Wyatt N. Troia

A Bizarre Week in Boston

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I frankly don’t have the energy or desire to try to draw conclusions from last week’s events in Boston.

Fix Affirmative Action

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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

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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?

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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

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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

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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

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We have a political system premised on compromise in a country where compromise has become a mortal political sin.

A World of Solutions

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Republicans insist that America needs “American solutions.” But what exactly does that mean?

Technocrats to the Rescue

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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