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What is Valentine’s Day costing you? by AUDREY MILLER
O
staff writer
n the days leading up Feb. 14, the world spends a lot of money on their significant other in celebration of this love-focused holiday. According to the National Retail Federation, consumer spending is expected to reach $20.7 billion this Valentine’s Day. Average spending is projected to sit around $161.96 per couple — actually a recordbreaking number in Valentine’s Day history. And while spending is up, the number of consumers celebrating this holiday with their money is dropping (55% planned on celebrating last year, while only 51% of Americans are planning on celebrating this year). So what we’re seeing is a downward trend of the number of Valentines participants, but those few people who do celebrate certainly aren’t cutting any corners with their spending. You’re probably wondering where all this money goes. It’s no secret that a fancy dinner can certainly be a little pricey. Tack on the gifts (roses, chocolate, jewelry, you name it), and you’re looking at a pretty expensive evening. Just how much, you ask? With just your typical, cliché Valentine’s date, filled
with roses, chocolate, dinner, and jewelry, the whole ordeal could cost you (on average) $617.77, according to a Valentine’s Day study done by Bankrate this year. Of course, most people can get away with only a small gift each year (especially if you’re a college student on a major budget). But even then, you’re looking at some decent-sized price tags. A large, a quality bouquet of roses normally costs $45+, a large box of chocolates can run anywhere from $15 to $30 (depending on how much of a chocolate snob your significant other is), jewelry is…jewelry (honestly, this is expensive for anyone if you don’t want to be tacky), and fancy restaurants are certainly not running any specials on this holiday. Just because Valentine’s Day is a historically consumerist holiday doesn’t mean college students on a budget should treat it this way. Do what you can afford, and if you can’t really afford much at all, a handwritten note or a movie night is a perfectly acceptable way to let your significant other know you care. Even if you’re someone who doesn’t have a date this Valentine’s Day, you’re included in the cost hype as well. You may be surprised to hear that single folks don’t necessarily escape the consumer trap that is Valentine’s Day, either. Due to social pressure surrounding the prospect and need for a significant other in order to be happy on
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this day, many single people tend to splurge on themselves and make sure they’re happy even without that special someone. This could include a range of activities: going shopping for new clothes, getting a pedicure or manicure, going out to see a movie, making splurge purchases online, or planning a night of socializing at some of the watering holes downtown. People who find themselves in this position tend to search for a way to find something to do with their evening so as not to seem boring on Valentine’s Day. This is perfectly fine; just keep in mind which splurges you can afford and which ones you can’t. If you find you’re making unnecessary splurges just because it’s Valentine’s Day, maybe think long and hard about your intentions. Just because Valentine’s Day exists doesn’t mean it needs to be celebrated, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with being single. By far though, I would say the easiest and cheapest way to spend Valentine’s Day is with a $10 purchase of Netflix and some chocolate (or other candy if you’re not a huge fan of chocolate). Binge watching a whole season of your favorite show or watching an old favorite movie takes away much of the social pressure to treat Valentine’s Day as some special occasion to spend a lot of money. Because at the end of the day, true love is completely free and the best Valentine’s Day presents are gifts of your time and company, not your money.
Mandatory vaccination, a public necessity by CONOR KELLY
O
staff writer
n Friday, Feb. 8, a rally took place in the city of Olympia, Washington. The protesters, self-proclaimed champions of liberty and parent choice. These hundred few argued against a bill on the floor of the state legislature of Washington that would ban any and all non-medical exemptions for vaccinations. The law, of course, drew outrage from concerned parents who felt their civil liberties were being violated by being mandated to vaccinate their children, but is that truly the case? Are they truly victims or are they merely misguided in their pursuit of false liberty? I am inclined to believe the latter over the former. Vaccines serve a public good that can’t be so quickly disregarded simply because a parent believes they know their child better than a medical professional. It is especially saddening to this writer that so many use the facade of “personal choice” to cover the simple and undeniable truth. These people are putting lives at risk and if they actively and continuously refuse to vaccinate their children. The states ought to compel them with the full force of the law. Currently, there are 17 states that permit non-medical exemptions for vaccines, many of which are religiously or philosophically based. Four percent of children in secondary education are not vaccinated due to non-medical reasons and in Oregon, 7.5 percent of kindergarteners are not vaccinated for the same reasons (CBS
