Something strange was bound to happen. First, the night of Game 4 was the night of a total lunar eclipse, so the stars were in alignment. It’s also a leap year, which I’m sure is astrologically significant. I’m also sure all the other strange stuff that has happened all year is all pointing to the turn of recent events, which surely will impact the nation and the world for years to come. Boston has won a World Series. I’ve wanted to see this for a long time, in fact it may have been on top of my list. Now that it’s scratched off (note: This ain’t happening again till 2090, so enjoy it), it’s time for some other things to happen that I personally really want to see:
• I’d like to finally see some comprehensive animal control plan on this campus. For the past few years there has been such a dramatic increase in the cat population it would make Bob Barker pass out. Squirrels I can handle.
In fact, quad squirrels are awesome. I hate quad cats. Someone should pay somebody to round them up. One time during summer school at around 10 p.m. I was walking down the middle of Main West and there were at least 10 cats within my line of vision.
The continuation of the current cat policy will only lead to more cats unless the administration takes dramatic action to reform said population.
• An end to Duke bashing by Duke students. Although it is quite chic for outsiders to bash Duke relentlessly—in print, on TV, in formal dinner conversations, in church sermons—there has also been an unusual amount of Duke bashing by Duke students.
(Quick observation: the only reason for Duke-bashing by non-Dukies is basketball and that really is an absurd reason to hate a school. If it were not for our basketball team, everyone would probably love us.)
The other day I was sitting in a friend’s room, and he was remarking on how awesome “the real world”—i.e. post-graduate careers—will be. His roommate quickly retorted, “I won’t be. The real world is gonna suck. Remember when you were in high school thinking about how fun college would be. Well Duke turned out not to be nearly as fun as we all thought it would be.”
Statements like this remaking about how un-fun things are at Duke are quite common. Well, complaining isn’t going to change those things.
Students should either seriously make a concerted effort not to sit around in their dorms all the time, or they should quit complaining.
• For the student members of the losing party in next Tuesday’s election not to be horribly horribly bitter. The reason for the current polarization in this country is for some reason one side just can’t stand to have the other in power.
During the ’90s, most Republicans detested Bill Clinton, just as most Democrats despise George W. Bush. For any healing in this divided nation to occur, whoever the loser is needs to cease with bashing the winner and look instead to hammering out actual compromise.
In the wake of Ronald Reagan’s death, stories came forth about how courteous he was to former Democratic Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill and how O’Neill was courteous back to him. Similar friendships existed between opposition leaders such as Dwight Eisenhower and Sam Rayburn as well as Lyndon Johnson and Everett Dirksen. To whoever loses Tuesday, there is going to be another chance at victory—look at the Boston Red Sox. (Oh yeah, and for those who are registered in state, go vote)
• Uh, Chicago Cubs: 2005 World Series Champions? (Yeah, like that’ll ever happen.)
Jonathan Pattillo is a Trinity junior.
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