The News is pleased to announce that the following regular biweekly columnists begin writing this week. Next Tuesday, we will introduce the rest of the News’ new columnists for the year.

Noah Lawrence ’09: Looks at Veritas

Being young today is a high-stakes game. About to inherit our parents’ world, we wonder how to shape it, how to find our place within it. We do so amidst immense pressure and confusion over culture, politics and how we should think and act. We college students carry a weight on our backs: the weight of unsorted ideas. “Looks at Veritas” will begin the hard work of sorting these ideas and giving us a voice. This column will aim to reveal where culture meets politics and will strive to reflect our zeitgeist. Alternate Mondays.

Alexander Dominitz ’09: Political Philosophocles

These days, the worlds of theater and conservative politics are about as compatible as olive oil and vinegar; simply put, each is the villain of the other’s story. But Alexander thinks this schism is a tragedy worthy of the Athenian stage. In “Political Philosophocles,” he will examine topics such as capitalism, globalization and culture as they relate to the “Dark Arts” of conservatism and theater, both on and off campus. So is this a conservative approach to theater, or a theatrical approach to conservatism? You be the judge. Alternate Tuesdays.

Steven Engler ’07: (Off) Campus

Steven’s column will explore the oddities, triumphs and shortcomings of Yale from the perspective of the senior observer. The title suggests both his living and mental status as a student with one foot out the door. He will also represent the often overlooked view of the off-campus student, amplifying the pulse of those living in the Dwight neighborhood and how this affects interaction with New Haven. Alternate Wednesdays.

Xan White ’09: The White Pages

The White Pages will try to explore partisan politics in America from a fiercely anti-partisan perspective. The constant bickering between Democrats and Republicans over petty and sensationalized scandal has made good policy secondary to effective politics. While Congress talks about Mark Foley, they ignore the pressing issues surrounding the war in Iraq, North Korea’s new nuclear age, and fundamental liberties at home. Alternate Thursdays.

Dariush Nothaft ’08: Daft Like Dar

“The world is but one country and mankind its citizens” — a seemingly simple statement, but revolutionary in its implications. This expresses what anyone who is familiar with globalization already knows: We are living in an interconnected age, in which our effects on one another are great and increasing, in which information exchange accelerates rapidly, and in which our collective and individual responsibility can rarely be underestimated. Unity is the overarching theme of Dariush’s column. He will explore how the world is shrinking, and how our collective responsibility is growing. Alternate Fridays.