“Dear Manhattanville,

The Right World View’s second issue is officially out. We regret to inform you that this month’s distribution has been hampered by rampant theft of our issues. As such, a paper copy is hard to obtain, but fear not. A PDF version (color version and as always free) is available at our website www.RightWorldView.com. Read what some on this campus don’t want you to see. If you want a paper copy, a few are still available upon request to RightWorldView@gmail.com .
Thank you,
Andrew Berman”

That email was sent as a mass mail a few days after we released our second issue. It is a truly sad notion to think there are some on this campus who have nothing better to do than go around stealing stacks of newspapers.

I try to not see things in black and white too often. I look for the grey whenever possible. For this, there is no grey. If the only way you can defeat an argument is to silence it, you have already lost. What happened to the idea of an open and free exchange of ideas? Either way, we will not be silenced. We will continue to print when we say we will and distribute our issues around campus. If you have such a strong disagreement with what we say, I give you the option to respond. Instead of going around trying to steal our issues, put your energies into something more productive. Write why you disagree and send it to me. I will do my best to fit it in the next issue.

Is a flag just a flag, or does it have some intrinsic value and meaning?

What do you see when you look at the American flag? Some would reflexively answer red, white and blue. The red is in the alternating stripes. The white is also in the alternating stripes and in the stars. The blue is in the box that contains the stars. Another perfectly legitimate answer to the question would be the “stars and stripes”.

As valid as these two answers are, they just don’t seem to be enough. It overlooks the intrinsic meaning and value inherent in our particular flag. Other flags do have their own respective meanings (and some meanings overlap between flags), but that is not the focus of this article.

So what does the American flag really mean? In terms of its composition, www.ushistory.org offers the following: “The Continental Congress left no record to show why it chose the colors. However, in 1782, the Congress of the Confederation chose these same colors for the Great Seal of the United States and listed their meaning as follows: white to mean purity and innocence, red for valor and hardiness, and blue for vigilance, perseverance, and justice. According to legend, George Washington interpreted the elements of the flag this way: the stars were taken from the sky, the red from the British colors, and the white stripes signified the secession from the home country. However, there is no official designation or meaning for the colors of the flag.” (http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/faqs/q46.htm)

Henry Ward Beecher, (brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe), wrote: “A thoughtful mind when it sees a nation’s flag, sees not the flag, but the nation itself. And whatever may be its symbols, its insignia, he reads chiefly in the flag, the government, the principles, the truths, the history that belongs to the nation that sets it forth. The American flag has been a symbol of Liberty and men rejoiced in it.”

To prove this notion, think about what you felt when you saw
the three firemen raise the flag at Ground Zero. What went through your mind when you saw the flag being draped over the side of the Pentagon following the September 11th attacks? How about when you see footage of the flag being raised at Iwo Jima, which happened over 60 years ago?

Conspicuously and purposely absent from all of the meanings is any particular person. The flag does not stand for anyone; it stands for ideals. It doesn’t represent the Bush administration; it represents the freedom and democratic ideals that give us an elected leader.

Disrespecting the flag isn’t an attack on the current president; it disrespects the country as a whole. People have fought and died for our country fighting under the banner of the American flag. They are insulted as much as every other citizen is when our flag is intentionally mishandled.

Ironically, disrespecting the flag while meant as an insult to the country actually shows just how undeserving of that disrespect it is. In some countries, disrespecting
one of their national symbols is enough to make you disappear.

When I look at the flag, I don’t see the face of a president, current or otherwise. I see a great symbol of a great country. I see more than two hundred years of fighting for freedom and over one million people who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

The Jesus Statue was not actually a statue of Jesus, or at least that’s what we think. It used to reside on the opposite end of the quad, facing the quad. It has since been moved closer to the graveyard in the back. A few other statues were moved around as well, but none quite as famous as the Jesus Statue.

Go seek out the statue and familiarize yourself with it. Then, return to the quad where it once stood and imagine what it must have looked like. If plans go through, a flagpole will be erected where the Jesus Statue used to be. Don’t forget about what used to be there.

I say this as a non-Christian: it was not an offensive or religiously oppressing statue. It was just something that was there, and had been there since I arrived. Even today, the quad looks just a little empty with it missing.

This also highlights one of the problems in our society. Manhattanville used to be an all-girls Catholic school. It no longer is, but that is our schools’ heritage. While few would advocate restoring the school to be what it once was (me especially because I would get kicked out twice-being a male and not even Christian let alone Catholic), our heritage should be respected. An old statue situated around a few bushes should not offend anyone.

