Molly Christianson, Contributing Writer There have been many posts about how Generation Z is the “sober curious” generation popping up on my social media feeds recently. People are misunderstanding the label. Being “sober curious” does not actually equate to sobriety.  Ruby Warrington wrote a book in 2018 titled “Sober Curious,” in which she defined sober curiosity as “questioning every instinct, every invitation and every expectation to drink versus going along with the dominant drinking culture.”  In the past few years Gen Z has been statistically proven to be consuming less alcohol than previous generations; drinking culture has less of a hold over our social lives.  What people seem to be forgetting is that sobriety goes beyond abstinence from alcohol, but also other substances such as Gen Z’s drug of choice — marijuana. Gen Z is the first generation to exist in a world where marijuana is widely legalized. Virginia legalized recreational marijuana use in 2021 for individuals over 21, along with 23 other states and the District of Columbia.  Marijuana’s widespread legality naturally means that people are going to be consuming it more freely. Data by a marijuana research firm found 69% of people aged 18-24 prefer marijuana to alcohol.

Shiny Chandravel, Assistant Opinions Editor The most prominently displayed poem at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is the famous “First They Came” by Martin Niemöller. The poem is a recollection of events in which a powerful government comes again and again for different groups of people. As several groups are taken, the poet stood silently — until the Nazi regime finally came for him.                                            Only then did the poet become appalled, realizing no one was left to help him. William Vermie, an Army veteran who was awarded a Purple Heart, was tackled to the ground and detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for eight hours with no attorney.  A city plow worker with legal authorization to work in the United States was detained in an El Paso, Texas Detention Center. His wife has been desperately trying to get him his medication.  Off-duty police officers had guns drawn on them by ICE agents, demanding to see their paperwork.  Native American tribe members have reported numerous attacks on Indigenous people by ICE agents, with some of them being detained

Kylie Grunsfeld, Contributing Writer If you’re an English student like I am, or taking any class where writing is involved, you have probably listened to your professors talk about AI.  Most have a zero-tolerance policy for AI use in the classroom and on assignments.  It seems plain as day to me — using AI to help you with your written work is cheating. It may not be as severe as completely copying the work of someone else, but the act is not innocent.  Whether you use it to generate ideas or have it write the words in a style that feels “human,” you are reaping the negative effects of having something speak for you. The morally questionable use of AI isn’t just limited to the classroom; last year’s novel “Shy Girl” by Mia Ballard is an excellent example of what happens when people suspect your writing is not entirely your own.  Ballard’s book has been alleged to be at least partially written by AI. There is no definitive proof to the allegations, but many sentences in her book bare a striking resemblance to the way a bot like ChatGPT tends to write.  If it is true, it’s not only lazy

Maritza Baptiste, Contributing Writer Every time the state kills someone, our reaction is tainted by racial bias — whether we realize it or not.  We watched as President Donald Trump increased the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in cities across the country. We watched as people were dragged out of their homes and thrown into detention camps. We watched as at least 32 people died in ICE custody in 2025.  The deaths of these individuals — most of whom were people of color —  passed through the news cycle with little to no coverage. Now the city of Minneapolis is in unrest over the killing of Renee Good, a white woman, at the hands of an ICE officer.  There were general protests against ICE across the country, but not like what we are seeing in Minneapolis. The cause has garnered national attention and outrage online. Politicians are rushing to either defend ICE or condemn “violent” protests.  The unrest has only been exacerbated further by the ruthless killing of Alex Pretti at the hands of ICE officers this past Saturday. We are witnessing the appointment of a new martyr in a cause that fights against authoritarian practices that