlwind of questions ensues. “Do you still eat chicken? Fish? Eggs?” We demand that our friend, in detail, define the terms and limits of this life choice and we are continually perplexed by their decision. A survey done by the Vegetarian Resource Group said that only about 2.5 percent of the 968 adults surveyed in the mid-nineties were completely devoid of meat including chicken and fish in their regular diets.

I believe that some of this confusion is a direct result of the label, ‘vegetarian’. With its root coming from the word ‘vegetable’ we equate their dietary habits with this portion of the many food groups. But, some of these so-called ‘vegetarians’ will eat some chicken on occasion. Perhaps a salmon fillet or a heart healthy omelet, which would in many ways completely contradict the title.

Those vegetarians at the most extreme level of self-preservation through diet control devoid of meat are commonly known as vegans. Though a couple million years ago animals that didn’t eat meat were called herbivores and eventually became food for the T-Rex.

We need clarity in this society if we are to overcome the stigma that vegetarians are a bunch of tree hugging hippies who have dairy issues or think meat is murder, but more importantly we need tolerance. This is a simple life choice, much like the ones we make everyday. How others choose to define their decision, be it by calling themselves ‘vegan,’ ‘vegetarian,’ or other derivatives thereof, need only to ask for the tolerance of their friends and the cessation of the inquisition.

When I told my friends that I liked to go skiing and had little to no desire to snowboard, they didn’t protest a single word. At the mention that I have a penchant for red headed women, they simply nodded and said, “whatever.” These decisions have a minimal impact on the lives of the people of the world around us. It’s time that we embrace the possibility that through our diverse character-building decisions were learn more about ourselves through others.

So, hug a vegetarian today. Buy them a tree or two of broccoli. We are all people with needs and wants. While I may want to know why you are a vegetarian, I don't need to. Just keep me away from the parsnips.

Recently, I was told that I would need to use the CD-ROM included in my textbook to print out the laboratory procedures for one of my classes. Some of the lab material though, will be from the lab book that I was required to purchase. This lab book is not affiliated with the previously mentioned CD. I will be responsible for obtaining these materials in hard-copy to bring to the lab.

For the same course, the slides from the lecture notes will be posted on Ferris Connect. Most of the material that will be on lecture exams will stem from these online notes, but it is recommended to read the primary text before attending lecture. These notes will not be available before the lecture though, so taking notes for each slide on notebook paper during lecture is highly encouraged.

This same course will be using CPS clickers for lecture exams and quizzes, so I will need another semester’s worth of subscription for that. Thank my lucky stars I happen to already own one of the $30-plus clickers.

This is the situation I find myself in for one of my four classes. This situation is the hay bale that has broken this camel’s back.

As I sit trying to regain orientation, I have to wonder if this huge influx of technology into higher education is truly helping teachers to teach or students to learn.

Ferris Connect is its own can of worms, but it suffices to say that the system is not always functional or reliable.

As a result, or perhaps just to keep students “on their toes,” many professors bypass Ferris Connect by using sites of their choosing.

Can I plea for some sort of leash to be put on the superfluous use of electronic source supplements/ requirements?

It is not that I am anti-technology. I send text messages, peruse networking sites like Facebook and Myspace, and send emails just as frequently as the next college student. I get angsty though when there are so many sources for course information that I am forced to devote more time to locating something than I would need to study and understand it.

I also have gripes with the scattering of source material in electronic form because many students need to obtain hard copies and find it difficult to do so. Free printing in dorms is no longer available and some people might find it fiscally difficult, impractical, or impossible to obtain the material in paper form. I can only speak from personal preference, but for some reason I find it much easier to understand and draw associations between materials if they are physically spread out in front of me.

Additional resources are a good learning tool, but when they are a required aspect of the course and there are too many of them to keep track of they end up becoming a headache. No student should spend more time gathering, cataloguing, and checking for updates on course materials than learning them.

When you were younger I’m sure that your mother, just like mine, tried her hardest to look out for your health and best interests. My mother would consistently remind me to eat my veggies, go play outside, and drink more milk.

My mom is a nurse and she therefore saw first hand how many individuals had doomed their health from their childhood. She would see 40 and 50-year-old ladies with weakening bones as well as 40-yearold men suffering from heart attacks due to clogged arteries.

One of the most frequent comments that I would hear from my mom was “stop drinking so much pop, don’t you know how bad it is for you.” I like any other kid shrugged it off and continued on my merry way.

That is until my junior year in high school when a couple of my friends and I decided that we were going to try to give up pop for a month, just to see if we could do it. Well the month passed and I continued to resist the urge to drink pop simply to see how long I could last.

It has now been three years since I have consumed pop and I can honestly say that I haven't noticed any significant difference in my health but just the knowledge of pop’s poor nutritional value has kept me clean. Now I’m not saying that it is right for everyone, but here is something to consider. If we are drinking more pop we are drinking less of other liquids such as water and milk which, should come as no surprise to you, are better for you.

So why is the American public’s fascination with pop so pronounced? My theory is that it’s just easier to drink pop. Think about the times you go out to eat or stop at a gas station. What beverage, more than any other, is most readily available? Pop. It almost seems second nature to declare what kind of pop that you are going to have with your meal and the restaurants love it because their profit margins on pop are so high. There are also endless flavors to satisfy each person’s unique choices in taste.

I have found myself in a bit of a pickle when it comes to what to drink when I go out. The healthy choices would be water or milk but many “grab and go” restaurants don’t offer milk at a decent price and water is simply bland and boring. I have tried lemonade and fruit punch but often find that it is like sipping up sugar through a straw. The same goes for many juices, while they are still better for you than pop, many are so thoroughly processed that they have to add vitamins and flavor back into the product before you can enjoy consuming it.

So is there a good alternative to pop? I honestly have yet to find one. Everyone has no doubt heard that pop attributes to caffeine dependence (many would go as far as to say addiction), cavities, poor bone health, obesity, and any other number of adverse health effects. Many are also aware that although it sounds better for you, diet pops are often just as bad if not worse than regular sodas. Not to bash pop but personally I don’t like the idea of putting something in my stomach that can corrode away rust.

But for the taste and convenience the majority of Americans are willing to take the risk and enjoy a cold soda. Next time you reach for a pop think about if there may be a better choice.