An April 4 New York Times article, titled “Essay-Grading Software Offers Professors a Break,” examined a futuristic and troubling initiative in the world of higher education: essay-grading software. The software, released last month for all institutions of learning, was developed edX, a nonprofit ...
College athletics has roots in the Ivy League, but in the 160 years since the first intercollegiate rowing competition between Harvard and Yale, its scope has far exceeded expectations. Brown and the other Ivy League institutions maintain varsity sports teams, but the prohibition of athletic scholarships ...
The class of 2017 faced one of the toughest admission cycles yet, with this year’s admit rate to Brown the second-lowest in the University’s history. As the college application process grows increasingly competitive, we worry about the culture that comes to surround higher education and, in particular, ...
According to a recent Herald article, 58 percent of admits to Brown’s class of 2017 “intend to concentrate in the physical or life sciences, with engineering, biology and computer science topping the list.” This illustrates a steady rise in students interested in pursuing careers in the sciences ...
With the advent of April, many Brown students look forward to the promises of next year, when the community will welcome the new class of 2017. This incoming first-year class is considered the most diverse ever, with 45 percent identifying as students of color, The Herald reported Monday. But there ...
The Supreme Court held hearings last week for the cases against Proposition 8, the California state bill banning same-sex marriage, and the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which restricts federal recognition of marriage and its benefits to solely opposite-sex spouses. Protests and lectures demonstrated ...
Religion continues to ignite debate on campus, a trend made clear by the recent election of Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio to the Papacy. Facebook News Feeds exploded with comments, pictures and links about the new Pope, activity akin to the hoopla that surrounds events like the Presidential election. Our ...
In its interim report released Jan. 25, the Committee on Reimagining the Brown Campus and Community suggested that the University build a proper concert hall in the Jewelry District. While this plan has merit, considering that Brown is the only Ivy League institution without a concert venue, the recommendation ...
Hundreds of gun rights supporters gathered at the Rhode Island State House Feb. 28 to protest proposed legislation that would add firearm registration to Rhode Island’s comprehensive gun control laws. Under House Bill 5573, introduced Feb. 14 by Rep. Linda Finn, D-Newport, Middletown, Portsmouth, ...
The California State Senate introduced a bill last Wednesday that would force its state institutions to give credit for online courses from outside the universities. This legislation is attempting to fix a chronic flaw of the University of California system, where courses are over-enrolled and students ...
The future of higher education, specifically public and private universities, is currently engaged in an escalating tug-of-war that pits “constructivists” against “traditionalists.” The former, decrying the traditional college model of lectures, deadlines and the campus, have found support in ...
Rep. Scott Slater, D-R.I., brought legislation to the General Assembly last week to expand Providence’s ban on having a criminal history box on job applications to a statewide level. The ban does not prohibit checking criminal records: Rather, it is intended to force employers to conduct their own ...
Last week, chairman of the Democratic Governors Association Peter Shumlin officially invited Gov. Lincoln Chafee ’75 P’14 to become a member of the Democratic Party. With strong ties to both President Obama and other Democratic governors, Chafee may very well be inclined to change his affiliation, ...
Rhode Island House Bill 5603 proposes any person 18 years of age or older currently serving in the United States military may purchase and consume alcoholic beverages in the state. State representatives Thomas Winfield, D-Glocester, Smithfield, Raymond Hull, D-Providence and Raymond Gallison, D-Portsmouth, ...
In recent months, Brown Divest Coal has been vocal with chants like “Brown take action, stop extraction!” ringing out across the Main Green. Since September, the group has persisted in protesting what it believed to be Brown’s investment in coal companies that contribute to unsafe environmental ...
Last Thursday, Rep. Joseph M. McNamara, D-Warwick, Cranston, introduced a bill he said would promote “the good and wonderful things” about Rhode Island — by making fried calamari the state’s official appetizer. A move so lacking in substance is a distraction that will steal valuable time and ...
In a Herald opinion column entitled “Don’t Rape” published last week, Cara Newlon ’14.5 drew attention to the victim-blaming culture that surrounds sexual assault. Almost immediately, the comments section of the page was filled with reactions from posters such as “Brownie,” who wrote, “Maybe ...
In January, the nation veered from the so-called fiscal cliff. But this agreement was not a solution to the looming issues. The act merely pushed the large cuts to discretionary spending a few months later, ensuring that financial issues will remain in the forefront of our political battles and cable ...
As Zach Ingber ’15 argued in a Feb. 12 Herald opinions column, there is a deafening silence on Brown’s campus around the continued ravaging and slow dissolution of Syria. As of Feb. 13, over 70,000 had died in the conflict, according to estimates from the United Nations. Children are being whisked ...
The Daily Princetonian published an op-ed Feb. 20 decrying the existence of several departments at Princeton — namely American studies, African American studies and Latino studies. Calling these culture-specific departments “unnecessary” and “superfluous,” the op-ed advocated dissolving these ...
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