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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 31, 2005)
Commentary Oregon Daily Emerald Monday, January 31, 2005 NEWS STAFF (541)346-5511 JEN SUD1CK EDITOR IN CHIEF STEVEN R. NEUMAN MANAGING EDITOR JARED PABEN AYISHA YAJJYA NEWS EDITORS MEGHANN CUN1FF PARKER HOWE LI SENIOR NEWS REPORTERS MORIAH BAUNGIT AMANDA BOLSINGER ADAM CHERRY KARA HANSEN EVA SY1.WESTER SHELDON TRAVER NEWS REPORTERS CLAYTON JONES SPORTS EDITOR JON ROErMAN SENIOR SPORTS REPORTER STEPHEN MILLER BRIAN SMITH SPORTS REPORTERS RYAN NYBURG PULSE EDITOR NATASHA CHILINGER1AN SENIOR PULSE REPORTER AMY LICHTY PULSE REPORTER CAT BALDWIN PULSE CARTOONIST DAVID JACERNAUTH COMMENTARY EDITOR GABE BRADLEY JENNIFER MCBRIDE A!LEE SLATER TRAVIS WIL1.SE COLUMNISTS ASHLEY GRIFFIN SUPPLEMENT FREELANCE EDITOR DANIELLE HICKEY PHOTO EDITOR LAUREN WIMER SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER TIM BOBOSKY PHOTOGRAPHER NICOLE BARKER ERIK BISHOFF PART-TIME PHOTOGRAPHERS BRET FURTWANGLER GRAPHIC ARTIST KIRA PARK DESIGN EDITOR DUSTIN REESE SENIOR DESIGNER WENDY KIEFFER AMANDA LEE BRIANNE SHOLIAN DESIGNERS SHADRA BEESLEY IFANNIF. EVERS COPY CHIEFS KIMBERLY BLACKFIELD PAUL THOMPSON SPORTS COPY EDITORS AMANDA EVRARD AMBER LINDROS NEWS COPY EDITORS LINDSAY BURT PULSE COPY EDITOR ADRIENNE NELSON ONLINE EDITOR S1ADE LEESON WEBMASTER BUSINESS (541)346-5511 JUDY RIEDL GENERAL MANAGER KATHY CARBONE BUSINESS MANAGER REBECCA CRITCHETT RECEPTIONIST NATHAN FOSTER AIBING GUO ANDREW LEAHY JOHN LONG HOLLY MISTELL HOLLY STEIN DISTRIBUTION ADVERTISING (541)3463712 MELISSA GUST ADVERTISING DIRECTOR TYLER MACK SALES MANAGER MATT BETZ HERON CAUSCH-DOLEN MEGAN HAMLIN KATE HIRONAKA MAEGAN KASER-LEE MIA LEIDELMEYER EMILY PHILBIN SHANNON ROGERS SALES REPRESENTATIVES KELLEE KAUFITTEIL AD ASSISTANT CLASSIFIED (541)3464343 TRINA SHANAMAN CLASSIFIED MANAGER KATY GAGNON SABRINA GOWETTE LESUE STRAIGHT KER1 SPANGLER KATIE STRINGER CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING ASSOCIATES PRODUCTION (541) 3464381 MICHELE ROSS PRODUCTION MANAGER TARA SLOAN PRODUCTION COORDINATOR JEN CRAM LET KRISTEN DICHARRY CAMERON GAUT JONAH SCHROGIN DESIGNERS The Oregon Daily Emerald is pu6 lished daily Monday through Fn day dunng the school year by the Oregon Daily Emerald Publishing Co. Inc., at the University of Ore gon, Eugene, Ore. The Emerald operates independently of the University with offices in Suite 300 of the Erb Memorial Union. The Emerald is private property. Unlawful removal or use of papers is prosecutable by law WHr DO I FAVOR A '‘CUT AND RUM" APPROACH IK IRAQ?.. , ///A^V^&Ss^'N'^ jT. ...'CU2 THE WAY I SEE IT; \ IT WORKED ONCE, AN' JT CAN VORK AGAIN// FtfRTWANGLER Bret Furtwangler | Graphic artist ■ In my opinion ...and I’m addicted to Facebook “Oh my god, he totally poked me! ” “Well, poke him back — you’re both in the ‘I Was Trashed In My Facebook Pic’ group.” “Oh, wait, he’s also in that ‘Fuck All You Haters ... I’m Gonna Pop My Collar’ group.” “Ew, never mind!” He poked me? What might have seemed like a lead into a discussion of sexual harassment has become a regular figure of speech. Within the period of just a few months, poking, joining groups and facebook ing that really cute guy you saw in last Thursday’s lecture have become commonplace. The Facebook, according to its Web site, “is an online directory that connects people through social net works at colleges and universities.” For those not part of the soon-to come “I’m Addicted to Facebook” group, here’s the rundown: Any per son with a university e-mail address can join, post a picture, write infor mation about him or herself, start or join groups and add friends, spous es, etc. Users can even click on items in their individual profile to find oth ers with the same classes, interests or favorite music. Unlike other online communities such as MySpace, Facebook “is a mirror image of what exists in real life,” according to founder Mark Zuckerberg in an interview with Current Magazine. Zuckerberg eats dinner at Jack in the Box and punctuates his sentences with the phrase “which is really sweet.” Zuckerberg, not even old enough to legally purchase a beer at the time of that interview, has, with the help of AILEE SLATER FURTHER FROM PERFECTION a few friends, created one of the most amazing resources of our time. The Facebook, amazing? Yes. It strikes this columnist as more than wonderful that some of the brightest minds of this generation are using their talents not to build nuclear bombs or attack home computers with viruses or spam, but to help people make and strengthen commu nities of friendship. And that is a laudable goal. In terms of material for the sociol ogy or anthropology of sexuality, Facebook provides a plethora of ma terial. Members can post their rela tionship status, which sex they are interested in, and if they are looking for friendship, dating, random play or “whatever I can get.” I haven’t ac tually heard of two "whatever I can get” facebookers finding one an other and getting whatever they can, but I don’t doubt the occurrence of such events. Even being fairly liber al about sexuality, I guess I’m still old-fashioned when it comes to con cepts such as “meeting the person you’re about to sleep with” and “checking to make sure he or she doesn’t have any venereal diseases before you shack up.” Nevertheless, Facebook is the perfect venue for discovering if that cute guy you see every day on the bus is single or if that wicked-hot girl in chemistry lab is interested in men. It’s socially acceptable by Facebook standards to message someone because you’re in the same group, enjoy the same music, or both think that “Underground Hip Hop Tastes Better Than Candy Bars.” Opportunities like these to form random connections do not exist in any other arena. How often do you see a bumper sticker proclaiming “I Know and Enjoy the Aicha Dance?” Facebook offers a wonderful way to make these random, yet possibly meaningful, connections without appearing (too] deranged. Yes, our personalities are being de fined by strings of “I Heart Blank” and “Blank is Fun,” and groups exist more as a means to prove one’s iden tity rather than as places to arrange actual baby-seal-clubbing expedi tions. Still, being able to put yourself out there for acquaintances, friends and possible love interests feels pret ty damn liberating. Gone are the days when one had to take twelve shots before daring to approach a random person. In true Facebook fashion, while re searching for this article, I requested the friendship of every founding Facebook member. No response yet, but I’m confident that each one will soon realize the strength of his or her individual bond with me. Especially Chris Hughes; what a cutie! Maybe he’ll join my “I Heart the Creators of Facebook” group. aileeslater@dailyemerald.com OREGON DAILY EMERALD LETTERS POLICY Letters to the editor and guest commentaries are encouraged, and should be sent to letters@dailyemerald.com or submitted at the Oregon Daily Emerald office, EMU Suite 300. Electronic submissions are preferred Letters are limited to 250 words, and guest commentaries to 550 words. Authors are limited to one submission per calendar month. Submissions should include phone number and address for verification. The Emerald reserves the ri^it to edit for space, grammar and style. Guest submissions are published at the discretion of the Emerald. ■ Editorial Celebrating Iraqi votes — a needed seed of hope On Sunday, the people of Iraq fulfilled a na tional dream by voting in a democratic election. Though the results are still being tabulated, pre liminary reports suggest that voter turnout was much higher than expected — some estimating as many as 60 percent of registered voters came out to cast their ballots — with far less violence than widely feared. This is certainly an occasion for celebration. The long-suffering people of Iraq have accom plished something truly inspirational. It is a tri umph that so many people hungry for democ racy braved nightmarish conditions, with insurgents promising widespread bloodshed at polling places, in order to make their voices heard. This first taste of democracy will surely prove addictive. The first step has been taken, and far from stumbling, the nation of Iraq has taken it in stride. Rather than voting for a president or prime minister in yesterday’s election, Iraqis voted for candidates who will make up a 275-mem ber National Assembly and 18 provincial legis latures. The assembly is responsible for creat ing a permanent constitution and selecting a president and two deputy presidents. These three members will then select a prime minis ter, who will serve until the next set of elections in 11 months. While there was impressive voter turnout in many regions in Iraq, in other regions turnout was virtually nonexistent. The Sunni city of Samarra, for example, had fewer than 1 per cent turnout, according to Reuters. The major ity of Iraqi Sunnis boycotted the elections, ei ther by choice or through intimidation, which has the potential to throw the legitimacy of the elections into question and further divide Iraq along sectarian lines. Furthermore, the fairness of the election is difficult to ascertain, due to the fact that inter national election monitors were not present in the country for fear of being targeted by insur gents. The relative peace of election day (we say relative because 35 people were confirmed dead as a result of multiple suicide bombings) was achieved through intense security meas ures that included curfews and street barri cades. This is by no means the end of the insur gency. The freedom that the majority of Iraqis so desperately desire will not suddenly occur due to this election. They have only begun down that long road ahead. What yesterday’s vote means for the Ameri can occupation remains to be seen. Concrete answers from the Bush administration are still few and far between. Will fewer U.S. troops be needed? Will the timeline of U.S. involvement in Iraq be greatly reduced? It is doubtful that yesterday’s success has had any effect on the answers to these important questions. But our notes of caution are not meant to dampen this historic day. There will be time to worry about the road ahead; today, let’s revel in the fact that a much-needed seed of hope has been planted in the Middle East. Hopeful ly, it will put down strong roots and grow for many years. EDITORIAL BOARD Jennifer Sudick Editor in Chief David Jagemauth Commentary Editor Steven R. Neuman Managing Editor Shadra Beesley Copy Chief Adrienne Nelson Online Editor