While the statue had a religious connotation, as it was called “the Jesus Statue”, it was part of the heritage of our school. Also, it being there did not in itself act as a proselytizer. I can honestly say that in the entire time I have been here at Manhattanville I have not once been proselytized. Compare this to my ten-week summer internship in Washington, D.C., (where no such Jesus Statue is anywhere to be found) where I was overtly proselytized three times, as well as a few other more subtle attempts.

The feeling on campus at the time of the removal seemed to be that it was wholly unnecessary. Regardless, it has been done and is unlikely to be returned any time soon. For now, ask some of the upperclassmen about it and see if any of them have a picture to share with you. If you ask nicely enough, one of the upperclassmen will surly tell you a story about how it used to be. Just make sure to visit the Jesus Statue once in a while. Without the foot traffic of the quad that used to go by it, the statue is probably pretty lonely now. You can rectify that if you chose to.

Political affiliations are an interesting concept. Personally, I chose to not have an affiliation to any party so as to be able to shift to whatever candidate I believe it the best or most qualified. You may note in the last “Letter from the Editor” I stated that I am not a Republican. Note that I am not a Democrat, either; I am unaffiliated.

There is nothing wrong with being unaffiliated if you so desire, and there is also nothing wrong with supporting a candidate. Indeed, if you truly believe someone should win (or if you just don’t want the other candidate to win), you should actively campaign for them. One thing I must request is that if your candidate loses, please remove your stickers supporting them (especially if they have a time stamp on them). There is a certain grace period as bumper stickers are notoriously hard to remove. It should not take years to remove them, despite the difficulties.

Even if you want to continue to show your support for the candidate that lost, there are better ways than with old campaign stickers. All it really does is show that they lost. Let’s use the Kerry and Edwards 2004 presidential bid as an example.

The Kerry Edwards 2004 stickers really must go. They lost, and there is no way they are going to be President and Vice President for the 2004 term. If you still want to show that you supported them, why not upgrade to the “Don’t blame me, I voted for Kerry” sticker?

As long as we are on the topic of politics, remember to vote. You will see this advice as a recurring theme in this issue, as its importance cannot be understated. Not only is it our “Call to Arms”, but it is also listed in the “November Events at Manhattanville.” Your vote does count, and even if your candidate loses, at least you will have made your voice heard. A lot rides on this election no matter which side of the aisle you are on, so be sure to go vote.

If you would like to join the Right World View, our meetings are held every Monday in the second floor Founders classroom (technically three floors up from the front entrance) at 8:30pm. I hope to see you there.

On to some formatting notes: we are happy to report that this issue, we have increased our content by a full 50%. We have also been able to garner a few writers from the other end of the ideological spectrum. This is most notable in the feature “Left World View vs. Right World View” (a debate over tort reform) which can be found on page 8. This issue is certainly not lacking.

Sincerely,
Andrew Berman
Editor-in-Chief

For the last time, I am NOT a Republican. I am a Conservative, but that does not make me Republican. If you’re curious I am an Independent, as to not be tied to one party or the other. This is primarily a Conservative publication, read Conservative not Republican. While it is true that Conservative and Republican views do overlap, Republican ideals and platforms are not by default Conservative. By the same token, Conservative ideals do not always transfer over to the Republican platform.

In general Conservatives tend to like the current Republican stance on defense. While not all agree on the way in which this administration is handling the War on Terror, most are happy they are at least doing something. To long had we sat by burying our collective heads in the sand hoping that what we can’t see can’t hurt us. To long had we shown such aversion to sustaining even the lightest of casualties that led Bin Laden to think that if he just “bloodied our nose” we would withdraw with little more than a whimper. Now we have shown the world what we can do, and beyond that a willingness to do what we think is necessary.

Conservatives by enlarge hate the current administrations spending record. Spending as much as the current administration does, does not “smell” like fiscal responsibility. Keeping taxes low and keeping the government small are hallmarks of Conservative ideology. Spending exorbitant amounts of money does not help keep taxes low. Instead it forces us to go even further into debt or raise taxes, both bad options. Let’s not get too bogged down in specifics right now, but the point must be conveyed. When someone tells you they are Conservative, don’t assume they are Republican. They may indeed be both, but there are Republicans that are also Liberals. When someone tells you they are a Democrat, don’t assume they are necessarily Liberal. The two are not synonymous. Some Conservatives are Democrats, and some Liberals are Republican. There are even some from both party that are neither ideology, and some from each ideology that are not in either party.

