In fear of a pending recession, the Fed has cut its lending rate by a monumental margin, all the way to 3.5 percent; the Giants have at long last triumphed their way to the Super Bowl (only to be surely trounced by Brady and Co.) and Heath Ledger has gone. What one hell of a week.

Zoning in on our fine, winter-laden University, let us take stock of this winter break’s events: Men’s basketball notches first place in America East, and men’s swimming and diving embarks coolly on a seven-meet win streak (yes, we have a swim team).

Our University Forum was also held during the break, with President DeFleur and Provost Swain each excellently listing the exemplary benefits of having a law school and the value of graduating ‘without a huge debt burden.’ Yeah, OK. If I went to Columbia I’d most likely be paying the same amount of money as I am here ‘ financial aid works differently at an Ivy than at an Ivy-of-the-SUNYs.

At the Forum, VP for Research Gerald Sonnenfeld proudly emphasized the need of ‘harnessing our students’ brainpower’ toward the attainment of progressive opportunities for the University. He further mentioned plans for a Science V, as well as the necessity of expanding the Innovative Technologies Complex (ITC).

As for the ITC, I never knew we had one, and I doubt most BU students do, so why expand it?

Determined to search for more answers, I looked into our research department. Disappointedly, I found no muck to rake. Indeed, we seem to have invented a number of gadgets with boring scientific names including an ‘optical differential microphone’ (a better type of hearing-aid) and ‘nanoparticle-based probes for DNA cleavage.’ Who knew cleavage could be so important? (Specific enzymes which cleave DNA are supposedly pathogenic, meaning disease-causing, and thus the significance of spotting them may prove to be highly useful.)

And so, I take it that we do have an up-and-coming research center here at Bing, and possibly a mightily progressive one too, but why don’t we hear more of their inventive conquests, and more important, what these inventions contribute to society? If we are indeed to have a Science V and an innovated Innovative Technologies Complex, the reasons should be clearly stated and outlined in letters sent to both students and their parents. The importance of these buildings and their overall contribution should be forcefully highlighted ‘ tuition here is high enough as it is, if it goes any higher, SUNY schools will no longer maintain its long-standing rep of ‘value education’ (physically, that is; classroom learning can still be considered inadequate).

OK, enough finger-pointing in one direction, it is time for some humor ‘ everyone take a moment to laugh at the Bush administration as they naively attempt to save the economy by providing a tax-cut for the rich (if your daddy makes over 100 Gs per year, then you can’t laugh). Thank God for Bernanke.