Wise Monkey News is here to provide young people an opportunity to discuss the issues that affect their lives. We hope that, through your participation, this website serves as a forum for the development, exchange, and expression of ideas that will prepare us to assume our positions as the leaders of tomorrow's world. Have something to say?

Children of Abraham Need to Return to Common Faith

by: Fr. Gary Ruzicka - printed on 11-03-2000

The situation in the Holy Lands is sad because all of the people involved consider themselves the Children of Abraham. Each considers Abraham their “Father in Faith.” As tragic as it may be, religion is the source of the conflict. For Israel, the sign of being chosen as the Children of Abraham is the sign of the Land. Therefore they cannot relinquish it. The solution to the whole problem might be to return to that common heritage as “Children of Abraham” and concentrate on what they have in common.

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Coal plant threatens lives in Thailand

by: Meghan Molenda - printed on 04-10-2002

Progression and invention are two of those highly valued American ideas that permeate our culture, right up there with wealth and power. We are always looking for better ways of doing whatever it is that we are doing, and therefore we are suckers for anything new because "new and improved" signals progression, which is valued. With this in mind, it would seem that our old methods of doing things would become outdated and not even put into question, much less practice.

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Committment to Justice: A Lifestyle Choice

by: Ben Zimmerman - printed on 11-15-2000

Some of my buddies from back home got together last weekend. I wasn’t able to be there, so one of these old friends asked another, whom I currently live with, how I was doin’ and what I was up to. My housemate’s response included my plans to return to the School of the America’s protest in Georgia, my nagging efforts regarding recycling around the house and my general anti-“corporate America” attitude.

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Society and Biology Influence Gender

by: Katia Moles - printed on 09-25-2002

of my earliest childhood memories is of my dearest friend and I happily bouncing on my bed when he abruptly said, "My mom says if boys wear girls’ clothes, they go to hell."

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Chimpanzees and compassion

by: Christy Scheuer - printed on 09-26-2001

Jane Goodall, the famous Chimpanzee reseacher and founder of the “Jane Goodall Institute for Wildlife Research, Education and Conservation,” was in New York when two planes flew into the World Trade Center.

So when Goodall stood up to lecture at the University of Portland on Saturday, September 22, she spoke not only of love and concern for her chimpanzees, but of her compassion for the human species as well.

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American Politics: Three's a Crowd?

by: Jon Reitzenstein - printed on 11-03-2000

International Students at University of Portland who watched the presidential debates in the Cove the last couple of weeks must have felt they were at a Ping-Pong match. Maybe they wonder how the United States figures they can accurately and fairly represent the majority of American's with just two political parties. The ball is going back and forth between two people while millions sit back passively and watch until it is time to stand in line and pick one or the other.

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