Browsing: Opinion

As a former Starbucks barista, I used to dread the start of fall drinks. Every August, my coworkers and I would be bombarded by groups of people enthusiastically ordering the most famous seasonal drink: the pumpkin spice latte. I’ll admit, when I was a 15-year-old, I also enjoyed a festive pumpkin beverage, but after working at Starbucks and being around it, I’ll say it doesn’t deserve the hype that it gets.

The Bible does not reject capital punishment, but it does provide requirements for it. A person can be killed justly if they have killed unjustly, but they must also be treated with humanity in the process.

So, it begs the question: Do you have to listen to clean music in order to keep your head out of the muck, or does simple awareness of the lyrics take their power away?

Picture this: You’re in a Zoom meeting with an adviser trying to figure out what to study in college, suddenly realizing that this one small and seemingly insignificant decision might make or break the next 50 years of your life. Wait — that’s actually how it felt, wasn’t it? Being forced to choose your major before having 20 years of life experience under your belt is scary, but it doesn’t have to be the end all, be all.

Ensuring that the next generation of teens prioritizes their safety and has a healthy relationship with alcohol can only be done if proactive measures are taken now. Alcohol is such an integral part of American culture, meaning telling teens not to experiment with it until they are 21 is the same as taunting the forbidden fruit.

As college students, finding time to volunteer or pinpointing meaningful ways to give back to the community can sometimes be a challenge. However, if your heart feels called to serve, there are plenty of great organizations across Waco where you can be a positive influence. One such organization is STARS Book Clubs, where you can make an impact for many years to come.

There used to be a time when, regardless of whether a student had COVID-19 or not, they did not have to go to classes if they felt sick. And why should they? It’s not fair to the student or their fellow classmates and professors. During the pandemic, all parties understood the importance of taking sick days. Now, however, the attendance policy is back in place.

Maybe you enjoy something obscure, or perhaps your taste is very mainstream, but I think it’s safe to say that everyone has experienced judgment for their interests. You might think some tastes are so egregious they deserve to be judged (I’m talking to the canned tuna lovers here), but judging others for things that make them happy doesn’t promote healthy relationships among friends.

Even though an official relationship isn’t confirmed yet, who could’ve predicted that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce would ever interact at all? Not me, that’s for sure. Not even in my “Wildest Dreams.”

As a society, we need to be careful with technology. We can’t let it be our downfall or truly rely on it for everything. The growth of AI can be seen as cool, but it can also be very dangerous to us. Be careful with what you say near your phone because you never know who may be listening.

Food is a topic that will never grow old. I’ve been discussing whether pineapple goes on pizza since the Cheetah Girls were still making movies. Some conversations get heated, and others are just outlandish. Let’s dive into some popular food debates.

In order for the university to uphold its commitment to respecting all people, that would mean providing dietary accommodations for practicing Muslim first-year students specifically, since they are required to purchase a meal plan. These students deserve to feel comfortable eating on campus without fear that they are going against their religious beliefs by doing so.

Being in college for three years has taught me many things, the most important being the best ways to elevate a 50-cent cup of instant noodles. There are a lot of different ingredients that can be added to this staple to make it a little more interesting.

Buying a tapestry might seem ridiculous, but that’s the point. Being silly enables the brain to connect with emotions that are critical to coping with stress. You forget how to feel calm, but when you have a good laugh, it’s like everything’s OK again.

Trying to find the time and resources to be creative can be tricky, but our interests are what make us feel happy and inspired. So, whatever your craft may be, get creative when you can.

So, scrap the excuses. No, the flu shot doesn’t infect you with an active virus. And no, just because you happened to get the flu after getting the flu shot when you were 11 years old doesn’t mean it’s completely ineffective. A lot of myths circulate on the topic. Don’t jump on the uninformed bandwagon just because it gives you a one-way ticket away from a needle.

While Fabled is obviously much smaller than Barnes & Noble, I think it has many qualities that make it more desirable to go to than the well-known bookstore. I would encourage people to forget about Barnes & Noble and support the local Fabled Bookshop & Cafe instead.

Even when crime rates are down, your safety is always the first priority. Make sure you take it seriously and stay vigilant about your well-being.

There were good parts of Line Camp, such as the friends I made and the knowledge I left with. It also helped familiarize me with the campus and nearby areas. However, between the emotional rollercoaster and the sleep deprivation, it was overbearing and a bit peculiar at times.

All services offered by the Counseling Center are free, including telehealth services, face-to-face counseling and the mental health clinical support line. However, some programs that fall under the health services category — such as general medical care, medical nutrition therapy and psychiatric services — require payment, which is usually covered by insurance.

At a university whose mission centers around leadership, academic excellence and “Christian commitment within a caring community,” it has become normalized to be religious on a more public scale.

Writing letters to yourself, while it might sound silly, is a way of documenting moments and creating a time capsule of sorts. By writing letters, you talk about your present circumstances and are able to reflect on what you would like yourself to remember or know in the future. You are able to learn more about yourself, process and reevaluate what is truly important in your life.

When I tell people I went to an all-girls high school, it’s almost always followed by, “Wasn’t that so much drama?” Don’t get me wrong — it was. But the confidence and self-development that come with an all-girls education are unique, and you can’t find them anywhere else.

Sports is a journey, and for some fans, that journey is smooth sailing, while for others, it’s complete torture. However, the feeling of watching your team climb out of the gutter back into relevance is a glorious experience. So, whenever you’re watching your team get dusted in the third quarter of a game by what feels like a comical amount of points, try to cling to hope. Remember every dog has its day, and no team can stay bad forever.

Intentionality in friendships can be hard, especially when we have a million things to do and places to be. Finding the time to hang out with someone or even reach out in the first place might sound easy to some but stressful to others. We often wait for someone else to make the first move. But why wait to initiate?

Aging is a natural process — one that will happen to us all. It means that we’ve lived a full life, experiencing the highs and lows that come with it. Scars that tell either really silly or super cool stories. Smile lines that show we’ve enjoyed the time we have had. Aging is inevitable, but some spend hundreds of thousands of dollars every year to prevent it. Why do we still try to preserve something that we know is so fleeting?

Metal is a genre that goes much deeper than the general understanding and consensus of the majority. It is a genre full of diverse styles that feature brilliant songwriting and powerful, emotional lyricism too.

When talking about artificial “intelligence,” most people assume that the model is right and that it can be trusted. However, AI models are learning models, which means they are basically students. They consume information and spit it out when asked. This does not mean the information spit out is always right.

One of my favorite classic rom-coms is “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,” but even with its witty, humorous take on dating, it presents an interesting phenomenon: Women are extremely aware of what it takes to keep (or lose) a man. But is that same knowledge really projected to men as well? In my dating experience, the overwhelming answer is no. So, why not flip the script? Here’s how to lose a girl in 10 days.

Maybe you’ve witnessed your roommate call their sister for the third time in one day. Perhaps you overheard a classmate talking about the care package they just received from their mom. It’s hard not to compare those kinds of interactions to our own family dynamics. Be mindful that families function differently — and that’s OK.