Column

A discussion impossible to ignore in a racially-minded society Police shootings, ethno-nationalism and political correctness have pushed the ugly issue of race back into the national limelight. 61 percent of Americans in 2016 acknowledged widespread racism against African Americans, and 41 percent perceived the same against whites. Observation has come with an ugly side effect […]

Bringing back conscription would restrain social inequality and military recklessness In today’s political climate, there are few opinions that 85 percent of Americans share. Revulsion towards a military draft is a rare consensus. Conscription is branded in the American conscience as an unfair, unwise and undemocratic practice, largely due to the events of the 1960s, […]

The traditionally secular nation is facing new challenges from fundamentalists Early in the morning on Jan. 22, the Islamic Center of Davis was vandalized. Windows were smashed and strips of bacon were left on door handles with the intent of intimidating the Muslim community, seeing as pork is a forbidden meat in Islam. This incident […]

How Saturday Night Live is changing the face of political commentary It all started with a beauty pageant. In 1966, billionaire Donald Trump bought the Miss Universe Organization, which includes the Miss USA, Miss Teen USA and Miss Universe pageants. Since 1960, these all aired on CBS; that is, until Trump decided that he was […]

Short tales of love and loss from Aggie editors Scott Dresser — Editor-in-Chief Today is the worst I had dinner with my cat At least there’s Netflix   Ellie Dierking — Managing Editor Valentine’s? Who cares. It’s girl scout cookie season. Thin mints: here I come.   Alyssa Vandenberg — Campus News Editor Nothing better […]

The violent clash of liberal and conservative self-righteousness Mayhem in Berkeley last week exemplifies how physical violence and destruction become possible when extreme ends of the political spectrum dehumanize those with different opinions. Although over 1,000 protesters peacefully assembled to shut down the Milo Yiannopoulos event, hosted by the Berkeley College Republicans this past week, […]

New administration poses fundamental threats to women’s rights Just one day after Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States, millions of women took to the streets. They marched in Washington, Los Angeles, New York, Rome, Paris, Seoul, Tokyo, Bucharest, Bangkok and even Antarctica — uniting against one man who […]

America Ferrera and Scarlett Johansson spoke fervently to Washington crowds Celebrity endorsements have been historically effective for selling merchandise and procuring large profits — for both the recommended product and the illustrious sponsor. The exact opposite effect? Gratuitous and unanimous celebrity disapproval (often in 140 characters or fewer). Here, I’m not-so-cryptically referring to the Hollywood-wide […]

Exploring link between excess democracy and Trump Talking heads have speculated since the election about the million dollar question: Why did Donald Trump’s authoritarian and nostalgic message of “Make America Great Again” resonate so deeply in a country experiencing its third-longest economic expansion? The answer might not be so complicated. His victory isn’t such a […]

How stereotypes and educational inequality tie into poverty Defining poverty is far from straightforward. The condition spans a range of complexities, from social problems to the federally determined economic poverty line. However, understanding the basics of poverty, and some of its most pertinent issues, is imperative to making a lasting difference in the lives of […]

As technology advances, a generation of workers is left behind Technology has the awesome ability to connect me with my friends halfway across the world. I can record every second, every minute of my day and have everyone know about it without expending any effort. But technology and grandparents are another story. I must’ve taught […]

The future of American education is uncertain under Trump’s pick for Secretary of Education   Senate Democrats voting on Tuesday to prevent Betsy DeVos’ confirmation as Secretary of Education underscored the existential threat American public education would face under who may be President Trump’s most dangerously unqualified nominee. DeVos’ confirmation hearing — primarily devoted to […]