Today is Groundhog Day, a holiday dedicated to that exact love of superstition. On Feb. 2 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, the groundhog dubbed Punxsutawney Phil will crawl out of his little hole. If he sees his shadow, he will retreat back into his hole, signifying winter will continue for another six weeks. However, if he does not see his shadow, winter will soon come to an end.

Now, we are all aware that the coming of spring has little to do with the actions of one little groundhog, and quite a bit to do with the position of the Earth in relation to the sun. No one actually puts any faith in the meteorological knowledge of Punxsutawney Phil, and yet his actions on Groundhog Day are significant enough to make national headlines.

The question then becomes, why do we go through with it? We are a nation that prides itself on being full of rational, logical people. We put large amounts of faith into scientific fact. Science has the power to, quite accurately, predict the weather of the future. So why do we put so much effort into Groundhog Day?

A large part of that is the simple fact it can be fun. An excuse for people to get together and celebrate a local mascot is always going to be something people will get behind. Even more than that, though, is because of the tradition involved. Of course, that begs the question, how did this become a tradition in the first place?

The earliest references to Groundhog Day can be found in the diary of a storekeeper from Berks County, Pennsylvania named James Morris. In a diary entry dated Feb. 4, 1841 he explains that the previous Tuesday, which had been Feb. 2, was Candlemas Day. According to German folklore, if the groundhogs come out of their ‘quarters’ and see their shadows, then they will return to their homes for a six-week nap.

One of the proposed connections between Candlemas and groundhogs comes from an old English poem that states, “If Candlemas be fair and bright / Come, Winter, have another flight; / If Candlemas brings clouds and rain, / Go Winter, and come not again.” Originally, Germans believed hedgehogs were smart enough to tell how close winter was to its end. However, upon arriving in America, they discovered groundhogs were much more commonplace. And so, believing groundhogs were wise animals, they decided to replace hedgehogs.

From there, the tradition spread across the states. In 2011, there were over 20 groundhogs across the nation predicting when winter would end. Approximately 40,000 people made their way to Punxsutawney to see what Phil would predict.

It doesn’t matter that there’s no basis for this; it’s a fun tradition, and sometimes, that’s really all we need.

Some have trouble walking, and with heavy backpacks on their back, it’s no wonder they are exhausted by the end of the day! Some, like athletes, hurt themselves. So, I ask the question, what can AC do to help accommodate those with physical limitations and injuries? I simply answer, with one clear, concise word: elevators.

We’ve all had those days where carrying your backpack up and down three flights of stairs sparks a brief moment of inspired sanity. I think the phrase goes like this: “Man, I have to start working out.” When that backpack is filled with the $100 books that weigh more than Richie’s ‘healthy’ food put on a scale, that inspired sanity sometimes turns into cuss words galore.

These stairs and long distance walking can really injure people with scoliosis, problems with their knees, or even hurt shoulders. Just look around at how many students have backpacks bigger then them. It’s like watching the ‘Hunch Back of Notre Dame’ walking around campus, with myself included. It’s about time these students get some help.

Here’s a question, has anyone ever thought about putting in elevators in each dorm with three floors? What could it hurt?  Not only would the addition of elevators be beneficial for disabled students and athletes, but also for their families that come to visit as well. Just imagine Granny walking up those flights of stairs to see you;  give her a dose of adrenaline, and maybe she could make it to your room before she loses all feeling in those fragile legs.

Imagine how much easier moving in and out of the rooms would be? The first day back is always a little stressful, but with an elevator, it’ll be like the wings of angels carrying your stuff to your third floor paradise.

You know you’re a college student when you find a quarter on the ground and then perform a little happy dance. You think to yourself, ‘I can finally do my laundry I’ve been putting off for a month!’ My clothes will finally stop smelling like 20 cows died in my room! Then laundry day comes, and you just remembered that you have to walk all the way down to the basement. The basement where the furniture looks like “That 70’s Show” threw up everywhere.

