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Posts published in “Opinion”

(Archive November 2016) Living for Learning: Total Immersion Education

By Joshua Needham | Observer Contributor
Another Anime Convention
For three days during October, something strange happens at the Radisson Hotel in Manchester, NH. People from all over the country gather to share their love of anime, video games, and pop culture. Colorful costumes and home-made props fill the halls and courtyard for nearly a full 72 hours and it is clear, Another Anime Convention (AAC) is back in town.

When people outside of that culture think of such events, they likely think of the socially inept gathering to discuss Star Trek, individuals dressed as their favorite characters and roleplaying their favorite scenes with one another. What they may not think about is the professionals that make the journey to attend the gatherings. read more

(Archive November 2016) A November to Remember for Metal Fans: November Music Preview

By Jason D. Greenough | Web/Social Media Editor

The temperatures may (finally…possibly) hit freezing, but the metal is burning hot! November 2016 is sure to bring any metal fan a few moments of bliss.

Want to get away from the awkward family get-together? Need something to keep you awake before you go shopping on black Friday? With retrospective releases galore, ranging from Queen’s …On Air: The Complete BBC Sessions, and Pink Floyd’s The Early Years: 1965-1972, to REM’s Out of Time  celebrating it’s 25th anniversary with a re-issue, and Soundgarden’s Badmotorfinger, you’re pretty much all set. But, I have a few other suggestions as well… read more

(Archive November 2016) Pics…Or It Didn’t Happen!

By Courtney Wentz | Assistant Editor

Everywhere you turn, someone has their phone out to snap a photo of where they are, what they’re doing, or who they’re with.

When you go to a show, whether it’s a concert, play, musical, comedy show, most of the audience has their phone out to record or take a picture of the performance, instead of living in the moment and enjoying the show. You aren’t enjoying the show if you’re on your phone the entire time trying to get that non-blurry photo.

Even when people go on a trip or vacation, you feel like you’re there because your friend is posting every second on social media. Your phone is not your brain. Yes, the photo is going to be a great reminder, but how well are you going to remember that moment? How you were feeling? How environment felt around you? read more

(Archive November 2016) Preview: 2016 Boston Celtics

By Nicholas Cherico | Observer Contributor

In the 2015-16 season, the Boston Celtics finished 48-34, their best record since the 2011-12 season. After a first round exit in the playoffs for the second straight season, the Celtics went into the offseason looking for more pieces to build off their success from last year.

After failing to sign top free agent Kevin Durant, the Celtics made arguably their biggest free agent signing in team history. They signed All-Star power forward/center Al Horford to a max deal through the 2020 season. Next to Durant, Horford was the best free agent available. He provides the Celtics with a deadly mid range shot. He also is going to create a lot of scoring opportunities for the guys around him with his versatility. The Celtics have lacked a skillset like this from the big man position in quite some time. read more

(Archive October 2016) Football is Back, But Pats Fans Await Brady’s Return

By Andrew Hoenig | Observer Contributor

 New England –  It’s that time of year again! Football is back!!

Every September when fans of the game hear those three words, their hearts soar a little higher with a joyful glee.

But this year has a different feel to it in New England. And that may be because of the suspension that has loomed over New England all offseason and that will continue to loom till October.

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady had his suspension decision by Judge Richard Berman from last year overturned by a federal court which stated the primary reason for the 180 degree turn as being “Roger Goodell has the given power to impose the penalty based upon the agreed upon CBA by the NFL and NFLPA”. read more

(Archive October 2016) Political Opinions From Across The Pond

By Courtney Wentz | Assistant Editor

Everyone knows what the United States thinks of the upcoming election, but other countries have opinions about the election too.

Giada Lancellotti, 21, from Ostigliano, Salerno, Italy, is worried about who the next president will be. She said, “I know that who we elect in Italy does not really affect other countries, but you are going to elect the president of one of the biggest world powers.”

Lancellotti has never been to the United States, but she understands the rights and how important it is to vote. She knows three languages: English, French, German, and some self-taught Spanish. She is starting University in Pescara, Italy to become a translator in London, England to translate books. read more

(Archive October 2016) Gateway Student Voice

What It’s Like to Come Back to School After 4 ½ Years

By Eden Shaveet | Observer Contributor

During the spring of my 7th grade year, I decided that I did not want to go to school anymore.

