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I N D I A N A D A I LY S T U D E N T | T U E S D AY, M A R C H 1 , 2 0 1 6 | I D S N E W S . C O M
OPINION EDITORS: HUSSAIN ATHER & JORDAN RILEY | OPINION@IDSNEWS.COM
New Pokémon celebrates 20th anniversary For many people, from college students to young children, the Pokémon video game franchise has given us ways to “catch ‘em all” and become Pokémon masters. Twenty years ago, the first Pokémon games were released. Nintendo announced the next games in
EDITORIAL BOARD
the franchise, Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon, are coming this holiday season. The games will introduce new players while giving throwbacks to previous titles for veterans. Let’s celebrate how far we’ve come with Pokémon uniting generations.
WEEKLY WISDOM
Both sides are playing politics
ILLUSTRATION BY AUSTIN VANSCOIK | IDS
Syria’s so-called cease-fire WE SAY: The violent Syrian civil war seems to have no light at the end of the tunnel The Syrian civil war seems like an ongoing saga of increased violence and bloodshed with no light at the end of the tunnel. In order to try and put at least a temporary end to the violence in Syria, the United States and Russia agreed to a partial truce last week. According to the agreement, the Syrian government and the armed opposition are asked to concur on a “cessation of hostilities” that began this last weekend. Although the agreement to temporarily end hostilities seems like a positive step forward, we, the Editorial Board, are skeptical this cease-fire will be able to actually curb the level of violence in Syria. We believe the United States involvement in Syria
is not politically persuasive enough to bring change to the conflict. President Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin worked out details of the cease-fire over the phone. During the phone call, Obama told Putin that the goals of this agreement were to “alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people.” The New York Times also claimed the agreement served to “accelerate a political settlement and keep the focus on the coalition’s battle against the Islamic State.” While it is important for the U.S. and Russia to come to an agreement on their approaches and involvement in the Syrian conflict so that hostilities between our two countries do not get worse,
the cease-fire is only recognized by two of the four violent groups in the area. The agreement leaves the Islamic State and the Nursa Front, arguably the two most violent extremist groups, out of the cease-fire. The exemption of ISIS and Nursa make the Editorial Board doubt the effectiveness of the cease-fire and whether or not the cessation of violence will last as long as it was agreed to last. At the same token, the reputation of the U.S. acting in good faith is also questionable. The State Department released a statement for Secretary of State John Kerry, stating, “He is of course glad that we got the modalities agreed upon and a start date, but he
isn’t prepared to take anything for granted. In his mind, this is not time to celebrate.” Kerry is so skeptical of this cease-fire working out that he spoke about a backup plan to build a partition between the Syrian government-controlled area and the government opposition. Basically, this partition would divide the presence of the U.S. and Russia in Syria. The Editorial Board agrees a backup plan, but a partition, is necessary. The U.S. and Russia should be focused on removing ISIS from the region and not on the territorial holdings of the other. A cease-fire may sound like a great step forward in ending violence, but it might do more harm than good.
CRAZY IS MAJORITY RULES
Wearing a hijab is not “passive terrorism” A recent United States military white paper, titled “Countering Violent Extremism,” cited that for a moderate Muslim to wear a headscarf, or hijab, is a contributor “passive terrorism.” Passive terrorism, as delineated in the white paper, happens when “moderate segments of the population decline to speak against or actively resist terrorism.” It hardly requires explanation that the hijab and other traditional religious attire, especially those associated with Islam, bear some unfortunate cultural associations in the U.S. A great deal of discrimination has been unduly directed at moderate Muslims who choose to wear the hijab, which is unfortunate but also a well-publicized notion. Of course this paper started a huge online response, but much of the backlash against this white paper was focused on the fact that hijabs obviously aren’t dangerous in
any way, even ideologically. I agree with this claim, but it isn’t the most airtight argument to be drawn up so easily here. The author of the paper could still assert that there are implications to the hijab his opponents fail to see. His opponents could counter this by explaining how their views do incorporate these implications or that the implications don’t even exist to begin with. It then goes back to the author, then to the opponent of the author, and on and on ad nauseum. It becomes a “one person’s word against another’s” argument that will just go in circles until either party finds reason to leave. It’s an error of reason. First, wearing the hijab doesn’t exclude the possibility of denouncing terrorism. If we re-examine the quote, it would seem that this exclusivity is basically a de facto parameter of their
argument. It’s unclear why they did this, but quite obvious that they did. If they hadn’t, they would have no point to make. Wearing a hijab doesn’t mean not resisting terrorism. Second, and perhaps most disturbingly, the paper imparts moderate Muslims with the responsibility to “actively resist terrorism.” No other segment of the populace, to my knowledge, has a responsibility like this, apart from maybe the Department of Homeland Security, but I’m addressing ethnic demographic divisions, not occupational ones. I for one don’t wake up every day and think, “Golly, I wonder what I’ll do to stop terrorism today.” But that doesn’t mean the claim that I’m not speaking against or actively resisting terrorism make me a passive
JACOB WORRELL is a freshman in neuroscience.
terrorist? And who is worse, me or, for instance, an anti-terror activist who also happens to wear a hijab? The right choice seems obvious. In any case, the point is that the citizenry of the U.S shoulders no fundamental responsibility to fight terror, barring the exceptional case that doing so is their job or for a reason similar to this one. The logic of it is inconsistent, and it’s built on the shaky foundation of primitive American xenophobia. This notion of passive terrorism is exactly the kind of product one would expect from an attempt to preserve an antiquated and flawed notion. jcworrel@indiana.edu
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Indiana Daily Student, Est. 1867 Website: idsnews.com The opinions expressed by the editorial board do not necessarily represent the opinions of the IDS news staff, student body, faculty or staff members or the Board of Trustees. The editorial board comprises columnists contributing to the Opinion page and the Opinion editors.
