THE
M•aroon
Established 1923
“For a greater Loyola”
Editorial Board Aaren Faith Gordon Editor-In-Chief Eric Buras Hasani Grayson Photo Editor Sports Editor Melanie Potter Hannah Iannazzo City Editor Managing Editor Lucy Dieckhaus Emily Andras Campus Editor Topher Balfer Jessica DeBold Copy Editors Religion Editor Devinn Adams NiRey Reynolds Web Editor Social Media Director Shannon Donaldson Kylee McIntyre Wolf Editor Editorial Editor Karl Gommel Cherie LeJeune Senior Staff Writer Life and Times Editor
EDITORIAL PAGE 14
THE
Maroon
FRIDAY, MAY 3, 2013
Editorial Cartoon
EDITORIAL POLICY The editorials on this page represent the majority opinions of The Maroon’s editorial board and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Loyola University. Letters and columns reflect the opinions of the authors and not necessarily those of The Maroon’s editorial board. The Maroon does not represent the opinion of administration, staff, and/ or faculty members of Loyola. Letters are subject to editing for length, grammar and style. Please limit submissions to 400 words. Submissions are due no later than 4 p.m. the Sunday before publication. Please send all submissions to The Maroon, 6363 St. Charles Ave., Box 64, New Orleans, LA 70118. Or write us via e-mail: letter@loyno.edu. Submissions may also be made through The Maroon Online at www.loyolamaroon.com.
Editorial
CISPA threatens our privacy While the Boston bombings held the focus of news in the United States two weeks ago, the House of Representatives voted on and passed the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act. The bill was introduced November 30, 2011, and passed in the House of Representatives on April 26, 2012. Congressman Mike Rogers reintroduced the bill in Congress as H.R. 624 on February 13, 2013, and the House of Representatives passed the bill on April 18, 2013. The Senate received the bill and ultimately decided not to vote on it, and the Obama administration openly opposes the bill. However, the recent Boston bombings have caused some reconsideration of the bill. Though the bill did not pass, the issue of CISPA is a current one and one worth serious thought. If passed, CISPA would allow for the sharing of Internet information between the U.S. and technology companies. Its stated aim is to help prevent cyberterrorism and to better protect the citizens of the United States. However, the bill has raised concerns about privacy and the Internet in the same manner that the Stop Online Piracy Act did when it was introduced in 2011. In short, the bill challenges the right of free speech. Despite the direct-sounding purpose of the bill, the language in CISPA itself is vague and favors large businesses. If CISPA passed, it would provide another avenue in the United States for large corporation control. If a company a company had any reason to get an individual’s personal information — for example, if another smaller company was proving to be competition for the large company — it could go through the government to get it. Though it has received little media attention these past few weeks, CISPA is a relevant issue, especially to those in the age range of most of the students at Loyola. The United States is a country that runs heavily on precedent, and CISPA provides an avenue into increasing limiting of the privacy of U.S. citizens as well as the potential limiting of our own creative freedom on the Internet — particularly for our generation, a more liberal and Internet-friendly generation than those before us. It is important now more than ever to exercise critical thinking, to carefully look into issues like these and to contact your state representatives and tell them where you stand and why. It shouldn’t take a threatening situation like this one for us to want to get involved in government decisions. Remember that you control who represents you and makes your decisions, and keep that in mind when you vote for your representatives.
RICHARD O’BRIEN/THE MAROON
Editorial Cartoon
HOWLS & GROWLS HOWL to the end of classes GROWL to endless rain HOWL to Drew Brees visiting GROWL to the pains of moving out HOWL to graduation
MCT CAMPUS
Whadja Think?
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GROWL to television show cliffhangers HOWL to Jason Collins GROWL to rising gas prices HOWL to Iron Man 3
This editorial is the majority opinion of the editorial board named above.
“The commencement of anything of consequence in this material world that surrounds us is made with a certain definite object in view. The Maroon, which makes its commencement today, has for its goal of endeavor: A Greater Loyola.” — Nov. 1, 1923