Stanford Athletics Guilty of Discrimination?

President Hennessy recently announced that Stanford has begun a year-long study of its athletics programs, paying particular attention to academic integrity, governance and commitment to rules compliance, and the institution’s commitment to equity and student-athlete well-being. Although many students hesitate to raise questions about the athletics department because they don’t want to damage school spirit or criticize their athlete classmates, Stanford’s athletic program—particularly its Title IX compliance and operating expenses—requires some review.

Why Not Rationalize Religion?

On November 27, 2007, Fellowship in Christ at Stanford (FICS) organized a debate titled “Does God Exist?” between atheist philosopher David Fitzgerald and Christian apologist Chang Yuon. The event was moderated by Tuese Ahkiong, director of Always Ready Ministries, a Christian group.

Emotional Warning

In a talk on “Scientific Skepticism” sponsored by Stanford in Government in November, Dr. Fred Singer sparked a heated debate as he combated the widespread view that humans are causing climate change. Meanwhile, a mostly indignant audience exchanged glances of frustration and disbelief, bubbling with counterarguments they did not have the opportunity to express. One audience member became accusatory, demanding to know whether Singer also rejected other established scientific results, such the role of ultraviolet rays in causing melanoma. His implication was that Dr. Singer’s stance was unscientific, and almost blasphemous.

The Future of Europe

Violent crime has tripled in the last twenty years. Rapes are now commonplace, some even occurring in broad daylight, and young women are afraid to go outside after dark. Certain neighborhoods are now so dangerous that even emergency services and police refuse to enter them out of concern for their own safety.

War Studied Anew

Max Boot may be a military historian who graduated from our unbearable adversary, but, even so, his work is la crème de la crème. Currently a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, Boot is a prolific writer of excellent commentary, ranging from his previous work with the Wall Street Journal editorial page, to his columns in the LA Times and Weekly Standard, to his blog with the magazine Commentary, to his two books on war. The previous book, The Savage Wars of Peace, is recommended reading for naval officers and offers an insightful look at American military history – particularly our dealings with ‘small wars’ and counter-insurgencies (published in 2003, it is even more relevant given something else that started that year).

World News in Brief

EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solano left Tehran last week disappointed after top Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili refused to budge on uranium enrichment provisions.  Five hours of talks saw Jalili quote the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty several times, insisting that Iran has the right to its reactors as per IAEA regulations.  While oil continues to hover near $100/barrel and massive shipments of petroleum continue to pass through the Straight of Hormuz daily, Iranian high-ups entreaty Western policymakers to regard their nuclear program as nothing more than the last-gasp push of an energy-starved nation to save itself.

Book Review: Troublesome Young Men

Lynne Olson’s book Troublesome Young Men: The Rebels Who Brought Churchill to Power and Helped Save England is a shining example of history at its best. Olson tells the story of the extraordinary courage and determination of a handful of British politicians, who beat their own party leader’s ruthless and powerful political machine in the nick of time, deposing Neville Chamberlain in favor of Winston Churchill and thereby quite likely saving British and European democracy. It is a story which has been basically unknown, despite the mountain of histories on World War II, perhaps because so much modern history is written by scholars who think mega-trends paint the canvas of history, rather than individual people.

Stanford Beats Cal for First Time in Six Years

In the 110th playing of the Big Game, and the first at the new Stanford Stadium, Stanford University defeated the University of California, Berkeley 20-13, capping off a tumultuous season with a satisfying win. A strong performance through three quarters on a freezing night was on the verge of being wasted as Stanford nearly gave up the tying touchdown in the closing minutes, but an interception, which had to be reviewed by the officials, sealed the win. After the win, the student section promptly emptied onto the field as the Band played and the Axe was held aloft. The Axe will reside at Stanford for the first time since 2001; the Class of 2008 seniors will leave Stanford with a victory they had not experienced before.

Web Exclusive: The Lion of the Mil-Blogosphere

Michael Yon is one of the most famous combat journalists in the country, writing as he does through his blog, Michael Yon Online Magazine . Yon has earned enormous credibility as an embedded reporter in Iraq, formerly served in the US Special Forces, and is respected for his independence and well-informed commentary. The Review was lucky enough to catch up with him online while he was in Iraq on October 5.

Divided We Fall

Over the first weekend in November, I attended a conference of conservative and libertarian college newspaper editors, sponsored by the Collegiate Network. John J. Miller, National Political Reporter for National Review, asked during his opening speech who supported which Republican candidate for president. By a show of hands, the top three vote-getters were Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, and, likely due to the large libertarian presence at the conference, Ron Paul. Surprisingly, when talking to individuals about their preferences, however, the conference’s attendees were very divided. Many who supported Giuliani refused to support Romney and vice-versa, listing the other’s shortcomings and how he was not a real conservative. Such divisiveness serves up an ominous vision of the upcoming primary season.

Editor’s Note: Progress and Return

This has been a shorter volume of The Stanford Review than usual, spanning a single quarter rather than half an academic year. Nevertheless, even in so short a time, I believe we have achieved everything we hoped for.

Smoke Signals

As the quarter winds down with a victory over Cal, we head into finals and off to break with much to be proud of.

A Pyramid of Choices

Egypt is the land of pharaohs, both ancient and modern. Its complex and multi-faceted society has always thrived under strong central leadership. Under the rule of Gamal Abdul Nasser, Anwar Sadat, and Hosni Mubarak, Egypt has played a crucial role in the Arab world as a military powerhouse and an intellectual leader. Both Arab Nationalism and Islamism have roots in Egyptian society. In recent years, however, the Egyptian state has been marginalized, and it no longer exerts the influence it once did in the Arab world or over its own people.