It has been almost eight years since the papal conclave elected Pope Benedict XVI as the pope to fill in the shoes of the deceased John Paul II. Following Benedict’s resignation, the papal conclave has elected Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as the new pope, however there have been a number of controversies during Pope Benedict’s tenure that will still likely affect Bergoglio. Not only should the abuse scandals be more newsworthy than the selection of a new pope, but… Read more

Maybe all roads do lead to Rome. So far this year, the Vatican and the Catholic Church have been hubs of newsworthy activity. Stories have ranged from the comic—a fake cardinal sneaking into the Sistine Chapel—to the tragic—Cardinal Mahoney shielding abusive priests in Los Angeles. But easily, the most important story is the unexpected resignation of Pope Benedict XVI itself, and the sudden need to elect a new pope. Between balancing reform and tradition, and handling the growing exposure of… Read more

Oh, the myth of the four-year college degree. While many anecdotes about education prices going up permeate our campus life, a new study shows that the feeling holds some weight in reality. On average, about half of undergrad students in the U.S. manage to earn a degree in six years. Consequently, the four-year graduate is going the way of the unicorn and leprechaun. The end result is an unmotivated person with a major misstep in life when they jump-start a… Read more

Aggression and physicality is an integral and necessary part of sports, but unfortunately it has spilled into the homes of many prominent athletes. Athletes have been increasingly linked to domestic violence and it has developed into a growing trend that frankly makes me cringe. The most recent athlete turned killer is Oscar Pistorius, who has been accused of murdering his 26-year-old girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. Pistorious was a double amputee who competed in the London Olympics and was often regarded as… Read more

  CSUN is apparently stepping into the 21st century with a program that on its face holds much promise, but after serious consideration leaves too many questions unanswered. The pilot program currently being considered would allow for classes to integrate Apple’s iPad into a curriculum. The professor would oversee how and to what extent the iPads’ would be used, as well as having an opportunity to publish their own content in the place of traditional textbooks, through Apple’s proprietary eBook… Read more

  Obama will be taking his first trip to the Middle East this month and plans to touch down in Israel as well as the occupied West Bank. Obama, who during his presidential campaign in 2008 pledged to work for Middle East peace, will be focusing on Iran’s nuclear weapons program and the civil war in Syria. But as White House press secretary stated, is not going to make advances on the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks deadlock. The relationship that Israeli… Read more

Tolerance. It’s a big word these days, and to be honest, it should be. The university system prides itself on being a safe place where different people and ideas come together in order to learn more about the world while also learning more about ourselves. Undoubtedly, the diversity of world-views is the strength of our campus. It influences us to see through the eyes of others, and often results in us challenging our own beliefs and comforts. As the president… Read more