A month ago, the editorial board condemned Lance Armstrong for his use of performance-enhancing drugs in the Tour de France. This week, The Miami Hurricane unashamedly encouraged its readers to abuse performance-enhancing prescription medications, telling students that it’s okay to take the alleged psychological equivalent of steroids. In doing so, my beloved paper sold its…
Opinion
Negativity obstructs possibilities
Life is a sequence of obstacles, each one a test you must pass or fail. When we make mistakes during the process of overcoming those barriers, we often beat ourselves up over them. At times we even point the proverbial gun toward ourselves as we wish we could have acted or reacted differently to past…
Opinion
Persistence, hard work can lead to kindness
In the hustle and bustle of modern life, we often get caught up in ourselves and lose track of those around us. Work, classes and other obligations take up huge chunks of our time. In this omnipresent struggle to find out who we are, we also try as hard as possible to tune out the…
Opinion
Random hookups devalue concept of love
While the definition of love varies from person to person, I believe it to be something dignified and great because of what it creates: friendships, families and eventually children (the ultimate gift). At its maximum, love is the most beautiful thing there is, especially when it is consummated after marriage. However, love or romance or…
Opinion
The power of expression through writing
For many people, writing is a chore. But for me, it’s an outlet for my creativity. It grants me the power to use language as a tool for helping myself and, most importantly, for helping others. It allows me to articulate my thoughts on a platform for others to see. It enables me to visualize…
Opinion
Working hard, favorable conditions result in good luck
Life is an ordeal with many sudden twists and inevitable turns. Many factors, some rapid and others gradual, pressure individuals to adapt or die. What allows some of us to survive – or even thrive – while others suffer? The question has no easy answer. It has baffled us since the dawn of time, driving…
Opinion
The importance of dialogue, empathy
On Sept. 21, a close friend invited me to participate in a TalkIsrael dialogue event co-sponsored by Hillel, Muslim Students at the University of Miami (MSUM), Jews and Muslims (JAM), the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship and the I-Team. While I was intrigued by the event, I did not expect anything significant to occur there. After all,…
Opinion
Love, sex shouldn’t be free
“Morality is of the highest importance — not for God, but for us,” Albert Einstein said. More than 50 years after his death, this quote is still relevant to us today. It builds on the idea that the motives behind words and actions have repercussions for others, as well as for society as a whole….
Opinion
Being kind can change lives
For as long as I can remember, I have always felt different from other people. As I have grown older, the more I began to realize I was as unique from everyone else as I was similar to them. This concept of duality emerged from a long period of depression that stemmed from the nature…
Opinion
The difference between right, wrong
We live in a world that places high expectations and even higher demands on its inhabitants. Whether you’re a plant, an animal, or even a single-celled organism, you still need to maintain stable amounts of vital resources. For simple creatures (if you wish to call them that), those needs primarily include water, nutrients and shelter….
Opinion
Ignore the absolutes, stay in the gray area
From the moment we are born, our lives are relentlessly and consistently tested by the elements. The list is enormous, beginning with internal factors that gradually determine which external ones will hinder our survival. A biologist would say our ancestry affects our genetic makeup. The expression of genes inherited from our parents gives us a…
Opinion
In Defense of Education—Welcome to UM
Congratulations, incoming freshmen. Welcome to the University of Miami, the greatest school in Florida and one of the leading universities in the United States. You have come very far from your humble beginnings in kindergarten all those years ago. You have matured greatly since those days. Now that you’re in college, you must continue to grow in your education.