Opinion

Campaign finance reform could make our politics fairer

The American people have always been apathetic towards government. But this sentiment has never been quite as strong as it is today. Nearly every problem that one has with our government can be traced to a single fact: Congress has become a broken branch — and the cause of Congress’ inefficiency can largely be traced to the money.

In the Lone Star State, death penalty overuse has its consequences

My home state of Texas is undoubtedly known for a lot of things, like barbecue and good music, as well as crazy politicking and the death penalty. This year, the state’s attitude on capital punishment has come under the national microscope.

Letters to the editor

I am a third-year member of AU’s Club Rowing team. Recently the team was disciplined by the Office of Recreational Sports and Fitness for an AUTO van-related infraction that occurred in the first week of September.

Eagle rants

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Supporting student veterans

For thousands of student veterans across America, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is a bureaucratic nightmare. The VA is backlogged this fall with an avalanche of requests from vets seeking financial aid through the Post-9/11 GI Bill and the Yellow Ribbon Program. Both initiatives are new this semester, so the department has been slammed for months. Luckily, student veterans on campus have reason to hope, because AU has taken several steps since this summer to insure them an affordable education.

An Olympic win would have hurt President Obama

As if President Obama’s opponents didn’t have enough ammunition. Three days ago, despite the president’s passionate support, the International Olympic Committee out-rightly rejected Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Olympics. The Windy City failed to clear even the first round of voting.

Upheaval, uncertainty pervasive in Pakistan

Pursuing a perfect label for Pakistan’s political environment is an infuriating and futile ordeal. The nation’s political atmosphere is a toxic field of upheaval and uncertainty.

Letter to the editor

AU’s Department of Public Safety is on a high horse.?Under the guise of concern for the neighbors that surround AU, Public Safety leaves school grounds to ticket students, faculty and staff parked off campus.? As members of the AU community, we are to comply with the Good Neighbor Policy, a nonsensical and fundamentally flawed regulation that mandates our parking on campus.?

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Corrections

Sonya: the best of the Nest

Sonya Owens is a bit of a phenomenon. Everyone on campus knows her. She may well be the most popular person at AU and she isn’t even a student. Sonya is, as many no doubt know, a clerk at the Eagle’s Nest.

Education reform, done right, would promote excellence

Not content with angering senior citizens, Obama has turned his guns on the nation’s kids: it is his proposal that American schools should add time to the school day to “stay competitive” with other countries. Our school system’s calendar, Education Secretary Arne Duncan explains, is “based upon the agrarian economy, and not too many of our kids are working the fields today.”

America should cancel its membership in the Death Penalty Club

As part of the recent conservative tea partying, the Values Voters Summit came to Washington to join the fun and festive protests against our government.

Letter to the editor

In response to Joe Wenner’s column, “President Carter, please do America a big favor — sit down and shut up,” there are a few things I need to address.

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Chemical hazard buried below AU

The fact is, you could be in danger. Your personal health and the environmental health of your campus could be at risk and you might not know. AU’s administration and the United States Army Corps of Engineers could be to blame, too. They might know things they aren’t telling you. They might be withholding information that would make you safer, information that you ought to know.

Meghan McCain’s AU visit brings sexism to mind

Meghan McCain made an appearance on campus last Wednesday to speak about her personal political views, the state of politics today and her ideas for the future of the Republican Party. But I came away from her speech thinking about the double standard for women in politics.