Now for a formatting note. You probably noticed that our Mission Statement has shrunk considerably. Don’t take that to mean we don’t believe what was printed in the last issue, we still do. We have decided that the full Mission Statement is to long to print in every issue, so the Abbreviated Version will replace it most of the time. We will still print the full Mission Statement in the first issue of each semester. It is also available by request at RightWorldView@gmail.com, and can be viewed at our website www.RightWorldView.com. There you can also find PDF’s of all our issues (past and present, because we are not ashamed of what we publish) as well as staff bios.

Sincerely,
Editor-in-Chief
Andrew Berman

On Thursday September 21st, Student Government held its Fall election. The number of candidates who ran for office was pleasantly surprising. Eight people vying for the position of Freshman Class President, which is more than this reporter can remember ever running for a single position. Indeed, if memory serves, alone it is almost as many candidates as runs for all the positions in the last few elections.

That’s the good news. The bad, or better described as sad, there were only about 365 ballets cast. In other words, only about 365 people bothered to vote. Now if you calculate that out of approximately 1700 students who could vote that is about 21% or slightly more than one out of five. Pitiful, no?

On a positive note, I believe this is an uptrend from the previous year.
Regardless, your newly elected Student Government members are;

Freshman Class President – Amanda Minck

Vice President of Finances – Angel Ramirez

Finance Board Representative – Phillip Berg

Finance Board Representative – Frank Furbacher Jr.

Academic Representative – Gabriel Mejia

Commuter Representative – Valerie Lopez

Community Service Representative – Danielle Flynn

1. Organize – This could include acquiring a calendar or using a hand held computing device. Write down important dates (exams, assignments, due dates to name a few)

2. Familiarize – Make yourself familiar with the campus. Be sure you can locate the dinning facilities, classrooms, library, security, gym and campus stores. The campus is not all that big, and does not have many buildings; you should be able to find your way around by the end of the first week.

3. Preparation – Prepare for your classes. If they require books, make sure to get the books. If you are assigned reading, make sure you do the reading. Finish all assignments before they are due, and show up to every class on time if not five minutes early.

4. Socialize – Find a group of people to hang out with. College buddies can become life long friends. They are people who you can count on to be there for you and provide a good social “safety net.”

5. Get Involved – Join a club; make a new one if none of the current club interest you. What better way to find like minded people, and people who share in your passions then in a club devoted to it.

6. Study – Don’t wait until the last minute and try to pull an all night cramming session. Professors rarely mind students visiting them during their office hours to ask for clarification. That is why they have office hours in the first place. Visiting them will allow you to get acquainted with them, but more importantly your professors will get acquainted with you.

7. Staff – Get to know the RA’s and RD’s. These are the people most likely to answer all your questions and help you with problems not related to the academic sphere. Most have been around for a while, and it is unlikely your problem is unique only to you. Chances are good that others who came before you had similar problems that the RA’s and RD’s have them with. That puts the RA’s and RD’s in a good position to help you.

8. Health – With no “parentals” looking over your shoulder, you may be tempted to do some things you know you shouldn’t. Eat healthy, exercise regularly, and just take good general care of yourself.

9. Help – Seek out help when you need it. No matter what problem you are dealing with, no matter how difficult it may seem to you, there are people here willing and able to help you.
They won’t know you need help unless you go and ask them for it. Don’t feel ashamed, feel empowered that you are actively taking steps to help alleviate the problem.

10. Enjoy – No matter what anyone tells you, you should have fun in college. That is not a license to disregard all your work and responsibilities, but it is important you enjoy yourself. Make sure to set aside time not just for work and study, but for relaxations and enjoyment as well.

The College experience is not one you experience in a vacuum. Your parents are likely effect in some way as well. You, their precious child, is moving out. No longer will you come home every night where your parents can keep a close watch on you ensuring your safety. You are out in the real world now, and your parents might have some trouble dealing with that. This become especially true if you are the first child to go to college or the last, but middle children don’t get off to easily, so don’t feel unfairly picked on if you are the oldest or youngest.

Don’t cut yourself off from your family. They have been there all along and are people you can count on to continue to be there. That said, boundaries must be set. That is right, you get to set the boundaries for your parents.

Let them know when and how they can and should contact you. If you want them to call you at night, tell them. If you prefer an e-mail instead, that’s fine too. As long as your parents have the technical capacity to do what you request of them, few will complain. Instead they will be happy to see you are setting aside some time for them.

