The University Echo

Editorial

Pennies no longer effective

As you walk along, something shimmering in the sun grabs your attention. You look down and pick up the shiny new penny, observe that it is not heads and promptly toss it back for the next passerby. There is a reason that penny was on the ground,and that is because it is worthless and should no longer be in existence.

Celebrity deaths dim more serious issues

The very talented Whitney Houston passed away almost two weeks ago. In this time of mourning, it is unreal how much the media will glorify a celebrity's death. It has been almost 14 days since she was found dead, and it is still considered headline news every day.

Tweets misrepresent Knick's Lin

Jason Whitlock is a national columnist for Fox Sports whose profile describes his columns as "humorous, thought-provoking, agenda-free, honest and unpredictable," but his Twitter profile should read, "Racist, inconsiderate and offensive.

Airlines practice bad business with hidden prices

Canada's major airlines launched a new way of doing business last Wednesday that involves all-inclusive pricing for tickets. This seems like a pretty obvious thing to do, considering consumers' demands for such pricing. However, it seems to be an idea that America's airlines cannot quite seem to fathom.

Jackson admits to voting for Obama on race

Chattanooga native Samuel L. Jackson recently admitted in the March issue of Ebony magazine that he voted for President Barack Obama "because he was black." While this admittedly is not the ideal reason to select a presidential candidate and should not be the only qualification for a vote, the backlash against him calling him "racist" is simply ridiculous.

Court overturns same sex marriage ban

The Ninth Circuit Court in California overturned Proposition 8 Tuesday after ruling 2-1 that it violated the rights of gay Californians. Proposition 8 was passed by 52 percent of California's voters in 2008, placing a ban on gay marriage in the state.

Students' responsibility to oust bad tenured professors

College is all about knowledge and learning. Students pay thousands of dollars per year in exchange for a higher education where they are taught by professors who typically have the material mastered. Most of the time, professors are all pretty much the same.

Future employment prospects deter full college experience

A study recently released by Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce has had key implications for college students and their major fields of study. The study focuses on earnings in the workforce by college major, and the results they uncovered may not be very surprising.

Media discourages religious understanding

A family in Canada was convicted Sunday of what the media is calling the "honor murders," in which Mohammed Shafia, a polygamous Afghan immigrant, his wife and their son reportedly killed the man's three daughters and first wife by running their car off the road and into a canal.

Chef announces Type 2 diabetes

Paula Deen recently announced that she has been keeping a secret, and surprisingly, it is not a recipe. Deen announced Jan. 17 she had been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and had kept it under wraps for more than three years. For some, the announcement was not too much of a shock, given that Deen's recipes feature butter and sugar galore.

Carnival cruise captain abandons sinking ship

Carnival cruise ships are in hot water after their ship, the Costa Concordia, was steered askew and crashed off the coast of Italy Jan. 13. So far 12 individuals have died, and some are still missing while the search continues for more missing passengers.

Paterno passes with focus still on Sandusky

Joe Paterno spent 61 years instilling discipline and moral values into the players he coached at Penn State. He was known to players as well as the public to be an old school kind of guy who always did what he thought was best and stuck to his instincts.

Potential bill allows for bullying

A bill recently introduced to the Tennessee General Assembly would give students in public institutions religious protection for bullying homosexual classmates. The bill, HB-1153, otherwise known to many as the "license to bully" bill, is meant to be an anti-bullying bill, but it excludes from punishment students voicing any "religious, philosophical or political views.

Slavery-themed math questions cause outrage

With the celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, our nation remembers one of the most important figures to the civil rights movement. Throughout his life, Dr. King was able to champion a movement that brought equal rights to every man, woman and child in America.