Shaun's column this week

The End of the 2004 Post-game

and now...

a PSA from Planned Parenthood

Give me tenure, or give me death

For all our disagreements, Jon, I always value you as someone who will passionately defend the individual's right to do or say as he pleases. Therefore, I was discouraged to see in your column that your zeal for liberty is diminished when the subject in question is not a gun owner or a stock trader, but instead a University of Colorado-Boulder professor.

I realize you are not seeking the abolition of tenure or even necessarily the dismissal of Ward Churchill, but are instead advocating the subjection of professors to periodic review of the quantity and quality of their scholarship. However, you do not take issue with the quantity or quality of Churchill's scholarship at any point, but rather its content. So what are you really trying to say?

The validity, or lack thereof, of Churchill's arguments aside, the right of an academic to ask the hard questions and make the unpopular point is as valuable as any right in the American political lexicon. We're all much better off if we tackle the knottier issues in the laboratory of the university instead of the battleground of politics. There is no argument that does not have a place in the academic discourse, if for no reason other than to prove it wrong. And yes, that includes socialism.

There's nothing particularly faulty with your column, save its casual attitude towards academic freedom. Liberty is liberty, and if you'll argue until you're blue in the face to protect your right to own a shotgun, perhaps the spirit of free inquiry should be treated as something more than a "secondary" concern.

Liberal Guilt

A rare and insightful political commentary from the New York Metro.

At what point do our political leanings color our reading of the news too much? Are liberals secretly happy when something bad happens in Iraq (or anywhere really) because it reflects poorly upon the Bush Administration? Did conservatives feel this same guilty pleasure when negative world events detracted from Clinton's administration?

Fake news from the White House

This is not ok. It shouldn't even have to be said, but it is very unethical to be a "journalist" who is a paid mouthpiece for an organization or a political party -- that's what PR people are for. It's also unethical to be a fake reporter. While the Bush administration is using fake journalism as a great strategic tool, it's bad -- really, really bad -- for the public and for journalism as a profession. This definitely crosses the line between really brilliant PR and really scary propaganda. If any of you go into journalism, please don't do this.

Staff Editorial 02/17

NYU must reveal info.

It's a hard-hitter.

i so couldn't resist....

and neither can you or you

Greg B.: "I joined Sex is for Fags after watching girls who put out turn my big brother into a major wuss. By learning to repress my urges, now I can to grow up and be what I always wanted: a prison guard or a priest."

oh and more EULA madness

Jill's column this week

We must tell our own stories

I have a lot more to say about this. At some point I'll add to what the column says.

Letters galore

We should allow all voices in the Mideast debate by Alan Dershowitz (!!)

Azam distorts Dershowitz lecture

Azam is wrong; Bronfman right to host Dershowitz

Dershowitz has the right to express his views

Military deserves its own voice here at NYU

NYU has the right to protest JAG recruiters

WSN editorial board missed full fall break story

Rowe's anti-ROTC views unjustified

Staff Editorials

I am really, really bad at updating these. Sorry. If any of you see that I haven't put one up and you want to comment on it, feel free to do it yourself!

Feb. 10: Keep textbook costs down

Feb. 14: Leased dorms lack care

Feb. 15: Federal cuts hurt students

Feb. 16: NYU: Get off our butts

matt's column

the ownership society

Shaun's column this week

"Constitution Day" a necessity

merger mania...

continues

Two op/eds to emulate

Whether you agree with her or not, check out Samantha Power's recent op/ed in the New York Times. Look at how she constructs it: she's done her own reporting, which she adds in as personal narrative in the introduction. She makes it clear where she stands without a sentence that sounds like a thesis statement. Then she launches into the hard facts of the topic she's covering in an engaging, conversational style. She uses relatively short sentences, and simple, unpretentious language. She orders her facts logically, mixing in anecdotes and quotes. She starts and ends strong, and puts a face on the issue she's discussing. It's a very powerful piece.

From the other side of the fence is a piece by Peggy Noonan, who is a consitently strong conservative opinion writer and a former Reagan speech writer. Her style here is markedly different from Power's, and one that really only works in very few situations. Her first-person narrative style is really only appropriate when writing about something intensely personal, that would sound cold otherwise -- in this case, religion. Of course, many of us do use "I" occassionally in columns, but in this one she leans on it, discussing her experiences in the first person. Again, really only useful in a few situations -- otherwise, it can sound self-inflated and lacking credibility. Anyway, check out both the op/eds. They're solid.

Give Me an L7

OK really, this is the lamest guy ever...if you let yourself become "addicted" to AIM or Facebook, maybe it's time to, I don't know, oh yeah, find some friends and get out of your house instead of writing "op-ed" pieces for the Boston Globe.

Moreover, is there really nothing better for the Globe to run than articles on subjects that have been beaten to death for the last six years ago? Is AIM really "news" to anyone anymore? Is it just me or does the media go through cycles where it reports on things everyone in their 20s-30s knows about so they can "shock" the out of touch?

Or does the fact that I'm writing this solely to procrastinate on my thesis negate my entire argument?

in case you haven't heard about lokitorrent... check it out.
i sense column material maybe?

hope everybody's ready for their national ID cards.

matt's column

An open letter to the AP

Intelligent reasons aside, it's simply annoying.

Jill's column this week

Defend marriage this V-day

Staff Editorials

We still need a fall break

We need anon sex supplies

Wills Column This Week

In this week's Smoking Section we look at the death of free speech, hypocritical liberals, and Linda Ronstadt.

If that's not your cup of tea, read about how one county has the courage to make inmates pay for their stay in jail. And of course, the joy-kill ACLU is disgusted.

And for those of you that got hungry reading about the Monster Thickburger, here's a little relief.

Happy Chinese New Year folks. (And yes I mean Chinese, not Asian or Lunar)

Save Toby

Save a cute little bunny by donating to this important fund.

Oh and it also helps not-so-cute people I guess.

Shaun's column this week

Simple thought and simple theft

house editorial 02/03

NYU: Protest JAG recruiters

you'll never look at food the same way again

maybe we should start calling it the WSN opinion and food blog. delicious.

the real monster thickburger

It tastes like burning

Another 5am-ish post...and really...this is just plain scary...

"The disease, known as LGV or Lymphogranuloma venereum...is often marked by painful, bloody rectal infection and genital ulcers. "

OW! Abstinence-only programs may not get kids to use condoms but stuff like that will.

matt's column this week

Why EA Sucks

if you think you can stomach it, there's an extended version... just click "read more" the html tags aren't embedded in the style template yet soooo... it'll just be posted as a comment until that's done

House Editorial 02/02

CAS needs new grad plan

House Editorial 02/01

NYU rejects PACT money

fyi, we kinda screwed up on this one. nyu has not in fact rejected the PACT money, but is still in the decision-making process. however, we maintain our position that nyu should not reject this money. you can see a full retraction in tuesday's editorial.

House Editorial 01/31

Put Spiritual Spot in Kimmel

Wills Column This Week

In the Smoking Section this week, we discuss race, economics, education, and make a passing reference to eugenics.

If that's not your bag, you can also read about the results of Groundhog Day.

Or maybe you'd just like more of the Monster Thickburger.

Best sentence in all three of those pieces, including my own?

Blue-state critics, meet red-state consumers.

Try to guess which it comes from!