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Posts published in “Opinions”

Is it time for colleges to ban fraternities from campuses?

Back in 2014, Wesleyan University announced that its fraternities would have to go coeducational amid claims from students and faculty members that fraternities encouraged sexism and the mistreatment of women. The Phi Delta Theta chapter at Texas Tech was suspended after displaying a banner that read “No Means Yes, Yes Means Anal.” Clemson University suspended all fraternity activity following a member’s fatal plunge from a bridge. While the majority of fraternity members do not commit rape, they are three times as likely to commit rape as non-members, according to a 2007 study.

Smith’s trans problem

I am immensely grateful to and for Smith College for a wide range of reasons. Regarding my transness, Smith has been, in many respects, an oasis. It is where I have most often felt comfortable and safe being my trans self. It is because of this that I think Smith can, and must, do better for all trans people. 

Trump visits Asia… and more

Briana Brady ‘21Staff Writer   If you’ve been following the news, amidst everything else, you’ve most likely come across something having to do with Trump’s…

Tax reform? The rich get richer and the poor get poorer

The Republicans promised us a tax reform that would simplify the code without adding to the nation’s deficit. They began with this argument: they promised to lower tax rates, particularly on corporations while ending tax breaks and loopholes at the same time. 

House-systems and cliques at Smith

One of the conversations I have been a part of at Smith, revolves around the topic of cliques. It is not hard to recognize all the groups on campus, small and large. 

It is also not surprising that they exist on a campus of so many opinions, especially as cliques serve as a refuge for certain groups. As a first-year I believed it was simply a by-product of the social system and how it functions; there will always be groups who bunch together and choose to be labeled as a group, and some of these groups are healthy for the campus and some aren’t. It is unavoidable.