Opinions

Animal testing needs to go

The controversy surrounding animal testing has recently become a major international news story with the European Union, India, and Israel banning  animal testing for cosmetics and the revelation that China has quietly been requiring cosmetic tests that poison, burn, and blind animals even though superior methods not requiring animal testing are now available. The debate […]

Ask Estrada: Hookups, relationships, and great expectations

My boyfriend’s penis is only 2.5 inches long. I’m used to longer penises than this, but I love him so much I don’t want  him to know he’s so small. Is there any way I can fix this and make my sex life more pleasurable? I’m not sure whether the “2.5 inches long” refers to […]

Don’t be a bystander on Ukraine

In times of great political upheaval, there is nothing more dangerous than the passive acceptance of crimes committed on an international scale. While to many Americans the internal turmoil taking place in Ukraine may seem distant and  obscure, it is crucial to understand that Russia’s military involvement in the affairs of an independent country may […]

U.S. should embrace moderation

Last November, the West watched in disappointment as the President of Ukraine, Victor Yanukovych, suspended EU negotiations. Disappointment turned to hope as this became the catalyst for mass protests against the president’s corrupt regime. Hope turned to disgust when Yanukovych’s party in Parliament illegally gave him dictatorial powers, which was used to suppress dissent. Disgust […]

We don’t want war

I cannot stand the media coverage offered by both the Western and Russian, my own country’s, news sources. On one hand, the western news has completely demonized Russia and shown obvious favoritism to the temporary government in Ukraine, while official news sources in Russia blame the West for the coup d’état in Kiev. It’s simply […]

Respect both students and staff at UR

It’s 6 a.m. and a thick serving of snow has covered the UR campus, rendering a variety of surfaces around campus a soft, pure white. Yet, as happens often on our campus, that layer of snow is subsequently and efficiently swept away. Rarely is a thought ever spared for those members of the UR staff […]

Bring Care Network to Eastman Campus

The CARE Network is one of the most effective tools for maintaining students’ health on campus. Students can submit anonymous reports about a friend or classmate for which they have concern. According to the UR CARE network website, “Students with significant academic and mental health concerns are most often reported via the CARE network. Reports […]

Moderate the in-class essay

I envy speedy writers, people who unfurl page upon page of eloquent prose faster than I can type out a paragraph. One thinks immediately of the iconic Pauline Kael, the famous movie critic who could allegedly whip together an entire review from her seat in the theater immediately following a film screening. If not to […]

Ask Chris: Lovers, partners, and pairs, oh my

Editor’s Note: Professor Estrada was not feeling well this week, so one of our staff decided to step in and share his own words of wisdom.   Dear Chris,  How do I insistently ask a girl out on a date?  – Nervous Michael First, ask the girl if she is interested in getting dinner with […]

Work toward a better Rochester

The City of Rochester is not perfect. There’s a high crime rate, failed industry, face-biting winters, and a floundering child-education system. The students, who have been living here for at least four years of their life, utilize housing in neighborhoods like the 19th Ward and Mount Hope, drive on the ice-ridden roads, and feel concerned […]