Opinions

A new version of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) came out this March, containing almost a quarter of a million words. Avid dictionary readers may notice a few unusual entries. According to the OED’s website, the words “bestie” (noun), “wackadoodle” (noun or adjective) and “badassery” (noun) all joined the esteemed ranks of the dictionary this year. They owe their recognition as legitimate words in the English language to the explosion of Internet lingo. There are those, however, who believe that modern slang is ruining the English language. These people could...

To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to counter George Martinson’s Letter to the Editor published in the April 11th edition of The Trail where he responds to Mariana Molina’s powerful Letter published on March 14th. While I do not doubt the sincerity of Martinson’s Letter, it is my opinion that his piece is ultimately ill-informed, misguided, and rhetorically problematic. Martinson’s Letter is ill-informed in a two-fold manner. First, its statement concerning the financial status of Mariana’s family is incredibly, and shockingly, presumptuous. I have zero knowledge of her...

Over the past few weeks, there has been an intense dialogue about diversity at Puget Sound. Some people think Puget Sound needs to increase its diversity and others think Puget Sound is not prepared to support a more diverse student body. Both points have merit, but one question people don’t seem to be asking is, why aren’t minority students applying to Puget Sound to begin with? Of the 4,500 who apply to Puget Sound, 3,900 are admitted. The student body is 75 percent white and reflects a clear majority at...

There are the Emmys, the Tony Awards, the Grammys and the Video Music Awards. The Peoples Choice Awards, the Golden Globes and the Country Music Awards. You pick a category, there is an annual awards show dedicated to rooting out the best of the best. There is even the Kids Choice Awards, a youth-centric event that exposes children to the award show racket, starting them off young on the road to award show consumption. Award shows are staples in the American television diet, but not for the right reasons. The...

Response to Recent Public Letters On March 28, 2014 the Committee on Diversity (COD), a standing committee of the Faculty Senate, discussed A Public Letter Written to the Faculty and Administration of the University of Puget Sound written by Mariana Molina (published in The Trail and Wetlands Magazine online) and When Allies Fail: An Open Letter to the University Community written by C. J. Queirolo (published in Wetlands Magazine online). Members of the COD commend both of these students for having the strength and courage to speak back to silence...

By LUC SOKOLSKY The Interfraternity Council (IFC) and Panhellenic Council (PHC) have recently enacted a new sustainability plan to help commit members of Greek life to more sustainable living. Week Without Wheels is a program that encourages members of Greek houses to drive less thus reducing carbon output. The program is a great start in encouraging students to be more actively aware about sustainable living, but could take more significant steps to be more effective. Conceptually, it is a good idea because it recognizes that students can be more sustainable,...

To Whom it May Concern, I read Mariana Molina’s letter to the Trail on March 14th. I was touched and sympathetic to her plight. At the same time I was angered because of the circumstances surrounding her anguish. When her parents came here illegally they came with good intentions. To better their lives and that of their children. Evidently they have done well financially to have been able to send Mariana to this university. What makes me angry is that their efforts, their energy and their money would have been...

The dream of the 90’s may be alive in Portland, but that doesn’t mean they have a monopoly on throwback fashion. On the Puget Sound campus, our style of dress is still influenced by the most recent trends. If a stranger were placed on our campus to observe the student body and their fashion practices, what would they notice? It is my belief that they would recognize three distinct fashions worn by Puget Sound students, which I would categorize as the outdoorsperson, the athlete and the ever-popular ‘hipster’ style. The...

To whom it may concern, Over the past months there has been a number of discussions throughout the campus community about some of the issues that have been continually brought forth in campus publications since last December.  The issues of Greek life being exclusive, elitest, and heteronormative, and the absence of open conversations about these issues are not new phenomena.  Two years ago, a large group of the Greek Community sat down in the Murray Board room with the express purpose of addressing the issues of heteronormativity and homophobia within...

There has been a gradual increase over the past few years to buy locally made products. More people are considering the benefits of buying locally rather than buying from familiar chains. One of the co-presidents of Go Local, a community that supports and is supported by Local Independent Business, Patricia Lecy Davis, believes going local can help “strengthen our local economy because more money stays here and circulates 2-3 times more than if you spent the same dollar at a chain or big box entity.” “You create relationships with the...

The first lovely days of spring have arrived, and campus is abuzz with the sound of vitamin D-starved college students shedding their heavy winter coats for slightly lighter coats. The air is fresh and clean. But then you smell it: a cigarette permeating the crisp air. Smoking is a fairly common habit on the Puget Sound campus, given that according to the National Institutes of Health, 33 percent of all college students in the United States smoke. Smoking is a personal choice, and whether you do it or not is...