Opinion Columns
Rachel del Valle | Everybody's a critic
If I had been more diligent about checking the reviews on a hostel I stayed at briefly in Barcelona, I wouldn’t have my checking-out-at-4 a.m.-because-of-bed-bugs story.
Divya Ramesh | Access denied
While rolling from Trenton to 30th Street Station, I met a sophomore from another university who scarred me for life. She told me with arrogant confidence that she was going to Philly to spend time with a boyfriend that her parents didn’t know existed.
Xavier Flory | Shut up and think
Last year, as part of the religious studies class “Living Deliberately,” I had to spend a month in silence. The experience made me realize how far I had slipped into the thoughtlessness of a busy life.
Kurt Mitman | Abort Roe v. Wade
Medical evidence seems to suggest that after about nine weeks, the probability of miscarriage drops significantly. This is the logical point to draw the line where human intervention is allowed.
Jeff Nadel | Debt, default and deadbeats
We must refuse to raise the debt ceiling by the statutory deadline.
Rachel del Valle | Why don't you email me?
Emailing is not that hard, in theory. Neither is texting. And, if we’re going to get really college-centric about this, Facebook messaging and G-chatting both require even less effort. So why is it that so many of us put off getting back to people?
Morgan Jones | It's time to care: an advanced seminar
Other countries don’t like us because of our narcissistic attitude. So, in order to better participate in our globalized world and to improve our international reputation, we must become aware of more than the American side.Arielle Pardes | The city of unprotected love
The installation of condom dispensers might be a step toward safer sex in Philadelphia, but it fails to acknowledge the greater issues surrounding sexual know-how.
Ali Kokot & Hayley Brooks | To our dearest Abby
Last Thursday, we lost the master of the art. Pauline Phillips, who wrote the most iconic advice column of all time under the pseudonym “Abigail Van Buren,” passed away at 94 years young.
Anthony Liveris | The redundant cabinet
President Obama has surrounded himself with a team of “yes men.” These highly qualified, intelligent and cautious men are also incredibly talented at agreeing with the president.
Adam Silver | Give him a chance
Obama has not had the opportunity to create a New Deal, Great Society, New Beginning or any lasting doctrine. This is not his fault — it is the result of partisanship, gridlock and vitriol.
Caroline Brand | Let’s get our facts straight
While Penn for Palestine’s proposal may have been well-intentioned, its analysis of the situation was littered with inaccuracies and the biases that perpetuate the exact conflict they denounce.
Kurt Mitman | Watch them die
Maybe if we were forced to confront that punishment, we actually could live in the most civilized country in the world.
Robert Hsu | In defense of Amy
Although Gutmann is comfortably in the one percent, she deserves a break.
Nadine Zylberberg | Whitewashed Hollywood
This past Monday, I became an American citizen along with 60 strangers, altogether representing 31 countries. Again, “melting pot” etched its way across my mind, reminding me that identification comes in the form of a shared or inspired human experience, not the flesh that portrays it.
Morgan Jones | Captain Morgan on campus
Most of the time, the worst that comes of those extra shots is an embarrassing moment or an inside joke from another time at Smoke’s. Yet all too often, the results are on a much larger scale.
Hayley Brooks & Ali Kokot | Fratty food
Food is an integral part of the open rush process for both genders. This past week, fraternities and sororities each served up a different plat du jour, subliminally reinforcing their specific dose of gender stereotyping in such choices.Arielle Pardes | It's about time
“Girls‘” approach to sex is not only genuine — sometimes a little messy, sometimes a little kinky — but also definitively feminine.
Lauren Agresti | Take it Easy
Recent studies demonstrated that self-compassion is a more effective motivator for self-improvement than self-esteem.