October 22, 2009

Page 1

I SSU E

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The Independent Student Voice of Boise State Since 1933

Volume 22

First Issue

F R E E OCTOBER 22, 2009

ARBITERONLINE.COM

BRONCO

BRONCOS/

TROUGH

WARRIORS

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ZOMBIES 101 7

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Swine Flu OPINION

n Kelle d k c a e b arter ntly rank u Q BSU is curre man e is Moor n the He . o st sixth watch li hy Trop 3

Moon bullet Nasa probe connects with moon but fails to disperse debris

A Personal Account A sign in the student health center shows how seriously they are treating the flu. TONY ROGERS Journalist

With the recent cold weather and excessive rain, I was bound to get sick sooner or later. I was taking precautions, trying to stay healthy by being more active, and washing my hands. Things we should be doing anyways, but sure enough, I came down with a high fever last Thursday. To make a long story short, my symptoms kept getting worse until I finally decided to go to the hospital Saturday. There they told me what I had feared all along. I had indeed caught the famous H1N1, better

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Pavilion Boise Contemporary

known as swine flu. Lovely. That brings us to present day. As I sit here in my dorm room typing this, I can tell you that swine flu is one of the most uncomfortable diseases I’ve had the honor of catching. It’s painful, but not like that sharp pain that makes you yelp, but instead it’s a simmering pain that is accompanied with a short groan and a pounding pressure headache. Plus, the nauseous tendencies just keep coming in waves that seem to be unending. I am extremely sore when I’m not loopy from all the Motrin I’ve been taking. Now that I have H1N1, it’s a matter of doing what I can to prevent others from getting

GLENN LANDBERG/THE ARBITER

it too. For example, I’ve quarantined myself in my dorm, and I spray Lysol on all surfaces outside with which I come into contact. The fact that I’m in a suite with seven other people means there’s not much more I can do (or at least I’m not aware of ). I can always look on the bright side. Since I have a single room, I don’t have the same risk of spreading it to another roommate as I would if I were staying in Chaffee or the Barnes Towers. Also, the fact that I share a bathroom with just three other people limits those that come into contact with the same things I do. So in a way, I can always stay optimistic, no matter what this flu bug can do to me.

NEWS

‘The solution is involvement’ David Walker speaks to BSU

Theatre entertains community with play

KIM KING Journalist

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Beach Ball Broncos prepare for battle against Hawaii’s Warriors

Former U.S. Comptroller David Walker spoke to guests of the Brandt Foundation Monday in the Jordan Ballroom. His lecture “Day of Reckoning: America’s Fiscal Future” addressed issues such as taxes, social security and health care. “For the first time in history, life for our children and grandchildren does not look better than it is for us,” he said. “This is not acceptable. This is not American.” Walker was appointed by President Bill Clinton as Comptroller General of the United States and Head of the Government Accountability Office in 1998. For 10 years he served as the federal government’s chief auditor. “In 1789, our founding fathers believed in thrift and prudence,” he said. “The American Dream meant to have the opportunity to maximize God given abilities. They believed in giving a helping hand instead of a hand-out.” He described the issue of taxes as taxation without representation. “It’s easy to spend the money belonging to people not born yet,” he said. “If you want to be fiscally responsible, you have to recognize there has to be more revenue coming in than you are spending. It’s called math.” He suggested an automatic employee savings account be held in a trust fund for future social security. The health care system was metaphorically compared to a mansion. “It’s built on a sink hole of sand, the foundation is cracked, the plumbing leaks, and the roof needs repair,” he said. “We are financially under water, the

ZACH GANSCHOW/THE ARBITER

David M. Walker, former U.S. government chief auditor, packed the Jordan ballroom as if our financial future depended on it.

building is condemned, and the mortgage hasn’t been paid. And now they want to add a new wing to the building and use the same materials. You call that progress?” He said the solution is involvement. “I agree we have to manage debt,” said Mitchell Rindlisbaker, a sophomore business major from New Jersey. “I can’t say I want to be more politically involved, though.” After the lecture there was a brief opportunity to ask questions. Walker declined to comment on state and local issues. Back then they had a debtor’s prison,” he said. “Today we have a debtor’s pardon called bankruptcy. It is viewed by many as an exit strategy.”

State budget issues were addressed last week when majority leadership from the Idaho Senate and House met with Gov. C. L. “Butch” Otter and his staff. Majority Caucus Chair Russell Fulcher (R) said the preliminary revenue numbers for September were higher than anticipated but not enough to change the overall picture. “Higher education, public schools and health and welfare make up 81.5 percent of the state’s general fund budget,” he said. “Since the passage of the fiscal year 2009 budget, we have cut 17.8 percent of the general fund appropriations.” University presidents and other agency directors have been given flexibility in choosing which areas will experience the most cutbacks. Fulcher said the Idaho state budget is experiencing a 23 percent decrease. “That is a huge difference and explains much when trying to describe the fiscal pickle we are in.”

If you want to be fiscally responsible, you have to recognize there has to be more revenue coming in than you are spending. It’s called math. - David Walker

Go to arbiteronline.com to listen to a podcast featuring Congressman Dan Miller and Matthew McHugh speaking with The Arbiter. The Arbiter ! arbiteronline.com


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