University financial aid scandal underlines modern selfishness
By Lucas Oswald, Opinions Editor
August 4, 2019
The Illinois Promise is the University's pledge to make college affordable for all of its students. It was instituted in 2005 and has since provided thousands of students with the financial aid needed to complete their degrees. To qualify for I-Promise status, students must demonstrate need: The expect...
What happened to country music?
By Noah Nelson, Columnist
July 1, 2019
In his 2010 hit song “This Is Country Music,” country star Brad Paisley sings, “It ain't hip to sing about tractors, trucks, little towns or mama. Yeah, that might be true. But this is country music and we do.” Even as most country songs touch on those subjects and many more like love, loss, f...
Know who your true friends are
By Noah Nelson, Columnist
June 28, 2019
Remember inviting everyone in your grade school class to your birthday party because you were all “best friends” and it was rude to leave someone out? How many of those people are you still friends with today? If you’re thinking to yourself that you don’t talk to most of those kids anymore or hav...
Remember who we’re memorializing on Memorial Day
By Lucas Oswald, Opinions Editor
May 27, 2019
Memorial Day draws to mind parades and marching bands, barbecue and funnel cakes, the American flag and closed banks. For many, it marks the beginning of summer festivities: a pre-Fourth-of-July, if you will. While it’s great Memorial Day is celebrated so widely throughout the country, it is imp...
Children teach valuable life lessons
By Noah Nelson, Columnist
May 26, 2019
Famous children’s writer Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, once said, “adults are just outdated children.” This statement stands true in so many ways. For the past six summers, I have worked as a day-camp counselor at a local park district back home. Each day, campers — ages fi...
Learning names kick-starts friendships
By Thomas Block, Columnist
May 20, 2019
“What’s in a name?” Shakespeare so eloquently queried in “Romeo and Juliet.” I’m no English major, but I think he was trying to say names shouldn’t tear us apart. I’ll do him one better: names should bring us closer together. You may wave politely to that one person in the hallway e...
Public intellectuals instill false beliefs
By Joseph Dillier, Columnist
May 14, 2019
On April 19, Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson and Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Zizek held a debate in Toronto entitled “Happiness: Capitalism vs. Marxism.” Their debate was highly anticipated in the online-intellectual community. Tickets sold out well in advance of the event, and Peterson note...
9/11 shattered American psyche
By Anthony Gavrilchenko, Columnist
May 13, 2019
Before I start this article, I would like to include some preemptive acknowledgements: The September 11 attacks were undoubtedly a national tragedy, and those who risked their lives in the aftermath ought to be revered as heroes. I am not seeking to minimize or diminish these atrocities — in fact I ...
‘All men are created equal’ explained
By Guzi He, Columnist
May 10, 2019
People have been questioning the sincerity of the phrase “all men are created equal” ever since its debut in the U.S. Declaration of Independence. British poet Samuel Johnson lamented its irony, writing in 1775 “we hear the loudest yelps for liberty coming from the drivers of” black individuals. ...
Humanities majors are worth more than you’d think
By Matt Hutchison, Columnist
May 7, 2019
Everyone has heard the spiel they ought to pursue a STEM degree if they have the aptitude. Not only are these subjects crucial for developing the economy of the future, but they are the most sensible academic decision, as their earning potential is high and makes up for the financial investment in a c...
Populism wave should be acknowledged, not scorned
By Cole Timmerwilke, Columnist
May 2, 2019
To many political observers, President Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election came as a shock. Professional pollsters and the commentariat were almost unanimous in predicting a landslide victory for Clinton, and although it has been noted by some that the polling lead she enjoyed w...
It’s okay to struggle
By Kimberly Ngoh, Columnist
May 2, 2019
College can be seen as a time of exploration — figuring out what you want to do post-graduation, discovering who your true friends are and finding what works for you in terms of balancing grades, a social life and sleep. For some of us, it may feel like we have yet to get our lives together while e...
