In broad daylight, women are never truly left alone
Monica Alarcon-Najarro, Contributing Writer This story discusses details of sexual harassment and sexual assault. It may be triggering for some readers. It was a brisk evening when my roommate and I decided to walk home together from a house 13 minutes away on campus. Our discussion was filled with laughter and lighthearted conversation as we […]
Treatment of Haitian migrants is a clear human rights violation
Ishaan Nandwani, Contributing Writer Ripped T-shirts caught in wire. Crosses with names faintly etched in them. A lone teddy bear, ragged and covered in dust. These were some of the sights I saw this past summer at the U.S.-Mexico border in Nogales, Arizona. Walking across the border’s fence, I felt a sense of deep melancholy […]
Tea Time with Tagwa: Justice is on the way for Adam Oakes
Tagwa Shammet, Opinions Editor Tea timers, when I think of justice, I think of accountability. My mind immediately jumps to the concept of holding someone accountable for their misdoings. For the longest time, justice has felt more like a fantasy than a reality. I’ve seen countless of innocent people’s lives be ruined and justice never […]
A billionaire’s trash is the lower class’ treasure
Monica Alarcon-Najarro, Contributing Writer Our society is built on overconsumption in societal trends such as fashion and smartphones, particularly Apple products. Apple has released a new iPhone annually, and due to their high demand, people fall for their gimmicks and end up buying a new phone regardless of whether their current one works or not. […]
Menstrual products are not a privilege; they are a right
Tagwa Shammet, Opinions Editor I remember sitting in my middle school algebra class, feeling as gross and disturbed as ever. I had been feeling nervous and sick all day, but I couldn’t pinpoint a reason. I asked my teacher to use the restroom, running to see what the feeling in my stomach was. I never […]
The removal of the Lee monument is a step forward, but we can’t get complacent
Ishaan Nandwani, Contributing Writer I remember the first time I drove on Monument Avenue my freshman year. As an out-of-state student at VCU — and a newbie to Richmond — I was blissfully unaware of the abundance of history my new home came with. At over 60 feet tall — towering over all other monuments […]
Tea Time with Tagwa: Environmentally conscious fashion is unaffordable to the poor
Tagwa Shammet, Opinions Editor Tea timers, fashion has been around since the dawn of time. From the first realization of the need for clothes in prehistoric times, to the reveal of new gowns during royal times; from expressive fashion during the Civil Rights era to catwalk shows at New York Fashion Week — fashion is […]
Our world is in flames and it’s burning through our futures
Monica Alarcon-Najarro, Contributing Writer Between the spreading of wildfires and the disastrous hurricanes passing through the United States, a weight has been sitting on my chest. The copious amounts of natural disaster raging through the world recently has reopened the conversation of global warming. As I grow older, I worry about my future. The idea […]
Educational racism is stopping bright minds from excelling in school
Monica Alarcon-Najarro, Contributing Writer As I nervously walked into my high school class the morning Virginia Standards of Learning, or SOL, exams were taking place, I remember the daunting feeling of relying on a test score in order to pass my classes. Preparation for these exams is not easy and outside factors such as jobs, […]
Tea Time with Tagwa: Caring about the environment is a privilege not many have
Tagwa Shammet, Opinions Editor Tea timers, our planet is dying. This isn’t a new discovery. It isn’t something that comes as a surprise. Throughout the last few decades, the topic of saving our environment has made its way to the forefront of discussion. From politics to classrooms, living rooms to debate floors; we’ve pleaded with […]