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?
September 11th: A lost opportunity for awakening
by: Nathan Weiss - printed on 09-11-2002
Throughout the history of the human race, destruction, death and suffering have been inextricably bound to creation, rebirth and cleansing. We can find endless examples of this, from the mythological Phoenix rising from the ashes to the perpetual cycle of death and rebirth in Hinduism and ChristianityÂ’s promise of eternal life.
A journey through Paris
by: Jefferson Azevedo - printed on 09-12-2001
Paris is romantic by definition, gallant by tradition, sophisticated by choice. I spent last year living, studying, and working in Paris; each day, upon exiting a metro station or turning a street corner, I came across a glamorous café or a staggering monument erected to celebrate French power. It sometimes felt like time had stopped in the bohemian life of the 20’s, as if I had been caught in a live oil canvas by Picasso or Van Gogh.
Siesta Lessons
by: Brooke Anderson - printed on 02-28-2001
Siesta. A time to think, to reflect, to slow down, to relax . . . moreover, a time to simply breathe. When I first arrived in Spain, I wasn’t aware how deeply ingrained siestas were in the Spanish culture. I had heard the term before, but never considered it a practiced tradition in any country. I quickly learned that in the south of Spain, a siesta was not only a tradition, but a daily ritual. At exactly 2:00 every day, the stores pulled down their chain-link barriers, offering a sign that the siesta was approaching.
Defining the Environmental Goal
by: Meghan Molenda - printed on 01-23-2002
As I passed the curb and saw the rejected bins of recycling that sat in front of my house, I had to think for a moment about what it actually means for me to be an environmentalist.
I get the label all the time especially on trips back to my hometown, but it is one of those labels that has harsh connotations.
Most people are kind of weary using the word "environmentalist" because it has a particular stigma based on an entire set of beliefs, values, and political stances that go along with that word.
Dear Chairman Arafat and Prime Minister Barak,
by: Hank Smith - printed on 11-03-2000
122 people dead…over 2,000 injured…three weeks. By the time achieve any peace whatsoever is robbing people of their hope. What is the point of haggling over minute details of resolutions that will never lead to permanent peace when, in the meantime, people are dying? You are, as U.S. Ambassador Martin Indyk put it, “condemned to live together.” Instead, you are dying together.
There are clear differences, even uninfringeable differences, between your two cultures.
“Don’t ask, don’t tell” an archaic notion
by: Emily Marie Dinges - printed on 03-28-2001
Discrimination. That’s an icky word. It is defined as “treatment based on class or category rather than individual merit.” Unfortunately, that’s exactly what the United States military is doing today: discriminating against gays and lesbians.
Before 1993, gays and lesbians were barred from serving in the military. President Clinton worked to change this and the compromise solution, “Don’t ask, don’t tell” was born.