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Ashkan Shahsavari's blog

Super Tuesday - The Results of a FULL DAY of voting - Change??

Super Tuesday has ended. We had one day to recover from this massive influx of information. Numbers, numbers, and numbers! Well, every candidate won his/her states – with just a few exceptions. But as expected GOP candidate John McCain gained a large lead over his fiercest rival, Governor Mitt Romney, while Governor Huckabee surprised in some states, and proved himself to be a realistic candidate for the potential VP position alongside McCain. And well … I do not waste any words about Mr. Paul and his disappointing but expected statistics of never winning a state in his controversial candidacy. Oh yeah, don’t forget Barack and Hilary… head-on-head race until the convention? Really? I am sure McCain and the Republican Party will receive this set of developments with a bright smile.

But okay… but what will change for us students? Rallying around out candidate calling for CHANGE. But where does the change come from? Is Barack Obama, former Columbia graduate, the right candidate for change with his ridiculously short time as Illinois senator. Well he certainly lacks experience and a clear plan. We all know that we need change, but how?

Senator Hilary Clinton… oh yeah… a candidate for change? If she was a candidate of change, then Washington wouldn’t be right now the mess it is today. She has been long enough in D.C. to change at least something. Vote for the Iraq War, working with lobbyists in her campaigns, serving as a lawyer for big corporate giants such as Wal Mart… I can go on and on… but I spare your precious time! Oh yeah: A recent question: If a family affords to buy insurance but choose not to do so, what would you do? Clinton: Everyone HAS to have insurance. Enforcement in a democracy? Where is then our free will to decide whatever we want to do with out money, Senator Clinton?

Hungerstrike? Really???

Oh well, when I first entered the gates of Columbia University, I thought I would walk into a campus full of demonstrations and protests. And I would not have thought to the slightest degree that just 3 months later I would write a blog AGAINST one of those "insightful" demonstrations. Not many people have the privilege to walk on the campus of Columbia University. Even fewer people have the chance to be students or work in this wonderful university. But sometimes I reconsider my thoughts about this "grande" university if I see that they let some "students" camping in front of Butler and decreasing the level of sophistication that this campus presents to the outside world. "Negotiations" are going on... How many times did I hear that sentence. About WHAT??? Is is about a new core curriculum that is inclusive not only of the canon of Western European thought... Oh really?? Don't we have enough classes for you to take that cover Eastern philosophy, Eastern religion, African politics, Middle Eastern politics... oh my... those are all the classes that cover WESTERN thought.. Alright!! My bad :)


You want an administration that is responsive to racism? Hm.. I do not recollect that our administration, led by President Bollinger, showed lack of support against anti-racism demonstrations. I just see all the emails flowing in my inbox condemning those (by the way really sad) grafitti and other idiotic remarks of some INDIVIDUALS. Do you want to give those idiotic INDIVIDUALS so much more attention than they already get by the media, administration, protests, etc??

And then we go to the Manhattanville project... oh well. If the university is buying that area - then some hungerstrikers won't do a difference. That's a FACT!! Live with it! Welcome to the world. Welcome to reality. We are not in mommy's and daddy's home anymore. Yes, you might be protected now by the word "college" or "university" - people might give you a second chance because they think you are a STUDENT who is working really hard and deserves a second chance. But hey... nobody will give you a second chance if you are camping outside Butler Library and making yourself to the clown to many fellow students, fellow faculty, and even to visitors. In the real world, you won't achieve anything by just going to a hunger strike... You have to act smart.... but to some people this word might be a foreign word..

I am proud being here... but not right now. First the incident with Ahmadinejad, then the stupidious racism graffitti... and now this.. I am here for 3(!!) months and experienced 3(!!) really embarrassing moments which I do not want to see anymore in the future. Demonstrations for a cause that is SMART and POSSIBLE. Yes I do support demonstrations. I am even actively participating in many of those. But fasting and hungerstriking around and running through the campus and bothering them with your "really really really nice" tents... No thanks!!!

Alright, I am out for the night!
Ash
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