We need gun control policy change and action
February 20, 2018
After 19-year-old, depressed Nikolas Cruz murdered 17 students and teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, President Donald Trump offered "prayers and condolences." But with 30 mass shootings just this year as of Feb. 14, according to the Gun Violence Archive, we need more than j...
COLUMN: Community Service
February 15, 2018
“I met a homeless person at my one and only time at the local food pantry and it made me realize that my life is great and theirs isn’t.” Sound familiar? It must to college admissions officers. With the rise of mandatory community service hours in American high schools, community service...
Halloween just isn’t the same anymore
October 31, 2017
Halloween was my favorite holiday. Since I can remember, Halloween was my favorite day. I would spend hours figuring out which costume to wear each year. Was I going to be one of the many Disney princesses or opt for a scarier look like Ghostface from Scream, or Jason Voorhees from Friday The 13th? The...
How old is too old to trick or treat?
October 30, 2017
Filed under Opinion
Trick or treating has always been an October staple since I was young, along with the pumpkin spice lattes and Ugg boots. Many people begin to shame trick or treating when you get older and I don't think that's fair. I rarely went out trick or treating as a kid but the times that I did I had...
Colin Kaepernick deserves to play
September 20, 2017
Filed under Opinion
Quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, Colin Kaepernick, made headlines at the start of the 2016 NFL preseason when he decided to take a knee during the National Anthem. In an interview, Kaepernick explained why he kneeled, saying “I am not going to stand to show pride for a country that oppress...
DACA is a blow to Trump’s presidency
September 7, 2017
Filed under Opinion
President Trump's administration decided to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which protected illegal immigrants who entered the United States as minors with their parents from deportation. As of Sept. 5, around 80,000 immigrants who received work permits or other benefits ...
Erasing racism, not history
September 6, 2017
Filed under Editorials, Opinion
A racist by any other name is just as racist. Wanting to preserve history is an understandable viewpoint. But there’s a fine line between preserving history and praising it. Though the intent at the construction of Confederate statues may not at the time have been to directly support racism,...
Looking back on Trump’s first 100 days
May 15, 2017
Filed under Opinion
America loves an entertainer. Based on that, it’s hardly shocking that we’ve ended up with President Trump. He ran a nationalistic campaign full of funny nicknames, bizarre yet fascinating stunts and even had some pretty catchy music accompanying him (thanks, Freedom Kids). But now that he’s had...
Pops in the Park
May 10, 2017
As I sat in an uncomfortable folding chair with my lap overwhelmed with overdue AP Statistics homework in the middle of downtown’s Curtis Hixon Park, I questioned why I went to see the Florida Orchestra perform a free concert. Apparently everyone in Tampa decided to attend. There were too many people,...
Winning my battle with endometriosis
April 18, 2017
UPDATE: Last week, I would've told you that there's no such thing as "second chances," let alone any other chance after that. Not too long ago, I opened up about my battle with endometriosis and my journey through the years as I grew sicker. Between now and then, things have changed. Two weeks ag...