Franciscan University of Steubenville sent the largest graduating class in the university’s history into the world on May 8, at the 62nd commencement exercises.

The 707 graduates of the class of 2010 represent 11 countries and 46 states, with Ohio, Pennsylvania, California, Virginia and New York leading the way.

This year’s class also included the first-ever graduates from the sacred music and international business programs.

“Congratulations on graduating from one of the finest Catholic universities, not only in the United States, but in the world,” Cardinal John Foley told the graduates gathered in Finnegan Fieldhouse for the Baccalaureate Mass on May 7.

In his homily, Cardinal Foley linked the graduates to centuries of Catholic tradition while exhorting them to take the fervor of their faith with them into the world.

“Love one another – if you do that, you’ve done enough,” Cardinal Foley said.  He explained the three levels of love: the “Ben Franklin level,” or an attitude of mutual respect; “love your neighbor as yourself,” or treating your neighbor’s self-interests as your own; and the highest, “love one another as I have loved you,” or a gift of self that is so complete it cannot be surpassed.

Cardinal Foley told the graduates to carry this level of love into the world, asking God to bless them as they sought to live this self-giving love.

Cardinal Foley, the Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem and former president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, received an honorary doctorate in communications from the university for his “immense contribution to the world’s understanding of the role of social communications,” said university president the Rev. Terence Henry.

The commencement ceremonies began at 9 a.m. in Christ the King Chapel with the conferral of 152 master’s degrees in counseling, philosophy, theology, business, education, educational administration and nursing.

Francis Martin-Xavier Campbell, British ambassador to the Holy See, urged graduates to face the enormous challenges and changes facing them in today’s world head-on, but at the same time to find the same hope that brought past generations through even darker days.

“Everything changes, but our faith gives us hope for the future,” Campbell said. “Are the challenges of 2010 any greater than those posed to people in 1930?”

Campbell reminded graduates of two young people who in 1930 faced a Europe filled with strife and pain, and on the verge of being torn apart by World War II. He exhorted them to carry on the tradition of the young Karol Wojtyla and Joseph Ratzinger, who engaged with their faith in the face of challenges, instead of running from them.

“Often you will be told that the faith is going through a turbulent time, but that is not new; in fact, the Church relishes the challenge,” Campbell said.

Campbell urged graduates to become the “creative minority” of faith that Pope Benedict XVI has called young people to be, and to renew the world.

“Engage, do not retreat, regardless of how hostile the environment may appear to be,” Campbell said.

Campbell, the first Catholic to serve as British Ambassador to the Holy See since the Reformation, received an honorary doctorate in humanities from the university for “faithfully serving both God and country,” said Father Terry.

“Your university speaks volumes in Rome. It is well-known in the Vatican, because it is a model of what a Catholic university should be,” Campbell said.

The undergraduate commencement ceremony, beginning at 11:30 a.m., packed Finnegan Fieldhouse for almost two and a half hours as more than 550 students received associate and bachelor’s degrees amid applause and cheers from family and friends.

Two honorary degrees were also awarded. Robert Mylod received a doctorate in Christian letters for his service as a member of the university’s Board of Trustees and his dedication to the university.

Mylod reminded graduates of the small Spanish force led by Pelayo who in 722 took refuge in Covadonga, the Cave of Our Lady. The 300 Spanish soldiers defeated an Islamic army with three times their numbers. Fewer than 30 of the Catholics survived the battle, but these went on to begin the Reconquista. Mylod urged graduates to carry on the tradition of these heroes, bringing faith back to their culture.

“Your challenge is to return society to its Judeo-Christian principles,” Mylod said. “You are about to help leaven the culture. Those who have gone before you from this city on the hill are already winning souls.”

The Rev. Mitchell C. Pacwa, SJ, received a doctorate in Christian ethics for his work with the media to build a culture of life.

“The world in which you are commencing to work is full of problems,” Father Pacwa told graduates, “particularly a decline in knowledge and education.”

Aristotle said that logic flows from grammar; a decline in language, Father Pacwa said, means a decline in our ability to think clearly. The new media is helping that decline, he said, by allowing the young to isolate themselves from adults and avoid learning from them. However, Father Pacwa said he is hopeful about the future.

“Your task is not to maintain our Catholicism, it is to make it into an effective force, to make society more Catholic. We have a responsibility to restore our Christian identity,” Father Pacwa said.

