I used to really believe that I had to exist in a box – that I had to be one thing and not the other. If I was sensitive, I could not be strong. If I was shy, I could not be bold. If I wanted to wear pink, I could not care about politics. 

Society has a strange agreed upon resentment towards young women. If they simply like what’s popular, they’re basic. If they’re into things that are less mainstream, they’re trying too hard to be different.

With skin that resembles coffee, the nighttime sky and tells the story of generations of women in my family, I am a Black woman. The smell of Red Door by Elizabeth Arden bounces off my skin, as it once did my mom when she was my age and I feel grounded in my Blackness and womanhood. Outside of school, I have studied Black history in all its tragedies and triumphs and spoken the language of many of my ancestors, but even before I am Black and a woman, I am Hope.

This world is built on competition. Competing for jobs, housing, body image and even love. We were taught to do so. That includes the battles between women. We give snarky looks at each other, shun or talk behind each other’s backs. 'Come on, women! We deserve better than this. We "are" better than this.

Having female leadership on college campuses is essential to keep women invested and active in higher education. At Marquette University, there are many student organizations, departments and resource centers that are dependent on the diligence and hard work of women.

Growing up, little girls have always been always told to dream big and become whoever they wanted to be. There were no limitations to what they wanted to be and they would have the rest of their lives to pursue their goals. However, when they suddenly become adolescents, society pushed them to find a career that isn’t male dominated and more importantly, ensures that they will be able to settle down at a suitable age.

You would think that after Hip-Hop legends like them were killed, rappers would do better to limit the violence that takes place outside of their music. But it hasn't, and now it seems like rappers are starting to die out.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, about one-third of students who have a disability while attending college actually reported it to their school. That leaves the majority of college students with a disability unassisted and their schools in the dark. 

The United States is no stranger to political chaos – it’s hardly ever been without it. In modern times we can look to the Watergate Scandal, the Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky affair and most recently Trump’s “Big Lie” which claimed that he won the 2020 Presidential Election. What all of these cases most notably have in common are corruption and duplicity, but the more subtle smoking gun here is the rhetoric surrounding them. 

Environmental policies that propose the total upheaval of American institutions and the current state of the economy are simply impractical. Suggestions made by many activists and politicians tend to be vague and lack rational solutions.

This is a column part of a monthly series called “No Planet B” written by Sustainability & Energy Management Coordinator Chelsea Malacara and her sustainability interns. This series aims to provide...

The British monarchy may be a novelty for some, but for many, it is a constant reminder of their country’s colonization by the monarchy and an ever-present symbol of white supremacy. Many are calling...