Notional Insecurities:
The distraction of who said Hussein
By MARTY SANTALUCCIA
Columnist
MFSSO7S@PSU.EDU
Many, if not all, elections have
distracting factors. These gaffs,
politically charged issues and
general wastes of time are often
strategically thrown in a candidates
face to get them off 'message'
and open them up for much more
devastating blows.
Distractions can also be used on
voters through creative methods
such as ballot baiting. This
technique, which was arguably
successful in eleven 2004
Presidential races is a technique
pulled directly from Karl Rove's
own festering playbook. The
ingredients are simple and easy to
find.
All that is required is a socially
divisive issue and an area that feels
deeply for/against it. In the 2004
election, eleven states proposed
gay marriage bans in the form of
state constitutional amendments
that needed to be voted on by the
people of each respective state.
The issue brought out the far
religious right and socially
conservative like only a good round
of queer-hating can. While these
overwhelmingly republican groups
were voting down the amendments,
they took the extra second to
instinctively pull the Republican
lever and thus vote for George W.
Bush whose re-election happened
to top their ballots.
This sudden burst of republican
votes in the rural areas and other
Republican strong holds of states
such as Ohio made a Democratic
victory difficult if not impossible in
several states and because of that,
on a national level. Genius really.
An equally slimy, yet more
discrete way of turning an election
to your favor is called push polling.
This method is more of a direct
To the THON dancers
By ADAM PORTER
Co-THON Chair
AWPSO3B@PSU EDU
Dear Dancers,
A few nights ago the fortune
cookie that came with some
Chinese takeout I ordered said,
"You believe in the goodness of
mankind," and while not much of
a fortune, I gave it some thought.
It told me something I intuitively
knew yet never recognized quite so
plainly. Even in the most difficult of
interpersonal situations, I've always
tried to believe that everyone is,
at their core, a good person. Call
it idealistic or naïve, but when
you saw the BJC this weekend, I
hope you better understand why I
so wholeheartedly agree with that
omniscient confection. And given
that THON 'OB has now passed, I
feel compelled to write.
This weekend we had the
opportunity of a lifetime; a
chance to take that which we hold
most treasured—these kids, our
future doctors and engineers and
teachers--and show each one of
them what it means to be a kid.
There is no higher calling that
we could face in life than giving
of ourselves. For it is in giving
of yourself that you can make a
attack on your opponent executed
by asking a guided set of questions,
which eventually will lead the
voter to believe something is as
unfavorable as it is untrue.
For an example, I call your
attention to the 2000 South
Carolina Republican primary in
which John McCain was running
against fellow hopeful George W
Bush (he seems to be a common
character in these questionable
situations).
After loses in both the lowa
Caucasus and New Hampshire
Primary, George Bush needed a
win if he was going to have any
chance at taking the Republican
nomination. South Carolina
provided the best opportunity for
this victory, but they were going to
have to take it by force.
Polling questions began going
out to likely voters asking if they
would be "more likely or less
likely to vote for John McCain
for president if [they] knew he
had fathered an illegitimate black
child?"
The magic doesn't happen until
the pollster hangs up the phone and
leaves the voter wondering why
anyone would ask such a strange
question.
Could they have found
something? Could it be true? Then,
to be safe, they don't vote for John
McCain. Now look at the mess
we're in
Fortunately, I'm long over any
real bitterness which resulted from
the 2004 and 2000 elections. My
reason for instructing you all on
how to effectively win any election
on a Republican ticket is because
these methods which go to defeat
the democratic process are starting
to rear their ugly heads yet again.
Because of Barack Obama's rise
and pow current
frontrunner position, he has
been the target of the majority
of underhanded attacks from the
Republican side.
The most recent of these less then
favorable tactics have come in the
form of outright attacks or strategic
mentioning of his middle name. For
those who are unaware of Obama's
full name, it is Barack Hussein
Obama. Hussein, as in Saddam
but not.
Last week, Bill Cunningham, a
conservative radio commentator
from the ranks of Bill O'Reilly
and Rush Limbaugh repeatedly
screamed "Barack Hussein Obama"
at an energized crowd of McCain
supporters. Cunningham's intent
was obvious, he wanted to invoke
positive, lasting impact on the
The events in my life of the
past year have made me realize
this more than I ever wanted to
Looking back at how scared,
confused and worried I was when
my mom said she had cancer, I can
now only imagine what would've
been had the diagnosis been mine.
