The tuition is too damn high!
(03/04/19 5:00am)
Duke is partaking in a national crisis, and it’s only getting worse. It’s contributing to the enormous cost crisis engulfing the higher education system.
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Duke is partaking in a national crisis, and it’s only getting worse. It’s contributing to the enormous cost crisis engulfing the higher education system.
Last year I wrote a column concluding that critics impetuously characterize Greek life as homogenous, and in effect, dehumanize its members. Criticism for lack of diversity is constant, but fails to move beyond unfair generalizations. Unfortunately the overall smear campaign on Greek life has persevered, so I’m back to defend it. While I am more than open to a fair debate about what is certainly an imperfect system, I think that it's important for critics to assess all of the information and to be more cognizant of inaccurate and divisive rhetoric.
Stressed by demanding workloads, job searches and social pressures, college students, including many of those on Duke’s campus, are vulnerable to deteriorating mental health. However, another major factor that seems to be exacerbating the issue is the ubiquitous obsession with social media.
The midterm elections are over, and we’re left with what most expected: a Democratic House, a Republican Senate, and an overwhelmingly divided government. While gridlock ensues, President Trump will continue to roll through the judicial appointments as Democrats in the House will seek to investigate everything from his tax returns, to supposed collusion with Russia, and maybe even his past romantic ties to porn stars.
This past weekend, I experienced arguably the wildest cultural event of my life by attending Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany. For those of you that are curious, I must say that this festival is truly a once in a lifetime event for any tourist to attend. Despite the constant rowdy partying and presence of tourist traps, Oktoberfest was a great opportunity to engage in Bavarian tradition while also getting a taste of German lifestyle.
This past week, I made a trip to Dublin, Ireland, where I will be studying abroad for the next three and a half months. My flight departed from JFK at 10:10 p.m. with a scheduled arrival time of 9:40 a.m. Although the experience has been a blast, my lack of sleep from flying overnight made the first day of travel much more difficult and stressful. After a summer with a healthy sleep routine, I was reminded of the value of sleep to a productive day and positive mood.
Last week, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg faced Congress for over ten hours of hearings. The focus was on the privacy of users on social media in the wake of the company’s data sharing scandal with Cambridge Analytica. Many lawmakers also grilled the CEO about the potential for new legislative regulation, Facebook’s role in the 2016 election, and its monopolistic characteristics.
“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
The intense debate taking place over the past several months regarding housing reform has sparked controversy. As ideas about a residential college system float around meant to undermine selective living and bolster the experience of those in independent housing, many on Duke’s campus are getting prepared for some significant changes. This past week, things got even more complicated as Duke continues to try to artificially re-engineer the social dynamic on campus.
What if I told you that a professor at Duke started to ridicule and make generalizations about leaders that are important to modern liberalism, alienating students in the process? Would Duke as an institution put up with it? Would there be outrage?
In 2017, the Duke community suffered a tragic loss with the sudden passing of junior Bobby Menges after a battle with brain cancer. As his fellow bassist in the Duke Jazz Ensemble, I was Bobby’s friend along with many others who beloved him.
This past weekend, my father walked into the house with a 50-inch television. My mother, who never refuses a good deal, decided to buy a new pair of shoes for my brother. Yes, they had fallen victim to the annual urge felt by consumers around the country during Thanksgiving weekend. Black Friday’s effects once again found a way to sneak into my cozy home in Long Island.
Last year at the end of fall semester, I received an email about a class called Political Participation and Leadership. The class was looking for individuals who were not afraid to be vocal about their political views and had previously been a part of some form of campus activism. Its design was to train leaders who could eventually become agents of political change in their respective communities.
My number one pet peeve with politicians is the constant and blatant hypocrisy that is often exposed during the passage—or lack thereof—of key legislation. The Tax Reform Act of 1986 is ample proof that many politicians will do whatever it takes to get elected—or in many cases, prevent themselves from losing. What if I told you that in the 1986 Congress, Senators Al Gore, Joe Biden, Harry Reid as well as Congressman Chuck Schumer, voted for the Reagan-championed Tax Reform Act that lowered the top marginal income tax rate to 28 percent? Ironically, now-Senate Minority Leader Schumer recently denounced capitalism as a whole, claiming that it has “broken down” and that the “old Adam Smith idea of competition” is “gone.”
Another socialist regime, another failure. Venezuela’s economy tanked under President (essentially dictator) Nicolás Maduro’s authoritarian regime, with its GDP contracting by 18.6 percent and inflation increasing by 800 percent in 2016. Venezuelans continue to be the subjects of a humanitarian crisis.
Without imposing any religious doctrine on anyone, I think this week we should all thank Christ. By Christ, I mean University of California at Berkeley’s new chancellor, Carol Christ, who should be commended for upholding the principles of free speech on a campus that recently experienced violence at the prospect of hosting controversial speakers.
In the midst of the GOP health care debacle, public officials on the Democratic side of the aisle are beginning to take advantage of the situation and praise radical alternatives to our current health care system. When speaking about the future of health care in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Senator Elizabeth Warren asserted her position saying, “Now it’s time for the next step. And the next step is single payer.” Senator Bernie Sanders is calling for “Medicare for All,” and is planning to introduce a bill to Senate floor in the upcoming weeks. During his 2016 presidential bid, he provided a detailed, yet very costly plan on his website.
President Trump has a lot of work to do. Regardless of your feelings for him, his success in solving key issues that face our country is crucial for maintaining order, especially when it comes to national security. At this point, I think it’s fair to assume that terrorism is a legitimate threat to the tranquility and enjoyment of freedom within our democracy. Because ISIS is unique compared to its terrorist companions, the Trump Administration now inherits the incredibly hard task of winning the war on terror.