Opinions

Ever since the Heartbleed bug, a reinstated rule-of-thumb for the online community has been, “Change your passwords regularly.” It’s become proverbial for anyone who follows cyber policy; for decades, security guidelines have recommended frequent password changes, commonly between 30 and 180 days. However, in recent months, it’s become highly questionable if frequently updating your password actually does increase security. A Microsoft study found that compulsory password changes do little to improve student security, yet do much to increase frustration. The library is brimming with the cacophony of angry keyboard typing,...

by Claire Meyer It’s 11 p.m. on a Thursday.  You have a paper due early the next morning and you are working diligently when you feel a rumble in your stomach. Suddenly you remember that you forgot about dinner! Without thinking, you get up from your desk, grab your stuff and make your way to the Cellar for that easy late-night slice of pizza. You are in such a rush you don’t even ponder the food you are eating. Although you may not be thinking about it, the food you...

Jordan Voltz: What did your role as Coordinator for the Race & Pedagogy Conferences entail? Dexter Gordon: I’ve been chair of our three national conferences, coordinating and staging the conference. That involves assembling a conference planning committee 18 months to two years ahead of the conference… working with a team of faculty as campus staff partners alongside community partners to distribute the assignments to make the conference work. JV: Were you pleased with the turnout from Tacoma? DG: I was very pleased, in fact, tracking the numbers, we were beginning...

Announcements of the approaching flu season have begun to sprout about campus.  Bulletins reading “It’s Time To Get Vaccinated” haunt dorm hallways, serving as an alarming reminder that our environment is septic. Counseling, Health and Wellness Services (CHWS) has been recently advertising for their “Walk-in flu shots!” because influenza waits for no man, chiefly not in the patient waiting area (it’s a bit grimy in there). Yet many people, and perhaps a few students, have demurred at the idea of receiving any vaccination at all this year. Flu vaccines have...

Warning: this article includes mentions of the Holocaust, which may be triggering. “The most sensible commemoration of any war is not to repeat it.” –Simon Jenkins It has been 100 years since the major powers of Europe declared war against each other, culminating in the Great War, one of the bloodiest military engagements in history. With a staggering toll of 37,466,904 casualties (8,528,831 deaths), the war, known in its time as the Great War, cast a shadow over Europe. It created the notion of a universal suffering that united Europe...

The United States has outgrown the basic Republican-Democrat model. According to Pew research, the Republican favorability is at a low 37 percent, and the Democrats are not that much higher at 46 percent. If neither party can get up to 50 percent, than why are these two parties so dominant? Statistics from the Pew Research Center show that the American people probably would prefer a libertarian solution. First, let’s clarify the main issues people believe in and then match them with libertarian ideas. The main issues will be abortion, gay...

To see the article that prompted this response, click here: http://trail.pugetsound.edu/2014/10/crows-on-campus-causing-problems-for-students/ Hello Sophie Carr, Thank you for writing the article about crows in the Trail! I absolutely love talking about the campus crows, and I’m glad that the conversation has moved into the newspaper. I would like to address a few misconceptions that may have influenced your article, in the hopes that the campus as whole may consider the idea that the crows may not be as problematic as first supposed, and in fact they may be a positive presence...

Brian Shifrin, first year, University Hall: “A pretty big part of the college experience is learning how to live with other people and it has been pretty enjoyable for me.  I’m still getting used to it .  In T/P there was a lot longer hallway… there was a lot more people at any given time so it feels more intimate being in University, it’s nice because it feels much more grown up…  We have a big lounge, so that’s pretty nice. I didn’t know either of them before...  It works...

To see Professor Weinberger's letter, click here. Professor Weinberger:   I was approached last Tuesday by a representative of The Trail in regards to some concerns and criticisms you had about an event that J Street U, an organization that I am involved in, was co-sponsoring. I would like to begin with where we agree; which is that academic and political growth stem from places of discomfort and challenge. At J Street U, we are constantly placing ourselves in uncomfortable situations where we are routinely confronted with political beliefs that...

To read a response to this letter from J Street U Northwest Regional Co-Chair, click here. To the Trail:   On Tuesday, September 23, 2014, several campus organizations, including J Street U and Hillel, held a “Vigil for Gaza.” The poster advertising the event suggested that people bring a prayer, poem, or other text to read. No problem there. The poster continued with a reminder that “this is a space that is safe for all political ideologies.” It is this sentiment that prompts this response, as it is a sentiment...