The crux of my decision in Smith v. Alaska

Last spring, I took a class on constitutional law, the curriculum of which included a moot court. The case, Smith v. Alaska involved the arrest and conviction of Smith, a teenage male, who was older than the age of consent, for statutory rape due to a sexual relationship he had with a teenage male, who was younger than the age of consent. The complicating issue here is that under a hypothetical Alaskan statute, there is a "Romeo and Juliet" exception to the statutory rape law which legalizes relationships if the individuals are within a certain difference in age. Smith and his partner were within this age difference, however, the wording of the statute implies that the exception only applies to heterosexual relations. So, what does the constitution have to say about it? Well, here is the third (and best) section of my decision along with the conclusion.

The Flyer editorial - Black Friday trampling death sign of lost holiday meaning (backdated)

This is another of my favorite editorials.
Originally printed in The Flyer on Dec. 09, 2008.
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The day after Thanksgiving is the traditional start of the Christmas shopping season. Over the years, this day has become the crowning jewel in the commercialization of the holiday season, with hordes of shoppers massing outside stores hoping to take advantage of annual sales. The day is called Black Friday, traditionally because many retailers are now in the black ink of profits instead of the red ink of losses.... (Link to article.)

The Flyer editorial: Editor’s Corner - Government’s lack of foresight shown in Fannie and Freddie (backdated)

Originally printed in The Flyer on Sept. 16, 2008.
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On Sept. 8, the federal government announced that it would be placing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, two of the country’s largest mortgage lending companies, into a "conservatorship." This was done in an effort to calm the financial world and to ensure the continuing flow of capital into the mortgage market. The saddest part of the whole thing is that this did not need to happen.... (Link to article.)