Category: Opinion
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A comma-n misunderstanding
I’d like to begin by thanking The Mercury’s most dedicated readers, Babe Ruth and President Biden. If you’re wondering why Babe Ruth and Joe Biden are such close devotees of UTD’s student newspaper, read on. Comma rules: if you’re anything like me, the pesky stipulations were the bane of every high school writing assignment. But…
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For the record: professors should record
While virtual classes can be exhausting or unengaging for many, class recordings allow students to re-watch lectures at their convenience rather than feel pressed to scribble down messy notes or attend office hours. Even though classes will be held mostly in-person next semester, we should still have the privilege of viewing lecture recordings. UTD announced…
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The info-demic: stopping the spread of false information
It goes without saying that COVID-19 has proven to be a public health nightmare. But it seems that something else is quickly gaining traction alongside the virus as it continues to plague communities: misinformation. In the scientific community, COVID-19 is relatively new. Although the amount of reliable information has increased within the past year, there…
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Not all Christians are equal
Going down the highway, some guy driving recklessly with a Jesus fish on his car cuts me off. A group of my Christian friends invites me to play crude games like Cards Against Humanity. Churches full of Christians have shamed and forced my Christian friends to leave the church because of their sexual orientation. Christians…
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Periods need to be recognized. Period.
Ten percent of individuals who menstruate in college face a tough choice: do they buy a box of pads or their next meal? Period equity involves the effort to make menstrual products accessible and advocate for reproductive health – and it needs to be more adequately addressed. The cost of period products is affecting menstruators…
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Mission: impossible (to help)
At first glance, short-term mission trips might seem like a good way to get involved in humanitarian work, but they are actually more harmful than helpful to the communities they seek to assist. Mission trips seek to help disadvantaged communities, usually in other countries, by doing activities such as building houses and schools, caring for…
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We need women in STEM
“Too emotional for science.” Phrases like this have continuously hindered women trying to break the glass ceiling in STEM. Why are these barriers still alive and well in the new decade? There’s no denying that the number of women entering STEM has significantly increased since 1990. However, when we look at the rapid rate at…
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Cultural appropriation rising
According to Google Trends, words such as “astrology chart” and “rising sign” have peaked in early 2021, and many professional astrologers report that business has boomed in the past few months. With the current uptick in astrology and spirituality consuming social media, it is necessary to understand their cultural significance before advertising or promoting these…
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Waste not, want not
While some have argued that the recent popularity of thrifting is problematic, thrifting – when done responsibly – is a more sustainable, affordable and accessible option than buying new clothes. In addition to being a great bang-for-your-buck, thrifting has helped normalize wearing secondhand clothes. This is important because buying clothes secondhand helps lift the social…
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Letter to the Editor: The Mercury should do better
The Mercury has begun descending into a den of right-wing misinformation. As former editors-in-chief, it is heartbreaking to watch the paper that we worked to make a legitimate outlet become weaponized in this way. Jimmy Teeling’s Feb. 1 op-ed, “Stability through civility,” is emblematic of The Mercury’s recent habit of publishing opinion pieces that are…