Archive | Columns
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Column: How ridiculous is the U.S. government?
Why, oh why, oh why are important votes by government representatives allowed to go through due to ridiculous loopholes in procedure?
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Column: Reflections on the revolution in Syria
The Arab Spring and the ongoing conflict in Syria have prompted discussions of authority, democracy and legitimate governance. The many proponents of democratization appeal to human rights as established in international law to further their cause.
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Column: Voter ID laws distort the bigger picture
Our country has a lot of problems, but despite what Republicans have been saying, voter fraud isn’t one of them. And even if it were, that’s not what they’re worried about. What Republicans are actually worried about is losing. It used to be just a suspicion. Now it’s pretty clear.
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Column: Penn State should be punished for hiding abuse
Now that former Pennsylvania State U. assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky has been found guilty on 45 counts of child sexual abuse the victims and their families can breathe some relief. But there must be more to the investigation.
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Column: Social networking is bringing us down
As college students, we all need technology to function, but some of us crave it. Whenever one of my professors doesn’t use Blackboard, students get annoyed because the system makes accessing study materials and grades much easier. Cellphones have gone far beyond making calls and texting.
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Column: The Olympic Paradox
A friend recently confessed that many of his most intense emotional experiences have occurred while watching football — the European kind, to be clear. I am not a sports fanatic by any standard, and I doubt sporting events could ever provoke within me a comparable degree of passion.
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Column: A depressing fallacy
In its decision in National Federation of Independent Businesses v. Sebelius, the Supreme Court ruled that the Commerce Clause does not give the federal government the power to force individuals to purchase health insurance.
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Column: Don’t come to college to get a degree — get an education
How do you get an English major off of your porch? Pay for the pizza. I see this idea constantly in articles, cartoons and blogs, and it drives me crazy: "A liberal arts degree is useless in this job market.
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Column: Blame yourself, not the Court
About a week ago, I overheard a rather distressing conversation between several students. One asked, “Do you think that Obamacare is unconstitutional?” to which another replied, “I don’t know, but I like it, so the Court should uphold it.