Barack Obama was elected as the first African-American president last November and has since then had a presidency of being the first African-American president to do anything as an African American president. Elected in a landslide, Obama has been a fairly popular president thus far.

However, the “honeymoon” period of his term appears to have ended as he faces many growing challenges, like all the bad stuff they talk about on TV.

He has been accused of being too soft on defense, too liberal concerning the growth of government, too conservative concerning the usage of potpourri in the Oval Office after burrito night.

So how is a president to cope with these issues and accusations?

Obama obviously has to be more tactful about issues than the average American would be.

I solve all my problems with my fists. Like right now my stupid ‘S’-key is stuck, it just makes me cxgdfsdfs? There, problem solved.

Joe the Plumber might simply give presidential swirlies to anyone that doubted him. No, the President needs to think with his brains. He must not think too much, though, as he is also being accused of being not sufficiently emotional on some issues. Too much talking, not enough action.

According to these skeptics, Obama could learn something from the burgeoning super-hero industry. Sporting a colorful cape and utility belt with detachable ninja-pens might win him some points. He would need to be a hero with depth, though, or critics might pan him. If some aspect of his psyche was tortured, such as always being picked last for the world-leader soccer game, he might be more believable, more relatable.

If Obama is ever stumped on what to do next, he need only look back at the history of his own profession. Some of the most successful and electable people of all time have been presidents. Just look at and follow their examples, and someday Obama could be on Mt. Rushmore, or perhaps the $12 bill.

George Washington is synonymous with everything good in America. If Obama wishes to emulate him, he need only start a new country and be its first president.

Abraham Lincoln remains one of the most popular Americans of all time. To follow his example, Obama could free all the slaves and wear an awesome hat. He only would need to find some slaves and an awesome hat. The bookstore has a couple pretty neat ones, I noticed.

Why, even our own President Chicoine has something to teach Obama. No one would dare stand up to the head of our fair university. Why is that? Because Chicoine possesses a glorious moustache. A mere twitch of it is as influential as Arnold Schwarzenegger flexing his pecs or “I Dream of Jeannie” ‘s titular genie wiggling her nose. He gets what he wants. To be the most powerful man in the world, Obama need only to possess the most powerful facial hair.

Obama should be more open with journalists. I called him several times attempting to interview him for this story and I the closest I got to him was an answering machine informing me of White House tour dates and times. If he hasn’t the time for The Collegian, then he obviously doesn’t have time for America.

So what do we need in a president? There is no real answer. Everyone desires different elements in a president, and it would be simply impossible to try. A U.S. president simply cannot please everyone; there are simply too many interns out there. Nor can they satisfy everyone in America.

My unsolicited advice for the president? Get used to people not liking you. It works great for me, anyway.

Hollywood patted itself on the back Sunday night in the 81st annual Academy Awards. Beautiful people graced us with smiles and three-second sound bites of insight on the red carpet, as the best of the best in Hollywood thanked God for receiving little golden statuettes.

I’m no religion major, but I don’t think God cares too much about the Oscars. In fact, God usually doesn’t appreciate it when people adore and covet gold statues – he usually smites them.

However, I am sure that God does appreciate the Razzies.

The Golden Raspberry Awards, or the Razzies, were founded in 1981 as an Academy Awards antithesis. They honor the worst films of the year. Categories mirror some of the more popular Oscar awards, including Worst Film, Worst Actor/Actress, Worst Director, etcetera.

Paris Hilton rocked the Razzies with three awards, including worst actress in The Hottie and the Nottie. I question the Razzie committee in these bestowments. By giving Hilton an award, even if it is an award for badness, we are recognizing her existence. I believe that if we completely ignore her, she might simply disappear.

I cannot imagine any possible world where a film starring Paris Hilton could be anything but absolutely terrible. In fact, just her existence in a film, even if it is only a cameo, might be enough to ruin it. I’m pretty sure I saw her as a bystander walking across the street in Citizen Kane, and now I get queasy watching it.

One more little testament to the awfulness of The Hottie and the Nottie: it only grossed $27,000 in its opening weekend, the Hollywood equivalent of nothing. The Houston Chronicle estimated that on its opening weekend it averaged four people per showing. That makes it only slightly more popular than my blog.

