Author Archives: Nicholas Stephanopoulos

Unlike most of my Law School classmates, I’ve never watched a full episode of “Law & Order,” or any other TV courtroom drama. I also can only remember seeing a few movies with extended trial scenes — “To Kill a Mockingbird” comes to mind, as do “A Few Good Men” and “Runaway Jury.” What this »

Imagine that there was just a snowstorm up in Vermont, that the ski conditions are spectacular, that you have no plans or commitments for the weekend, and that your friends are all clamoring for a ski trip. Under these circumstances, you might very well decide to hop in the car and start driving north to »

A few weeks ago, I found myself stranded in Soho. I had spent the previous night at a friend’s apartment in the Upper West Side, but had earlier left my belongings at his girlfriend’s Soho loft. The next morning, the girlfriend discovered that she had forgotten her keys and cell phone back at his place, »

Voltaire once said, “I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” But why do we care so much about allowing every moron, bigot and hack to express whatever stupid, offensive or erroneous thought comes into his head? What’s the point of free speech anyway? »

First, imagine that you are the coach of one of last night’s Super Bowl teams. It’s the second quarter, the score is tied, and your team faces fourth and one on your own 45-yard line. Do you punt, or do you go for it? Second, pretend that you are the general manager of a middle-income »

Quick quiz: What major political figure said the following: “We must commit ourselves anew to a sustained program of manned exploration of the solar system and, yes, the permanent settlement of space. We must commit ourselves to a future where Americans and citizens of all nations will live and work in space.” Was it President »

Democrats these days like to point out that President Bush and his partisans have performed an astonishing volte-face in the foreign policy arena. Bush campaigned for the presidency on a platform of humility toward other countries and extreme aversion to nation-building projects. But today, the United States is busy reconstructing the shattered societies of Iraq »

This past Saturday, I met a student from the School of Management for the first time. I also met my first would-be actor from the School of Drama, and first future doctor from the Medical School. The context for all these encounters? A “random dinner,” organized bythe Graduate and Professional Student Senate, at which students »

Bill Clinton’s speech at Woolsey Hall last Friday was filled with the kind of saccharine fluff to which no one can really object. Clinton first expressed his hope that the world in the 21st century will become a more integrated global community, with more shared values and benefits. To achieve this utopia, he then argued »