Father Pacwa offered graduates four instructions to live out in the coming years. First, he told them to make sure they listen to God and allow the power of the sacraments, especially regular Eucharist and reconciliation, to work in their lives. Second, Father Pacwa said they should never apologize for their faith, but stand up for it with good reason and engage in a lifelong work of greater education to revitalize their faith.

“Trust it, look for it, learn it: There always is a good Catholic answer to any question,” he said.

Third, he said they should be able to answer those who question them about their hope, listening carefully to their questions and pointedly addressing their concerns.

“Atheistic societies have no hope. They don’t even have children for the future, so that’s one way we’ll win,” Father Pacwa told the crowd. “Principles of natural selection: Atheists are selecting themselves out of existence.”

Lastly, he encouraged the Class of 2010 to live morally themselves so that they not cause scandal, and so they might be effective evangelists as they strive to love everyone in Christ.

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The Franciscan University Tennis squad finished its inaugural NCAA season last weekend in the AMCC conference tournament. The Barons placed fourth out of the six teams competing in the tournament, notching six points.
In number 1 doubles play, Barons Nick Cundiff and Andrew Straub defeated Tomas Hiric and Navid Pourarian of Pitt-Greensburg  8-3 in the quarterfinals. They advanced to Sunday’s semifinals, where they fell 8-5 to Elliot Blackstone and Chris Gavin of PSU Behrend.
Baron head coach Curtis Allen noted that Blackstone and Gavin had won most of their matches in shutouts, so he was impressed with his  pair’s performance.
“They almost beat the most dominant pair in the conference,” said Allen.
In number 2 doubles play, Matt Alexander and Brad Mathiesen lost to Eddie McMurtrie and Tyler Forster of Frostburg State 8-5. Rounding out the doubles play for Franciscan were Adam Van Lieshout and Clark Thompson, who fell 8-2 to Trevor Mateer and Matt Lee of Pitt-Bradford.
The Barons did not have an entrant in number 1 singles, but in the number 2 bracket, Andrew Straub topped Pitt Bradford’s Derek Whitten 6-0, 7-6 (8) on Saturday. In Sunday’s semifinals, Straub was edged out by PSU Altoona’s Stephen Dull, 6-4, 6-4.
Nick Cundiff excelled in number 3 singles. In Saturday’s quarterfinal, Cundiff dispatched Pitt-Greensburg’s Pourarian 6-4, 6-1. He then squared off against number 2 seed Eddie McMurtrie of Frostburg State. After losing the first set 3-6, Cundiff came back and topped McMurtrie in the next two 6-3, 6-3, to advance to the conference championship. In the title match, he was ousted by PSU Altoona’s Kyle Yerty, 6-4, 6-1.
Matt Alexander dropped his number 4 singles semifinal 6-1, 6-0 to Altoona’s Stephen James. However, Brad Mathiesen took down Frostburg’s Josh Galvez 7-6, 7-6 in the number 5 singles quarterfinals. Sunday’s semifinal saw Mathiesen fall to Peter Bissert of PSU Behrend, 6-2, 6-2. Rounding out the singles competition for the Barons was Clark Thompson, who lost his number 6 singles quarterfinal to Tyler Forster of Frostburg, 6-1, 6-1.
Penn State Behrend was the overall points leader and champion, tallying a total of 22 points in the tournament. It won 2 of the 3 doubles brackets and 4 of the 6 singles brackets.
In all, Franciscan finished its season with a 6-9 record and a strong showing in the tournament. Allen discussed his team’s performance in the tourney.
“They made four semifinals, so I was really pleased with how they played,” said Allen. “They played great tennis, and I couldn’t be happier.”
Allen also put into perspective the Barons’ first NCAA season and how they fared in conference play. He indicated that they’ve come a long way since those wintry February days.
“I think we exceeded a lot of expectations, both our own and those of the athletic department,” he said. “They’ve improved so much since the first day we started.”

