Cutting recycling at residence halls was ridiculous mistake

I am currently a dorm resident and found the recent recycling news very disturbing. Upon moving into my dorm, I did notice we were told to put boxes next to the dumpster outside, which would then be recycled. Other than that, no effort has been made for any other materials to be recycled, including cardboard boxes after the first week of check-in. I hadn't heard the reasons for this until reading the article, "ResLife retires dorm recycling" printed Tuesday. [Read article]

Many residence hall dwellers are rightfully chagrined that the Department of Residence Life has chosen to eliminate its recycling program. But rather than focus solely on ResLife's vague and contradictory excuses for its illogical decision to shut down the program, it's time for residence hall residents to refocus their efforts on coming up with an economical alternative.

The program's termination seems to defy logic. It is ludicrous to encourage an activity such as recycling while providing no infastructure through which it may be accomplished. At the very least, ResLife should return the old recycling bins to residence halls and encourage students to participate, rather than removing them and offering them for resale. [Read article]

The single most common response I've encountered from my peers regarding U.S. military action in the Middle East is expressed with an apathetic shrug and the cynical remark: "It's all about oil." Generally, this implies the belief that the United States seeks power in oil-producing countries to nurture well-lobbied multinational oil corporations and, secondarily, to keep domestic gas prices down a few dimes. [Read article]

I don't recall our government having to apologize to druggies for taking away their needles, or to drunk drivers for taking away their licenses. Doing so would be ridiculous. Why make a special exception for smokers? Smokers are just as big a threat to public health as drug addicts and drunk drivers. Smoking is undoubtedly an ingrained part of American culture, but so is alcohol, and to some degree, so are drugs. Smokers demand special treatment because we have so willingly given it to them in the past. [Read article]