OPINION


12/5/2023, 12:00pm

The Slate Speaks: The harm of performative activism

As social movements truly began to take to the streets in the 2010s, it aligned almost perfectly with the social media boom. Suddenly, millions of people all over the world were able to post their support of any ideology or hot-button issue they wanted. Social media also made it easier for celebrities to communicate to their fan bases as well. However, as these two elements correspond, it gave rise to a new wave of performative activism. 


12/5/2023, 12:00pm

Do we belong here? A disabled student's perspective

 Nothing about us without us — perhaps if you have had an introductory dive into learning about disability justice, you have heard this phrase. This forgotten mantra is the bare minimum disabled people ask for when it comes to disability policies. 


12/5/2023, 12:00pm

Ridley Scott and bad history

 The year is 1815. Napoleon Bonaparte, returned from exile on the island of Elba, once again declares dominion over Europe. Four months later, blinded with overconfidence and faith in his own success, Napoleon was soundly defeated at Waterloo.


12/5/2023, 12:00pm

Media censorship in the wake of war

A couple weeks ago, Elon Musk expressed that he would suspend accounts that use the phrase “from the river to the sea” on the platform X, most commonly known as Twitter. This is quite ironic considering that his aim with purchasing Twitter was supposedly to be a “platform for free speech around the globe” as he claimed in a TED interview. 


12/5/2023, 12:00pm

Red heart or red flag: Abuse romanticized in media

“That’s what we do! We fight!” he yells at her. He kicks over a table, swears at her and even threatens to hate her if she leaves. Afterward, as Ally walks to her car to escape the argument, Noah suddenly becomes soft and kind, begging her to stay, and when she resists, he becomes angry again and says he is not afraid to hurt her feelings before invalidating her decision yet again.


11/24/2023, 11:04am

The Slate Speaks: Childhood media shaping us today

So much of the media we consume in our youth shapes us into the people we are today. Think of that one piece of media. It could be the one show you used to watch every weekend when staying at your grandma’s house. It shapes our dreams, our passions, our fears and even drives us to the careers in which we hope to find ourselves. What we consume as very young children does not tend to stick with us, but we all find media as we grow up that we attach ourselves to.


11/24/2023, 10:59am

The Grass is Always Greener: Our Fascination with the Wealthy

Humans have a natural curiosity for lives outside of their own. The poor are intrigued by the rich, curious about the way that their lives differ from their own. Television in the 2000s featured many shows that glorified the wealthy and famous. Tabloids were splashed with the scandals and drama that occurred in Hollywood. 


11/14/2023, 12:00pm

The Slate Speaks: Do we overspecialize?

Growing up everyone was told to ‘get a hobby’. However, as we grow older, we begin to notice that our hobbies seem to become one or two things. Either we hyperfixate and push those hobbies into becoming our jobs, or we let them go to make room for our “‘real”’ work.


11/14/2023, 12:00pm

Clout has affected content creation for the worse

When I was younger, the internet was such an amazing concept to me, even though the only thing I knew to do on it was play flash games. Around 6th grade, was when I was “introduced” to YouTube and started browsing and following creators that fit my interests.


11/7/2023, 12:00pm

The Slate Speaks: What makes someone a campus celebrity?

Shippensburg may be thousands of miles from the glamor of Tinsel Town, but that does not mean you have to look far for stars. Our university is home to its own breed of celebrities. You know the ones, They are the faces you see everywhere when walking around campus. The ones who seemingly pop up wherever you go. They are “campus celebrities” and students may be wondering, what makes them so iconic?


11/7/2023, 12:00pm

Dear Faculty: Class schedules help ease anxiety

At the start of each semester, I sit down and go through the syllabus for each of my classes. Often, syllabi will be bookended with a schedule for the semester, listing dates for readings, quizzes, exams and projects. At some point in the last few years, I made a stylish spreadsheet template to track all this information. 


11/7/2023, 12:00pm

You can fix SGA

If you are a long-time reader of The Slate, you are probably familiar with some of the criticisms that I and others have levied at our Student Government Association. Inaction, a lack of transparency and a lack of engagement with the student body to name a few.


10/31/2023, 12:05pm

The Slate Speaks: Are you too old for Halloween?

For those who celebrate, Halloween was always a magical time for kids. Trick or treating, dressing up and embracing the spookier side of things, October is always a highlight whenever it rolls around on the calendar.


10/31/2023, 12:00pm

The importance of Black Horror

If you consider yourself a fan of the horror genre, you have probably heard the cliché “the black guy dies first” or “the black character always dies first.” Some of the most popular franchises have indulged in it and many others have poked fun at this “trend.” 


10/31/2023, 12:00pm

Journalism and Israel’s Culpability

Last week, Yusra Aden wrote an excellent article on the ongoing violence in the Gaza Strip. If you have not read it, I encourage you to do so. Without repeating too much of what Aden wrote, I have some thoughts to share. 


10/30/2023, 1:07pm

A follow-up to “Is it worth the wait?”

In the Sept. 19 edition of The Slate, I wrote an editorial titled “Is it worth the wait,” in which I had sharp criticism of the mobile ordering system used by Shippensburg University dining services.


10/30/2023, 1:05pm

The Slate Speaks: Do we feel safe on campus?

In the modern age in which we live, the threats posed to college campuses is greater than ever. Even if you feel that Shippensburg University is safer being a smaller school, recent incidents have shown that students here are at just as much risk as everyone else. So do students really feel safe here?


10/25/2023, 8:21am

Views on Palestinian resistance

If you have been paying attention to the news or the media, then you have probably heard of what is taking place in Gaza.


10/12/2023, 5:26pm

McCarthy, Gaetz, Clay and Jackson: The similarities are astonishing

Kevin McCarthy, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, was removed from office on Oct. 3 by a motion to vacate proposed by Congressman Matt Gaetz of Florida. The final vote stood at 216 for removal and 210 for retention. McCarthy’s removal stands as the first and only time that a speaker of the House of Representatives was removed from office.