Standardized testing is one of the most well-known instances of institutional power in the United States. Every year, millions of students take college entrance exams such as the SAT and ACT. In 2019, 2.2 million students took the SAT, and 1.78 million took the ACT. However, a growing number of accredited 4-year universities are test-optional, considering students on metrics such as GPA, essays, recommendations...

The pressure of diet culture and “clean eating” play a significant part in American culture. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the obesity rate is 42.4% nationally and 34% in North Carolina. Diet is the first line of defense against obesity and the health issues that come with it, like heart disease and stroke. According to doctors, a balanced diet with lots of fruits...

The SAT is not biased. It is an objective measurement of intelligence that is highly correlated with student success at a four-year university. Don’t believe me? No problem, just follow the science. But first, let’s define intelligence. Intelligence is an abstract concept that captures different cognitive abilities called general intelligence. There are two types of general intelligence, fluid...

Millennials and Gen Z are very familiar with economic instability. Many millennials and “zoomers” grew up amid the Great Recession and both generations are familiar with the economic hardship COVID-19 caused. Today’s economy is drastically different from the economy our parents and grandparents knew. Education is more expensive, it’s harder to buy a house and the job market has become highly...

Working in a restaurant means service with a smile and the customers are always right. But, there is a tipping point when people refuse to wear their masks. Being a server or a hostess during the pandemic comes with a learning curve, following new rules and guidelines. For customers it is simple: wear your mask when you walk into a restaurant and take it off once you reach your table.  However,...

 The U.S. The Senate has finalized President Biden’s COVID-19 relief bill, aiming to place  1.9 trillion dollars in the pockets of Americans who remain in dire straits. Progressives are fuming over the removal of the $15 minimum wage hike that, if included, would have raised the income of approximately 24 million citizens by 2025. How could the Republicans and moderate Democrats be so heartless,...

Did anyone have any of 2020 on their 2020 bingo card? A pandemic? Killer hornets? Nightly fireworks to no end? No? Me neither. But this is where we are — a pandemic, presidential election year, societal unrest — all while moving to Appalachian and starting classes. We are living in a time that, literally, is unparalleled. How do we navigate this, you may ask? Together. We are all in this together...

The November election will undoubtedly determine the fate of our nation and, subsequently, the fates of future generations. While all of us may never fully agree on what this path should be, what we can agree on is fundamental change is desperately needed. Unfortunately, I must take responsibility for my part in contributing to the tumultuous and dangerous political climate originating from Washington....