Opinion

"I want to begin with an apology to all of you," began former Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis at a special lecture to Professor Paul Wattenberg's class "Introduction to American Government" on March 1. "If I had beaten Bush I," he continued, "you would never have had a Bush II." Laughter ensued.

We, the academic community, are faced with an enormous challenge, one that confers great responsibility. Despite innumerable breakthroughs in biomedical research, our best efforts are not reaching the world's sickest and poorest. Every year, 10 million people die needlessly, simply because they lack access to existing medicines and treatments. Even as we continue to improve the lives of patients with HIV, cancer and other ailments in developed countries, the plight of those in the developing world has not similarly improved.

A California state assemblyman took a revolutionary step when he introduced a bill to legalize and tax marijuana in California. Tom Armiano, who believes that taxing the drug would help relieve California's financial crisis, began the first steps toward legalizing the famous, or infamous depending on your perspective, plant. If the legislation passes, California will be the first state to legalize marijuana for recreational use.

Vicente Fox? Not on Our Campus! Student Group Protests Speaker; Writer Does Not Appreciate Donor Funds in Study Abroad Piece

The following is a joint editorial that the New University Editorial Board co-signed along with representatives from 43 other student newspapers in support of the editorial staff of the University of Oregon's Daily Emerald. Since the editorial was first published in several of these newspapers on March 6, 2009, the Daily Emerald has resumed publication on March 9, 2009.

Imagine a man walks into your school, work, place of worship, community—a place you consider a home away from home. He gives you his name, origins and occupation, and assures you he is of your kind but declares he's new. So you take him under your wing, befriend him and introduce him to your world...

As a great, wise man once said, "The first step to getting yourself out of a hole is to stop digging." I'm not quite sure who first said this, but I know it wasn't a Republican.

The California Supreme Court got it exactly right last May: gays and lesbians should have the same ability to express love and commitment through marriage as heterosexuals always have had. Gays and lesbians should be able to receive all of the legal benefits that marriage provides, and they should be able to experience all the same joys and disappointments of marriage that heterosexuals possess. I realize, of course, that there are some who vehemently oppose the idea of same-sex marriage. The solution is that they should not marry someone of the same sex; however, their personal preference is not a reason to deny others this right.

With every type of business feeling the pains of our struggling economy, the news industry in particular has faced difficulties making ends meet. While print media is already battling the specter of a slow death, it is the smaller, more local newspapers that are having the hardest time staying alive. Just last week, it was reported that San Francisco might lose its primary local newspaper, the San Francisco Chronicle, if its parent company fails to find a buyer, and Denver's Rocky Mountain News published its last issue on Feb. 27.

Exit stage right, enter stage left. Maybe, just maybe, President Barack Obama reads the New University or at the very least my articles. Just as I was about to write another disappointing review of Obama's hesitance to act boldly, he turns progressive on me.

Ever since he took office, President Barack Obama has been understandably preoccupied with attempting to mitigate the economic recession. With respect to foreign policy, Obama's overused mantra of "Change" actually seemed to mean something concrete; he talked about ending torture, rebuilding America's soft power and speaking to countries with whom America has no diplomatic relations. In examining Obama's foreign policy thus far, especially in the Middle East, it is important to consider whether or not his decisions have meaningfully changed America's course.

A college in rural Missouri is attempting to remove all books from its school. In an effort to cut costs, Northwest Missouri State is providing students with laptops filled with downloadable versions of required textbooks. Refered to as e-books, they contain all the same information as normal books. Some even have interactive features. I greeted this news with a sigh of relief and a scream of joy. As the world moves to a more digital age, I am typically reluctant to investigate new gizmos and widgets. But this time was an exception. An all-digital book system would be superior to a paper one. Despite the difficulty of the change, the new system is more convenient, more eco-friendly and cheaper.