Opinion

Opinion

Repairing a troubled agency

By Managing Board | September 3, 2013

ABC agents did not stop Elizabeth Daly because they were unfamiliar with the Constitution (though they probably would benefit from a brush-up). The overriding problem here is not incomprehension of the law. The problem is a lack of courtesy, at best; at worst, it is corruption by power. Constitutional training will not solve this problem. Tightened performance reviews and increased accountability standards for officers might.

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Opinion

KABIR: Sleepy schooldays

By Fariha Kabir | September 3, 2013

I do not think that starting school late necessarily solves the problem of students being too tired to focus in the mornings. Since schools will be starting later in morning, students will remain at school until later in the afternoon. Adding on after-school activities means that students will often not go home until dinner time or later. Students will start homework later in the day, and they will stay up later to finish it. So starting school later might not change the number of hours students sleep. Instead, it will simply change the time frame during which they sleep.

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Opinion

YAHANDA: Buffing up the curriculum

By Alex Yahanda | September 3, 2013

Such classes would lay the foundation for future athletic pursuits. A class that makes students interested in tennis or soccer, for instance, is arguably as valuable as one that exposes them to new authors or philosophies, because athletic hobbies can provide as much future benefit as intellectual ones.

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Opinion

Unpacking Obama’s higher-ed plan

By Managing Board | September 2, 2013

Obama’s proposal seeks to tie federal aid to college performance. He has called for the creation of a ratings system that would assess college performance by taking into account graduation and transfer rates and graduate earnings, among other factors. According to the plan, the president by 2018 will seek legislation that would funnel more federal aid to high-ranking colleges. This legislation would steer taxpayer dollars toward high-performing schools. Students would then maximize their federal aid at institutions providing the “best value,” the plan’s advocates say.

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Opinion

KNAYSI: Preps and propaganda

By George Knaysi | September 2, 2013

Though propaganda is notoriously difficult to define, the Merriam-Webster dictionary broadly describes it as “the spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person.” School spirit, often defined as emotional support for one’s academic institution, performs a similar function.

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Opinion

PITTMAN: Looking in the glass

By Jake Pittman | September 1, 2013

I’m setting a challenge for myself, which I gladly invite anyone to join: Be yourself.

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Opinion

BROOM: The good, the not-so-good, the ugly

By Christopher Broom | September 1, 2013

In calling for more informed and engaged voters who have a better understanding of history, Bogue betrays a lack of understanding of the history of the place from which he’s writing.

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Opinion

Feeling an absence

By Managing Board | September 1, 2013

All death is sad, but the death of a college student is especially tragic. You see someone’s life end before it fully begins, yet with that person’s dreams and convictions all too palpable. One student’s untimely passing is too many.

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Opinion

RIPLEY: Open to lead

By Katherine Ripley | September 1, 2013

Cory Booker has been somewhat of a celebrity in the political arena. If you’re a New Jersey resident and you read the newspaper, you’d probably heard of him even before he announced his campaign for Senate. You’ve also probably heard of the speculation that he is gay.

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Opinion

FISHER: A place for argument

By Ronald Fisher | September 1, 2013

However, as a member of the Jefferson Society, I can and do take issue with Mr. Knaysi’s characterization of the Society, specifically, his assertion that it has “institutionalized” a “tendency to elevate ego over informed argument.” In support of this charge, Mr. Knaysi cites approximately twelve (we are not provided an exact number) anonymous current members, most of whom feel that there is “less respectful, substantive dialogue” than occurred in the past.

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Opinion

SPINKS: Cruel and unusual

By Ashley Spinks | September 1, 2013

Chelsea Manning, formerly known as Bradley, has been through a lot—from being held in solitary confinement and tolerating treatment later ruled “cruel and unusual” at Quantico to being incarcerated for more than three years before her case went to trial. Now she is being asked to endure yet another injustice: being denied transitional medical care to treat her gender dysphoria.

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Opinion

WYNN: Aid we can count on

By Brendan Maupin Wynn | September 1, 2013

If anyone can come up with creative and innovative ways to save the program, it’s students who know firsthand what these changes would feel like. If listening to the research scientist the Board hired is absolutely not an option, there are still other ways to avoid saddling low-income students with $28,000 in federal debt.

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Opinion

BERGER: Can’t be blamed

By Meredith Berger | September 1, 2013

Just like any college-aged girl at U.Va. or elsewhere, Miley Cyrus expresses herself through her style, which is often edgy and includes little clothing. She also likes ear piercings and tattoos, as some college-aged girls do. She also “twerks” and dances provocatively; and if you walk into any college party you will see girls doing the exact same thing, minus the foam finger, maybe.

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Opinion

Charting the future

By Managing Board | August 29, 2013

The open-forum phase in strategic planning has ended, and many of the students most closely involved in the process have graduated. But that does not mean that the next steps of strategic planning cannot feature some of the same collaborative efforts that characterized last semester’s discussions.

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Opinion

Rethinking a historic space

By Managing Board | August 28, 2013

This gesture is a particularly positive way to welcome first-year students — some of whom are unsure which spaces are “allowed” — into the University’s symbolic and architectural center. By reserving Sunday through Tuesday evenings specifically for students, University officials have indicated in clear terms that they wish students to take advantage of the school’s most iconic space.

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Opinion

KEADY: A slap on the wrist

By Walter Keady | August 28, 2013

The final reason the United States’ proposed plan will not put the civil war on a track for conclusion is that there is no internationally favored figure for Assad’s replacement. The political crisis resulting from Assad’s military removal at the time being could plunge Syria into more violence, as competition for power would emerge. Fearing this consequence, other nations that are siding with the rebels will refuse to intervene forcefully enough to alter the current stalemate until such a leader emerges, if at all. In this light, it is clear that the United States’ response will be less about aiding rebel forces towards victory, and more about reprimanding the Assad regime.

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Opinion

SPINKS: A life half full

By Ashley Spinks | August 28, 2013

Sure, life as a pessimist would be devoid of a lot of disappointment. But would I be willing to sacrifice the rollercoaster ride that is existence just because the sudden drops gave me a stomach ache? Is a life without passionate, idealistic, slightly stupid faith (even if it means avoiding the heartwrenching let-downs as well) worth living at all?

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Opinion

BOGUE: Bring back the literacy test

By Russell Bogue | August 28, 2013

Applied properly, requiring voters to demonstrate knowledge of the candidates and issues—and perhaps United States history as well—could significantly improve the quality of our democracy.

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Opinion

BROWN: No end in sight

By Forrest Brown | August 28, 2013

All that changed in honor last year was the addition of informed retraction. Unfortunately, that does not do enough on its own to combat the serious faculty and student accountability issues facing honor, and some form of jury reform is still needed. I have no doubt that the Committee is talking about ways to either put another proposal on the table or to encourage students to put something forward themselves. And we, as a student body, have to meet that challenge.

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Opinion

KOURI: Heads in the cloud

By Andrew Kouri | August 28, 2013

Take Zipcar, for example. Some people do not need a car seven days a week. Rather than having a depreciating asset sitting in a car park, Zipcar users can rent a vehicle for only the time which they need. The proliferation of GPS tracking devices has reduced the risk involved in trusting customers to return a vehicle, which allows the Zipcar business to be viable.