Articles written by Opinion Staff

College students of all ages have no trouble getting alcohol.

We should just get that out of the way right now.

But if you need more evidence, you can walk by an apartment complex’s dumpster on a Saturday morning and marvel at the number of cans.

There is a movement, called the Amethyst Initiative, asking the presidents of universities to enter into a debate about the effects of the current legal drinking age of 21.

The Amethyst Initiative is tied to the organization Choose Responsibility, which is lobbying to lower the drinking age to 18, with several restrictions.

Parents does not give their child a car at 15 and send them on their way, but that is essentially what we, as a society, do on the very serious subject of alcohol.

“You couldn’t go in there and drink that yesterday, but have at it now, and try not to kill anyone. Good luck!”

The newest architectural addition to the campus is very nice. We are even inclined to say we love it.

Although our new digs are not as worn-in and homey as our previous Foy dungeon office, our offices, along with the entire area devoted to student media, are pretty swanky and much appreciated.

The smooth edges everything has reminds us of the Macs we design this paper on.

Also, it is refreshing and encouraging to see the school meet its deadlines.

When students arrived in Auburn just before school started, some were afraid the building would not be done, but now those students are dining in the amazingness that is au bon pain.

However, we do have some complaints/suggestions.

It is practically impossible to get cell phone reception in the building.

As students who have to constantly stay in touch with sources and co-workers, this is especially frustrating.

“I’m sorry we couldn’t do our interview today. I was...in the one place I should be able to get work done.”

But this is not a completely selfish request, we swear.

“Don’t ask, don’t tell” has been a part of the military since 1993. The policy prevents openly gay, lesbian or bisexual people from serving in the U.S. military.

Now Congress is considering overturning the 15-year-old policy, creating quite a stir, even within our  seven-person editorial board.

We believe the policy was created in order to protect homosexuals in the military, but, at the same time, the policy discriminates against the group it was established to protect.

NBC’s new reality show “Baby Borrowers” aims to teach teenage couples from 18 to 20 about everything that goes into parenting.

The couples “borrow” children from their real parents, some of whom were teen parents themselves, to experience parenthood firsthand.

Different age groups of children, including infants, toddlers and preteens, rotate every three days, and the teens must learn how to cope with children at different stages of development.

The teens also take care of a senior citizen to simulate caring for in-laws later in life.

CFL lightbulbs (the swirly Al Gore ones) are more expensive than regular lightbulbs, but they last longer and end up paying for themselves.

The supposedly “green” lightbulbs present a big problem, however, if they break.

CFL bulbs are packed full of mercury, which is the reason they last longer, and the mercury can be hazardous to bulb owners with butter fingers.

Side effects of mercury poisoning from the lightbulbs include chest pain and coughing in the short-term and hallucinations and delirium in the long-term.

In an attempt to involve parents in critical student issues, the Office of the Dean of Students will put the New Policy of Parent Notification of Alcohol and Drug Incidents into effect at the beginning of fall semester.

Under this new policy, Auburn University will contact parents if their son or daughter is involved in an alcohol or drug-related incident.

This is being added to an existing policy that allows the University to contact parents if their son or daughter is transported to a medical facility because of alcohol or drug use.

Old cell phones and computers are thrown away by individuals and businesses all the time. Most people do not think about what happens to the electronic waste, which is not biodegradable, after it has been declared outdated.

Instead of finding a solution to the problem of accumulating e-waste, the United States has been shipping its tech trash to countries with lower environmental standards like India, China and Kenya, where the waste is dumped in landfills.

Army Sgt. Matthis Chiroux, an Auburn native, announced, May 15, he would not be reporting for duty to deploy to Iraq.

He served four years in the Army after graduating from Auburn High School in 2002.

Chiroux served as a photojournalist for the Army. During his tour, he talked to many soldiers who had served in Iraq, and Chiroux developed suspicions about our country’s reasons for occupying Iraq.

The Alabama Medical Furlough Act, approved by Gov. Bob Riley following a special session May 27-31, will allow non-capital felony offenders with terminal or decapacitating illnesses the option to die in a nursing facility or in their homes.

If the released prisoners do not die within one year or if their medical condition changes, they will be forced to return to prison.

What has been an already trying case for the Auburn community and the family and friends of Lauren Burk has now become something of a nightmare.

Courtney Lockhart, the man accused and indicted of killing Lauren Burk, has changed his plea from guilty to not guilty and now, to not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.

Since there is a gag order in the case, The Plainsman cannot question Lockhart’s lawyer about the change in pleas and Lockhart’s pending psychological evaluations.