T h e P u r d u e New Center

16
Review
For Students
The Purdue Administraion is
excited about a proposed Cen-
ter for Student Excellence and
A Journal of Conservative Thought and Opinion Leadership. Is now the right
time for it? Will it really im-
prove student life on campus?
Volume 7, Issue 6 | April 2010

got tea?
Conservatism
In A Nutshell 3
We conclude our semes-
Complete Tea
Party Coverage 7
A discussion of women being
Student Loan
Program 10
The Obama administration thinks
ter-long series on de- the majority in the Tea Party, that student loans are related to
fining Conservatism. coverage of the Indianapo- health care. Why did Nancy Pe-
What is it and what are lis Tea Party, and the future losi and the Democrats sneak in
its defining principles? of the Tea Party movement. this takeover of the program?
 2 April, 2010 The Purdue Review

www.purduereview.com
T h e
Letter From
Review The Editor
P u r d u e

Jay Wood, Editor in Chief

Scott Sowers, Publisher
Rohan Johnson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Managing Editor
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Board of Directors: Nathan Arnold, Chair
Chase Slaughter, Adam Rusch, Jeff Schultz,
David Bridges, Jan Payne, Vicki Burch
Greetings,
Thank you for picking up the April Issue of The Purdue Review. This is our last issue of the
semester and my last as Editor in Chief. It has been a tremendous honor to serve as Editor in
Chief this past year and I am confident that next year’s leadership will bring our publication
to new heights. We have a very proud legacy of providing a distinct conservative voice to the
Purdue campus and the Greater Lafayette community. Despite its physical appearance, The
Purdue Review is not a “newspaper”, rather, it is our analysis of the news. Instead of talking
about the when and where, our job is to cover the why and the how.
Our publication has had a tremendous year. Since last August, we have published seven full-
length issues – the most we have ever published in a single school year. Our staff has signifi-
cantly increased in size, as has our readership and visibility. Over the course of the academic
year, several members of our staff have had the pleasure of attending various conservative
events across the country. Last fall, we hosted a weekly radio show on WCCR. This spring, we
wrote a semester long series on Defining Conservatism. Next year promises to be even better!
As I finish my term, I would like to leave you with a few thoughts. These next two years are an
enormous crossroads for our country. We have decisions to make about what future we want
for this nation and what direction we want it to go. The far left has control of the executive and
legislative branches right now, but that can very well change. Liberalism is only dominant in
the United States if we allow it to be. It will take lots of hard work, but we can change the tide
in Washington. Nothing is impossible with a little elbow grease. Our publication is standing up

Join Us:
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The Purdue Review is looking for staff writers, columnists, pho- fight and make your voice heard as well.
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Jay Wood at editor@purduereview.com.

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 The Purdue Review
Conservatism In A Nutshell
Following the election of Barack
Obama and Democratic gains in the
House and Senate in 2008, many
political pundits proclaimed that
the Conservative era of governance
was over. Americans, they claimed,
had thoroughly rejected Conserva-
tive ideas because those ideas had
been demonstrably disproven, for
they had led to the greatest eco-
nomic downturn since the Great
Depression. The only problem with
this analysis is that the ideas in
question are not really Conserva-
tive ideas.
For many people, especially
those in Generation Y, their main
experience with governance has
been the government of the last de-
cade which, though primarily dom-
inated by Republicans, was not nec-
essarily Conservative, but a hybrid
of Conservative ideas (e.g., low tax-
es) and Progressive ideas (e.g., gov-
ernment as the engine of economic
growth) which had disastrous ef-
fects. Additionally, we have not
seen an overwhelmingly
popular Conserva-
tive spokesper-
son since Newt
Gingrich in the
early 1990’s.
It is no sur-
prise then that
many Ameri-
cans do not
have a good
grasp of what
Conservatism re-
ally is. It’s not that
Conservatism is too
complicated for most
people to under-
stand, or that it
has not been
explained
w e l l
enough,
for Con-
s e r va -
t i s m
is something that the majority of
Americans inherently understands
and agrees with. Rather, Conserva-
tism has not really been explained
at all for quite some time and, more
importantly, has not been imple-
mented or adhered to by those in
government who claim to be Con-
servative.
Our goal this semester has been
to explain the Conservative phi-
losophy in a way that many people
have probably not heard since the
Reagan years. We have attempted
to explain what we believe Conser-
vatism really is and what the main
tenets of Conservatism are. Despite
the common perception, there is
more to Conservatism than lower-
ing taxes, repealing Roe v. Wade,
and fighting wars in the Middle
East. In fact, this is an extremely
poor representation of Conserva-
tism.
In the previous two issues, we
discussed the origin of human
rights, limited government, capital-
ism, individualism, welfare,
and the pragmatic nature
of Conservatism. In this
issue, we will be dis-
cussing defense, lib-
erty, and American
Exceptionalism. We
hope that you have
enjoyed our series
this semester and
are looking forward
to the issues dis-
cussed in this is-
sue.
Defense
By JAY WOOD
As Conservatives, we believe in
a strong national defense. This in-
volves a handful of things:
Defending our Homeland:
When new members of the mili-
tary are sworn in, they take an oath
to defend this country against all
enemies, foreign and domestic. It
is our duty, then, to make sure that
our men and women in uniform
are supplied with whatever re-
sources they need to defend us. It
is also our duty to treat these peo-
ple with the utmost honor and re-
spect. As Conservatives, we do not
take our freedom for granted, nor
do we take for granted the brave
individuals who lay their lives on
the line to protect our freedom.
As we learned from Pearl Har-
bor (and again from 9/11), our
country is not invincible. We are
strong, yes, but not invincible. That
being the case, we must go to great
lengths to ensure our personal
safety and the safety of our fellow
countrymen. In some instances, it
is necessary to use aggressive force
abroad to maintain our safety here
at home. In a world where rogue
nations possess (or are seeking
to possess) nuclear and biological
weapons, we cannot loaf around
and wait to get hit. With a proper
amount of forethought and delib-
eration, we must act aggressively
to make certain that our nation
does not fall victim to any sort of
devastating attack. Sending letters
to our enemies or holding hands
with them while singing Kum-
baya does not count. Asking
the French for their opin-
ion does not count either.
Standing with our
Allies:
April, 2010 3
Make no mistake. The United
States MUST stand with her allies,
especially Great Britain and Israel.
We cannot afford to be attacked,
but neither can we afford to watch
our friends across the globe fall vic-
tim to attack. We must not turn our
backs on our TRUE friends in their
times of need. With an increasingly
dangerous Iran, Russia, and North
Korea, we can never let our guard
down.
Recognizing our Enemies:
Russia and North Korea are very
potential threats. In a post-9/11
world, however, our number one
threat is radical Islamic jihad. Fight-
ing Muslim combatants is nothing
new for the United States. As early
as 1801, our country was fight-
ing Barbary Pirates on the North
African coast. The Barbary pirates
were Muslims and they hated the
West. Conflict with various Islamic
jihadists escalated in the last quar-
ter of the 20th century and then
we suffered devastating attacks on
September 11th. Our enemies did
not stop after 9/11 though. They
have continued to strike. Let us not
forget the Fort Hood shooting last
November and the Christmas Day
Panty Bomber.
To be clear, the United States is
not fighting a War on Islam; we are
fighting a War on Terror. The fact
that our enemies kill in the name
of Allah is circumstantial. If some
other group plotted against us,
hijacked commercial aircraft and
used them as weapons against us,
we would be retaliating against
them just the same. Terror is not an
exclusive province of radical Islam;
it can be perpetrated by anyone.
However, there is no escaping the
fact that a very overwhelming ma-
jority of attacks against Americans
in the last 35 years have been com-
See “Conservatism...” on pg. 4
 4 April, 2010
Conservatism...
From Page 3
mitted by Islamic jihadists. That be-
ing said, radical jihad has cemented
itself as the number one threat our
nation faces.
Maintaining our Sovereignty:
The United States is a sovereign
nation. As such, it is important
that we enforce our laws and our
borders. If we do not enforce one
(or both), then we lose our sense
of sovereignty. A nation who does
not enforce its laws and its borders
has no purpose. In recent years, the
need for enforcement of our laws
as they relate to our borders has
become increasingly important for
two reasons. First, tying in with the
previous segments, our borders are
a matter of national security. If we
let anyone and everyone through,
terrorists can enter this country
much more easily. That is a very
real danger.
Secondly, the large influx of il-
legal immigrants to this country
has created numerous problems.
This brings up an important point.
As Conservatives, we are proud of
our country and we are proud to
be from it. This does not mean that
we are bigoted against people from
other countries. We welcome immi-
gration, so long as it is legal. In fact,
immigration to the United States is
a testament to our country’s great-
ness, because so many millions of
people want to come here.
It is important though that im-
migrants come here legally. More-
over, it is important that we do not
extend amnesty to illegal aliens. If
we do not enforce our laws, what
is our purpose as a nation? Also,
what message does amnesty send
to all of those who immigrate here
legally? That tells them that all of
the work they put in abiding by
the law and following the proper
procedure was for nothing. These
people did not just sneak across
a border (many did not even have
that luxury). They followed the law
and that should be respected.
All About Respect:
At the end of the day, a strong
national defense is all about re-
spect. As Conservatives, we respect
our troops and our fellow coun-
trymen. We want to keep America
safe. We respect our allies and we
want to keep them safe as well. We
respect the harsh reality that our
nation faces grave threats, most
notably radical jihad. Lastly, we
respect our laws and our borders
and we believe in the enforcement
of both as a means of maintaining
national sovereignty. Each of these
components contributes to the
Conservative belief in a strong na-
tional defense.
The Meaning
of Liberty
By CHRIS ELLISON
American citizens, regardless of
their ethnic background, religious
beliefs, or political views, have the
opportunity to celebrate several
concepts that tend to be rare else-
where in the world. One such con-
cept is the broadly defined term of
liberty. Typically, liberty is thought
of as the ability to be free. There-
fore, when people think about liber-
ty, they often think about freedom.
When people think about freedom,
they often think of America. How-
The Purdue Review
ever, the idea of liberty goes much
deeper than this continuous cycle.
The true meaning of liberty is often
something that we as Americans
take for granted, even though we
experience it every day.
In order to get a better under-
standing of liberty, it is important
to consider where the idea came
from. In 18th century Britain, ad-
vocates of liberty included the fa-
mous natural rights philosopher,
John Locke. According to a report
by John C. Goodman of the National
Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA),
Locke preached that individuals
have liberty and individual rights
that do not come from the govern-
ment. Locke, however, did believe
that it was a limited government’s
role to protect these freedoms.
Locke’s beliefs, among those of
many other political and econom-
ic philosophers of his time, were
foundational to the idea of classical
liberalism. This philosophy, accord-
ing to NCPA, influenced founding
fathers such as Thomas Jefferson
in drafting the Declaration of In-
dependence. Today, the beliefs in
classical liberalism such as free
markets, limited government inter-
vention, and a strong emphasis on
individual liberty and responsibil-
ity are celebrated and cherished in
America.
Most people are familiar with
the Declaration of Independence’s
unalienable rights as stated by our
founding fathers. In case you have
forgotten, those rights include life,
liberty, and the pursuit of happi-
ness. The founding fathers believed
that these rights came from God.
Under the Conservative political
philosophy, this belief has been
held steady for years. Many Con-
servatives also see the term liberty
as coinciding with the other two
rights. People have liberty, or the
freedom to do what they want, as
long as it does not interfere with
See “Conservatism...” on pg. 5
 The Purdue Review April, 2010 5

