Opinion

By COSTA B. PAPPAS As my last few weeks at Pima Community College dwindle to an end, I have been reflecting on my semester living in Tucson. Every time I tell someone that I moved to Tucson from California they always gasp, having this shocked and slightly horrified look in their eyes that someone could possibly trade the ocean for a desert, celebrity sightings for University of Arizona basketball team sightings, and popular nightclubs for dive bars. But Tucson has been one of the most memorable experiences of my life. If not for the great classes at Pima, my time has been well spent on a series of never-ending adventures and stories alongside some amazing people. With Tucson as the backdrop to this chapter of my life, a character of its own, I have come up with some of the top places...

By ALEXZANDRIA MARTINEZ  June 4 will mark 100 years since the 19th Amendment was passed by Congress, which allowed American women to vote.  In today’s America, we see the women’s rights movement shifting in different directions. “Modern feminists” are not always a middle-aged white woman picketing the White House fence. A feminist is whoever believes in the equality between women and men regardless of race, gender, religion or political beliefs.  It is about advocating for women’s rights, so that all women can be awarded the same privileges and opportunities that men have automatically.     The division between women of color and white women especially the exclusion and demonization of women of color because of white feminism. White feminism disregards marginalized groups of women and ...

By MONTY GANTT      Music is an essential part of our lives. It’s the soundtrack to our situations, it exposes us to stories from a variety of people and brings people together during unfortunate circumstances.  However, one thing I’ve noticed during my 19 years of life, is that while music brings people together, it also seems very segregated regarding certain genres.  People of different ethnicities claim a music genre as their culture’s own.  We’ve all been guilty of this. I recall back in elementary school the anger I had with a white classmate of mine for reciting lyrics to an Ice Cube song I had heard on the radio. This negative feeling I had toward him stemmed from how I saw other black people treat fans of hip-hop who were not people of color.  Years later, similar feelings we...

By ERIK MEDINA Being a first-gen college student, the pressure of succeeding and doing something with my future is at an all-time high.  Family members and peers look up to you and expect so much. Of course, this isn’t the case for every first-gen student. Not everyone has the same story.  There comes a time where you begin to succumb to that pressure and doubt yourself. There’s a constant cycle of whether you’re doing the right thing or if this is really what you want to do. I think a number of students can relate to this, though, not just first gens. I will admit that I have fallen under this pressure numerous times. I wasn’t sure if the path I was taking was what I truly wanted to pursue. I changed my major and dabbled in different areas until I realized what I wanted to do. I bega...

By AMARIS ENCINAS I would like to dedicate this letter to the editor to all of the young people out in the world but particularly the special demographic known as college students. I think for a really long time I was in this rush to grow up and become an adult, whatever that means. But I realize now how short-sighted I have been in making that decision, it seems to have propelled certain situations out of my control. Which makes me kind of upset because looking back some of the best memories I ever had was due to unplanned adventures and maybe doing things I was not supposed to be doing. For a really long time I was uncertain of the path I was going to choose or what I was going to study and even now when I am supposed to have things figured out, I still find myself wondering about all...

By COSTA B. PAPPAS In the age of online dating, with relationships beginning on screens, it’s clear that someone can appear slick and clever over the phone, but then prove to be  completely awkward in person.  On a first date you can’t hide awkward pauses with the repetitive “LOL” or laughing emoji, so many don’t know what to say.  Talking about past relationships is a resounding “NO” but how do you establish a connection through basic conversation? So many first dates are filled with basic questions such as “What do you do for fun” or “How many siblings do you have,” etc. … said Pima Cojmmunity College student Blake Samsill.  To eliminate the awkward first date encounter, I always go into my first date with a game plan in my mind of questions I want to ask. Here’s some of them: 1. I...

By PARKER BROCK With the rise of the digital age, society is more connected and the spread of information, and misinformation, is much easier than ever before. The Internet is easily accessible for a majority of people in this country, and because of that, they are able to exchange messages with people they have never met, or tweet 300 characters out into the world with little regard for the consequences. There are rare repercussions for what one says online, so when something being said is aimed at triggering a response makes its way to the top of your feed, it’s easy to respond with your initial feelings. From these types of interactions spawned call-out culture, or outrage culture, a term for the social phenomenon of publicly denouncing perceived racism, sexism, homophobia, transpho...