Hi! My name is Colman! Nice to meet you. I’m a student enrolled at the University of Oregon, but I’m taking classes at Queens College through a program called the National Student Exchange. I’ve met so many new people here, and many of those first encounters have developed into friendships that I’m confident will outlast this experience. When I meet someone from the area, and they figure out I’m from Oregon, I’ll often get the response “What made you choose Queens?” Those words by themselves sound pretty neutral, but imagine them being said in a more cynical tone. That’s the sentiment I perceive when people ask me that question…
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Veterans Day off?
Veterans Day was established as a celebration to honor America’s veterans for their willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. Veterans do not always know how to respond to recognition for their service from those who have. To some, it reminds them that not everyone went through what they did and makes them feel as if they are different, not special. Observing Veterans Day with a day off from classes should not be a reason to be lazy, sleep in and party. That kind of attitude goes against what the whole day represents to begin with. Maybe it is a good thing that Veterans Day is not observed…
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Thank you, Professor Gerry Solomon
For freshmen in college, most students are unsure of what they want to do with their lives, especially when choosing a major. Yet, students fortunate enough to find the journalism department during this process have met Professor Gerry Solomon, who is referred to by journalism minors as “the man.” After students enter Solomon’s office, they will leave feeling confident about their future in journalism and college. To top it all off, students feel like they gained a friend. After all, Solomon makes students feel capable of doing anything. He supports and treats them like real journalists. Solomon graduated from Queens College with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He later…
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Want change? Demand privacy
From the Patriot Act and the exposure of classified government programs to the legality of compelling private companies to bypass security measures in the name of national security, the Fourth Amendment is regularly challenged for security. The debate over the right to privacy is highlighted by advancements in technology and government surveillance on minority and activist groups across the country. Privacy and security are often seen at odds with one another. The argument goes like this. The less privacy, the better the government can protect the citizens from threats. The fear the government monitors and complies the online activity of Americans alters the way people act online and offline. A…
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An end to current politics?
The exceptional performances of political outsiders, a high possibility of a contested convention and low favorability ratings for current frontrunners in each major party. This highlights a political system that seems broken. The question is whether a solution exists without the system becoming undone. Donald Trump and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., certainly shook their respective party’s respective primaries. Sanders gave Hillary Clinton, a political powerhouse, a run for her money in the Democratic primaries. Superdelegates, still unpledged to a candidate, are the only factor giving Hillary Clinton any sense of relief. In the Republican Party, Trump continues to turn the party upside down with his unconventional campaign rhetoric. Despite fierce…