Conservatism...
From Page 4

another person’s unalienable equal outcomes. In this sense, a or helping out the poor. Generos- Statue of Liberty is that America
rights of life and the pursuit of hap- strong redistribution of wealth ity tends to be highly encouraged will welcome people from all over
piness. In this sense, I believe that plan might be needed so that some in many Conservative communi- the world who desire the same
liberty is one of the foundations for people can receive more and oth- ties, particularly religious ones. freedoms. In America, these people
several Conservative viewpoints ers can be awarded less of what However, to encourage people to will be free, have individual liber-
today. they do not need. However, to the pursue their dreams and to protect ties, and will be allowed to pursue
For example, the right to lib- conservative, this directly violates individual liberty, Conservatives their dreams. The true meaning of
erty arises with right to life in de- liberty. In the mind of a Conserva-
bates regarding abortion. The rea- tive, liberty is an individual con-
son that many Conservatives are cept, not a concept that is to be “In the mind of a Conservative, liberty is an
pro-life is because they believe an applied to the general welfare of
abortion takes away a human be- society. So, by taking someone’s individual concept that is to be applied to the
ing’s unalienable right to life. Some wealth and redistributing to some-
may argue that a woman should one else who has earned less, the
general welfare of society.”
have the liberty to choose whether Conservative believes that the gov-
or not she wants to have a baby. ernment (or whoever is in charge)
A traditional Conservative would is violating an individual’s liberty believe that the government should liberty can be interpreted differ-
argue this point by claiming as well as that individual’s mo- play a minimal role when interven- ently by individuals from all over
that this notion of liberty tivation to pursue his or her ing in someone’s personal or finan- America. However, no one, con-
violates another’s own dreams and happiness. cial life. servative or otherwise, can deny
life, and therefore In addition, the person In American society, the battle that the opportunity for liberty in
should not be who receives the new between the role of government America is truly exceptional.
protected un- wealth has their pursuit and individual liberties is an im-
der these cir- of happiness hindered, be- portant issue that dwells within
cumstances. cause they are less motivated the Conservative mind. Tradition- American
Liberty can to provide for themselves and ally, Conservatives tend to favor lib-
also coincide pursue their dreams if they be- erty over the role of government in Exceptionalism
with the pur- lieve that the government will their personal lives. This is because By JORDAN HEBBE
suit of hap- remain their sole provider. This is liberty allows for freedom, which
piness. This not to say that Conservatives don’t fosters innovation. Many Conser- It is a relatively new term, but
can be il- be- lieve in a safety net vative thinkers like to apply this something that most Americans
lustrated in type of thinking to economic soci- have inherently known since
an example eties which have existed through- emerging victorious from the Rev-
regarding a out time. According to economist olutionary War (despite seemingly
Conservative Milton Friedman, “The greatest insurmountable odds). We were
and a social- advances of civilization, whether special. We had been delivered to
ist. Social- in architecture or painting, in sci- freedom by God’s hand. He had
ists tend to ence and literature, in industry or brought us to the land of plenty
believe that agriculture, have never come from and given us a whole new world
liberty can centralized government”. One in which liberty and resources
be applied can infer from this quote that abounded. Our founding fathers
when every- having as many economic lib- framed the Constitution with in-
one re- erties as possible, as long as they tentions of keeping us indepen-
ceives do not infringe upon the rights of dent, self-sufficient, and a super-
others, can create great advances power. American Exceptionalism
over time within a society. is the idea that the United States of
Many people believe that the lib- America possesses a special place
erties Americans have allow them among the nations of the world in
to go about their daily lives without terms of our national religion (con-
fear and oppression. Regardless of trary to what our President likes to
political belief, many Ameri- think, we are a Christian nation),
cans feel that the historical our evolution as a nation, our po-
and present-day signifi- litical institutions, and our mixture
cance behind the symbolic See “Conservatism...” on pg. 6
 6 April, 2010
Conservatism...
From Page 5
of cultures and origins. We hold a
defined role among the global com-
munity because of our powerful
stature and model of government;
there is no other country in the
world quite like us.
“Over the past few decades, however, we have
started to see a disdain for the power that once
made us great.”
There are many reasons for our
status as a superpower, and they
are necessary in order to under-
stand who we are. We have the
highest standard of living in the
world. We own 85% of all real es-
tate in the world. We are the most
generous nation in the world,
donating the most aid, food, and
medicine to third world countries.
We have produced the most sig-
nificant technological and scientific
advancements the world has ever
seen. We invented the telephone,
the electric light, the telegraph, and
the automobile. We pioneered the
representative democracy, the hu-
man rights movement, the Enlight-
enment, and the scientific and in-
dustrial revolutions. And those are
just a sampling of the credentials
that enable us to claim superpower
status.
Over the past few decades, how-
ever, we have started to see a dis-
dain for the power that once made
us great. Since Obama’s election,
we have heard constant reminders
of how we have oppressed other
nations and that we should be apol-
ogetic for our role in the world. The
most recent example of this was
this past week at the nuclear secu-
rity summit when the President de-
clared that, “whether we like it or
not, we remain a dominant military
superpower.” I would imagine that
most Americans probably appreci-
ate that, thanks to our dominance
as a military superpower, we are
able to sleep peacefully at night,
practice our religions freely, vote
for our representation, and prac-
tice free speech. All of these things
come from being a dominant force;
we cannot take these privileges for
granted.
Those who argue that we are a
secular nation oppose the idea that
we have been given our status by a
divine being. They seem to be of the
opinion that we should just sit back
and fall into line with the rest of the
world. In reality, we have a respon-
sibility to do the opposite. We have
been given our status, not to be a
sitting duck, but to spread liberty
to the darkest corners of the world.
In a sense, it is our divine responsi-
bility. God has given us his shield of
protection in order to do His work
and show the world what freedom
can do for them. The foundation
for our society can be referenced
to the Bible. Our republican form
of government, rule of free law,
and free market capitalism comes
directly from Judeo-Christian be-
liefs. One of the redeeming quali-
ties of this background is that, as
Christians, we are accepting of
other religions. We allow anyone
and everyone to peaceably practice
whatever they choose and we offer
them a safe environment in which
to do so. In other countries, espe-
cially some of the fundamentalist
Muslim nations, those who refuse
to convert are often tortured and
murdered. Those who claim that
we are intolerant of other ideolo-
gies need to consider the suffering
faced by people living in tyrannical
states across the world.
Our status as a superpower
sometimes means that we take on
the role of liberators for those who
cannot protect themselves. This
has often been the subject of scru-
tiny by those who think we need to
stay out of matters that do not au-
tomatically involve us. I think we all
saw how well that worked out for
us during World War II: Pearl Har-
bor anyone? The fact of the matter
is that we cannot afford to sit idly
by while helpless, smaller nations
are taken over by Communism,
Socialism, Nazism, Fascism, or
whatever the flavor of oppression
may be. The old phrase “if you give
someone an inch, he or she will
take a mile” can be applied here.
Each foothold that we allow evil to
gain puts them one step closer to
being powerful enough to threaten
our existence. By putting out the
“We have been a beacon of hope for developing
nations and we have demonstrated what they
could become.”
sparks before they become a fire,
we can prevent them from igniting
the free world.
In the past, we have been a shin-
ing example of a free republic. We
have been a beacon of hope for
developing nations and we have
demonstrated what they could be-
come. Within the protections of
our Constitution, our citizens have
been able to invent and discover a
plethora of ideas and innovations.
We are told that the world hates us,
and that is partially correct. It is not
exactly the whole world though. It
is the leaders of oppressed nations
The Purdue Review
who hate us and everything that
we stand for. We stand in the way
of their spread of tyranny because
we represent liberty. Their citizens
see what we have built and how we
live, and when they sleep at night,
it is America that they dream of.
World leaders know that we are
watching them, keeping them ac-
countable, and always waiting for
them to slip up and reveal sinister
motives. They know that when they
do, they might see the wrath of the
world superpower.
Since our divine victory more
than 200 years ago, we have been
the shining city on a hill. Millions of
the world’s oppressed have looked
to our Statue of Liberty to give
them freedom and acceptance, and
they found it here. We have pro-
vided them with a safe haven and
allowed them to call this beautiful
nation home. We know we are not
perfect, but we are constantly try-
ing to improve ourselves and the
world around us, and we will not
apologize for being the best.
“In the long history of the world,
only a few generations have been
granted the role of defending
freedom in its hour of maximum
danger. I do not shrink from this
responsibility—I welcome it. I do
not believe that any of us would
exchange places with any other
people or any other generation.
The energy, the faith, the devotion
which we bring to this endeavor
will light our country and all who
serve it—and the glow from that
fire can truly light the world.”
-President John F. Kennedy
 The Purdue Review
Reading the Tea Party’s Leaves
By JAY WOOD
The Tea Party movement has
grown exponentially in the last
year. There have been enormous
rallies on Tax Day (April 15th), In-
dependence Day, and the day after
9/11, as well as smaller rallies in
between. The grassroots move-
ment is made up of people from
all walks of life. There are pros and
cons to the movement’s philoso-
phy. First for the pros:
Awareness:
The Tea Party movement is do-
ing a great job of exposing the
liberal policies of the Obama Ad-
ministration and the Democrats in
Congress. People who might not
have been very politically involved
before are starting to come out of
the woodwork and they are join-
ing the fight. They are making their
voices heard. This is a good thing.
Americans are becoming desperate
for a return to smaller government
and they are demanding it from the
politicians in Washington.
Advocacy:
Contrary to the way some mem-
bers of the media might like to por-
tray the protesters, the Tea Party
movement is not about race. The
President’s skin color has nothing
to do with the reasons people are
angry or why they are
choosing to protest.
The Tea Party move-
ment has three core
principles: fiscal
responsibility, consti-
tutionally limited government, and
the free market. These fundamental
principles are all sound. As conser-
vatives, it is exciting to see a large
grassroots movement advocating
our general views about economic
policy and the size and scope of the
federal government. This is a cause
for celebration.
However, there are elements of
the Tea Party that are a cause for
concern. Here are the cons:
Clean Slate:
Not everyone in the Tea Party
movement agrees with this, but
there are a number of protesters
who want to see 435 brand new
members of Congress. There are
plenty of reasons to be upset with
Washington, but not all of the cur-
rent members of Congress support
higher taxes and higher spending.
What about the politicians who
have stood up for the principles
that the Tea Party movement holds
dear? Just because a politician has
spent time in Washington, does not
