Stop defining people based on outside appearance
Bounce, catch. Dribble, catch. My mind was quiet as my focus shifted from the raucous crowd to the front of the rim. Before I could release the ball, I heard a player from the opposing team behind me laughing. “He’s only shooting because he’s Mexican.” The whole team snickered as the basketball fell through the net. Unfortunately, I was used to people making remarks about my dark skin, even if they weren’t white themselves. What hurt most was that I’m not even Hispanic. My opponents only cared enough to identify me as some minority; to them, it didn’t matter that I’m Polynesian.
Maybe it’s time that we stop defining people by their looks and admit that, in fact, we’re all minorities. Be that as it may, the oppression of ethnic groups is horrid and unacceptable. What I’m suggesting is that we all have our differences, separating us from one another. Some of us were raised poor. Some of us live a privileged life, and for some of us, we have darker skin.
Regardless of our disparities, the time to act is now. We must seize the opportunity of the current political climate that is frothing with talks of racial injustice before it is too late. The next time you hear someone say, “He’s only shooting because he’s Mexican” suggest to them that, “He’s shooting because he was fouled.” My hope is for all people to be admired for their skills or abilities and not discredited for what they look like. Besides, the world isn’t as black and white as it seems
Joshua Folau
Britton, Michigan
Keep the library open longer
It’s 1 a.m., and you have a paper due tomorrow. However, the more you try to use the cheap wi-fi your cousin bought for the apartment, the slower it gets; and the slower it gets, the angrier you get with your roommates who laugh like hyenas. So, you give up and go to bed.
Have you ever had a hard time studying at night in your apartment, be it due to the wi-fi, roommates or lack of study space? I have, and it’s frustrating. The Harold B. Lee Library closes at midnight and opens at 7 AM, forcing students to finish their studies at home. So why isn’t 17 hours enough time, you may ask? In an article by the Salt Lake Tribune, a study done by Utah System of Higher Education showed that “about two-thirds of all Utah students work during their college careers, a trend education experts say highlights the state’s prolonged graduation rates” (Stuckey, Most Utah College Students Work). With “two-thirds” of students working, they need a more flexible library schedule.
A study was done by consumer genetics company 23andMe using DNA samples of 89,283 people found that 75.8% of people under the age of 30 are “night owls,” and the rest are morning people. I understand that a 24-hour library may cause unhealthy habits — I have seen it in my life. However, students are not forced into unhealthy habits; it’s the student’s choice. The benefits of a 24-hour library outweigh this potential cost. Let the library live for 24 hours a day, six days a week, and sign our petition!
John Warner
New Canaan, Connecticut
