Columns
Legalizing marijuana is not a fix-all solution
On April 1, 2022, the House of Representatives passed the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act with a vote of 220 to 204. The act would federally legalize marijuana by decriminalizing...
Columns
Religion should not be forced onto children
Growing up Catholic, my parents made me and my three other siblings attend church every Sunday, just as their parents did with them. While my older sisters went to a Catholic elementary...
Columns
Academy Awards need to diversify
The Academy Awards’ history of overlooking diverse representation is on a slow path to change. The 2022 awards season left fans pleasantly surprised by the increased recognition across all awards. Winners like...
Columns
Art can be separated from the artists
Ever since I was young, I have had an unhealthy obsession with “Harry Potter.” I loved the books, movies and games. I had hundreds of collectibles and spent a great deal of...
Columns
Madeline Albright's role in the Iraq War should be confronted
Former President Bill Clinton’s Secretary of State Madeleine Albright passed away on March 23, 2022. Her death was met with a commemorative op-ed piece by Hillary Clinton in The New York Times....
Columns
The avocado industry thrives on exploitation of Mexico
On February 11, 2022, the U.S. government administered a temporary ban on the inspection of avocados imported from Michoacán, Mexico. Why? Mexico supplies 80 percent of the United States’ avocados, and with...
Columns
Overconsumption and conservation cannot coexist
There is an ever-present urge permeating this country to buy more goods. New computers are replaced by newer computers. Clothing is replaced with new clothing for arbitrary reasons, such as a new...
Columns
The new Emmett Till Antilynching Act can improve racial justice in criminal cases
On March 29, President Joe Biden signed the Emmett Till Antilynching Act, which declares lynching a federal hate crime. Beyond the typical definition of lynching as hanging someone, the law also considers...
Columns
Mental health diagnostic processes are racially exclusive
The ability to categorize the state of your mental health into a single word or a few — to say “I am” or “I have” this diagnosis — holds a level of...
Columns
"Oppenheimer" can change Christoper Nolan's legacy as a director and screenwriter
Any mention of the name Christopher Nolan evokes the image of films with deeply constructed plots dealing with time, unbelievable practical action shots and a bombastic score whose loudness is only matched...