Posts tagged as “opinion”

(Archive May 2019) A Mission for Fair Admission

By editorialteam on April 15, 2025

The College Admission Bribery Scandal Affects Community College Students

By Aisha Schor | Observer Contributor

The college admissions scandal is disappointing and discouraging to the many students nationwide who make the genuine investment and commitment to attend college. It hits particularly hard for community college and non-traditional students given that the obstacles they have to overcome to continue their education are often greater than the average student.

Over the past few weeks it has been investigated and proven that numerous well-known celebrities and wealthy parents are willing to cheat and scam the system to get their children accepted into elite colleges and universities across the country. Some take the route of bribing SAT/ACT test proctors into changing their children’s answers/test scores. Others falsely claim their children play varsity sports, getting them admitted through fake sports scholarships. read more

(Archive May 2019) The Wizard of Cosplay

By editorialteam on April 15, 2025

Student Talks About Volunteering at Character Breakfast

By Rachel Williams | Observer Contributor

Students and faculty dress up as characters to host the annual Character Breakfast.
Photo by Nicole Wetherby

Being part of the Character Breakfast fulfilled my childhood dream of dressing up and playing the part of Ariel, The Little Mermaid.

The Character Breakfast is a fundraiser for the Alpha Beta Gamma Honor Society, with some volunteers from the Phi Thet Kappa Honor Society, and is an annual event.

I have been in love with Disney ever since I was little. As a young girl, my dreams were to play The Little Mermaid in Disney World and, even though that will not happen in my real life, I was able to do so at the Character Breakfast. read more

(Archive May 2019) A Crash Course in Discourse

By editorialteam on April 15, 2025

An Intro to Effective Political Discussion

By Dylan Hatch | Observer Contributor

Our nation faces a crisis unparalleled since the secession of eleven states. It is not due to economic instability, disease, nor terrorism, but an ideological threat; one which combats every American who looks at the news in agitation.

With national controversies arising more frequently than ever, our nation’s deep cultural divide is becoming increasingly apparent with each passing exchange. Democracy welcomes dissent; thus, we should see much of our cohort as incorrect or misguided. However, our democracy approaches endangerment when we begin to view dissenting Americans as not only false but illegitimate, less worthy of a vote, or essential to silence. The last decade proves American society’s capabilities to reach this point. read more

(Archive April 2019) Socialism and Women in the Workplace

By editorialteam on April 15, 2025

By Charlie Greco | Observer Contributor

As the 2020 presidential campaign moves into high gear, progressive Democrats have begun touting radical changes that would impact the entire U.S. socio-economic system as we know it. The thrust has been to try and move the U.S. from capitalism to socialism.

As a country that has mastered capitalism and free markets, America has been a global economic power for more than 200 years. It has outperformed all other socio-economic systems that have either been experiments or forced upon other countries around the globe, like socialism in Venezuela. read more

(Archive April 2019) Galloping Into Mainstream Medicine

By editorialteam on April 15, 2025

Student Talks About Horses and Mental Illness

By Aisha Schor | Observer Contributor

Taylor, a Nevada Mustang and certified therapy horse, takes a walk with his owner, Courtney Ferguson.
Photo from flickr, by Bureau of Land Management https://www.flickr.com/photos/mypubliclands/30377261652

Ask any horseback rider and they will tell you the bond between horse and rider is a powerful and unmatchable connection. I can attest to this as a horseback rider and owner myself. I’ve been riding horses for the past thirteen years and have owned my oldest horse, Ginger, for nine years. Bonding and gaining the trust of a horse is very different than any other animal I have ever interacted with. It takes time and patience to gain their trust, but once you do, the reward is outstanding. read more

(Archive February 2019) Knowing Write Where to Start

By editorialteam on April 3, 2025

By Brittany Eldridge | Observer Contributor

MWCC’s Literary Arts Journal, *A Certain Slant*, which is compiled and released annually.
Photo by Thomas Hill Jr.

Three local writers shared their advice on seeking a career as a professional writer.

Michelle Valois, English professor, stressed the writer’s need for supports such as professors, friends, and relatives. Students can discover other supports through online communities or by starting their own writing groups. Supports can provide students with advice on where to send work as well as feedback on how to improve their work.

Student writers can be proactive by starting their own book clubs. Valois suggested meeting with a group of writers at a library or coffee shop. She also advised that students choose and discuss books in a book club of the same subject matter they wish to write in. read more

(Archive February 2019) Making the Case on Becoming Vegan

By editorialteam on April 3, 2025

By Gabriela Villa | Observer Contributor

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Cows, used to produce milk and meat products, are one of the many kinds of animals people attempt to protect by switching to a vegan lifestyle.
Photo by steve p2008 from flickr

I went vegan when I was 19 and I have been vegan for 5 years. Like most people, I wasn’t born a vegan. I was raised having meat, dairy or eggs with every meal.

I didn’t go vegan because I liked the taste of meat or cheese any less than anyone else. I actually loved the taste of cheese and meats.

Whenever someone brought up veganism, like most people, I thought, “I could never do that!” I claimed I loved cheese too much, and to most of society that was an acceptable excuse. read more

(Archive February 2019) Recycling: The Drastic Plastic Issue

By editorialteam on April 3, 2025

By Cassie Roy | Observer Contributor

Two projects, Larry the plastic bag sea turtle (above) and the giant plastic water bottle (below) can be found on campus. Each promotes awareness of the growing problems with plastic pollution.
Photos by Thomas Hill Jr.

The sign explaining Larry the plastic turtle
Photo by Thomas Hill Jr.

Plastic- we all know it, we all use it, we all buy it, but that’s the problem.

According to plastic-pollution.org, over 8.3 billion tons of plastic resides on our Earth. A study conducted in 2013 showed that an average of approximately 299 million tons of plastic gets produced and added onto the growing pile of waste each year. That same study estimated that by 2025 we would be able to line one hundred plastic bags per foot along every coastline on Earth. That’s about 372,000 miles of land covered in waste that will take over five hundred years to be broken down and recycled back into the Earth. read more

(Archive December 2018) Test Taking Aids for Breathtaking Grades

By editorialteam on April 1, 2025

By Dylan Cernoia | Observer Contributor

With finals rapidly approaching, Henrietta Martin, a tutor, shared some advice on how to study for and take tests.

When studying for a test, Martin suggested that students always check that the notes they have been taking throughout the semester are accurate, either by talking with the professor or a fellow student. She also suggested that if a student is attempting to memorize something for a class, they use flash cards or another form of visual aid.

Martin also encouraged students to break up their studying over a few days. Students trying to cram all of the knowledge in on one day tend not to remember it all, she explained. Martin also suggested that students find a friend either inside or out of the class to quiz them on the subject. read more

(Archive December 2018) Face Your Fear: Tips on Giving a Speech

By editorialteam on April 1, 2025

By Dylan Cernoia | Observer Contributor

Picture this: You have a massive speech to give and close to 100-125 people are there waiting for you to come out and speak. You shuffle your notes, take a few steps out up to the podium and, just as you are about to speak, you freeze.

According to The Washington Post, around 25% of Americans are fearful of such a scenario. I have been doing public speaking for about 10 years and I was involved with several different speech tournaments throughout that time. I’d like to share some tips that I have learned through my many failures and successes. read more