Why I boycott Israel

Katerina Mansour        Staff Writer When discussing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, much of the focus tends to be on the armed aspect of the conflict. We argue about who attacked whom, whether it was self-defense, or whether one side had better justification than the other. Yet, an important discussion to have, and important information to know, relates to Israel’s informal settlements in the West … Continue reading Why I boycott Israel

The lesson from the fall of the Roman Republic

Adam Griffin    Staff Writer There is an oft-repeated phrase that “Rome did not fall in a day,” in fact, Rome was falling for hundreds of years. But the roots of this decline can be traced to the collapse of their republican form of government that traded stable institutions for imperial glory; suffice it to say, this trade marked the beginning of Rome’s long road … Continue reading The lesson from the fall of the Roman Republic

No-risk driving: The future of automated vehicles

Spencer Schneier  Technology Editor Autonomous driving is a technology that drivers in the US are going to have to get used to and they’re going to have to get used to it pretty quickly. The technology, which uses machine learning algorithms, or essentially computer programs that can learn by trial and error, promises to fix a lot of problems plaguing the transportation industry. Many in the … Continue reading No-risk driving: The future of automated vehicles

College deals with mental illness poorly

Ailey O’Toole    Staff Writer I’m sure almost all of you reading this know someone who struggles with anxiety or depression, maybe even suicidal thoughts or attempts. This is because mental illness is quickly on the rise among college students. In 2013, a survey of college students found that 57 percent of women and 40 percent of men reported experiencing “overwhelming anxiety” in the previous … Continue reading College deals with mental illness poorly

Leftism is the biggest threat to the U.S.

Mark Parent Opinions Editor Trigger warning: I am about to say something very offensive. In fact, it’s so offensive that you’ll be tempted to type a mean-spirited, hateful tweet — which actually happens to me, occasionally — that demeans my political positions, while simultaneously calling me childish names. Of course, these hateful comments will have no bearing on my conscience; after all, I suffered irreparable … Continue reading Leftism is the biggest threat to the U.S.

The threat of Artificial Intelligence: Extinction

Spencer Schneier  Technology Editor Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the last thing humanity will ever invent. That’s a weird thing to think about, but it speaks to the enormity of inventing intelligence itself. There are a few important ideas to keep in mind when assessing the risk of AI. The first is to understand the varying levels of AI. There is “weak AI,” which is AI … Continue reading The threat of Artificial Intelligence: Extinction

The threat of entitlement

Natalie King     Publisher Something that I think is a huge threat to our generation is the sense of entitlement that so many millennials have inherited, or developed, in recent years. Our biggest threat, in turn, is ourselves. Millennials today show entitlement through their lack of understanding of any opinion that differs from their own. Most people would say that today’s teens and twenties … Continue reading The threat of entitlement

The greatest threats to fashion: I see you Kylie Jenner

Lauren Cherry     Copy Editor In honor of our Greatest Threats issue, I feel it is my duty to inform our readers of what I think are the greatest threats to fashion — and also my sanity. Now, I have my own fashion skeletons that I would like to forget, so if you identify with something on this list, I can assure you that … Continue reading The greatest threats to fashion: I see you Kylie Jenner

America’s arrogant quest for power is suicidal

Katerina Mansour        Staff Writer When contemplating the US’s biggest threat, my mind doesn’t immediately jump to things like terrorism, as it might for many. No, my mind tends to think of the US itself as its own worst enemy and biggest threat. What I mean, really, is that the intense nationalism and ethnocentrism of the American population, and by extension their government, … Continue reading America’s arrogant quest for power is suicidal

The crippling threat of debt

Adam Griffin     Staff Writer As I type these words, the National Debt of the United States is $19,150,625,265,908. That is trillion with a capital “T.” What does that mean? Can we imagine that much money or what it would take to pay it off? It seems more like a fantastical amount of money than it does the legitimate sum of money borrowed against … Continue reading The crippling threat of debt