|
Why do people care more about male athletes than female athletes? By Madison Sciba Opinion Columnist On Thursday January 26th, the female athletes at Saint Mary’s were invited to the Women’s basketball game against BYU to celebrate National Women in Sports day. This day was to celebrate the anniversary of the passing of Title IX, a historic piece of legislation from 1972 which states: “No person shall on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, be treated differently from another person, or otherwise be discriminated against in any interscholastic, intercollegiate, club or intramural athletics offered by a recipient, and no recipient shall provide such athletics separately on such basis.” (The United States Department of Justice).
At this particular Women’s basketball game, female athletes were given dinner catered by Chipotle and invited to the court during halftime for a group photo. No speeches, no real announcement, no discussion on the female athletes or sports, just a burrito bowl and a photo. The most ironic part of this was that the Women’s basketball team couldn’t even participate as they were in the locker room both when the food was available and when the group photo was taken. This was not the first year that Saint Mary’s athletics had organized a night for celebrating National Women in Sports day, however, this year’s celebration was even more disappointing than last year’s. At least last year the female athletes were given t-shirts, and a video montage of them was played. However, last year’s was also during Jan Term break so the only people in attendance at the Women’s basketball game/Women in Sports night were the female athletes. For both events, the only people invited to celebrate National Women in Sports day were the female athletes at Saint Mary’s. No men’s teams were invited and only a few showed up. So much for equality in sports. Don’t get me wrong, female athletes are grateful for the free dinner, but the whole night and celebration seems demeaning. This brings up a question: Why is there so much more support for men's sports than women’s? Not just at SMC but everywhere it seems as though men’s sports are supported more by sports fans and the general public than women’s sports are. The NBA makes far more money than its counterpart the WNBA. This past fall’s men’s World Cup saw millions of soccer fans tune in to watch teams from all over the world compete in Qatar. That kind of support was not seen in 2019 for the women’s World Cup. US fans celebrated when the US men’s team made it past the group stage, but barely anyone was talking about when the women’s team won their 4th world cup title in 2019. The 2022 FIFA men’s World Cup was one of the most anticipated and talked about events of 2022, but barely anyone is aware that the FIFA women’s World Cup will be taking place in just 4 months in Australia and New Zealand. It is not as though watching women’s soccer is less entertaining than watching men’s soccer, if anything it can be more entertaining as the female players don’t spend as much time rolling on the field hugging their shins and crying as the male players do. If the sports themselves are almost the exact same, then why are they more popular when men play than women? Does our society’s history of misogyny play a role in this? In the history of professional sports and professional athletes, the emergence of female teams is a relatively new one. Hopefully as more and more women and girls are competing in athletics, viewership and support for them will increase. If you are interested in statistics and further reading about women in sports I recommend checking out this infographic from the University of Ohio: https://onlinemasters.ohio.edu/blog/the-evolution-of-womens-sports/ Sources: US Department of Justice: https://www.justice.gov/crt/title-ix#10.%C2%A0%20Athletics%20(%C3%AF%C2%BD%C2%A7%20__.450) FIFA: https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/tournaments/womens/womensworldcup/australia-new-zealand2023 University of Ohio: https://onlinemasters.ohio.edu/blog/the-evolution-of-womens-sports/
0 Comments
Life lessons from George Santos  Image created by Kiera O'Hara-Heinz By Kiera O’Hara - Heinz Editor-in-chief, Visiting Opinion Columnist Newspapers and tabloids alike lately have been griping about George Santos and for good reason. The Republican politician was sworn into the House of Representatives less than a month ago but has already made headlines for his outlandish lies.