automatically mean that they are
supporting liberal economic poli-
cies (although Washington has had
that effect on some). There are pol-
iticians who have voted the other
way.
There are a number of protest-
ers who will not support
a candidate in the
primary if that
person has
e v e r
held
elected
office.
Just because
someone has been
in public service before
does not automatically make them
a liberal. Experience is not neces-
April, 2010 7
sarily a bad thing. In fact, someone the center-right vote in the United
with experience might be able to States. In that election, Bill Clin-
do the job more effectively than a ton won 43% of the popular vote,
rookie. George Bush (Sr.) won roughly
37.5% of the vote, and Ross Perot
“It does not require a majority to prevail, but
rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set
brush fires in people’s minds.”
- Samuel Adams
“Going Perot” won almost 19% of the vote. If Pe-
This is by far the biggest concern rot’s votes were divided between
about the Tea Party movement. Bush and Clinton, Bush would have
There is a possibility that the Tea needed to win approximately two-
Party movement could field a third thirds or more in order to overtake
party candidate in any given race, Clinton in the popular vote.
but most importantly the Presiden- Different scenarios in that elec-
tial race in 2012. An Independent tion are all retrospect. The results
candidate backed by the cannot be changed. 2012 is still yet
Tea Party is a reci- to be determined though. In 2008,
pe for contin- Barack Obama was able to defeat
ued liberal John McCain even with McCain
policy in receiving essentially the entire
Wash- center-right vote. Imagine splitting
ing- up that center-right vote. Barack
ton. Obama would win in a landslide.
A With that result, would Republi-
cans or Tea Party Independents be
happy? Nope! Would either group
get what they want? Nope! Despite
the Tea Party movement’s good in-
tentions, dividing the center-right
vote would actually work strongly
against them.
All in all, the Tea Party move-
ment is very positive. They stand
for conservative values and they
sim- raise awareness about the direc-
ilar tion President Obama and the
situa- Democrats in Congress are taking
tion oc- this country. It is important though
curred in that the members of this movement
1992. pick their battles carefully and con-
In 1992, Ross Perot sider the big-picture consequences
ran for President as an Indepen- of independent candidacy.
dent, a member of a new “Reform
Party”. Perot’s candidacy divided
 8 April, 2010
Women and the Tea Party
By KRISTIN PATRAS
She is a mother of five, a beauty
pageant queen, a hunter, a fisher-
man, the first female governor of
Alaska, and absolutely gorgeous.
Ever since Sarah Palin first stepped
onto the national stage as a con-
servative female voice, her very
existence has irked liberals on a
level never seen before. Was it her
fabulous style, her strong sense of
self, or her hockey mom reputation
that got under their skin the most?
Although it is difficult to pinpoint
exactly why Sarah and her family
were utilized as a punching bag for
liberal comedians, reporters, and
bloggers, it is clear that conserva-
tive women felt the impact of the
punches as if they were Sarah Palin
themselves.
For decades conservative wom-
en have been made to feel like
they have no place in the modern
political scene. Either you are an
old, white, homophobic man in
the G.O.P. or a liberal, pro-choice,
pro-welfare Democrat. If you are a
woman and do not fit into either of
those categories, then you are out
of luck. If you do not support Hill-
ary Clinton, please sit down. They
will break the glass ceiling without
you since you believe in oppress-
ing women. If you are not
an enthusiast of Planned
Parenthood, then step
aside. You are against a
woman’s right to control
her own body. If you do
not support socialized
healthcare, watch out!
You are a threat to
helpless, sick children
everywhere. How
dare you!
Yes, conserva-
tive women have
been made to feel
highly uncomfort-
able for their po-
litical convictions.
They have even been
left out of the one political
movement that is all about women the definition does it say “liber-
– feminism. The Merriam-Webster al.” Nevertheless, liberal women
dictionary defines feminism as “the have swept up the entire move-
“Organizations like NOW only add to the errone-
ous belief that only liberal ideology could ever
promote equality of the sexes and women’s
rights and interests.”
theory of the political, economic,
ment from right under our heels.
and social equality of the sexes”
Take the National Organization
and “organized activity on behalf of
for Women (sounds bipartisan,
women’s rights and interests.” No-
right?), for example. NOW, which
tice that no- happens to be the largest organi-
where zation of feminist advocates in the
i n U.S., utilizes its website to push is-
sues such as abortion and wel-
fare. This could be confusing
to those who did not see “lib-
eral” written in magic ink in
front of the word “women”
in the organization’s title.
Organizations like NOW
only add to the errone-
ous belief that only lib-
eral ideology could
ever promote equal-
ity of the sexes and
women’s rights
and interests.
If you Google
“feminist con-
servatives”
the first result
is “Conserva-
tive Feminism:
An oxymoron?”
Need I say more?
So, if conser-
vative women
are not even wel-
come in the one
movement that is
all about women,
then what’s left?
While the Repub-
lican Party seems
like the obvious
Congresswoman Michele Bachmann choice, conser-
The Purdue Review
vative women are not convinced.
Could the fact that only 21 out of
535 seats in Congress are filled by
Republican women have anything
to do with it? How about the fact
that there are only four female Re-
publican governors? Maybe when
George W. Bush signed the Partial
Birth Abortion Act of 2003 with
nine men standing behind him and
zero women on the stage, conser-
vative women were rubbed the
wrong way. How about the time
President Bush signed the Trou-
ble Asset Relief Program, which
would guarantee to leave our chil-
dren with insurmountable debt?
Whatever the reason, conservative
women have felt more and more
distant from the Republican Party
for years. This might explain why a
Gallup Poll from 2009 showed that
only 27% of women identify them-
selves as Republicans.
When Sarah Palin was chosen as
John McCain’s running mate for the
2008 election, it seemed as if there
was a glimmer of hope for conser-
vative women everywhere. Finally,
there was a strong conservative
voice on the front line that women
could relate to! After Republicans
lost the 2008 election, many were
left to wonder what was going to
happen to the conservative female
voice that had barely begun to
make an appearance. Stacy Mott,
a proud conservative, decided that
she had had enough and created a
blog called Smart Girl Politics. The
blog instantly blew up and turned
into a must see page for conserva-
tive women everywhere. Rebecca
Wales, a spokeswoman for Smart
Girl Politics, told Politico “For years,
it has been the liberal women who
have organized and been staunch
grass-roots and policy advocates.
No longer is it only the liberals.
Conservative women have found
their voices and are using them,
See “Women...” on Pg. 9
 The Purdue Review
Women...
From Page 8
actively and loudly.” In fact, Smart
Girl Politics has been so successful
“After decades of feeling like they were being
told to sit down and shut up, conservative wom-
en are finally speaking out. ”
that an annual Smart Girl Summit
has erupted in D.C., which features
speeches from conservative wom-
en such as Liz Cheney and Michelle
Malkin over a two-day period.
Closer to home, Hoosiers Mock
and Daisy started the site Chicks
on the Right after they “realized
that this country is being taken in
a completely wack direction by
Afternoon Tea in Indianapolis
By MATT SWIONTEK
In February of 2009, Rick San-
telli on CNBC made what was called
“the rant heard ‘round the world.”
Santelli echoed the thoughts of
the majority of Americans when
he said, “How many of you people
want to pay for your neighbor’s
mortgage that has an extra bath-
room and can’t pay their bills”.
He then urged Americans to join
together and hold a tea party to
prove to President Obama and the
US Congress that the citizens have
had enough. This “rant” made by
Santelli struck a chord with the
American people about more than
just the mortgages that were being
funded with tax-payer money. Tea
Parties were organized all over the
U.S. and a year ago, on April 15th,
American citizens showed up in
mass to voice their concerns about
higher taxes, increased govern-
ment intrusion, and a weakening
national defense. A year later, the
liberal Democrats.” Determined to
give conservatism a makeover, the
Chicks write about everything from
how the Coffee Party makes them
giggle to how “McBotox” – more
commonly known as Nancy Pe-
losi – likes to hear herself talk. The
site provides an excellent source of
news for conservatives who wel-
come a touch of spunky commen-
tary to brighten the recent political
shenanigans.
momentum is still growing and the
Tea Parties are continuing.
Indianapolis hosted their sec-
ond Tax Day Tea Party entitled
“Freedom Rally 2010… the Party
Continues”. As a Purdue student
and a Conservative activist, I was
lucky enough to be asked to speak
at this rally in front of over 3,500
Hoosiers. I joined alongside a four-
teen year old high school student to
speak about the many challenges
that have developed as Obama and
the Democratic Congress continue
to spend money we do not have
and continue to grow the size of the
government.
As a speaker, I had the unique op-
portunity to be able to talk with the
other presenters. These speakers
included Bill Whittle, Afterburner,
PJTV.com; Richard Mourdock, In-
diana Treasurer of State; Greg Gar-
rison, WIBC Radio Talk Show Host;
Peter Heck, teacher and Radio Talk
There is no need for the Repub-
lican Party or the Feminist Move-
ment. Sites such as these have
become tremendous sources for
conservative women not only to
catch up on news, but also to con-
nect with other conservative wom-
en. After decades of feeling like
they were being told to sit down
and shut up, conservative women
are finally speaking out.
This enthusiasm might explain
why when the Tea Parties rolled
around in 2009, its male GOP repu-
tation was quickly squashed – by
Louboutins at that! In fact, a poll
released by Quinnipiac University
reveals that women could make up
as much as 55% of the Tea Party
movement. This comes as no sur-
prise to those who regularly at-
Show Host, Kokomo; and Emery
McClendon, Tea Party Activist. The
message of the Tea Party was simi-
lar to the message a year ago, but
much more optimistic; the Ameri-
can people (regardless of party af-
filiation) want less tax, less govern-
ment intrusion, and more freedom.
The reoccurring theme throughout
all speeches was “Remember in No-
vember”.
Bill Whittle, host of Afterburn-
er on PJTV.com, welcomed all the
Democrats and Independents say-
ing, “This movement is not about
Republicans versus Democrats,
it’s not about Conservatives ver-
sus Liberals, it’s about the people
versus their government.” He con-
tinued to explain that the original
Tea Party was not simply about a
$0.01 tax, but was about a govern-
ment (without consent) running
their lives from afar. Whittle then
explained that that is the same rea-
April, 2010 9
tend these events. Although there
are no clear leaders, Sarah Palin
and Minnesota Congresswoman
Michele Bachmann have both been
unapologetic advocates for the
movement. In addition, Tea Party
principles such as less government
spending, no socialized healthcare,
and no government bailouts have
struck a chord with conservative
women who will no longer accept
being disregarded. Although it is
unknown what will come of the
new conservative female voice, it is
clear that conservative women ev-
erywhere have a newfound chan-
nel for expressing themselves and
truly influencing the political and
social direction of our country.
son the Tea Party is fighting today.
He then finished with a call to ac-
tion, urging all Tea Party members
to bring five people to the polls
on Election Day that would not
normally vote. He urged that it is
necessary for the Tea Party to win
every battle it can, and predicted
that these wins would carry over to
Election Day in 2010.
Bill Whittle was just one speaker
out of the many there who cleanly
articulated Conservative principles
and the principles of the Consti-
tution. As I spoke afterward with
Bill Whittle, Richard Mourdock,
and Peter Heck, it was evident that
the momentum in our country has
shifted and that Obama and the
Democratic leadership need to get
used to the Tea Parties because
they are not going away. In addi-
tion, it is evident that Americans
have had enough and they will re-
member in November.
 10 April, 2010 The Purdue Review

