America must stop sending recyclables to landfills
By Sandhya Sivakumar, Columnist
October 14, 2019
Americans recycle about one-third of the waste that we produce, a result of a widely successful campaign in the 1970s called “Keep America Beautiful,” a coalition of public and corporate interests that pushed the responsibility of managing the massive amounts of single-use products in circulation on...
Trump and CNN need each other
By Joe Dillier, Columnist
October 10, 2019
From the outside, it is easy to get the impression the Trump Administration and CNN are at war. Trump tweets they are fake news, Jim Acosta gets kicked out of White House press briefings and the network’s panel shows often result in shouting matches between Trump surrogates and the hosts. However, the...
Conspiracy theorists blame the ‘deep state’ to deny the truth
By Andrew Prozorovsky, Columnist
October 9, 2019
The lengths a human being will go to internalize and defend their beliefs is one of the great failures of the evolution of human psychology. In the past few years, America has witnessed a surge of falsehoods in the media. There exists political “spins,” using bad rhetoric to deflect negative p...
Will meatless meat revolutionize eating culture?
By Yutong Zhao, Columnist
October 8, 2019
It is beyond doubt the United States is a meat-loving country: In 2018, America consumed over 200 pounds of meat per capita, and if that number doesn’t give you a clear picture, think about the hype over the Popeye’s chicken sandwich only a month ago. You can feel the love when it drives a hundre...
Social media catalyzes political polarization
By Ellen Barczak, Columnist
October 7, 2019
I know countless people who consider themselves staunch atheists. I also know countless people who are, frankly, religious fanatics (across multiple religions). Our society seems not to tilt in one direction ideologically; rather, we seem to become increasingly polarized over time. Take a look at ...
Veganism: to hate or not to hate
By Sandhya Sivakumar, Columnist
October 7, 2019
Publicly admitting you’re a vegan is a risky move. You’ll either be greeted with open arms by your vegan kin or be disparaged by people who hate the movement. It inspires controversy within it and without. Veganism’s issues aren’t all that straightforward. It stands at the crossroads of elitis...
America’s future will be shaped by its states
By Austin Stadelman, Columnist
October 3, 2019
For most of the 20th century, people looked toward the federal government to solve their problems. Even in the latter part of the 20th century, through the Bush Jr. administration, where market-oriented solutions were rising in popularity, the federal government still managed to create those solutions....
Sex trafficking legislation put lives at risk
By Andrew Prozorovsky, Columnist
October 3, 2019
Winston Churchill once said, “democracy is the worst form of government, except for all other forms that have been tried from time to time.” Democracy hinges on the very idea that government is employed by the people, but it comes with flaws. Basing the employment of government officials on th...
Gaudy aesthetics in media glamorize perilous lifestyles
By Maii Rashed, Columnist
October 2, 2019
In today’s world of over-the-top media, it is hard to get away from the riveting plotlines of television shows that seem to have their viewers obsessing over the next episode’s release date. As an avid television-watcher myself, I can empathize with getting sucked in by a good plot. But by the s...
Education system needs overhaul: Teaching requirements too lenient
By Alice Lee, Columnist
September 30, 2019
The future of the world is always in the hands of the children. No matter which generation or what part of the world, children are the future. There’s no question a teacher plays a valuable role in shaping students to become better people through the process of education. Yet the key is to not onl...
Political actors distort economic system definitions
By Andrew Prozorovsky, Columnist
September 26, 2019
Misconceptions, inconsistencies and contradictions can be ubiquitously found in the political world. Rhetorical fallacies riddle the noise clamoring from pundits, talk show hosts, journalists and politicians themselves. Interpreting political terminology can be difficult, such as the many definitions th...
Illinois prepare for No. 3 Nebraska
By Brendyn Jones, Staff Writer
September 26, 2019
The Illinois volleyball team is preparing to face No. 3 Nebraska after finishing its nonconference schedule this weekend 5-4 after winning it’s last two matches against Pacific and Loyola Marymount. The Illini started the season as the No. 6 ranked team, according to the American Volleyball Coache...
