Opinion

My thesis and the University: Thanks, and suggestions

My thesis is named Phoebe, and she will be done by her due date. (Thank you for asking. I know that it was my horrendous waddle as I attempt to walk under the weight of my bulging, book-and-computer-filled backpack that tipped you off that my time approaches.)The University has helped me greatly in the process of carrying Phoebe to term.

Op Art

France, CJL and identity crusades

The New York Times recently reported on the trends confronting the national elections in France. According to the article, candidates ranging from the far right to the far left have waged a rhetorical battle to determine what it means to be truly French and how best to demonstrate French patriotism in the 21st century.

Letters to the Editor

Ann Coulter is more of an entertainer than a political commentatorRegarding 'A few comments on Ann Coulter' (Tuesday, March 27, 2007):Jason Gilbert '09 is, I believe, missing the point of Ann Coulter.

Hallway waste reduction

At first glance, the problem of hallway clutter would not appear to be of global significance. After all, we are not even likely to trip on the ubiquitous campus publications, takeout menus, flyers for various dance performances or invitations to an eating club's latest themed party.

Crossing red lines

There are certain things that sovereign states simply do not do without severe repercussions. Under normal circumstances, kidnapping the soldiers of a foreign power without provocation and then holding them hostage is one such action.

Op Art

The environment-conscious carnivore?

And doesn't it seem shameful to you to need medical help," says Socrates to Glaucon in the third book of the Politeia, "not for wounds or because of some seasonal illness, but because, through idleness and the lifestyle we've described, one is full of gas and phlegm like a stagnant swamp, so that sophisticated Asclepiad doctors are forced to come up with names like 'flatulence' and 'catarrh' to describe one's diseases?" This, roughly, is the reaction prompted by Kathryn Andersen '08's sermon on the consumption of grass fed cow corpse. Andersen appeals to two values ? sustainability and health.

Letters to the Editor

Black students are from different groupsRegarding 'Study: Universities prefer foreign black students'(Wednesday, March 7, 2007):What I find most surprising about this study is not the higher number of African students on Ivy League campuses relative to African-American students, but rather the ease with which these two groups are equated into "black students." If the aim of this study was to highlight the obstacles regarding adequate representation of black American students on campus, I'm not really sure why black African students on campus were used as scapegoats.

DRM: Delusional Restrictions Management

I tried Ruckus a couple of weeks ago. It's actually a pretty cool service. They have a fairly wide catalog that contains enough ? though definitely not all ? of the music I like.

Lost and found

I found a cell phone on the Street at the beginning of spring break. A night of exposure to the bitter cold had not dimmed its brave little backlight, and there was no car traffic, so it hadn't been crushed either.

An enterprising move

The Center for Innovation in Engineering Education (CIEE) recently announced the appointment of Greg Olson, co-founder of Sensors Unlimited and a successful businessman with close ties to the University, as Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS). This action is a step forward in CIEE's efforts to provide a context for engineering coursework and show its applications to the real world.We see CIEE's mission as contributing positively to the University community.

Grade inflation, the other way

The University's decision to lower grades has sparked unusually sharp debate. I'm honestly not sure what I think.

Op Art

'Seriously?'

It is my sincere belief that there is a time in every person's life when his or her philosophy and outlook on life faces a serious challenge.

Op Art

Major choices

Nearly two-and-a-half years ago, the administration released a guide, entitled "Major Choices," designed to introduce students and their parents to the University's smaller departments ? in other words, all those except economics, English, history, politics and the Wilson School.

The moral importance of abortion rights

Of the hotly contested political battles of our time, none is fraught with more accusations of moral turpitude and self-imagined righteousness than that over abortion ? over the question of a woman's right to regulate her own reproductive self.In the United States, it's unusually Judeo-Christianly inspired and frequently evangelical or fundamentalist believers who lead the charge to protect the vanguard of human life, to explain the sacredness that defines a woman's womb.I am deeply appreciative and respectful of the many learned and wise teachings that underlie these religious traditions.

Letters to the Editor

Headline too extremeRegarding 'Senator Hart attacks evangelical Christians' (Wednesday, March 7, 2007):When I read the title, I was surprised ? I thought the title was needlessly provocative and could unnecessarily polarize evangelical Christians on campus ? because Sen.

The simple life

Sometimes I surf various movie websites, looking at the critical and popular opinions of films that I enjoy.