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Tag Archives: Opinion
Students Take Hijab Challenge
Recently, students at one university in California attempted to find common ground by wearing a Muslim headscarf, called a hijab, for one day. Read about their eye-opening experiences.
Dead Reckoning or Pilotage?
Using dead reckoning, a pilot, sailor, or hiker can navigate without relying on GPS. In this opinion piece, one pilot contrasts methods of wayfinding and reflects on what pilots’ preferences mean about how they view life.
Deep Survival: Anne Frank’s Extraordinary Act of Survival
In 2009, Anne Frank would have been 80 years old. Read about why her life in hiding can be called an inspiring true story of survival under extreme and terrifying circumstances.
How do you fix a polarized D.C.? Here are three ways.
The members of the United States Congress are elected to represent the interests of their districts or states while working together for the good of the nation as a whole. Why, then, do average Americans find it so much easier to work together than their members of Congress do?
Do uniforms make schools better?
The debate surrounding required uniforms in American schools has been around long enough to have seen trends in fashion come and go and come back around yet again. Why are we further than ever from finding common ground on the uniform issue?
Anne Frank at 85: What would she have become had she lived?
This year, Anne Frank would have been 85 years old. Though her short life still reverberates through the world, it’s hard not to wonder what it would have been like if she had lived longer. This article looks at some of the ways Anne Frank affected the world around her, and offers some ideas about the woman she may have become.
Letter from Ethiopia’s Gulag
Ethiopian journalist Eskinder Nega has been held in prison for over seven years because of his reporting on his country’s corrupt government. In this 2013 letter, he makes his case for freedom and asks the United States to take steps toward a more democratic Ethiopia.
The Female Thor and the Female Comic-Book Reader
Comic book superheroes are evolving to reflect a more diverse audience. One famous character is being reintroduced a woman.
How do we make decisions?
Making an important decision can feel confusing and make you worry about making a mistake. Read about clear steps you can follow to make sure that your decision helps you get closer to your goals.
Movie Monsters, Monster Movies And Why ‘Godzilla’ Endures
There’s no question about the appeal of a good monster movie. But what is it about certain movie monsters that makes them such enduring stars? Listen to this story about Godzilla to learn more about one of cinema’s most legendary monsters.
150 Years Later, Newspaper Retracts Gettysburg Address Diss
President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address is one of the most influential speeches in our nation’s history. It’s hard to believe, but when it was first delivered in 1863, one newspaper wrote that the speech was nothing more than “silly remarks.” Now, more than 150 years later, the paper has apologized for its dismissive words.
The peppered moth: A black and white story after all
England’s peppered moths provide a classic example of how a species adapts to changing environmental conditions. In this journal article, scientist Jim Mallet discusses not only changes in the moths themselves, but also changes in how their story has been interpreted.
Romeo, Romeo, what’s Julian Fellowes done to you?
Julian Fellowes’s film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet has drawn criticism for altering the lines of Shakespeare’s most famous love story. Read the article to find out why critics and scholars feel that Fellowes’s adaptation is misleading.
How two decisions led me to Olympic glory
Steve Mesler, a member of the 2010 Olympic gold medal-winning bobsled team, looks back on two important decisions he made years before that set him on the path to victory.
28 Years Ago, Challenger Shuttle Disaster Gave NASA Painful Lesson
In this opinion piece, Hugh Harris, former director of the NASA John F. Kennedy Space Center Public Affairs Office, shares his experiences and thoughts on the United States Space Program.
Opinion: Remove the blindfold, fight injustices when they occur
In this piece, Jan Urbano, a senior at the University of Tennessee, shares his opinion about the importance of fighting against injustice, rather than turning a blind eye. Do you agree or disagree with his thoughts?
Frog Fable Brought to Boil
We’ve all heard the analogy of the frog that allows itself to be boiled to death because it doesn’t notice the gradual change of temperature in the pot. People often cite this story to show the danger of overlooking a gradual change—but of course, it’s completely false. A noted science writer explains the truth.
Dangerous Exotic Pets
Lions and tigers and bears—and cougars, leopards, cheetahs, chimpanzees, lemurs, anacondas, and pythons—are sometimes kept as pets. How wise is it for people to keep dangerous exotic animals? Visit this site to learn the Humane Society’s opinion and arguments about whether anyone should keep an exotic pet.
Creativity in the Wild
Is it time to drop that controller, switch off that television, and head outdoors? This article reports the results of a scientific study of whether exposure to natural settings improves cognition. Perhaps the American Romantics were right about the effects of nature on imagination and thought. Read to find out.