September 5, 2007
Quit dissing the Greeks
I was walking to class the other day, and I saw the usual sidewalk graffiti that is used to promote on campus events. The event being advertised happened to be Sorority Rush. As I walked and saw the different chalkings, I noticed that some clever person had written things like “Free Orgies,” and “We Have Meth!” underneath the advertisements.
Being a junior here at UM, I have heard every insult and stereotype directed at the Greek Community there is. But as I sat in my next class, these direct insults made me wonder why people (especially on such a “liberal, open-minded campus") decide to lash out at one of the most active student groups at the University of Montana.
Everybody knows the stereotypical fraternity or sorority member. Most of us have seen “Animal House,” “Van Wilder,” and the slough of movies making the roofie dropping, keg cup holding jock look like the everyday “frat guy” or the slutty rich girls wearing pearls in sororities.
August 30, 2007
Forest restoration, community wildfire protection possible
As predictable as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west, some people are again trying to use wildfire season as justification for more logging and road building in our national forests.
Just like attempts in years past, these efforts ignore the fact that many of the most significant fires threatening homes and communities are burning through heavily logged and roaded landscapes. Some of these fires even blaze on grasslands.
The Jocko Lakes Fire, near Seeley Lake, has ripped through Plum Creek Timber Company lands. These are among the most heavily logged and roaded lands in Western Montana. Likewise for Montana’s largest wildfire, the Chippy Creek Fire, north of Plains, which burns on lands managed by Plum Creek, Forest Service, Montana DNRC, and the Salish Kootenai Tribes.
