Opinion Columns

Jonathan Iwry | Occupying the past

The occupiers might have been brash and impetuous, but among students for whom majoring in econ almost inevitably equates to becoming libertarian and the Market is worshipped as an excuse for moral passivity, I can’t help but miss them.

Marjorie Ferrone | From Russia with love (and happiness)

I am not professing that indulgence and extravagance are the way to go; merely that money makes life easier, and science majors make more of it.

Annika Neklason | Yes we care

For whatever reason, what I haven’t heard about nearly as much is the positive: simply put, the fact that Obamacare is working.

Shawn Kelley | Bursting the comfort bubble

It seems more people are content to hide within their security blankets and pretend the rest of the world doesn’t exist.

Melissa Lawford | The rally behind equal pay

Equal pay ought to be the norm everywhere. We are all people; being judged by the same standards matters, but having the same opportunities matters more.

Annika Neklason | Endanger zone

Unfortunately, Americans are abandoning the script and exercising their right to opt out of inoculation — and preventable diseases are now making a comeback as a result.

Yuqian Li | Staying grounded without concrete plans

It takes different people different amounts of time to experience that personal growth or find an alternative route, but most of the time, when people stay true to themselves, their life paths will align with what they value.

Jonathan Iwry | Dissentophobia: a societal condition

The real issue is not that Americans shy away from serious ideological debate, but that they are unwilling to take accountability for their ideas and, therefore, for the democratic process as a whole.

Marjorie Ferrone | Germany's four-letter word

Every country has a label. Some have been deliberately constructed by the homeland, while others have inadvertently grown out of a nation’s heritage.Those who have been following the 2014 FIFA World Cup are familiar with Brazil’s icon: the “Christ the Redeemer” statue.

Melissa Lawford | Snoozing isn't losing

I think boredom is important. I don’t know how much I like actually being on roller coasters, but I know that as soon as I get off, I want to get back on again.

Annika Neklason | Ballot measures

In a country of hundreds of millions of people, one vote does not give you assurance or control. But it does give you a voice.

Yuqian Li | Struggling for strides

Being able to surpass my own expectations has made me more confident, and it’s helped me improve on other aspects of my life.

Jonathan Iwry | A war on ennui

But whoever probes the human condition discovers that we need purpose, some sort of engagement with the world to keep us going. It's in our nature to strive for progress and press forward into the uncertain void.

Shawn Kelley | World Cup, world class controversy

The World Cup is one of the largest sports event in the world. Thirty-eight countries

Melissa Lawford | Snoozing isn't losing

This summer I am perfecting the art of the loaf.The verb, that is: to loaf. I have been loafing on the sofa, I loaf in the park, I will loaf at the beach, et cetera.I am waitressing, I am making friends with my nephews and nieces, I am doing my tax return, I am reading books ? I am busy enough, but I am not really achieving anything.

Marjorie Ferrone | The appeal of "the other"

Because of human interest in lineage, it follows that European Americans would gravitate towards Eurocentric societies. I agree with the sentiment that understanding one’s predecessors influences individual identity.

Melissa Lawford | Vows for modernity

I believe the time for bra-burning has come and gone, but there are so many leftover social norms that still need alterations.

Annika Neklason | Eating green

As a teenager living at a boarding school where many of those choices were made for me by higher authorities, my vegetarianism felt like something I could control. Something I could do, myself, to fight for a cause I cared about.

Sabina Spigner | Guilty pleasures

The point is that I’m quick to judge. I think that my upbringing has a lot to do with this because in order to make up for my differences, I felt as though I had to comment on other women’s bodies. Judging became my defense mechanism.

Jonathan Iwry | Eye of the B-holder

Art is powerful for its ability to conjure meaningful experiences and offer new perspectives. It’s not a quantifiable substance, but a potential for interpretation.