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It was a game of defense for the Lady Barons softball squad  April 18 as the team stepped up against conference heavyweight Frostburg State.
The final tally was a double loss of 1-6 and 1-9 in the doubleheader versus the Lady Bobcats.  Franciscan now stands 2-16 overall in the season and 1-9 within the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference.
“We played pretty well today,” head coach Jen Biela remarked.  “Frostburg is one of the top teams in the conference and I am proud of the girls today.”
The Frostburg Lady Bobcats are now sitting on a nine-game winning streak.
Lady Baron freshman Lauren Kuzma showed leadership in providing the only RBI for the first game with a single up the middle in the fifth inning, and took the starting position of stalwart first baseman Cathy Durand, who was unable to attend the game.
Centerfielder Emily Whiteside provided the offensive points for the Lady Barons, scoring both runs tallied in the evening.
Biela commented that the strong arm of pitcher Shelbi Linscomb must be noted: “In both games, Shelbi pitched really well and shut down some big hitters.  I am proud of how well she played today.”
“I feel that we stepped up against a very tough team and are stepping in the right direction defensively,” Biela continued.  “We can still step it up offensively, but we are fighters – we fight for everything we get and we were fighting today.”

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As the final days of school approach, and for many, the final days of college, it is apropos to reflect on the past few years in sports. The games have given us poetry in motion, athletic excellence, human drama, social bonds and life lessons to be learned. Which stood out the most? For the graduates of 2010, here are the top 10 moments from your college days.
1. U.S. Olympic Triumphs in Beijing- In the 2008 Summer Olympics, Michael Phelps achieved the improbable when he won a record 8 swimming gold medals. Some were dominant wins and others were nail-biters, but all were impressive. The other  storyline was the U.S. basketball team’s quest to reclaim the gold medal. Led by LeBron, Kobe and D-Wade, Team USA went undefeated and topped Spain in the finals to win gold.
2. Topsy-turvy tourneys: The NCAA basketball tournaments over the past four years have produced some great stories and great games. From North Carolina’s dominance, to the Kansas comeback, to upsets galore this year, to the fabulous Duke-Butler finale, the tournament has taken us all for a wild ride.
3. Giants steal the Super Bowl- the February 2008 Super Bowl pitted undefeated juggernaut New England versus wild card New York. The Giants crashed the Patriots’ perfect season party, stifling them 17-14 to shock the nation.
4. Philadelphia can celebrate- A city so passionate for its teams had not seen a championship since the 1983 76ers. Cole Hamels, Ryan Howard and company gave the city a reason to celebrate after its title win over Tampa Bay.
5. Return to former glory: In 2008, it was the Celtic’s big 3 that took down King James and Kobe in the same playoffs to give Boston its 17th crown. Then Kobe got his first post-Shaq ring, his fourth overall and Phil Jackson’s record 10th.
6. Gators devour all comers- Repeat basketball championships plus 2 football BCS crowns make the Florida Gators the sports college of the decade, not to mention the last four years.
7. N.Y. back on top- after a nine-year ‘drought,’ New York treated its fans to a new stadium and a World Series title in the same year. The core four (Jeter, Rivera, Posada, and Petite) were key in the Yanks’  triumph.
8. Stanley Cup rematch- After a knock-down, drag-out series that Detroit won in ’08, the Pittsburgh Penguins got their vengeance in a Stanley Cup rematch in ’09. It was the coronation of Sidney Crosby as hockey’s royalty.
9. Steeler’s Super win in 2009- football is America’s sport, and this was arguably the best Super Bowl in years. Pittsburgh came back to top the Cards on a last-minute drive.
10. Boise State is Cinderella- The little-known team from Idaho got everyone’s attention with a stunning win over powerhouse Oklahoma. They didn’t just win it, they won it in overtime with flare and trick plays.

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In the chilly confines of Harding Stadium in Steubenville, the Franciscan University Barons fell 27-7 to the University of Pittsburgh Panthers in the sixth annual Robert D’Anniballe Rugby Ruckus on April 16.
The match is named in honor of the late Robert D’Anniballe, who was a supporter of Franciscan University for years and played a pivotal role in the formation of the rugby program at the school.
The match was the final spring ruckus for the Barons, who will play the annual match during the fall season from now on.
The Barons had faced the Panthers during the fall season, losing 50-3 in September, and were eager for a rematch. Unfortunately, the Panthers were too fast and too talented.
The Panthers jumped to a 7-0 lead on a try early in the first half, but the Barons fought back and went into halftime down only 15-7.
At halftime, D’Anniballe’s family and current general manager Niall “Papa” O’Mahony received special recognition by the Franciscan University athletic department.
In the second half, the Panthers slowly pulled away as the Barons struggled to move the ball.
Barons coach Mark Hanrahan said that the match was difficult and that there were a couple of missed opportunities for the team.
“A couple of balls didn’t bounce our way,” Hanrahan said. “Two of our tries were taken away by the referees.”
Hanrahan also said that he was pleased with his team’s effort despite the loss.
“This was a good team we played tonight,” Hanrahan said. “It was closer than the score suggested. We played hard and we never quit.”

