Monthly Archives: March 2009

THERE ARE MANY REASONS to be disappointed in Alex ‘ARod’ Rodriguez. While many sportswriters and pundits at ESPN have spilled gallons of ink and use hours of airtime flagellating Rodriguez for his alleged lies and steroid use, they have missed … Continue reading →

IN HIS JANUARY 22 CEREMONY to announce the appointment of George Mitchell as the special envoy to the Middle East, President Obama spoke to the urgency of a lasting ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and made a commitment “to seek … Continue reading →

The older I get, the more it seems our world’s been a failure How could a world filled with unhappy people Ruled by the most soulless of us be anything but? Our money is a joke, and now the joke’s … Continue reading →

On February 26, 2009, Erma Bridgewater was the recipient of the Distinguished Community Services Award given to her at a Black History Month event held by the Muslim American Society. Born in 1913, Erma graduated from the University of Illinois … Continue reading →

A regular user of The Urbana Free Library died last week. We weren’t surprised when the first notice appeared in the paper – we knew she had been ill and we had not heard from her recently, whereas once she … Continue reading →

“Children here find refuge in their hopes to die. The fact that death is equated to life is horrifying me. How are we going to deal with this generation in the future, how can we talk about life?” —Message from … Continue reading →

OVER THE PAST MONTH, graduate students at the University of Illinois have engaged in a concerted struggle to halt proposed changes to the campus tuition waiver policy. Under the current system, graduate employees working between 10 and 26 hours per … Continue reading →

FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, I’ve run what I’ve termed, tongue-in-cheek, a one-man campaign against the ‘Unofficial St. Patrick’s Day’ event. In reality, no campaign can be a one-person affair; if it is, you’re already losing. I’ve received financial support … Continue reading →

“I TRUST YOU, KIM, and there’s a lot that goes with that.” That was the response I received from Karen*, the mother of the kids I take with me on adventures. These are the same kids who sleep over at … Continue reading →

THERE WAS AN IMPORTANT VICTORY Thursday night, February 19, 2008, for those fighting for reform of the criminal justice system in Champaign County. By a unanimous vote, the Champaign County Board appointed the Citizens Advisory Committee on Jury Selection. The … Continue reading →

THAT THE EARNING POWER OF A WOMAN on the job is less than a man’s is pretty general knowledge. Right now, women earn about 78 cents for every dollar a man earns. The Institute for Women’s Policy Research calculates that … Continue reading →