Even looking past the debacle of slightly underestimating the length of the taping, it’s exciting to acknowledge the prospect of appearing as an audience member of a game show, especially one so renowned as The Price Is Right.

As we were all interviewed before the actual taping, by what must have been Drew Carey’s stunt double, I crossed my fingers hoping one of us would be selected to “Come On Down!” So imagine the look of my face (or just witness it for yourself on Decemeber 15^th) when George Gray called my name, and I was thrust to the podium, realizing I know absolutely nothing about how much pool tables cost. Apparently, I overestimated just a tad. And although I left mostly empty handed (with the promise of my very own embroidery kit! and some sort of lighting gift certificate in the mail), I can honestly say my stint on The Price Is Right is a memory I will never forget.

Later, after much insisting on my mom’s part, I was coaxed into taking her on a tour of my apartment. Now I want it to be clear that I am in no way ashamed of the state of my room, but I also wasn’t adamant about making the Oakwood tour a part of our agenda. Being so close to my internship site, Glassman Media, I was also convinced my both my mom and my supervisor to drop in to show my mom where exactly I’ve been spending my time this summer.

Though nothing quite beats the stake out in our hotel, waiting for Will and Kate to arrive as part of their North American tour. With all the press and people waiting to catch just a glimpse, I feel proud to say I almost saw them and even more proud to say my mom actually did.

It’s very special to me to be able to share this summer and all that I’ve learned so far with my mom. She even commented that she was impressed how well I could maneuver myself around the city, a compliment I’m sure some of you would be shocked to realize I do not normally receive.

A lot of people may call me crazy for saying this, but one of my favorite parts of my day is driving about. Although I’m the first to admit traffic is not so much a friend as a foe, the opportunity to stare aimlessly out the car window makes every minute spent on the road worth it. Because Los Angeles is so spread out, I have officially decided one of the best things about arriving at my destination is getting there.

I’m sure most can agree with me that Saturday afternoons at Elon are usually spent lounging in our living rooms with the lights off and greasy fast food in our laps, but Saturdays spent in Los Angeles are a completely different story. Having such a relatively small amount of time left to explore all the wonders LA has to offer, I feel guilty doing anything but taking advantage of these next four weeks.

With the longest weekend of my life behind me, it’s imperative I pick myself up, in between work and chores and work, and get ready for what is sure to be my favorite weekend of the summer. My favorite person in the world is visiting, my Mom, and no matter how much I’ve convinced myself I’m not actually completely exhausted, I can’t wait to show her around this crazy, hectic place I’m now proud to call home.

Although I’ve been exposed to some characters in the past 4 weeks, none have been so aggressively oblivious as the West Hollywood Jesus. Spotted last Thursday at a new club off of Hollywood Way, the Messiah’s fresh white robes and long brown hair made me instantly curious. Not 30 seconds later was I informed that yes, WeHo was the home to a very distinct and well known character, perhaps the most well known of all time, JC. Although I’m sure not one of the club-goers was planning on being saved that evening, Jesus did provide some entertainment and photo opportunities. I wasn’t sure then, and it still puzzles me thinking about what Jesus was doing out past midnight hanging around a bunch-a sinners, but as the closest thing to a celebrity sighting I’ve seen thus far, I sure wasn’t complaining.

Below is my most challenged paparazzo attempt in capturing the one and only, WeHo Jesus.

By Sydney Williams

            The death penalty has changed over time, adopting different qualities through different circumstances. Amnesty International activist, Rick Halperin, continued this debate at Elon University on Thursday. “This is not a happy topic,” he said.
            It is Halperin’s life mission to demolish the foundation on which the death penalty lies, and he contends it is simply a matter of when, not if. For Halperin, the death penalty stems from the disease of violence in this country.
            Capital offenses have changed throughout time, from Colonial America to the present, but the death penalty still serves the same function, with the hope to deter people from similar behavior.
            In the United States, 34 states have the death penalty, in addition to the federal government and the military. But who exactly receives the death penalty? Halperin asks. “We want to believe it is the worst of the worst,” he said, adding that not all death row inmates are guilty. He noted that 136 innocent people have been put to death over the course of American history, “How many innocent people have to be killed before America says, ‘Too Many’?” Halperin asked.

            The human rights activist used the example of Kerry Max Cook, a death row inmate tried four times for a crime he did not commit. He was beaten and raped in prison and spent 23 years waiting for his freedom.
            “What is the nature of punishment?” Halperin asked, noting that this is where the debate has always been. “Society has a right to be protected from violent offenders but what does it say about getting rid of people like that?” He said even people who are guilty of the most vicious and horrendous crimes, are still people. Halperin is not interested in seeking freedom for people who may not deserve it, but only means to protect their lives. The death penalty raises disturbing ethical questions. “Is it justice?” Halperin asked and he answered, “Well, not to me.”
            Many Supreme Court cases have served the purpose of documenting how the criminal justice system has adapted and progressed. Cases such as Miranda v. Arizona and Gideon v. Wainwright have established rights for the accused such as a court-appointed attorney. In the modern era, one must have to commit a homicide in conjunction with another felony to be sentenced to death.
            “This institution should raise really profound and disturbing questions,” Halperin said. “Is hanging, gassing, shooting, chemically poisoning or electrocuting people the very best solution to some violent offenders that this country is capable of doing? Is that the very best we can do as a nation?”

