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Thomas '21: Deriving meaning from different perspectives

In recent weeks, ideological diversity has become a major topic of discussion on campus. The Herald has certainly facilitated this larger discussion, publishing a wide range of op-eds about free speech, the SPEAK coalition and Jeb Bush’s upcoming lecture. These articles all touch on the idea of ideological ...


Opinions

Aman '20: What constitutes acceptable discourse?

I think most Brown students agree that while everyone is entitled to an opinion, not everyone is entitled to a platform to present those opinions; when we create space for certain people and groups to speak, we implicitly give their ideas some minimum level of legitimacy. To be clear, by inviting someone ...


Opinions

Miller '19: Let students leave their mark on campus art

Early on in my Brown career, I ascended the five-story staircase in the List Art Center, and level by level, discovered an ever-changing, floor-to-ceiling mural showcasing Brown’s most creative artists. When I introduce prospective students to Brown, I bring them to that staircase to view a unique ...


Opinions

Liang '19: Inviting Jeb Bush to speak is responsible

Michael Froid ’21 wrote an op-ed published in The Herald on April 6 that argues against the University’s decision to invite Jeb Bush to give the Stephen A. Ogden Jr. ’60 Memorial Lecture on International Affairs. Froid’s op-ed is an excellent piece, and it makes this dissent especially difficult ...


Opinions

Simshauser '20: Rethinking Democrats’ strategy for 2020

Following the 2016 presidential election — as the initial shock of President Trump’s victory began to wane — liberals looked to exit polling data, attempting to diagnose the exact factors that had felled Hillary Clinton’s ostensibly sturdy “blue wall.” Almost immediately, the narrative began ...


Opinions

Johnson '20: Don’t romanticize destructive habits

According to the American College Health Association, nearly one out of five university students is affected by anxiety or depression. There are many reasons why these disorders may be prevalent on college campuses, including smartphone addiction, the rising cost of college and mental overexhaustion. ...


Opinions

Overall '19: The Israel Fund is undeniably political

In late 2016, the Israel Fund was established at Brown. An endowment created from alum donations, the Fund seeks to support new and existing programs and courses centered on Israel. As The Herald previously reported, the University has raised $3.8 million toward a $10 million goal for the Israel Fund’s ...


Opinions

Foster '19: Cooling towers won’t cut it

The days are getting longer, and nor’easters notwithstanding, they’ll start getting warmer too. Soon we’ll all be out on the Main Green, soaking in the sun between (or in spite of) assignment deadlines. But as students enjoy the rising temperatures, Brown Dining Services employees know that something ...


Opinions

Aman ’20: Don’t ban laptops from classrooms

I’ve put a lot of thought into how I take notes in class. Research shows that handwriting improves retention, as the slower process of handwriting forces students to absorb and summarize material while they take notes rather than transcribe a professor’s lectures word for word. Furthermore, I know ...


Opinions

Flynn '20: The pursuit of happiness

“Happiness, then, is apparently something complete and self-sufficient, since it is the end of the things achievable in action,” Aristotle said. Writing in the fourth century B.C.E., he believed that happiness was distinct among humans’ goals in that “we always choose it because of itself, never ...


Opinions

Thomas '21: Being present for the future

Course offerings for fall 2018 were released a few weeks ago on Courses@Brown. As I searched through the classes each department will offer next semester, I got excited thinking of all the various combinations of classes that I could take. The next day, I shared my excitement with a friend of mine, ...


Opinions

Steinman '19: Lead on, Hollywood

It’s taken fourteen months, but President Trump has finally figured out what’s wrong with America. In a recent 5:25 a.m. tweet following the Oscars, he declared: “Problem is, we don’t have Stars anymore — except your President (just kidding, of course)!” His long history of self-aggrandizing ...


Opinions

Miller '19: Award shows are partisan echo chambers

On Sunday, March 4, the 90th Oscar award ceremony took place, featuring a star-studded guest list, much laughter, long speeches and, of course, politics. Host Jimmy Kimmel could hardly wait 10 minutes before getting in a jab at President Trump and his cabinet. On the president, he said: “Wow, the ...


Opinions

Samilow '19: Academic boycotts are bad for the academy

A Supreme Court justice once said, in the context of the death penalty, that when a judge feels unable to apply a law because of his or her personal views, it’s time to resign and either launch a political campaign or lead a revolution. We might venture similar career advice for academics, many of ...


Opinions

Savello '18: Rethinking TA sections

As is natural for a second-semester senior, I have begun to reflect on my academic endeavors and evaluate which experiences I’ve found valuable at Brown — and which ones I’ve found not so valuable. Out of all of my experiences, I’ve found mandatory TA-led discussion sections the most in need ...


Opinions

Johnson '20: We need a more diverse CS faculty

In late February, the computer science department announced that Seny Kamara will be promoted to Associate Professor with tenure as of July 1, 2018. This is an amazing achievement, especially for Kamara, since there is currently only one other professor in the computer science department who is from ...





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