Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin gives a thumbs-up during her speech at the 2008 Republican Governors Association Annual Conference Nov. 13. (Media credit: Marsha Halper/Miami Herald/MCT)

The moment Barack Obama’s presidency became a sure thing, a wave of relief came over me. This was not merely because I voted for him or because it marked a major turning point for our nation, but because finally the bitter campaigning had ended.

While some may feel that the time leading up to this historic presidential election was exciting and sensational, I felt the exact opposite. As someone who cared about the election, it was important to me to make my own decision about it. However, I am also someone who does not care to invest all her time and energy into politics, and after being repeatedly solicited to join the Obama campaign, I was getting fed up. It was not only on campus either — I received at least 10 phone calls from different Democratic groups asking me to sign up and join the campaign.

Although it is clear that every presidential election is important, and of course everyone who can exercise their right to vote should do so, to me politics in general is just one big dirty game.
The aggressive campaigning that felt like it would never end did the opposite of what it was supposed to do. Instead of the candidates highlighting their merits, what makes them qualified and what makes them trustworthy enough to run the country, all the focus seemed to be on controversy surrounding their personal lives.

The craziness that arose around Sarah Palin was ridiculous, and I could not help but wonder, what was John McCain thinking? If he wanted to get the nation’s attention, he sure grabbed it, but teaming up with Palin only seemed to backfire. Continue Reading »

What happens to modesty on Halloween? (Media credit: Costume Alibi/Amazon.com)

by Michael McGurk

This past Halloween, something beautiful and brutal, something ugly and magical happened. It was the kind of magic when drunken bike punk meets drunken frat guy, the kind of magic that only happens on Halloween. Hopefully, it’s the kind of thing that most people will just shrug off. But after that night, it may take a few days for some students of Drexel University to heal their dignity.

It started innocently enough — guessing people’s costumes in front of California Pizza. But soon enough, the costume guessing turned into costume bashing. Next came the character insults. It was all in good fun though. The dirtiest, most basic kind of fun one can have. It was the faceless mob game.

At some point earlier in the night, I ended up at a friend’s house next to California Pizza. It was normal for a while, everyone hanging out on the porch or in the basement. Someone had the idea to start throwing out insults at passers-by, and everyone inside of the house came outside to join. Who’d want to miss that kind of fun?

The insults grew more personal. By the time the fifth or sixth female bumblebee walked by, clutching her tough-guy boyfriend’s arm, the blood was already in the streets, figuratively. When you have your skirt hiked up to your butt cheeks, wearing only a bikini, trying to pass as something “cute,” it just doesn’t make you look very classy.  Do you expect to retain any sense of dignity after deliberately mooning a faceless mob that just insulted you for being dressed so skimpily?

I prayed that no one I knew would walk down Powelton Avenue that night, for their own sake.

Lesson 1: Even on Halloween, take pride in your appearance, it’s the only thing strangers have to judge you. Continue Reading »

MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann took time on his show Nov. 10 to address the passage of California’s Proposition 8. Whatever your stance on the issue, it’s worth the time to watch.

Also, to anyone interested in demonstrating against Prop. 8 and other anti-marriage legislation, there is a protest going on this Saturday from 1:30-4:30 near LOVE park/City Hall.

You will most likely never see a band member smile on stage as much as Anberlin’s frontman, Stephen Christian. His gleeful appearance makes it clear there is nowhere else he would rather be than on a stage singing to his fans. This radiant stage presence lifts the mood of the entire band and crowd. It is no wonder Anberlin drew such a dedicated and energetic gathering to their show at the Trocadero on Saturday, Nov. 1.

The second the lights dimmed in the venue, fans began chanting the band’s name. Anberlin emerged from backstage starting their set full throttle with energy that seemed to refuse to die down. Despite the fact that the current tour is in support of their new album “New Surrender,” the band did not overpower their set list with new songs. Instead they played a relatively balanced amount of titles from their latest three albums that seemed to please the crowd. Anberlin’s set lasted a little over an hour including a two-song encore. The entire set flowed together nicely with well-chosen songs and plenty of thanks from the band for the fans’ support. The set was seemingly flawless except for Christian accidentally calling the crowd, Boston, which ultimately just led to playful “boos” and laughter.