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From the opening sequence where a red airplane swoops down and frightens Bruce Willis out of his socks, it is clear that “The Kid” is no ordinary film. It is one of those wonderfully whimsical films that leaves much to the viewer’s imagination.
With anyone else in the lead role, “The Kid” may have been just another passable live-action Disney film quickly released and easily forgotten.
However, Willis really shows his range here and delivers a great performance, and the result is somehow wildly hokey, yet so down-to-earth.
Willis stars as Russ Duritz, a successful but unhappy image consultant who manages to be a jerk to anyone he encounters. His world is turned upside down when he meets Rusty (an irrepressible Spencer Breslin) who turns out to be himself as a kid. It is the spark that starts Duritz on a journey toward reconciling his past and becoming a happier person.
Writer Audrey Wells crafts a story that could easily be called “A Bruce Willis Carol,” but succeeds on its own terms without being too patronizing or sugary-sweet.
The rest of the cast, especially Breslin and Lily Tomlin as Duritz’s secretary, give Willis terrific support.
“The Kid” is one of the best live-action Disney movies ever made, and it is definitely the most underrated Bruce Willis movie I’ve ever seen.

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Students complain so many times that there is nothing to do off campus – except drive to Robinson and go shopping, or go to Pittsburgh to see a show.
Shopping just isn’t my thing, and going to the theater is expensive, so in my four years here, I’ve managed to find a few other ways to keep myself entertained on the weekends.
Here’s a few places I highly recommend:
1. The Oglebay Glass Museum:
Located just outside of Wheeling, W.Va., this museum is only less fascinating than its gift shop. Both the shop and the museum are filled with exquisite, beautifully hand-crafted glass pieces. It is possible to spend more than an hour simply walking around the huge gift shop looking at all of the glass, created by artists from as close as Wheeling to as far away as Poland, using every technique imaginable, from stained glass to blown glass to cut glass. The pieces are absolutely gorgeous, and in the museum you can watch as glass ornaments are made in a red-hot furnace by a local glass artisan. The Oglebay Mansion next door is also worth touring. Travel: 45 min. Cost: $6.
2. The Creegan Company:
The Creegan Company, on Washington Street in Steubenville, creates costumes and animated toys and puppets for casinos, retail and even Disney World, Sea World and Hershey’s Chocolate World. On a tour of their factory, you can see every step of the manufacturing process and many of the quirky products they’ve created. Their gift shop looks like Santa’s workshop. Travel: 5 min. Cost: $2.
3. Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold:
Known as “the Taj Mahal of West Virginia,” this palace was built by a Hindu sect in memory of one of their teachers. The palace is decorated with 22 karat gold, Italian marble, ornately-carved teakwood and Austrian crystal chandeliers. The rose gardens of the palace look out on a beautiful view of the valley below. Do not ever go to this palace in the winter; the roads are extremely unsafe. (I know this from personal experience.) Travel: 1 hour. Cost: $6.
4. Jefferson Lake State Park:
Fishing, hunting, camping, boating, picnicking, hiking, volleyball, basketball, horseback riding trails and swimming are all available at this park. Get off campus and spend some time in the beautiful outdoors! The closer you get to this park, the more green and unpolluted the area becomes. Travel: 25 min. Cost: free.
5. The National Aviary:
America has a bird zoo, and it’s in Pittsburgh. The National Aviary has penguins, flamingos, parrots, condors, eagles, herons, tanagers and many, many other varieties of birds, totaling some 600 birds. The best feature of the Aviary is the tropical room, where the birds fly, swim and waddle all around you as you walk through a miniature tropical paradise. Travel: 45 min. Cost: $12.
Whether you are looking for an inexpensive date or just a day off campus, each of these unique places is worth every penny and every mile.

