Consider for a moment what the layout of our campus would look like if the group houses were selected by our administrators and deans rather than the students. This is a theoretical exercise. Group living has been placed more firmly in the hands of the student body than ever, a decision that has its own…
Stop blowing off assigned readings
The amount of people at this school who casually blow off readings for their classes is astronomically high, and it is a disturbing trend. Though I am not here to condemn the personal choice of individuals who may have more pressing matters (or who simply do not feel like doing it), I do think it…
In today’s United States, Jews are most certainly white
A continuing debate within the American Jewish community is whether Jews are white or not. It is a controversial question for a variety of reasons. First, it ignores the Mizrahi Jews, who are certainly not white. It also disregards people of color who may have converted on their own or were born Jewish. It also…
Thematic Leaps in Video Game Writing
Consider for a moment what would happen if a filmmaker tried to make a big-budget action flick about the Holocaust. That film would be problematic for a whole bunch of reasons. We wouldn’t expect that movie to be met with positive reviews, if not shunned out of development all together. Yet somehow, a video game…
The administration is not curing discrimination anytime soon
A private, residential university such as Lawrence also needs to be able to provide for the basic needs of its students before it can even consider what classes to offer, what sports teams to endow and what types of extracurricular programs to provide. Therefore, a school like Lawrence will have a nurse’s office, a dining…
Review of the MARS dinner from someone who actually attended
Several weeks ago, Men Against Rape and Sexual Assault (MARS) held a dinner and public speaking event that featured several speakers, informational videos and small group discussions about masculinity. While the event generated controversy, it seems like the solution to our endemic sexual assault numbers has evaded everyone, MARS supporters and critics alike. A very…
Tread around—not on—supporters of excessive gun ownership and masculinity
If we want to understand the way people think about and react to discussions about gun control, we also have to simultaneously address our ideas of masculinity. As the dangers of our irresponsible gun laws are being challenged today, so are the vices of hyper masculinity. However, before exploring the relationship between the defense of…
Glorification of white-on-white crime
Several weeks ago, a massive shootout between rival gangs erupted in a restaurant in Waco, Texas, which left nine people dead and several dozen more injured. Following the shootout, nearly 200 people from rival gangs were arrested. The way that the media covered the Waco shootout is remarkably more sympathetic to the perpetrators of the…
Discussing politics with prudence
The September 11 terrorist attacks marked the first point that I became interested in politics. My teachers at school had us read Time for Kids each Friday afternoon, which included accounts of the attacks. I tuned in to Nick News with Linda Ellerbee each week. I was not much of an athlete, and while other…
Placing a student on the Board of Trustees
Most institutions of higher education are structured with shared governance between its students, faculty and trustees. At Lawrence, students participate through Lawrence University Community Council (LUCC). The faculty oversees hiring and various aspects of the curriculum. The Board of Trustees has jurisdiction over everything else. There is communication between the faculty and the trustees, and…