Articles by Rachel Renz

In Conversation with Scholar of Jewish Studies Malka Simkovich, Stern ‘04

By Rachel Renz • Published: May 12, 2014 • Comment ()
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What year did you graduate YU, and what did you major in during your time here? I graduated Stern in 2004 with a double major – one in Jewish Studies, concentrating in Bible, and a shaped major in Music Theory. What have you done since graduating from YU? What are you currently doing, and what […]

Prodigious Creativity and the Desire for Young Productivity

By Rachel Renz • Published: May 12, 2014 • Comment ()

Oscar Wilde writes, “Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.” Byron says, “Those who will not reason, are bigots, those who cannot, are fools, and those who dare not, are slaves.” I say, “The intimidation of following in the footsteps […]

Does Money Empower or Victimize?

By Rachel Renz • Published: May 12, 2014 • Comment ()
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Perhaps one of the most opinionated writers of the twentieth century has been the beloved, hated, and all-around controversial Ayn Rand, author of The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged, and many others. Her strong libertarian views have assisted in establishing an image and reputation which continues to outlast her: one of a financially-conscious individual who understood and […]

Oh Holy Night: The Importance of Interfaith Dialogue

By Rachel Renz • Published: March 17, 2014 • Comment ()

The idiosyncratic aspect of journalism lies in the fact that stories create themselves. While journalists certainly present facts in narrative form, I, as a journalist and a writer, certainly view facts and events in narrative form from the start. When I completed writing Part I of my reflections on attending Midnight Mass at St. Patrick’s […]

Academic Advisement: A Graphic Expose

By Rachel Renz • Published: March 13, 2014 • Comment ()

Breaking news: A report has recently come out slandering Stern Academic Advisement for being “too friendly, welcoming” and acting with “an overabundance of generosity and understanding.” Potential influences are hypothesized to be the use of illegal substances, or the prospect of early retirement. No less than ten students this year have received smiles from academic […]

Oh Holy Night: My Experience at St. Patrick’s Midnight Mass

By Rachel Renz • Published: January 3, 2014 • Comment ()
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When I walked into the parish house, I caught a smiling glimpse of a man in long, emerald green robes passing into the church. The receptionist kindly handed me the ticket she had so generously reserved for me at the eleventh hour, and I made my way back outside to assume a place in the […]

Meta-Opinions: An Opinion About Opinions Pieces, From Your Editor

By Rachel Renz • Published: October 21, 2013 • Comment ()

Though the Observer is already onto its second issue of the year, I want to take this opportunity to share a bit about what, in my opinion, makes or breaks an Opinions piece. Entering my final year of undergraduate study, I have had ample opportunity to write for a variety of publications. Serving as a […]