PARTY ON PHIL! ! ! , The seer of seers', the prognosticator of prognosticators', Punxsutawney Phil, foretells to tile nation in ''groundhogese '' whether or not the weather will continue to be bad or good. The During the 1700' s the German settlers 15 pounds with a diet consisting of ice cream brought over a tradition known as Candlemas . and dogfood. Phil lives in a climate-controlled Day. This holiday fell midway between the home located at the Punxsutawney Library. On to be another 6 Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. At the festive day; the groundhog is placed in a eks of winter because this time the clergy would bless candles and heated burrow on Gobbler 's Knobb. This res­ was spooked by his distribute them to the townspeople, to light and idence is a simulated tree stump and holds Phil own shadow! place them in their front window. They would until his annual appearance scheduled for 7:25 Dana Marinelli On Tuesday In 1723 the Delaware Indians settled a camp­ light the candles until February 2, and if the sun am. Staff Writer February 2, the site 90 miles northeast of Pittsburg. These came out the weather predicted 6 more weeks This year's _Groundhog'S Day ' s festivities small rural town of Indians named this settlement halfway between of winter. includes chain saw carvings by Jacob Marzullo, Punxsut a w n e y the Allegheny and Susquehanna Rivers The first official celebration occurred on Polka Music performed by John Serian, and celebrated the 114th Annual Trek to Gobbler ' s Punxsutawney; a word meaning ''the town of February- 2, 1886, where The Punxsutawney even Kettle Korn (a Colonial-style kettle korn Knobb in commemoration of Ground Hog ' s the sandflies." The Delaware Indians believed Spirit editor announced Punxsutawney Phil, made right in fr~)llt of the visitor's eyes). The Day. The 6,000 residents welcomed the many that groundh9gs were honorable ancestors. As Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of town of Punxsutawney surely knows how to ' thousands of visitors to enjoy a day filled with the story goes, the Delaware Native Americans Prognosticators, and Weather Prophet throw a party for one hell of an important citi­ live entertainment, music and fireworks. Why believed that that their "foresquirrels" were Extraordinary; to be the groundhog ' s offIcial zen! is there so much attention about a groundhog once animals that evolved into humans to hunt name. named Phil who hops out of his hole to check and live off of the earth. The present Punxsutawney Phil weighs in at THE DOME INVITATIONAL Daniel Pfeiffer Beg inn i n g able in both categories, the journalistic and Staff Writer February 7th, the business sides. Everything from Sports to DOME will be Investigative Pieces are open for publishing. hosting a series of The second invitational will address the layout invitationals, or seminars. The purpose of these functions of the newspaper.. Layout is by far invitationals is to familarize the DOME staff as the most intensive part of the newspaper well as any potential DOME staffer (that means process. The DOME is equipped with a num­ you!) with the important functions of the news­ ber of high-powered Macintosh's which handle paper. The first invitational on February 7th will most of the layout. Finally; the third invitation­ consist of a lecture by Proffesor Greg al will cover photography and it's role in the DiMartino addressing basic news gathering newspaper process. The DOME also has techniques and story structures. Tiffany numerous opening for photographers. Matt Blaski, the assistant, director for SAC and the DiFil1ipo will be conducting this seminar. Pizza DOME's advisor, will be speaking on the the fis­ and soda will be provided for all those that cal responsibilities of the newspaper, the busi­ attend. ness side. There are plenty of positions avail- Sports WIDENER Beastie Boys ' Student B·BAll. Anthology Spotlight!!! Review Page B3 SUPERBOWL!!! Page B1 Page B4 P~ge2 Widener University: The Dome February 4, 2000 PHILOSOPHICAL -f) JPJINJION SUICIDE }\: Brian O'Rourke Communism is a great Editor in Chief theory; it just doesn't work in practice. I 've heard > or·CC4JRSE :~tNt,£R mE Homer Simpson and many college professors utter this phrase, or some variation of it, and you ' ve probably ~ tfJ1~~\ heard this bromide before. You might even be guilty of saying it yourself. Allow me to paraphrase this statement: Communism (or its sister, Socialism) is the ideal, but man is incapable of ~- achieving it. Man is evil, selfish, and corrupt, they claim. 