Opinion

Life over the past year has been nothing short of crazy. One day we were sitting in on lectures, going to the gym, and attending parties with our friends. Come the next day, we were locked inside with no end to the pandemic in sight. It was a tragic and scary part of our lives in which we had no choice but to adapt. Now, most of us have adjusted to this new way of life. We moved the classroom into our bedrooms, the gym into our living rooms, and “parties’’ consist of hanging out with your parents and your dog.

This America is not the America I understood it to be when I was a little girl. Like most kids, I lived with the false reality that everything was perfect and everyone was equal. I never thought to treat someone who didn’t look like me differently, but as I got older I realized that to a lot of people, the color of your skin matters.

With marijuana now legal in New Jersey, it calls to question what right a location has to ban the substance. Many private properties such as colleges, stores, and hotels have made it clear that the smoking of the substance will not be permitted on a property’s respective premises. While this may seem unreasonable to people who have waited a very long time for marijuana to be legal in the state of New Jersey, private properties are entitled to make these decisions.

Caffeine is no stranger to students at Monmouth University. Dunkin coffee cups can easily be spotted in the hands of several of the University’s students all around campus as they rush to their 8:30 morning classes. From the on-campus coffee shops in Plangere Center to the Rebecca Stafford Student Center, there is no lack of options. Several of us have chugged cans of energy drinks, such as Monster and Red Bull, to stay awake and study during midterms and finals.

We, the members and supporters of Professors United for a Safe Haven (P.U.S.H.) and the Program in Gender and Intersectionality Studies (PGIS), stand against anti-Asian racism and violence. Although racism and violence towards the Asian community are not new, now more than ever we must work together to break the silence surrounding these tragic events. There is no space for indifference. The Asian community requires allyship, recognition, and support.

Since the beginning of time, women have been tasked with a multitude of very taxing responsibilities—bearing and caring for children, fighting for equality, and obliterating unrealistic stereotypes. Even today, women are still working to empower their daughters and fellow female figures to urge change for a better future.

Monmouth Athletics this spring will be one of the most unique in school history; almost all sports will be playing at once. This might be the only time we will see basketball, football, golf, softball, field hockey, baseball, lacrosse, tennis, cross-country, track and field, soccer, bowling, and swimming all in one semester!

Spring break is a time for students to kick back, relax, and not worry about assignments for a week or so. However, due to COVID-19, spring break has been canceled, and instead, students are given two single-day breaks: one break day in March and one in April.

When you picture St. Patrick’s Day, you typically imagine one of the biggest celebrations of Irish heritage. People decked out from head to toe in green, shamrocks galore, extravagant parades equipped with Irish step dancers, and masses of people flooding streets and restaurants all fueled by their mutual love of being Irish.

How do I build a good rapport with my professors on a virtual platform? I don’t see them in person and I can’t make the same connections that I would like.