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  Aside from abandoning all preconceived notions of an object and then experiencing it in person, we experience all persons, places and things as ideas. While reflecting, a father can experience the idea of his son by distinguishing his appearance from others either by thinking of the time and interests the two have shared or by remembering the last conversation he...

  In light of the recent Harvard academic scandal in which more than 125 students were caught cheating on their final exam, many major media outlets openly questioned the merits of a modern college education. In a Sept. 6 editorial piece, The Boston Globe claimed that a college education has “become a transaction: a means of earning a degree for your résumé,...

  American culture centers on the belief that we as citizens have a voice, particularly through voting. We pride ourselves on the fact that we have free elections that are guaranteed and protected by the Constitution, a freedom that far too many countries do not enjoy. However, how much does your vote really count? While each vote is meaningful in local and state...

An open letter to Henry’s friends:   Or maybe you’re not Henry’s friends. Friends would’ve sent Henry home, or at least shut him up, on Saturday night, when he shouted “nigger” off the bridge near the Ford Center at some people below. Instead, you all said, “Henry!” and stifled laughs. Meaning, of course, that if others...

On Sept. 17, the Mississippi State Department of Health reported 29 new cases of West Nile virus, bringing the state’s yearly total to 169 cases and four deaths. The virus has spread across a large portion of the state, though no cases have been confirmed in Lafayette County. As both the rate of infection and media exposure steadily increase, along with the emergence...

  I like having the alcohol we are NOT supposed to have in the stadium rain down on my dress shirts. Nothing brings me greater joy.   I also enjoy hearing visiting students tell me that they never have students arrested in their respective student sections. Temper tantrums that result in full cups of various beverages being heaved toward the field bring prideful...

  Raise your hand if you saw “Bladerunner.” Or read “The Martian Chronicles.” Or listen to the Top 40. My job in this column will be to convince you that they are all related and actually incredibly important to us. Since discussing Katy Perry’s video for “Wide Awake” last week, I can’t stop thinking about how smart...

The teachers’ strike in Chicago is one of the most important stands taken by educators for the future of education in the United States. Strong, effective education for young people is immensely important not only to those individuals, but to our nation as a whole. Countries whose citizens are well educated have greater innovation and economic growth. In Chicago,...