Columns

In the U.S., an estimated 25–50 million cases of the flu are reported each year. The flu leads to 150,000 hospitalizations and 30,000–40,000 deaths yearly. Growing concerns about this year’s flu season prompted the Department of Health and Human Service to reach out to Americans in a unique way. The idea was to create a captivating way to share the importance of staying healthy this year. The winner was the “health hopper,” Dr. John Clarke of Baldwin, N.Y., doing the “H1N1 Rap.”

An Irishman once said, “Americans are very nice and not very polite, the English are very polite and not very nice, and the Irish are somewhere in the middle, which is why everyone likes us.” Say what you want about the other statements in this quotation, but this guy really nailed the English, generally speaking.

There is a street in Washington D.C. that affords the most beautiful view of the capitol building that any tourist could hope for. About two miles away from the recognizable skyline, I looked down Benning Road to see the dome, which seemed to bear a golden glow, a beacon of power and patriotism, in the night. But if I turned my head to either side, it was evident that the splendor that seemed an arm’s length away did not reach into southeast D.C.

I began last Thursday like I always do: sitting in Oneota eating a delicious veggie burger with Sun Chips while pouring over the latest issue of Chips (and waiting for someone to ask me for my autograph). This past week was a particularly thrilling issue but my attention was immediately fixed on the headline, “Grand Theft Oneota” (genius title, by the way).

Green Room Certification
Do you live an environmentally-conscious lifestyle? Get your room green-certified! Level one starts with the green room certification application and the energy conservation pledge. Applications are reviewed by the sustainability office and if your room is certified green, you will receive a sticker to display on the door of your room and more information about the process.

The money to pay for college is out there but how can you maximize what money you use so that you don’t have to pay back as much later?

Loans:
1) If you don’t need it, DON’T take it. With a loan, it’s smart to borrow only the amount that you need to cover tuition and books. If you borrow $100 for pizza, that could cost you more than $130 to pay back when accrued interest is added.

I’m a neat freak. I’ll admit it—there aren’t many things that annoy me more than a sink full of dirty dishes or a drawer full of unfolded clothes. My apartment might have a beautiful view overlooking the Potomac River that was not present in my dorm in Farwell, but sometimes I do wish I could trade my three messy roommates for the days when Rose was there to clean the bathroom.

In Washington, however, there are bigger messes to worry about than the molding bowl I found under my roommate’s dirty clothes pile: Congress is working on cleaning up the deficit.