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Bob Woodward ELON, NC-Bob Woodward delivered a speech to Elon University students, faculty and community last Thursday focusing on journalism, today’s current democratic society, and what role a true journalist should play when reporting.
Woodward, a renowned two time Pulitzer Prize winner and Associate Editor of the Washington Post, is most famously known for his outstanding work on the Watergate Scandal in the early 1970s. With over 40 years of experience as a journalist, Woodward referenced many lessons he learned and experienced as a young reporter. “Never reveal your sources,” said Woodward. “And always remember others may hate you for it.” Woodward expanded his knowledge and expertise as a journalist by saying what he did right and wrong while covering the Watergate scandal. As a young and enthusiastic reporter, he received a lot of negativity when he chose not to reveal Deep Throat, the undercover alias that provided key intel on Nixon and his administration through the Watergate break-in. Woodard’s convocation speech primarily targeted today’s democratic society and the current problems that are happening, specifically with the upcoming presidential election between candidates Clinton and Trump. “The biggest problem is that we don’t know enough about what goes on in the centers of power,” said Woodward. “Each candidate has a problem.” Woodward expanded on each candidate, addressing excessive faults that American voters will have to face come election day this November. Woodward claimed that Clinton won the first presidential debate last Monday, but did not do that well in the eyes of the American people. “Clinton was prepared for the debate but not for you, the people,” said Woodward. “Clinton was self-satisfied, congratulatory, but had a lack of humility.” Woodward continued to reiterate that “being president has to do with being outside of yourself,” and by interviewing former Presidents Bush and Obama, the exchanged democratic system is corrupt and needs immediate attention. Going back some 45 years to Nixon and the Watergate scandal, Woodward revealed that the powers of the president need to be overseen. Though Woodward bashes the current political status of the American democratic system that reigns today, he does acknowledge the accomplishments and effectiveness past President have achieved. For Bush it was actively putting “boots on the ground” in Iraq and parts of the Middle East in response to the tragedies of 9/11. For President Obama it was cutting taxes and lowering the unemployment rate by hundreds of thousands of missed jobs. But moreover than less Woodward achieved his goal of providing his audience with the notion that each president needs to be monitored, or have at least some oversight of what he or she is doing in the White House. By witnessing it first hand with President Nixon, presidents need to be accounted for their actions and granted power. “Nixon had an insatiable desire for political power,” said Woodward. “(The) President is granted power when he is in office, but that doesn’t make his power absolute.” Woodward claimed that in this upcoming election two unknowns that will to the distrust in each candidate. For Trump, it’s the nonexistent tax returns he has failed to reveal. For Clinton it is the 14,000 FBI-related emails she deleted while under pressure. Without either of those, Woodward continued to stress, each candidate cannot be trusted. Woodward conveyed that both of those missing necessities need to be unraveled within the next 40 days before the election, for voters to confidently pick a clear and trustworthy candidate. “The job will be absolutely tough either way,” said Woodward. “But we need to repeat and find the necessary truths,” as he did when revealing Nixon’s tapes and illegal break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex in 1972. Woodward ended his address by stating that when it comes to choosing an individual to run a country, they have to be willing and focused on the benefits for the American people. As far as each candidate has stretched their promises and potential actions, voters need to be sure about who they’re putting in charge for the next four years, and possible eight years. Woodward’s speech provided insight and necessary knowledge both a journalist and a student needs in order to succeed both academically and politically. Primarily, depicting key fractures and faults in the democratic system and what needs to be changed in the future. “There is a history of democracies shredding themselves when they live in the darkness,” said Woodward. “It could happen if we are not vigilant.”
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Eurpoe, along with several other western countries other than Syria and Russia, are pushing for candidate Clinton to overcome Trump in this year's upcoming election. During the Obama Presidency, The United States and Iran struck many deals incorporating economic and market deals as well as a devised neautral nuclear plan. However, Iran can say goodbye to those former deals if Trump gets elected this upcoming election.
