Topic: Amherst College

A filmmaker breaks down ballet stereotypes

Documentary filmmaker Bess Kargman followed the rigorous world of ballet competition for her new documentary 'First Position.'

Conservative justices may hate Obamacare, but they should not overrule Congress

The Supreme Court's conservative justices deliberating on the health care law known as Obamacare should heed the historical example of Republican-appointed justice, Harlan Fiske Stone. He detested New Deal policies but argued the court had no right to overturn them.

Rushworth Kidder: Ethicist, journalist, scholar

Rushworth Kidder, who passed away on March 5, was a former Monitor columnist and a leading advocate of ethical conduct in business, government, education, and personal life.

Mortgage settlement won't end probes: NY attorney general

Mortgage settlement improved because New York, California initially rejected it, some say. Even after mortgage settlement, New York Attorney General Schneiderman is still investigating related fraud.

For US and global economies, debt is a four-letter word

It's hard to conclude anything else: Debt – owed by households, governments, and banks – lies at the heart of the economy's troubles. Even after two years of recovery, debt remains a big drag.

SAT cheating scandal: Are stakes getting too high for college admission?

Six high school students in Great Neck, N.Y., are facing misdemeanor charges for allegedly paying $1,500 to $2,500 to Samuel Eshaghoff to take the SAT for them. Is the pressure to succeed too great?

College rankings: Princeton, Harvard best colleges

College rankings from U.S. News & World Report put five Ivy League schools in Top 10 best colleges. University of Maryland-Baltimore is up-and-comer in college rankings.

College rankings: Same US schools rise to the top again

College rankings: US News and World Reports has released its annual report on the best institutions of higher education in the US. These college rankings feature a handful of Ivy League schools.

Job market dismal? Here are the bright spots.

Although it added no net new jobs in August, the economy has some sectors that are growing robustly. Technology, health care, and some regional job markets are doing well.

'Silent raids' and E-Verify immigration enforcement are destroying US farms

Enforcement-only immigration policies will further devastate immigrant communities, ravage labor-intensive agriculture, and take away countless jobs beyond the farm sector. If elected officials want US fruit and vegetable farms to survive, they need to implement smarter immigration reform.

Government can't solve budget battles? Let citizens do it.

To resolve the budget battles tearing apart Congress and state and local governments, politicians should look to a new model of citizen involvement: participatory budgeting.

Republicans want to create second-class citizens. You're not DREAMing.

Republicans haven't abandoned extreme positions on immigration. They've just transferred controversial proposals to the state level.

Summer camp for book lovers

Great Books Summer Camp introduces young book lovers to literature they would not typically encounter in the classroom.

Missing from State of the Union: Obama's audacity of hope -- to help 'most vulnerable'

If President Obama is really committed to 'win the future,' he needs more than modest, bipartisan reforms. He needs bold plans to lift up America's most vulnerable, for the sake of the nation.

The six men accused of inciting Kenya's post-election violence

Six men were accused in the International Criminal Court Wednesday of crimes against humanity for their role in the ethnic violence that tore apart Kenya following the December 2007 presidential election.

How can Democrats stop the Republican tide this election? Young voters.

Our own analysis shows that if 18-to-29-year olds voted as they did in 2008, they could potentially flip the election for Democrats. But efforts to woo back the youth vote – like Obama's Daily Show appearance – may be too little, too late.

Christine O'Donnell rival: Is he Delaware's 'bearded Marxist'?

Christine O'Donnell deflected her dabbling in witchcraft as teenage rebellion Tuesday, suggesting that the early life of Chris Coons, her Senate rival, be subjected to the same level of scrutiny.

Yale gets an F? New assessment of colleges' required education

WhatWillTheyLearn.com grades more than 700 colleges and universities on what classes they require students to take. Just over a third of the schools earned an A or B in the assessment of required education.

Williams College: America's new best college

Williams College tops the ranks of America's best colleges and universities on Forbes's 2010 list. Other private institutions with generous financial aid packages also rank near the top.

Massachusetts town says yes to Guantánamo detainees

The small college town of Amherst, Mass., voted to accept detainees released from the Guantánamo detention camp in Cuba. Congress has previously voted that Guantánamo detainees will not be allowed to settle in the US.

Universities try innovative ways to get grads jobs

With hiring slowed to a trickle, universities are trying new techniques to get alumni jobs

The Lost Symbol

Robert Langdon, professor of symbology and star of ‘The Da Vinci Code,’ risks fresh peril exploring Masonic mysteries in the US capital.

Classic book review: A Summer of Hummingbirds

At the close of the Civil War, a unique moment in US culture.

Life imitates Harry Potter

Study: U.S. financial aid fails students who need it most

The $86 billion system is so complex and piecemeal that experts call for an overhaul.