Tag Archives: ben kharakh
JVP Speaks: Wikileaks & Transparency
In the wake of the latest Wikileaks disclosure, how much should we, as people, know? Is there such a thing as knowing too much? Or are some things best left unsaid?
Reflections of a Philosophy Major ~ Ben Kharakh
In a philosophy class, it’s minus points if your plans mean you can’t Quantum Leap into Genghis Khan. I’m pretty sure “no time travel” isn’t a problem anywhere else. “Hey, you wanna hang out?” With dinosaurs and Richelieu?! “No, with me.” Nah, I’m good. “Hey, I’m gonna order a pizza. Want some?” Is it one of those time traveling pizzas? “Is that like a pizza that’s already eaten by the time you get it? Because I’m not paying for an empty box.” Then, no, I don’t want any.
Humorless Budget Report ~ Ben Kharakh
RUSA had a good grabber for their budget meeting: “Where does your money go?” I didn’t stick around long enough to find out the answer to that question. Instead, I left after becoming both overwhelmed and underwhelmed by the first hour of the event—overwhelmed by the amount of information thrown at me; and underwhelmed by the absence of tools to make sense of it all.
Inside JVP: An Interview with Mike Stuzynski by Ben Kharakh
I’ve yet to have a real life conversation with JVP Co-founder and inaugural editor-in-chief Mike Stuzynski, so the only thing I know about him are from his articles and comments. I’ve come to appreciate and respect the effort and content of Mike’s thought because in thinking about his work I end up having to re-evaluate and possibly replace my own claims. As a writer, then, Mike is providing a valuable service to the JVP community. Kudos to you, Mike! And I think the legal service you’re providing through the misdemeanor clinic is cool too!
JVP Speaks: What to Say to Apparent Racism
You’re out and about or in and around, just doing what you do when you’re one or the other, and, ka-pow, you’re knocked aside the head with a seemingly racist comment. What do you do?
Inside JVP: An Interview with Matia Guardabascio by Ben Kharakh
As Managing Editor of the JVP, I’ve spent the past few months working closely with Editor-In-Chief Matia Guardabascio. I’ve been exposed to her sharp-wit, her strong analytic skills, and her love of literature and music. Business meetings, however, can only let one so far in to the life of another. A Q and A can provide even further access, as is the case with this interview, wherein myself and readers get to learn about Matia’s upbringing and stargazing, amongst other things. The best way to get to know someone, as Matia herself points out, remains to be through casual conversation and plain-old hanging out. But until you have the pleasure of chatting with Matia herself, this Q and A will have to hold you over.
JVP Speaks: Nature vs. Nurture
Through out human history people have been discussing the true nature of ‘human nature’, whether we are intrinsically good, bad, or just a blank slate. Taking into account the schools of thought relating to human nature as well as your own personal experiences, what do you think is the true nature of ‘human nature’?
Inside JVP: An Interview with Dan Bracaglia by Ben Kharakh
If a picture’s worth a thousand words, then a prize or two wouldn’t do their quality any justice. Although I doubt that sentiment makes Dan Bracaglia think any less of all the critical praise and awards his photography has earned him throughout the years. Whether it’s with the Targum, his photoblogs, or elsewhere, Dan’s web and print presence makes an indelible impression: this guy is going places. And in this Q and A, JVP’s former photography editor looks back on where he’s going, where he’s at, and the path he’s been on along the way.
JVP Speaks: What is Civic Duty?
Project Civility is in full swing at Rutgers, whether you noticed it or not. The initiative’s aim is to get people to ask questions about what it means to be part of a community, about how people should treat one another, and what can be done to improve the quality of people’s treatment of others. Of course, the whole initiative is voluntary rather than mandatory, which means that, chances are, one likely won’t be prompted to participate in Project Civility in one’s day to day. At the very least, I’ve yet to be prompted, so I figured that I’d prompt myself and my fellow JVPers to participate ourselves with this week’s question: Should America have a notion of civic duty if it doesn’t already? Why or why not? If so, what should it entail?
JVP Speaks: Are you going to vote?
Hello and welcome to JVP Speaks! In this soon-to-be-a-recurring-feature, contributors will kick-off a discussion on a particular topic by writing on a single prompt. This week the JVP asked itself: are you voting? Why or why not? Feel free to answer the question yourself, comment on any of our answers, and to generally get the ball rolling on this important topic! Here’s what we had to say:
