Celebrity death always seems to leave a hole in the world’s collective conscience. Take the death of David Bowie earlier this year; celebrities from Lady Gaga to Olympic snowboarder Shaun White paid him tribute, while others left flowers at a memorial to him in Brixton. George Martin didn’t get the same fanfare following his death…
Growing up it seemed like every little girl wanted to be a princess, and of course every princess that college students knew growing up had a prince. Having a boyfriend almost became mandatory when playing house and then somewhere between middle school and high school popular authors like Nicholas Sparks and Stephanie Meyers defined what…
“The police are damn thugs.” That is, according to a recent episode of ABC’s family sitcom, “Blackish.” The episode focuses on the Johnson family watching a fictional court case unfold on CNN which involved police brutality and an unarmed black teenager. When a grand jury decides not to indict the police officers involved, “violent” protests,…
March is officially the National Irish Heritage month in the United States, and this year it is packed with celebration. Not only do we have the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day and the consumption of shamrock shakes from McDonald’s, but on Easter Monday the people of Ireland will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Easter…
Political disputes are never pretty, but in South Dakota a new controversial beast is rearing its ugly head. Last week, a bill was passed through the state Senate which requires students in public schools (K-12) to use the restrooms and locker rooms which correspond to the sex that they were assigned at birth. The bill…
Rape. A subject, it seems, everyone is uncomfortable with. But a subject that desperately needs to be talked about. Uncomfortable? Get comfortable. One incidence of rape has broken the Internet this week, pertaining to pop star Kesha. The star has not produced new music since 2013. Why? Because she’s been locked into a contract with…
This week, President Obama finally announced formal plans to shut down the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, fulfilling promises he made to the country years ago, proving it’s never too late for a good thing. This announcement came mere days after Republican nomination candidate and renowned television clown Donald Trump voiced his support for torture techniques.…
I often wonder, as an economic conservative, if Donald Trump can even understand the words coming out of his mouth. Trump has been known for saying things without thinking. In fact it has become a key strategy in his presidential campaign. During last week’s GOP debate, Trump defended his plan for a 35 percent tariff…
In the wake of the unfortunate passing of Justice Antonin Scalia at the height of election season, the executive and legislative branches of the American government find themselves in quite the scuffle. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) does not plan on allowing President Obama to pass a new associate justice onto the court. The…
Who is the best quarterback of all-time? Is it Montana? Brady? Marino? Favre? Elway? Or is it a guy who now has two Super Bowl rings, five MVP awards, 14 pro-bowl appearances and has the most career touchdown passes and passing yards in NFL history? Peyton Manning and his Denver Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers…
Nothing has made the marginalization of the deaf community so apparent to me than this year’s Super Bowl. The game opened with Lady Gaga singing the national anthem, followed by the U.S. Armed Forces chorus singing America the Beautiful, all the while actress Marlee Matlin performed the American Sign Language (ASL) rendition of the performances.…
This is the second year in a row that all 20 actors who were nominated for lead and supporting roles have been white. People of all races were upset at the evidence of racial discrimination and lack of opportunities available to actors of color. Many took to Twitter using hashtag #OscarsSoWhite to share their dissatisfaction.…
Recently there has been some fuss over in Hollywood about the diversity, or lack thereof, in the Academy Awards. This is the second year in a row that all 20 actors and actresses who were nominated for lead and supporting roles have been white. This has sparked great controversy within the black community, causing trends…
In the medieval era, knights went on noble quests in search of captured royalty, or incredible riches and wonders. In the modern college era, students go on a noble quest in search of food, mostly starting pretty late every Friday and Saturday (and also Thursday and all the other days of the week) in search…
I grew up in Olean. I try to withhold this information from everyone I meet, because every time I tell someone I’m from nearby, I get the ever classic, “No way, you’re a townie? You don’t look like a townie!” Or, “Hah! That must be awful!” One time, I even got, “Oh, so do you…
As young adults in college, having a part-time job that pays minimum wage is normal in our society. We might want some extra cash in our pockets for the weekend, or we want save our money to pay for books. Research by the fightfor$15.org, however, shows the average age of a person working a minimum…
The Super Bowl is a spectacle widely regarded for the incredible amount of expense that goes into it. Millions of dollars are spent by the host cities of the event, in an attempt to turn a single evening event into a weeklong celebration of American football. But, for many Americans, the event has become more…
It’s no secret that America is consistently ranked as one of the most obese nations in the world. According to Details.com, 21 percent of New Year’s resolutions this year involved weight loss in one way or another. There is no doubt that Americans need to lose weight. However, the American public is not educated enough…
Perfection is like a fairytale; people will tell you it’s not real but everyone secretly wants it to actually happen. And perfection’s lack of reality certainly doesn’t stop people in the real world from striving for it. Because who wouldn’t want it all? Exciting adventures, relaxing free time, cookie-cutter family, nice home, fancy cars, plenty…
There is no better time for the United States to re-ignite its love affair with traveling the final frontier than the present. In the past few years, space has quietly recaptured the public eye, with sci-fi blockbusters like Star Wars, Guardians of the Galaxy and The Martian creating a generation of citizens entranced by the…