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“Siri” may usher in a new age of voice recognition

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Earlier this week, Apple introduced the new iPhone 4S. It was new CEO Tim Cook's first time at bat for the software giant. The announcement was held in a much smaller venue than usual, and the reaction wasn't as big as the response to previous iPhone unveilings. But, one new feature really stole the show: "Siri," a personal digitized assistant ... [Read More…]

Earlier primaries will be detrimental

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Let the donkeys and elephants out, it's campaign time. The time of year when everybody promises bi-partisan leadership, but all shades of purple are purged from the political arena. Before the general election next November, every state has a primary election for each party with more than one nominee. Since Obama is running as an incumbent, the ... [Read More…]

Volunteer discovers value within service

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When I was a freshman, I lived on campus. Okay, technically everyone is supposed to live on campus their freshman year. But when I say live on-campus I mean eat, sleep, watch TV, hang out and do homework all on-campus. Students, like me, tend to get stuck in the ACU bubble and forget that there is an entirely different demographic outside of our ... [Read More…]

My sitcom childhood: Cosby vs. Good Times

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Sometimes my life is a TV sitcom. Family-friendly comedies constructed my middle-class childhood, but they were nothing like the ones that air new episodes today. The shows that remind me most of my own life are not the ones with all the mainstream glitz and glamour. Like sitcoms, family reunions have brought out the best and worst of us. I'll ... [Read More…]

Mediated chats don’t build bonds

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Here at ACU, we are among the leaders of a mobile initiative. Students walk around campus with their head down, eyes glued to their phones, with no awareness of where they are going as they narrowly miss getting hit by an oncoming bike or as they trip on one of the many uneven sidewalk ledges. If it's not a phone that has captured their ... [Read More…]

Pledging not worth blind allegiance

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As people we have an intense desire to belong and an insatiable need to justify our actions. We love even the things that make us suffer because of that longing. Our desire to belong leads us to do crazy, painful and sometimes stupid things so our friends won't shun us. This is peer pressure, that need to think our actions are not wasted or out of ... [Read More…]

Multi-tasking boosts self-importance

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I can't do it. I just can't. It would've been pretty dang funny, though. In my last column, I was debating what to write about for this column. But I am dating someone now (sorry ladies, I know the above face is irresistibly sexy), meaning everything I would've said about girlfriends has since become irrelevant and basically illegal for me to ... [Read More…]

Cyber shopping proves a slippery slope

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The internet is one of the defining tools of our generation. For years now it has helped people to learn, communicate and view their friends summer vacation pictures from 2007. But the world wide web brings many dangers to our screens. Online games let you put bullets in a zombie's cerebrum or lose $1,200 to a 15-year-old in Blackjack. There is ... [Read More…]

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