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One of the greatest pleasures of monster movies is how, when done well, they function as a kind of puzzle. The early stages of the film set up the “rules” of the monster: what it can, will, won’t, and cannot do. Then the characters are thrown in with the monsters and forced to find a way to apply the rules to escape or destroy the monster.
“Tremors” is one of the purest examples of these “monster-puzzle” movies. The set up is that four monstrous, man-eating worms have appeared in an isolated town in Nevada. They can’t see, but are sensitive to vibrations. They can move at ease through the soil, but can’t move through rocks. The puzzle thus becomes: “How can the characters escape this isolated, desert valley while avoiding the ground?”
It helps that the characters are both likable and intelligent. Indeed, intelligence is a key theme to the movie. At the beginning we meet Val (Kevin Bacon) and Earl (Fred Ward); two small-town handy-men who both know that they are too smart for the thankless, menial work they are doing but can’t quite seem to get away from the town of Perfection (Population: 14 … 13 … 10 …).  Early on, after they meet a smart, pretty seismology student named Rhonda (Finn Carter) working in the desert, Earl chides Val for not showing interest in her because she isn’t the kind of beauty-queen he usually dates who are, Earl points out, rather lacking in brains.
When the monsters show up it soon becomes clear that intelligence is the best weapon the characters have and more than once they come up with unexpected and clever methods to outmaneuver or destroy them. One early encounter has the three main characters trapped on a rock for almost a whole day by one of the monsters. They escape by using some nearby fence-posts in a surprising, yet simple manner; one I wouldn’t dare spoil. Later the characters escape from another seemingly hopeless situation by an equally clever and direct, but completely different way.
Intelligence is also what makes the monsters themselves so dangerous. As the film progresses it becomes clear that these are learning creatures which are smart enough to figure out building structures, destroy vehicles and even set simple traps. The conflict becomes which species can out-smart the other, and the back-and-forth battle of wits between the humans and the worms is a large part of the film’s pleasure. On a purely filmmaking level, it also keeps the film going by not allowing the humans to use the same technique against the creatures twice. Each individual creature has to be defeated in a unique and unexpected way, challenging the intelligence of the characters again and again.
Val, Earl and Rhonda could be said to represent intelligence: Val and Earl an earthy cleverness, Rhonda a more scientific intelligence. They are balanced by the Gummers (Michael Gross and Reba McEntire), a survivalist couple who represent brute force. The interesting thing is that, while the two groups clash occasionally, the film takes it for granted that force and intelligence are not contrary but complementary forces.
The Gummers are immensely likable and are portrayed as invaluable allies in the battle with the monsters, although their strength has to be united with the intelligence of the protagonists if either is going to have a chance against the monsters, which themselves embody this mixture of power and intelligence.
All this is present in the subtext of the film. For the most part the film just comes across as an extremely fun ride. It’s smart, scary, funny, a little romantic and always thrilling, and there hasn’t been a better monster movie made since.

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Few books in the past decade or so have sought to eclipse (Twilight pun) the popularity of Harry Potter. I mean, it’s hard to wage war on the scrawny little unkempt kid with his facial deformities and his flashy stick.
But Stephanie Meyer, in writing her own twisted vampire fantasy, has somehow managed to make her particular desires resonate with those of 12-year-old girls everywhere. I know when I was 12, I was still into action figures, but apparently girls at that age long for a romantic escapade with a 100-year-old vampire. To each his own, I say.
But Twilight has certainly garnered a massive following. My own sisters went and saw the first movie roughly eight times … in theatres. Now let’s count that out: $9.00 a movie x 8 viewings = $72 to see an angsty teen try to come to terms with her epic love for a blood-sucking child predator. I can see how this appeals to the younger generation. It’s like watching Dateline’s: “To Catch a Predator: The Untold Love Story.”
Yet, is this really love? I mean, how many of us can look back on our high school relationships and actually say it was love? But for some reason, when that love is with undead sparkle boy, it’s as true as biblical Scripture. Sparkle, you say? Yes, these vampires, unlike ALL their demonic peers, when exposed to sunlight don’t scream as they char like your mom’s thanksgiving turkey (Oh, burn! (Pun!)). Instead they sparkle like a humanoid disco ball at a Village People concert.
When Bella first sees this, she is mesmerized. I have to tell you, the first time I see my significant other glowing like plutonium, I’d be more scared of radiation poisoning than taking the time to sit and admire her lethal glow.
But who really thinks Bella Swan (Stephanie Meyer’s avatar) is a particularly bright character to begin with? It seems this girl is too clumsy to survive getting milk for her cereal, much less a love life involving her boyfriend, señor twinkle toes, and a shirtless werewolf. Whenever his role in the movies is referenced, it is only mentioned that he got rock hard abs for the second movie.
Now, I’m not part of “the academy,” but if the most interesting part of your acting is that you worked out, don’t expect the Oscar nominations to be overflowing from your mailbox.
Mrs. Meyer also loves Edward Cullen. And I don’t mean she likes her character, I mean she loves him. I’m positive if Edward were as real and sparkly as she describes, she would leave her husband for him immediately. And who could blame her? After all, she describes his Adonis-like features, his marble skin and his apparently attractive chagrin expression.
First, Adonis was an extremely attractive Greek god born from incest and mauled by a wild boar, so I totally see the resemblance between him and glitter prince.
And Edward has marble skin, just like a statue! And we all know how awesome statues feel: cold and covered in bird poop. I don’t know what woman is actually fixated on the idea of her lover having marble skin but it’s about the same as if she said she was attracted to a streetlamp. And hey, at least that produces heat.
Finally, she loves to point out his chagrin expression. She seems to think this means his sallow face that sees deep into Bella’s beautiful heart as he tries to fight his deep love for her. Now, here in reality land, according to dictionary.com, chagrin actually means: “a feeling of vexation, marked by disappointment or humiliation.” So when Edward looks at Bella with this expression, the words actually mean that he’s feeling a little less like “I love you so much it hurts,” and more along the lines: “I’m passing a kidney stone.”
And when you really think about it, chagrin probably best describes the feeling anyone who’s not an angsty teenage girl would get from reading this book. I think Robert Pattinson, the actor who played Edward, put it best when asked about what he thought of the crowd at a convention. Here is his answer: “It’s terrifying. It’s like the sound you hear at the gates of hell.”
But don’t worry girls, I’m sure Edward wants to marry each one of you. He sparkles just for you.

