Editorial – Page 6 – The Columbia Chronicle

EDITORIAL: When it rains, it pours all over inmates

September 24, 2018

Hurricane Florence hit Carolina coasts Sept. 14, leaving thousands without power and 42 reported dead from storm-related injuries, according to a Sept. 20 CBS News article. Officials warned citizens...

EDITORIAL: Columbia can help break cycle of period poverty

September 10, 2018

Beginning in August, Scotland became the first country to provide free menstrual products at all schools, colleges and universities after the success of a 2017 pilot program, according to an Aug. 29 New Yor...

EDITORIAL: Arming teachers makes schools more dangerous, not safer

By Editorial Board

September 4, 2018

A student opens their backpack on the first day of school to find textbooks, highlighters and pencils. Somewhere in a classroom, a teacher opens their desk drawer to find a gun. This may become our reality. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is considering allowing states to use federal funds to buy guns for educators, as reported Aug. 22 by The New York Times. Because weapon purchases are not specifically prohibited in the...

Counseling services should help students, not hurt them

By Editorial Board

May 7, 2018

How can students feel safe at Columbia if therapy dogs in the library seem more helpful than counseling services?As reported on Page 24, two students who alleged they were sexually assaulted on campus tried to get help from the Title IX and Counseling Services Offices, but inadequate care by the college only made their situations worse.It is deeply troubling that two students who had already faced harrowing personal trauma could...

We’ve got your back. Do you have ours?

By Editorial Board

May 7, 2018

Another school year comes to a close, sending 30 more issues of The Columbia Chronicle into the archives.But what has The Chronicle done this year? Actually, quite a lot.In September 2017, The Chronicle reported on the closing of three open computer labs and the shock of many of the labs’ employees when they abruptly lost their jobs without warning from the college.In October 2017, the paper highlighted an accusation of racia...

The public should give a ‘DAMN.’ about black artists

By Editorial Board

April 30, 2018

From Ella Mae “Big Mama” Thornton’s “Hound Dog” to Kendrick Lamar’s “HUMBLE.,” black musicians have created much of what we know as American music and culture. For decades, their contributions to music have largely been erased. Take, for example, the millions of people who think of Elvis Presley’s 1956 version of “Hound Dog” as iconic but have no idea of Thornton’s original or the shades of meaning s...

Starbucks isn’t the problem, America is

By Editorial Board

April 28, 2018

Fitting the stereotypes put on many of its customers, Starbucks is the performative ally that says it’s against racism as it gentrifies neighborhoods.After two black men were arrested in a Philadelphia Starbucks April 12 for not ordering anything from the store while waiting for a friend, the coffee chain was the target of demonstrations, protesting discriminatory treatment that was obvious even to loyal patrons. The scr...

Chicago needs a major detox

By Editorial Board

April 23, 2018

Chicago’s lead contamination isn’t a dirty little secret.As reported on Page 26, city officials have put residents at risk of dangerous exposure to lead, highlighted by an April 11 Chicago Tribune a...

Police-involved shootings are gun violence, too

By Editorial Board

April 16, 2018

How many people must be shot until something is done?This question has been asked repeatedly after the nation witnessed dozens of mass shootings, but now we must ask that question of police-involved shootings that continue to take lives.On April 6, a University of Chicago police officer shot and wounded Charles Thomas, a student at the university who ran toward officers while carrying a metal pipe. It appeared Thomas was su...

Value teachers, unions to better education

By Editorial Board

April 16, 2018

Teachers are rising up, and they need all the support they can get.A wave of protests for better public school funding ignited in multiple states. In Oklahoma, teachers staged a walkout beginning April 2, demanding pay raises for themselves and support staff, funding for elective courses, and enough money to replace old, battered textbooks.Oklahoma teachers’ salaries have remained stagnant since their last raise in 2008, a...

Name, age, divisiveness: Census raises troubling questions

By Editorial Board

April 9, 2018

The U.S. Census Bureau released a draft of the 2020 census March 27 that included questions regarding LGBTQ respondents, which were promptly removed the same day, followed by a statement explaining that their inclusion in the draft was a mistake.No prior census has included questions on gender identity or sexuality, but the correction was a reminder of a yearslong fight to shed light on the LGBTQ community through the survey...

Don’t forget the rest of the world during US political turmoil

By Editorial Board

April 2, 2018

At 17 years old, Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi has already gained widespread attention for her role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.After being informed her cousin had been shot in the face with a rubber bullet by Israeli soldiers in December 2017, Tamimi physically confronted soldiers, shown in a viral video. Shortly after, Tamimi was arrested for assault and incitement. After already serving three months in jail...