The University News

Holiday season reminds all people to be giving

Anthony Cozad • December 7, 2007

Thanksgiving is past with all its turkey delight, football and food-induced grogginess. Now Christmas approaches with decorations galore, gifts and eggnog. These are times for joy, but things often turn out to the contrary. A lot of people hate this time of year because of the commercialization of the holidays.

Stem cells from skin cells: improving your life

George Caputa • December 7, 2007

Scientists at the University of Wisconsin, in conjunction with a Japanese group of scientists, announced a breakthrough in stem-cell technology. They were able to create viable stem cells from the skin cells of a 36-year-old woman's face. After reading the actual paper detailing the methods of their research, I realized that this simple, yet powerful discovery could change the field of stem-cell research and the ethical arguments that have raged since its conception.

Staying apolitical

Donald D. Meyer • December 7, 2007

In his latest book, Head and Heart, the author Garry Wills notes that current Catholic dogma on abortion and evolution are not consistent with past church teachings. What struck me is the fact that my friend Phil Sgroi mentioned this very point to me months ago.

Holidays and graduation-does this mean presents?

Andrew C. Emmerich • December 7, 2007

Every childhood experience is different, and in each experience, there is one time that defines all that is good and right in the world. For my childhood experience, the time that perennially defined the light in the world was the Christmas season. To me, nothing in this world seems to stress the ideals of the Christmas season-love, charity and kindness-more than family, though to this day I get teary-eyed while watching A Charlie Brown Christmas because of its blatant goodness.

Town hall meeting near failure

Editorial Board • December 7, 2007

Town hall meetings have a specific purpose to allow those in power to hear those who wish to speak, and the idea of such meetings has not changed much today. Tuesday's student-administrater town hall meeting at Saint Louis University failed to live up to what the forum can be and was not a successful display of a genuine and traditional open question-and-answer session.

Permanent 24-hour study space, please

Editorial Board • December 7, 2007

Finals are upon us. Students are frenzied. Frantic studying is being done at all hours; it is a staple in the college student's educational diet. Finals, however, are not the only time in a semester that a student wishes to study at what those outside the university community might consider to be odd hours.

The war drags on-while time flies

Samiksha Tarun • November 30, 2007

Why did the girl throw the clock out the window? To see time fly! I bet you've heard that one before. For some reason, the joke is a classic-no matter how many times you share it, it never gets old. When I was younger, I would laugh at the joke and brush it aside as a simple joke.

You: Saving Africa

Patrick McShane • November 30, 2007

This past week marked the passing of an old, bitter racist. His name was Ian Smith and, for 15 years, he led the nation of Rhodesia. Most of our generation probably has never heard of such a place, and with good reason: It became Zimbabwe in 1980, long before most of us were born.

Ordination presents problems

Tim Wright • November 30, 2007

Elsie McGrath and Rose Hudson, the two women recently "ordained as Catholic women priests," have created quite a buzz in St. Louis-the three articles in The University News last week join two articles in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the lead article of The Riverfront Times from weeks before.

Clinton wears the pants to win

Brett Kostrzewski • November 30, 2007

In the first serious bid by a female for the presidency, Hillary Rodham Clinton is making great progress toward becoming the next leader of the United States. Her victory is being trumpeted as inevitable; even conservative radio commentator Rush Limbaugh claims that there is an 80 percent chance she will be the next president.

SGA debates a smoke-free SLU

Sarah Kuehnle • November 30, 2007

This letter is in response to the debate that ensued at the Senate Meeting on Wednesday night (11/28). The safety of SLU students presents a significant concern if smoking were limited to parking lots and city sidewalks. It is important for SLU students to use their discretion when deciding where to smoke so they do not put themselves in a dangerous situation.

Defending Avis Meyer

Patrick Powers • November 30, 2007

It's always a shame when those in power take aim at the freedoms of the press. It's an even greater shame when that ire is directed at those devoted to defending those freedoms. Such is the case at Saint Louis University. The university recently filed a trademark-infringement lawsuit against long-time University News adivser Avis Meyer.