Stories from the current online edition of The Orbis. en-us http://www.vanderbiltorbis.com Wed, 15 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT Sat, 18 Apr 2009 15:05:15 GMT 20 http://www.vanderbiltorbis.com/news/2009/04/15/Newsfeatures/Iowa-And.Vermont.Approve.Gay.Marriage-3716143.shtml It has long been believed that the battle for equal rights for gay Americans would be most successfully waged along the Blue State coasts, where progressives provide a more sympathetic audience to the movement’s advocates. In early April, however, that assumption was challenged by significant victories for gay rights advocates in Iowa and Vermont. 10818757-2240-49a6-afee-258cfa548482 Wed, 15 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT News/Features 4/15/09 America's heartland is leading the way for equality Claire Costantino Commentary Editor http://media.collegepublisher.com/media/paper983/thumbs/t_3r53tf7i.png http://www.vanderbiltorbis.com/news/2009/04/15/Newsfeatures/ Campus News http://www.vanderbiltorbis.com/news/2009/04/15/Newsfeatures/Progressive.Checklist.Year.In.Review-3716142.shtml At the beginning of this year, we published a progressive wish list. It included several changes we wanted to see on campus, including divestment from Sudan, a revived living wage movement, and increased recycling facilities. While we didn’t get many of the things we wanted, we saw many indications that Vanderbilt is continually moving in the right direction. b96e4c2d-4c7e-46f6-b34d-23c6bb2c0a94 Wed, 15 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT News/Features 4/15/09 http://www.vanderbiltorbis.com/news/2009/04/15/Newsfeatures/ Campus News http://www.vanderbiltorbis.com/news/2009/04/15/Newsfeatures/Note-From.The.Editor-3716139.shtml This month, I am graduating with only the vaguest notion of what comes next.  I’m not alone in having no set plans for next year, and but I’m happy with that. Whatever happens, a wise person once told me, one should stay open to new experiences. 14e5e9eb-cf55-4f55-bfe8-909679ebb73f Wed, 15 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT News/Features 4/15/09 The April issues note from the editor Robyn Hyden Editor-in-Chief http://www.vanderbiltorbis.com/news/2009/04/15/Newsfeatures/ Campus News http://www.vanderbiltorbis.com/news/2009/04/15/Newsfeatures/News-Briefs-3716144.shtml b13927f1-d9f1-49e0-b41c-64500d112055 Wed, 15 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT News/Features 4/15/09 A quick recap of some interesting stories. http://www.vanderbiltorbis.com/news/2009/04/15/Newsfeatures/ Campus News http://www.vanderbiltorbis.com/news/2009/04/15/Newsfeatures/Clarifications.And.Corrections-3716141.shtml 5b22c8cd-8325-4378-b69f-c8ce10b0eeed Wed, 15 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT News/Features 4/15/09 http://www.vanderbiltorbis.com/news/2009/04/15/Newsfeatures/ Campus News http://www.vanderbiltorbis.com/news/2009/04/15/Opinion/Live-Meets.With.Chancellor.Zeppos-3716140.shtml On Wednesday, April 8th, four representatives of Living Income for Vanderbilt Employees sat down with Chancellor Zeppos to discuss the job security of Vanderbilt’s workforce and our “No Cuts” movement. Our request for the presence of a worker was denied by the administration, but we did not let this stand in the way of civil and sustained discourse. e238b1ce-93f2-490d-b0ba-96a8b9e16abc Wed, 15 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT Opinion 4/15/09 Despite the administration's refusal to commit to requests from the No Cuts campaign, LIVE remains optimistic Benjamin Eagles - LIVE http://media.collegepublisher.com/media/paper983/thumbs/t_19g3078v.png http://www.vanderbiltorbis.com/news/2009/04/15/Opinion/ Opinion/Editorial http://www.vanderbiltorbis.com/news/2009/04/15/Opinion/Schools.For.Sale.Privatizing.Education.In.America-3716147.shtml America’s primary and secondary education systems need fundamental reform. Unfortunately, it seems inevitable that this much-needed change will come in the form of charter schools and universal voucher systems, given the political momentum of the privatized education movement. 349fc13b-1b25-4303-9b8a-62e453cdc0ef Wed, 15 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT Opinion 4/15/09 Charter schools are not the answer to public school woes Josh Rogen http://media.collegepublisher.com/media/paper983/thumbs/t_n1paot28.png http://www.vanderbiltorbis.com/news/2009/04/15/Opinion/ Opinion/Editorial http://www.vanderbiltorbis.com/news/2009/04/15/Opinion/Moving.Beyond.sicko-3716148.shtml On April 7th, several student groups co-sponsored a showing of the Michael Moore documentary piece “Sicko” followed by a panel discussion on the deteriorating state of the American health care system. While the movie’s message about the dangers of our for-profit health care model tugged at the viewer’s heart strings, Moore spent very little time discussing how to implement systematic reform nor the practical implications of such reform on our economy and existing health infrastructure. 