Student Loan Reformation under the “Healthcare” Bill?

By MORGAN IKERD

On March 30, 2010, the famous tion because these issues matter agenda. This loan proposal has now in choosing which institutions re-
Reconciliation Bill was passed to them greatly. They are starting been sent back to the House where ceive excess grant money and gov-
through Congress. Not only did to realize that they don’t like the Republicans offered 35-40 amend- ernment aid. Section 2104 of the
it include the obvious revisions, “shady” way the government is go- ments, all of which failed. They did, Reconciliation Bill is named “In-
or rather, the complete turnover ing about their business, and all the however, raise two points of order vestment in Historically Black Col-
of our former healthcare system, special deals just add fuel to that. that succeeded, so it is required to leges and Universities and Minority
but it also included a student loan Approval ratings are dropping be- go back through the House where it Serving Institutions.” This includes
takeover proposal. This education cause people are becoming more will be acted on once again. programs that help “low-income”
loan proposal is something Demo- disillusioned and cynical about the But the Democrats once again, students attain degrees in the fields
crats have been trying to push for a way things are happening in Wash- have sacrificed big government for of science, technology, engineering
very long time and takes the 2,000 ington. jobs, while this program will take or mathematics by the following
student lenders across the coun- What Republicans opposing the 30-35 thousand jobs out of the pri- annual amounts: $100 million to
try that are making student loans, bill found was that it took money vate sector, killing many of the jobs, Hispanic serving institutions, $85
pulls them all in, and creates four out of the student loan program and bringing the remaining into million to historically black col-
leges and universities, $15 million
to Alaska, Hawaiian Native institu-
“The Democrats saw it as a move to get part of their agenda through. There tions, $5 million to Asian American
were no hearings on the issue, it hasn’t gone through regular order, it didn’t and Pacific Islander institutions,
and $5 million to Native American
follow the process—but they saw it as an opportunity to fit it into this reconcilia- non-tribal serving institutions.
tion bill and accomplish something they have been pursuing for a very long time. Not only does this not seem to fit
with the “healthcare” reform bill,
However, if the Democrats had tried to do this through regular order; it would be it doesn’t seem fair, in any way, to
non-minority students.
controversial, because they would be faced with the regular amendment process Another farce in the bill is the
which would take 60 votes rather than 51. So, by squeezing the student loan pro- absence of the “Doctor Fix.” Under
current law, Medicare’s payment
posal into the healthcare bill, they were able to get a big piece of their agenda rates for physicians’ services will
through and in a sense, ’nationalize’ this whole program.” be reduced by about 21 percent
during the month of April 2010 and
Senator John Thune, (R-SD) by an average of about 2 percent
per year for the rest of the decade.
H.R. 3961 would increase those
federal loan centers. As a result, and used it to help pay for health- the government arena. The way the payment rates by about 1.2 percent
students will have no choice but to care. Therefore, students are going Democrats constructed this pro- in 2010 and would restructure the
go through the federal government to pay even higher interest rates on cess was very unprecedented and sustainable growth rate mecha-
to obtain their loans. their student loans in order to help sneaky. Government has a respon- nism beginning in 2011. Those
The Democrats bundled the finance the new healthcare entitle- sibility to be transparent when it changes would result in significant-
bill into a package along with the ment expansion. Should students comes to people’s tax dollars. What ly higher payment rates for physi-
Democratic Health Care legislation, really be paying for their neighbor’s they are doing with the healthcare cians than those that would result
which would allow for both mea- medical cost because of a sheltered bill is anything but transparent. under current law. Enacting this
sures to be passed by the Senate act by Congress of pushing these Senator Thune states, “This is a part of the bill would cost about
on a simple majority vote. With- two unrelated issues together? budget buster that is going to ex- $208 billion over the 2011-2019
out the deal, the student loans bill What is really mind-boggling plode because of all the ‘gimmicks’ period. Physicians who go through
would be unlikely to pass because about this whole Reconciliation Bill they have been using to understate all of the required schooling and
it lacked the votes necessary to is the fact that student loans are its TRUE cost.” normally come out with thousands
overcome a filibuster. Packaging included at all! The logical mind Not only does the does the bill of dollars in debt deserve this com-
the two bills together secured the would see that they are in no way nationalize student loans, giv- pensation, right?
votes needed on both healthcare related; but of course, doing this ing students no choice other than However, including the “Doctor
and student loans. However, the has some sort of importance in turning to the federal government
American public is paying atten- pushing forward the Democratic for educational aid, but it favors See “Student Loans...” on pg. 11
 The Purdue Review April, 2010 11

