It just doesn’t seem fair. What was all that work on Oct. 11 for if it wasn’t for proof that we were a better team?

It seems to most of us that our football team being out of the national championship game was beneficial to somebody’s pockets, a product of money out of Bob Stoop’s pockets, or just a blatant piece of evidence that the world hates Texas. All the hard work we put in earlier in our struggle to reach the top seems to be irrelevant down the stretch, and this goes beyond working the BCS computers.

In the coming weeks, our knowledge of what we supposedly learned this past semester will be tested. We have memorized the flash cards, written the papers and taken the exams that have brought us to this point, maybe even at a point where the going has gotten so tough that we just feel like giving up now. We cannot let the tiring struggles of the recent past get the best of our performance such as what the ‘Horns did against Tech on Nov. 1; all of us must complete our journey at the highest level possible.

Not to put any more pressure than you surely already have, but these finals can determine whether you get into that get medical school, land that internship, or secure that job you’ve always wanted. Not enough can be said of what a simple letter grade can do to effect your life. Now, don’t freak out, just remember to keep composure and consistency. After all, if there’s one thing that hated team from that crappy state up north can teach (besides how to be classless competitors that stomp on the hearts of opponents), it is that strong finishes can right a lot of wrongs for you.

With all that said, I have to go study.

—Joshua Avelar

In the midst of the political changeover that’s captivated America, I noticed a someone wearing a T-shirt that read, “Gas was $1.45 when Bush came into office.”
That shirt’s message could have resonated about a month ago, but now it doesn’t seem so powerful.

I remember seeing gas prices of $3.50 a gallon in mid-October at a local Shell station. In the summer, gas had gone there for about $3.89. Now gas is just $1.89 at that same station. $1.89!? Seriously? Now? When the economy is at its worst since the Great Depression, and just after so many refineries were hit hard during Hurricane Ike!?
If the corporations that run the fuel industry can afford to lower fuel prices now, why couldn’t they do this months or years ago? I remember many economists on TV a couple of years ago saying that gas would never go below $2.00 again.
Crude oil prices have dropped, but there’s no real answer as to why. Did OPEC all of a sudden feel that ripping off the world market was not as fun anymore? The Los Angeles Times theorized that the demand of gas decreased, resulting in lower gas prices. So maybe this is all a strategy to convert those that started biking and bus-riding to work and school back to their old automotive ways. Maybe this is just in time to get people to plan all those road trips home for the holidays just before the prices spike again.

Nevertheless, if something seems too good to be true, then always keep an eye on it.

—Joshua Avelar

There is a certain confidence and false sense of security in many communities. Inside our small 40-acre universe, we were led to believe that our football team was absolutely unstoppable up until late into last Saturday night. Some of us thought the reputation we had built over the last several games was enough of a reason to have no doubt we were going to stay perfect –many students had already held conversations along the lines of booking hotels and flights to Miami for the January BCS title game. But our false sense of absolute superiority was shattered Saturday night, and that result may mirror our country’s status over the last eight years.
People love to gloat about how America is supposedly the “number one” nation on earth, and how in no other country could one find as much freedom, happiness or security. But with the Bush administration’s policies that led us into a war with enemies that had never before claimed American lives, brought a life of surveillance which made the “big brother” theory into a reality and drove the economy into shambles, it seems that the USA has lost its own number one ranking. Tuesday was our opportunity to help our country take the place we all want it to be: number one. We took a giant step in ensuring our country has the number one education system, health care system, employment rate and economy.
We as UT football fans learned that past victories do not entitle you to any permanent number one spot and that you must always fight to keep it. Our nation has elected a president who is set to learn from the mistakes of the recent past and not use the accomplishments of the further past to present an unrealistic dominance. After all, the right leadership can bring us back from our great loss and lead us straight back to the top where we belong.

This past week has brought a variety of emotions, but what we can learn from Saturday is that nobody is ever entitled to superiority, and what we can learn from Tuesday is that it is never too late to correct big mistakes.

So while we play close attention to where both Mack Brown and Barack Obama go from here, we can also take time to look at ourselves and see where we have failed as individuals and what we can do to make things right.

—Joshua Avelar

It’s that time of year again, when ghosts, goblins and scantily clad women run amok. Yes, Halloween has brought many memorable moments to most of our lives.

It proves to be enjoyable to reminisce on what sort of hell you raised in back in your middle school days while getting ready to partake in the madness on 6th. Halloween provokes an influx in candy consumption in America every year, and a great deal of that candy consumed is chocolate. But while we enjoy this commodity, devastation occurs in the cradle of civilization.

The Hershey’s Company has long had an astounding strangle hold on the chocolate industry; just go into Jester or Kinsolving Market and try to find a chocolate bar that isn’t tied to Hershey’s. According to the company’s Web site, Hershey’s gets most of their chocolate from the Ivory Coast, a nation filled with many farms being worked on by enslaved children. Hershey’s claims to be outside of the burden of responsibility when it comes to the slavery aspect of the chocolate trade, citing the fact that the farms from which they buy the cocoa are not owned by Hershey’s and what occurs there is not a product of Hershey’s wrongdoing.