By Sydney Williams

           Disaster. A notion never thought to happen to us. This was the topic William Schlesinger, a former Duke Professor, sought to tackle when he visited Elon University Wednesday. He addressed students on what he calls “an even more present danger than global warming,” the nitrogen cycle.

          An established professor and author, Schlesinger now resides as the president of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, which allows him and his team to continue scientific study, and as Schlesinger said, following the “belief that the next big problem our nation will face is the nitrogen problem.”

            Schlesinger repeatedly presented the question, “Where does it go?” in regard to both industrialized nitrogen and natural nitrogen as well, in the first Voices of Discovery lecture series of the 2009-2010 school year. “Human population would not have grown to 6 or 7 billion had it not been for the development and proliferation of this reaction,” Schlesinger said.

            Three major problems have arisen from industrialization of nitrogen. “As forests grow more rapidly, they take carbon dioxide in their woody tissue,” Schlesinger said. The forest growth is good because the trees clean the air and remove carbon. Schlesinger mentions the second major environmental problem, “the more and more nitrogen you give a give land surface, the more runs off to the sea.” Nitrogen usage is linked with the excess transportation of this element down the Mississippi River.

As excessive nitrate is found in ground water, it makes its way to well water, which becomes nitrate rich and unable for human consumption. “Distribution of contaminated well water coincides with areas making use of nitrogen-rich fertilizers,” Schlesinger said.

            Schlesinger mentions denitrification as a key way to eliminate nitrates as an environmental danger. By using anaerobic soil bacteria, Schlesinger and his team hope to change nitrates to nitrogen gas in order to aid in decreasing environmental pressure.

            When asked, “What are five things to remember about nitrogen?” Schlesinger simply says, it produces growth of living things; it’s in short supply, in the solid, natural form; creates more growth in forest systems. The over application of nitrogen fertilizer creates many difficulties in water resources; and denitrification bacteria might help in solving this problem.

By Sydney Williams

In the current age of technology, a new outlet for information regarding diversity and equality has been born. These resources are helping bridge the gap between people who may appear to be different, but who all suffer from the judgment of this society.

The Foundation For Ethnic Understanding:

            A Web site committed to strengthening the ties between different ethnic organizations and communities, The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding hopes to increase face-to-face contact between unique ethnically diverse societies. Russell Simmons puts a face to the organization by acting as the chairman of the board of directors. He appears periodically throughout the Web site in order to attract attention to the individual programs and events. Upon first entering the homepage of FFEU, it is evident that part of the organization’s strategy involves hosting events and excepting donations in order to eventually diminish bigotry between societies and promote understanding.
            Although the site does not offer extensive background information about the organization, the newsletter presented on the homepage is both informative and interesting. 

Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation:

            The GLAAD site provides timely articles and presentations that challenge the reader to take a stand against defamation through the media and truly “be an ally and a friend.”
            Any information possibly needed about the organization is available on the site, with just a simple click to one of the many tabs and sub pages. In the mission statement, all becomes clear about the motivation of the organization.
            This site is extremely easy to navigate, although there are truly a lot of options to explore. The interactive elements offered on the site makes for interesting and engaging site pages and makes the reader feel as though they are learning and retaining the same information through different mediums.

American Women in Radio & Television:

            Although at first glance this site may seem rather mundane, AWRT’s mission is to advocate for its members, as well as to educate and act as a resource. The Web site provides information about the foundation of the organization and opportunities for membership.
            Most of the information is as straightforward as possible, which could be considered a boring technique, however, the aim of the site is not to wow or astonish its reader, it is to educate through “promoting progress, creating change.”
            The site is simple to navigate and is worth investigating if looking to become a part of an organization that will fight for you and your rights as a woman in this industry. While looking at the main picture of the homepage, one may recognize many faces of women that are successful in their fields in part because of the organization.

By Sydney Williams

Work hard, save your money, love your job—that’s the advice young eonomist Anya Kamenetz shared with Elon University students Thursday.

Kamenetz, a nearly 29-year-old Yale University graduate, graced Elon this past Thursday as the first speaker of The Liberal Arts Forum fall series. Kamaenetz is the author of “Generation Debt” and a staff writer for FastCompany magazine as well as many other written accreditations. She said that through her work as a journalist and speaker, she hopes to increase awareness of financial literacy for young adults and to tackle the issues many young people face in this time of economic crisis, such as debt and what a higher education truly brings.

Kamenetz first addressed the ways in which government and individuals’ poor decisions led to a state of economic unsustainability. “I’m in the camp of people who believe we can’t go on like this,” Kamenetz said. “We must learn from this.”

Kamenetz talked about a “green” economy, healthcare, higher education and what people may face as income flat lines and debt continues to grow.

“The average indebted young adult now spends a quarter of every dollar on debt payments,” she said, adding that a $40,000 debt could become a $200,000 debt in just a matter of years. Her discussion suddenly becomes all too real to her young audience.

Throughout her talk, Kamenetz used cartoon images to illustrate her points. Making references to Wile E. Coyote falling off the cliff in this age of economic crisis and the “Lucky Ducky” cartoon, she helped her young audience take notice of the all-too-real situation many may currently face. Her point? We do not need to end up like Wile E. Coyote at the end of his road.

She offered advice to Elon students, keeping it simple and basic. “Love what you do,” she encouraged, noting that passion for one’s work creates a “moral economy.” She said people who are motivated care enough to do things right. “Work hard and embrace changes,” she said. “What would you like to be doing, not what do you do?”