Opinion

Opinion

Letter to the editor

February 8

Caleb Enerson's column decrying racism on the part of certain Democrats completely mischaracterizes the situation. It is true that members of both sides are vulnerable to making verbal gaffes that may be construed as racist. However, in the end, it is highly important to realize that Democrats have been, historically and to this day, in the forefront of advancing issues important to minorities, such as a living wage, crime and poverty, and civil rights.

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Opinion

Reconciling Christian Faith and Politics

By Jong Eun Lee | February 8

Since its founding, the Christian church was commanded by Christ to be the light and salt of this world. In accordance to his will, Christians have worked for centuries to promote moral values in their societies. In the contemporary United States, many church leaders have engaged in political activism to uphold what they believe to be a biblical justice.

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Opinion

Student Interest Rates: The Pretty Little Plan

By Erin Wildermuth | February 8

I never found the nuts and bolts of student loans to be particularly interesting. I was clearly just going to take out as many loans as I needed to go to college at the lowest interest rate I could find. Then, I was going to sell my soul to Satan for several years paying them back.

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Opinion

Staff editorial: Know before you go: Not all AU W.C.'s are equal

February 8

Two brave Eagle staffers recently conducted a completely unscientific survey to obtain information essential to the entire AU community: which bathrooms on campus are the best. Although Aramark does a superb job keeping all campus facilities clean, some restrooms are just better designed than others.

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Opinion

Staff editorial: Planning a true student center takes students

February 8

If all goes according to plan, renovations of MGC will begin in full force this summer. The first to go will be the bathrooms on the first floor, which will be relocated near the steps to TDR. One of the overarching goals of the renovation is to make the Tavern a "destination spot" rather than just somewhere people pass through; plans include alarming the door between Butler Pavilion and MGC to cut down on foot traffic.

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Opinion

Staff editorial: Speaker ban unfortunate, but is school's prerogative

February 5

The president of Duquesne University recently banned three proposed politically-oriented speakers - Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama and Rep. John Murtha - from addressing the university's law school commencement. Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., addressed the law school commencement last year.

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Opinion

Racism is OK... If You're a Democrat

By Caleb Enerson | February 5

Delaware's senior senator, Joe Biden, was recently forced to step down from his position as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee after making what some considered to be racist remarks about one of his fellow Democratic senators, Barack Obama: "You got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy.

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Opinion

Have a Bite

By Jacob Shelly | February 5

Politics is society's bread. When done right, it nourishes, providing a modest but substantive anchor to a nation's smorgasbord of priorities. When it's neglected, we're left with the stale, bitter crust of disappointment and disillusionment. From scratch, to continue the metaphor, the two fundamental ingredients of politics are ideas and rhetoric.

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Opinion

Letter to the editor

February 5

There are a few things that I would like to say about NCOR. The first is that this is not a matter of diversity. If it were about diversity then the campus should be welcoming with open arms all on the political spectrum, even those on the far right. I, as a liberal, would think it only fair if we allow those on the extreme left to be paid $4,500 on our campus.

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Opinion

Staff editorial: Health Center isn't trying very hard to meet our needs

February 5

Wrangling decent health care from the Student Health Center is almost a rite of passage for AU students. Whether it's not being able to get an appointment despite having collapsed in class, or being told that you have mono but not what to do to get better, dealing with the Health Center is certainly a lesson in being an advocate for your own health care.

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Opinion

Why we need to resurrect "class"

By Paul Perry | February 1

In my class American Political Thought, Professor Sykes mentioned that a poll was taken about American political discourse to survey which political words we, as a people, tend to shy away from and just avoid utilizing. The top ranked phrase was "the state.

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Opinion

Staff editorial: Symbolic D.C.'vote' in Congress won't help much

February 1

Last week, the House of Representatives passed a bill giving limited voting rights to House delegates from D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The delegates can now vote in the Committee of the Whole, which considers amendments.

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Opinion

Greek Life Doesn't Deserve A Bad Rep

By Caleb Enerson | February 1

Despite the long and positive tradition of Greek life on many college campuses, fraternities and sororities often come under attack from parents, administrators and other students. While some of this criticism is valid, much of it is holding everyone responsible for the actions of a few bad individuals.

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Opinion

Staff editorial: College Dems' could have easily avoided suspension

February 1

Student Activites has suspended the College Democrats for failing to appropriately account for and deal with club funds. The treasurer, who resigned last night, failed to deposit money from club fundraisers into the organization's account with Student Activities, instead keeping the money in a safe in his dorm room.

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Opinion

Letter to the editor

February 1

The uproar over NCOR is quite interesting. American University likes to pride itself on ideas of diversity, a word that immediately evokes passionate responses. In order to make it a reality, the collective student body must be open to not only difference but discomfort.

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Opinion

Staff editorial: Walk-in classes prove

January 29

Since the Princeton Review ranked the AU library one of the worst in the nation a few years ago, the library staff has offered several new programs to improve services offered by the library. One of the most valuable is library walk-in classes. In the 2005-2006 school year, 533 students attended 92 events.

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Opinion

Staff editorial: New age-limit proposals don't tackle real issue

January 29

In response to the accidental Jan. 20 shooting of a 17-year-old at Club 1919 on U Street, a member of the D.C. city council has proposed several new security measures, including barring those under 18 from clubs that serve alcohol. Although security measures obviously need to be improved (in the past three years, three other clubs on U Street have been closed due to killings), a blanket ban on minors seems like an unnecessarily strong reaction.

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