Category: Opinion
-
Unlimited political contributions pave way for continued inequality
The April 2 Supreme Court decision in McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission removing the last remaining limits on political contributions is troubling for the future of American democracy. By conflating monetary donations with politically efficacious speech, the court paves the way for the wealthy and well connected to control government for years to come. This…
-
Selfish students steal show
Peers have been condemning UTD students for their behavior at Kenan Thompson’s performance on campus, and rightfully so. On March 20, more than 1,200 Comets lined up to see the Nickelodeon and “Saturday Night Live” star, along with comedian Paul Varghese, at the ATEC Lecture Hall. The Student Union and Activities Advisory Board, or SUAAB,…
-
Interests on loans too much for students
No student in America should have to forgo higher education for the lack of financial resources. There are scholarships for students offered by universities, colleges and many for profit education institutions such as DeVry. But what about students who are not able to get the limited number of scholarships or those who don’t qualify because…
-
Gubernatorial candidates mum on marijuana issue
An outspoken Perry forces the issue as decriminalization gains steam in U.S. Wendy Davis and Greg Abbott are keeping mum regarding their stances on marijuana policies as the primaries of what will be one of the most watched gubernatorial races looms closer. On Jan. 8, one day after the Dallas Morning News published an editorial…
-
Healthcare.gov needs more coverage options
The new year loomed around the corner and so did the deadline to apply for healthcare insurance, which was extended to Dec. 31 at 11:59 p.m., if a person wanted to be covered on Jan. 1, 2014. Having seen abhorrent medical bills from one visit to the ER in the summer of 2011 after a…
-
Lessons from Mandela’s legacy
Working with opponents key to resolve polarized debates, enable changes It is funny how you always tend to remember where you were and what you were doing when news of someone famous passing away hits you. I remember where I was when I learned of Princess Diana’s death 16 years ago, but with Nelson Mandela’s…
-
Green campus in reach, if only sprinklers reached green grass
CLARISSA POLLACK Art and performance senior | 0 comments The rainy weather of late has helped our area out of drought. Fields are greener than they’ve ever been since I started at UTD, and it’s refreshing to watch that change grace Texas. Unfortunately, one thing has not changed: UTD continues to waste an incredible amount of one of…
-
Surveillance helps keep country, individuals safe
A lone gunman besieged Los Angeles International Airport on Nov. 1, opened fire on a TSA officer and killed him. In addition to casualties, the terminal was shut down and flights were delayed, people were emotionally traumatized and needless to say there was a significant loss of revenue for all parties concerned with the exception…
-
404 Page Not Found: University erases Ulbricht
The University of Texas at Dallas is attempting to shove Ross Ulbricht down the memory hole. Official university pages that reference the accused alumnus have been edited to remove all mention of him, or have been deleted altogether. While we on The Mercury editorial board understand that this action is by no means illegal and indeed…