Controlling the Algorithm: Examining the Proposed TikTok Ban 

Myo Thiha  Opinions Editor  Photo credit: Avishek Das/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images  On Wednesday, March 13, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act with unusual bipartisan support, resulting in 352 votes in favor to 65 against. The bill gave ByteDance, the owner of social media platform TikTok, an ultimatum: either sell the video app to another buyer or face … Continue reading Controlling the Algorithm: Examining the Proposed TikTok Ban 

From Church to Change: A Referendum on Megachurches  

Elizabeth Hyman Staff Writer Inside of Lakewood Church. Photo credit: Lifeway Research Did you know that, on average, 45,000 people attend Joel Osteen’s Lakewood megachurch in Texas weekly? Forty-five thousand. That’s more people attending a megachurch weekly than there are people experiencing homelessness daily in all of Texas. (That number is more than 27,000 as of 2024.) Unhoused people don’t have to seek this kind … Continue reading From Church to Change: A Referendum on Megachurches  

Enough Live-Action Remakes: Defending Animation as an Artform 

Myo Thiha  Opinions Editor  The new Netflix live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender has received mixed reviews from critics and fans alike. Photo credit: Netflix  Netflix’s live-action remake of Avatar: The Last Airbender was released recently to an underwhelming reception from both critics and audiences. This adaptation is not the first live-action version of the beloved Nickelodeon series; famed thriller director M. Night Shyamalan … Continue reading Enough Live-Action Remakes: Defending Animation as an Artform 

There’s No Gatekeeping Beyoncé 

Myo Thiha  Opinions Editor  Beyoncé in a cowboy hat. Photo credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images/The Recording Academy  Beyoncé recently surprised fans with a Super Bowl commercial announcing that she was releasing two songs, “Texas Hold ’Em” and “16 Carriages.” What caught many people off-guard was that they were both country songs rather than her typical sound. True fans may not have been as surprised since she … Continue reading There’s No Gatekeeping Beyoncé 

Tackling Race Relations: Revisiting The Blind Side 15 Years Later 

Myo Thiha  Opinions Editor  Image courtesy of People  In the aftermath of this year’s Super Bowl, tackling how the NFL portrays race helps us understand the ethos of marketing football. The NFL sells football as a force that brings people together and breaks down the barriers that separate us as individuals. A common trope is that everyone is equal on the football field, race doesn’t … Continue reading Tackling Race Relations: Revisiting The Blind Side 15 Years Later 

Congratulating E. Jean Carroll: A Rallying Cry  

Elizabeth Hyman  Staff Writer   Image courtesy Reuters/Brendan Mcdermid  Last Friday, one woman did the impossible. She held her attacker, the ex-president, accountable for a grave assault on her mind, body, and soul that has plagued her since 1996.   A jury of her peers awarded E. Jean Carroll, the plaintiff in a rape case against former president Donald Trump, $83.3 million as they held Trump liable … Continue reading Congratulating E. Jean Carroll: A Rallying Cry  

Ode to Dr. King: Reflecting on MLK Day in 2024 

Elizabeth Hyman, Staff Writer   Image credit: AFP via Getty Images  As we sit here in a new year, an election year, we are more divided than ever. We face a world that knows not the horror it brings to its youth. MLK Day was just over a week ago, but now, more than ever, we need to be reminded of his message. Dr. Martin Luther … Continue reading Ode to Dr. King: Reflecting on MLK Day in 2024 

Engaging in Wellness with a Skeptical Mind

Zavia Pittman Opinions Writer I have a complicated relationship with wellness. As a concept, it can be an excellent tool for people to finally start caring for themselves and focusing more on their overall health. As an industry, however, it is full of money-grubbing grifters who make people obsess about their health and feel bad about themselves. And it’s very easy for you to be … Continue reading Engaging in Wellness with a Skeptical Mind

Group Projects Are Not Preparing Us For Anything

Zavia Pittman Opinions Writer Preparation is a word you often hear as a college student. It is the main reason why most of us are here. Regardless of all the debt, time, and suffering, we at least hope to be ready for the challenges we’ll inevitably face once we pursue our careers. You could argue that many colleges fail to prepare students and teach them … Continue reading Group Projects Are Not Preparing Us For Anything