It’s an enjoyable experience walking down four flights of stairs over three times, carrying 60 pounds of laundry and laundry detergent. Think about those lovely, steep stairs and how many times you must have tripped on them. Now, close your eyes, and envision walking into an elevator from the second or third floor, gently placing your laundry basket beside you, breathing in that fresh scent of dirty college resonating from your clothes. The door opens, and in just a few steps you’re doing your laundry. No hassle, no out of breath ‘Oh my gosh, I might die’ thoughts; just a calm, easy feeling, knowing that you don’t have to walk up four flights of stairs to get back to your room.

Think of how much time could be saved, as well. Riding in an elevator would be much more efficient, meaning that doing your laundry would become a much faster process. This would allow students to focus more on other things, like studying. It would also increase the number of students who could do laundry in a day, because they would spend less time waiting for other people to finish.

Putting in elevators in each hall with three floors, including the basement could really benefit AC. Students with disabilities will enjoy each day a little bit more. Injured athletes would be able to heal more quickly and with less stress. Family members will enjoy visiting their little kiddos, and doing laundry won’t be like trying to climb Mount Everest.

This Saturday is the Pink Zone women’s basketball game against the Trine Thunder at 3 p.m. in the performance gym. If you’ve heard the gossip, this event is always a big one. Besides beating Trine, the aim of this game is to help raise money to help find a cure for breast cancer, and to raise awareness about the effects this condition has on patients and their families.

I think we should try to pink out this game – I have a hot pink collar lying around somewhere from the first few weeks when my owners thought I was girl…anyways, AC Hooligans will be making a strong showing, I’m sure, so throw on your “Big Dawgs Barkin’” shirt and some pink face paint or accessories and head over for the very special game. Make sure you bring your student ID to get a free shirt if you don’t have one yet. Hopefully Joe will bring the spirit towels or sticks too; they’re fun to chew on.

The festivities begin at 2 p.m., when the bake sale and silent auction start. I can’t see over the tables, so I will be spending most of my time giving my much practiced puppy face at the heels of the people working the bake sale tables for peanut butter cookies.

Oh, oh! Also, they are going to be selling some really cool T-shirts for $10, basically the only denomination any of us can afford. They’re dark gray and have a pink ribbon on one side and my awesome face (in PINK!) and a pretty sweet phrase on the other “Go. Fight. Cure.” Who wouldn’t want that?
Is a T-shirt not in the budget? That’s perfectly fine. If you still want to help, stop by one of the many offices on campus and put your name on a paper ribbon for only a $1 donation. Donations will be accepted at the game as well.

Chrys Peterson from WTOL channel 11 Toledo is going to be there for the ceremony during which survivors will be recognized and honored. There might even be a TV camera there with her, so look your best!

And while you’re at the Merillat, the men’s basketball team will also be taking on Trine at 7 p.m., so it’s a whole day of Bulldog domination.

So, I guess I see a problem if you’re not going to be around on Saturday. Maybe you have to go home to wash your hair or something, but that’s okay, you can still help. Like I said, buy a paper ribbon from one of the offices. Or, help in a different way and protect yourself from the danger of cancer. Studies show that eating foods rich in antioxidants can help prevent cancer. So on your way back from home, stop at the grocery store and throw some tea, dark chocolate, and blueberries in your cart, along with the Twinkies and milk bones.

Anyways, you guys should all try your hardest to make it out on Saturday, because it’s for a great cause and every person will make a difference. I’m so excited, I think I’m going to go try and find my collar right now, see you out there, Dogs!

Together we can – Go! Fight! Cure!

This is one of many questions that  remain unanswered about the cruise ship.

On the evening of Jan. 13 there was a loud bang that initially indicated something might be wrong with the ship. The Costa Concordia suddenly halted, and the entire ship became overshadowed with darkness. Passengers began shrieking, screaming, and panicking, but that was the least of their troubles.

The ship then slowly began tilting to the left.

