Opinions

Take the summer to improve

With so much pressure to take classes to fulfill major requirements, get off the wait list for whatever class that filled up before you could register, and build impressive resumes for internships and grad schools, students should take advantage of summer vacation. It is easy to get caught in the momentum of staying on the […]

Learn the lessons of Columbine

Everyone  knew that seniors  Eric Harris  and Dylan  Klebold  of Columbine  High School  in Jefferson County, Colorado were social  outcasts,  but no one ever suspected  the severity  of the damage caused by their peers’ bullying and harassment. April 20 marked the 15th anniversary of the day in which 14 students and one teacher lost their […]

Ask Estrada: Hookups, relationships, and looking for love in all the wrong places

I’m a trans woman on campus. I’ve never been in a romantic relationship due to fears about my body and how people will react to it. I think this avoidance has really harmed my self-confidence. How can I put myself out there without fear of violence or danger?   I completely understand your fears and […]

Ensure all sophomores receive on-campus housing

UR guarantees all rising sophomores on-campus housing, at least in theory. However, if there is no actual housing options available on campus as the lottery winds down, there is no way for the school to provide these spaces if they have all been taken up. This is an even bigger problem with a class like […]

You can’t rebuild Rochester with fairness

What do University of Rochester President Joel Seligman, RIT President Bill Destler, Wegmans CEO Danny Wegman, and Mayor Lovely Warren all have in common? From the looks of their recent political excursions, a divine mandate to lobby the state government. In early March, a delegation of political, business, and education leaders made its annual march […]

What’s right with UR

Last week, I discussed various problems that should be fixed at UR. Now I’d like to discuss the best parts of the school. In some ways, this is the harder piece to write – it can be trickier to express gratitude and wonder than to complain. The University is a Tier 1 research institution, churning […]

Let it snow…

The snow is gone now, and everyone is rejoicing, but I actually like the snow and don’t mind the cold weather all that much either. After all, if it weren’t for the cold, how would snowmen eat ice-bergers for dinner? Or Frosted Flakes for breakfast? Don’t get me wrong, I too am excited for some […]

Gen Y does it different

Members of the millennial generation (or Generation Y), born between 1982 and 2001, have grown up praised for every little accomplishment. Finish the relay race in fifth grade? Even if you come in last, you still get a ribbon for trying. Here’s a trophy for participating on the baseball team. Sure, you didn’t hit a […]

Ask Estrada: Hookups, relationships, and ‘let’s talk about sex’

Is it irrational to fear telling a girl I’m a virgin? Choosing to share anything about your sexual history can leave anyone feeling vulnerable. If what you’re sharing is that you haven’t had a sexual history, it can feel even scarier. This can be further complicated if you’re a guy; stereotypically, men are supposed to […]

Death of the vegetarian lifestyle

Seven years ago, I woke up one morning and decided to become a vegetarian cold turkey. In my then-crazed obsession with the Beatles, I thought emulating Paul McCartney’s ways was a good enough reason to convert. Little did I know that switching to vegetarianism would be a decision I would stick to long-term. Since I […]