In what can most diplomatically be described as an underwhelming opening performance, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team lost their season opener to the Fresno State Bulldogs in disappointing form. While some individual members of the team showed great skill and promise, the team effort left much to be desired. The offensive line left numerous holes for the Bulldogs to penetrate, creating problems for Mike Teel and the Scarlet Knights' running backs. However, in the interest of putting this game behind us, it should be noted that Mike Teel, who has shown trends of improvement in each of his last two seasons, was floating some nice passes toward our wide receivers, despite his interceptions. Let's hope he can connect in the next game and keep the Cinderella story alive. Laurels for a more prominent showing against North Carolina.
This year Rutgers accepted the largest class of first-year students on record, and the streets of New Brunswick are more crowded than many upperclassman and city residents can remember. Don't believe us? We dare you to get on the EE bus outside of Ruth Adams on the Douglass Campus at 5:15 PM. Go on, try it. If you are lucky enough to get a spot on the first bus that stops by, you will almost certainly be standing in uncomfortably close proximity to a large number of other students. If not, you've got another fifteen minutes or so before the next bus rolls by to try again, and you'll still have a sea of people to contend with for prime real estate. This is usually a problem at the start of a new semester, but the conditions so far this semester have been unbearable. It's about time the University did something to alleviate this problem, like adding more busses to the route during peak transportation hours. Until then, they can sit back and enjoy a big, juicy Targum dart.
Four controversial rheumatoid arthritis drugs just got slapped with stronger warnings by the FDA on Thursday, providing consumers with a more thorough description of their possible dangerous side effects. The drugs Remicade, Humira, Enbrel, and Cimzia work by suppressing the body's immune system, which helps relieve symptoms of swollen joints, but also leave the body vulnerable to a variety of different types of infections. In today's climate, drugs are often rushed to market and as a result, not all of their negative effects are known when they first go on sale. Pharmaceutical companies are also clever in the way that they advertise the drugs' possible unhealthy side effects, either relegating them to the fine print, breezing quickly through the list at the end of a commercial, or not listing them in advertisements at all - advertisements that do not list a drug's positive effects are not required to list their potential side effects. This is potentially dangerous to consumers, who tend to take it on good faith that the substances they purchase will not pose an undue risk. Now people with rheumatoid arthritis will have a better idea of what to expect from their medications, and for that the FDA deserves a laurel.
Sarah Palin may be the governor of Alaska, McCain's running mate, a former beauty queen, moose hunter and all around "barracuda" on the hardwood courts, but she showed that she could be a bit petty on Wednesday night during her speech at the Republican National Convention. In it, she mocked Barack Obama's humble political beginnings as a community organizer, stating that being a small town mayor is essentially the same thing, "except that you have actual responsibilities." This remark, while intended to be funny, is a real slap in the face to those individuals who most benefit from the work of a community organizer, namely the homeless and hungry, who receive the aid from soup kitchens and shelters these organizers help to coordinate. These officials are also responsible for organizing free or low-cost health care clinics that are a boon to those Americans without health insurance. How are these responsibilities any less "real" than those of a small town mayor? Sarah Palin needs a serious reality check to compliment the dart that has been bestowed upon her.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad made statements yesterday that his country has made an indirect proposal for peace with Israel through a Turkish intermediary. While the proposal's goals have not yet been fully disclosed, one of the key points for Syria is to regain control of the Golan Heights region, taken by Israel during the 1967 Middle East War. Israel has something to gain from diplomacy as well, as a friendly relationship with Syria would undermine Syria's diplomatic ties to Iran, which backs Hezbollah and Hamas. Despite partisan interests, any talks of peace are a welcome sign in the international community, as they would hopefully go a long way toward ending the long history of violence in the region. Laurels for peace. It's a good cause.
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