Opinion
Letter: Why the Day of Silence is so important
By admin | April 16, 2010I am sure you have seen it all over campus and maybe for a brief second you contemplated what it is about.
I am sure you have seen it all over campus and maybe for a brief second you contemplated what it is about.
If you are not yet aware, an alumnus of the University of Richmond is currently a political prisoner in Azerbaijan for speaking out against a corrupt government and advocating for his and his peoples' right to a free democratic government. Adnan Hajizada graduated from Richmond in 2005 where his father said he learned what democracy and freedom mean.
Dear Collegian, In banning submissions under pseudonyms last year, The Collegian made a grave mistake.
Dear Fellow Students, It has come to our attention that there has been a resurgence of derogatory statements made about fellow members of the University of Richmond community on the Internet. Our intent is not to pinpoint a certain Web site that facilitates this type of behavior; rather we seek to raise awareness and to create a community of respect, responsibility and acceptance.
I remember back to the early 1990s (yes, I do - I was 4 years old and my memory was fully developed) when the inquiry as to "What's up?" stood as delicately as a tightrope walker upon the line between familiar and frequent integration into casual conversation. That it has since become the most regularly posed question among Americans between the ages of 10 and 25 can mean only one thing: The question is yet unanswered. This implication is backed by quite a sufficient amount of empirical evidence.
Dan Letovsky's recent piece, "Obama's treatment of Israel unfair, dangerous" (April 1, 2010), levies a strong, well-argued criticism against President Obama's controversial dismissal of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the planned expansion of Israeli settlements in contested East Jerusalem. He criticizes what he considers to be harsh treatment by Obama, citing Israel's status as one of the favorite sons of the United States, and points out that Israel is still the only democracy in the region. He parades around the standard argument for why Israeli suffering seems to exonerate it of its misdoings, instead calling upon the world to take issue with Arab countries for their faults.
Personal finance is an important aspect of each of our lives, whether we would like to admit it or not.
So the weather gets better. The birds chirp, the bees buzz, the pants start coming down and the the shorts keep rising.
To quote: "What kills me about news reports on this issue is that they focus on what feminists think ... Do people claim that the Holocaust was a Jewish issue or that slavery was an African issue?
Hurricane Katrina. It seems like forever ago that I remember seeing the news about the devastation of New Orleans, watching the news and seeing people getting rescued from the roofs of their houses and seeing almost the entire city filled with water. As soon as the storm happened, I wanted to go down and help, but I never got the opportunity. This spring break, I was finally able to go with a group from campus called the Collegiate Disaster Relief Team.
In my four years at Richmond, we have stolen nothing from the school, but it has stolen one thing from us: an outdoor grill.
I considered beginning this article by apologizing to the freshman and sophomore classes. I wanted to apologize for talking about a subject that they shouldn't have to worry about for another year or two.
Upon reading the Family Foundation's blog post about their president, Victoria Cobb, receiving the Jepson School of Leadership Studies' 10th Reunion Recognition Award and the resulting student protest, my first instinct was to laugh.
At the recent forum to discuss the concern over Victoria Cobb receiving the award from Jepson, a fellow student said something to the effect of, "These comments come from the students' sadness; we don't feel safe here." This got me thinking that I really don't feel safe here.
We are often asked to reflect on how these four years have changed us; but what about the impact that we have made on the University of Richmond?
It may seem like a contradiction for someone who promotes inclusiveness and tolerance to speak out against honoring Victoria Cobb. In order to be truly inclusive, people have argued that Jepson should overlook Cobb's political and religious beliefs and be able to award her as someone who has demonstrated effective leadership for a cause she cares deeply about. Cobb has a different way of viewing the world and within her worldview, her actions are moral and ordained.
The issue that seems to be getting lost within the current dialogue is not whether Victoria Cobb and the Family Foundation have the right to speak out against LGBTQ people, abortion and an array of other issues ? because she ABSOLUTELY DOES.
This week, while President Obama announces a major change in American national security strategy, a situation halfway around the world is rapidly reaching the point of no return: The Islamic Republic of Iran is racing down the home stretch towards acquiring the nuclear weapons with which they wish to dominate the Middle East. During a recent visit to Kuwait, Secretary of State Clinton stated plainly that the United States recognizes Iran for what it is: a military dictatorship. This is a positive step for the United States, but Iran still has its apologists. Among the most prominent is Brazilian President Lula da Silva, who, between congratulating Ahmadinejad for the fraudulent electoral victory on a visit to the Islamic Republic, was able to parrot Tehran's fantastic narrative of peaceful nuclear development. What leader can allow themselves to be complicit in this fraud of a government which denies the most basic rights to its people while spending millions abroad sponsoring terrorism? Lula is not alone in either supporting Tehran's despots, or shielding the regime from international pressure.
Ah, finally the dust has begun to settle and the completion date for the highly anticipated E. Claiborne Robins Stadium is right around the corner.
"How should you treat your Gypsy?" - Me "I don't even know." - The Gypsy King The Gypsy King commissioned this article as a statement to the Birds and the Bees that there is certain etiquette that is not necessarily a well-known option in the relationship types.