I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a YouTube addict.

I mean, it’s simply amazing. Where else can I watch obscure music videos that only I remember? Where else can I revel in the absurdity and hype of the latest viral phenomenon?

Where else can I waste hours of my life that would be better spent on actual productive work? (Okay, so maybe that part isn’t so amazing, but still, you get the point. I love YouTube.)

Which is why the latest news regarding my beloved companion saddens me greatly.

UPenn and other schools creating their own YouTube accounts? No. That’s just not right.

YouTube was my gateway to the guilty pleasure of procrastination. My escape from the harsh and cruel world of academic responsibility. Now it’s decided to become part of that evil system? Looks like the Man has finally held it down.

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Making a statement, whether it be artistic or political, is a tricky thing.

In many ways, the key to a good statement is balance, finding a middle ground between polar extremes. Not too subtle but not too condescending. Loud enough to get the central message across but with enough restraint to not overpower that message.

Some statements have worked. Others have failed miserably. Last week the Penn Environmental Group attempted to make a statement. This picture perfectly sums up my assessment.

I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure this is what the PEG wanted me to think:
“Wow! Look at that pile of trash that I’ve carelessly contributed to! Half of the items in there could have been recycled! I sure waste a lot of resources! From now on, I’m going to recycle!”

But here is what I actually thought:
“Wow. Look at that pile of trash. It smells horrible, and it’s a severe health hazard. It has also ruined my day. Once I find out which Penn organization was responsible for dumping it on Locust Walk, I’m going to make fun of them in my next blog post.”

The whole spectacle reminded me of the animal rights activists who throw blood on people that wear fur coats. Doing that doesn’t make people want to stop wearing clothes made from dead animals. It just makes them want to punch the psycho in the face for ruining their new coat.

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I knew it would only be a matter of time before I saw something like this. Someone expressing the belief that an Obama presidency meant that this country should forget about racism.

The article represents a mentality that has been prevalent since well before anyone even heard of Barack Obama. Now in the aftermath of his historic victory, this mindset will undoubtedly become all the more powerful.

First, as difficult as it is for me to admit, the author of the article makes some valid points. Many white liberals have an overblown and unknowingly condescending level of white guilt. You don’t have to constantly apologize to black people for things that your ancestors did. You don’t have to pity them or always feel as if you owe them something.

The whole “blame whitey” mentality among many modern day civil rights leaders also hasn’t done much. Crying racism over trivial matters won’t fix our schools, stop black youth from killing one another, or stop black men from being incarcerated. Instead it creates a “boy who cried wolf” effect. When we actually speak up about real instances of racism that actually affect us, they’ll be dismissed as just another example of black people complaining.

But you know what else doesn’t help? People telling us to simply get over racism.

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You roll your eyes as the movie begins.

You scoff at the cliched dialogue. You shake your head as you observe the rest of the audience, engaged and captivated by a standard Hollywood script. Then it happens.

The climactic scene occurs and you find yourself tearing up with the rest of the crowd, caught up in the emotion and the power. You leave the theater and wonder whether you just watched a manipulative tearjerker or a cinematic masterpiece.

This is how I felt about Barack Obama winning the presidency.

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Sniff sniff. Smell that?

No, it’s not the aftermath of your rommate’s epic trip to the bathroom. It’s the unmistakable smell of tension. For those living under a rock or in Gregory College House: the hometown Phillies are in the World Series, and the election is rapidly approaching.

With those two major events, concerns have risen regarding the response to their outcomes. Being the peace-loving individual that I am, I’d like to address anyone who is thinking of reenacting the climactic scene of Do the Right Thing.

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It was a recurring situation that I remember all too well.

The Monday after receiving their report cards my friends would brag about all the stuff they got for their good grades. It was always a joyous conversation rampant with talk of Nikes and video games.

Then once I, the group’s Debbie Downer, made my contribution, the upbeat momentum would reach a screeching halt.

“My parents gave me a pat on the back.” Womp woooomp.

I wonder now if my academic performance would be any different if I had gotten the same rewards as my friends. Would the motivation be the same? Would I still value education the same way? These are the questions I pondered when I came across this article.

Kids getting paid for good grades. A few years ago I would’ve thought that this was the greatest thing to happen since TiVo. But now I’m not so sure. What some might see as a brilliant innovation in public education, others might view as a desperate attempt to fix a failed system.

It’s no coincidence that many of the schools implementing this program are plagued by deteriorating conditions unfit for a learning environment. Shouldn’t money be invested to improve those conditions instead?

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It’s a question that I’ve wondered about for a while. Are the SATs really that important?

The National Association for College Admissions Counseling don’t seem to think so. In a report released last week, they stated that both the SATs and the ACTs were “insufficient predictors of a student’s likelihood of overall success.”

According to the DP article, Penn’s Dean of Admissions Eric Furda disagreed, however, saying that both exams, when taken into consideration with other application materials, gave a good general indication of how a student would perform in college.

The debate took me back to my high school days. You had your students who saw the test as the primary factor in college acceptance. Then you had the crowd who viewed it as a false indicator of academic qualification. I suppose I fell somewhere in between. While aware of its importance, I also believed that the test wasn’t a true representation of intelligence. (more…)

Last Friday, I skipped out on the chance to see Nas perform live at Temple. Why? Because I would’ve had to take the train home by myself after the show… at Temple.

That night I read the blog I wrote last week and, naturally, felt like a hypocrite.

Luckily for me, my good friend Tre was going to the concert. I asked him to give me a detailed account of what happened so that I could gain a better understanding of what the Temple campus was actually like. Here’s his story.

When he arrived, he saw what he described as a “chaotic and violent urban landscape.” He immediately heard the sounds of shootings, sirens, and patrolling helicopters overhead. Every student he saw carried a handgun while wearing a kevlar bullet proof vest. I hope that their tuition covered those items.

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Unless you have this poster on your wall, you’re more than likely sick of frat parties.

After all, there are only so many nights of overcrowded rooms, cheap beer, and off-key renditions of “Don’t Stop Believing”/”Living on a Prayer” that one can take. You can go to that off campus party of that friend of a friend, but the shadiness generated by the location and the party inhabitants is enough to cause an eclipse.

The natural reaction to this is to become jaded regarding your social life. Yet this is akin to complaining about being broke while that check you forgot to cash lies on your desk. 

I don’t know if you guys realize this, but Philly is actually kind of cool. I just found out last Friday when I went down to South Street with two friends.

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So, chances are that you’ve heard about this.

Naturally, with a story like this one, there’s a great deal of material for one to discuss. I could rant about the lack of security that SEPTA provides. I could speculate on just why exactly a man would feel the need to randomly attack another passenger with a hammer.

In the end though, what I found most interesting about this story is the question as to whether or not the other members of the train should have intervened. Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey seems to think so.

They better pray they’re never a victim, because if someone was attacking them that way they would certainly hope someone would step forward and help, and it starts with stepping forward and doing something yourself.

Helping the victim would of course be the courageous and moral thing to do. But is it fair for Ramsey to criticize the other passengers for not doing so? (more…)