Ailey O’Toole Staff Writer Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a subtype of depression that is related to changes in seasons; it usually starts in the colder days of late September and ends during the sunnier days of April. And no, SAD is not just a case of the “winter blues” that one can brush off and tough out on your own. SAD can zap … Continue reading Mental Health Monthly: Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Ailey O’Toole Staff Writer Earlier in October, there was a drawn-out argument between Houston’s popular lesbian mayor, Annise Parker, and several conservative pastors. After this showdown, voters in Houston will soon decide whether or not to establish nondiscrimination protections for gay and transgender citizens. This is not a new argument. Nationwide, different states have long argued over what kind of rights LGBTQIA+ people should … Continue reading Houston non-discrimination law
The TPP is a bad deal for working people Ailey O’Toole Staff Writer The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a proposed trade agreement involving 12 Pacific Rim countries that is concerned with regulations, such as lower tariffs and investor-state dispute settlement mechanisms. This agreement was officially reached on Oct. 5 after 5 years of debate. The 12 countries involved are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, … Continue reading The Trans-Pacific Partnership
Ailey O’Toole Staff Writer “I like boobies.” The phrase is everywhere: t-shirts, bracelets, bumper stickers, you name it. And as catchy and witty as it seems, I do not like it and I do not think it is appropriate. Using the phrase, “I like boobies,” or “save the ta-ta’s” to promote breast cancer awareness reduces the person suffering from the disease to his or … Continue reading “I Like Boobies” is offensive
The gender wage gap will solve itself Adam Griffin Staff writer It has been widely reported that women receive approximately 78 cents for every dollar that a man earns in the workplace. This statement has some truth to it, but, in reality, its economic claims are baseless. This oft-cited 78-cent statistic, for instance, is an accumulation of wages of all working Americans. It does … Continue reading Pay Equality
Ailey O’Toole Staff Writer In mid-September, North Carolina state legislators passed a budget that cut $110 million from the eight regional mental health agencies, such as the North Carolina Correctional Facility for Women, Alliance Behavioral Healthcare and the North Carolina National Association on Mental Health. These agencies were simply instructed to fill that budget cut with “money from savings,” savings that were to come … Continue reading The NCGA doesn’t understand mental health
Boderline Personality Disorder Ailey O’Toole Staff Writer In continuing my advocacy for a cultural conversation about mental health, I would like to shine some light on an essentially unknown mental illness. You may have heard of it if you’ve seen the 1999 film “Girl, Interrupted” in which Winona Ryder’s character is diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). BPD is a mental illness that has … Continue reading Mental Health Monthly
Ailey O’Toole Staff Writer Last Saturday, Sept. 19, I attended Greensboro’s first Peace Festival, an event arranged in response to a hate letter sent to the Islamic Center of Greensboro. The letter was from a local restaurant that asked for the disappearance of all Muslims from the property, as their presence was making the other patrons uncomfortable. The evening of the festival involved an … Continue reading Greensboro Peace Festival counters Islamophobia
Over the summer, a series of videos ascertained by the Center for Medical Progress documented questionable abortion practices at multiple Planned Parenthood facilities across the country. Is this revelation proof that Planned Parenthood should be stripped of its ability to offer abortions, or is this just an obverblown and partisan story? Planned Parenthood should be defunded Mark Parent Opinions Editor The issue of ridding Planned … Continue reading Planned Parenthood
The issue of gun control is, by all accounts, hyper-partisan and prone to inaction. Yet, in light of frequent mass shootings, it is important to reexamine the arguments surrounding the effectiveness of an assault weapons ban, which is often touted as a panacea to these instances of mass violence. An assault weapons ban, which was the law of the land for an entire decade, would … Continue reading Assault Weapons Ban
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