The College Republicans' bake sale last week stirred up a lot of debate over affirmative action.

Unfortunately, people who become too deeply involved in this debate are misdirecting their efforts. In the end, both sides of the debate have the same point.

One might say it's unfair to give others an unequal opportunity.

Another could counter that affirmative action fights inequality and makes up for social injustices of the past and the present. The solution? Stop wasting time and effort in arguing about the equality of the situation and make everything equal from the start. [Read article]

The evening news overwhelms the senses with flashing numbers, statistics and pictures of gore and brutal violence. Last week, the nation was subdued by the images of four contractors' mutilated bodies dragged through the streets of Iraq.

Though it may feel surreal to watch the disgusting truth of war so far away, these images spawn from a distant reality. When friends and family cross the line from an American commercial lifestyle and dive into the fray of a seemingly foreign war, those images come a little closer to home. [Read article]

After pleas from numerous families who have lost loved ones on antidepressants to suicide, the Food and Drug Administration agreed last week to require a warning label for all antidepressants. The warning expresses the possible increase of depression and suicidal tendencies within the first weeks of treatment with any new medication. However, there is no definite evidence of a relationship between the antidepressants these people were taking and the fact that they committed suicide. [Read article]

On Friday, an assassin attempted to kill Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian by shooting him in the stomach. When Chen won Taiwan's third presidential election the next day, opponents initially chalked up the win to a pity vote and claimed the election should be nullified. They later claimed Chen faked the attack to win public sympathy. Certainly, Chen could have used his knowledge of public pity to gain a last-minute edge. However, all of this rests on the idea that the people will vote for a president out of pity and not based on political ideals. The idea that people would vote for any politician for anything other than his principles is simply appalling. [Read article]

A tragedy recently made the news in the Tucson area. On March 1, Michael Coombs took his 2-month-old baby to the hospital when she wouldn't stop crying, only to find out it was his fault she was suffering. Doctors at Northwest Medical Center diagnosed the baby with shaken baby syndrome. She had to be disconnected from life support at the hospital on March 5. Since she died, police are now charging Coombs with first-degree murder. [Read article]

For more than 200 years, the United States has stuck its nose in other countries' business. We've sent off young army recruits into foreign lands, whether we were asked to be there or not.

In many cases, the presence of U.S. troops has only made the situation worse or even more violent. America has long been a meddlesome big brother to the entire world.

Yet, despite the government's enthusiasm for diverting global attention from its own faults and follies, this big brother's help is sometimes necessary. [Read article]

In ancient Athens, all schoolteachers and students were male. These men were responsible for teaching young boys how to play the lyre and recite Homer's poems. Most people know teachers who would do better reciting the lyrics to the "Thong Song" than those of Homer or Shakespeare. But those who cannot recite "The Iliad" could do better by behaving with dignity, unlike Paris or Menelaus. The following are situations to keep in mind when pondering how to best set the proper example for students of any age. [Read article]

Ethics in journalism, off the record

When one thinks of the world's most powerful citizens, politicians, business CEOs and the ungodly rich may come to mind. However, this list excludes the most powerful citizen of all: the journalist. One can be rich or powerful, but reporters can take that away in a moment. Journalists are responsible for providing the world with the facts ÷ the information that shapes the average person's perception of the world's current events. [Read article]

Reality television disgusts me. It is absolutely appalling how many people are willing to watch these losers' sadly pathetic and disturbing exploits. When I say "losers," I don't just mean the guys on "Average Joe." I mean "Joe Millionaire," the people willing to eat buffalo testicles for a few cents and those who are just generally looking to be embarrassed. Pitiful! And notice that every person appearing on these shows is some special form of moron. Unfortunately, the nation's eyes are glued to the television for every moment of it, including mine. ... But mind that this has been for research purposes only! I take not a moment of enjoyment out of sitting on the couch with an ice cream sundae and laughing at another's misery until hot fudge starts running out my nose. [Read article]

Some degrees require that students know from the moment they fill out their college applications that they plan on pursuing such-and-such degree.

Programs requiring admission like architecture or pharmacy have everything laid out on a specific timetable ÷ in which case taking the wrong courses could mean taking longer to graduate and waiting longer to streak across the Mall on the final day of classes. Granted, pharmacy actually means two years of a pre-pharmacy major and four years in pharmacy school after completing a strenuous and highly selective admissions process ÷ which is a total of six years, for those who can't add. [Read article]

It seems that from the moment of conception, society determines the path best for each person and the necessary pressures to push him or her there along the way. In many cases, that long and winding road leads to college. Whether immediately or eventually, this means having to choose a major. And this choosing a major business can become a major pain in the you-know-what. While resolving life-long aims and goals used to be something near enjoyable or promising, it has now become something closer to an anxiety attack. [Read article]