Language Manifests Stereotypes, Excludes

By Chris Bissell

The phrase "political correctness" implies that there is a correct way to go about being political. There is, of course, no such way, and it is the high and time-honored duty of the academic to solemnly deconstruct the ideological fundament behind every political endeavor attempted by members of the human race. The phrase "political correctness" owes its history to the very academic tradition which deconstructs the notion that anything done politically can also be done correctly. [con't]

Aramark’s Intimidation Tactics Silence Employees

By Amy Wood

In the spring of 1998, as the Colleges solicited bids for a new food service company, workers and students raised concerns about the rights of workers under a new company: would they have job security, would their seniority be respected? Jack Stark, then president of CMC, and Chair of the Council of Presidents, assured the community that "The selection of Aramark as the new service provider was based on their proposal that included considerations for the future of current Marriott hourly staff...All Marriott hourly employees will be offered comparable positions at comparable pay and benefits with the Aramark service team..." [con't]

Major Parties Prove Indistinguishable, Confining

By Peter Cook

Most people of college age have either entered, or soon are to enter, the rather confusing world of voting. This excites many.

They can hardly wait to promote whichever candidate follows the party line with which they have decided to associate themselves. Of course, the stereotypical person of our age is devoutly liberal; they hate the "man," want everyone in the world to have a house in the suburbs and a two car garage (which they think everyone obviously would if only the "man" weren’t keeping it from them), and speak passionately about "poor children in Cambodia" or whatever weepy topic is currently trendy to care about. [con't]

Students Ignore Free, Accessible Newspapers

By Amanda Baber

Filling an opinions section on a campus as pathologically indifferent as this one is never an easy task, but we can always count on at least one story a month lamenting our "isolation" from the world of hard news. "We don’t have time to watch TV," writers complain. "The closest newspaper machine is almost two blocks away," they whine, "and reading it online gives us headaches, and now that we have new phone numbers Peter Jennings has stopped calling us up to summarize this month’s issue of The Economist." [con't]

Environmental Studies Major is an Option

By Gene S. Fowler

"Can I major in Environmental Studies at Pomona?" This is one of the most frequently asked questions at the science department tables during on-campus days for prospective students, and I have had many first and second-year students ask me the same question. It may come as some surprise that the answer is yes, given that even the most casual perusal of the college catalog reveals that Pomona College has neither a Department of Environmental Studies (ES) nor a Program in ES. Students can currently major in ES, however, by petitioning for a Special Concentration (more on this below), and recent events suggest that Pomona College is also moving toward establishing a program and major. But if Pomona is going to do more than stand at the brink of establishing a major, a considerable push will be required from the interested faculty, and especially from the interested students. [con't]

Libertarianism Offers Third Choice

By Josh Tulkin

Going to the candidates’ debate, yeah. Laugh about it, shout about it, when you got to choose. Anyway you look at it, you lose.–Simon and Garfunkel, "Mrs. Robinson"

Have you just realized that the Republican and Democratic Parties are too large to represent your interests? You are not alone. Democrats seem liberal when it comes to personal freedom, but they compromise too much and waste too much money on ineffective and inefficient programs. Republicans seem to have the whole economics angle in the bag, but the party seems to be run by selfish corporate pigs and scary religious rightists who want to abolish individual autonomy. [con't]