Concordiensis

Ambiguous text message panics students in wake of campus tragedies

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 05:00:00 GMT

On Thursday, February 28, at around noon, students, faculty and staff on Union College's emergency text message notification list received a vague yet ominous text message warning them of an emergency situation and directing them to the Union website for "further instructions.

First Lady of New York Silda Spitzer to speak at Union

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 05:00:00 GMT

New York's First Lady, Mrs. Silda Wall Spitzer, will be on campus as the keynote speaker at "Building Community: A Conversation About Schenectady's Future." Union will be hosting the event slated for April 1 at College Park Hall. The event will be open to all students and begins with breakfast at 8:30 a.

Invisible Children National Tour Comes to Union

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 05:00:00 GMT

The Invisible Children tour made a stop this past Sunday in Reamer Auditorium to offer Union a presentation on the 22-year genocide afflicting Northern Uganda.

Invisible Children Inc., which is making a national tour this year, seeks to increase awareness about the unrest in the Sudan region through a documentary created by three California film students, entitled Invisible Children: Rough Cut.

Mock election reveals overwhelming student support for Obama

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 05:00:00 GMT

As the 2008 presidential elections are drawing closer, many college campuses around the country are trying to call attention to them in order to entice students to take part in the vote. With many primaries and caucuses already completed and few left to go, the day in which our next president will be chosen by the American people is just around the corner.

New Career Center Director brings improvements to Becker

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Among the many innovative ideas in the College's Strategic Plan that have entered the implementation phase, enhancing the Becker Career Center's resources is one that has been taken very seriously by new director Bob Soules.

After taking the position this past fall, Soules has initiated many new programs and ideas that range from broadening the alumnae contacts in various industries to the 24-hour resume help service.

Seniors to travel abroad for work with NGOs

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 05:00:00 GMT

In Dean of Students and Director of Minerva Programs Tom McEvoy's editorial last week, he alluded to a new program called the Minerva Fellowships, in which seven graduating seniors would spend nearly eight months-from late July until April-abroad, doing work with non-government organizations in third world countries.

Union brings issues of diversity to the forefront

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 05:00:00 GMT

In October of 2006, a series of anonymous racist and homophobic emails threatened the life of a minority Union College student and galvanized the campus community into action. Hundreds of students and faculty protested in front of the Nott, and the Capital District's media closely covered the rally against racism.

Votto Vines wins annual business plan competition

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Seven teams competed in the third annual Business Plan Competition hosted in the Reamer Campus Center Auditorium last Thursday, but only one contender was pronounced as winner. While prizes in the form of Staples gift certificates were given to second and third place winners, Rhe-Aux Technologies and ComDry, respectively, first place was awarded to Votto Vines Importing LLC.

Winter dance concert to showcase variety of student talent

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 05:00:00 GMT

This Thursday, March 6 through Saturday, March 8 "Whirled in Flux," the winter dance concert guaranteed to ignite contemplation on important current events issues, will take place.

The concert, under the creative guidance of talented show directors Miryam Moutillet and Charles Batson, combines multiple creative elements into a wide range of topics, including protestation, anti-war movements and the art of performance into one dramatic concert.

A Republican Rethinks the Democratic Presidential Nominees

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 05:00:00 GMT

As a Republican, I'm lucky enough that I can sit back and enjoy the petty bickering and whining going on between Hillary and Obama right now. Back when my man Mitt was still in the race, his campaign sent out email alerts every minute or two and I found it hard to sit through class without checking my BlackBerry multiple times for the latest AP story or Rasmussen poll.

And the Debate Over Green's Op-Ed Continues...

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 05:00:00 GMT

To the Editors:

I was one of the signatories to the letter published in the 2/21 issue of Concordy which urged the paper to cover the talks it publishes criticisms of, in this case, a talk by a prominent figure from al-Jazeera's staff who spoke about media coverage of Israel/Palestine.

