William Tomasko '13: Not a people's Senate
By William Tomasko | March 2Recently, The Herald's editorials have been — appropriately — frustrated with the United States Senate.
Recently, The Herald's editorials have been — appropriately — frustrated with the United States Senate.
It's about that time of year again. As the days until June fly off the calendar, students are rushing to find summer internships and post-graduation jobs in a still relatively weak economy. With so many possibilities and so little time, finding something to do when classes end can be a daunting, ...
It is a typical Kafkaesque situation where one can never figure out where the chain of hierarchy ends and who is accountable for making a fateful verdict. The world is neither understandable nor escapable, indeed a boundless labyrinth.
Senator Evan Bayh's recent decision to retire instead of seek re-election is an indicator of a larger trend in American government today — democracy is slowly dying. It's not a pretty death; rather, it's more like the long, protracted, gruesome death of a Western movie character. Shane isn't turning ...
A few weeks ago, I attended a standard gathering of The Brown Daily Herald opinions writers and editors to lay down rules and explain the ways of the Herald world. Given that I seldom keep track of my fellow columnists, I was excited to see who else was writing. As I scanned the room, I couldn't help ...
Conservative activist James O'Keefe laments that college students are "drowned in relativism." This is a fairly common criticism of academia, but it is not exactly precise. It is fair to say that American universities are generally socially liberal and that many students and professors value tolerance ...
In the past, when Brown received complaints from media conglomerates that students were using file-sharing networks for purposes of copyright infringement, the administration would react by sending a simple e-mail to the offender. The e-mail demanded that the student delete the copyrighted ...
Online universities are growing. They can provide an education cheaply and from any place on the globe. Even brick-and-mortar universities are providing content, courses and degrees over the Internet. Universities like Edinburgh and Oxford are offering graduate degrees online.
During my shifts working as a cashier at Josiah's, my heart swells with joy every time a customer asks for a reusable green canvas bag or water bottle to be added to his or her purchase of mozzarella sticks. Each student I see getting a mug refill or drinking tap water (especially without taking the ...
James E. O'Keefe III is an unlikely lightning rod in investigative journalism. Whereas I might draw cries of reaction and looks of astonishment for my anarchy-cum-monarchy tendencies, O'Keefe is rather conventionally conservative. He may have a biting take on the bureaucratic enclave that is the Beltway, ...
In an effort to squeeze out negative energy (new year, new semester, new outlook, you know the drill), I must take this conspicuous opportunity to lay open my feelings against a most conspicuous man. He is someone who absorbs more attention than he will ever deserve. He is a man capable of and culpable ...
The ongoing crisis and relief efforts in Haiti have rightfully captured our close national attention. But as the acute phase of the disaster fades and relief rather than rescue becomes the order of the day, an important opportunity arises for self-examination. It may be uncomfortable, but the circumstances ...
The first time I smelled marijuana smoke, I distinctly remember thinking what an odd odor it is. Wood smoke has a crisp, full odor. Cigarettes give off a fainter aroma, light, but sharp. Marijuana is more difficult to describe: sharp like a cigarette, but distractingly sweet-and-sour. It's an unpleasant ...
I had been making my rounds as a responsible member of the Hong Kong Students' Association last week, attempting to get the word out about our latest event. I was surprised at the number of my friends who questioned or declined my invitation on the basis of "not being from Hong Kong." I felt a little ...
Since the 2008 economic crisis, there has been no shortage of "belt-tightening" rhetoric in our periodic e-mails from President Ruth Simmons. The administration's promise to reduce the budget deficit became incarnate in the Feb. 2 report of the Organizational Review Committee. The report is littered ...
Admit it: regardless of how much we enjoy our academic pursuits at Brown, they can sometimes seem very distant from reality. The journal articles and academic books we read can seem too specific to be useful in "real life," and the papers we write rarely see the light of day once their due dates have ...
Since the people of Massachusetts doomed the health care bill, the Obama administration has been trying to bridge the differences between the Senate and House health care reform bills, and will continue to do so within the next several days before the televised bipartisan health care summit on Feb. ...
Learning a foreign language is serious business. Although the rewards are great, the path to "fluency" — a concept which becomes more elusive the longer one pursues it — is long and arduous. And just when it seems like you've significantly expanded your abilities, you realize just how much ...
Ruth Simmons stole my column idea.
This year, if President Barack Obama can fulfill a promise he made in Wednesday's State of the Union address, Congress will finally repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy and allow gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military. When — and only when — this national injustice is remedied, ...