We all expect politicians to lie, but usually, they seem to be a bit better at it. He has lied about anything and everything. He has said that he studied at Baruch College in New York, graduating with a degree in economics and finance in 2010 (Baruch College has no record of him graduating.) He claims to have studied for an MBA at NYU (no record) and to have worked on Wall Street for Goldman Sachs (no record) and Citigroup (no record). If that wasn’t bad enough, his lies don’t stop at his resume, extending far into the stories he tells about his personal life. Santos said he was the Jewish grandson of a holocaust survivor, despite not being Jewish, and his grandmother not actually being anywhere near the Holocaust and being from Brazil. He later claimed he meant that he was Jew-ish, as in kinda being Jewish but not really. He claimed to have been a star college volleyball player, the founder of a charity for shelter animals, and an actor in a movie with Uma Thurman (all lies!) He even claimed on Twitter in 2021 that his mother died in the South Tower of the World Trade Center on 9/11, even though she was really in Brazil all of 2001 and didn’t die until 2016. His lies are so crazy and comical, that he seems almost like a caricature of a corrupt politician villain in a soap opera. In fact, his story is almost like a fairy tale. One day you may be a mediocre drag queen in Brazil, and a few hundred lies later, you too can be an almost universally hated republican House Representative. No, but in all seriousness, maybe we can take a lesson in self-confidence from the laughable chaos that is George Santos. While you probably shouldn’t co-opt the tragic experience of the holocaust and 9/11 for your own personal gain, maybe you can give yourself a little more credit when it comes to your knowledge of Microsoft suite, etc. I may claim on my resume that I am proficient in excel spreadsheets despite only really knowing the sum function. But you know what, if it ever comes up at work that is what Google and YouTube are for. Learning on the job is also an important skill! Don’t interpret this as me encouraging you to lie, honesty is important and God knows there is far too little of it in the world, but so often young people have a habit of selling themselves short and have a hard time articulating their accomplishments and skills in settings like resumes and job interviews. Remember you don’t have to be an expert in order to claim a skill, you just have to be good enough. Learn to advocate for yourself and how to explain your experience even if it may seem unprofessional. If a job description is asking for 5 years of experience in a field, could you explain a way for your summer job to fit? Maybe your volunteer service has overlaps? Babysitting is kind of like customer service. Right? Believe in yourself and take a little inspiration from George Santos, if you can dream it you can do it. Be right back, changing my LinkedIn from conversational in Spanish to professional working proficiency. Do you think people would believe me if I told them I’m on the U.S. National Ping Pong team, or that I was recently scouted by a record label at round-up for my excellent karaoke singing talent? Is the growing obsession with true crime getting dangerous? By Madison Sciba Opinion Columnist True crime podcasts have become the most popular genre of podcasts on Spotify, with many true crime podcasts ranked in Spotify’s top 10. Recently, the new series Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story quickly rose to the top of Netflix’s popularity list, eventually becoming Netflix’s number one show across the world. This caused an influx of interest in the infamous Jeffrey Dahmer, but not in a good way. This past Halloween saw people actually dressing up as the man who killed 17 men between 1978 and 1991. To glorify or emulate someone who committed such atrocities is wildly unacceptable. Netflix is being blamed for profiting off the horrors that Dahmer caused, while many of the families of Dahmer’s victims are speaking out against the show. Which raises the question: Has society’s obsession with true crime gone too far?
Unlike the new Dahmer series, most true crime documentaries are meant to bring awareness and knowledge to a crime or event. Another Netflix original is the docuseries Keep Sweet, Pray, and Obey. This docuseries focused around the events and experiences of former members of the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints (FLDS), a polygamist fundamentalist branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, more commonly known as Mormonism. The series focused on the experiences of the children, many being young girls, who were exploited and mistreated in the FLDS church, specifically by the church’s “prophet” Warren Jeffs. In this series, unlike in Dahmer, it is not a dramatization of the ongoing events in the FLDS but includes interviews by actual victims and survivors who are now able to tell their stories. It told of women who survived child marriages to much older men, women who lost their children and families to the church, and of men who lost everything because they dared to question the “prophet”. These docuseries and documentaries, like Keep Sweet, are vastly different from the dramatizations of crime as was such in the Dahmer series, as well as many others. Another Netflix show, Netflix: Unsolved Mysteries strives to bring awareness to cold cases (unsolved crimes that are no longer being actively investigated), again involving the family and friends of victims, hoping that bringing their loved one’s case into the public view will help solve it. Such is not the case of drama series and movies like the 2019 film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, a dramatized telling of the crimes and trial of serial killer Ted Bundy. He was convicted of sexually assaulting and murdering women in the 1970s. Bundy gained many female fans following his arrest in the 1970s, and then gained even more after the airing of the Netflix film. For years deranged admirers have proclaimed love for the charismatic killer, and the numbers of fans only increased after the attractive and popular actor Zac Efron portrayed Bundy in the film. Behaviors like this and like those who dressed up as Dahmer as a Halloween costume is unacceptable and disgusting. It is unknown exactly how many women Bundy murdered. He was an evil man who targeted and victimized vulnerable women, and he should never be admired. This is why there is a fine line in true crime between what is acceptable content and what is not. Documentaries and docuseries that aim to bring awareness and involvement of victims and their families bring a larger sense of realness to true crime. Recreated dramatic films and series tend to distance the viewer from the reality of the crimes and almost glorify the villains by using attractive actors in a traditional Hollywood style setting. Most true crime podcasts have the goal of bringing awareness to crimes as well as to personal safety. One of the most popular podcasts, Crime Junkies, aims to tell their listeners of unknown crimes while the hosts frequently bring up what us as individuals can do to try and prevent these horrific things from happening to us. Through their “Crime Junkie Rules'' of “Be weird, be rude, stay alive!” hosts Ashley and Britt encourage listeners to learn from these horrific stories and to do their best to stay safe and out of danger. Sources: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-63088009 Netflix: Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story Keep Sweet, Pray, and Obey Unsolved Mysteries Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile Crime Junkies on Spotify by AudioChuck: https://crimejunkiepodcast.com/ A beginners guide to judgmental conversations about college. By Lillian La Salle Visiting Opinion Columnist Welcome Home!