The Love Guru was another big winner among losers. It received three nods for Worst Film, Worst Actor (Mike Myers) and Worst Screenplay. You would think that Myers would have done a better job with his part in this film, as he has had a lot of practice playing that exact character in almost every other movie he has been in. I don’t know what the problem is, usually movies that feature a title actor playing the exact same role he has played in other movies just get funnier and funnier with each movie. (I’m looking at you, Will Ferrell).

Perhaps one day awards like the Razzies will cause filmmakers to aspire to produce less works of complete garbage. Until then, we’ll have just have to keep dealing with what they throw at us. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to stand in line for Jonas Brothers 3-D Concert Experience tickets.

Running a college is expensive. It costs more than what is paid in tuition and fees. Much more. Not even student loans could pay for it all. Public universities like SDSU receive funding from both the federal and the state governments. Other sources also contribute money that benefits SDSU students.

According to the South Dakota Board of Regents Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 Fact Book, SDSU had an operating budget of about $165 million for 2007-2008. This figure increases each year.

“Regardless of what some people may think, generally our budget does go up each year, even if it’s only salary increases,” said Jeri Kurtz, the director of institutional research in SDSU’s Finance and Business Office. “As long as enrollments go up, our budgets will increase.”

A little over $58 million of the total budget came from direct costs to students. This includes tuition, room and board and student fees.

How do broke college students pay for their share? Last year, SDSU students as a whole received a little over $18 million in scholarships and grants. The rest of the bills are covered by a little work and a lot of loans. The average 2007 SDSU graduate left school with over $20,000 in student loans.

Students also pay indirect fees, such as books at the bookstore. In the budget, these costs are categorized as “other.” This category, which accounts for $40 million of the budget, includes revenue from the bookstore, dairy plant and meat lab. In addition, it includes self-support tuition – or extra money that students pay for certain programs like nursing or classes in Sioux Falls – and grants from private sources such as soybean producers or the pork industry. It is not specified in the Board of Regents’ budget how much of this “other” category is generated by students or how much by other private sources.

A large contributor to the financing of SDSU is the state of South Dakota. State general fund money accounted for almost $45 million of SDSU’s FY08 budget. This was taxpayer money that state government appropriated for higher education.

In the fiscal year 2007, South Dakota spent about 15 percent of its general fund appropriation on postsecondary education. That amounts to about $224 per capita in taxes in South Dakota spent on the state funding of public universities.

Federal funding accounted for about $21 million of the budget. These are typically federal grants that are requested directly by an individual or group within the university that is seeking funding of a special research project or program.

SDSU also received about $550,000 from the School and Public Land Department. In addition, SDSU received $130,000 from the higher education facility fund, or HEFF. This money goes toward maintaining buildings and facilities.

Another area that contributes a great deal of money to SDSU and is not accounted for in the Board of Regent’s budget is the SDSU Foundation.

Steve Erpenbach, the President and CEO of the SDSU Foundation, said the Foundation’s goal is to “raise and administer money that will benefit the students of SDSU.”

The Foundation raised $21 million through private donations last year, up from an average of about $15 million over previous years. This money goes towards scholarships, assorted projects or new buildings: whatever the donor wants it to be spent on.

Recently I filled up my tank at a gas station whose name had two misspelled words. I brought my trusty pail with me to compensate for the usual gag reflex that occurs when I fill up. To my surprise, the price of gas had gone down over a dollar to $2.69 a gallon. That’s almost free! I was so excited I almost called my mom, but then I remembered that cell phones explode at gas stations.

The price was so low I felt a little guilty, so I poured a little gas onto the ground to help out the oil companies who must obviously be struggling during this economic crisis. I had the urge to go out and buy a large, loud truck that would burn fuel much less efficiently; that way I could buy more gas and reap more benefits from these low prices, which are undoubtedly permanent.

In truth, gas has always been cheap. Extremely cheap. Even when the price was at $4 a gallon, consumers were paying much less than the true cost of the substance. The Real Price of Gasoline, a study by the International Center for Technology Assessment, calculated the true price of gasoline. The study included factors such as oil industry tax breaks and subsidies, oil supply protection (military costs), and environmental degradation.

