Letter: The Maroon needs to revise online comment policy

By Letter to the Editor / June 1, 2015

Dear Editor, This quarter, online comments on Maroon Viewpoints pieces about sexual assault have called women such degrading names as “bitch” and “fool.” The Maroon’s Viewpoints editor’s email response to my request to remove the comments was: “We can only remove when a comment threatens to physically harm a user.” In my opinion, rude comments...

Letter: Update on re-installing stained glass in Bartlett

By Letter to the Editor / June 1, 2015

I want to thank The Maroon and especially journalist Maggie Loughran for the outstanding recent article on the plight of the Edward Sperry stained glass that once adorned Bartlett Commons (“Bartlett Stained Glass Still in Storage After 15 Years,” 5/15/15). It is my hope that the article, together with a major effort by alumni, current...

Letter: College Council rep responds to CAT .

By Letter to the Editor / May 21, 2015

In a Viewpoints article published in last Tuesday’s issue of The Maroon, “CAT’s Out of the Bag” (5/19/15), Cortney McInerney addressed the Student Government Assembly’s decision to decrease the budget for the Coalition of Academic Teams (CAT) by $20,000 next year. While debate over the budget decisions is always welcome, the facts and positions presented...

Letter: Peregrine falcon predation is actually beneficial to Hyde Park

By Letter to the Editor / May 11, 2015

A recent article entitled “The missing birds of Hyde Park” by Karen Bradley inaccurately portrays peregrine falcons as strong negative influences on the birds of Hyde Park. As a biology and environmental studies major with a strong interest in conservation biology, I applaud any efforts to protect native fauna. However, there are serious issues with...

Letter: The trauma center debate hinges on the voices of affected community members

By Letter to the Editor / April 30, 2015

In an article published last week, “Chronic illness has taken the backseat in trauma center debate” (4/21/15), The Maroon broached the question: Is Chicago’s epidemic of violence more or less worthy of attention than its epidemic of chronic illness? To which I could not help but wonder: Who are you or I to decide which of...

Letter: College Council candidates pledge to an open application process for cabinet positions

By Letter to the Editor / April 27, 2015

Last year, the Student Government (SG) Executive Slate appointed a cabinet in order to allow SG to do its job better. These individuals were chosen after a fair and open application process, and they were subsequently approved by both the College and Graduate Councils. In the past year (2014–15), cabinet members have enabled us to...

Letter: E&R committee illuminates issues on candidate spending

By Letter to the Editor / April 27, 2015

A recent opinion piece (“Pay to Play” 4/24/15) in The Maroon unfortunately contained a glaring omission regarding the elections process. The election rules impose strict campaign spending limits on each and every candidate. The limits for Slate and Liaison candidates correspond to the amounts furnished by the Election and Rules committee, so out-of-pocket expenditures in those campaigns...

Letter: Dey mischaracterizes Mr. AEPi

By Letter to the Editor / March 18, 2015

After reading Darien Dey’s piece “What we laugh about when we laugh about race,” I could not help but be a little bothered. As a black woman on this campus, I stand for other black women and in no way want to invalidate her legitimate feelings concerning the joke made at the Mr. U pageant....

Letter: French club says “Freedom of speech does not mean safety from debate” in response to criticisms of Zineb El Rhazoui discussion of free speech

By Letter to the Editor / March 5, 2015

Last week, the University of Chicago French Club hosted an unprecedented discussion on freedom of expression called “Who is Charlie?” featuring Charlie Hebdo journalist Zineb El Rhazoui. As its organizers, we were thrilled to note the overwhelming interest in the event, and the many conversations on free speech, France, secularism, and Islam prompted by El...

Letter: Restaurant review doesn’t take Senegalese culture into account

By Letter to the Editor / March 5, 2015

After reading Isaac Stein’s recent review of Yassa, the Senegalese restaurant in Bronzeville (“South Side Senegalese Satisfies Stomach” [3/3/15]), I am left wondering if Stein or his editors bothered to do any research about Senegal or its cuisine before the visit. Although Stein’s meal sounds wonderful, where was the Senegalese food? No Yassa, no Mafe? No...

Letter to the Editor: Incivility doesn’t warrant censorship

By Max Bloom / January 13, 2015

Hate speech is far too nebulous a category to effectively police, and doing so is an attack on our right to free speech.

Letter: Divestment from fossil fuels a unique campaign

By Letter to the Editor / December 2, 2014

South African social activist Desmond Tutu has called climate change “the human rights challenge of our time.” Within the UChicago Climate Action Network, we agree. We also believe solutions to climate change must be multifaceted—there is no silver bullet. That’s why, as part of a larger strategy for tackling climate change, we’re pushing for our...