Author Archives: Nathaniel Zelinsky

“Malaise” has become the watchword of this political season. Young people, so energetic in 2008, have grown subdued four years later. Voters on both sides are disenchanted, let down by the president and skeptical of his opponent. I had always thought that Yale, in particular, would remain immune from apathy. After all, we’re highly educated, »

To everyone’s chagrin, the conversation around the Yale presidential search continues. Self-styled student activists, small in number, demand unreasonable representation in the selection process. In dining halls and classrooms, students and faculty alike debate the method for picking President Levin’s replacement. How did we get here? Why do so many — not just those few »

The Yale Corporation recently announced the appointment of Margaret Marshall, LAW ’76, as a successor fellow to replace Fareed Zakaria ’86. This choice raises troubling questions. Let me first say, I am happy Mr. Zakaria resigned — granted, he did so without showing remorse for his plagiarism or even acknowledging the scandal that led to »

The ROTC cadets really stand out in their uniforms. Eight Navy candidates ate dinner in Davenport on Friday. Their whites contrasted with the dining hall’s oak paneling. You simply had to notice them. There are not many cadets on campus, but their distinctiveness makes their presence known. That’s a good thing. They give the rest »

Come November, Connecticut may have a Republican senator. And that prospect has me — a registered Republican — deeply troubled. Surprisingly, the Senate race between Republican Linda McMahon and Democrat Chris Murphy is close. Now, this isn’t McMahon’s first attempt for a Senate seat. She ran, and lost, against Richard Blumenthal in 2010. It is »

For just a moment, Yale needs to ignore our venture in Singapore. Later this month, Burmese activist Aung San Suu Kyi will deliver a lecture as a Chubb Fellow. She is visiting America, in part, to receive the Congressional Gold Medal for her dedication to democracy. A cynic could dismiss Suu Kyi’s visit as just »

I am predisposed to like “Sex and God at Yale.” Nathan Harden ’09 peddles a thesis — Yale has lost its moral compass — that dovetails with many of my columns. And I admire William F. Buckley Jr. ’50, from whom Harden shamelessly cribs his title. By all accounts, “Sex and God at Yale” should »

In May, a friend of mine chose to attend Yale. I wanted to get her a gift to celebrate, and so I went to the Barnes and Noble on Broadway to buy “Stover at Yale.” Copies of “Stover” line the top shelves of the store 20 feet overhead. I asked an attendant for a ladder »

With the courts’ approval, the City of New Haven finally evicted Occupy New Haven yesterday. Looking back on the encampment’s history, there are four important lessons we can learn. First, we should resist any temptation to glorify Occupy in hindsight. The tents were a lifestyle choice. By the end, the so-called protestors were a mishmash »

This Friday marks the beginning of Passover, the eight-day holiday commemorating the Jewish exodus from Egypt. For me, the festival’s culinary aspects are less than delightful. Matzo begins to taste like cardboard after day three, and bagels — that Jewish staple forbidden during the holiday — look mighty tempting. Despite these shortcomings, many secular Jews, »

The debate over Yale’s partnership with the National University of Singapore is alive and well. Last week, no fewer than nine people authored or co-authored letters and columns in the News on the topic. Most were critical, arguing that our venture in Singapore violates our core values. Since 2009, when Levin announced Yale-NUS, others have »

New Haven set a deadline of Noon last Wednesday for Occupy to leave the Green. In case you haven’t noticed, the tents are still up. And they will remain for another week and a half, by court order. Almost every mayor in America — including self-proclaimed liberals — knew what do to with Occupy encampments: »