After the impact, the head of the engine room warned the captain, Francesco Schettino, that the breach located at the bottom of the ship was 70 meters wide and was not repairable. As the passengers were informed over the intercom to remain calm, they were advised to put on their life jackets for safety.

Due to the actions of Schettino, rescue efforts to clear the ship and make sure everyone was safe were delayed; it wasn’t until an hour later that a state of emergency was officially announced. Eventually, many of the passengers were placed into lifeboats. For those who found it too difficult to board a lifeboat, they found it much easier to jump overboard and attempt to swim to shore for safety. Seven people were reported critically injured, and three were reported to have died after jumping overboard.

Those who arrived on shore were provided with warm blankets and clothing. To make sure people were safe and had a roof over their heads, schools and churches remained open for survivors of the ship. Rescue teams and helicopters later evacuated the last of the survivors off the ship. Approximately 64 people have been reported injured, along with 11 other people who are known to be dead. Unfortunately, 21 people are still unaccounted for.

So the question  remains, why was the captain sailing so close to the shoreline? He is blamed for being solely responsible for this tragedy. One reason why could be is because he rejected the idea of using the ship’s computer navigation system.

On suspicion of manslaughter and abandoning ship before all passengers were evacuated, the first officer, Ciro Ambrosio, and Schettino have been arrested and could possibly face jail time.

I believe they should be held accountable. A mayday wasn’t issued after the ground was struck, and, even further, there still an explanation for delayed evacuation of the ship.

Still, so many unanswered questions remain, like, what will happen to the captain and the first officer? Will they face jail time and be charged for manslaughter, or will they be let off the hook and avoid all consequences? Only time will tell.

What is not widely known is the fact that actor Mark Wahlberg was supposed to be on that flight. Now, however, that has been brought to the forefront. More importantly, so has the fact that Wahlberg is arrogant enough to believe he could have changed the outcome of that flight.

While being interviewed for the February edition of Men’s Journal, Wahldberg said that, “If I was on that plane with my kids, it wouldn’t have went down like it did. There would have been a lot of blood in that first-class cabin and then me saying, ‘OK, we’re going to land somewhere safely, don’t worry.’”

To say this is crass and insulting is an understatement. Wahlberg plays an action hero in many movies. By no means does that qualify him as one in real life. To think that, simply because he had been there, things would have turned out differently, does a great disservice to the brave men and women on Flight 93. Not only that, but it is also extremely insulting to their loved ones. By saying  he could have saved the day, Wahlberg is, by extension, saying the passengers of Flight 93 were incapable of doing it themselves. Essentially, Wahlberg is telling these families he is better than the loved ones they lost.

Any idea we have of what happened on that plane is cobbled together from phone calls and recordings. What really happened, specifically in the final few minutes of the flight, is not entirely known. Wahlberg is merely assuming that, because of his ‘training’ as a movie star, he would have been able to alter the outcome of a series of events we know very little about.

As is often said, hindsight is 20/20. It’s easy for us to look back now and say what should have been done. The men and women on United Flight 93 didn’t have that luxury. That, however, didn’t stop them from acting in a manner befitting the highest values of American culture.

In our culture we often confuse fictional heroes for real heroes. We idolize men and women who pretend to save the lives of others, when in reality it should be the people who do so in real life. Had it been a movie, the plane probably would have landed and Wahlberg would have been a hero. But it wasn’t a movie. It was real life, and in real life things don’t always have happy endings. Always expecting there to be a happy ending takes away from the nobility and courage of the sacrifice made.

Wahlberg has since retracted his statement and apologized for it. However, that does not negate his claim as arrogant and disrespectful enough to believe he could have done better than those passengers. All it does is show that, after the outcry against him, he had the common sense to realize what a horrible PR move it was. Again, it looks like hindsight is 20/20.