They found the additional costs amount from $4 a gallon up to $12 a gallon. Add the price paid at the pump to these numbers, the real cost of gasoline is somewhere between $6.50 a gallon to over $15 a gallon. True, there is a large difference between the possible figures due to the ambiguity of factoring in some of the costs to society, particularly environmental and medical factors. Yet, even at the low estimate, we are still paying substantially less than we should.

Someone pays the difference. These are societal costs paid for by the individuals that comprise society. The government covers foots most of the bill, which means American tax dollars. If taxes don’t cover the tab Uncle Sam borrows from the Pay-Day Loan company across the ocean.

It is understandable how prices would need to be subsidized to an extent- society needs to keep moving, and we need gas to move. Yet prices have remained so unnaturally low for so long we have become complacent and completely unaware of how much we are actually paying for gas. Plus, no politician is going to rock this boat. We already complain about gas prices, no sane politician would seek to raise them further. Then again, sane politician is somewhat of an oxymoron.

As for gas prices remaining cheap, consider this: if China’s current oil demand growth holds, by the year 2030 they will need all the oil currently produced in the world today. Experts believe we have reached the peak capability of world oil production. That means demand is going to go way up and supply will not. I failed economics, so I don’t know what this means- I’ll let you figure it out.

So what does all this add up to? We have been paying to keep the gas prices low, thereby allowing us to continue to be comfortable with dependence on a resource that is very finite, environmentally corrosive, and often the mainstay of unsavory nation-states. Our elected leaders allow this to continue to happen to avoid temporary political instability. We are the frogs in the slowly heating water, and it is our hand on the stovetop knob.

I heard something about an election happening sometime here. Keep these factors in mind when heading to the poll and look closely at the candidate’s energy policies. Consider who is going to spend your income tax on hiding the true costs of gas. I am just glad I don’t have to worry about this- I need an income before it can be taxed.

We have recently seen many of big fish on Wall Street flounder after they swam too long in the deep end of the pool. They gave out loans as though the housing bubble would never end, and now they are left treading the air where the bubble used to be. Meanwhile, lifeguard Uncle Sam dives into the bureaucracy in an attempt to bail the economy out.

Now pundits, politicos and possible presidents all have a new buzzword to throw around: bailout. This word is now as pervasive in the media as attractive female news anchors.

Perhaps it was the clever visual graphics in the newscast, or maybe it was due to the fact that I always watch the news cross-eyed while standing on my head, but as I watched the news this morning, I came to a revelation: I need a bailout! I have taken out student loans that, in my current economic condition, it appears I will unlikely to be able to pay back anytime soon. Will the government step in to save fat cat banks and not starving cat students like myself?

The cost of the proposed bailout is $700 billion. 700,000,000,000! I do not need much, maybe three or four zeroes. Then I could at least pay my library fines so I could quit worrying about the thugs they keep sending to break my legs and steal my bookmarks. I can’t even save a page anymore!

Peddlers of the bailout warn of economic dangers looming if the bailout does not go through. There have been many comparisons made to the current situation and that of the 1929 stock market crash and the Great Depression of the 1930′s. How bad could the depression really have been if everyone thought it was “Great?” Personally, I think we could use more movies like Gone With the Wind and fewer like Disaster Movie. And FDR did more without the use of his legs than George W. Bush could with both of his, plus Dick Cheney carrying him.

What about the fallout that would occur if I receive no bailout? Will more businesses be plagued by my ineptness as I am forced into part-time labor? Do we want the possibility friends, family, teachers and even random strangers walking down the street to put up with my constant complaining about poor wages and lack of respect at a job?

The Wall Street bailout will cost every man, woman and child in the U.S. $2,300. I would require only a fraction of that, say, $2,200 from every man and woman, and maybe some candy from the children. I could probably even deal with little less than that. For this small price, America could look forward to a work force forever free of me, as well as a lot less complaining. Heck, I would even throw a really wicked party and invite all the taxpayers in the U.S. to come. BYOB, of course.

Chenchaiah Marella came to SDSU from India in 2005 to study food and bioprocesses engineering as a graduate student. His wife and their two children stayed behind. The reason? Marella can’t afford the cost of the health insurance required by the South Dakota Board of Regents for his family.

Foreign students already face a number of obvious challenges studying here at SDSU. But one problem that particularly affects those with children is the high insurance rate offered by the one insurance company required by the BOR.