Student Loans...
From Page 10

Fix” in the healthcare bill would
have put it out of balance and puts
the bill in deficit. So the Demo-
crats have said (with a wink and
a nod), “we’ll take care of it later.”
So, instead, they included the stu-
dent loans proposal, which actu-
ally helps pay for the healthcare
program, despite the irrelevancy.
Senate Democrats said that they
could lose some votes as a result of
the packaging but did not think it
would swing the outcome—Senate
Democrats nominally control 59
votes, and only need 50 to approve
the reconciliation measure because
they knew Vice President Biden
would break the tie. In the end, to
satisfy the budget requirement and
win over the skeptics in their own
party, Democratic leaders wound
up directing a total of $19 billion
(of the $61 billion in revenues the
student loan shift would produce
over 10 years) to reduce the deficit
and pay for the legislative portion
of the deficit.
The American public is frus-
trated with the government’s lack
of transparency and shady, not to
mention unconventional, methods
of sliding bills through the process
without a proper acknowledgment
of what jobs it may obliterate, what
the people will have to pay to fi-
nance these bills, and most impor-
tantly, what the people want. The
conglomeration of the student loan
reformation and the healthcare bill
is a perfect example of the tireless
attempts to expand government
control and regulation and infringe
upon the liberties of the American
people, especially college students
in this case, to make their own per-
sonal financial decisions.