Oh, how priorities shift when your
lifelong best friend is facing a life
threatening disease.
Because of you these fantastic
kids, our heroes, had the chance to
make so many new best friends.
No medicine can get a person
through such a terrifying experience
like the unconditional support and
love of people who truly care. Our
refrigerator is plastered with Get
Well cards, and I wouldn't have it
any other way. I believe that each
one of you, and any other person
who had the pleasure of being in
Happy Valley this weekend, can be
a friend. I believe in your goodness
that can help kids who need nothing
more than a smile and even just a
few minutes of fun.
I was fortunate enough to meet a
new friend this weekend, Mitchell.
I was with my fellow dancers, and
he walked up to us with a confident
smile and simply said, "Thank you
the name of Saddam Hussein
and then connect Barack to him.
McCain quickly apologized for the
comments but the real issue of why
his name entered into the equation
at all remained.
Here this piece becomes less
an opinion piece and more of an
observation in the sense that after
eight years of corrupt politics in
which the goals of our leaders
were to throw us off the trail of
everything they did with petty
smoke screens we find ourselves
possibly looking down the barrel
of yet another four years (at
least) of the same deception and
misdirection.
A name should be a name and
the next President of the United
State should be chosen for their
policies and stances not something
as superficial as which terrorist
critics like to phonetically revert
to rather than take a critical stance.
Keep this in mind as our state,
Pennsylvania comes into play in
the Democratic primary.
Vote for policies, not gender, not
skin color, not name no matter
what Ed Rendell thinks.
Authors Note: I placed this note
at the bottom of my piece because
only those who typically read this
far into my article will be affected
(although that may be an overly
strong word choice)
by this announcement. First a
correction: due to my over-crowded
schedule this semester I have
been rushing to get these pieces
done and to the Cap. Times office
before Marin hits/pinches/slaps or
otherwise harms me in any truly
damaging way.
Because of this, I let slip a
portion of a sentence in which
I had mistakenly reported Mitt
Romney as a one lime Democratic
candidate. This was wrong. Mitt
Romney is and always has been a
Republican and I am sorry for the
oversight.
Secondly, this will be my . final
National Insecurity for two or
three issues. As of last week 1 have
officially announced my candidacy
for President of the SGA and in an
effort to run a fair, clean race
I am temporarily resigning my
position until after the elections
are over. If you need your biweekly
dose of my leftist ramblings
you are more than welcome
to join me online at http://
nationalinsecuritypsu.blogspot.
com or my Facebook group named
National Insecurity.
Thank you to all my loyal readers
for dancing." If ever I had a doubt
of, "Can I do this? Should I quit?"
I knew right then the only answer.
Seeing a child that has been poked,
prodded, and poisoned yet can still
smile and find pleasure and joy in
life is all the inspiration I needed.
A wish of mine also came true
this weekend that only reinforced
what that cookie had to say. On the
dancer survey each of us filled out,
the question "If you could have
one feasible wish during THON,
what would it be?" prompted me to
answer, "To see a '6' in the millions
column when the total is raised." I
got my wish.
Because of your selfless devotion
and that of thousands of Penn State
students and supporters, the Four
Diamonds Fund will now be able to
help more families than ever before
A father of a Four Diamonds Child
that was standing with us the last
hour or so said, "If anyone is going
to cure cancer, it's you guys. Look
at the energy in this room; how
could it not happen?"
So this weekend when you were
wondering why you're doing this
goofy line dance, or why any sane
person would think two days of
sleeplessness is a good idea, just
remember the answer to all things
THON—"FTK, that's why."
The tough questions
By MIKE PIERCE
Cartoonist
M 195 1 40@PSU.EDU
While reading the last issue of
the Capital Times, I found myself
thinking many thoughts. I asked
myself if common hour would
return to campus, whether books
would be less expensive in the fall,
and how would the dry campus
affect the overall student life?
My own answers were only barely
educated guesses.
