Media outlets were all aflutter over Donald Trump’s speech at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference in Washington, D.C. earlier this week. I was there. I stood up and clapped for him when he entered out of respect for the office he is running for, but I stood up and clapped for him…
Sanders neglects bigger picture of Jewish identity
Despite his losses in the Tuesday primaries, Bernie Sanders’s success so far in this race is groundbreaking. Sanders is notable not only for his performance as a democratic socialist, but also as the most successful Jewish presidential candidate in America’s history. No Jewish candidate had ever won a primary before, and Sanders has won nine….
Music industry must adapt to digital market systems
Back in the day, our parents kept vinyl records in pristine shape and rewound broken cassette tapes with their pencils. Today, we can replay our favorite tracks over and over again with no wear and tear. Music has become encoded into bits and bytes, portable digital files that can be transferred, shared and uploaded for…
Diversity depends on balance of assimilation, shared values
Time Magazine named Angela Merkel as 2015’s Person of the Year. It was an interesting choice considering that she barely got into the Top 10 list by public vote, trailing Bernie Sanders, Malala Yousafzai, Pope Francis and refugees. Still, when Time justified choosing Merkel, it became clear that she exhibited the leadership skills and influence…
Embrace cultural differences in college
Calling our campus heterogeneous would be an understatement. We have a diverse array of cultures, religions, ethnicities and identities on this campus, each with their own corresponding organizations. Jewish students have Hillel and Chabad. LGBT students and their allies have SpectrUM (UPride). Muslim students have MSUM. The list goes on. It is really valuable for…
Voting gives you voice
Welcome back to election season. In case you didn’t get your fix of melodrama watching “The Bachelorette” this summer, both political parties have decided to up the ante with drama, intrigue and buffoonery, even though the actual election is over a year away. Still, it seems like with every election, the voter turnout gets smaller…
Carly Fiorina still in 2016 race
If we have learned anything this summer, it is this: never count out Carly Fiorina. After being relegated to what was mockingly known as the “kiddie table” debate for the bottom seven-polling candidates on Fox News at Aug. 6, she made this debate appearance count. Fiorina was articulate, focused and confident. The media and the…
CON: Do not settle for weak nuclear deal with Iran
In July, diplomats from around the world met in Vienna, Austria and negotiated a landmark nuclear deal with Iran. Currently, the deal is on its way towards being passed by the United States legislature. Before I continue, I need to make one thing absolutely clear. I am a Democrat. I am not a Republican. Chuck Schumer is not the…
John Kasich most electable GOP candidate, avoids sensationalism
John Kasich, the governor of Ohio, didn’t make much of a splash when he first announced his campaign for the 2016 presidential election. He landed in the middle of Trump-mania, when even front-running candidates like Jeb Bush and Scott Walker were losing valuable percentage points in the polls to Trump’s combination of celebrity and headline-grabbing…