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(02/22/10 4:00am)
A recent New York Times article discusses the social implications of the fact that, on college campuses across the country, women outnumber men. According to a report by the American Council on Education, females have comprised approximately 57 percent of the national undergraduate student body since at least 2000. The Times article raises an interesting question: should colleges and universities engage in sex-based affirmative action in order to strike an even gender balance?
(01/25/10 4:00am)
The surprising election of Scott Brown, R-Mass., to the Senate seat vacated by Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., will have significant implications regarding health care policy. Because Senate Democrats no longer have the 60 votes needed to quell a filibuster, the shaken party must reassess its approach. Thoughts about how to proceed have been mixed. While some Democrats have rightly acknowledged that their plans must change, others have refused to accept this fact.
(01/11/10 4:00am)
In her article last week, ("Timeout, TSA," Jan. 5) Emily Johnson '12 addressed the issue of airport security, asserting that tax dollars are best spent on gathering intelligence which can help prevent attacks before they occur. While most of our efforts should certainly be preemptive, airport security must not be ignored. A fundamental transformation in airport security policies can both increase safety and provide a better experience for travelers. In order for this to happen, however, Americans must be ready to put safety over political correctness. And, in some cases, this may require focusing more attention on passengers of particular races and backgrounds.
(11/24/09 4:00am)
According to a New York Times blog post, a scientific study determined that athletes with lower-leg amputations who use certain high-tech prosthetics appear to have an advantage over ordinary competitors. The carbon-fiber Cheetah Flex Foot, for instance, may provide middle-distance sprinters an edge in races. This discovery raises a number of interesting issues regarding disability accommodations, the definition of competition and the implications of scientific progress.
(11/09/09 4:00am)
A recent New York Times article reported the case of a young British woman killed in a traffic accident. The 22-year-old driver of the car that caused the crash was sentenced to 21 months in a high-security women's prison. This was not a case of DWI rather DWT: driving while texting.
(10/20/09 2:00am)
Last month, a video of second graders singing songs in praise of President Obama at a school assembly found its way on to the Internet. Although the songs were performed over seven months ago, they have caused a great deal of controversy over the past couple of weeks. Last week, protesters surrounded the New Jersey elementary school, accusing administrators of indoctrination. This incident has escalated to the point where the school was temporarily placed on lockdown last week, after death threats were made against its principal.
(10/02/09 2:00am)
In his column last week ("Time to Go It Alone," Sept. 22), Raza Rasheed '12 expressed his frustration with the current political system, pointing specifically to this summer's health care debate. I agree with Rasheed that some of the actions of our leaders and fellow citizens in recent months have been disappointing. However, I feel that many of Rasheed's claims and attacks are unwarranted. Furthermore, while Rasheed blames Republicans and Blue Dogs for the sad state of affairs, I believe that the Democrats also have a lot to answer for.
(05/29/09 2:00am)
According to a recent New York Times article, the rate at which teenagers are currently sending and receiving text messages is higher than ever. During the fourth quarter of 2008, American teenagers sent and received an average of 2,272 text messages each month, according to the Nielsen Company. This averages out to 80 messages per day, which is more than double the average of the previous year. Many teenagers routinely send hundreds of texts every day, which amounts to one every few minutes.
(05/21/09 5:19am)
Correction appended
(05/07/09 7:11am)
Last month, Republican lawmakers introduced a proposed constitutional amendment that would explicitly grant parents basic authorities to raise their children. Although it seems given that parents would already have these authorities, such rights are not explicitly enumerated in the constitution. As a result, parental rights remain threatened by the interpretations of judges, as well as by international laws.
(04/21/09 8:22am)
Last week, the state of Vermont made history by legalizing same-sex marriage. Although it is one of four states in the nation that now recognize such marriages, Vermont is the first to have reached this result by means of a truly democratic process. Unlike the other states that allow same-sex marraige (Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa), where it was allowed through state supreme court rulings, Vermont has established same-sex marriage through the legislative process. Regardless of one's views on the issue of same-sex marriage, the state of Vermont should be applauded for changing its law in the appropriate way.
(04/02/09 4:39am)
Last month the United States Senate, by a vote of 58-39, rejected an amendment to the 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Bill (H.R. 1105) that would have continued federal funding for Washington D.C.'s school voucher program. Congress initially funded the program, which was established under the Bush administration in 2004, for five years as an experiment. The program was due to expire this year, but some Republican senators had been pushing for its continuation. Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) had proposed an amendment to the bill that would have resulted in the extension of the voucher program, but in the heavily partisan vote, the amendment was easily defeated. This is terrible news for the former beneficiaries of the voucher program, as they will now be forced to attend the poor quality Washington, D.C. public schools.
(03/05/09 4:22am)
If you were suddenly diagnosed with terminal cancer and told that you had only months left to live, how would you spend your remaining time? I'm assuming that most of us would prefer to spend this precious time in the private company of our close friends and family members.
(02/19/09 6:52am)
"Octomom" Nadya Suleman of California has become a media sensation since she gave birth to octuplets on January 26th. On that day, Suleman, who already had six children under the age of seven, became the proud mother of fourteen.
(02/05/09 8:19am)
Back in December, President-elect Obama announced his nomination of former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services and director of the new White House Office of Health Reform. On Tuesday, Daschle withdrew the nomination, following several days of controversy surrounding the revelation that he had failed to pay $128,000 in taxes. I find it disturbing that I'm even writing an opinion column about this matter -- it seems as though there can't possibly be another side to the argument that people who don't pay taxes should not hold cabinet-level positions in government. But the sad truth is that the men and women who run our country don't see it the same way.
(01/04/07 11:00am)
Is it appropriate for a team to use a Native American emblem as a mascot? Is it a gesture of honor and respect, or one of hatred and degradation?
(11/21/06 11:00am)
I have always had a strong interest in politics, but as I become more aware of the scandals and corruption among both political parties, I find myself somewhat disillusioned. What I find even more disheartening is the American electorate's failure to punish such despicable acts of corruption which tarnish our political system.
(11/14/06 11:00am)
The state of Arizona recently unveiled its memorial commemorating the attacks of Sept. 11. Unfortunately, when the veil came off, it became clear that the memorial had been influenced by commission members wishing to make political statements. Disagreement and controversy over Iraq and the War on Terror are seeping into things as fundamental as our memorials to our dead.
(10/24/06 9:00am)
Unfortunately, "Sure, I support free speech... until you say something that I disagree with!" seems to be the outlook of a growing number of Americans. It is an attitude increasingly prevalent in our country among media figures, the private sector and especially academic institutions.