Anglophobia and conformity in the blogosphere

By Phoebe Maltz / September 18, 2004

American political bloggers have a thing for “rather.” Not Dan Rather, but “rather” as in “very.” In spoken American English, I have yet to hear someone say, “I’m rather bored,” or “this is rather cool,” at least in a way that didn’t come across as pompous or forced. But a quick search for the word...

The politics of a purely decorative code

By Tara Kadioglu / September 18, 2004

A Mack truck driver carrying “toothpicks” sends a dispatch over to his buddy to say he “forgot his comic book.” His buddy asks him what his “10-20” is so he can come help him out. Is it so hard to say he’s carrying a load of lumber and that he forgot his logbook? And why...

Are all Bush-Bashers Democrats?

By George Anesi / September 18, 2004

Unlike most New Yorkers, I didn’t hightail it to the Hamptons for the week that by chance contained the Republican National Convention, the beginning of the U.S. Open, and NYU move-in day. I decided to stick around not because I was planning to protest or attend the convention—I did have tickets to the Open—but because...

Battle of the VPs: Edwards vs. Cheney

By Anna Wainwright / July 9, 2004

Our president responded to the selection of John Edwards for Kerry’s running mate with the incivility characteristic of him when faced with a challenge. “Dick Cheney can be president. Next?” (Maureen Dowd noted in Thursday’s New York Times, that indeed, he already is.) The question of whether or not John Edwards would be a better...

Burgled and helpless in Hyde Park

By Christina Julian / July 2, 2004

I push open the door but it is stuck. It is chained from the inside. How could it be chained? I peak inside and my stomach just churns. Something is wrong but I cannot believe it, cannot accept it. This is my house. I was scared to look inside my own house. What if someone...

Irretrievable Opals

By William Baude / June 8, 2004

All right, I admit, I haven’t been a very good columnist. I agreed to produce at least 15 pieces this year for the Maroon and I have produced…6. Somehow every quarter I would sit down with a bunch of things I meant to write, and somehow every quarter would go slipping through my fingers before...

A tale of misunderstanding and parting words

By Joshua Steinman / June 8, 2004

The letter would arrive in the Saturday post. Adam—we’ll call him that—was understandably nervous; the last year, if not the last two years, all came down to one simple envelope. We had met in class. We found hiding places far away from the din of the constant melodrama, sharing personal trials, theoretical conjectures, and idle...

Advice for the departing: Take a look around

By David King / June 8, 2004

I write this article for the students who are about to graduate. Between graduating from my own college, Swarthmore, in 2000 and coming here to pursue my Masters last fall, I like to think I’ve gained a lot of wisdom. Allow me to share with you some of what I’ve learned about life outside of...

“Benefits” of the UofC’s late departure

By Leila Sales / June 8, 2004

There’s this quotation that I hate. It’s something like, “Don’t frown because you never know when someone will fall in love with your smile.” As a journalist, I spent a good two minutes diligently searching Google to see who first said this. Unfortunately, all I came up with was the Inspirational Chat Forum and one...

John McCain: senator beyond politics

By Stephen Kim / May 24, 2004

As polls continue to show a country that is polarized on opposite sides of a political divide, and as the Bush and Kerry campaigns continue to exchange bitter accusations even six months from the election, I can’t help but think of what could have been had Americans elected Senator John McCain president four years ago....

Gems of the South Side

By Maroon Editorial Staff / May 24, 2004

In three weeks, finals will be done, grades will be sent to the Registrar, and the 2003-2004 academic year will officially be over. But before students begin their annual exodus out of Hyde Park, the Maroon suggests that students find time to explore Chicago before they go. No, not only Downtown and the North Side...

Must you marry only your own kind?

By Christopher Freeburg / May 24, 2004

I have been told by several of my friends that the reason they can’t marry someone like me is because I belong to a different culture. “It’s just culture,” they say, with a simple ease. At first I bought it. There isn’t any harm in people trying to hold onto their traditions by marrying people...