Affirmative action ban court challenge misguided

Since the passage of Proposition 2 in 2006, public universities in Michigan have been prohibited from using race as a factor in admissions, meaning all affirmative action in the state effectively has been banned. Read more »

Pittsburgh's proposal to tax tuition idiotic

In a free market society, nothing is free. And when a government needs money to provide its citizens with services, it taxes them. Oftentimes, the wealthier in a society are taxed more than those with less wealth. Read more »

Faculty, students would benefit from fall break

It’s an old rivalry. We have a facility for rare isotope beams, they have a library nicknamed “the Ugly.” We have a majestic 9-foot tall statue of Sparty, and they have some pavement tile you can’t step on or you’ll fail your first blue book. Read more »

3-year college plan misses point

I rush from class to office hours, then to my counselor, back to class and to work. I don’t sleep for 40 hours in an attempt to get caught up from that one night I spent talking about religion, politics and the English army instead of doing my Mandarin Chinese. I bike in the pouring rain, the cluttered leaves, the freezing temperatures. And I keep getting lost on the Capital Area Transportation Authority buses. Read more »

Columnist rages against catcalls

I once accidentally flicked off a priest because I thought he was one of you. Anytime my daily run is interrupted by an obnoxious car horn, I immediately jump to conclusions, and the end result is the high-flying, rage-filled, stride quickening and obscene hand gesture that is provenly effective at assuring either one of two things. Read more »

Catholic values can exist in politics

From an early age, we’re taught the value of compromise. Whether it’s learning to share in kindergarten, conflict resolution in elementary school or mastering the give-and-take relationship in marriages, society expects us all to come to a compromise on a number of issues. Read more »

Spartans in biggest state football rivalry

When game times for this weekend’s Big Ten games were announced, a friend of mine, who happens to be a Michigan fan, texted me, “Michigan-Ohio State at noon on ABC. Great, now the whole nation can laugh at us again.” Read more »

Year's end brings boring future

Where’s my flying car? I know, I saw that flying car on BBC’s “Top Gear” as well, but that’s not what I meant. That car was stripped down and had nothing in it. Read more »