'That is their explanation for the failure of Communism. I am writing this column in response to all those who would make these fallacious assertions. Communism is not the ideal theory, and obviously not the ideal practice; man is not evil by nature. A theory is a "plausible or scientifica11y acceptable gen­ eral principle offered to explain observed facts," accord­ ing to Webster's Dictionary. A theory, to paraphrase good old Noah, offers an explanation of reality. Take for example, the theory of gravity, proposed by Sir Isaac Newton. It attempts to explain why objects "fall,'1 why planets orbit, etc. This is a solid theory because of its validity in reality. How else do we rate a theory, other than through its practical application? Theory and practice go hand-in-hand; there is no dichotomy between the theory (abstract principles) and the real (the concrete examples). 1berefore, the belief that Communism is the glorious ideal and a sound theory is entirely bogus: it achieves none of its aims, because its premises are flawed. OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW The reality, or the concrete examples, of Communism should be stark indicators to anyone who has opened a Michael Roakes T h e but Primeau will do that in time. He is the goal in only his second game. On the other history book, read a news story on conditions in Soviet Staff Writer Philadelphia former captain of the Carolina Hurricanes. hand, Brind ' Amour has zero points in four Russia, or heard about Chinese practices. Under the Flyers finally Brind ' Amour is an average second-line games with the Caroline Hurricanes. I ' m oppressive yoke of the altruistic system (and believe me, sent Rod Brind 'Amour away and in return center. Primeau is far from a second-line not sure how Brind ' Amour feels about the Communism is nothing more than forced altruism, or sac­ received an outstanding center, Keith center; but with Mikael Renberg and Mark trade, but I know that he is crying because rificing the self for others in pursuit of the greater good), Primeau. Primeau brings attitude and size Recchi on his wings, the Flyers have a potent he is no longer a ~art ~f a g:eat team with a Ithere has been genocide, a one-child-per-family pl~n to the team, things that Brind 'Amour does second line that no other team can match. lot of history behind It. His thoughts can enforced by infanticide, an overall lower standard of liv- not have. Some say that trading Personally, I think Brind ' Amour wore out only be to continue playing; it's not like he . Brind 'Amour was a mistake, However, his welcome last year. When trade talks is going to change a fairly new franchise or Img, and a strangulation of economies. Throughout his- along with Roger Neilson and Bobby clark, I began involving him last season, he even bring leadership to it. He cannot bring what tory, Communism (and every system based on altruism) . b h h H' has only produced disastrous effects. feel that the Flyers ' received a better over­ knew that his stay was not going to be much P nmeau roug t to t e urncanes' l . Prim k th Sta I C One thing that everyone tends to overlook when Judg- all athlete in return. longer. Primeau will fill Brind ' Amour 's However, eau ma es e n ey up . ing Communism: man is prohibited from owning proper- Rod Brind 'Amour was loved by the city skates with size and physical play. Within ever more attainable. ty, or the goods that he has earned. There is a name for of Philadelphia, but his stay here was too time, .Brind ' Amour will be forgotten if he the man who has no right to the fruits of his own labors: long. He did bring leadership to the team, hasn ' t been already with Primeau ' s first a slave. Communism creates a slave-state, where people stand in line hoping to get their daily allotment of bread, QgOTE OF THE WEEK no matter how hard they have worked, or how much food their work merits. Make no mistake about the nature of Loving oneself is the beginning of a life-long private property. It is the distinction between the free man and the slave. romance. These specific examples of Communism are not acci­ dental; the reality is not divorceable from the abstract - Oscar Wilde principles guiding it. It is no mistake that Stalin commit­ ted genocide in ' a society that did not acknowledge " " man' s right to life. It is no mistake that people were QUESTIONS OF THE WE.EK thrown into jail without trials in Soviet Russia, a society that acknowledged no individual rights. Under a Communist regime, anyone may literally be sacrificed to serve the greater good, or the collective. Why do you drive on the parkway and park on the driveway? I could continue ad infinitum (or more appropriately, ad Why does your nose run and your feet smell? nauseam) with examples debunking Communism, or any collectivist morality.