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Environmentalism and climate change are two issues that threaten America’s future, said Ann McElhinney, Irish journalist and director of documentaries on the subjects of environmentalism and mining.
“The enemy of the poor is not the big evil mining company,” she said. “The enemy of the poor is the environmentalist.”
McElhinney came to Franciscan University to speak after the College Republicans held a premiere of her documentary “Not Evil, Just Wrong” last semester. She was also sponsored by the Clare Booth Luce Institute.
McElhinney began by explaining the inspiration for her other documentary, “Mine Your Own Business,” which looks at the environmentalist agenda. The filming of this documentary took McElhinney to Madagascar, where she witnessed terrible conditions.
“Life is too short to go to Madagascar,” she said. “You don’t know what infrastructure is until you experience the absence of it.”
McElhinney noticed that while there were many environmentalists in Madagascar, they were largely there to observe the lemurs that live there, ignoring the starving children.
“I think at the heart of environmentalism … there’s a deep racism in it,” she said. “I think there’s a deep sense that black people in Africa don’t really feel pain like we do.”
The result, McElhinney said, is the call to preserve the “traditional” way of life. She suggested that environmentalists practice this way of life if they are going to advocate it.
McElhinney also talked about the issue of climate change and her experiences in Copenhagen. One of the biggest tragedies in terms of liberal agenda and climate change is the extent to which it is being taught in schools, McElhinney said.
“An Inconvenient Truth,” the documentary produced by Al Gore, is being shown in schools, she said. “Not Evil, Just Wrong” is a response to that film.
“The Story of Stuff,” a 20-minute short film funded by the Tides Foundation, is another film full of environmentalist agenda that is being shown in schools, McElhinney said.
“Capitalism is evil and destroys everything it touches. And the animals all die,” McElhinney said, giving a “crude summary” of the film.
“Engage. Get involved. I think a lot of people in this country who are conservative – and I believe some of you are conservative – I think it’s interesting that on your watch you’ve allowed it to happen,” she said, talking about the ideologies that are being taught in schools.
McElhinney brought up the issues of overpopulation and genetically modified food, saying that children are being taught about these subjects from one perspective.
She used the film “Avatar” as an example of environmentalist agenda that has far-reaching effects, calling it anti-American, anti-military and anti-resource development. The film features caricatures of Americans and a fantastic portrayal of rainforests, McElhinney said.
“Here’s the problem: every child in the developing world will see it and they will learn this (agenda). And (James Cameron) wants them to. He’s very clear about this. He’s teaching a politics.”
McElhinney also talked about the passage of the health care bill and the recent West Virginia mining tragedy. She spent about the last half hour of her time taking questions from the audience and engaging them in conversation about the future of the conservative movement.
“I am optimistic. I think people are realizing how high the stakes are,” she said. “I’m very hopeful that something marvelous will happen and a great leader will emerge to bring people into a better future.”

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