Delivering American University's news and views since 1925
Newsweek recently named American University the sixth most diverse college in the nation. Although we are proud to be recognized for the diversity that we do have, we, along with other AU students, were shocked by this ranking.
I’ve read your comments. And your letters. And emails. (There’s a lot more of the first kind — you do realize the best way to reach me is at edpage@theeagleonline.com, right?) I’ve read them all, and I have something to say to you all: You want “better” columnists? Fine.
This will be my final column as an opinion writer for The Eagle. In this space, I’ve argued for drug liberalization, urban renewal projects, and a greater focus on our long-term fiscal health. I discussed the importance of living within one’s means, lamented our dysfunctional political system, and ...
Imagine that you joined a student group. A club, an organization, whatever you want to call it — you wrote your name down on the sign-up sheet at the club fair and want to get involved. However, every time there is a meeting or an event, you have to trek across the city to attend. Sounds unfair, right?
I remember when I first transitioned to a vegetarian diet. As a fledgling convert, I quickly became a zealot, talking to/over anyone who’d listen about my change. I couldn’t suppress my excitement, and although I regret the overbearing tactic now, I did sway a timid supporter.
The majority of the Democrats and Republicans that populate this city’s institutions are career professionals and public servants. For the most part, their expertise has served us well. Yet my worry is that maybe, somewhere, there is another Abraham Lincoln. Someone we would mock, someone who didn’t go to an Ivy League school, someone who made it on his or her own.
This month, Deon Jones, Tyler Sadonis and the A Voice 4 U campaign made major progress not just for the AU community, but also for student activism throughout D.C. Although Sadonis’ run ultimately fell short, Jones has (most likely) won and succeeded in finally securing students a seat on Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3D.
Last week, columnist Conor Shapiro insinuated that supporting the troops is a process carried out by the brainwashed masses — masses acting not as thinking, caring individuals, but as the unsuspecting henchmen of carefully crafted, age-old government plots and relentless propaganda. Though I disagree with him on several points, I thank him for bringing such issues to the forefront.
In light of the recent article about the military-industrial complex, I felt it necessary to bring some alternative views to light.
It’s almost the most wonderful time of the year — that time when we’re up to our necks in term papers, finals are right around the corner, and colds, the flu and germs in general are running amuck. Fortunately for those of us with weak immune systems, the Student Health Center is beginning a pilot program that will extend their hours. Those of you with poor timing might be in trouble as right now the Health Center will only be open late on Mondays and Thursdays, and for emergency appointments only.
Military idolatry isn’t reserved for Veterans Day. It’s present at halftime shows and seventh-inning stretches. It’s lurking before previews at your local movie theater. It’s evident in posted discounts at restaurants and exclusive lounges at airports. It’s displayed through commercials on television and sponsored road races on the weekend. It’s strewn together in statues, parades and official holidays. And like sitting during the National Anthem, if you dare speak out against it, you’re bombarded by insults and face gratuitous intimidation and/or violence.
General Than Shwe is not widely known as one of the world’s worst dictators. People would likely recognize Omar al-Bashir, Kim Jong Il, or Robert Mugabe before Shwe. But he has earned the distinction. The statistics since he came to power are staggering: over 70,000 child soldiers (the most in the world), over 3,500 villages burned since 1996, forced portering, and countless cases of land mine victims, rape and torture as the junta’s method of war. Over the summer, Foreign Policy ranked Than Shwe as one of the world’s most oppressive dictators, one slot behind Kim Jong-Il.
In light of the recent discussion surrounding the abortion debate, I feel it necessary to voice my opinion after counseling women from varying backgrounds and circumstances. Some of these women choose abortion, some do not. No matter what they choose, I support and trust them. Ultimately, with every woman I speak to, the issue is the same at its core. This debate transcends discussion of unborn babies, genocide, potential life or murder. It is about dignity, respect and the basic human right to control our lives. This debate is about women.
You may have seen musicians on the quad, posters taped up in the Katzen Arts Center, white armbands and ribbons, picket signs, music students fuming. Maybe you know this has to do with tenure denial. Maybe you just think the music kids have lost their minds. But this fight goes beyond personal stories and raw emotions. There are facts to consider.
Solutions by The State News