Opinion

The holidays are right around the corner! While this holiday may be celebrated differently than years past, it is still a time of year to appreciate what you have, and to give back to your community.

Founding Father Benjamin Franklin, famously said, “Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” Today in the United States, this quote is unfortunately very relevant as winter approaches and COVID-19 cases spike and safety restrictions are being renewed. When I watch these governor news briefings and see police officers bully small businesses that do not comply with the “rules,” I wonder does anyone else think we are living in 1984 during these uncertain times?

I have been the Opinion Editor for about a year now and it has been the best decision I have made throughout my time here at Monmouth. However, sadly, my time here is drawing to an end and I have to pass on the baton. It does not even seem real; I feel like I just moved into Mullaney Hall and walked into Plangere for my first journalism course.

The transition from high school to college can be a very stressful and nerve-wracking experience. Students go from being in school for eight hours a day following a strict schedule to living on their own, having to manage an extreme amount of work due in a short period of time.

Fashion and pop music icon Harry Styles is Vogue magazine’s December issue cover star. Styles rose to fame being a member of the widely popular boy band One Direction from 2010 until the group split in 2015; he has gone on to a solo career producing chart-topping records like “Watermelon Sugar” and “Adore You.”

Aside from the highly anticipated presidential election, one of the most interesting issues voted on in the 2020 election was San Francisco’s proposition to lower the voting age in local elections to 16. This idea is gaining momentum around the world in order to bolster voter turnout. A slim majority of 51 percent of voters in San Francisco agreed with this proposition, but it did not get enough votes to be passed.

When someone asks me “what I am grateful for?” I stop and think to myself about all the people around me, and that usually answers the question. My answer is simple, my family and friends are what I am most grateful for. Without them in my life, I do not know what I would be grateful for.

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. For one, I love to eat and there is nothing better than a fried turkey, mashed potatoes and pecan pie. However, the real reason I love celebrating Thanksgiving is that it is not as stressful as Christmas.

During these unprecedented times, many people are still traveling and risking their own safety and the safety of others. Traveling during this pandemic is something I would not do and would not recommend others to do.

Yesterday, New Jersey residents voted “Yes” or “No” to decide if recreational cannabis should become legal. Over the years, there have been challenges getting legalization passed through the state legislature; because of these issues, they have decided to cast a referendum and declare a constitutional amendment if passed. As a lifelong New Jersey resident, I am confident there will be more benefits to our state if it passes. As a conservative, I never thought my views on marijuana would have changed, but now this is an issue where I disagree with some Republicans on. Let me explain.