I have no idea what goes on in the
heads of other students and policy
makers,
so I can only go off my own
experience with humanity. Not
immediately, some, but not all, and
not as much as we might think,
because people are able to adapt.
I also found myself asking some
questions that we don't really ask
ourselves. I asked myself what I was
sorry for, where I was in life, and
where I wanted to go. These are just
some of he tough questions in life
that we don't ask ourselves. Not the
philosophical, Descartes and Plato
type questions, but answerable ones,
given enough time and thought.
The first question, what am I sorry
for? In the past few years, I leaned
toward the answer that I wasn't
sorry for anything that I did, but that
I was usually regretful for things
that I didn't do. The usual things
like never asking out that one girl
in high school, or not taking that
one chance to be famous that comes
once in a lifetime.
My true answer to the question is
that I'm sorry for the people I've
hurt in the past few years. I never
thought I would be in the position
that I found myself in, and it
happened more than once.
As to the second question,
where am I in life? I find myself
in a strange position in life and
Letter to the editor
By MAURICE J. BLACKMON
M 18521 O@PSU.EDU
Dear Editor
It is my understanding that the
Capital Times is the voice of the
Penn State Harrisburg students.
Therefore, I feel it my obligation and
duty, as a student leader, to voice
my concern, and some concerns that
other have voiced to me.
On the weekend of February 22-
24, about 30 Penn State Harrisburg
traveled up, in terrible weather, to
University Park to partake in THON
2008. These were all students who
helped raise money for THON, and
deserved to be there to celebrate
Penn State's $6.6 million victory.
Since Penn State Harrisburg had a
THON Committee at the time, one
would have assumed that lodging
and carpooling would have been
strategically arranged, well before
THON weekend.
That was not the case. Since 25
Lion Ambassadors went canning,
and since the club raised over $350
for THON this year, I felt it only
fair to let them attend THON and
stay in Penn State-provided hotel
rooms. I attempted to reach out to
the THON Committee Chair on
several occasions about rooms with
no success. This was shocking to
me. SAF granted funds to the THON
Committee for 20 hotel rooms for
THON weekend, yet when clubs
went to the committee to see about
THON weekend lodging, they were
ignored.
Upon arriving at University Park,
and entering the BJC, there was
confusion as to where the Penn State
Harrisburg students would sit. It
seemed as if there were two separate
groups. My goals was to see to it that
all of the people that came with me
stayed with the rest of the Penn State
Harrisburg group, so we could all
be unified for the weekend, like the
other campuses.
There was no unity. Many of us
desired to go onto the floor to support
our dancers, who by the way were
incredible throughout the entire
weekend. We were told when we
could and couldn't go onto the floor
THE CAPITAL TIMES
in school. I'm old enough to be
considered an adult student yet,
I'm not as old as that would imply
Where the bulk of stereotypical
students graduate with a
Bachelor's at 22 years of age, I
started college at the age of 23, and
I'll finish this coming fall, at 27.
That was the easy part of the
answer. The tough part is what does
that mean I have done? I do have
an apartment, I have traveled, and
I've lived in other states and even
in a country on the other side of the
I have experience in doing what I
like to do and what I want to do. I
have made strong strides in coming
here to learn how to do just that.
I've made connections so that I'll
have something for me that will
be already in the works when I
graduate.
Where do I want to go in life? This
is possibly the toughest of the three
for me because I have a general
answer, but no real route.
If you don't know what it is you
want to do, that's fine, you still have
time. I know that I want to have fun.
I believe it's good to ask yourself
the tough questions once in a while
to examine your life.
It's too easy to get caught up living
day to day or week to week in an
environment like college, where
you're worried about a paper or a
project due the next day in a class
you may not have thought enough
about because you just took a test.
It's important to enjoy life and have
something to be thankful for, no
matter what it is you do.
If you find yourself with something
to be sorry for, then be sorry for it,
but keep on going. There is plenty
of life out there, if you know where
to go and what to look for.
Go ahead and ask yourself some of
the tough questions, but don't be too
hard on yourself.
by various people. We sent in our
information just like everyone else
did to go onto the floor. Yet, when
we desired to go onto the floor, 9
times out of 10, we were denied that
privilege.
The climax of most of the students'
frustration was on the last day of
THON, the most intense day of
THON. The last day is when the
families speak to the dancers and
audience. It is usually the most
energetic and fun day of THON.
