Summer Musings: Fit for this

By Ajay Batra / September 19, 2014

The inability of professional sports networks to deal with issues such as Ray Rice's requires other voices to step in.

In print but out of touch

By Ajay Batra / May 19, 2014

New York Times op-ed predictably mishandles commencement controversy.

Land-locked and sea-lost

By Ajay Batra / February 28, 2014

Turning to what’s important to us when the elements leave us nothing else.

Close to home

By Ajay Batra / January 31, 2014

Though art’s practice and promise are as rich as they’ve ever been, it’s all too easy to scroll past.

E pluribus unum

By Ajay Batra / November 15, 2013

Media reactions to Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen focus on him, not his audience.

Circumventing hyperbole

By Ajay Batra / October 24, 2013

Pressure to find meaning and concrete definitions in culture subverts the opportunity for quiet integration.

Summer Musings: The show must go on

By Ajay Batra / September 24, 2013

The grief surrounding Pierce's downfall is a sign that our campus is but a platform for the showpiece of each new year.

O-Issue 2013: Town vs. Gown

By Ajay Batra / September 22, 2013

The ever-changing, often strained relationship between the University and its surrounding communities.

O-Issue 2013: Chicago’s South Side

By Ajay Batra / September 22, 2013

The neighborhood we call home is rife with culture, food, and things to do.

Summer Musings: A scholar’s playscape

By Ajay Batra / August 27, 2013

It is a shared desire for joy, and not an activity itself, that brings us together—whether when playing with others as a child or studying with others as an adult.

When trust falls

By Ajay Batra / May 16, 2013

Respond to the shock of “Politically Incorrect” culture by extending your trust once more.

Surface tension

By Ajay Batra / April 9, 2013

Small talk that centers on what’s obvious can uncover unpleasant surprises.

A state of unrest

By Ajay Batra / January 10, 2013

Consider the value of all you do in terms of the life-altering sleep it will cost you.

Looking for context clues

By Ajay Batra / November 29, 2012

In tutoring and elsewhere, an explanation—no matter how difficult—is necessary despite easier ways out.

Natural male enhancement

By Ajay Batra / November 2, 2012

You know, guys, I’m turning 20 in a few months. And it’s scaring me—the thought of no longer being a teenager, specifically. The presumed stupidity of adolescence is a hell of a buffer to have surrounding your behavior. Think of all the times you’ve driven a golf cart through some hedges, or run across a...

O-Issue 2012: Chicago’s South Side

By Ajay Batra / September 26, 2012

The neighborhood we call home is rife with culture, food, and things to do

The real problem with “#FirstWorldProblems”

By Ajay Batra / May 7, 2012

Humorous meme raises issues far more serious than the trivial ones it lampoons.

Hating the player

By Ajay Batra / April 9, 2012

Being an adult requires some mischievous dishonesty, but it’s not as fun as Mario.

Subject of my affection

By Ajay Batra / February 20, 2012

Enjoyment in the classroom, not grading on exams, is the most important factor in choosing a major.

Don’t judge a building by its facade

By Ajay Batra / January 24, 2012

Look beyond the exteriors to see the true beauty of campus buildings.

Carving out more turkey time

By Ajay Batra / November 21, 2011

Holding classes on the Wednesday of Thanksgiving week is a major inconvenience.

Don’t burn down Pierce

By Ajay Batra / November 11, 2011

Housing should do a better job of maintaining a beloved staple of campus culture.

Where the Fund goes to die

By Ajay Batra / October 24, 2011

The Uncommon Fund board shouldn’t ignore quirky, off-kilter projects when allocating money.

Candid candidates

By Ajay Batra / October 10, 2011

Student government nominees should remember uncommon principles