Column

The gum you like is NOT coming back in style (the gum is America) It’s been a year since the revolutionary third season of “Twin Peaks” began its stunning 18-episode run, about 25 years after the conclusion of the original show. Seemingly an apolitical escapist mystery, “The Return” actually provides sharp commentary on modern American […]

A look at the obstacles women face when attempting to break into concert industry There’s something magical in attending a concert; working one, however, brings you back to reality. Sitting in front of the Activities and Recreation Center at 7:30 a.m. one bright April morning, I had trouble thinking because my mind was still foggy […]

In attempts to bring about the apocalypse, Christians, Jews and Muslims forgo the basic principles of their religions The reaction to violence is almost always violent retaliation. If one commits violence on a sufficiently mass scale, the likelihood of war is high. Therefore, when discussing religious extremists who believe they are God’s faithful workers in […]

The dark web has proved fertile ground for men who hate women The dark web has long been a haven for some of the most unpleasant aspects of society to burrow. This is the world of trolls and trolling, we tell ourselves; these are people who have too much time on their hands, who have […]

The president’s potential negotiations with California are fueled by money, not a conscience As a child, I was prone to worrying. To me, that was a normal feeling — though I now know it as anxiety. But it brought with it a constant stream of verbalized observations about my surroundings. When I grew older, however, […]

It may benefit Muslims to put to rest a 7th-century division I would never argue that people should not know their own history, nor that of others. I would argue, however, that too much remembrance can be problematic in certain cases, especially if those historical moments occurred in the 7th century. As a Muslim, I […]

Although mostly harmless, clickbait can have negative political and social repercussions Clickbait is one of the most pervasive and hard-to-ignore features of the Internet in the 21st century. It undoubtedly plays an important role in how people perceive the world: politically, economically, socially, racially and religiously. The early days of Internet grappled with spam — […]

Liberals are right about many things, but the way they communicate isn’t one of them Liberals are frequently accused of being smug — often deservingly. But in the same way that too many liberals label all Trump supporters as irrational racist bigots, all liberals are often grouped together as self-righteous elites incapable of changing their […]

Music needs to showcase the effects of climate change on minority communities In the United States, music is everything. Nothing speaks more strongly to the psyche of young Americans time and time again than the melodies, lyrics and beats of sonic revolutions brought by each new generation. Our grandparents had their Elvis; our parents their […]

By placing Russia on a scary list, the U.S. government ignores reality In January, the State Department revamped its system of travel advisories, making it easier for American citizens to know what dangers await abroad. The updated model uses a tiered ranking system to designate the safest and most dangerous countries in the world for […]

Diplomacy in the digital age Donald Trump is undoubtedly the first President of the United States to use Twitter as a form of diplomacy. That is, if you can call it that. For the past two years, Trump has made headlines with his bullying tactics on social media, featuring absurd nicknames, uninformed rants and accusations […]

How the Trump Era evolved out of the OJ Simpson saga If the OJ Simpson ordeal had not occurred and was instead a work of fiction produced decades from now, people might say something like, “You know, I think this might actually be a rough allegory for the Trump Era.” Of course, this wouldn’t be […]