When the 20 of us who drove up
together arrived at the BJC, we
immediately made our way to the
Penn State Harrisburg section. To
our disappointment, there were no
seats saved for us. Throughout the
weekend, the various campuses,
clubs, and frats saved entire sections
for all of their members. Our own
fellow Penn State Harrisburg
students did not do this for us. We
have to go up a level, where things
were nut as energetic and fun.
Most of the other group of Penn
State Harrisburg students didn't even
acknowledge us on the last day.
The point of THON is raise money
FOR THE KIDS. If this is the central
focus of the entire
THON campaign, negative things
like this should never be an issue.
I now see why THON was moved
back to SGA.
When we begin making THON
weekend about ourselves, and take
the focus off of the kids, this is what
happens to us.
Let me make it known that I had
no issues with any groups, clubs, or
frats. My issues, along with many
others who were with me, were with
individuals. Also, this letter, in now
way, is aimed at our dancers. Our
dancers demonstrated incredible
strength and durability throughout
the weekend.
I will not be at Penn State
Harrisburg next year, but nothing
would make me happier than to see
the THON leadership of this campus
find a way to adopt a child again, to
raise as much as
the smaller campuses raised, and to
organize and positive and productive
THON campaign on a campus-level.
March 3, 2008
President's
Corner
By SAHAR SAFAEE
SGA President
SVSSO33@PSU.EDU
Hello Again Penn State! Exciting
news is filling the air! This
wonderful campus is going through
an election, the Student Government
election to be more precise. This
is awesome because this means
new ideas, greater change, and
hopefully a very optimistic outlook.
Many of you have expressed strong
opinions regarding changes you
would like to see on this campus!
Now it is the time for you to make
that happen. Elections are going to
be held in March!!! So get ready to
vote for a student-centered Student
Government. VOTE MARTY
SANTALUCIA for Student
Government President! All the
productive things that the Student
Government Association has been
doing on this campus have a major
part to do with Marty's leadership
skills. He has been a great addition to
the Student Government and I know
that he would make a great President
for the 2008-2009 academic year!
As our national government is also
going through a presidential election,
Penn State is hosting a multitude of
events that have to do with politics
or political awareness. So WAKE UP
AND LISTEN!
On March 3rd at 7 p.m. Student
Activities will be holding ROCK
THE VOTE with Speaker Lindsey
Berman. What is ROCK THE
VOTE, and why should you
attend? Well, Rock the Vote has
been at the forefront of the youth
vote movement, registering over
1.4 million young people in 2004
and tens of thousands more in
2006. Rock the Vote, a nonpartisan
nonprofit organization is here to help
protect freedom of expression by
empowering young people to create
change. Go to www.rockthevote.com
to learn more about this organization.
"This is an event of a life time...
*endorsed by Micah Victoria*"
Organized by Marty Santalucia
and the Student Government
Association, on March 18' h there
will be an open forum with the
Senators and Representatives from
the Capital who will be attending
the Harrisburg Campus to Discuss
appropriations, Penn State, and the
common wealth government. On
that note, on April 2"d at 1 p.m. in
the AUDITORIUM Penn State will
be attending the annual Rally at the
Rotunda; this will show support to
increase appropriations for Penn
State, which will help cap (and may
help lower) the tuition cost. Sign up
in the Student Activities office! The
more support we have the better our
chances are for a difference.
To end April with awesomeness
there will be a Charity Concert
ROCK FOR CHANGE on April 11',
which supports Invisible Children:
Schools for Schools! We are hoping
to bring back some of Penn State
Harrisburg's When PSU ROCKED
vibe. IF YOU ARE IN A BAND
and would like to play in the concert
please email sysso33@psu.edu; also
join the Facebook group ROCK
FOR CHANGE.
And to END off our fabulous
semester Student Government will
be hosting the awesome RITES OF
SPRINGS in April. It is going to be
filled with carnival-like events. So
come out with your friends and cross
your fingers that it does not rain!
GOOD luck with the rest of your
semester, good luck on your tests
and get some SLEEP! AND ABOVE
ALL ENJOY YOUR SPRING
BREAK!! Peace.