A seemingly tactless and unrealistic decision, I know, but I hoped it would make me happy after years of struggling with what seemed to be an unexplainable, perpetual sadness that worsened with each year I ignored it. After nearly a decade of jumping from school to school and transforming myself to fit each new social environment I was placed into, I grew tired of my “new girl” status and wanted space from everyone and everything I had once so desperately tried to become. read more

(Archive October 2016) #Adulting

By Jamie Parker | News Editor

“Adulting (v): to do grown up things and hold responsibilities such as, a 9-5 job, a mortgage/rent, a car payment, or anything else that makes one think of grown-ups.” This is how Urban Dictionary defines the phrase that has blown up among millennials, especially on social media. Saying things like, “I scheduled a doctor’s appointment AND paid my credit card bill today, I hate adulting,” is intended to be completely harmless, and even used as a funny anecdote to relate to other millennials. But let us get something straight; adulting is a terrible trend. It makes the entire generation look not only immature, but also unwilling to participate in the responsibilities that come with growing up. So how did this happen? Were we just born a bunch of lazy degenerates who expect the world on a silver platter? No. This is the result of not being pushed towards responsibilities at a younger age, and not being given the proper education to prepare us for adulthood.

According to a report by The Pew Research Center, 32% of people ages 18 to 34 still live at home. To put that into perspective, during the 1960s that number was at 20%. Now to add to this most millennials who still live at home do not really have to help contribute to household expenses such as groceries, bills, etc. This does not teach us how to take care of our own finances, homes, or what we need in a home. Like most baby boomers say, we are a coddled generation, but not in the way they assume. We are coddled in the sense that we have gone so far in life without knowing what it is like to have a mortgage, or how to do our taxes, or how to even cook basic meals for dinner. How could this have been prevented?  Well our parents had something that our generation is lacking. The proper education.

Back when most of our parents were in high school, there were many elective classes that revolved around life after school. Classes like Financial Literacy, and Home Economics classes were immensely popular. These classes are what taught the next generation how to do things that the current generation lacks knowledge on. Since then schools have shifted to be much more focused on college preparation rather than life preparation. While it is important to prepare teenagers for their academic future, there are some essential skills that we are missing out on. Baby boomers always like to comment on our “lack of basic knowledge,” but do not understand where it comes from. Well I say we need a serious education reform. Bring back “Life Prep” classes. Let people decide if they want to take on that extra AP class, or if they want to take Weekly Meal Prep 101. Maybe then we can find a balance between academic knowledge, and how “adult.” Adulting can finally become a thing of the past, and we can finally stop saying things like, “Ate something for dinner that wasn’t Nutella today! #adulting.”

(Archive October 2016) The Land of the Morning Calm

By Jamie Parker | News Editor

korea-2
South Korea’s nickname, “the Land of the Morning Calm,” comes from the Ming Dynasty when the emperor of China commented on the countries beautiful mountains, clear waters, and its amazing tranquility. But that all changed on June 25th of 1950 when the North crossed the 38th parallel and attacked the South to begin the Korean War. Over the next three years, the country would be torn apart by war. After the war it was said that it would take over one hundred years for the Republic of Korea to rebuild from the ashes of war. Earle Stone, a veteran of the Korean War describes the capital city of Seoul as a post-apocalyptic wasteland that he could only relate to Berlin at the end of World War II.
korea-3 read more

(Archive October 2016) Pentagon Loses 6.5 Trillion Taxpayer Dollars

By Rebekah Chiasson | Assistant Editor

The Defense Department had to present their audit this June and could not account for $6.5 trillion. Investigators, including Reuters who first released the report, believe the missing money is due to “unreliable” data and “fudged” numbers.

The Defense Department’s annual budget is roughly $600 billion, but according to their audit report, “The Defense Finance and Accounting Service Indianapolis (DFAS Indianapolis) did not adequately support $2.8 trillion in third quarter adjustments and $6.5 trillion in yearend adjustments.” The DFAS managed to double their already enormous loss in the last quarter of the fiscal year. In addition to the trillions lost, more than 16,000 files “vanished” from the DFAS’s computer system because of “a flaw in the computing software,” according to the report.

The Defense Department, located in the Pentagon, is responsible for wars, healthcare, personnel, housing, equipment, and procurements appointed to them by Congress. “Though there are a high number of adjustments, we believe the financial statement information is more accurate than implied in this report,” said Dov Schwartz, an Army spokesman. Schwartz added that Army is still reviewing the report.

The Pentagon, who apparently has a reputation for bad accounting practices, has never completed an audit before June of this year. In 1996, all federal agencies were ordered by the court of law to perform routine financial audits. However, the Pentagon has failed to complete an audit within the last 20 years. Scott Paltrow’s 2013 Reuters investigation revealed the Department of Defense commonly “fudges” or misrepresents their financial accounting numbers.

The Department of Defense’s errors are almost 1000 times higher than last year’s $7 billion in financial errors. If the Defense Department stuck to their budget, the “missing” 6.5 trillion taxpayer dollars could have paid for over one-fourth of the national debt, or pay off the student loan debt roughly five times over.

Capitol Hill Lawmakers are trying to keep the Pentagon accountable by imposing penalties if the Pentagon cannot complete a legally mandated full audit scheduled to happen September 30, 2017.