Tonight on campus, LGBT Affairs is hosting a vigil for the thousands of trans women who lose their lives to violent hatred annually.
I invited someone over to my place a few weeks ago. I texted them early in the day to meet up later in the night, but by the time we were supposed to meet up, I wasn’t feeling it. I was tired, but I felt bad for backing out — I was the one who asked them to hook up and knew they would be disappointed. So, I kept my commitment and we met up.
A specter is haunting Russia — the specter of gangsta rap. Over the course of his 16-year reign, Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly affirmed his status as a disciple of hip-hop’s more aggressive permutation. This could be seen most recently from March 5 until this past Monday, when Putin was nowhere to be seen, spurring both media outlets and the world audience to work themselves into a tizzy over where he may have gone and why.
This week, we were ankle deep in pollen, blinded by unkind sunlight while we trudged our way to class through sweat and swamp-ass. Luckily, we’ll be getting some time off to compensate for having to endure the god-awful months ahead. In the meantime, here’s a slow-descent-into-finals-and-sweat edition of …
We all reach a point when we are so stressed we think our world is spiraling out of control. It’s a terrifying feeling that is something akin to skydiving and not having your parachute open. Fear and anxiety can ruin a day, week, month, year or even a lifetime. More often than not, we pull through and move forward. However, what happens when the anxiety is affecting sizable portions of the world?
Russian President Vladimir Putin hadn’t been seen in public between March 5 and March 15, and it made everyone a little worried. In a world constantly connected by social media and more traditional forms of news, world leaders — including our own President Barack Obama — have become more available to their subjects, at least in terms of their appearance in the public and technological sphere. In this reality, the disappearance of a constantly sought-after public figure becomes even more concerning.
When it comes to relationships, I usually refrain from passing judgment of any kind. My mindset is: Why judge someone if they are genuinely happy? It’s not up to me to decide if a relationship is right or wrong with regard to age, race or gender. I figure, if two people are happy, let them be happy. But my usually solid stance quivered when a relationship between two celebrities was confirmed last week.
Created Equal may “believe what they believe,” but their display was simply inaccurate, inflammatory rhetoric. Their only goal was publicity and they achieved it. One could evoke similar revulsion among viewers by photographing any surgically removed human organ and displaying it, billboard-sized, on a truck. It is immaterial that such beneficial surgeries remove cancerous organs to prolong human life. I doubt their display changed any “thinking” minds. More likely, last week’s stunt merely hardened previously held positions, both pro- and anti-abortion rights, among our campus community and effectively stifled any reasonable debate on campus regarding abortion and the anti-abortion rights movement.
As a sophomore in high school, I educated myself on issues of animal cruelty and meat production in the U.S. After thorough research, I made the decision to change my lifestyle. I adopted a vegetarian diet. I maintained it for the last five years, and fully transitioned to a vegan diet about six months ago. I don’t walk around with a soapbox in hand, ready and willing to talk about my views on animal maltreatment or government-regulated factory farming. I often refrain from even using words like “vegetarian” or “vegan” because they elicit baffled and confused responses that I don’t often have the time or energy to deal with. Clearly, I have strong opinions that motivated me to make a lifestyle change, but I don’t often engage others in conversation about animal rights unless I’m asked a direct question.
Since the Department of Justice released its report on the internal practices of the Ferguson Police Department, the national shouting match that erupted repeatedly last year resurfaced — but in a different way.
This year is already proving to be an important one in regard to race. The narrative this year has been one of simultaneous progression and regression. Around the time of the 50th anniversary of the Selma-to-Montgomery marches, race is once again a prevalent topic in the news. While a number of media outlets have been celebrating the success of the film based on the Selma-to-Montgomery marches, a more recent news story shows we have not made as much progress as we thought.
As the nation waits for the Supreme Court’s looming decision on marriage equality, some state governments are rushing to enact anti-LGBTQ+ laws.
During Spring Break, I took an opportunity to visit our nation’s capital to take in all the history and stories it had to offer. From seeing all the monuments that pay great homage to past presidents, taking tours of buildings like the Capitol and the White House that hold such political significance and facing the blast of snow that caused the federal government to shut down, it was a trip I’ll never forget. I’ll also never forget some of the thoughts that crossed my mind as I explored what could be called a political science major’s playground.
It’s been a week since our return from Spring Break now, and perhaps the collective misery of going to your 8:30 a.m. class has worn down into a more manageable annoyance.
Every presidency generates its own controversies. Abraham Lincoln’s inauguration started a civil war. The Reagan administration illegally sold weapons to Iran and used the proceeds to fund a right-wing Guatemalan militia with a fondness for committing war crimes. Bill Clinton holds the unique distinction of having been the first president caught getting blown in the Oval Office.
The reaction to the demonstrations of the Ohio-based, anti-abortion group, Created Equal, when it came to campus Tuesday and Wednesday was overwhelmingly negative. The protesters, angry passers-by and columnists in this newspaper expressed their ill will toward the group and its demonstration. Some students claimed the whole demonstration was ineffective. Others thought it was tasteless.
It’s been a tough week transitioning out of Spring Break, but at least the anti-abortion group is gone, right? Here’s your never-has-TGIF-been-so-true edition of
Welcome back, spring breakers! I hope that by now your hangover has worn off and you’ve started the countdown until summer.
In an economy increasingly built on innovation, the most important skill you can sell is your knowledge. That’s why higher education is, more than ever, the surest ticket to the middle class.
A poll released this week shows Americans trust Fox News more than any other television news network. The notion that Americans trust Fox more than any other network demonstrates one of two things: Either Americans are very dumb, or the quality of television news across all networks is very poor. Regardless, it demonstrates that the fourth estate needs serious work.
Solutions by The State News
