Departure of Professor Fraga Reignites Diversity Debate

Once again, ethnic outreach groups and other student activists have expressed concern over the diversity of Stanford’s faculty. A move by Dr. Luis Fraga, one of the most prominent Latino faculty members at Stanford, to move to the University of Washington in Seattle provided the motivation for the latest round in the recurring debate about the state of diversity at Stanford.

Addressing Negative LGBT Stereotypes

Recently, in its December 8, 2006 issue, The Stanford Review published an article, “Attending an LGBT workshop at Stanford”, by Chris Seck. Though the article is well-written and the author introduces interesting points, it reinforces negative and inaccurate stereotypes about the LGBT community.

Going Nuclear, for Peace: China and India

On December 26, Chinese President Hu Jintao issued a statement calling for more concerted efforts in increasing Chinese energy efficiency as well as increasing reliance on environmentally sound forms of energy. With some of the world’s most polluted cities and its energy consumption growing at 4% per year, China has every reason to be concerned. Fortunately, the Chinese government is moving in the direction of multilateral cooperation to reach its goals in this area.

Hezbollah Not a Terrorist Organization in the E.U.

On August 1 the European Union decided, again, not to put the Islamic Hezbollah movement on its blacklist of terrorist organizations. This decision came after Hezbollah’s unprovoked attack on Israel’s sovereignty—an attack that led to the kidnapping of two soldiers and the murder of three—and in the face of a letter signed by 213 members of the U.S. congress which strongly requested that the E.U. adapt itself to the U.S. list of terrorist organizations, on the logic that in order to move forward, bilateral cooperation is required.

California, Not Edwards, Right About Oil Tax

On December 28, former North Carolina senator John Edwards announced his intention to run for the Democratic nomination for president in 2008. With Edwards having already sought the nomination in 2004, The Hotline, a website by National Journal, noted in a December 18 column that one of the major parties has nominated a candidate for president embarking on a second run in each election since 1980.

Letter to the Editor

Your staff missed the mark in many respects. In your special December 1, 2006 “Big Game Edition”, it was so inappropriate in regards to Big Game! I read it prior to game day. I suspect you and your staff are too young to appreciate what Big Game means to (older and younger) Alumni of Stanford. The competition between the universities is a long-standing tradition which dates back to 1892.

What I Read Over Winter Break

Classmates often say they don’t have time for pleasure reading during an academic quarter. The countless hours we spend on Facebook and reading e-mails notwithstanding, there is a great deal of truth to this claim; keeping track of complex plots and characters is no easy task if you can only read a chapter or two per night. So, over break I decided to read for pleasure. These are the highlights:

How Stanford Works: An Introduction

Nearly every Stanford student has gripes about ‘the administration.’ But who is ‘the administration’, who influences its decisions, who wields power? At first, this seems like an easy question. The President. Or maybe the Faculty Senate. At any rate, if you don’t know the answer, then it must be written down somewhere, the answer easily available. Stanford is an enlightened institution, after all.

Why Slobs Thrive at Stanford

In light of January’s new designation as “Get Organized Month,” the New York Times published an article hailing the merits of mess. According to the article, new studies show that messy desks reveal “creative, limber minds” and that “really neat people are not avatars of the good life; they are humorless and inflexible prigs, and have way too much time on their hands.” To most slovenly Stanford students, this news comes as no surprise.

Film Review of Mozart and the Whale

Mozart and the Whale is a film about two people with Asperger’s Syndrome (a form of high-functioning autism) and how their ailment impacts their relationship. Josh Hartnett plays Donald, an eccentric, but talented math genius who organizes a support group for other autistic people. Australian actress Radha Mitchell plays Isabelle, a musically-inclined lady who joins Donald’s group and eventually becomes his love interest.