Opinions Blog

Price paid for Philanthropists and Humanitarians


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The ISIS has posted a jeopardizing video, executing a British aid worker David Haines, making him the third contemporary victim. In analogy two other western captives James Foley and Steven Sotloff, American journalists were decapitated previously. The ultimate reason for such series of crimes is to dissuade the countries from forming allies with the United […]

Lil Dicky: “A very serious combination of funny and serious”


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It’s hardest to describe a cultural phenomenon from the very middle of its trajectory. Not enough time has passed for hindsight to accurately characterize its origins, and its future remains distressingly uncertain, particularly for its primary stakeholders. The rapper Lil Dicky finds himself in just such a position at the moment; profoundly validated by his […]

Advertisements are films, too


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Since its inception, the advertising industry has tried to present ads as entertainment, and it’s never been closer to succeeding. Although Americans watch less live television today than we have in the past, TV ads have started to become more a part of pop culture than ever before. With online viewing platforms allowing us to […]

Family films suffer during the holidays


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Movie theaters have hosted many record-breaking blockbusters this holiday season – the most notable being Breaking Dawn II and Skyfall. The Twilight finale was number one its premiere weekend and grossed $43.6 million. Skyfall, thanks to a $50.5 million five-day gross and a $221.1 million total, is not only the highest grossing of the franchise, […]

Holiday tree debate unnecessarily divisive


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With the waves of tolerance that have been sweeping this nation off its feet, it’s no stretch to say that times are indeed changing. Ironically, even though tolerance is associated with the crumbling of walls, it also creates conflicts that pit groups against each other, such as the debate over the annual Rhode Island Statehouse […]

Black Friday poses moral and economic threat


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The shoppers are at it again. This year’s Black Friday weekend surpassed last year’s record-breaking retail revenue of $52.4 billion, with Reuters recording $1 billion in online sales the first day alone. According to the Los Angeles Times, 247 million shoppers spent a total of $59.1 billion just this weekend—yet another record. As great as […]

Students must take responsibility for internet privacy


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After the release of personal emails led to national outrage over CIA chief David Petraeus’ extramarital affair, a deluge of doubt has arisen over the security of email, as well as chats, tweets, likes, posts, video calls, and other forms of internet communication. Secrets are no longer secrets when today’s technology is involved, necessitating a […]

Sandy shows the importance of community


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Hurricane Sandy battered the East Coast with unparalleled ferocity, toppling houses, flooding streets and pulverizing hundreds of miles of coastline. Yet, amidst the brutality of the storm, small acts of kindness have bolstered individual morale to face the challenges ahead. Government action plans are instrumental in disaster relief, but the altruism and warm hearts of […]

Marriage has lost its cultural significance


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In light of the recent ballot box victories for same-sex marriage, the archaic definition of marriage as a union between one man and one woman is obsolete. Although the legal benefits of marriage make it appealing to tie the knot, the institution of marriage is unnecessary. While the decisions in Maine, Maryland and Washington undoubtedly […]

Teacher evaluations need improvement


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Poor teaching plagues bright futures. Evaluating the performance of teachers has become essential to improving school systems across the nation; however, student scores on standardized tests should never be taken as the measure of an educator’s worth. With the rise of new test score-based models such as Los Angeles Unified School District’s “Academic Growth Over […]