Friday, November 16, 2007

Betting on the Wrong Horses

By Max Bryer, The Dartmouth Staff

If you’ve been paying any attention to the news for the past few weeks, you’re probably aware that Pakistan is steadily but surely sending itself straight to hell in a handbasket. If you haven’t noticed, have your vision checked; this is pretty big. As I watch with detached fascination as President-slash-General Pervez Musharraf suspends the constitution under the umbrella of “Emergency Law,” I can’t help but marvel at how our country, over the past half century or so, has consistently managed to back one losing horse after another in international politics. Does this assertion make you recoil in patriotic shock? Do you now think I’m a communist? If so, let’s take a look at the historical record. More »

Academic Crime and Punishment

By THE DARTMOUTH EDITORIAL BOARD

The recent publicity surrounding Hanover High School students’ attempt to cheat on a final exam has generated a great deal of sympathy from the press. Some argue that the level of punishment is excessive; others explain away the students’ behavior by citing societal pressures to perform academically. But whatever external pressures these students may have faced, and whatever the outcomes of the trials, cheating is widespread in high schools across the nation, and widespread cheating prevents schools from serving their purpose. More »