Opinions
Journalism
More journalism, please and thank you
If you want to go into journalism at UR — and we think you should — there are only so many places to go. Your options are limited because UR simply doesn’t offer enough journalism courses. And even for the ones that are offered, there’s so much overlap that you find yourself learning the same […]
frats
Letter to the editor clarifying dry frats
A recent opinion piece for the Campus Times acknowledged changes to alcohol policies at the national level that impact the fraternity community on our campus. I want to explain some context behind those changes, clarify why this is not a “dry” event policy, and explain our reaction as the Interfraternity Council. We find it important […]
cancel culture
Cancel culture needs to be reconsidered
In the current era of activism and awareness, we have a predilection for deciding that someone’s works are no longer valuable immediately after discovering some questionable actions. While boycotting artists, comedians, and actors after particularly reprehensible actions — Bill Cosby comes to mind — is sometimes valid, doing so without thought is not beneficial and […]
cultural relativism
Cultural relativism does not mean blind acceptance
Cultural relativism is the concept that no culture should be ranked or compared to another. Not only is cultural relativism a solid term to flex in intellectual conversation with other students, it is a highly contested concept in social, international, and interpersonal politics today. Respecting the ideas and values of cultures that differ from our […]
Diversity
Identity clubs and commitment to diversity
There are many student organizations on campus based on culture or identity like the Korean American Students’ Association, Spanish and Latino Students’ Association, Pan-African Students Association, Pride Network, and Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. The members of each group usually reflect the name of the group or what the group’s mission is to serve. Do […]
Climate Change
The answer to the climate crisis is education
At Friday’s climate change demonstration in Wilson Commons, we once again heard about how we can help by making changes in our personal lives like buying organic, or using public transportation. But people who water their lawns and get to-go orders in styrofoam aren’t ruining the planet. It’s now more widely known that climate change […]
racism
The “unexpected” effects of casual racism
The N-word was found written on a mirror in a Sue B. bathroom on Thursday morning. The presence of racism on campus is not surprising, but the bluntness and senselessness of it is. There (seemingly) wasn’t a motive, or a target. There was just the N-word — hard r — slapped onto a bathroom mirror, […]
classes
Not all classes are created equal
First-semester first-years are restricted in the amount of credits they can take, presumably in some sort of effort to prevent burnout. But a 16 credit schedule for a STEM major can look significantly more packed than one for a humanities or social science major. Between all the labs, lab lectures, recitations, and workshops, there seems […]
pens
How Paper Mate Clearpoint™ Mechanical Pencils caused my moral downfall
One weeknight in seventh grade, I babysat for my social studies teacher’s two children. I was almost 13 and things were going to change. Thirteen would be my year, I knew. I could feel everything shimmering with teenage potential. Even weeknights became thrilling. Thirteen? Me! My social studies teacher (and their spouse) lived a few […]
argument
I hate chocolate ice cream.
And you should tell me why I’m wrong. There is nothing more satisfying than to hear the words “I was wrong” after a long verbal sparring match against someone with whom you viscerally disagree. The value of these words comes almost entirely from their rarity. How often do you really win an argument? Maybe you’re […]
