Writer
Wyatt N. Troia
Latest Content
A Bizarre Week in Boston
I frankly don’t have the energy or desire to try to draw conclusions from last week’s events in Boston.
Fix Affirmative Action
Affirmative action, however, is one of society’s least effective and most costly equalizers. We should instead pursue aggressive social initiatives, like education reform, increasing the Earned Income Tax Credit, and improving job training. Every poor American, regardless of skin color, deserves a fairer chance at life.
Step Up, President Faust
I’ve been giving President Drew G. Faust the benefit of the doubt through the many Harvard scandals over the past year, but her handling of the Resident Dean email search debacle is where I draw the line.
Are You Ashamed of Bill O’Reilly?
So liberals: Engage. Debate empirics. Explain assumptions you’ve never had to explain before, even if they seem obvious. They are not obvious to everyone.
The Sad Socrates Effect
Oftentimes, though, no therapist or Tumblr or voice on a hotline (useful as they are) can substitute for another regular human being who’ll sit in front of someone they can sense isn’t quite right, look him or her in the eyes, ask what’s wrong, mean it, and listen. We all have a responsibility to be that person, and there’s no shortage of students here waiting for someone to reach out.
The Freshmen Who Won’t Be President
Political paralysis is nothing; Washington will regain animation based on the sheer force of your arguments. Senator [insert last name here] sure sounds nice, doesn’t it?
Vote for More Gridlock
We have a political system premised on compromise in a country where compromise has become a mortal political sin.
A World of Solutions
Republicans insist that America needs “American solutions.” But what exactly does that mean?
Technocrats to the Rescue
I’m as much a fan of democracy as the next American, but our political system today is of the parties, by the parties, and for the parties. Somewhere along the way, the public good got lost in the shuffle.
Consider George Zimmerman
Zimmerman may be guilty or he may not. Either way, he too deserves justice.
Conservatives vs. the Constitution
While in an ideal world all changes in constitutional interpretation would come through amendments, we now have a long history of changing our constitutional law more by judicial reinterpretation than by amendment.
The Last Minority Slur at Harvard
“Mentally retarded” was originally an appropriate clinical term for people with intellectual disabilities, but over time has evolved into slang, common at Harvard and elsewhere, for “stupid” or “dumb.”
Why Occupy Harvard Failed
Occupy never expanded beyond a small coterie of undergraduates, a larger contingent of graduate students, and some campus workers.
An Anti-Family Candidate
Santorum is right that families are “the fabric of our society.” But if we truly want stable relationships and healthy children, banning same-sex marriage and tripling the child tax credit are exactly the wrong way to go about it.
Greeks Under Unfair Fire
Far from degrading social cohesion, Greek organizations are some of the most powerful community-strengthening institutions on campus. Strong friendships, not alcohol, are why students primarily join.
