Spring 2009

First Generation Students: The Dropout Disaster

Fairly recently, universities have begun working to address the considerable risk of first generation student dropout.  This dropout problem threatens to keep potential scholars from being able to bring valuable new knowledge to the world by forcing them out of college before they can finish their education. First generation students appear to drop out after failing to overcome a disproportionally large amount of problems with adjusting to, and succeeding in, college.

Indian Healthcare: A Rising Enterprise

Like many other developing countries, India has poor health care delivery.  This problem can be attributed to the underdevelopment of historical institutions, corruption within the system, and many other factors.  It is a mistake, however, to lose faith in the government’s capacity to remedy health care.  Recently introduced public-private partnerships pose hope for the system, but are not as beneficial to reform as has been suggested.   The Indian government is fully

Problems with Polarization: A Critique of the Gay or Straight Model

Like many others, I was brought up with very rigid views of sexuality, especially with regards to sexual orientation.  People came in one of two packages: heterosexual and homosexual.  For a while I never questioned this categorization, assuming it was a natural state.  However, as I learned more, I started to see flaws in a polarized construct of human sexuality.  As history shows, a binomial definition of sexual orientation has not always existed.  Historians have p

Stuck on a Lower Rung: How Far Have Women Really Come?

Despite the long and winding road of struggle for women’s rights, the pinnacle of the journey has not yet been reached even in 2008. Why do women still earn less then men? Why are sexually promiscuous women looked down upon and ostracized while men who are considered “playboys” and “studs” praised? And why are women still forced to face the choice of either being a good mother or having a successful career?

Doing the Right Thing?: A Firsthand Look at Special Education in Public Schools

“Alright, class, why do you think we study art in school?  Yes, Katie, what do you think?”

“Uh… well… I think we do art here cause it’s fun to paint in pretty colors!”  In that moment, the whole class jerked their heads around to glare at her.  Was that a joke?  Is she serious?  There must be something wrong with her.

The Limits of National Insecurity

I stood in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in November of 2002, along side my brother Hans, with whom I share a love of rubber chickens. Hans and I always bring a small stash of rubber chickens with us on our travels because we have found that they cause perfect strangers to smile, laugh, and respond in ways they would not otherwise.

Euthanasia: An Ethical Decision

How much is a life worth? Is there a price for medical treatment beyond which a life should be terminated because the person or his family cannot afford to pay any longer? Most people would agree that it is not ethical to put a price limit in this way on human life. On the other hand, this ethical dilemma happens every day in veterinary medicine.

Indirect Suicide Awareness

Have you ever found yourself questioning the actions of your family or friends? Do you worry that their behaviors are destructive to their health or a risk to their survival? Smoking, for instance, is one of the unhealthiest habits a person can have. Not only does it affect our lung capacity but the chemicals in cigarettes have been correlated with causing cancer. Many of us wonder why individuals insist on using cigarettes despite this well-known fact.

Save Pakistan, Save the World

For the past few years, Pakistan has experienced a very serious energy shortage that does not seem to be getting any better.  A growing demand for power, an aging infrastructure, and poor development by the Pakistani government have all contributed to the shortage of power in the country.  The daily power outages are having an immense impact in the lives of the Pakistani people.  This problem needs an effective solution that can bridge the gap between power supply and demand be

Scarred for Life: Identifying the Line Between Corporal Punishment and Child Abuse

Every week, child protective services around the United States receive more than 50,000 reports of suspected child abuse or neglect. In 2002 alone, 2.6 million reports concerning the safety of approximately 4.5 million children were made. As a result of investigations in only the reports that seemed extreme enough, approximately 896,000 children were found to have been victims of abuse or neglect, which is an average of more than 2,450 children per day (Iannelli).

The Global Bailout Plan

“The World is flat.” Global communication, due to fiber optics and the Internet, is faster and more efficient than at any other time in history. Today’s world is globally integrated to a tremendous extent, making simultaneous contact with people in all corners of the globe feasible. This has led to unprecedented levels of financial and economic collaboration between countries.

Welcome to the Internet - Got Ethic?

"Always do right--this will gratify some and astonish the rest" - Mark Twain