Too many second chances for cheaters can be detrimental

The Vanguard Vision

It would seem that there are few novel
opinions on the topic of cheating. We
can all regurgitate in our sleep the
lessons we’ve learned about academic
dishonesty. »

Trying too hard to act happy can pollute trust in relationships

Wearing your heart on your
sleeve or blurting out
exactly what you think
at the moment you are
thinking it can be and usually is
disastrous. It is common practice
among employers to control
not only the whereabouts and
actions of their employees while
they are on the clock, but also
their attitudes too. Here in the
Residential Life department, we
Resident’s Assistants abide by
a “Disney Philosophy” while
serving our clients; we forget
what is happening in our lives
or in our day and put on a smile
to create a friendly atmosphere
for residents, and especially on
move-in day for their parents, too.
I support this philosophy – it’s the
only sensible way to do business
in the service industry – but
it can be taken too far in one’s
personal life, with some serious
consequences. »

Defining feminism not a matter of superiority or inferiority

What does it mean? This past
summer, someone posed a
question that I had never
answered before: “What does
feminism mean to you?”

The question caught me off
guard. Though I have always considered
myself a “feminist” because
of my strong advocacy of women’s
rights and my independent character,
I had never been asked to define my
belief system before. But what exactly
does feminism mean? »

Health care reform compromised by pandering

No single issue under current
national discussion is more
important than health care
reform. And outside of a war or
an election, I have never seen Americans
react so publicly and emotionally
over a debate in Washington. With “tea
parties” on the Capitol steps, townhall
meeting meltdowns, a booming
industry of anti-Obama merchandise
and an endless flood of spurious chain
e-mails in my inbox, one thing is clear:
a large swath of the populace is mad as
hell and not going to take it anymore.
They are raising their voices, and they
expect Congress to listen. »