News). One of those states, Washington, is now attempting to remove these exemptions after 50 confirmed cases of measles breaking out in the state. However, some individuals oppose the measures and continue to refuse to vaccinate despite the fact that the measles vaccine has a 97 percent effectiveness rate (Evans, CBS News). The vaccine for Measles is known as the MMR vaccine, which has mild side effects and in some rare cases can cause seizures, but, these risks are incredibly rare and short term. A study conducted by the National Center for Biotechnical Information found that the risks of seizures associated with the MMR vaccine rested at a rate of 34 in 100,000 (Dr. Anne Berg, NCBI). Comparatively, if you are not vaccinated and are in contact with someone who is infected with measles, you have a 90 percent chance of being infected. (Evans, CBS). This means that the people who are fearing things like seizures from MMR are taking their chances with a disease that is likely to infect them all. They are afraid of a threat that has less than a single percentage point risk of occurring. The MMR vaccine is exceptionally safe, with a minor risk like temporary sores, minor rashes, and fevers (CDC). I know this sounds scary to some, but the alternative is far worse. Prior to the 1963 development of the measles vaccine, there were approximately 500,000 cases of measles, 48,000 hospitalizations and 4,000 cases of brain swelling (CDC). Thankfully, most people are vaccinating their children as evidenced by the fact that since 2013, vaccination rates went up by 12
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percent. Conversely, vaccination refusals also went up from 2.5 percent to 4 percent between 2010 and 2016. If vaccination refusal continues to go up, it puts the herd immunity at risk. The measles herd immunity threshold is approximately 95 percent, meaning that if less than 95 percent of the population that can be vaccinated has not received the MMR vaccine, the likelihood of the disease spreading increases, putting immunocompromised people at risk (Helft and Willingham, PBS). Unfortunately, with the ignorance and fear mongering surrounding vaccines, vaccine rates for MMR rested at 91.1 percent for 2017 (CDC). The danger that comes with anti-vaxxer rhetoric is self-evident, and the consequences of their scientific illiteracy will be resting not solely on their shoulders, but on all of us, and they aren’t backing down anytime soon. The Internet has given them a hive for them to spread their propaganda with Facebook being a breeding ground for their insidious nonsense. An example of this would be the Facebook page titled “A Voice for Choice” has spread numerous falsehood about vaccines with no substantiated papers or research to support their deceptions. More than 3000 people have liked the page and have in all likelihood, more people than that have spread the lies (Caplan and Evrony, NCBI). These people will continue to spread their lies and unless the states step in to mandate vaccines, the damage will be immense. Vaccines must be mandated by law.
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Circulation: The Lorian is published on a weekly basis, with exceptions of holiday breaks, examination periods and January Term. The newspaper is available in all main academic buildings and residence halls across campus on Thursdays during the afternoon/evening. Editorial Policy: The Lorian is the official student-led, award-winning newspaper of Loras College. The opinions expressed in The Lorian are those of individual authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the students, faculty or administration. The Lorian reserves the right to edit submissions for taste, length and grammar.
Feb. 14, 2019
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Jimmy Page’s Mirrored and Dragon Guitar Series by TYLER FAHEY
F
staff writer
ender has been working with former guitarist Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin on a new guitar series. In the wake of Led Zeppelin’s 50th anniversary, Page has been working with Paul Waller, who is an important carpenter and designer at Fender guitars. They worked on a Fender Telecaster, which is an electric guitar that was produced in the 1950’s when pop music was taking off. Page had been wanting to reincarnate his Mirrored and Dragon Telecaster that was passed on by his friend Jeff Beck, who is also one of the greatest guitarists in music history. Both of them were in the early version of the Yardbirds in the mid-1960’s to about 1968, until the band disbanded and Page formed the New Yardbirds, later named Led Zeppelin. Page wanted to bring back the 1960’s and clone the guitar he played throughout his time in the Yardbirds and the early years of Led Zeppelin. He began working with Waller, and Page was the only person on the team who really knew what it used to look like. They took the guitar apart and wanted to make a more modern version to be available to people. Page had worked on painting the guitars with orange, green, and blue poster paint on the body of the guitar. The guitar itself has more of a psychedelic feel like that of what was made in the 1960’s. The 1960’s was the decade of fashion, music, and film along with other things that defined the history of world culture. Waller wanted a natural grain on the guitar and wanted to use boards of ash and templates of wood. Page used paints and blank templates on the guitar to match the Mirrored and Dragon guitar colors. He also wanted to use a clear plastic pick-guard, which also had a mirrored film that would reflect the light and make it look even more psychedelic. Page and Waller were proud of the uniqueness of the guitar as it became a collectible for all generations. The Mirrored and Dragon Telecasters price is going for $1,399.00 at Guitar Center and most other sites. I personally think it is worth the money if you have the money to buy it. If you play the guitar and enjoy it or collect instruments, perhaps this guitar will take you back to the 1960’s with its sound and layout, and give you a different perspective on your playing style. You can experience what it was like to be around in the 1960’s with the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, the Beach Boys, and many other people. I think they got it right on this project and it will be respected and love for generations to come.
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