Opinions

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) of 2010 was the U.S. government’s commitment to hold insurance companies accountable, lower health care costs, expand coverage options and improve the quality of care for all Americans. With the PPACA, people can rely on guaranteed medical care, preventing insurance companies from dropping coverage for seeing too many doctors.

All of a sudden it’s the end of the year. I can’t begin to comprehend how quickly time has gone by these past twelve months. It feels like just the other day that I donned my black and green Stand UP Baruch shirt and charged out asking students what they stood up for.

After two years at Baruch College, I have decided to transfer out. I chose Baruch because, quite frankly, it was the best school that I could get into and that my parents would pay for. While here, I have been actively participating in student life on campus, whether it be in my fraternity, clubs, or the student government, I have tried to make the most of my experience.

Many people believe that sex is a great workout, and with good reason. A study by Indiana University stated that “The sensation one gets from core-centric exercises such as roman chair and pelvic tilts can be just as intense as the sensations one can feel while masturbating or having sex.

Apart from Europe and China, many of the international headlines over the past year have focused on the Middle East as a colossal power shift in the region unfolds. From civil war in Libya to government oppression in Syria and a power vacuum in Egypt, the Middle East is in an extremely fragile state.

Back in late January, Inhabitat.com reported that 5 Pointz, the graffiti mecca in Long Island City, may be facing demolition by as soon as next year. Until now, owner Jerry Wolkoff had allowed the massive studio building to be used as a canvas by some of the best and most iconic artists of the genre.

It will inevitably go down in viral video folklore and one day we will tell our kids about that time we wanted to stop Joseph Kony. Almost two months ago, on March 5, the Kony 2012 video hit the Internet to throngs of support and praise, and for 30 minutes college students actually cared about something.

Baruch is a place where students spend some of the most important parts of their lives. Whether it’s a student simply taking the required courses needed to graduate, or the most involved Bearcat going above and beyond the call of classes and really pushing him or herself to the limit.

To most, dating is equivalent to hooking up, however over the last century dating has been revolutionized to mean much more. In the nineteenth century it would have been unthinkable if a woman asked a man out but that’s no longer the norm. Women ask men out too.

In a meeting on Jan. 24, 2011, the CUNY Board of Trustees approved an expanded tobacco policy that will make CUNY the largest smoke-free university system in the United States. By Sept. 2012, all CUNY schools are required to create specific smoking policies for their campuses.

It’s election week and my time as the President of the Undergraduate Student Government is coming to an end. It’s hard to believe that already a full year has gone by since I was elected with a full team, all who took the pledge to Stand UP for Baruch students.

Last month, we witnessed the conservative majority of the U.S. Supreme Court resort to foolish sophism. Justice Antonin Scalia, the intellectual leader of the conservative majority, equated the broccoli market with the health insurance market.  He asked, “If the government can require Americans to buy health insurance, can it require them to buy broccoli?”   The issue is the limit of federal power.

A recent hot topic at Baruch has been hybrid and online teaching and learning. It has been a hot topic because there is a plan to teach several introductory courses online. According to the Registrar, a hybrid course encompasses one-third to two-thirds of online instruction, whereas an online course has at least two-thirds of online instruction.

Food and sex are erotically linked, according to a study on food and sex conducted by Maryanne Fisher, an associate psychology professor at Saint Mary’s University. Just like sex, eating uses all of ones senses. According to Fisher, when you combine the two, sensations might be heightened.

The U.S. has overreacted to the failed launch of North Korea’s rocket Unha-3 (Milkey Way-3) on April 15. In fact, a case can be made that the Obama administration was aware of Kim Jong-il’s intention of sending a satellite into orbit, which would broadcast “The Song of Marshall Kim Il Sung” and “Happy Birthday,” during the long-planned, massive 100th birthday celebration of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) founder on or around April 15.

It pains us to read an article titled “Racism at Relay for Life.” We agree that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, so now we would like to share ours regarding what happened at Relay For Life and the letter it inspired. For those not familiar with Relay For Life, it is the single largest fundraiser hosted by any of the 17 CUNY schools.

It pains me not just to express, but also to write what I am about to in this article. Relay for Life is an event that I look forward to every year. I, along with hundreds of Baruch College students have always supported the cause. I also have immense respect for the committee that helps put together this annual event.

What people find attractive is usually relative. Some people like tall partners, others like short ones. Maybe they like to date someone with meat on their bones, and maybe they don’t. When speaking of attractiveness, the first thing people jump to is what they’re interested in on the outside, but very rarely on the inside.

When Obama was elected in 2008, many rejoiced that it signaled what was supposed to be the ending of racism and the starting point of what was to become a post-racial America. Unfortunately, these utopian thoughts may have been premature as the recent tragedies regarding Travyon Martin and Shaima Alawadi show that we are far from a perfect world.

As you may know, the plan to close down 25th Street and turn it into a public plaza was rejected a few months ago by the Department of Transportation (DOT). Even with strong community support there was a small issue that lead to the DOT’s decision. It was an unfortunate and a terrible outcome befallen onto this year’s USG.