Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
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Opinion

The opinions presented below are solely the views of the author and do not represent the views of The News-Letter. If you are a member of the Hopkins community looking to submit a piece or a letter to the editor, please email opinions@jhunewsletter.com.

GOP generation: Can Millennials rebuild the party?

By BEN SCHWARTZ | April 25, 2013

We are the Millennials, the generation born from 1980 through 2000 — born in the last century, come of age in the new millennium. Millennials voted for Obama 60 percent to 36 percent over former Governor Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election. The president captured an even larger share, 66 percent to 31 percent, in his 2008 win over Senator John McCain. What, in that case, does the Millennial generation have to do with the rebirth of the Grand Old Party, the party of Lincoln?

Debate promotes necessary dialogue

April 25, 2013

Students and faculty came together on Monday to debate the merits of fossil fuel divestment. Refuel Our Future, a student group spearheading efforts to convince the University to divest its endowment in fossil fuels, and Alpha Kappa Psi, the business fraternity, co-hosted the debate. Divestment would entail the University getting rid of any stocks in fossil fuel companies. Professors Bruce Hamilton and Cindy Parker partnered with two members of the Woodrow Wilson Debate Council to argue their sides of the case.

Polls present opportunity for SGA

April 25, 2013

This year, when students logged on to vote in the SGA executive elections, they were also asked to voice their opinion on the proposed smoking ban on the Homewood campus. A total of 2,860 students participated, which was the “highest voter turnout in recent SGA memory,” according to Rob Turning, Director of Student Activities.

Tweeting after terror: The new role of social media

By ELIZABETH SIEGAL | April 18, 2013

I was in second grade on September 11, 2001. It was only a couple of days into the new school year as we began to practice reading skills and math tables, finding relief within a classroom amidst the humid Washington, D.C. weather. I don’t remember much about the beginning of the day, only that I was getting more and more anxious as the day progressed. My 25 classmates were getting picked up one by one. Three left at recess, two during P.E. This cyclical shrinking even seemed strange to the fleeting attention span of a seven-year-old.

Why Hopkins shouldn’t ban smoking on campus

By ISAAC BROOKS | April 18, 2013

Some personal facts: I do not smoke, nor have I ever smoked. I do not condone smoking in the slightest. The odor disgusts me, the littering upsets me, the financial burden and the vast amount of wasted time it imposes on addicts troubles me. I can without hesitation declare that I am ideologically opposed to smoking, at Hopkins or anywhere else.

Let students advise on speaker

April 18, 2013

Hopkins senior Ben Wasser started an online petition last week to provide students with greater control over the selection of commencement speakers. The aim of the petition is to make the selection process more transparent and democratic and to perhaps even fund future commencement speakers.

Drone program invaluable, but in need of reform

By MATT PARMAN | April 11, 2013

Debate over the use of drones in Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen has been raging over the past couple of years and both sides tend to make well-formulated arguments. Is there a middle ground between continuing our current strategy and halting it altogether?

Filibustering the imperial presidency

By ALEX DRAGONE | April 11, 2013

On March 6, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky took to the Senate floor to begin a filibuster of John Brennan’s nomination as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. He ended his filibuster 13 hours later on March 7. Following the filibuster, Mr. Brennan was easily nominated.

Letter: Hopkins’s involvement with drones is wrong

By ROBERT D. DAY | April 11, 2013

Jacob Grunberger is right. JHU’s involvement in drone warfare is wrong, and we must do something about it. His proposal for compensating the victims of American drone attacks is worthwhile. Unfortunately, the Obama Administration tries to shield drone warfare from scrutiny or criticism, treats the communities under attack with astonishing disregard and would likely embargo aid under the pretenses of the “War on Terror.” But, as Mr. Grunberger suggests, we have a unique opportunity to promote peace, transparency and the rule of law.

Letter: Why was Santorum invited to Hopkins?

By NANCY HOFFMAN and KATIE BOYCE-JACINO | April 11, 2013

Santorum has made a career out of his hateful ideas, especially toward the LGBT community. As a (former) Senator, he has been privileged to put his thought into policy on a national level, and the anti-LGBT policies of Santorum and his fellows have been measurably destructive for the lives of LGBT Americans.

Give the floor to both viewpoints

April 11, 2013

The Judiciary Committee of the Student Government Association (SGA) decided Wednesday to grant official group status to the pro-life organization Voice for Life (VFL). The Committee’s ruling overturns a March decision by the SGA Senate, which denied VFL’s application for approval as a student group. As an official advocacy and awareness group, VFL now enjoys all Student Activity Commission (SAC) privileges. The group can freely use the Hopkins logo and name, has the opportunity to rent official Hopkins vans and can apply to receive monthly SAC grants and other funds from the University.

What Obama's controversial comment means and why it matters

By KIDIST KETEMA | April 11, 2013

This past week, President Obama received a lot of criticism for commenting on the attractiveness of California Attorney General Kamala Harris. “She’s brilliant and she’s dedicated, she’s tough,” Obama said at a Democratic National Committee fundraiser. “She also happens to be by far the best-looking attorney general in the country,” he then added.

Too much pollution? Raise gas prices

By DAVIS EINOLF | April 4, 2013

One of the greatest contributing factors to pollution in America today is the persistent struggle of multiple parties to keep gas prices as low as possible. The United States and its citizens will not change until their hands are forced, until the struggle is to raise gas prices.

The pitfalls of talking about America in the Middle East

By BAYLY WINDER | April 4, 2013

Discussing the U.S. government’s actions and policies in the Middle East is tough. People get uneasy, emotional and defensive. It becomes difficult to stand your ground and avoid coming across as either an American apologist or an anti-American zealot. Perhaps a conspiracy theory or a distasteful tirade gets thrown into the mix. Chances are someone is going to get angry.

Taking a fresh look at the Voice for Life debate

By BO TAO | April 4, 2013

Last week, Voice For Life (VFL) was denied official group status by the Student Government Association (SGA). Despite the number of students who consider this a free speech issue, let us set the record straight. Hopkins is a private university and thus operates under a different set of rules from public universities. Even if this is not a free speech issue, I feel that there has been a lot of information being misunderstood on both sides of the pro-life and pro-choice debate. Therefore, let us dissect some of the arguments in favor of and against VFL.

Crisis of confidence: Time to listen to the faculty

By CAITLIN McDONALD | April 4, 2013

During spring break, I spent time with two of my brothers and my father, all of whom graduated from New York University. The highly controversial issue revolving around the faculty’s disapproval of the university’s president, John Sexton, has thus been pressing on my mind. Naturally, I was curious about what would cause such infighting, so I set out to do some research.

SGA Election Endorsements

April 4, 2013

Every year, after reviewing the platforms and conducting interviews of each candidate running for SGA Executive Board, The News-Letter Editorial Board determines which candidates to endorse. The Editorial Board chooses to endorse the candidates that best suit the position, provide the most relevant experience and demonstrate a plan for achieving success and enacting change.

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