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I was originally planning on writing this column about the sad state of the Democratic Party. But I found that I was unable to do so after I had read the Sunday edition of The Boston Globe.I fervently hope that anyone else who read that newspaper feels the same way I do, that there is an issue of pressing importance which simply cannot be ignored. That issue is the rank criminality of Cardinal Bernard Law. I had supposed until reading the paper that I was beyond being shocked by something the Catholic Church has done in regard to its tainted priests and abused parishioners. But I was wrong.
By Noah McCormack in Forum

2. Talking with Teddy
Published Thursday, December 12, 2002

Senator Edward M. Kennedy '54-'56 has been a member of Congress since 1962. First taking office to fill the position vacated by his brother, President John F. Kennedy '40, after his election to the presidency, Kennedy has become a phenomenon in his own right over his 40 years in office. Dedicated to public service, his term in office has spanned such momentous events such as the Civil Rights Act, nuclear arms control agreements, the Vietnam War, and the fall of the Berlin Wall. The Independent recently had a chance to sit down with Senator Kennedy.
By Joseph Bracamontes and Lauren Horowitz in Forum

3. Our faithful founders
Published Thursday, December 12, 2002

About a week or two ago, a fellow chemistry concentrator published an article in which he decried the Harvard-Radcliffe Christian Fellowship (HRCF) for being discriminatory.Apparently, some people think it's ridiculous and atrocious for a Christian group (which is just as much an ideological group as the Harvard Republican Club) to refuse to elect leaders who do not even share the ideologies that are at the core of its existence. Perhaps next the various drama groups on campus should be attacked for discriminating against people who cannot act. Or perhaps we should go national, and attack Mensa for discriminating against the mentally infirm. I could go on and on sarcastically deriding the inane opinions presented in that article, but I will not as I believe that anyone with half a brain can see their faults without difficulty. Instead I will discuss a misconception which is much more subtly contained within that article, an issue that truly merits lengthier discussion, because it is a common misconception in our society, and it is truly the most crippling affliction in the modern study of history itself.
By Kevin Pilkiewicz in Forum

4. The most wonderful time of the year?
Published Thursday, December 12, 2002

The other day, cruising through the mall with my roommates, I believe I shouted, "I love Christmas!" at the top of my lungs. I think it was the animatronic reindeer that did it. And it's true I do love Christmas. I love Christmas specials, Christmas lights, Christmas trees. I enjoy singing Christmas carols and am particularly fond of Christmas presents and Christmas ornaments. But if you came to my house on Christmas Eve, you wouldn't find any of those things. No giant glowing candy canes, no Technicolor nativity, no mistletoe, no blue spruce in my living room, no Christmas cookies for Santa. It looks like the Grinch pulled off a huge heist. But he didn't. My family is Jewish, and we simply don't celebrate Christmas. I love Christmas, but the way I view it is the same way I view many of the great variety of multi-cultural food festivals and performances around campus; this sure is fun but it ain't mine.
By Julia Martin in Forum

5. Principles of Martin Feldstein
Published Thursday, December 12, 2002

If someone asked me cold turkey today what I've learned in my three months in Ec10, I would say that 1) taxes are bad, 2) income taxes are bad, and 3) did we mention how bad taxes are? Professor Martin Feldstein, I'm sure, is a brilliant man with many academic and political accomplishments. I'm sure that I know little about economics and have achieved little to nothing in the field. So I am humble when I assert that Ec10 fails to deliver what it promises, fails to be what an educational experience is supposed to be, and is pretty damn boring to boot.
By Quang Tran in Forum

6. "The One"
Published Thursday, December 12, 2002

In a place where time is scarce, demands heavy, and opportunities profuse, it is hard not to become brokers of our own time as we deliberate how to spend our weeks, our days, our seconds. Should I go to John Harvard's on Monday or finish that paper? Is it worth it to spend five hours a week in class or making money? Should I watch the Patriots' game or go do community service? Should I catch up on sleep or spend time with friends? Basic as these questions might seem, what happens when this system of thought affects how we think about more personal and important aspects of our life? It is all too easy to get into the habit of believing that everything we do needs to have some permanent or significant value, and when this is applied to relationships, the person we are with needs to have potential to be "The One"--so perfect for you that he or she has spousal potential.
By Alexandra Hynes in Forum

7. Seeing double
Published Thursday, December 12, 2002

Anyone who appreciates Thursday-night TV knows the drill: start watching 10 minutes before the start of Friends so as to have time to adjust the antenna, and get up every five minutes thereafter (through the end of ER) to keep adjusting so as to limit the number of Jennifer Anistons on the screen, and keep the color of her to something approaching normal. And anyone who experiences this probably wonders every time, "Why the hell don't we have cable?!"
By Claire Le Goues in News

8. Join the club.
Published Thursday, December 12, 2002

The Harvard Total Abstinence League was founded in 1882 as a cutting-edge student organization bent on achieving social change. Along with the Harvard Electric Club, founded in 1888, these clubs represented the epitome of modern times, as recorded in the 1891-1892 Harvard Index. As the years have changed on the calendar, so have student organizations.
By Steve Lee in News

9. Radcliffe's metamorphosis
Published Thursday, December 12, 2002

In 1999, Radcliffe officially dissolved as a separate under-graduate college from Harvard, and started out on a new mission: to become an institute for advanced study. It was a death in some ways. No longer would graduating women at the College receive diplomas bearing the special seal of Radcliffe. No longer would the Radcliffe Union of Students (RUS) serve in a student body-like capacity towards Radcliffe.
By Chris Smallwood in News

10. And then there were none...
Published Thursday, December 12, 2002

My sister's college had a "Top 100 Things To Do for Freshmen" list. Number 38 was "join crew", followed by number 45,"quit crew." This list points out the remarkable turnover rate on college crew teams everywhere, including here at Harvard. My question is why do so many people row crew? And then why do so many quit? Crew's popularity for many is based in its openness; most people can start rowing for the first time in college.
By Jim Murrett in Sports