BY LILY REAVIS ’21
Paul Ryan’s April 11 announcement that he will not seek re-election is indicative of a much larger problem — Ryan should never have been elected to Speaker of the House. In allowing him to even reach that position, the GOP has bitten off more than it can chew, and the effects are becoming increasingly obvious with the approaching midterm elections.
BY CHLOE JENSEN ’20
On March 30, Noor Salman, the widow of 2016 Pulse nightclub shooter Omar Mateen, was acquitted of all charges of supposed aiding and abetting. Mateen killed himself after committing this atrocity, but victims and families of the massacre still wanted justice. However, the defense team, according to The New York Times, successfully argued that Salman did not reasonably withhold knowledge about the crime before it occurred, and the jury found her innocent. While the defense team based their argument on whether or not Salman knew about or withheld information about her husband’s crime, there was a huge aspect of the case that was largely left out of the courtroom: Mateen’s history of domestic violence and abuse of Salman.
BY MADDY RITTER ’20
As I walked into Mead’s common room, spotting a tray of cookies and a few of my peers scattered amongst the plush seating, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. “Peer Led Queer Ed” doesn’t sound like the kind of event I would usually attend on a Tuesday night — I was already pretty well-versed in the nuances of living as a gay woman. I figured we might cover some things that had been left out of my high school curriculum … maybe gay sex! Instead, the “queer” sex ed workshop was completely lacking in adequate or accurate representations of the “queer” sex it claimed to teach. What purpose does the word “queer” have in the title of this workshop if not to describe its content and attract an audience who seeks out this information?
BY OLIVIA MARBLE ’21
On my first day in the dishroom, I was prepared to be completely destroyed by the work I was about to do. I’d heard people were dropping shifts because the work was non-stop. I’ve worked as a cashier and a dishwasher, so I’m not unfamiliar with fast-paced work environments that can drive someone insane if unprepared. I filled up my water bottle, put my phone in my back pocket in case I needed to take an emergency “bathroom break” and headed to SuperBlanch.
BY EMILY BLOMQUIST ’18
Applying for college is an experience that most wouldn’t care to repeat. The paperwork, exams, self-doubt and uncertainty of the future — all combine to create a memorable, yet by no means desirable, experience. But for some college students this painful process is worth revisiting.
