Yesterday I did something quite uncharacteristic of the average Wesleyan student: I picked up the remote control, and turned on the television. I was hoping to catch the last ten minutes of Lou Dobbs Moneyline, but when I flipped the channel to 24, I was surprised to see not the discussion of our national immigration policies, not a debate over America’s war strategies in Iraq, not a report on the rising gas prices and its effect on the national economy, but “Meet Joe Black,” a film who’s overarching message is not taking life for granted.
Now as much as I enjoy watching Brad Pitt movies, as they allow me to envision myself in bed with him naked and watching “Meet Joe Black” on AMC, and as much as I think that catching up on good old classic American films is a necessary requirement to being a responsible, educated member of society and citizen of the state, I cant help but be disappointed with the sudden lack of excitement on my cathode-ray tube.
In the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, following the two historic indictments of House Majority Leader Tom Delay, in the midst of two wars being carried out simultaneously in Iraq and Afghanistan, and as the rest of the world is essentially falling apart, Wesleyan students are without any access to what is likely the most necessary tool in understanding global issues factually and completely – that tool of course being CNN.
I therefore call upon all Wesleyan students to stand up for what you believe in. Get up on the steps of Olin, climb up to the top of Foss Hill, sneak up onto the roof of Exley, and scream out at the top of your lungs those very words which may propel the administration to listen to what we students demand from our education: “I want my CNN!”
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