So what did you bring back to Adrian with you? Lots of cool holiday presents, right? Some clothes or sweet new kicks maybe, or some Legos? I don’t know what’s cool for humans these days. Personally, besides a plethora of rawhides and an unfortunate looking dog sweater, I now keep my New Year’s Resolutions with me at all times. In the form of a mental list, of course, because my handwriting is pretty bad.

First on my list, and the most common of all resolutions, is to lose some weight. I’ve been scoping out the new restaurant at the rink an awful lot lately, so I’m not looking as svelte as I did in November.  Don’t misunderstand me, though; I don’t want to look like an American Apparel model, I just want to be healthy, so I can do a good job of supporting our sports teams by setting a good example.

Secondly, I know I’m a bulldog, but I would really like to have a few less wrinkles. It’s a vanity thing, but everyone has theirs, right?

And, finally, my favorite resolution of all: I want to be the kind of mascot that you students want to have around. That means keeping up my good attendance from last semester as we finish up the hockey and basketball seasons, and dive right into softball, baseball, track, and lacrosse with an abundance of energy and school spirit that even Lassy would balk at.

Whether your resolutions are similar to mine or not, I have some advice about achieving your goals that I have learned from past years. First of all, be reasonable and realistic. Not skipping any classes for an entire semester is nearly impossible, but trying to get at least six hours of sleep a night and only missing class if you have a fever is.

Being specific goes along with this as well. My first resolution isn’t really “lose weight,” it’s more like “go for a walk or run four days a week, eat only one plate of food at meals, and try new vegetables like broccoli.” It’s easier to achieve specific goals than it is to achieve generalizations.

Also, you need to have a plan! Besides what I said earlier, I’m also trying to cut back on my fast food to only special occasions, like if friends want to go out for their birthdays or something. For my wrinkles, I plan on spending a Macy’s gift card I got for Christmas on an anti-wrinkle system, which I will make sure to use regularly and properly. As for my goals as a mascot, I will try to keep in contact with students, both who play sports and watch them, and see what it is that you guys want to see from me this year.

Most importantly, reward yourself, and not just at the end of the year, either! If you’ve made it to the end of January and are still keeping up with your plans, then take yourself out for ice cream already!

Remember, everybody slips sometimes, so don’t be too hard on yourself if you stray from your resolutions every once and a while, just use them to remind yourself why you made your resolutions in the first place. I hope this helped, and good luck! I can’t wait to see you all around! Happy 2012!

Undoubtedly, Dr. King would observe immense transformation for the better in our constantly evolving world today. In the United States, African Americans have successfully escaped the horrors of segregation, and have made names for themselves as some  of the top intellectuals in the country. If someone were to tell Dr. King during his abbreviated time on Earth that, just over 40 years later, the President of the United States of America would be of African American descent, he would have been elated.

Minorities in general have received respectable treatment from the United States in the past few decades. Some universities are now required to have a certain percentage of minorities in their programs.  Employers, as well, are moving toward the goal of making their companies more diverse. However, in spite of all of this progress, the world and America still have a long way to go in eliminating injustice, one of King’s ultimate goals.

Although there have been several significant changes for the better, minorities and women are still suffering in their own way to this day. On average, women, and some minority groups (such as African Americans), make less money than Caucasian males.  Racism and sexism are two tribulations that have not been completely eliminated, either.

Consistently, stereotypes are placed on women, such as the idea they should be housewives instead of workers, and have a mental capacity inferior to men (although science clearly disputes this assertion). When it comes to minorities, people of all races mock one another in areas from the way they speak, to what they eat. Derogatory terms are used heavily not only in popular media, but also in everyday speech.

The group getting the worst end of the stick in America at the moment is the LGBT community. Although Dr. King was indeed a religious man, I would make the argument that he would find the injustice the LGBT community is going through in America sickening.  It is a shame that in a nation with a Bill of Rights, such as the United States, which clearly states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,” has essentially done the opposite.

It is no secret that Christianity encroaches on the lives of American citizens every day, in particular upon the LGBT community. Conservative Christians, especially those who are involved in politics, are committing injustice every time they pass legislation or support candidates that disallow homosexuals to be married, an injustice that Dr. King would not likely support.