Before you buy into this argument, think of how quickly the local D.A. would prosecute you for accepting a $10,000 loan from your cousin to pay your tuition, being fully aware that it was drug money. Turning a blind eye lifts the burden of responsibility off of no one.
However, there is a company out there by the name of Divine Chocolate whose chocolate, according to their Web site, is made from cocoa grown by Ghanaian farmers that are partial owners in the company, and by requirements of the “fair trade” stamp of approval, are not allowed to use exploitative child labor on their farms. You can go their Web site to order some of their guilt-free product for Halloween, or buy some of their items at the Catholic Center throughout the week.

After all, there’s no good in having Free Enterprise if it compromises others’ freedom.

—Joshua Avelar

Whenever I go back home, I am always quick to ask about the health status of one of my uncles. Considering that his kidneys seem to threaten to fail about every two years, he is lucky to still be alive, and currently undergoes an exhausting dialysis procedure every week. When I take the time to think about the actual process he is put through week in and week out, I begin to question the symbolism of one’s blood and realize its true purpose of life. Who knows whose blood runs through his veins today; it could be a Black man from Dallas, an Asian American from Houston or even another Hispanic from San Antonio. Whoever it is, his/her blood now runs through my uncle’s veins. It seems as if the whole ordeal made over one’s race or family is put aside to keep him living longer to see another day, all because someone took an hour and a half out of his or her day to give blood.

This week, we all have an opportunity to do the same for another person we will never meet and never receiver a “thank you” from. We have the opportunity to literally give the gift of life, one that has no larger precedent. For the remainder of the week, people will ask for your money, your time, and your vote, all of which are very important and can do great things. However, if no religious belief or health condition is preventing you, please donate your blood to one of the stations at Jester, Inner Campus Drive, 24^th & Whitis, or Speedway. The trailers open at 9 a.m. and close at 5 p.m., but the Jester station is open until midnight.

Remember — blood is thicker than water, and I can’t stand the rain.

—Joshua Avelar

While it’s somewhat cheesy and non-intellectual to compare sports to reality, such a comparison can prove its efficiency. While flicking back and forth amongst the sports channels Sunday evening with my experience of the Red River Rivalry still very vivid in my head, I realized that many in the UT community, including Mack Brown, have found themselves in place they never thought they would be just two months ago –a place where the football team resides on top.

There were mediocre expectations for our team this year, but now standards have been raised. This all reminds me of how often we find ourselves getting a good, yet very unexpected, opportunity to seize; how sometimes all the cards fall in place for us to be “#1″ if we just show up against our nearest competitor.

The University itself could take the lessons exemplified by the football team Saturday of seizing opportunity and overcoming its opponents to heart. Some examples:

Texas A&M is giving an outstanding opportunity to students from lower-income families. UT should step up and do them one better.

The engineers at Rice University have made it possible for their campus to run on its own fuel. Why can’t Cockrell round up their forces to make that happen here?

We have the resources to be “#1″ across the board, so why aren’t we?

—Joshua Avelar

The deadline to register to vote is tonight at midnight. Stop by Hook the Vote in front of Gregory Gym and enjoy some tunes and free Amy’s ice cream while you register, or visit any Thundercloud or Blockbuster locations to do the deed.

We don’t care how you register. Just register.

—Leah Finnegan

While working for a Democratic senator’s campaign during the primary season a few months ago, I noticed an array of negativity and hostility directed toward me and my fellow campaign workers all around campus. There were many phrases I heard: “screw liberals,” “fuck you tree-hugger” and, of course, the classic “eat shit, you pinko-commie pussy” (that’s verbatim).
While I restrained myself from slugging the guy who came up with that last one, I began to wonder: what did these people think they were getting themselves into by coming to UT? Anyone who grew up in the state of Texas has always known that Austin was a liberal hub, so the “secret” was out to these instigators of conflict way before they filled out their admissions applications. Even though many agree that UT is a better school than our more conservative neighbor to the north, one begins to wonder why these proverbial liberal-haters didn’t venture off to College Station.
This is not to say that an absolutely politically homogeneous campus would be a good thing. In fact, it would defeat the purpose in engaging in political discussions at an institute of higher learning, and be just plain boring. But honestly, if you can’t stand the sight of the politically liberal, why come to Austin? Many local public offices, including the district attorney, don’t even have Republican candidates; those who win the Democratic primaries secure the job. The mayor of Austin is an outspoken, registered Democrat as well.
The point is, minority views (in Austin’s case, minority is synonymous with conservative) are to be respected, but so should majority views in a way that doesn’t breed hostility and utter confusion. McCain supporters, as the time to the general election draws nears, engage your opposing supporters in political discussion and debate … just don’t drop any PCP-bombs.

—Joshua Avelar

The architecture of this campus is pretty dull, to say the least. With the exception of the Littlefield Home and the Tower, there are few buildings that really stand out to the average passerby.

This poses a problem. It would take decades of time and millions of dollars to match the aesthetic beauty of say, UC Berkeley or The University of Michigan.

There needs to be something that separates this place from the other places — After all, that’s what people do to their homes; they decorate them as to say to visitors: “Yeah, this is my place … And you can tell by just looking at it.”

The Martin Luther King and Cesar Chavez statues do distinguish this campus as a place of appreciation for individuals who do their part to change the world (this idea sound familiar?), but there needs to be a better sense of character and creativity to go along with it.

Dare I say that the big metal knot in front of the CPE and the large testicle-like structures on the steps leading to the main building are good for this campus? Yep, I said it… It needed to be said, and it needs to be done more often.

—Joshua Avelar