THE NATION'S capital is still reeling from Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's retirement announcement.
AS THE summer has gotten underway, the American political landscape is, as has become normal of late, red hot.
FROM White House advisor Karl Rove's attack on liberals last week to Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean's slur against Republicans earlier this month, the punditocracy has been busy bemoaning the purported incivility of politics.
IMAGINE that your whole life you've aspired to live on the waterfront. You work hard, save money, and after many years you can finally afford to move into a small house you've always wanted.
THE UNIVERSITY'S Jeffersonian image took a hit this month when The New York Times reported that only eight percent of students come from families in the bottom half of the national income distribution.
DURING both of his presi-dential campaigns, George W. Bush successfully played the part of a simplistic straight shooter.
THE INK of the headlines declaring that French voters had rejected the European Union constitution was not yet dry before the chattering classes of the world began their recriminations.
AFTER THE 2004 election, many political analysts blamed the failure of the Democrats on the lack of a single clear, consistent message.
SOON AFTER Howard Dean locked up the nomination for chair of the Democratic National Committee, most observers agreed that his tenure would be, if nothing else, interesting to watch.
AS WE prepare for beach vacations and blockbuster films, the American news media, too, has surrendered to the summer heat.
NOTHING says summertime in America like a juicy hamburger right off the grill. Particularly if that hamburger is being handled by a scantily clad blonde gyrating against a sports car.
LAST WEEK, President Bush pledged to allocate a paltry $674 million in foreign aid to Africa. While this is a positive step towards funding development, the amount offered falls woefully short of potential. British Prime Minister Tony Blair met with President Bush over the last week to discuss progressive action towards eradicating poverty on the world's poorest continent.
CHINA'S position in the modern world is an incredible paradox. On one hand, China is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, an organization devoted to maintaining peaceful relations between countries, promoting justice and progress and ensuring human rights.
IN THE tranquil dog days of summer, the oasis of exciting political news often dries up to resemble a desert, but this year, have no fear, Howard Dean is here.
IT WAS totally worth it. The 25-hour weeks, the late nights, the windowless office, the dining hall/Pav diet, the much-abbreviated workout schedule, the awkwardness after dating a fellow staff member and the pathetic lack of social life compared to friends with more free time.
WE ALL have a different reaction to the uninvited reality of graduation. Some of us would rather face a weed-whacker vasectomy.
AS A FIRST year, I thought that the University's trademark racial tension was all my fault. Minorities are often accused of exacerbating race problems through self-segregation, and I believed it.
WHEN I THINK back on the girl that wandered into Tuttle with her arms full of belongings nearly four years ago, I cannot help but feel a mix of protectiveness, pride and thankfulness. Protectiveness because that girl had no idea what she would encounter over her next four years at this school -- how much she would grow.
ONE THING about being an opinion columnist for The Cavalier Daily is that the position affords the columnist a small degree of notoriety at theUniversity.This, however, can be both a good and a bad thing.