Do Away with Plurality Voting

By Josh teasdale

When it comes to elections we
generally think of the winning can-
didate as representing a major-
ity of those who have come out to
vote. However, most general and
primary elections in the United
States require candidates to only
receive a plurality, not an absolute
majority in order to win. This goes
largely unnoticed as winning can-
didates often receive an absolute
majority anyway, or may come very
close to an absolute majority. In
districts safe for either Republicans
or Democrats it is very common for
the winning candidate to receive
60, 70, or 80 percent of the vote.
However, in swing districts, races
are often much closer, with third
parties siphoning off enough votes
to deny a candidate 50% plus 1 of
the votes.
The plurality requirement has
a number of clear effects. The first
is that it allows candidates to be
elected when a majority of voters
voted for other candidates. In a
three-way election a candidate re-
ceiving 34% of the vote would win
if the other two candidates evenly
split the remaining 66% of votes
cast. The second effect is that it
highly discourages voting for third ty to come into a new election with dates split the voter fairly evenly
parties. Imagine a conservative enough support in order to win. one of them could win with as little
party candidate, a Republican can- More likely it would split up an ex- as 7.7% of the vote. The ultimate
didate, and a Democrat candidate isting party coalition and swing the winner will likely receive a far
competing for the same seat. You election to the opposite side of the more significant percentage of the
might agree with the Conservative political spectrum. While this ben- vote; however, it would be surpris-
party candidate the most; however, efits both major political parties ing if a candidate could receive an
by voting for the third party candi- by enforcing cohesion, it hurts the absolute majority in such a crowd-
date, you might split the conserva- voters by discouraging a broader ed field.
tive/Republican vote. Even if the choice of candidates. Congress has the power to regu-
late the manner in which elections
are conducted for U.S. Senators
“The Congress should amend current law to require and Representatives. An example
of such regulation is that U.S. law
an absolute majority of votes in order to win a seat mandates single seat districts for
in the US Congress, both in primary and general all U.S. House seats. The Congress
should amend current law to re-
elections. This would likely require runoff elections quire an absolute majority of votes
in order to win a seat in the U.S.
in some primary and general election contests.”
Congress, both in primary and gen-
eral elections. This would likely re-
quire runoff elections in some pri-
conservative and Republican to- The effects of the plurality re- mary and general election contests,
gether receive more votes than the quirement, or first-past-the-post but it would guarantee a more le-
Democrat, the Democrat will still as it is known by political scien- gitimate winning after these con-
win if he receives more votes than tists, are seen in primaries as well tests. It would also allow for other
any other single candidate. as general elections. In the primary parties to compete without the risk
The final effect of the simple for the Republican Nomination for that their participation could swing
plurality requirement is that by the 4th congressional district in the election to a candidate outside
discouraging third party voting, it Indiana, there are an astounding the political philosophy of the ma-
strengthens the two party system. 13 candidates competing! If in the jority of voters.
It would be unusual for a third par- unlikely circumstance these candi-
 12 April, 2010
My Life in the USA
By JENNIFER HAYWOOD
It was exactly a year ago that I
began to get butterflies in my stom-
ach because I was so worried about
coming to America. There was a
huge part of me that did not want
to go away, and I only bought my
plane ticket a week before I left. I
did not know how I was going to
live away from my friends and fam-
ily in a foreign country for such a
long time. I now realize how silly
I was being. I firmly believe that I
made the right decision in coming
here and I have no regrets.
I have been here for about 8
months and in that time I have tried
to do as many American things as
humanly possible. I have been to
a host of American fast
food restaurants,
although I almost took part in
must
admit that Steak n’ Shake, Culver’s
and Five Guys are my favourites.
I experienced a real American
Thanksgiving with a great family
and great food. I joined many dif-
ferent societies, such as the Purdue
Review and volunteered with Col-
lege Mentor for Kids. It was actual-
ly because of this organization that
I got to stand on the stage in Elliot
Hall, visit the African American
cultural center, attend my first lem-
onade sale and go into the men’s
basketball locker room – yes that’s
right, the men’s basketball locker
room!
I have watched a few football
and basketball games, spent hours
on end drinking the same cup
of coffee in Greyhouse, and
the humans ver-
The Purdue Review
sus zombies game before I thought with an American! The only thing I
otherwise! I have attended call outs still have left to do is to shoot a gun,
just for the free pizza, managed to but four weeks is a long time!
get myself roped into serving at the Before coming to Purdue, I
HTM black tie dinner, and experi- imagined making lots of American
enced the wonder that is the dining friends but that is only one of the
courts. I turned the legal drinking reasons to study abroad. The beau-
age out here …. again, drank iced tea ty of the exchange program is that
for the first time and went camp- you make friends from all over the
ing! I have been on a Greyhound world. The bulk of my friends are
bus, visited Gary, and even been
to a few music concerts, notably: See “Exchange...” on pg. 13
Kings of Leon, Flogging Molly and
Lady Gaga! I have been to Chicago,
Miami, Toronto, Indianapolis, and
Lake Michigan and I will go to San
Francisco in May. I could also open
up my own Purdue shop with the
amount of Purdue T-shirts I have
acquired and I have lost count of
the number of times I have spo-
ken about the healthcare bill
 The Purdue Review
Sarah Palin’s Inspiring Faith
By JORDAN HEBBE
There were no reporters al-
lowed (except me) and her speech
was to be strictly religious and in-
spirational, no politics allowed.
Last night at the Women of Joy con-
ference in Louisville, Kentucky, all
of the 16,000 women in attendance
had the privilege of seeing the real
Sarah Palin. I went to the event with
my mother, grandmother, and three
aunts. I definitely enjoyed seeing a
on pg. 13more personal side to the woman
who is one of my role models
Sarah talked about the struggles
that she had faced during one of
the most trying years of her life:
her son Track enlisted in the Army,
she discovered she would be hav-
ing another baby, she found out her
daughter Bristol would be having
a baby, she learned that her own
baby would be born with Downs
Syndrome, and she was asked to
be John McCain’s Vice Presidential
candidate all within a period of 12
months. Throughout the trials, her
faith grew.
Despite the fact that she and
Exchange...
From Page 12
international, not just from Eng-
land, but Australia, France, Norway,
New Zealand, Ireland, South Korea
and whole host of other countries.
It is because of Purdue that I have
met people from all over the world
and I have not just learnt about
American culture, but other cul-
tures as well.
I feel international students find
it difficult to make friends with
people from their host country
because they don’t automatically
have something in common with
them. When I first arrived, I was
drawn towards English people, be-
cause they offered a certain safety
net. They knew my culture and
April, 2010 13
Todd thought they had every- family have been the subjects of Every little bit helps and everyone
thing planned out, their world was constant scrutiny by the media, but can make a difference in some kind
turned upside down with a few she has managed to keep a posi- of capacity. She acknowledged that
unexpected events. There were tive attitude. Sarah is able to push sharing our values with people will
times, she said, through the sometimes result in ridicule, but
that she ques- hard times faith can provide the strength we
tioned God because of need to stick to our convictions.
and won- her certainty After ending her speech on an
dered if He about what encouraging note and walking
knew what He God has off the stage to a standing ova-
was doing by called her to tion, I was left with an even bet-
giving them do. While still ter impression of Sarah Palin. She
so much to staying away showed a side of herself that is not
take on; but in from poli- usually highlighted on CNN or the
hindsight, she tics, she did front page of the National Enquirer,
came out of encourage and she allowed us to see who she
the year with women to be- is when she is out of the spotlight.
a stronger come active Sarah is a strong, independent,
faith, a stron- in their com- kind-hearted, and compassionate
ger sense of munity and woman of faith. Those who doubt
purpose, and try to make a her motives and think she is in the
a calling to put difference. public arena for personal gain are
our country back on the right track. Despite the fact that we are con- sorely mistaken. Her primary goal
The wisdom and faith that Sar- stantly told that one person cannot is to bring about a spiritual change
ah gained during the year of trials change the course of things, Sarah in America and return us to our
have helped her stay strong while said that we can spread our beliefs conservative, Christian roots.
she promotes conservatism on the by simply discussing them with
national stage. Both she and her friends, neighbors, and coworkers.
they were going through the same not a nice feeling. I never thought I prepare yourself for is the leaving
experiences I was. would get so attached to a place as part. It is incredibly hard to leave
People normally say ‘time flies quickly as I have with Purdue. your home, but you know it is not
when you are having fun,’ and I I have met some amazing people forever. Leaving Purdue will be for-
ever.
In a way, it is a good thing that I
“I feel international students find it difficult to am finding it hard to leave, because
it shows I have made a life for my-
make friends with people from their host coun- self here. I have made life long
friends, and even though they are
try because they don’t automatically have some- from America and other countries,
thing in common with them.” I know I will stay in contact. I will
just have to take lots of holidays to
visit them all; surely that can’t be
such a bad thing!
have no idea where this year has here and after the next 4 weeks Study Abroad: The hardest and
gone. Every day I am reminded I won’t see them again for a very biggest thing I have done in my life,
that I am leaving soon, and it is long time. The only aspect of the yet I have had a blast!
exchange program that you don’t
 14 April, 2010
My Ideal PSG Ticket
By AARON ANSPAUGH
Like many fellow students at
Purdue, I feel it is important to stay
informed and active involving the
Purdue Student Government. In
the past several elections, however,
I have not felt that there was a tick-
et or specific candidate that repre-
sented my true views and interests.
I have not yet seen a ticket that tru-
ly championed the values of limited
government, economic responsi-
bility, and of course, pragmatism.
I’m graduating within a month, so
I cannot run myself, but I would
like to lay out a few ideas for
my “perfect PSG ticket” in the
next election.
First of all, I don’t like
the non-partisan feel of
PSG in general. While
not everyone needs to
have a party, I believe
that the presidential
and vice-presiden-
tial positions should
slap a party name on
their ticket to make
it easier for the stu-
dents to be corralled
into voting. For my
ideal ticket, the name
would be “The Regres-
sive Minimalist Party”.
While shocking at first,
the name really conveys
the platform of the party.
There will be 2 defining is-
sues that form the basis of my
ideal ticket. #1 – Undoing all the
expensive, pointless, “progressive”
crap that PSG platforms have done
in the past, and once that is done…
#2 – Dissolve PSG as it is currently
constituted, eliminate the entire
PSG budget, and replace it with a
body of self-funded, self-inflated
“representatives” with little to no
real power.
PSG always claims to be “for the
students,” but I’m guessing that
around 90% of students probably
cannot list a single positive thing
that PSG has ever done for them.
I can, however, list many inconve-
niences that PSG has brought upon
me, most noticeably the enviro-
bullying of ITaP into implementing
pointless and costly “green” poli-
cies. Aside from the changes I have
actually felt, I
know that
m y
t u -
i t i o n
money is con-
stantly being wasted away
by these clowns as they try to feel
important and do all sorts of neat
things for the students. This crap
needs to stop immediately. The
only money that is to be spent will
be anything necessary to undo
all the “green changes,” excepting
those changes that have actually
saved money.
After all the problems that can
be undone are undone, the best
part of my ideal ticket’s platform
will occur. PSG will be completely
dissolved, with the entire budget
being cut, every member released,
and every pointless
PSG activity put
to an end.
This
will
require
quite a bit of
restraint on the part
of the PSG president, and it might
not even be possible under the cur-
rent pretend PSG laws, but it does
need to be done.
“But what about student repre-
sentation?” you might ask. Well we
should definitely have something.
Where else would all the ambitious
The Purdue Review
populists be able to give pointless
speeches and dress up in suits?
To take into consideration these
special individuals, a new body of
student representatives, similar to
the current Senate, will be created,
with 1 member for each school.
Rather than the lofty name of “Sen-
ator,” these representatives will
all have the title of “Pawn.” They
will have a budget of $0 yearly, so
they will even have to raise money
or spend their own if they want to
have a meet-‘n’-greet pizza party at
the start of their pretend session.
The duties of this group of Pawns
will be pretty much nothing, but
it will give them all something
very nice with which to pad
their resumes.
As for true student rep-
resentation, it will be
brought about by market
forces. The real power for
this lies within the state
government, not PSG,
so action will have to be
taken there to force true
transparency upon Pur-
due and how it spends its
money. Once there is true
transparency, the market
will take its effect and the
students’ voices (through their
money) will be heard more
clearly than any phony PSG ticket
has ever pretended to be.
I know this ticket will not hap-
pen. I know that people love the
excitement of the PSG elections, as
well as the tradition. It is difficult to
make such a major change, even if
makes sense. But I’m hoping that
someday, a group of enlightened
students will finally realize that
student government is just a way
for future politicians to learn how
to break promises and spend mon-
ey that isn’t theirs.
 The Purdue Review April, 2010 15