In spite of all of the inequality still going on in America today, Martin Luther King, Jr. would be proud of the progress we have made as a nation in such a short amount of time. America is taking a step in the right direction, every single day. Yet, King’s main point  would be to speak up when injustice is taking place. He would be ecstatic to see all of the highly-attended protests that are happening today, whether it is the Occupy Wall Street movement or a gay rights protest, because he believed in standing up for what is right.

Dr. King once said, “There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.” This is a piece of advice that intolerant Americans must accept, or else true equality for groups such as homosexuals, women, and minorities, may never take place.

If we ever want Dr. King’s ultimate dream to actually become a reality, we must first learn to coexist and speak out when injustice is taking place.

Essentially, both of these bills were intended to stop Internet users from pirating copyrighted material. Which is not, in and of itself, a horrible thing. People are entitled to some kind of payment for the materials they produce. That’s a basic concept of our economy. We work hard because we are rewarded for the effort we put into what we produce.

The problem comes from the fact that these bills read as if they were written by a combination of Congressmen who don’t understand how the Internet works, and by lobbyists of the entertainment industry. Many of the sites that facilitate pirating are based outside of American borders, meaning they are outside of American jurisdiction. So, in an effort to control them, those sites will be starved of any revenue.

The Attorney General has the power to stop ad networks from dealing with sites that pirate material, essentially telling ad networks with whom they can and cannot do business. And, just to give the Attorney General more power, he or she could even stop Internet providers from allowing users to visit those sites.

One of the biggest issues is that any sites which allow for the embedding of copyrighted material are also held accountable, and thus liable for lawsuits. Say a friend of yours has a blog, and they post a video link from YouTube of a song they like. Since you like it and want to share it with more of your friends, you post it to Facebook. Suddenly you, your friend, YouTube, and Facebook could all be in trouble. Also, in a complete mockery of our idea of a judicial system, if an entertainment company accuses you of using copyrighted materials, it’s up to you to prove they are not copyrighted, not the company making the accusation.

Then, last week, something incredible happened. Millions of people took a stance, refusing to allow the greatest source of knowledge and communication that the world has ever known to be censored. Social networking sites, like Facebook and Twitter, exploded with people deriding the bills. Anyone who went to Google was asked to sign a petition telling the government they were opposed to the bills. By the end of the day, Google was reporting more than 4.5 million people had signed the petition. Other websites set up forms that allowed you to fill in your address to automatically have a letter sent to a local or state Congressman, telling them you opposed the bills.

The most amazing part is that it worked. At least it has for the time being. On Jan. 20, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced that consideration of the bill would be postponed.

The attempt to censor the Internet was halted by the voice of our generation, being vocalized through the very thing that would have been censored. That is an amazingly powerful thought. Now imagine what could be done about so many other issues if we could harness that same sense of unity again.

Part of that culture comes from the quality of the buildings and equipment provided for us to learn with. Some buildings on campus are of the highest quality. Anyone curious for an example need only look at Rush Hall, which contains some of the best equipment money can buy. Other buildings, unfortunately, don’t quite live up to those standards.

Normally, it wouldn’t be much of a problem. The equipment used does not  necessarily determine the quality of the professors or curriculum. These things merely aid and increase the effectiveness of the lessons.

However, in the case of Mahan Hall, the quality of the building itself is actively hindering the efforts of its students. The basement of Mahan has flooded more than once this semester.

For those of you who are unaware, Mahan is the college’s art building. The basement is not full of simple desks, chairs and podiums. Ankle-deep water damaged mat boards, which are used by students to frame their works of art. The basement of Mahan also contains many other important objects that are essential to the work being done by art majors. Time, effort and money were all sacrificed because of water damage.

The worst part is that this has already happened this semester. Having it happen once would be understandable. But the college has a responsibility to fix problems and prevent them from happening time and time again.

