Brandeis University's Community Newspaper — Waltham, Mass.
In a class earlier this semester, I was leading a discussion about the disestablishment of religion after the American Revolution. Because Baptists were important to the discussion, I mentioned that I am a Baptist. But after class I read an announcement from President Reinharz that, to my dismay and shame, Westboro Baptist Church was planning […]
Phrases like “cut off the head of the serpent” are rarely pedaled in the days of modern diplomacy. In fact, the only time one hears of such phrases used by representatives of sovereign nations usually occurs with diplomatic outliers like Iran and North Korea. Living in the world of political correctness, when a single governmental […]
My opinion of Student Events has never been particularly high, but it was not until last Friday that I felt true ire towards them. Several of my friends complain about the organization’s waste of students’ money, but I will admit that I generally can’t be bothered to complain about something like that. However, I will […]
Around this time of year, it is common for high school seniors to be stressing out about college applications. Many of my fellow first-years will look back at this time last year and laugh (or cry) as they remember how wrapped up they were in the college admissions process. My story, however, is a little […]
Just this past week, we had an “Israeli Occupation Awareness Week” at Brandeis University. The organizers stopped short of titling the week “Israel Apartheid Week,” but the content and arguments were the same. The week was full of passion, misinformation and, most tellingly, a lack of discussion about the crimes of Hamas—the true spoiler in […]
“Everybody believes in something and everybody, by virtue of the fact that they believe in something, use that something to support their own existence.” -Frank Zappa Noam Chomsky is a true believer. His central belief is that the United States is a neo-colonialist power, seeking global domination. This is the overall context for his understanding […]
The unthinkable has happened. Our world as we know it has changed. There comes a time when change is necessary, when we must alter our universe for common good. But ladies and gentleman, why change what is not broken? Why take away my right given by law, that one older than 21 may drink what […]
It seems that the latest rage for both state governments and schools is to ban the sale of the popular caffeinated alcoholic beverage, Four Loko. Colloquially referred to as “black out in a can,” Four Loko is equivalent to five beers and three cups of coffee. Experts worry about the effects of mixing caffeine with […]
When I look at what’s going on in the international scene today, one thing seems clear: the world is continually changing in ways that adversely affect U.S. interests, while the Obama administration appears to be doing little in response. The first example of this dynamic is Lebanon. The Special Tribunal for Lebanon, based in The […]
Ever had a dry spell? Don’t even try to pretend you haven’t, because we all have. For some people, just a few weeks counts, when for others, it’s not until a couple of months have gone by that they really begin to feel it. Even how we describe dry spells differs—does it mean you’ve had […]
