Cancel culture destroys reputations
By Neshmia Malik, Columnist
October 15, 2019
Cancel culture has become a phenomenon that aims to call out every (semi) decent celebrity figure in the media. People are all-too ready to “cancel” celebrities as soon as a questionable situation surfaces about them. With the scandals and poor reputation that accompany prominent figures, we are bound...
Political ‘whataboutism’ runs amok
By Clint Dozier, Columnist
October 15, 2019
After the stunning allegations that were recently brought to light in a CIA whistleblower’s complaint and the subsequent decision by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to open a formal impeachment inquiry, President Trump has come under a heap of well-deserved criticism. In the right-wing media, however, everyo...
Start small, cut down on plastic bag usage
By Tommy Block, Columnist
October 14, 2019
After a scathing speech to the U.N. from a certain Greta Thunberg and the series of public protests that have followed, the issue of climate change has finally taken center stage in the global discussion of our future. The question is, how does little old Champaign fit into Operation: Save the Planet? I...
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...
A lesson for educators: expect questions
By Tara Pavithran, Columnist
October 14, 2019
Ahhh, fall. Pumpkins are prevalent in Instagram pictures and Espresso Royale drinks alike. The trees are changing, the leaves are falling … and so are our grades. It’s hitting that point in the semester where classes are getting hard. Students are beginning to understand the value of office h...
Gabbard remains best choice for Democrats
October 13, 2019
There are many reasons to vote for Tulsi Gabbard as the 2020 Democratic nominee for president of the United States. Unlike the three current top contenders for the position — Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders — she is not elderly (she is 38) but still has plenty of experience as a Congre...
Political science is more than law school
By Noah Nelson, Columnist
October 10, 2019
Every time I tell someone here at the University I am majoring in political science, the same question hits me in the face like a snowball: “So, are you planning on going to law school?” I understand people are curious about my plans after college. It’s a conversation-continuer. After a while,...
Editorial | Americans deserve transparency from institutions
By The Daily Illini Editorial Board
October 10, 2019
In a time rife with political turmoil, the American people need transparency from our leaders now more than ever. We need to know what’s going on — the full stories — in order to make informed opinions about our elected officials and how they’re handling the offices we gave them. The public rel...
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...
Stop shaming adolescent girls
By Abril Salinas, Columnist
October 9, 2019
Have you ever loved someone so much that it hurts? Well, I have. It was in middle school. I was a freshly-turned preteen when I first fell in love with One Direction. I was an absolute fool for this band. I used to put on a terrible rendition of a British accent. I would go around quoting them, and I w...
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...
All-inclusive hotels diminish international experiences
By Dylan Gray, Columnist
October 8, 2019
International travel is easier and more affordable than ever before for most Americans. However, with that blessing also comes a curse. In addition to predatory travel agencies and “tourist trap” locations designed to simply rob you blind while providing a subpar experience, certain methods of travel feel ...
