Columns - The Eastern Echo

Kilpatrick was a symbol of larger issues.

Kilpatrick was city scapegoat

By Chris Hoitash · Sunday, March 17, 2013

There are a lot of words to describe Kwame Kilpatrick. Corrupt and infuriating are two that come to mind. Then there are a few words that can’t be placed in a newspaper. Still, as disdainful as the man and his actions may be, it seems to me he may have been made into a scapegoat.

Church needs reform; time will tell if new pope does it

By Drew Saunders · Sunday, March 17, 2013

The resignation by Pope Benedict XVI last month has far-reaching implications that will last well into his successor’s reign. Argentinean, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, is the first Jesuit Pope and the first Pope from South America. The new pontiff has an opportunity to right the battered ship that is the Catholic Church while he is in office. Hopefully, for the church’s sake, he can set off a domino effect of positive changes to save the institution.

Eastern forensics team dominant but under-publicized

By Patrick Seick · Wednesday, March 13, 2013

This past weekend, Eastern Michigan University’s most successful program added to an already storied legacy by winning yet another team championship.

EMU should embrace solar power

By Erica Mooney and Catherine Baxter · Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Imagine walking past Eastern Michigan University’s Pray-Harrold building and glancing up to see solar panels harnessing the power of the sun. The reality is, we have a vast untapped solar resource but continue to depend on outdated energy sources like coal, gas and oil that pollute our air and water and drain our natural resources.

Teachers deserve more appreciation

By Jumanah Saadeh · Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Performing artists get their fair share of awards. Between the Grammys, the Oscars, the Tonys and the Emmys, those who contribute to pop culture are presented with hundreds of awards and are recognized regularly for their achievements.

Detroit should tax pollution

By James Tatum · Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Economic development in Detroit will take money the city doesn’t have. A report by The Atlantic showed overall Detroit had $444 million in unpaid taxes and penalties owed to it. Since the crash on Wall Street in 2008, the property tax base has collapsed and state law says municipalities cannot collect sales tax.

Rejection of science makes GOP stupid

By James Tatum · Sunday, March 10, 2013

“We must stop being the stupid party,” said Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana about his beloved Grand Old Party in a speech to the Republican National Committee.

Congress needs to solve budget

By Chris Hoitash · Sunday, March 10, 2013

Sequestration is upon us. Congress has failed to prevent massive federal spending cuts, which is only the latest in its continued efforts to prove a troop of baboons would be more capable of serving as members of the U.S. government.

Reform prison to help minors, mentally ill

By Rose Carver · Sunday, March 10, 2013

The U.S. justice system is harsh when handing out life sentences, and when the convicted criminal is a juvenile, the possibility of an undiagnosed mental illness is common. The atrocious nature of the present prison system subjects the freshly convicted minor to extreme and inhumane treatment, such as solitary confinement, which severs one’s hope for personal growth and development.

Detroit needs care, attention to reform

By Robert Uldricks · Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013

So, it looks like an independent Detroit’s days are numbered. The city is pretty much guaranteed to hire an emergency financial manager soon and everyone is pointing fingers. I, for one, blame Henry Ford. Had he set up shop in Toledo, we could all be complaining about how poor Ohio is while the current Detroit metropolitan area could function as a giant suburb.

Religion should not be defined by its followers

By Jumanah Saadeh · Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013

If I asked you to close your eyes and picture a religious person, who comes to mind? Chances are, it is some angry, judgmental, overbearing person who you dislike immediately.

Detroit needs help from MI to rebuild

By David Konarske · Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013

After the second financial review in recent memory, there are rumors of Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder taking action to appoint an emergency financial manager to fix the City of Detroit.

Challenge Styrofoam use for its damaging effects

By Patrick Seick · Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013

There are many perks to living on Eastern Michigan University’s campus: The people are life-changing, everything is within a 15-minute walk and the squirrels are friendly. Yet one of the biggest and, in my very humble opinion, underappreciated perks is Golden Wall, the Chinese restaurant just off campus at 421 W. Cross St.

Dallas mayor encourages rally for women against domestic violence

By Jodi F. Bullock · Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013

I have to admit: When I imagine an activist fighting to make violence against women a thing of the past, a man from Texas is not who immediately comes to mind.

Get a fake internet girlfriend for $750

By Jodi F. Bullock · Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013

If any of you single guys have ever wished you could pay a stranger to write nice things about you on your Facebook page or go on raids with you in “World of Warcraft,” a new service called Fake Internet Girlfriend might be just the thing you need.

Is US still the ‘land of opportunity’?

By Chris Hoitash · Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013

America: The land of opportunity. At least, it used to be. These days, such mantras as “land of opportunity” or “the American dream” seem like the platitudes of a bygone era, etched into the ruins of some ancient empire, ebbed away by the sands of time. Or in our case, it has been eroded by the stagnating and declining middle class. The solution to this problem is simple to state and hard to implement: Public education needs to be widely available and useful.

US should rethink drinking law

By Leo Romyn Fabbri · Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013

On Wednesday evening my friends and I began a small celebration. It was our friend’s 20th birthday and he spent his night—since he is a fellow Brit—not in a pub or at a club, as on his 19th or 18th, but in our apartment clasping a red cup.

Republican Party needs to reform

By James Tatum · Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013

Republicans may take solace in a recent Gallup poll that showed 40 percent of Americans identify as conservative, 35 percent as moderate and only 21 percent identify as liberal—but those numbers provide a false sense of comfort.

Televisions take away from intimate feel in restaurants

By Jodi F. Bullock · Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013

Americans enjoy watching TV. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans aged 15 and older spend about half of their leisure time watching TV—an average of 2.8 hours a day. But when was it decided, seemingly en masse that we are incapable of eating a meal at a restaurant without a television looming in the background?

Horsemeat scandal in Europe shouldn’t be such a big issue

By Robert Uldricks · Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013

Recently I was reading the German magazine Der Spiegel, just checking the value of my bratwurst stocks, when I saw there’s a big scandal in Europe over beef. More precisely, what is in the beef: Apparently there’s horsemeat in there, people!