This isn’t up to the standards the college. Students who work hard should not be worried about whether or not they will have the materials necessary to present their work.

AC should maintain the upkeep of its buildings to ensure student and their education aren’t affected by outdated architecture. Money could be spent improving the quality of our learning atmosphere, not on the aesthetics of campus. In other words, it should be more important to help current student get the most out of their education versus helping improve the education of prospective students.

The difference in buildings on campus is quite surprising. Peelle and Jones Hall have outdated laboratory equipment, which can be a hurdle for science students. Administration, is, however, taking steps to fundraise for the complete renovation of those structures.

We hear about the many improvements that AC has planned for the upcoming years, which is good. The administration has done a lot of very good things for us over the past few years. That being said, there are areas that deserve more focus. The renovation of our academic buildings needs to be a top priority of the school.

Thanksgiving is one of the few days a year where I actually have the chance at succeeding in getting some table scraps. And oh boy, did I succeed this year. Either I must have had a really good puppy face or someone in the kitchen was hitting the eggnog a little too hard, because at right around three o’clock in the afternoon that weird smelling uncle from Ohio plopped a full steaming plate of turkey, stuffing and potatoes right down on top of my food bowl.

I was so excited I almost piddled on the rug. But I didn’t. I maintained my composure and scarfed that food until I was so bloated that my wrinkles were all smoothed out.

Anyways, this may just seem like me bragging about what I got away with last weekend, but as I lied in front of the fireplace, getting my belly rubbed and digesting three different types of meat, I realized how thankful I am for everything that I have.

Now, this has been my first semester as a contributing writer to the good old College World, and it has been a wonderful one at that. However, I was looking back at my articles (because my mom puts all of them on the fridge) and I noticed a trend; that I am always addressing and trying to stop some form of complaint within the student body, or voicing one of my own. This is fine, considering that’s kind of the entire point of my opinion column, but I want to try and do something a little different this week. I’m just going to talk about everything and everyone that I am thankful for this holiday season.

First of all, I am so thankful and appreciative of the College World staff. They work so hard to get the news out to the student body in an entertaining way every week, so be grateful. And if you’re reading this right now, pass it over to a friend and go get yourself another copy. Pay forward what the College World people do for all of us.

Secondly, I am thankful for my health. Notice how the school didn’t throw me a birthday party this year? Yeah, I may only be two by your standards but I’m getting up there in dog years. But luckily the vet says I am healthy and fully capable to support AC through the winter sports season. Yay!

Thirdly, I am thankful that chicken patties are now being served at the Caine grill. Need I explain? That’s what I thought.

I am thankful for all of my friends, which I like to think means the entire AC student body. Also, I am so thankful for my readers! I get a lot of compliments on my writing and that really means the world to me considering that this time last year

I did not know my letters, let alone what an alphabet actually was.

Further, I am thankful for all of the professors on campus. I’ve never taken a class here, but I’ve heard they’re all pretty great. I assume that’s true because people keep applying to come here.

Oh! That reminds me that I am thankful for the entire admissions staff for bringing us great new students.

And the Student Life Office for providing us with so much cool stuff to do!

And for everyone in the administration building who always has snacks for me, and for keeping the school running.

And for Plant for fixing everything that I break and cleaning when I forget to go outside to use the bathroom!

And of course for everyone in the Merillat and Arrington Ice Arena for working so hard to bring home so many trophies!

Oh. And I’m thankful for bacon. I can’t explain how thankful I am for bacon.

So, those are just the most important things on the huge list of stuff I’m thankful for. Thanks for laughing at all of my dog puns and making my first semester as a writer one that will be hard to beat. I hope you have the happiest of holidays with your family and friends, and make sure to spoil any dogs that you come across with a nice long ear scratch. You can be nice to the cats too, I guess. I don’t want to be a Scrooge.

Anyways, don’t forget to be thankful everyday and I will be sure to be back next semester with pawfuls of issues to bark my opinion about. See you all in 2012!