Remote learning was not perfect. But if it did nothing else, it proved one thing: higher education can be different, and it needs to change.
Posts tagged as “opinions”
Jesey Nelson, former member of British music group Little Mix, was recently criticized for “Blackfishing” in her music video for her debut solo single, “Boyz.” Critics called Nelson out on her exploitation of Black cultural aesthetics, such as darkened skin, curly hair, and other visual signifiers of Black culture like clothing style.
The horrifying middle school classroom paranoia that your period has started fades away mostly in high school, and nearly completely at an institution like Smith. However, I think we need to do more than simply remove the stigma around periods. Smith College, which has posited itself as a progressive institution for gender and sexuality has to understand that accessibility remains a serious issue for menstrual hygiene.
Universities often talk about providing support to international students, particularly because many of us have flown halfway across the world to a foreign place where nothing feels familiar. This year, against the backdrop of a global pandemic, this feeling is even more intense.
The highly anticipated 2021 GRAMMY awards took place last March, but the much less hyped up Latin GRAMMY nominations were announced last Tuesday for their Nov. award ceremony. Nominees include fan favorites like Karol G and Rauw Alejandro alongside newer artists like Paloma Mami and Bizarrap; a fine lineup that makes me wonder why none of our favorite Latinx artists can make it onto the “real” GRAMMYs.
In mid-September, more than 10,000 Haitians appeared at the U.S.-Mexico border to seek refuge in the U.S. from their unstable country. Images circulated online of U.S. border agents on horseback, whipping migrants as if they are herding cattle. As they attempt to ward off and punish the refugees for presuming that they have any right to belong on American land, it enrages me to see such a horrifying and irredeemable act of violence directed towards migrants who are simply searching for safety and stability.
R&B music star R. Kelly was finally convicted for sexual assault, sex trafficking and sexual abuse of underage women Sept. 27 of this year. He faces life in prison and although it appears some justice has been served, I’m still skeptical. If this case is like so many others, the reality of this sentence will probably be a short period of public punishment before he’s given an ankle bracelet and sent home.
How do you begin the opinion piece about sexual assault on a college campus? Maybe, if you’re like me, you’ve had a decade or so of practice in the area. You know the talking points by heart– you know that assault is especially pervasive among college students. That universities tend to prioritize their donors, not their survivors. Maybe you’re like 27% of my peers: you’re practiced at managing the aftershocks of your own assault as you navigate higher education.
Every September I become acutely aware of my Jewish identity. I have to make the choice between my religion and my academic career. Every year academics win.
You can’t shop for classes if there aren’t any.