It’s October, it’s the third week of school, and we still have two really good teams on campus. Consider this, Oregon volleyball is 14-1, with just seven total set losses in those 14 wins. Though the team dropped its first loss on the road this weekend to Stanford, it is still one of the Ducks’ best starts. With only one loss, Oregon still ranks high in one of the best (if not the best) volleyball conferences in the country. This is a team on a mission, and it shows; Alaina Bergsma, Ariana Williams and Kat Fischer all attacking the net is truly something to behold, even if you don’t completely understand the sport. The season will be over before too long, so don’t miss out on what’s proving to be a magical season. Oh, and the football team’s pretty good, too.
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UODPS is now UOPD — University of Oregon Police Department. As of yet, this is the only change the department is reporting; however, if any other changes take place without campus consultation (like the department has always cited), count on this column to not be silent about it.
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The first of three 2012 U.S. presidential debates has come and gone, and yes, it became as ridiculous as we all thought it could be. Honestly, can anyone remember another POTUS debate that at one point used Big Bird as a talking point? (And what was that face Mitt Romney chose to display whenever President Obama was speaking?) As fantastic as the internet response has been to Romney’s terrible decision, I do think it represents a deeper problem in Romney’s ideas that should really be the last straw.
Wednesday night, Romney talked about expanding the military and tax cuts, and cutting PBS to pay for it, because “it’s just Sesame Street anyway, right guys?” If you watched the debate looking for real answers, I’m sorry, they really just weren’t there. But if you, like me, watched the debate for body language and just plain entertaining television, it was perfection. It’s sad but true.
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And, on Wednesday afternoon, students rallied to oppose the massive tuition hikes we’ve been seeing lately. It prompted a visit from Rep. Peter DeFazio, one of my favorite people working in Washington, a congressman who actually seems to take his commitment to his constituents seriously. This is a huge issue for all of us, and it’s only a matter of time until those in power listen to the mounting opposition.