Letter from the Editor

by Matt Benoit

You may not have been aware of it, but the revolutionary protests in Egypt have been directly affecting students at Whatcom. That’s because there are six Egyptian students at the college, here to earn one-year business degrees as part of the Northwest Colleges Egypt Initiative program.

I interviewed one of them for one of our front page stories, and as the situation in Egypt continues to develop further into the quarter, you can bet the Horizon will likely have additional stories about it.

In addition to how the protests are affecting the Egyptian students, this issue has some other interesting articles as well, including one on the new sustainability graduation requirement for new Whatcom students.

There’s also a story on Whatcom’s Criminal Justice Leadership Program, and in sports, a Q&A with the captains of the men’s and women’s basketball teams. Our production editor, Emily Huntington, also gives us her views on underage drinking in a thoughtful opinion column.

And with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, we’ve included two pieces on the subject—one dealing with the holiday’s history and students’ opinions on it, and the other dealing with the psychology of falling in love, a story which involved interviews with several of Whatcom’s psych instructors.

Although Valentine’s Day can be an annoying holiday for single people, it might help to keep in mind (if you’re one of them) that chocolate and flowers aren’t getting any cheaper these days. I saw a box of six truffles in a supermarket the other day that cost $15!

Let me tell you, if you’re going to spend $15 on just six chocolates, you better get something really good in return. And by “something really good,” I do not mean just “a sincere and heartfelt thank you.”

Finally, I’d also like to congratulate the Green Bay Packers on their win in Super Bowl XLV, beating the dreaded Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25. As a Seattle Seahawks fan, I feel just a little better now.

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