Proposed West Lafayette Tax Referendum

By Abigail Krueger

“For the seven calendar year or a growing student body with the about higher taxes, but the fact of hours is a definite possibility, which
years immediately following the quality of education that the stu- the matter is that before the 2008 has possible negative ramifications
holding of the referendum, shall dents deserve. The private sector is tax reform property taxes did con- on everyone working in West La-
the school corporation impose a concerned about what an increase tribute a significant portion of the fayette. Many businesses will have
property tax rate that does not ex- in property taxes means for local money in the WLCSC’s general to raise their prices on goods,
ceed forty three cents ($0.43) on businesses: certainly cutting their fund, but the current percentage is services, or rent for those here at
negligible. Also, the Purdue who live off-campus. Rais-
proposed increase ing prices is a double-edged sword
in property taxes is that more often than not results in
“Many businesses will have to raise their prices not huge. The prop- also losing customers. West Lafay-
erty taxes will still ette is not closed off from the rest
be substantially less of the world; a person need only
on goods, services, or rent for those here at than what landown- cross the river into Lafayette to find
ers were paying for businesses not affected by WLCSC
Purdue who live off-campus. But raising prices them in 2007. property taxes. As for those who
The Friends of work in West Lafayette and cannot
is a double-edged sword that more often than the West Lafay- help but be affected by the referen-
ette Taxpayer, on dum, many of them have children
the other hand, are in the school system and are paying
not results in also losing customers.” campaigning for them out of their own pockets any-
voters to vote no way.
on the issue. They Property in West Lafayette is
believe that the last more highly valued than compara-
each one hundred dollars ($100) own spending even more than they thing local businesses need right ble properties in other places, and
of assessed valuation and that is already have, probably raising pric- now is higher taxes. Many local could certainly be a useful asset to
in addition to the school corpora- es, possibly laying off employees. businesses are already struggling, the local school system, but rais-
tion’s normal tuition support tax Both sides of issue have their own and some may be forced to close ing taxes does more than just add
rate?” (IC 20-46-1 Referendum Tax pros and cons and while there is no or relocate. While most businesses to the schools’ general fund. Voters
Levy) easy answer, West Lafayette voters may not have to go to extremes have to decide by May 4th: Is the
In our current economy, peo- will have to choose one side or the such as these, cutting employees’ trade-off worth it?
ple have to make several difficult other.
choices for a multitude of reasons. The Friends of the West Lafay-
One of these choices is going to be ette Community Schools are urg-
made here in the next few weeks ing people to vote yes to the refer-
about a proposed property tax in- endum. They point out that many
crease in West Lafayette to boost people move to the area for the
the income of the West Lafayette high-quality school system, and in
Community School Corporation a growing community, the school
(WLCSC). Currently, 90% of the system requires more money ev-
WLCSC’s general fund is covered ery year to cope with its growing
by state financial aid, but the state student population. Projections
is experiencing the same economic show that the current funding will
problems that everyone else is and be inadequate to keep the number
some of its compensation is com- of teachers or the class sizes in the
ing in the form of cutting educa- WLCSC constant in the future, but
tional expenditures. The school there is a largely untapped pos-
system is worried about cutting sible income from property taxes
staff and extra-curricular activities that could be made available to the
and being less prepared to provide schools. People always complain
 16 April, 2010
Leadership Center An Unwise Expenditure
By SCOTT SOWERS
A newly proposed building at
Purdue aims to foster leadership
and excellence among students by
creating a hub for academic assis-
tance services, student organiza-
tions, and class team collaboration.
This hub, known as the Center for
Student Excellence and Leadership,
is being spearheaded by President
Córdova, Vice President of Student
Services, Tom Robinson, and the
Purdue Student Government.
The Purdue Board of Trustees
recently approved to appropriate
$1.2 million to begin the architec-
tural planning stages of CSEL. If the
architectural plans are approved
and the board decides to go ahead
with the project, the CSEL facility
will be built in two phases on the
northeast and southeast corners of
Russell and Third streets.
The center is intended to im-
prove student life on campus, but
it is unclear whether many of the
intended goals can actually be ac-
complished. More importantly,
many students question whether
it is prudent to be spending $30
million on a non-academic, non-
research facility given the current
economy and budgetary crisis es-
pecially without giving serious con-
sideration to alternatives.
The idea for a Student Hub has
been around for a while, but the
most recent proposal dates back
to a Tiger Team report during the
strategic planning phase in 2007.
The team proposed that Purdue
create a Student Excellence and
Leadership Center that would pro-
vide space for student organiza-
tions, academic support services,
and career exploration and place-
ment.
Brad Krites, the Student Body
President-Elect and a junior in the
Krannert School of Management,
has probably had a greater involve-
ment in the planning of CSEL than
any other current student. He was
the principle author of the Purdue
Student Government whitepaper,
which has been the principle docu-
ment outlining the purpose and
goals of the center. “I’m excited
about what this kind of building
could offer,” Krites stated.
The building will become the
new home of the Business Office of
Student Organizations; the Student
Activities Office; the Boiler Volun-
teer Network; the Student Access,
Transition, and Success programs;
and the Academic Success Center.
Additionally, the CSEL building will
provide office and collaborations
spaces, such as conference rooms
for many of the largest represen-
tative organizations such as PSG,
PGSG, Purdue Cooperative Council,
the four main Greek group organi-
zations, and numerous others. Col-
laborative space will also be pro-
vided for course teams.
Upon completion of the center,
proponents hope that it will en-
hance learning, develop student
leaders, and create an informal
atmosphere for socializing and
networking among students and
student groups. They expect that
the center will increase student
involvement by providing a cen-
tralized, “one-stop shop” for aca-
demic help services and student
organization and activities. In turn,
proponents believe, that increased
student involvement and collabo-
ration among student groups and
organizations will increase reten-
tion rates.
Whether these benefits will ac-
tually be realized by constructing
a new facility, however, is anyone’s
guess. The saying “If we build it,
they will come” does not always
apply. The building is exclusively
for students, but there is not much
evidence that students, outside of
those in the main organization that
will be housed there, will actually
take advantage of it. Even Krites ad-
mitted that he cannot make “clear
predictions about what the impact
of CSEL would be.”
Many of the spaces that are
planned for that building will be
incorporated in the already ap-
proved Recreational Sports Center
renovation. There seems to be a
significant amount of overlap con-
cerning student organization space
between the renovated RSC and the
proposed CSEL buildings.
Although these spaces are de-
sired, they are not essential for stu-
dent organizations to operate. It is
true that having permanent space
helps to create a group cohesion
that can help an organization ad-
vance, but it is unclear how this will
increase retention rates. Students
do not join organizations because
of the facilities that those organiza-
tions do or do not possess and most
students are probably unlikely to
choose a college based on student
organizations, let alone student or-
ganization facilities. The reverse is
also true: there are not many stu-
dents (if any) who leave Purdue
The Purdue Review
because of the lack of student orga-
nization facilities. Student involve-
ment may help increase retention,
but that can be accomplished with-
out having to construct new facili-
ties. The connection between CSEL
and retention rates seems to be
completely unfounded.
Much of the Purdue Student
Government whitepaper on the
project, like much of the most re-
cent Strategic Plan, is full of ethere-
al goals, catch phrases, and general
gobbledygook. According to the
whitepaper, the Center for Student
Excellence and Leadership will
“provide endless opportunities for
personal and professional growth”
and will “provide a holistic setting
that promotes cross-cultural un-
derstanding, thereby empowering
tomorrow’s leaders to success-
fully transition from university life
to the real world.” That a building
can accomplish such lofty, “holistic”
goals is absurd.
Programs, opportunities, and
necessity develop leadership and
excellence. Buildings do not; they
merely help facilitate these. Unfor-
tunately, it is unclear who will be
See “Leadership...” on pg. 17
 The Purdue Review
Leadership...
From Page 16
developing and coordinating the
programs within CSEL. Will the
Vice President of Student Services
do this, or will it be some other
group, such as the Student Activi-
ties office? No one seems to know.
According to Eddie VanBogaert,
a Senator from the College of Liber-
al arts and Chairman of the Purdue
College Democrats, “There are a lot
of limits on the current facilities
that are offered to student orga-
nizations and I think that building
this building would help student
organizations in having appropri-
ate permanent facilities for their
operations.”
Many students, faculty and staff,
including VanBogaert, have reser-
vations about whether this is the
appropriate time to be pursuing
a $30 million student leadership
building. Trustee Michael Birck ex-
pressed the same concerns when
the Board of Trustees approved
of going ahead with the planning
stages of the project on April 9.
Purdue intends to raise all of the
money to fund the project from pri-
vate donors. State funds and tuition
will not be used in the construction
of the project. To attract donors,
President Córdova has allocated
$15 million from her discretion-
ary fund for special projects. This
money is all from gifted funds, but
they were not earmarked for this
specific purpose, and this raises
the eyebrows of many people who
think this money could be put to
better use in the current economic
climate.
“How prudent,” VanBogaert
asked “is it to spend special proj-
ects money on construction of non-
academic, non-research facilities in
a time when our budget is being cut
by $67 million over the next bien-
nium?” He suggested that the dis-
cretionary money might be better
allocated for rehabilitating existing
buildings which are falling into dis-
repair, funding employee benefits,
or restoring funds to academic pro-
grams.
The source of funding is not the
only financial concern that people
“Students don’t join organizations because of the fa-
cilities that those organizations do or do not possess
and most students are probably unlikely to choose
a college based on student organizations, let alone
student organization facilities.”
have with this project. As Senator-
elect from the Krannert School
of Management, Matt Swiontek,
pointed out, “Regardless of who’s
paying for the construction, Purdue
is going to have to foot the bill to
pay employees to staff the building,
pay employees to clean the build-
ing, and pay utilities and electric
that has to go with it.”
Part of the reasoning of includ-
ing group meeting spaces and
conference rooms for student or-
ganizations in this building is that
student groups have to pay for the
use of projectors and equipment in
rooms in the Stewart Center and
the Purdue Memorial Union. Put-
ting this kind of equipment in CSEL
will not make it free though; some-
one will still have to pay for it. Good
projectors are quite expensive and
must be replaced every three to
four years of heavy use. Bulbs have
to be replaced once or twice per
year. Computers also have to be
replaced on a continual basis and
charged fees for internet and net-
work connectivity. These costs will
not disappear with the construc-
tion of a new building. Though stu-
dents and taxpayers will not pay
for the construction, they will pay
for the maintenance of this facility.
Alternatives which may reduce
the cost of the project have not been
seriously considered. The Purdue
Student Union Board, which once
favored a student hub, is not in fa-
vor of CSEL. In a letter to President
Córdova and other administration
officials, PSUB outlined an alterna-
tive plan that would repurpose and
better utilize current space in the
Purdue Memorial Union and Stew-
art Center. Remodeling and repur-
posing space in these two facilities
would create an additional 3,000
square feet of space for student or-
ganizations.
Additionally, Purdue should
evaluate whether many other de-
partments that currently reside in
Stewart center should continue to
do so. Some departments and re-
source centers should be eliminat-
ed completely, such as the Envision
Center and the ITaP Shopping Of-
fline Store. Freeing up these spaces
in PMU and STEW would allow all
student organizations to be in one
central location. This is a goal of
CSEL, but with nearly 900 recog-
nized student organizations, most
of their offices would still be locat-
ed in PMU and STEW. The majority
of student groups would then be
farther away from BOSO and SAO
than they are currently, a problem
that CSEL aims to solve.
The fast tracking of the CSEL fa-
April, 2010 17
cility in spite of many legitimate fi-
nancial concerns only furthers the
opinions of many students, faculty,
and staff that this administration
does not possess the leadership
required to manage a university
the size of Purdue. President Cór-
dova wants to build a legacy as the
students’ President. Although it is
encouraging that she has chosen
students on which to build that leg-
acy, throwing money at CSEL in the
current economic and budgetary
climate without seriously consid-
ering alternatives will not establish
that legacy. Such actions then, seem
more contrived than genuine.
The Board of Trustees has only
approved the architectural plan-
ning phase of the Center for Stu-
dent Excellence and Leadership.
The project faces several more
hurdles after the planning process,
however. Once the planning pro-
cess is completed and the steering
committee for the facility approves
of the design, the Board of Trustees
will have to approve the actual con-
struction of the project. Before con-
struction can begin, however, the
Indiana State Senate will have to
approve the funding of the project,
which will be a very difficult sell.
Getting the approval for the RSC
renovation from the State Senate
was difficult; getting the approval
for another student-life improve-
ment will likely prove to be even
more difficult given the budget cri-
sis.
Many people would agree that
CSEL is a good idea and that it
would meet many needs of the stu-
dent body, but this is not the right
time to be actively pursuing a non-
academic, non-research project of
this scale. The project should not
be taken off the table, but it needs
to be reevaluated at every level be-
fore moving ahead.
 18 April, 2010
Purdue Gayduation
By JOSH TEASDALE
On May 13th of this year, Pur-
due is planning on holding its first
annual “Lavender Graduation” for
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and trans-
gendered graduating seniors. The
ceremony is meant to recognize the
accomplishments of those graduat-
ing seniors in the GBLQA commu-
nity during their time at Purdue.
The ceremony is organized by Pur-
due’s Office of Diversity and Inclu-
sion and will include graduating
seniors, their families, as well as a
guest speaker.
Holding special ceremonies and
activities for individuals who be-
long to groups which have faced
adversity in the past has become
common place for diversity offices
at universities and at some busi-
nesses. Diversity offices often at-
tempt to overcome discrimination
perpetrated against groups in the
past by essentially holding events
which go out of their way to ac-
cept those disadvantaged groups.
However, ceremonies which divide
people into groups according to a
relatively narrow set of personal
“Which is a more important goal, celebrating differences or finding commonality? It
has been quite some time since we decided (as a society) that separate can never be
equal, and in order to ensure equality, we had to treat everyone without regard to
skin color; but today diversity often means the opposite.”
characteristics only further rein-
forces the notion that some people
are different from normal.
There is a debate to be had over
the goal of diversity program-
ming and what form of diversity
we should pursue in our society.
Which is a more important goal,
celebrating differences or finding
commonality? It has been quite
some time since we decided (as a
society) that separate can never be
equal, and in order to ensure equal-
ity, we had to treat everyone with-
out regard to skin color; but today
diversity often means the opposite.
Instead of treating everyone the
same, we should treat everyone by
the characteristics and groups to
which they belong. Purdue’s diver-
sity office appears to agree with the
latter; by organizing separate grad-
uation ceremonies they are saying
a gay, lesbian, bisexual, or trans-
gendered individual needs special
recognition, protection, treatment,
or benefits.
In grade schools every year,
students are often taught that
America is a melting pot. Our citi-
zens come from all over the world
and contribute something to our
culture, however eventually every-
one becomes part of a single com-
mon culture and identity. This is
contrasted with how diversity is
often administered on college cam-
pus and some businesses, where
individuals are divided by race,
ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation,
etc and treated according to those
qualities. This patchwork version
of diversity fails to celebrate com-
mon culture or qualities people
and communities posses. Instead,
it views people not as individuals,
but as classes of people organized
The Purdue Review
by narrow qualities. viduals of different backgrounds
Encouraging diversity in col- with different points of view in the
leges and employment does have classroom. People from a wealthy
some legitimacy. When talking of background have something to
the creation of a national univer- learn from those who are poor.
sity, George Washington hoped Oftentimes we have something
that by bringing together students to learn from people of different
from different parts of the country, racial, ethnic, and religious back-
“It is inevitable that different groups will have sepa-
rate celebrations in addition to the activities orga-
nized by the University, but it is inappropriate for
Purdue to carve up the student body into separate
groups for separate graduation activities.”
those students would “discover grounds. However, the presence of
that there was not just cause for different points of view is not a rea-
those jealousies and prejudices, son to reduce people’s identities to
which one part of the union felt single adjectives: black, white, gay,
against one another.” From Wash- straight, Christian, Jewish, Muslim,
ington’s point of the view, the pur- or Pastafarian. Yet this is what is
pose of bringing together people accomplished when we organize
of different backgrounds was to events by these characteristics.
demonstrate that the differences Graduation and Commencement
we commonly recognize are not as should be a time when students
come together and celebrate their
accomplishments as students and
graduates at Purdue. It is inevita-
ble that different groups will have
separate celebrations in addition
to the activities organized by the
University, but it is inappropriate
for Purdue to carve up the stu-
dent body into separate groups for
separate graduation activities. Any
benefits Purdue’s diversity office
could hope to accomplish for gay
important as what we have in com- and lesbians students are undone
mon. Washington may have con- by separating those students from
sidered geography as the biggest the rest of the student body during
source of prejudice in the county; a time when they should be join-
however, the sentiment is equally ing together with everyone else in
valid in regards to race, ethnicity, a time of celebration. The Office of
sex and sexual orientation. Diversity should focus on accom-
From an educational standpoint, plishing only the latter.
there is also value in having indi-
The Purdue Review April, 2010 19

