Under cover of darkness, on the bottom floor of a dank and poorly lit parking structure, I met a man who referred to himself only as “Cleveland Steamer.†He was an old friend and sometimes source, who worked for the federal government and did not like to be called at his office. What he revealed to me blew me away.
Illustration by Lya Hernandez.
Darkness washed down upon the London streets like rain –– it was also raining, too, if that was unclear. I mean it was London, it rains all the time there. No wonder...
Astronomer Neil deGrasse Tyson surprised many at his talk at Cordiner Hall on Thursday, Sept. 11, when he whole-heartedly embraced creationism as a legitimate origin story and dismissed all of his previous scientific pursuits.
Last week, the Whitman campus was shaken as a New York Times’ article ranked Whitman as the least economically diverse college out of a group of more than 90 schools. Though the ranking has drawn criticism, with some arguing that it isn’t a fair assessment as it fails to incorporate some other factors, the ranking still holds some truth for many students who agree that Whitman is lacking in diversity.
The Whitman founders Marcus and Narcissa themselves were avid readers of Nostradamus. In fact, Marcus’ quote, “My plans require time and distance,†was a shortened version of the original quote cut to make Whitman more appealing to bougie west-coast city dwellers, a conspiracy in its own right.
There are moments in life that can capture the true nature of a man’s soul. This underpaid reporter experienced one such moment last week. Gazing down upon the plebeian horde below him from his secret office in the Clocktower of the Memorial Building, Whitman College President Jorge Ponts said one word to this underfed reporter before he descended and made his annual “Kick off the Year" speech on the steps of the Memorial Building: “Sheep.â€
On March 4, 1801, Thomas Jefferson proclaimed in his first inaugural address, “All, too, will bear in mind this sacred principle, that though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will to be rightful must be reasonable; that the minority possess their equal rights, which equal law must protect, and to violate would be oppression.â€
Since the Supreme Court defined money as speech in Buckley v. Valeo, United States federal elections have become increasingly more akin to an ad campaign selling the latest American lager than a model republic’s electoral process.
President Obama’s steady hand has helped guide him through a multitude of crises internationally. Although his foreign policies of drone use and internal surveillance are frustrating, his level-headed approach to crises allow him to come out on top.
I know I can recall the silly outfit that John Travolta wore on the cover of "Saturday Night Fever". His outfit, which represented the peak of disco of popularity for disco, made it seem like he was emerged from a different, sillier reality. Discothèques or discos emerged in the 1970s and peaked in the latter part of the decade. They represented a place where urban bourgeoisie people could dance, snort cocaine and socialize. It offered an alternative music to the domination of rock music. Discos were also notorious for their sexual promiscuity — on and off the dance floor.
