Columns - The Brown Daily Herald

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Sahyouni '21: Biden is the Narrow Victor in the Presidential Race, but 2020 Was an Overall Win for Republicans

By Donnie Sahyouni | November 9

After a long and restless week of counting votes, all major news networks are projecting that Joseph Biden Jr. will be elected the 46th president of the United States of America. With his win, Biden puts the White House in the hands of the Democratic party for the next four years, beating an incumbent ...

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De Padova '24: The first-year plan could be a blessing in disguise

By Jordan De Padova | November 9

In early July, President Christina Paxson P'19 sent out the email announcing Brown’s 2020-21 calendar: A three-semester academic year in which first-years would be on campus only during the spring and summer semesters. At first, the announcement was disappointing. We would be on campus with less ...

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Five Herald Columnists reflect on an Election Week like no other

By Andrew Reed, Poom Andrew Pipatjarasgit, Beth Pollard, Caleb Apple and Matt Walsh | November 9

One week after Election Day Nov. 3, and three days since former Vice President Joe Biden was projected winner of the 2020 presidential election by main television networks and the Associated Press, five Herald columnists weighed in on what this election means and how we move forward.Caleb Apple '21:This ...

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Shanmugam '23: Combating today's challenges requires a large national debt. That's okay.

By Arjun Shanmugam | November 4

In her righteous crusade for the Green New Deal, a $10 trillion dollar spending package meant to address climate change and its disastrous effects, there is one question that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) can’t seem to escape. “How are you going to pay for it?” In a country facing a yearly ...

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Ruzicka '21: Return to Campus? Better Decide Quickly

By Emilia Ruzicka | November 3

On Oct. 29, 2020, President Christina Paxson P’19 sent an email announcing that the University is planning to welcome back the entire undergraduate community to campus for the spring 2021 semester. It was a shock to receive this information so far in advance of next semester, but even more shocking ...

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Pipatjarasgit ’21: The benefits and limitations of Dear Blueno for academic advising

By Poom Andrew Pipatjarasgit | November 3

Most Brown students active on Facebook know about Dear Blueno, where anonymous posts can be used for anything from political rants to trolling, from complaints about Brown to requests for relationship help. I have been responding on Dear Blueno since its founding in November 2018, primarily on academic ...

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Performance spaces at Brown have historically been inaccessible to student groups — it’s time for the PAC to change that

By Beth Pollard | November 1

Construction for Brown’s new Performing Arts Center is well underway. Students are eager to return to campus once it is safe to do so, and reconnecting with performing arts groups will be a priority for many seeking to rebuild their college communities and make up the time lost to COVID-19. However, ...

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Reed ’21: Trump may lose, but he’s not going away

By Andrew Reed | October 30

If President Donald Trump is defeated in this election, he is going to leave office. Despite what some alarmists in the New York Times might say, he will not try to retain power; there will be no coup d’état. Sure, he might say the election was rigged. That, if not for voter fraud and those pesky ...

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Walsh '23: To better address inequality, target zoning

By Matt Walsh | October 28

In the story of income inequality in the United States, the orthodox view is to blame the top 1 percent. Indeed, this exclusive group has experienced disproportionate gains in income and wealth since the advent of Reaganomics, while everyone else has seen either modest growth or stagnation. It follows, ...

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Schmidt '21: Get real — the COVID-19 vaccine isn’t coming soon

By Rachael Schmidt | October 27

The world is coming to terms with COVID-19 and establishing a “new normal” for continuing with everyday life. Naturally, many people — especially in countries hardest hit like the United States — are wondering if there is an end in sight to the pandemic. The two main possibilities are herd immunity ...

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Sahyouni '21: Don't Wait for Washington to Solve Your Problems

By Donnie Sahyouni | October 26

Even during a presidential election cycle that has been more devoid of policy discussion than any in recent memory, it’s not a surprise that both candidates have made their fair share of lofty promises, the bulk of which I’m sure they cannot keep. Every election season, Democrats and Republicans ...

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Pipatjarasgit ’21: Change final grade submission rules and deadlines: they’re unrealistic and confusing.

By Poom Andrew Pipatjarasgit | October 22

Toward the end of each semester, Dear Blueno becomes filled with many variants of one type of question: When will final grades be submitted to Banner? Why hasn’t Professor so-and-so submitted grades yet? In theory, the answer to these questions should be simple. Part 3, Section 10, I.1 of the Faculty ...

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Hong '24: The challenges of engaging with digital communities

By Jaehyun Hong | October 21

In three days, 300 clubs, 300 Zoom links. A daunting Google Spreadsheet. Over the three-day Brown Student Activities Fair, I joined a scant nine of the 300 some student activities links. I ended up leaving nearly all Zoom calls thinking, “I’d love to join on campus, but I won’t join virtually.” My ...

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Shanmugam ’23: Free trade is under attack

By Arjun Shanmugam | October 20

Twenty years on, the 2000 Republican Party platform is surprisingly similar to its 2020 counterpart ― from its commitment to “rebuilding the American military,” to lamenting that the federal tax code “penalizes hard work.” Yet one section of the document stands out like a big, red elephant ...

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Apple '21: Trust the Polls

By Caleb Apple | October 19

On Nov. 9, 2016, as much of the world reacted with shock and dismay to Donald Trump’s victory, people across the spectrum began to repeat phrases that continue to dominate the narrative of today, saying things like “the polls were wrong” or “don’t trust the polls.” Even intellectual people ...

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Han '23: HBO’s best shows are more raw than ever

By Bliss Han | October 15

This opinion contains spoilers from "Succession" and "I May Destroy You" and discusses sexual assault. Nearly a year and a half ago, the dominant story in pop culture was the conclusion of “Game of Thrones,” a television show that had transcended what we thought television could be. HBO brought ...

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De Padova '24: The unfair advantage of applying early decision

By Jordan De Padova | October 15

As we move further into fall, many people look forward to apple orchards, hayrides and Halloween. But for high school seniors around the world, it’s the day after Oct. 31 that they have circled on their calendars. On Nov. 1, scores of hopeful Brunonians will submit their Early Decision applications. ...

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Walsh '23: The promises and pitfalls of ranked-choice voting

By Matt Walsh | October 14

When Massachusetts Representative Joe Kennedy III, a fairly liberal member of Congress, made the puzzling decision to run against progressive stalwart Senator Ed Markey, the Massachusetts political media turned its attention to the race. But as this primary dominated the news, another primary, the one ...

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Ruzicka '21: Our future is Open Access

By Emilia Ruzicka | October 14

As we continue to weather the COVID-19 pandemic, Brown students remain scattered across the world. Both those that are in Providence and those operating remotely have felt the pains of not having the same access to academic resources as they do during a normal semester. The University has taken steps ...

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Reed '21: Katie Hill is No Hero

By Andrew Reed | October 12

Does Katie Hill think we all have amnesia? As you may recall (or may not if you’re in the amnesia crowd), former Congresswoman Hill of California was accused last October of having sexual relationships with several of her subordinates. Hill denied any inappropriate relationships with her congressional ...