Opinion | It’s okay to not be okay
Ally Pronina, Opinions Columnist
August 3, 2020
Texas cornerback Kobe Boyce announced he has depression and is going to take a break from football to focus on his mental health. This sets a vital example for others with mental illness. His story shows even those we typically think of as strong, such as football players, can struggle. Peopl...
Opinion | Sexism and the oppression of women needs to end once and for all
Hannah Pinski, Opinions Columnist
August 2, 2020
The recent interaction that took place on the Capitol steps between Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Ted Yoho, R-Fla. has sparked a wake-up call in American culture and society. After the first report that was published by The Hill, reporters heard that Congressman Yoho called Ocasio-Cortez a ‘f—cking b—’ after calling her disgusting for believing that the reason for an increase i...
Letter to the Editor | Opening schools is a mistake
August 2, 2020
Taking the lead from President Trump, Gov. Reynolds and Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg recently overruled local school officials and ordered Iowa kids and teachers back to in-person school in four weeks. Their decision upends weeks of planning and preparation by local school boards, superintendents, teach...
Opinion | Listen to Fauci
Chloe Peterson, Opinions Columnist
July 30, 2020
Although many countries have managed to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, cases in the United States are still rising every day. Out of a total of 16.5 million COVID-19 cases around the globe, the United States fosters over quarter of them — around 4.3 million. The United States is unmistakably...
Opinion | Black bags are for groceries, not protesters
Peyton Downing, Opinions Editor
July 29, 2020
Portland, Oregon has become the center for protest coverage due to law enforcement’s callous disregard for the protesters’ lives. With the introduction of federal officers, Portland has now become the quintessential example of what future federal protest responses may look like. Portlandâ...
Guest Opinion | COGS calls on university and state to better protect students this fall
July 29, 2020
As of this week, there are over 130,000 confirmed deaths in the U.S. due to COVID-19. Cases are on the rise across the nation as well as in Iowa specifically. Johnson County has made national news because the overwhelming majority of new cases have been among people under the age of 40. Presid...
Opinion | Disability Pride means recognizing that disability is not inability
Ally Pronina, Opinions Columnist
July 28, 2020
Even when America is not in the middle of quarantine and protests against systemic racism, July’s celebration of disability pride is overlooked. As someone with a congenital heart defect and genetic disease, I see the value behind disability pride month. Disability pride means realizing my worth ...
Opinion | Quarantine is perfect for podcasting
Signe Nettum, Opinions Columnist
July 27, 2020
I used to read books in the car all the time on long car trips before motion sickness forced me to stop. To fill in the monotonous time between destinations, I turned to podcasts to fill in the void books once provided to me. Suddenly, a whole new world was opened up. Like the many genres of...
Opinion | John Lewis: an inspiration to America
July 26, 2020
On July 17, 2020, Representative John Robert Lewis from Georgia's 5th Congressional District passed away at age 80. However, he was not an average American politician. And although he has received over fifty honorary degrees from prestigious universities and colleges and multiple awards from natio...
Opinion | Vote-by-mail is the best form of voting during the COVID-19 pandemic
Chloe Peterson, Opinions Columnist
July 23, 2020
In the fall, all Iowans will receive an absentee ballot request form in their mailboxes for the November election. Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate also sent out absentee ballot request forms before the June 2 primary election, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Iowa saw a record turnout in that election with 531,000 votes cast, with nearly 80 percent by mail. Before Pate could send out the November absentee request forms in the mail, the Legislature passed a law req...
Guest Opinion | The state of Iowa must implement diploma privilege for graduate law students
July 22, 2020
How would you feel if someone told you that in less than two weeks you had to go sit in a room with two hundred other people? Not two hundred people from your town; two hundred people from all over the state and other states, too. You’d be in the room for approximately eight hours. Two days in a row. T...
Opinion | Religious freedom does not override bodily autonomy
Hannah Pinski, Opinions Columnist
July 21, 2020
In the American Constitution, the first amendment states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise of." However, the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Trump Administration’s decision allowing employers to limit birth control cove...