The word "mandatory" is understandably repugnant to free-thinking college students, so it is of little surprise that the Residence Hall Association's mandatory meal plan proposal is being met with stalwart resistance. But while it is true that any new fee should be regarded with a healthy degree of skepticism, the proposal's failures often have nothing to do with the fact that it is mandatory. [Read article]

Newspapers shouldn't use race in hiring decisions

Rui Wang's opinion that journalism schools and newspapers must "racially" reflect the demographics of the community is the exact racist language that Martin Luther King Jr. opposed and should be opposed by everyone. The color of a person's skin does not determine their beliefs, their ability to write a news story or anything else. Skin color is meaningless and therefore should not be used as a benchmark to decide whether a newspaper is doing its jobs vis-à-vis the local community. Does the newspaper reflect the views of the community and report stories of importance? That should be the benchmark. When it comes to the visual media, it may very well be more important in a community for people to see members of their religion, race or group, but it is also important that people are exposed to members of other ethnicities. This is why the idea of structuring a newsroom along racial guidelines would simply be a return to the racist past where people where judged by the color of their skin, not the content of their character. [Read article]