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(10/31/06 5:00am)
SEXUAL assault has been a source of heated debate and grave concern within the University. However, one twisted form of this phenomenon has been so institutionalized that it has gone largely unnoticed despite its obvious assault on the very foundations of morality. "Dating auctions" which are carried out by various cultural groups at the University need to be reevaluated and condemned for their devastating impacts on self-esteem.
(10/23/06 4:00am)
MUCH HAS been written about combating terrorism on an international, national and state scale. But in considering terrorism on the larger scale, we have neglected a more unorthodox form of what might be termed terrorismat this University. In just two months, Bice Residence has experienced three reported incidents of laundry theft, spreading a climate of fear and perplexity within the apartment complex. The incidents may be of a greater number if one considers the fact that some thefts of one or two articles of clothing might have gone unreported or unnoticed because most students do not catalogue their laundry loads. Therefore, students and the University alike must both take necessary steps to strip these culprits of opportunities to conduct laundry terrorism attacks that undermine the moral fabric of this University.
(10/16/06 4:00am)
ON THE surface, military efforts by the Indonesian government and the arrests of 300 militants seem to have weakened and splintered Jemaah Islamiyah -- the Southeast Asian arm of Al-Qaeda responsible for the infamous Bali bombings in the not too distant past While U.S. intelligence reports this week suggesting that JI might be expanding its operations outside Southeast Asia have been dismissed by experts as "nonsense," a deeper analysis does seems to suggest that Jakarta will have to overcome several obstacles before it can mount a more efficient counterterrorism effort against JI.
(10/11/06 4:00am)
OPPOSITION to the proposed "de-Westernization" program has mostly centered around "anti-Southern" beliefs or "anti-Western" accusations, disturbingly similar to the Bush administration's "for us or against us" policy that makes informed debate impossible. It's high time we get behind these veiled ideological comments, clarify what the program really constitutes, and analyze its merits.
(09/25/06 4:00am)
EARLIER THIS WEEK, the worldwent into a frenzy as tanks rolled into Bangkok. Thailand, one of Southeast Asia's fastest growing economies and a staunch U.S. ally, experienced a much misunderstood coup by military officials against the government of Thaksin Shinawatra. The Washington Post dismissed it as a "leap backward" for democracy, the Australian government called it "unjustified." These shallow views ignore the political and cultural situations in Thailand and the positive effects of the coup that are more complex than a superficial study suggests.
(09/18/06 4:00am)
"DO WE LISTEN to those that we disagree with, and vigorously challenge them, or do we close our ears completely?" asked David Ellwood of Harvard University when defending his decision to invite former Iranian President Mohammed Khatami to speak. There is no question that Khatami's invite a few weeks ago preserved this University's role as an example of an open forum for free speech and intellectual debate and underscored the critical ability of institutions of learning in the United States to influence foreign policy changes in positive ways. Ironically, it is Khatami's critics who pose the gravest threat to free speech and reasoned argument at the University.
(09/12/06 4:00am)
FOR ALL its belligerence and hawkish political stances, the Bush administration has produced little when it comes to dealing with Iran. The main reason behind this is its shelving of engagement in favor of isolation and sanctions, despite the fact that the former options have historically worked better (look at the negotiations with the Soviets at the end of the Cold War and Nixon's China visit, versus the Cuban embargo and decades of Iraqi sanctions). In order to remove this thorn in U.S. foreign policy, the Bush administration must embrace engagement as the only credible option toward resolving the Iranian dispute and avoid humiliating Iran.
(09/04/06 4:00am)
SUPERFLUOUS CDs in "bundled texts," new editions differing only by a sentence or two, and spending upwards of an average of $900 every year has prompted a nationwide debate about textbook pricing. Student concern has translated to political impact -- just this year, 40 resolutions in 15 states have been passed solely on this issue, including recent legislation urging professors to be mindful of textbook prices, choose earlier editions where possible and avoid purchasing unnecessary "bundled items." Instead of engaging in annual textbook complaints, students should exploit all available alternatives to get the best bargain possible and enact concrete reforms to combat this endemic problem. In addition, the University and its faculty needs to push even harder for the implementation of textbook legislation.
(08/28/06 4:00am)
THE INTERMINABLE conflict between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the Sri Lankan government has claimed the lives of over 70,000 people, is the longest running armed conflict in South Asia, and one of the 20 deadliest wars ever fought in world history. Tens of thousands of civilians are now trapped in an impending humanitarian crisis in the north, dragging international humanitarian aid teams in and sending expats and foreign workers out running scared. If history is any indicator, it clearly demonstrates that this conflict cannot be resolved by negotiation, and the only viable solution next to a never-ending cycle of violence is establishing an autonomous Tamil state or region.
(08/23/06 4:00am)
THE UNIVERSITY'S East Asian Studies Program and its interdisciplinary East Asia Center provide students with a vast array of academic courses, useful resources on grant programs, and interesting study abroad offers. However, the program's lack of Southeast Asian related material is a source of worry and concern. Taking into account the region's economic, political and strategic clout, clearing this blind spot is an urgent issue that must be quickly addressed by the University.