Probably the most impressive aspect of the concert was the undeniable connection between everyone in the venue. Fans were united and there did not appear to be a gap between the band and the crowd; the fans were just as much a part of the night as the band was. Anberlin’s set could not even be called a “performance” since that implies a disconnected audience. The “show” definitely involved each and every person present at the Trocadero. I heard quite a few people walk away that night claiming the event was one of the best concerts they had ever attended.

If you did not get a chance to catch Anberlin in Philadelphia this time around, I suggest you try to catch them live next time they make a stop here. In the meantime check out their latest album “New Surrender” as well as their older releases.

***Photos by Anna Clay

Media Credit: NoOnProp8.com

by Bobby White

For those of you who haven’t heard, California’s Proposition 8 has passed. What is Prop 8 you ask? It is the proposition that was on the California ballot Nov. 4 to ban gay marriage in the state, after they began recognizing these unions in June 2008. Here are my thoughts on the matter…

Shame on you California! You grant these people a right they have fought so hard to obtain only to take it away, and what for? To maintain the sanctity of marriage? To preserve family values? To protect the American way? That’s what the so-called “family value” groups would have you believe. Apparently, homosexual marriage will destroy the institution, as homosexuals are promiscuous and will likely end their marriages. Also, gay parents produce gay children furthering the gay agenda.

Something here smells sour… Continue Reading »

Media credit: A. Sinagoga - PCVB/GoPhila.com

by Francesca Galarus
Suburban transplant, Drexel student, Phillies phan

Let’s face it, Philadelphia is not known for its ray of positivity. Rather, the clouds shrouded over us act as a blanket, nurturing our harbored negativity. We endure horrifying murder rates. Our public school system is imperfect. We’ve been dubbed a sixth borough to the city we do not wish to become.

However within the last week, Philadelphia has, for all intents and purposes, turned into Disney World, and while I’ve always loved this city, I have never been happier and prouder to be a resident. Starting with the Phillies even having a glint of hope at winning the World Series, an electric buzz could be felt throughout the city. People smiled more, strangers didn’t avoid eye contact, businesses thrived. Philadelphia was awash with red. Then, with the win, not only were people smiling - strangers were hugging, high-fiving and toasting champagne (or Steel Reserve) in the middle of Broad Street. Continue Reading »

President-Elect Barack Obama spoke to a crowd of over 100,000 supporters in Chicago’s Grant Park after his election victory over Sen. John McCain. Watch his speech below:

Triangle photo by Dave Hernandez

Barack Obama is now the president-elect. What does this change?

It won’t fix racism, it won’t fix prejudice, it won’t cure ignorance and it won’t fix America. In and of itself, it doesn’t solve or resolve anything.

So what does this mean? For me, and others who choose to look at it from this perspective, it is a window through which we can see what is possible. It shows us that things are different than they used to be. It proves, as Obama said, that anything is possible.

I found myself getting all wrapped up in the emotion of the event. I felt that this joyous occasion should be shared with everyone. I felt that this was such a symbol for not only the progress of African Americans in this country, but for all Americans. And when someone didn’t feel the same way I did or made it a point to express their dissent with the outcome of this election, I got upset and was personally offended. Continue Reading »

According to Drexel Democrats President Sean Miller, out of 2800 registered voters in the district, a total of 1,972 voted yesterday, a 70% turnout. Miller said that of the 1,972 votes, Obama recieved 1,516, McCain recieved 427, and the remaining 1% of votes was divided with 8 votes for Nadar, 14 votes for Barr and 7 votes for write-ins.

11-3-08 Rally in Marconi Park.

Triangle Photos by Dave Hernandez