Last year Puget Sound decided to alter their policy and require students to live on campus for their first two years at the university. With the addition of a large new residence hall, this was seen as a step toward furthering the on-campus community and a chance to bring in more revenue from room and board expenses.   Puget Sound is certainly not out of place with their requirements. Many comparable liberal arts colleges have policies ranging from one to four years of campus living. The policy went from two...

There I sat, deep into the night, watching the Boston manhunt unfold before my very eyes. Now that the dust is settling, we have learned all about the “Boston Bombers” and their alleged exploits, from the marathon bombing to the murder of several police officers and the frantic police search that ensued. The events of that evening have me contemplating the way we consume tragedy and news via social media. As I monitored my computer screen that night, hoping and praying the suspect would be captured, I followed hundreds of...

You won’t find it in U.S. News & World Report’s college rankings, and it isn’t something you can advertise in a school brochure, but I have to say, ”kindness” is a category where UPS scores highly. It is one thing to be welcoming and friendly to prospective students. I’m sure many of us can recall getting the VIP treatment on college tours or being courted through letters and emails in schools’ desperate attempts to win our tuition checks. That warm attitude tends to wear off once they have secured your...

Government-backed student loans have become an integral part of college tuition payments and, for many of us, these loans provide the only outlet of affordability as college prices continue to shoot through the roof. But the interest rate for Subsidized Stafford loans is set to jump up from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent on July 4. The new deadline marks yet another budget standoff in congress, something that has become almost routine since the last election. This increase, set to affect the new batch of students beginning college next year,...

Last week brought us just about the best and the worst sides of our government. Judging by the amount of equal signs spreading like wildfire on Facebook, I am sure many of you were aware of the Supreme Court’s hearing regarding the appeal of Proposition 8 in California, which banned gay marriage in the state’s constitution back in 2008. The hearing has us relishing in a period of social awareness and progressive change, during which old prejudice and restrictive laws vacate our lives as the government begins to listen to...

Last week, there was a holdup in a 2nd grade classroom. Or at least that’s what Joshua Welch’s teacher assumed when she witnessed the boy playing with his food.   Joshua, a 7 year old at Park Elementary in Maryland, nibbled his pop-tart-like pastry into the shape of a gun. The moment he pointed it at another student he was reprimanded by the proper authorities and his parents received a rather unexpected phone call home. Instead of a stern talking to or perhaps a lesson on violence, school administrators felt...

Get your last Big Gulp while you still can New Yorkers, for on Mar.12, New York City will take the term “nanny state” to a whole new level when it begins its ban on all sugary beverage containers that exceed 16 oz. Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s decree, enforced on all eating establishments that receive a health letter grade, is another attempt to make his city a healthier place to live. The City health department began sending brochures to affected businesses last week, informing them of the new regulations and fines that...

Obama said what? I was watching the State of the Union address last week with my usual hopeful yet suspicious attitude with which I treat most political presentations. I watched as Obama, just like all those before him, painted a lovely image of our nation on the path to recovery and on the verge of something better. The overplayed rhetoric aside, I thought it was a solid speech. That was until he said this, “…and raise the federal minimum wage to nine dollars an hour” I was shocked. It was...

Much has been made of Michigan’s recent “right to work” legislation, as they became the 24th state to support this law. But the true meaning and reasoning behind the bill can get muddied in the waters of the media and emotions. Politics and partisan lines are overshadowing a significant change in employee and employer relationships. I want to first acknowledge the facts, the aim of this law, and the effects that are seen in states where the law is in practice. Dispelling misconceptions is the key to understanding, and developing...