OPINION

1/31/2023, 12:00pm

The Slate Speaks: Is AI Art dangerous?

By Slate Staff

Over the past few months, the evolution of artificial intelligence has been immense. In particular, the access and use of AI has been incredibly fascinating, yet concerning at the same time. On the one hand, people are able to create ideas and images at lightning-fast speeds and it has admittedly even led to some great meme-worthy posts on social media. However, the joke becomes less funny when people begin to realize that this type of technology not only becomes a security risk, but could also be dangerous for artists worldwide. AI Art is incredibly dangerous to the art community. Not only is art being stolen from the artists who create it, but AI Art takes away from what art is. 

1/31/2023, 12:00pm

Technology in the world of politics

By Ali Sina Sharifi

Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 in what Russian leader Vladimir Putin called a “special military operation.” Guesses were that Kyiv would surrender in no more than 72 hours, Ukraine’s young president, Volodymyr Zelensky, would flee the country with his cabinet and Russia would occupy more of Ukraine’s territory. However, on February 25, 2022, Zelensky posted a video on his social media accounts assuring his and his cabinet’s permanence on Ukrainian soil to defend the country against the Russian invasion. 

1/24/2023, 9:52pm

White fragility and the discussion of racism

By Monika Lewis

Five weeks to be free in the comfort of where you call home, seeing old friends, and doing whatever you want whenever you want without the shadow of responsibility that is college. Unfortunately, that wasn’t my experience, and my last winter break of my undergrad was left taking two winter classes (the worst). 

1/24/2023, 9:48pm

Is there value in hate-watching something?

By Adam Beam / Opinion Editor

It is evident that nowadays, everyone loves to voice their opinions on certain media they either like or dislike. I know that is rich coming from someone like myself, who’s practically made it their job to let everyone know what they thought of the latest movies to hit streaming, but my point still stands.

     The official Shippensburg University Instagram posted two male students with the caption "what an engineer looks like" on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022, before having the caption edited following complaints from students. 

1/24/2023, 9:46pm

What an engineer looks like: Sexism in the School of Engineering

By Allyson Ritchey / Multimedia Director

On Dec. 5, 2022, the official Instagram account of Shippensburg University shared a photo featuring two male-presenting students in the newly named Milton and Doreen Morgan Engineering School with the caption “This is what an #engineer looks like.” The caption was then changed roughly 22 hours later to say, “Hands-on learning at the Milton and Doreen Engineering Lab!” with no comment or apology publicly made. 

1/24/2023, 9:42pm

Give it a Thought: The Age of Majority

By Chase Slenker / Staff Columnist

Americans are tasked with a variety of obligations while granted various rights and opportunities depending on their age. According to the Cornell Legal Institute, the age of legal majority is set at eighteen years old and is the point in which a person gains “control over their own actions and affairs and becomes responsible for the decisions they make.” 

1/24/2023, 9:39pm

The Slate Speaks: Is nepotism a problem?

By Slate Staff

In December, New York Magazine published an entire edition dedicated to nepotism babies. For those unaware, a nepotism baby is someone who is born of wealthy parents and whom society sees as having an advantage in life.

me as a kid on a chair.JPG

11/27/2022, 7:33pm

Giving up in the best way: My journey to reject outrageous beauty standards

By Madi Shively / Guest Contributor

It’s a rainy Friday morning. I’m in my dorm, scrolling through TikTok as any college student does (I’ve finished my homework – don’t worry mom.) I’m filtering through all the targeted ads filled with perfect people with trim waists and porcelain skin. I know these ads know something about me: I’m a teenage girl in college.

11/27/2022, 7:33pm

The Slate Speaks: Is Black Friday a good thing?

By Slate Staff

It’s safe to assume that of the many holidays, Thanksgiving is the one that gets it the worst. Not only do you have more and more people ignoring its existence in order to get to Christmas faster, but it also has to share the day with one of the worst holidays: Black Friday. There’s no true origin of the Black Friday we know today, but the concept has virtually remained the same since its inception. Retail stores around the country post their best deals and discounts on the night of Thanksgiving all through the following Friday. 

