President Barack Obama's second televised press conference was focused almost solely on the economy, and for good reason. Americans have heard plenty of talking heads in the media and in Congress bloviate on the AIG bonus scandal and the bank bailout, and it was time for the public to hear from the one voice that matters the most: the president's.

I was having a bad day recently and, as per usual, my best friend from home, Janine, was the only one to answer my call. She listened, gave advice and spoon-fed me classic lines like 'you're better than him,' and 'please don't set anything on fire.'

The economic downturn could not have come at a worse time for the beleaguered newspaper industry. Already facing declining revenue and shrinking circulation due to competition with the Internet and other new media, traditional newspapers have had to cut staff, shrink sections and close offices just to survive. Some papers have simply closed.

You could not be more off base ('STAFF EDIT: Lifting the Tali-ban,' March 29).' If you look at World War II as an example, the Allies did not let the Nazi Party have a seat at the table after the war was over because they were oppressive and tyrannica

' The Obama administration is taking a side in the case of Joel Tenenbaum vs. the Recording Industry Association of America, and it's not looking good for the Boston University graduate student. Essentially, President Barack Obama and his justice department are taking the same absurd stance as former President George W. Bush's administration by declaring that fines of up to $150,000 per illegally downloaded song is a fair penalty.

They pay the same amount for their dining plans as the rest of the Boston University student body, but it is clear that many vegetarian and vegan students feel as though their needs are not being met by dining services. The current amount of effort expended by dining services to inform students about their vegetarian and vegan options is far too lackluster.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has been in hot water over his handling of the AIG bonus scandal, but some are saying his job may be safe after all, pointing to Monday's 500-point surge in the Dow Jones industrial average following Geithner's announcement of a bank bailout.

If at some point in elementary school you debated who could push the tire swing the coolest, which name will make the class's gerbil most peer-friendly or why your Meowth totally deserves to be traded for that other guy's holographic Charizard, you have inadvertently been a part of this week's ThingFight.

'Listen up, you couch potatoes: each recycled beer can save enough electricity to run a television for three hours.' - Denis Hayes, American environmental activist

West Campus is suddenly the place to be next year at Boston University, as many students are wondering if their housing selection number is high enough to get them a coveted spot in Student Village Housing Phase II. However, one question about West Campus still remains: Will the West Campus Fresh Food Company be able to handle the influx of 544 new students to the area?

The declining economy has been on everyone's mind, but the situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating as well. In an interview with The New York Times earlier this month, President Barack Obama offered a sobering analysis of the conflict, saying that the United States was not winning in Afghanistan.

In a few short weeks, I'll be printing off my last papers, scribbling on my final Scantron sheets and turning in my remaining projects. That's right, dear readers, my illustrious career here at Boston University is '- sadly '- coming to a close this May.