“(Foreign students) are in a tough spot,” said Doug Wermedal, assistant dean of student affairs. “Foreign students who are alarmed with the cost are expressing a valid concern.”

The BOR made it a requirement for foreign students to have insurance after a few SDSU graduate students incurred medical expenses from a car accident years ago. The students did not have insurance, so Brookings County was forced to foot the bill.

Students over the age of 25 who come with dependents face the greatest insurance costs. In Marella’s case, he was not able to bring his family to South Dakota last summer because he could not afford the insurance.

Marella’s situation is generally the most extreme. Foreign students without dependents have much lower-priced insurance.

Vyku Ganesan, a graduate student from India who arrived in 2003, has no dependents and pays much less. However, she believes students like Marella are paying too much. “I feel it is very costly for them,” she said.

Foreign students only have one option to choose from for insurance.

The board of regents established a contract with Mega Life and Health Insurance Company to cover foreign students. Students must pay for the insurance for the bracket they fall into.

According to Wermedal, there would be little difference in the price of the insurance even if they had other options open to them. “Insurance prices from different companies will usually be similar,” he said. “They face the same problem of annual increases in costs as the rest of the U.S. health care system.”

But Marella has done personal research into insurance programs offered by Mega Life. He found that they have a plan called the International Community Service Health Insurance Program. If it were available for foreign students at SDSU, it would offer lower rates and increased coverage, he said.

Jim Shekleton, the regents’ general council, was unaware of any such plan. The BOR is in the second year of a two-year deal with Mega Life. “The board will look into other possible options when the current agreement expires,” he said.

Meanwhile foreign students at SDSU, including Marella, will have to continue to pay for insurance at the current rate.

He still hopes to be able to bring his family to America this summer.

For students who are not satisfied with the physical intensity of football or other school sports, there is hope. SDSU’s rugby club may soon be back.

The club began the reinstatement process last semester and is now waiting for final approval from the Students’ Association, said club member Joseph Galvin, a senior civil engineering major.

The club was suspended two years ago following an incident in which the club held a social gathering involving alcohol. Upon further review, it was found the club had no adviser and lacked the proper bylaws necessary for an SDSU student organization.

Since then, the club has played in a non-collegiate rugby league. The team still consisted of SDSU students, but it was not affiliated with the university.

Now, with the proper bylaws in place and a new adviser, pharmacy professor Gareth Davies, the club is very close to being reinstated as an official student organization.

Galvin said, “We’re trying to put what happened in the past behind and to get on with playing.”

The club will play other teams from the region, such as the University of South Dakota and Creighton. Club member Grant Bassamore, a senior majoring in economics, said he is confident in his team’s potential.

“I think we will compete very well this semester,” he said.

Bassamore said the membership of the team is above average this year, though the club still welcomes new members. He also encourages SDSU students to support the club as they re-enter competition.

“I think we have a strong future.” Bassamore said. “We’re on the road to being respected again.”

#1.883646:2682728153.jpg:rugby1.bd.jpg:The rugby club, now an official SDSU student organization, practices on the intramural field March 20.:Brandon DeVries

Anyone who scoffs at A/V kids for being nerds might think twice about them when they see how a few SDSU Media Production students turned their skills into a minute-long film worth $1,000.

Senior media production and history major Zeke Hanson and junior media production majors Tom Pickerill and Dustin Carlson combined their talents to create an award-winning video clip featured on the Web site itsyourshowtv.com.

These students produced three short films for an online competition sponsored by NBC. There is a different challenge every week, and every week viewers of the site vote for their favorite clip. This Web site may be the basis for a future show on NBC.

The three filmmakers won the “Man of the Year” challenge. The Web site provided a clip from the movie “Man of the Year” in which Robin Williams, who plays a presidential candidate, presents his views in a debate. The students then had to edit in their own candidate to debate with Williams. Their final product was a fan favorite, won the weekly $1,000 prize, and is eligible for the grand prize of $100,000.

Their film clips also may also be presented on the television show “Last Call with Carson Daly” on NBC.

The trio is in it for more than fame and fortune, though. They have taken part in many film festivals together, and they enjoy any video project which allows them to practice their production skills. Pickerill said, “The more experience we can gather now the better prepared we’ll be for the future.”

