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?
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.
The Death Penalty is state sponsored murder
by: Kawai Washburn - printed on 03-06-2002
What is justice?
Stop and think about it for a second, because it's a difficult question to answer. Often, what may seem fair, right and just to one person is nothing of the sort to another person. What is the appropriate response to a crime? Indentured slave labor in barren wastelands has been tried. Solitary confinement in a sensory deprivation cell is another alternative. Then, of course, there is always the option of just killing the criminal.
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.
What Role does the U.S. play in the world?
by: Hank Smith - printed on 09-11-2002
I remember a conversation I once had with a fellow American and a Swede. We were discussing movies, and the Swede mentioned that his favorite film was from the United States - American Beauty. Another American I was with could not believe it.
Students speak out: An interview with Daoud Chaaya
by: Ryan Bemis - printed on 11-03-2000
“As a kid, I remember coming home from the airport in my home in Lebanon. There were so many terrorist scares [because of the tension between Arab nations and Israel] and the security was so tight. Officers would sometimes ride with us and escort us home. There were endless “check point” booths along the road. It took us 3 hours to get home. Now, because the security is not as tight, it takes us like a half hour! This tight security sometimes was an invasion of privacy.
Binge drinking: The bridge to Alcoholism
by: Kelly Maggi - printed on 09-26-2001
I like to drink beer. I like the smell, taste, and texture of it; I like to go to bars and restaurants that serve it; and I like to be with friends when I drink it. I like to get a small buzz going sometimes. I am happy to say that this is the way I feel about beer, because I’m responsible when I drink it. I never get behind the wheel after drinking, I never drink alone, I drink in moderation, and there have been few instances in my life in which I have been drunk to the point of losing complete control of myself.