On Friday, the University of Washington’s Director of Athletics Scott Woodward announced the school will be discontinuing their men’s and women’s swimming programs in this press release, effective immediately. Due to the huge budget cuts that UW suffered, Woodward said the school must take steps to reduce expenses and increase revenues.

The UW will continue to honor swimmers’ athletic scholarship agreements. Additionally, they have given permission for other universities to contact those athletes that wish to transfer.

With the elimination of the UW’s swim teams, only five schools in the Pac-10 will have men’s swimming programs, none in the Pacific Northwest. Eight schools in the Pac-10 will still have women’s swimming programs. UW will still offer 21 sports.

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Seventy-three cases of swine flu have been confirmed world wide by the World Health Organization, according to this CNN article.

Now, the United States is taking steps to prevent a possible epidemic. However, President Obama said it is not a “cause for alarm” however it is a “cause for concern.”

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TOMS Shoes, a company that makes “vegan” shoes, is sponsoring today, April 16, as One Day Without Shoes. 

They are encouraging everyone to go barefoot at some point today to raise awareness about the issue of shoeless-ness in developing nations and the health problems that come along with it.

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I knew it, I knew it all along that there was something bad about this whole Twitter thing. This is one Internet social networking tool I’ve refused to jump on board with. Isn’t it just like Facebook, minus all of the good stuff? Also, the words/verbs that Twitter has spawned are ridiculous. “Oh I’m just tweeting.” “You know who tweeted me today?” How can you say that with a straight face?

Now let me stop my rant and say that Twitter does have it’s advantages. It’s a great way to stalk people. Okay, that was the last jab I had to get in. Twitter can be useful, as it has been for The Spectator, to keep people up to date on important things happening in our world. Read more…

Last Thursday, the princess of pop herself descended upon the Tacoma Dome.

Britney singing "Everytime"

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Two weekends ago, I embarked on an epic journey to the small town of Forks, Wash. where the Twilight book series takes place.  My friends Mat, Jon and I set out one Sunday morning for our drive to the Mecca of Stephanie Meyer admirers.
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Friday, just 55 days before its 150th birthday, the Rocky Mountain News closed its doors. Read more…