The students have submitted two other clips, “Bachelor” and “Dude.” They plan to submit more videos to the web site in the future.

Others helped the three to make these mini movies. Videographer and editor of “Today’s Ag” Brian Stemwedel assisted the students with the software and editing aspects of production. Sam Hanson, a sophomore art major, and Chez Huntsinger, a sophomore English education major, both took on acting roles in these features.

All filming was done on campus using SDSU media production equipment.

“It’s great equipment,” Pickerill said. “These films are a good excuse to use it.”

Many SDSU students, such as freshman pharmacy major Meghann Rise, frequently watch online video clips like those on NBC’s web site. Rise particularly enjoyed the clip “Dude.”

“I thought it was clever. It’s especially cool considering that it was made by SDSU students,” he said.

Each clip can still be viewed on www.itsyourshowtv.com.

“We’ve had a really good experience with this show. It was a great learning experience,” said Hanson.

They are half naked, half crazy and all SDSU pride.

Anyone who has attended a Jacks football game has seen them. Standing by the railing in front of the student section is a row of fanatics that lack shirts, but not spirit.

Though different groups have painted their bodies for football games, one group in particular has made it a ritual. These fanatics have painted their upper bodies yellow and blue for every home game since last season.

Mark Monson, a junior majoring in construction management, is one of the original members of the group. He said the members originally did it to “get fans into the game. It was something different.”

The group of students does not represent any organization or club. Members simply want to show their enthusiasm for SDSU football.

“It makes the whole experience more like a D-1 game,” said Chris Mangan, a junior pre-dental major and original member of the group.

The students meet three to four hours before each home game to prepare their bodies and minds. They first decide what they want to spell out on their bodies. Usually, they decide on a broad slogan such as “Go Jacks,” but occasionally they like to mix it up. For this year’s Beef Bowl, their bodies read “Mmm Beefy.”

Both Mangan and Monson insist that the experience is not that uncomfortable.

“We just go out there to have a good time,” Mangan said. “We want to show both the crowd and the team our school spirit.”

Jeff Appleman, a freshman wildlife and fisheries major, is one of the people in the stands that the group helps to pump up.

“They add to the atmosphere of the games. They make it more exciting,” he said.

This is exactly what the group is aiming for. Monson said, “We never want there to be a dull moment.”

#1.884070:1352275800.jpg:mail15.jpg:Mark Monson, Joshua Kelly, Travis Powell and Chris Lawson show their painted pride at a Jacks football game. The group meets three to four hours before each home game to prepare for the show of school spirit.:

The football game is not the only contest occurring during Hobo Week.

Student organizations compete every year in a challenge of school spirit. They participate in a variety of contests that showcase students’ SDSU pride.

Residence halls, Greek organizations and other student groups go head-to-head in the Bum Olympics, scavenger hunt, float contest, one-month club, paint-the-town, hall decorating competition and other activities throughout the week. Winners of these contests gain Hobo Spirit points, and the organization that ultimately gains the most points wins the overall Hobo Spirit competition.

Sophomore Geoffrey Nixon, a theatre and speech communication major and president of Caldwell Hall government, views the Hobo Week competition as “a chance for residence halls and student organizations to participate in an event that is well-remembered and is a whole lot of fun.”

There are also competitions designed to benefit charities. “Hobos vs. Hunger” is a food drive in which the different organizations see who can collect the most food for the Brookings food pantry. The United Way benefits from the “Hobos-CAN-Do-It” food drive, as student organizations race to see which group is able to collect the most cans.

The charitable competitions allow students to work together toward a common cause.

“We want to win, but we would rather have our hall as a community working on a project together,” said freshman Annie Morgan, a pre-nursing major and vice president of Mathews Hall government.

Last year, Farmhouse was the winning Greek organization and Hansen Hall was the winning residence hall. Hansen Hall Government President Evan Papousek, a sophomore ag business major, believes that teamwork is the key to their hall’s success.

“Basically everyone here gets along and everyone pitches in and helps out,” he said.

Many students use the competitions as a chance to become involved in campus activities. It is also an opportunity for the different residence halls and fraternities to interact.

“[Hobo Week is] a prime event to bring all students organizations together and rally behind the goal of supporting SDSU Jackrabbits as well as the heritage of our university,” said Jason Frerichs, senior ag education major and president of Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity.