Boo to the Oxford English Dictionary’s attempts to bring the Internet into real life. The OED, known for leading the pack when it comes to adopting new words, announced Thursday it will add “LOL,” “OMG” and “<3” to its list of words in the English language. We here at The State Press take Internet culture very seriously, and any good netizen knows that when a piece of online culture becomes “official” in any way, it loses all its win. To the dictionary’s credit, the ironic use of these phrases is mentioned, saying they can be used to “perhaps parody the level of unreflective enthusiasm or overstatement that can sometimes appear in online discourse.” But really, wouldn’t you rather learn that from a cat with poor grammar?
Bravo to the ASU community’s outreach in response to the Japan disaster. The Japanese Student Association (JSA) on campus performed a traditional dance on Sunday at WorldFEST to raise money for the victims of the earthquake and tsunami. Thursday brought a flea market featuring books and Japanese goods to benefit the victims. There are still events coming up to help out. On Tuesday there will be a food sale on Hayden Lawn organized by the JSA and the Japanese language faculty and students. On Monday, April 4, there will be a benefit dinner held in the Memorial Union. Come out and support these relief efforts.
Boo to Sen. Scott Bundgaard, R-Peoria. Bundgaard has come under intense pressure since getting involved in a domestic dispute with his girlfriend. The dispute ended with his girlfriend getting arrested and speculation that Bundgaard was only released that night because he told police he was immune from arrest as a sitting senator. Bundgaard then went on the defensive, saying he didn’t invoke his immunity, his girlfriend attacked him and a number of other scenarios. But police reports released Thursday say he told police he couldn’t be arrested and suggest a pretty hostile scene. As each detail comes in, it becomes more apparent that the senator’s time in public office should be over.
Bravo to the Center for Study of Race and Democracy. The center, which was founded by Matthew Whitaker, an associate professor of history, will hopefully bring a better understanding of race’s role in democracy for our state and nation. Ever since Senate Bill 1070 passed, our state’s image has suffered in terms of race. This center will research the correlation between race and democracy and provide the valuable service of helping people understand public policy.
Boo to poor turnout at campus protests. Wednesday saw many protests at ASU, organized by the Arizona Students’ Association, against education budget cuts. Their chants of “We can’t survive 235, keep education alive” were met with little response. Rather than echoing off the buildings on campus, it just got lost in the shuffle. In order to show that this funding is important, students need to show a strong front against cuts.