Some parents, for purely altruistic intentions, will call you or email you seemingly every five minutes. Know they are doing it because they care. Know also that unless you want that type of monitoring to continue throughout your adult life, you have to tell your parent in a nice way that they need to give you some space.

Tell your parents what you want. Do you want advice, a friendly ear, support, news updates from home? Give your family a framework to deal with. It becomes much easier when everyone is on the same page and knows what everyone else wants and expects.

Don’t leave your parents hanging. Cliff hangers are good in movie and novel scripts, they are not good in real life with your family. If you are having some problems and decide to talk to your parents about them, be sure to let them know how things went. Don’t just call them about negatives things. Let them share in your happiness when something good happens. If you only tell them one side of the story, that is the only side they will know. Make sure your family doesn’t have a skewed view about your college experience and they won’t worry as much.

Show your family the appreciation they are entitled to. They have likely supported you your entire life, and may still be supporting you. Don’t get so caught up in this new world of college that you forget about your parents back home. It doesn’t take much to give them a call or drop them an e-mail, but it can do wonders to brighten there day.

Perhaps the biggest gamble when starting college is your roommate. You have some semblance of control over your classes, your extra curricular activities, and who you chose to “hang out” with. Your roommate on the other hand, is usually someone chosen at random. Best case scenario, you and your roommate mesh perfectly and you become instant best friends for life. Does it happen; sure, but so does the worst case scenario. That is you and your roommate are complete opposites that can’t stand to be in each other’s presence.

More likely, your situation will be somewhere in the middle. You are going to be spending a lot of time with your roommate (after all, you do live together), so it is important you can at least get along civilly.

Often the most overlooked step is the most important; talk to your roommate. If something bothers you, let them know. You can’t blame them for repeating an annoying habit if you never bothered to tell them it is annoying. Prevention is usually the best policy when dealing with roommate issues, so try whenever possible to prevent problems before they rear their ugly head. This is easier to accomplish than many imagine.

The biggest mistake people make is playing things by ear. Don’t assume everything will fall perfectly into place. Act proactively to prevent problems by drawing up a roommate contract. If that sounds to legal and fancy, call it a roommate agreement form. What should be included in this form; a sample contract / agreement is on the adjacent page which you can feel free to cut out and use or use it as a guide line to make your own.

A few important guidelines when dealing with roommates in general; be courteous, respectful, and willing to compromise. Being courteous tends to have a contagious effect. Be polite and your roommate will likely follow suite. If you yell and scream at them, how do you think they will respond; not favorably. Offer to help them when you can, and wish them luck when you can’t. It doesn’t take much, but helps a lot; and the offer is usually reciprocated.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T. This one goes both ways too. Mutual respect goes a long way. Couple it with compromise, and you can generally institute civil “quick fixes” for most of your problems. If you can both see things from each other’s perspective, develop a mutual understanding, and learn to compromise, you should be in for some fairly smooth sailing. You don’t have to be best friends with your roommate, but you do have to be able to get along.

Introducing a brand new campus publication, the Right World View. You can take our title literally or figuratively; it is pretty much the same to us. Read our mission statement if you want to know what we are all about. It will be printed in every issue we produce.

Instead of complaining about liberal media bias, we decided to do something about it. So, we became the media. We will not repress any legitimate view points, but we will not shy away from voicing out own.

What can you expect from us? We will report on issues that effect you. We will explain why they affect you, and what you can do about them. We hope to educate and provoke meaningful debate and discussion. If at the same time, we can add a little humor, you should expect that too.

This first issue is a special case. It is set up as more of an Advice column filled with things you need to know. Also present are a few welcome / advice columns from people you should get to know. Subsequent issues will be more campus news based.

Like us, don’t like us; let us know. Letters to the editor are always welcome. While we make no promises to print them all, we will try to print as many as we can fit. Try to keep them relatively short (less then 400 words), refrain from using expletives and intentional slander, and chances are good your letter will be printed.

If you believe in the mission statement, come join with us. We are always looking for “fresh blood” to infuse into the publication. If you only agree with some of it, that is ok too. Even if you don’t, you can still join us to help cover campus events, just know that the publication’s official position will remain regardless.

Who knows, you may find yourself siding with us more and more every issue. Don’t be afraid to come over to the “dark side,” it is “brighter” (again, take it figuratively or literally) than you may think.

Hope to see you around
Sincerely,
Editor-in-Chief
Andrew Berman