Study after study has shown the benefits of close relationships. Those with strong social networks tend to live longer and have lower incidences of cardiovascular disease and stroke. On the flip side, according to a 2016 Harvard study, the absence of friends can have the equivalent effect on health asRead More

It is 2018 and the movement of the moment is ending sexual violence and discrimination towards women. #MeToo and #TimesUp captured national headlines, but they were only designed to start a discussion. Now we need to talk about specific changes in how we act and communicate. There are a lotRead More

One day during my junior year of high school, I was in Mr. Hammerand’s chemistry class when there was a lockdown drill. “We are in lockdown. We are in lockdown,” the secretary announced over the intercom. For the drill we sat behind lab tables for about 10 minutes. However, beforeRead More

By Amy Yager, Guest Writer Recently, a serious issue going on our country was brought into the limelight for a very short time when Dr. Christine Blasey Ford stepped forward and accused supreme court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault while they were in college. As Dr. Ford’s claims wereRead More

By Zena Courtier, Guest Writer Body image and self esteem issues are not an uncommon thing to deal with. After graduating high school I went through a period of time where I truly felt not confident in my appearance, my knowledge, and my overall capabilities. While I was not ableRead More

By Katarina B.R. Marek, Guest Writer Based on statistics observed in a recent Applied Animal Behavioral Sciences medical journal’s findings, a declawed cat has a greater chance of ending up in a shelter, being euthanized, having premature medical and behavioral issues. A purely elective procedure which has been outlawed in majorityRead More

By Kasey Ninneman, Guest Writer Lets face it: No one likes taxes, and it’s easy to make the IRS out to be a villain.  Some people even see tax avoidance as a virtue. But pick a government program you agree with: the military, healthcare, border security, public schools.  Tax dodgers robRead More

By Shelby Patterson, Guest Writer There have been a lot of disturbing and tragic stories in the news recently. The disappearance Mollie Tibbitts, a University of Iowa student, gained national attention this past Summer. I personally remember sharing her picture on Facebook. Somehow I was feeling a deep sense ofRead More