11/27/2022, 7:32pm

What makes a good educator?

By Caitlyn Shetter

 All throughout high school I couldn’t wait to get to college to have competent professors. Many of my high school teachers were lackadaisical and didn’t care about how students performed in their class, and my college experience hasn’t been much different. You shouldn’t choose to be an educator if you can’t teach, but sadly many people do. 

11/27/2022, 7:32pm

You can do better than Hallmark this Christmas

By Adam Beam / Opinion Editor

I’m always willing to overlook some of the weaker parts of movies like these because they just fill me with that warm holiday feeling. With that being said, when a Christmas movie is bad, it can ruin my spirit immensely – especially if I’m the only one who seems to feel this way. I’m, of course, referring to the endless mountain of garbage that is Hallmark Christmas Movies. 

11/27/2022, 7:31pm

Ticketmaster deserves all the karma coming its way

By Grace Harbour / Asst. Multimedia Director

What fans hoped would be a smooth ticket-buying process soon turned catastrophic. The immense amount of traffic caused Ticketmaster’s site to crash, and many fans were stuck in the queue for hours before they could purchase tickets – or at least attempt to. Ticketmaster released an update on Twitter, saying they were dealing with a “historically unprecedented demand.” 

11/15/2022, 3:28pm

So, your parents are conservative...now what?

By Monika Lewis

As a Political Science major, I am no stranger to talking about politics, especially over the holidays. In fact, as college students, many of us return home and our family assumes that, regardless of major, we are all studying to be scientists of politics, and take that as an open invitation to talk politics whether we want to or not. So, even if you aren’t a Political Science major, you most likely still have these discussions because you’re likely a young college student. All the older generations know that you are a part of the population of people who may or may not be voting (Public Service Announcement: I hope everyone voted this midterm election). 

11/15/2022, 3:27pm

Stop resurrecting the dead for your movies

By Adam Beam / Opinion Editor

I recently checked out “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” Even though the studio spent months and months reassuring us that Chadwick Boseman would not be brought back in CG form, I still went into the movies hesitant seeing how Hollywood seemingly cannot get enough of this practice. Taking either a recently deceased or long-since dead actor or actress and bringing them back to life through visual effects is, frankly, disgusting.

11/15/2022, 3:25pm

The Grammys and the lack of Black representation

By Tyler Hill

The real thing we should be looking for is black representation at awards like this. Black culture has been stolen from and mocked for decades, especially in the music industry. Looking back to 2018, Shawn Carter, also known as Jay-Z, was the most nominated artist of the night with eight nominations for his album 4:44.

11/15/2022, 3:21pm

The Slate Speaks: Why can't we be friends?

By Slate Staff

The interconnectedness of the internet has made mob mentality so much more powerful. It is easy to jump on the hate train when thousands of other people you’ve never met are already doing it. We’re also living in one of the most polarizing times of recent decades, where people draw definitive lines between those like them and those who have different ideas. 

11/8/2022, 12:00pm

The unspoken scum of toxic fandoms on Youtube

By Adam Beam / Opinion Editor

You know what’s the hardest part about being part of a fandom? Having to accept that there’s a strong chance your fandom is toxic. Speaking for myself, I consider myself a pretty big fan of Marvel, DC, Star Wars and other popular franchises. However, it feels with each passing day I have to conceal said love more and more. 

11/8/2022, 12:00pm

The Slate Speaks: Is it too early to celebrate Christmas?

By Slate Staff

It’s 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 31. The luckiest trick-or-treaters are sneaking one more piece of candy before bed and others are enjoying their sugar-induced night of sleep. But for some, they anxiously watch their phone until the second it becomes 12:00 a.m. on Nov. 1. It’s Christmas time! Or is it? There is an annual debate over when it is appropriate to begin recognizing the Christmas season, and 2022 is no exception.