57691b76-5e80-443b-a74d-1097e14f3fae Wed, 15 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT Opinion 4/15/09 A campus screening and discussion of the film raised many questions, but provided few answers Erika Hyde Associate Editor http://media.collegepublisher.com/media/paper983/thumbs/t_820t37r7.png http://www.vanderbiltorbis.com/news/2009/04/15/Opinion/ Opinion/Editorial http://www.vanderbiltorbis.com/news/2009/04/15/Opinion/A.New.Age.In.American.Thinking-3716149.shtml We are now in the midst of one of the worst economic downturns since the Great Depression. Daily headlines rail against speculative culprits and scapegoats. America, once the world’s most prosperous and secure nations, is suffering one of the worst consumer crises we have ever seen. 8f4b3e40-8385-40a2-aebe-646daa4150ff Wed, 15 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT Opinion 4/15/09 Social spending programs do not change our fundamental American values Matthew Farina http://media.collegepublisher.com/media/paper983/thumbs/t_vsk2noec.png http://www.vanderbiltorbis.com/news/2009/04/15/Opinion/ Opinion/Editorial http://www.vanderbiltorbis.com/news/2009/04/15/Opinion/Obamas.Trip.Abroad-3716150.shtml The contrast to previous years could not have been greater. Addressing a crowd of an estimated 30,000 in Prague, President Obama seemed to have briefly returned to his old campaigning mode. He outlined his plans to combat climate change and reduce the world’s arsenal of nuclear weapons, eliciting enthusiastic applause from people who were not even eligible to vote him into office. 2f97a6a7-255b-4e02-a628-72a04e8b0853 Wed, 15 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT Opinion 4/15/09 Soft power on the rise in American foreign policy? A few good signs emerged from Obama's trip to Europe Nakul Shekhawat Staff Writer http://www.vanderbiltorbis.com/news/2009/04/15/Opinion/ Opinion/Editorial http://www.vanderbiltorbis.com/news/2009/04/15/Culture/Harry.Potter.And.The.Radical.Multiculturalist.Agenda-3716145.shtml Sometimes when I’m toiling away in the library, searching for insightful things to say about Mexican politics or trying to make sense of a seemingly illogical assignment for my logic class, I just want to slip away into a magical world where school is a little more exciting. 880b903f-6e3e-4a07-bb31-f7d3aaa81284 Wed, 15 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT Culture 4/15/09 Claire Costantino Commentary Editor http://media.collegepublisher.com/media/paper983/thumbs/t_rcz2l8b5.png http://www.vanderbiltorbis.com/news/2009/04/15/Culture/ Arts/Entertainment http://www.vanderbiltorbis.com/news/2009/04/15/Culture/Vanderbilts.Greatest.Mysteries.Solved-3716146.shtml I’m graduating in three weeks, sadly, which means leaving the campus that I have come to know and love. Vanderbilt is such a complex place, and one that I may not have fully explored when I had the chance. It occurred to me that, while there are some things that I will never fully comprehend about this University, there are some small mysteries that are within my power to investigate. 7674acf0-4aa3-457f-ad7d-d1c5265a53ef Wed, 15 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT Culture 4/15/09 Robyn Hyden Editor-in-Chief http://media.collegepublisher.com/media/paper983/thumbs/t_jvw7jxv0.png http://www.vanderbiltorbis.com/news/2009/04/15/Culture/ Arts/Entertainment http://www.vanderbiltorbis.com/news/2009/04/15/Issues/Whats.The.Best.Way.To.Procrastinate.During.Finals-3716151.shtml As busy as we college students often are, it hardly seems that we have a need for new distractions to eat up our free time, or our not so free time when we should be working on assignments. Still, for our last issue of the year, as we turn to more lighthearted themes, I wanted to introduce our readers to a fascinating, educational, and very international website called Omegle (www. b3fd4398-94d9-4ef3-b1e5-ffadea58fb10 Wed, 15 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT Issues 4/15/09 Talking to strangers on Omegle is addictive Sam Abney Associate Editor http://www.vanderbiltorbis.com/news/2009/04/15/Issues/ Opinion/Editorial http://www.vanderbiltorbis.com/news/2009/04/15/Issues/Whats.The.Best.Way.To.Procrastinate.During.Finals-3716152.shtml Wasting time is so much more productive in the information age. There, I said it: YouTube, Wikipedia and Facebook have no impact on the amount of time that I waste, and in fact the calibre of most of my online haunts by far surpasses that of their off-line equivalents. c44f5bb7-357d-4113-a3d2-230b4c0de49d Wed, 15 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT Issues 4/15/09 Goofing off is no longer wasting time Jon Christian Issues Editor http://www.vanderbiltorbis.com/news/2009/04/15/Issues/ Opinion/Editorial