Opinions

Honor our experiences and keep the conversation going

The University now has an opportunity to create changes that could lead to an open and respectful campus environment in which every student and faculty member is able to pursue their educational goals. Read More

After administration’s inaction, harassment and sexual misconduct policies need oversight

Dear faculty, student, and staff colleagues: Since the public disclosure of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint against the University in September, the Faculty Senate has acted in a spirit of collaboration to advocate for needed changes to be made in the University’s policies and procedures. We supported the creation of the Commission on Women […]

UR can’t skimp on the basics

A parking garage wouldn’t be as flashy a thing to have your name on, but it would sure make a lot of people’s lives easier. Read More

Happy holidays, you filthy animals

Christmas tree pretzels. I love them, you love them, and they’re a longstanding UR tradition that we can all get and stay behind. Well, if you haven’t been to the Common Market recently, I regret to inform you that the Christmas tree pretzels are no more. Instead, there are just regular-shaped pretzels with a white-candy […]

Protect grad students from tax hike

Currently passing through the U.S. Senate and House are two version of a tax reform bill with potentially major impact on higher education and graduate students in particular. The House version of the bill especially, were it to be passed, would cause severe tax hikes for approximately 150,000 graduate students nationwide. The exact cause of […]

In defense of being mestizo

If there is something that is certain for most of us who are mestizos, it is that when we think deeply about ourselves, we find it hard to define ourselves. Still, I think it’s worth trying. We sometimes try to make up for this by calling ourselves Hispanic or Latinos. But, these terms don’t really […]

You were wrong about Ted Pawlicki

“It takes a special kind of student to thrive at Rochester,” read my acceptance letter. Thus, I expected a special kind of student body when I arrived here this August — one that included problem-solvers that excelled in an open curriculum, entrepreneurs who were made for the streets, free-thinkers making their own decisions. And for […]

Necessary steps taken for students in need

UR’s welcoming of hurricane-affected students from universities in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as the SA Government’s recent support for undocumented students on campus, are both admirable moves to support students who need it. The Office of Admissions’ plans to offer a semester of cost-free attendance to up to 12 students […]

In defense of evolutionary psychology

Humans experience pain when they’re injured. Humans care for their kin more than for individuals who are distantly related. Humans get hungry when they haven’t eaten for a while.  From an evolutionary perspective, this all makes sense. However, according to Laura Cowie-Haskell’s op-ed in the last week’s Campus Times, trying to explain these phenomena through […]

Some advice for CS majors

Computer science is a difficult subject. It involves the breakdown of abstract problems into formal, model-based solutions that can be worked through step-by-step. For many, this is a long process — one that requires years of study at an institution. In fact, this study takes so long to accomplish, that one might mistake the time […]