State of the Union must outline achievable goals


As Winston Churchill once said, “A politician needs the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month and next year and to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn’t happen.” President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address was, as expected, characterized by ambitious proposals. Some of President […]

Schools should enforce lockdown safety drills


When I was young, my elementary school had an annual fire drill. When my parents were in elementary school, they participated in Cold War-era duck-and-cover drills to protect themselves from atomic bomb threats. Today, proposed legislation in states throughout the nation could have K-12 children performing annual lockdown drills. Such drills, however bold they might […]

Award shows should not determine what is ‘best’


Never mind college basketball — the new year marks awards show season. During past awards seasons, I’d fill out my brackets for best actor, actress, songstress and television show hopefuls. It would be a year long study of the material and Metacritic statistics filled with disappointments and career resurges affecting my predictions. The best strategy? […]

Society shouldn’t shun the term ‘feminism’


Like most 19-year-old girls, there’s one individual on this planet who I find more groundbreaking than sliced bread and more mesmerizing than puppies during finals week: Beyoncé. In fact, as I pound away at my keyboard in the early hours of the morning, whipping out my introductory column, it’s Queen Bey who’s blaring through my […]

NSA proposals need greater public debate


Last Friday, President Obama delivered a widely publicized   speech on NSA reform, according to the Los Angeles Times. Though the proposed ways to swiftly revamp the intelligence agency are, in principle, a positive step toward transparency, few offer truly workable, effective solutions. In moving forward, conversation should be opened to public debate. Under Section […]

NSA reform is a step in the right direction


For many critics of the National Security Agency, President Barack Obama’s speech last week which unveiled new reforms to the government surveillance program, was likely disappointing. Though not without shortfalls, however, these proposed reforms should be seen as a much needed step in the right direction. In wake of the storm of privacy rights concerns […]