He single-handedly “pickpockets” two defenders, dragging the puck through another’s legs and explodes down the far stretch of the rink. Leading the cavalry at full force into the opponent’s zone, two bulkier defenders step up and engage his entry. Within seconds the defenders are averted and left scrambling to get back into the play, and now he’s one on one with the last line of defense, the goaltender. Shifting his bodyweight side to side by piercing his metallic blades into the ice, he’s somehow stick-handled the goaltender into submission with a laser of a shot over his right blocker. A roaring goal horn blasts off from the box speaker just above the scoreboard, the arena erupts with cheers and chants in Elon’s favor. Within a second that puck went from 10 feet in front of the goalie to the back of the net. Sam Sarath is that good. Not your average hockey player who can score a few goals a season, no. He’s one of the best to ever play at this level. His name is Sam Sarath and he’s a sophomore from Ridgefield, Connecticut, a political science major and the Atlantic Coastal Collegiate Hockey League’s leading scorer. “I started to play at an early age because of my dad,” said Sarath. “He grew up playing in Connecticut and throughout high school and college, so I decided to follow in his footsteps.” Sarath is a member of Elon’s club hockey team, playing against rival schools and programs such as UNC, Duke, NC State and several other carolinian universities. Having been on the team for a year and a half now, Sarath looks to complete a difficult challenge that was set in stone at the end of his freshman year: winning a league title and championship. “My freshman year, we lost to UNC 5-0 in the opening round and they would go on to win our league championship,” said Sarath. “This year, we’ve definitely got some work to do and years to come.” No one knows that more than Sarath himself. Sam’s experience while playing at Elon took an unexpected turn last fall when he, along with several other players, were caught drinking under the age by campus police. I remember the scene: It was a Thursday night in Sam’s suite in the Danieley Center. He had a few boys over to hangout and prepare for the following day’s game against rival Wake Forest. Four or five players were there with him, casually sipping on Bud Light canned beers. Just 20 minutes pass and three loud knocks bang on Sam’s door. Campus police received a call about a gas pipe that was leaking in Sam’s dorm, but turns out that the music coming from his suite caught the cops’ attention. Policeman wrote Sam a citation along with three other players for underage drinking. He received the worst penalty -- underage drinking, host responsibility and buying and providing for minors. The fact that it was Sam’s dormitory and the event took place inside his living space, he was held responsible for the majority of the actions. About a week later he received a referral from student conduct in his student email, and Sarath was suspended for a semester from Elon. Months go by without seeing Sam, but over Spring break I was granted the opportunity to visit Sam in his hometown. Sarath was taking classes at Ridgefield Community College. He also landed himself a job at the local toy shop. To keep familiar with hockey, Sarath joined a local men’s league in his hometown rink. He just couldn’t get away from it. “I worked at a toy shop back in Connecticut and took classes at night to continue my credit-run for my academic transcripts,” Sarath said. “I also played in a men’s league 18 and up age league in my hometown, so I wasn’t not doing anything.” That season without him, Elon’s hockey team didn’t do as well as expected. The final record four league wins, six overall ties and six losses. Seeing as Sarath was one of the top goal-scorers on the team, when he departed an essential faction of our team was left behind. “It impacted not only his friends on the team but everyone, to be completely honest,” said Demitri Marken, one of the assistant captains. “He was great to have around on the ice, but I think his personality and work ethic was most memorable of him.” Every night practice during the week and games on the weekends, a part of Elon hockey was missing. There was this gap that was left in our team when Sarath was forced to leave Elon. Months later at the end of the season tournament in February, Elon was bombarded by UNC, a repeat of the first-year’s 5-0 loss. Two months later, Sarath reapplied to Elon as a sophomore, given the credits that he missed when he was suspended. It took him nearly two and a half months to complete the reapplication process, cranking out community service hours and completing credits at the local community college. He often found himself in his basement during his downtime, working on his snapshot and stickhandling with the recurring thought: “I’ll be back soon, just keep grinding.” The first week of August, Sarath received another email from Elon notifying him that his application had been accepted. He could be a student for the fall of 2016. The first on ice practice went extremely well, especially for Sarath. His bondage with the new recruits and on ice presence created a new type of flow for the team, and I knew we were ready for a good season. Sam would lead us to a 5-0 start, and winning a trophy for first place at a Southeast Collegiate Tournament, hosted by UNC. This year with Sarath back, we’re currently 7-4 with two league wins and among the top competitive teams in the southeast. For me personally -- it’s satisfying having him back, stronger and better than ever. As a best friend, his return triumphs his departure, leading us in a new direction towards success. Down the ice he goes, and all eyes are zoned in on the maroon figure with a white number nine on his back. “Somebody stop the damn kid and lay the body!” yells the head coach of HighPoint University, because he knows it’s only a matter of time before his team is down in the count. End to end he goes, and everytime I watch him play, I’m confident. Confident in his path, confident in his decisions, confident in his success. The goal horn sounds, and our bench ignites with joy and happiness: Sam Sarath is back and better than ever. “While looking back at my mistakes, I feel as if I should take this as a lesson of responsibility,” Sarath said. “This goes to show that real things can happen to real life people, even if you don’t think they can.” Taken with a grain of salt, Sarath knows the repercussions of his past mistakes. Hopefully, looking into a bright future Sarath can be viewed as a symbol of strength. In that hard times come and go, but perseverance and hard work can lead to second chances. |
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October 2017
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