With the death of one of the most influential jurists of the century, a vacancy has appeared on the Supreme Court. Having laid Justice Scalia to rest, the political world now turns its attention to finding his replacement. As your high school civics teacher would love to remind you, the president chooses a nominee that must then be confirmed by the Senate. All this takes is a simple majority, though Senate rules technically mean a nominee could be stopped by 41 senators. Let’s make sure both sides are honest on whether or not they’re playing politics. Due to the tremendous affect the Supreme Court can have on the nation’s political development, Scalia’s replacement could shift the Court left for the first time in more than a decade or shore up conservative legal victories for the foreseeable future. This matter becomes more contentious with an executive and Senate of opposing parties. After the news of Scalia’s passing broke, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declared any Obama nominee DOA. Not surprisingly, and not incorrectly, President Obama claims that Republicans are playing politics by refusing to entertain even the idea of allowing him to nominate a replacement. However, it is disingenuous not to acknowledge Democrats are playing politics as well. Such is the way of Washington, D.C. Democrats have argued the Supreme Court will be unable to attend to its full docket of cases, and with an even number of members, might end up with ties in important cases. But if Obama, in his wisdom, was so worried about this, he could simply appoint a strong conservative candidate he knows the Senate GOP would support. Both sides are playing politics and will continue to do so. On Thursday, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid held
ZACK CHAMBERS is a freshman in management.
a press conference in front of the Supreme Court building telling Republicans to do their job. This begs the question: What is Senate Republicans’ job? Reid seems to think it is to keep business flowing in Washington. But if we remember back to 2014, voters intentionally sent senators of the opposite party to resist Obama. If voters wanted what Reid is demanding, surely they would have kept their previous senators that had been more in line with Obama for the last six years and allowed Democrats to retain control of the Senate. A Congressperson’s job is to represent his or her voters, and it sure seems like the voters wanted a counterbalance to the man in the Oval Office. Showing remarkable care for the future of their political rivals, Democrats also point out that some polls show a majority of this or that category of voter thinking the Court’s vacancy should be filled immediately. Anyone who wants to rely on polls six months out from an election would be wise to remember recent history, when another senator from Vermont was down 30 points to his rival in New Hampshire with virtually no name recognition. With the Supreme Court having recently weighed in on everything from affirmative action to gun control to abortion, it makes sense politicians are so concerned with the ideological makeup of it. Instead of pretending like this is some sort of high-minded, apolitical process, all players should instead be honest and make their case for why their agenda is best served either by waiting or confirming a nominee this presidential term. zaochamb@indiana.edu
WHITTICISMS
Books and beyond volunteering What are you passionate about? It’s not a question for an admissions essay, but a start to find a cause. Many students are coerced to volunteer through the organizations. Most major organizations have a community service chair, and all of greek life have national philanthropies and required volunteer hours. Students need to understand the value of volunteering and how it could change their own lives. But rather than going through the motions, packing bags at a food bank or spending an afternoon visiting retired people, you should find something you care about. IU alumna Nancy Uslan found her passion in child literacy on a trip to Rwanda. The goal was to learn more about the mountain gorillas in the country, but Uslan found herself helping children of a recently genocide-ridden country to never repeat the past. “I’ve always been a nurturer,” Uslan said. With a background in nursing, she expected to initially start philanthropic work centered around healthcare. When she stepped back, she realized she could make a significant difference focusing on childhood literacy. Her solution to the problem was to found Books and Beyond, a campus organization that works with the local elementary school children to write and publish books in English that will be sent to the Rwandan school system. “Students need experimental learning,” Uslan said. “When you can feel the impact, that’s where the learning really happens.”
WHITNEY KIEPURA is a senior in marketing and international business.
The project has taken hours of work in writing the stories, recruiting students to manage the organization and keeping it funded. It has also managed printing the books in Kenya before shipping them to schools in Rwanda. Uslan planted Books and Beyond among the IU Global Village Living Learning Center with the help of Assistant Director Lauren Caldarera. “It was a natural step. I adored Bloomington. I knew I was going to give back to a place I loved for four years,” Uslan said. This type of dedication comes from people who are truly passionate. Spending a few hours a week is the first step to fostering an interest in a cause. Starting with one cause helps students build relationships and foster a deeper understanding of the people involved. Finding a passion lets students move from logging hours to truly changing their community. Uslan’s focus on child literacy has spread to other areas under her company Neu Global. The company provides healthcare and water to Rwandan villages upon the foundation of Books and Beyond. From Bloomington to Rwanda, investing in an organization is the key to changing the status quo. @wkiepura wkiepura@indiana.edu