Opinion

Opinion

ZIFF: Cowboys and alienation

By Tamar Ziff | March 25, 2015

Reality does not reflect this clean binary between “criminals” and the law-abiding; you are more likely to be harmed by someone you know, and whom you would probably not identify as a “criminal.” Sixty-two percent of Americans think having a gun in the home makes it safer, yet only about a third of Americans own guns. However, the United States still has the highest rate of civilian-owned guns in the world, which correlates to the most firearm related homicides among developed nations.

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Opinion

​SPINKS: Don’t blame millennials for higher-ed trends

By Ashley Spinks | March 25, 2015

Apparently, students valuing the “return on investment” of their degree rather than the experience of earning it is also not a new trend, and in fact, has its roots in our parents’ generation. Much of the growth in the percentage of students who rate highly the importance of "being well off financially" occurred from 1966 to 1987, when it increased from around 42 to 74 percent.

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Opinion

​LETTER: Is there a "crisis" in higher education?

By Steffen Schmidt | March 25, 2015

In the United States we should always correct the damage we do, whether in a car accident or a social and legal train wreck such as this. Lawsuits with very large damages awarded to the parties that have been damaged are in order. Clearly Rolling Stone is going to be the primary object of litigation. However, University administrators who often hide behind pious shields and the fact that they woe for a "public" institution must not be let off the hook — no catch and release for them.

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Opinion

​ALJASSAR: Stop saying “All Lives Matter”

By Nazar Aljassar | March 24, 2015

Injustices associated with law enforcement affect all, but black Americans are by far the greatest victims. It would be dishonest to neglect differences in the way black and non-black bodies are treated by American institutions. The very fact that certain people are able to ignore racial disparities and declare that all lives matter demonstrates that not all lives matter the same.

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Opinion

​How to improve Title IX: Part I

By Managing Board | March 24, 2015

A key issue with Title IX requirements is that they leave many decisions up to schools that should, in fact, be standardized. The need for standardization does not apply to all regulations within Title IX — but it definitely applies to regulations regarding due process. This need seems especially important given the existence of so many misunderstandings regarding sexual assault: according to FiveThirtyEight, despite acknowledging the prevalence of sexual assault on college campuses nationwide, only 6 percent of U.S. college presidents believe sexual assault is a problem on their own campuses.

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Opinion

LETTER: Sexual assault must end

By One in Four | March 24, 2015

As awareness continues to remain at an all-time high, we will continue to recommit ourselves to making this University a safer community. We know from supporting our loved ones and listening to our peers that sexual assault harms far too many members of our community.

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Opinion

​MASON: Oregon is doing its job — can Congress?

By Jahvonta Mason | March 24, 2015

Under the guise of “protecting ballot integrity,” voter ID laws in these states are disenfranchising 11 percent of the eligible voting population. The U.S Congress needs to take immediate action, following the example of Oregon, to reverse this trend of voter disenfranchisement.

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Opinion

​EASTON: Empathy is critical in reacting to Johnson’s arrest

By Molly Easton | March 24, 2015

I heard multiple black students remark that when they saw Martese’s name become part of a hashtag, they first assumed he had been shot and killed by an officer. And yet some say this isn’t connected to a larger problem?

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Opinion

​PATEL: Go to office hours

By Sawan Patel | March 24, 2015

Increased attendance at office hours would, furthermore, increase student understanding and ability with regard to course material. Some students feel so overwhelmed that they do not even know what questions to ask when they go to office hours. As a result, they do not even try to go. Simply showing up can force a dialogue where one’s weaknesses in certain concepts can be identified and very easily be rectified because the professor is right on hand to respond.

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Opinion

On Martese Johnson's arrest: letters from the community

March 23, 2015

A compilation of community members' guest pieces and letters-to-the-editor.

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Opinion

​Are we showing up for black students?

By Managing Board | March 23, 2015

To lobby for particular changes over a long period of time and see minimal results shapes the context in which Martese’s arrest occurred. For students who have become accustomed to seeing their needs sidelined, a lack of community response to the brutality Martese experienced may not be surprising. And this is something we need to change.

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Opinion

​KHAN: Don’t ignore race

By Hasan Khan | March 23, 2015

After all the pain the color line has inflicted upon the American psyche, many just want race not to matter. Increasingly, the idea of the “post-racial society” and the struggle to attain it have become mixed in with the ideals of the American dream, an ideal that imagines a utopia where race is left unacknowledged. Yet such an idea is misleading when racial distinctions are so ingrained in humanity’s history.

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Opinion

​ADAMES: Grinding down gender roles

By Alexander Adames | March 23, 2015

What is fascinating about grinding is the internalization of the roles ascribed in accordance to one’s gender performativity. The next time you are at a party, I encourage you to examine partygoers on the dance floor. You will find there is no discussion of who will take the role of the grindee or grinder. The roles are assumed. Both individuals presume that the male or masculine person should be the grindee and the grinder should be the female or feminine person.

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Opinion

​DOYLE: We need mental health professionals outside of student health

By Bobby Doyle | March 23, 2015

The solution to the lack of training of the PHEs and the lack of confidentiality of CAPS is simple: anonymous mental health advising. These meetings could be on a one-time basis to let students talk through their problems and figure out possible solutions before approaching CAPS. Health professionals could hear students’ problems with no way to report who they were to any sort of medical record.

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Opinion

​BROWN: The new U.Va.: building a change coalition across race, class, gender and sexuality

By Jared Brown | March 23, 2015

At face value, these separate incidents may seem unrelated. Drawing the conclusion that oppression exists at the center of University life and culture may seem exaggerated. In other words, it may be difficult for some to relate the ways in which different expressions of oppression and exploitation, such as rape, labor abuse and racial brutality, are in fact interrelated.

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Opinion

​LETTER: Remove law enforcement powers from the ABC

By Sam Shirazi | March 23, 2015

In light of the arrest and injury of Martese Johnson, it is time for the laws to be enforced by traditional law enforcement officers and not ABC officers.

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Opinion

​BROOM: Exceeding expectations

By Christopher Broom | March 23, 2015

While I think the coverage, overall, has been very good, I do have some concerns. Primarily, I’m struck by the fact that the core of the reporting on this story has been done by two members of the Managing Board.

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Opinion

BLACK DOT: What Martese's arrest means for us

By Black Dot | March 20, 2015

In solidarity, we are wrestling with the devastating reality that our blackness is persecuted, beaten and tortured. No longer will we go unheard. No longer will we accept complacency with the status quo. We will not allow for the University to continue to operate under the erroneous presumption that race is no longer an issue.

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Opinion

​Martese Johnson and the Yik Yak effect

By Managing Board | March 20, 2015

On social media platforms such as Yik Yak, students have posted comments blaming Martese for the arrest, saying his wounds were insignificant and even accusing Martese of enjoying a publicity stunt. These and countless other anonymous posts affirm that race is still a serious problem at U.Va.

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Opinion

​WAN: Don’t exaggerate systemic racism

By Sasha Wan | March 20, 2015

The fairer way to describe the situation is that the community is influenced by cultural stereotypes of race. Racism involves dehumanization and discrimination against racial groups by labelling them as inferior, and thus it oppresses the abused groups. Racial stereotypes, on the other hand, are sets of beliefs about typical characteristics of certain groups and mental shortcuts that people employ to help reduce the cognitive efforts without the intent to dehumanize certain groups.