(04/25/06 4:00am)
LAST WEEK, members of the Hindu Student Council and Indian Student Association rose in uproar over a April 14 "TCB" comic run by Eric Kilanski and Kellen Eilerts depicting the interpretation that Hinduism was a pagan religion with violent, slave-driving, animalistic gods feared by their backward peoples. The comic called the very peaceful elephant-like Lord Ganesh a "dick," had him armed with an AK-47 slave-driving two Hindu followers, generalized that all Hindus were vegetarians and added that "animals run everything" in Hinduism, reflecting an overall backward, pagan sense. Although it passed The Cavalier Daily's editor-in-chief's application of the censorship criteria, a closer examination suggests that the cartoon should have been censored in retrospect and an apology should have been issued for editorial oversight.
(04/20/06 4:00am)
IN THE comic sequel to the Danish cartoon saga, the University is currently registering its own version of excessive uproar over an equally simple expression of free speech. Last week, in response to the LGBT Resource Office's "Gay? Fine By Me" T-shirt distribution campaign, student Mark Hopke displayed a sign on his Hereford dorm room window that read, "Gay? Not Fine by Me." QSU responded with an energetic but misdirected and illogical publicity campaign. The actions of both parties were equally misguided and ludicrously excessive, and the QSU has ironically ended up promoting instead of impeding Hopke's message and turned themselves into infringers of free speech and a bunch of Toolkit spammers.
(04/14/06 4:00am)
THE UNITED STATES has fought unjust wars and practiced immoral acts formed under the guise of a "war on terror." But most of all, the campaign has wreaked havoc in regions such as South Asia and damaged all possible chances for peace and prosperity. The Bush administration's armed support for the despotic Nepalese monarchy and the autocratic Sri Lankan government has resulted in bloody, anti-democratic campaigns of slaughter in the two nations. In addition, its use of incentives for India and Pakistan has undermined future cooperation between the two rivals and affirmed U.S. support for regimes which blatantly flout global non-proliferation regulations.
(04/07/06 4:00am)
IN 2003, a Sudanese government-sponsored campaign of rape, pillage and genocidal mass murder began in Darfur and has since left nearly 200,000 dead. Since then, schools and states around the United States have withdrawn funding from companies that may have indirectly played a role in this tragedy. The University, on the other hand, refuses even to disclose a breakdown of its funding so that students can see whether their cash is being used to finance genocide.
(04/04/06 4:00am)
RADICAL xenophobes in the immigrationdebate want to build walls and prosecute alleged "sympathizers." Only this time, the potential repercussions are global. Conservatives in the House of Representatives have put forth preposterous suggestions such as building a 700 mile-long wall along the Mexican border to keep out immigrants in a heap of protectionist rhetoric. The more disturbing issue is that this is no isolated incident but an inimical trend sweeping across this nation as evidenced by the Dubai ports deal, the response to immigration and several other issues including China's bid to buy Unocal. These incidents could combine to produce a destructive "protective" wave that could destroy the foundations upon which the global economy and the American value system are based.
(03/24/06 5:00am)
THE UNIVERSITY boasts of its highest graduation rate for black students and its tolerance for gay and lesbian students. However, in one academic category, the University is among the most discriminatory institutions in the country. The International Baccalaureate high school academic program has been a silent victim of inequality and prejudice compared to the Advanced Placement program. The University must stop this discrimination, start giving credits for both standard and higher levels of IB subjects,and place AP and IB on the same credit level. Otherwise, it will continue penalizing students unfairly, risk losing more students to IB-friendly universities and waste an opportunity to promote multiculturalism.
(03/17/06 5:00am)
IT WAS barely a year ago when the Bush administration trumpeted its "triumphs" in the Middle East as elections sprung up in scattered capitals. Where are those voices now?
(02/24/06 5:00am)
IF THERE is one similarity between Cheney's Quail-Gate episode and the dining hall's response to Green Dining's "No Tray Tuesdays" initiative, it is the rank smell of scandal and Dining's initial unwillingness to assume responsibility for its actions. The difference is that Cheney injured his hunting partner, while University Dining has more or less killed off the momentum for green dining. "No Tray Tuesdays" has seen discontent because of the reluctance of University Dining to live up to corporate responsibility, which would otherwise alleviate some of the burden from the student-run Green Dining initiative.
(02/17/06 5:00am)
THE FALLOUT from the recent Danish cartoon saga has torched buildings, shattered business contracts and sent waves across the debate of how to deal with the Muslim world without encroaching our ever-so-valuable democratic rights. But, most of all, it has generated sets of comic beliefs in the international community. Among these:categorizations of the response to the cartoons as "shockingly unjustified," preparations for the infamous "clash of civilizations," and criticizing the Bush administration's alleged "capitulation" to Islamic fundamentalists.