Campus Diversions are better than odd jobs

Stickey Wicket by Stewart Simpson

Mallard Fillmore by Bruce Tinsley

Easy
Sudoku

Fiendish

Kakuro instructions: The object is to fill all empty

squares using numbers 1 to 9 so the sum of each hori-
zontal block equals the clue on its left, and the sum of
each vertical block equals the clue on its top. In addition,
no number may be used in the same block more than
once.

Sudoku instructions: The object is to fill all empty

squares so that the numbers 1 to 9 appear exactly once in
Sudokus provided by http://www.sudokuoftheday.com each row, column and 3x3 box.
 20 April, 2010
The Crusade of the Unpaid Internship
By ROHAN JOHNSON
Thousands of United States un-
dergraduate students apply for
summer internships every year.
The number of internships across
the country is split nearly evenly
between paid and unpaid opportu-
nities. Undergraduate juniors and
seniors tend to take the majority of
paid internships while freshmen,
sophomores, and a small amount
of high school students generally
account for a large amount of the
unpaid internships.
M. Patricia Smith, the Obama
administration’s top law enforce-
ment officer at the Labor Depart-
ment, has made it a goal to target
companies that give students un-
paid internships. Smith claims that
internships in the United States
are “rife with abusive practices
and that serious violations of labor
law are widespread.” Her solution
to this fantasy problem is simple:
abolish all unpaid internships and
replace them with jobs that at the
very least pay minimum wage.
Unpaid internships are cru-
cial for students as well as
those who are simply looking
for employment in a cer-
tain field. They provide
valuable training and
hands on experience
in a certain field so
that one may test
whether or not a
certain indus-
try is right for
them. In-
ternships
also al-
l o w
in-
di-
viduals with a budding career to
form contacts and connections
within a certain field. There is no
question that internships, paid or
unpaid, are an important staple
in the development of the careers
of several students in the United
States.
Simple economics shows us that
as cost increases, demand decreas-
es. Internship demand is no excep-
tion to this timeless rule. Interns
are valuable to a company only in
the sense that they perform tasks
that would otherwise be done
by employees who are paid and
trained to work at a different level.
The average summer intern works
with a com- pany for 2-3
months. W i t h
such a short
The Purdue Review
“[Unpaid internships] provide valuable train-
ing and hands on experience in a certain field
so that one may test whether or not a certain
industry is right for them... There is no question
that internships, paid or unpaid, are an impor-
tant staple in the development of the careers of
several students in the United States.”
amount of time, employers cannot wage and hour laws. They were
afford to put their interns through then issued state identification
training. It is obvious that interns, cards, and sent to local businesses.
who are generally untrained, are Their task was to infiltrate their
not of much value to companies. If assigned businesses to investigate
students were actually benefiting and report suspected violations.
companies more than it costs to Since her nomination to Solici-
train them, companies would pay tor of Labor at the U.S. Department
them without regulation. of Labor by President Obama, Pa-
Government regulation of un- tricia Smith has refused to answer
paid internships would inevitably questions related to the controver-
lead to an overall decrease in in- sial program which authorized un-
ternships available. This is not the lawful identity fraud. Despite being
first time M. Patricia Smith has asked to remove the nomination,
called for such measures to be President Obama allowed his fel-
taken in the name of equality. low community organizer to take
While serving as Commis- her place as the top labor law en-
sioner of New York State forcer in the country.
Labor Department, Ms. Statements from the adminis-
Smith launched pro- tration’s mouthpiece, Robert Gibbs,
gram called “Wage indicate that the administration is
and Hour Watch.” taking such regulations into seri-
In this program, ous consideration. According to
community or- Gibbs, one of the main problems is
ganizations and that unpaid internships disadvan-
unions were tage students who may not be able
trained by to afford to spend their summers at
the State unpaid jobs. What is the solution?
L a b o r Of course, let’s just eliminate un-
Depart- paid internships altogether.
ment
i n