College Republicans Misconstrue and Mislead

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 05:00:00 GMT

The College Republican's table on "The Other Side of Climate Change: Global Cooling - 2 Myths Debunked!" needs to be addressed as it contained some dangerous, factual missteps. The information was based on editorials, out of context data, flawed information from a Republican think tank, and information from Robert Cook, a self-identified conservative with ties to oil, gas, and timber and a professor of ancient marine geology (he is largely discredited by those who study climate change professionally).

From the Opinion Editor's Desk: Farewell for Now

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Now that last week's business should be behind us, the newspaper can retain some of its normalcy that was lost these past few issues. This is our last issue of the term, and in the spirit of conclusions, and as cliché as it is, I would like to say a few words before we all depart to spring break, and whatever that entails.

Dutchmen see results at NYSCTC Championships

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Union College Track and Field returned to Canton, New York, for the NYSCTC Championships this past weekend. After a positive start on Friday, the men slid to 15th, while the women held their own in 11th place. Despite the overall results, both squads put forth impressive results in their respective events.

Men's Hockey clinches first round bye in ECACHL Playoffs

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Coming into this weekend's match-ups against Yale and Brown the Dutchmen were in fourth place in the ECACHL standings, putting them in line for a first round bye in the playoffs. If the Dutchmen secured this spot in the standings it would be the first time in the team's 17 year history that they would get a first round bye in the ECACHL playoffs.

Men's Swimming and Diving Team performs well at UNYSCA Championships, finishes fourth

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 05:00:00 GMT

The Men's Swimming and Diving Team had a great weekend at their conference championships, the UNYSCSA Championships, last weekend at LeMoyne College.

The boys traveled up to Syracuse last Wednesday to begin their crazy weekend of competition.

The team ended up in fourth place at the end of the weekend.

With the "real world" approaching, who are we performing for?

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 05:00:00 GMT

There are so many inspirational sports quotes out there in this day and age that it's almost impossible to look anywhere without seeing one. There are so many, in fact, that they are beginning to be used for other experiences and situations in life besides sporting events.

Darfur hampers Chinese efforts to promote Olympics

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 05:00:00 GMT

In 2001, it was decided that China would host the 2008 Olympics. The changes that Beijing has gone through in preparation for the games are astounding. China has undergone major transformations, from educating people to refrain from spitting on the sidewalks to increasing the number of English speakers everywhere.

Guest Writer Abigail Pleeter compares U.S. to Europe

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 05:00:00 GMT

American politicians and citizens often refer to the United States as being the greatest democracy in the world. Through my examination of quality of life indicators (welfare, healthcare and employment opportunities), I have found that contrary to popular belief, Europe actually surpasses America in the majority of indexes.

Oscar winning actress Cotillard expresses belief in 9/11 conspiracy theories

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 05:00:00 GMT

In a February 2007 interview on France's "Paris Premiere" program, Oscar-winning actress Marion Cotillard ( shared her suspicions of a September 11 conspiracy theory. "I think we're lied to about a number of things," Cotillard said in the interview, "We see other towers of the same kind being hit by planes.

Antibiotics Overused in Dementia Patients?

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 05:00:00 GMT

A recent study, published in the February 25 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine has reported that almost half of nursing home patients with advanced dementia are given antibiotics in the last two weeks of life.

It is unclear whether or not antibiotic therapy has any benefits, such as improving the quality of life or prolonging life, said Serena Gordon, a reporter for HealthDay News.

Insects and Robots

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 05:00:00 GMT

From the Washington Post October 9, 2007:

At an antiwar rally in Lafayette square �"I heard someone say, 'Oh my god, look at those,' � I look up and I'm like, 'What the hell is that?' They looked kind of like dragonflies or little helicopters. But I mean, those are not insects.

Science Q & A

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 05:00:00 GMT

A. Actually, there are a few such systems already in place. Salt River Project (SRP), one of the power companies in Arizona, has an "Earthwise Energy" program that includes a 200-kilowatt system in Western Phoenix as well as two smaller (100-kilowatt systems) in my sunny hometown of Mesa.