You’re almost finished with your first semester of college! We want to hear all about it. What are you learning about in that class? Is that so? And you enjoy this? Hmph. Well, I would assume you would have done something different given what we taught you, but I guess you know what’s best for you. I hope most of us do not return home for the holidays to an endless stream of judgmental questions about what we are studying, who are friends are, why we haven’t gotten involved in the perfect relationship yet, or why we don't know what we are going to do with the rest of our lives. However, this may not be the case. You may have a nosy aunt or overly interested cousin during holiday dinners with family. It may feel like so much has happened to you while at school, and there is no possible way to explain all your evolving ideas and plans to your family in such a short time. So how do we answer these never-ending college questions from our loved ones without feeling like we fall short? The answer: Be confident in your choice to enjoy what you study, who you spend your time with, and what you choose to do. Be very matter-of-fact about your choices, and explain that it is not up to your Uncle to critique your new interest in Politics or Theological Studies. College is about learning new things and figuring out what excites you as a possible career path. You may be met with joyful congratulations for finding your new passion, or find yourself being scrutinized when you excitedly share new information from your favorite Social Justice class. No matter the case, take the recognition or rejection from others with a grain of salt. You are the only one who knows what you feel called to do. Of course, your family may offer great insights and help you refine what you want to accomplish in your college career by sharing their opinions. But it is up to you to field these opinions and ask yourself if their feedback is helpful to discover what you need to do to live out your life’s purpose. We won't have all of life's answers this holiday season, but frankly, nobody does. Our lovably overbearing relatives may not understand all the new things you are learning about yourself in college, and that is ok. Just remember that what you choose to do, who you spend your time with, and what you explore are up to you. Only a few select people get to understand why you want to pursue certain avenues in life. Everyone else can get a brief synopsis of your college experience at the dinner table when you come home for the Holidays. Remember, you may be very different from when you last saw your loved ones, and this may surprise them and yourself during dinner table conversations. College is supposed to help you grow, and that looks different for everyone. So relax, enjoy your Fall Break, and remember to not take your opinionated pops too seriously if a comment or two is made about your new friends or exuberant seminar professor. You are the one living your college experience, so enjoy it and make the most of it. Fighting Against Imposter Syndrome By Ariana Perez Opinion Columnist Do you ever feel like no matter how hard you work you’re accomplishing nothing? That you could be doing better and that you’re failing yourself along with others? That you’re a fraud despite everything you’ve achieved?
If you’ve ever felt that way, the good news is, that there’s a term for it, and solutions. The American Psychological Association describes this phenomenon as Imposter Syndrome. An intellectual form of self-doubt, Imposter Syndrome often occurs among high achievers, specifically those who internalize their success as resulting from luck rather than their own personal effort and ability. As a result, self-perception becomes skewed, hard work becomes undermined, and success becomes brushed off and disregarded as undeserving. Combatting Imposter Syndrome can be a struggle, especially in regards to confronting mindsets. Often enough Imposter Syndrome coincides with perfectionism and the blurring of self-worth as dependent on achievement. Left unchecked, it can negatively affect mental health, causing stress to the body and mind. With that in mind, it helps to recognize your efforts and acknowledge your own expertise. Self-awareness is key, along with reminding yourself that nobody is perfect, and to appreciate the effort you’ve put into getting to where you are today. However, two things I personally believe help with relieving Imposter Syndrome, are the redefining productivity, and the acknowledgment of self-perception. Much of Imposter Syndrome is rooted in the belief that nothing you do is good, that you’re not working hard enough, or your work is not good enough. Essentially, the feeling you could be better and more productive in your field or area of knowledge. Redefining productivity allows you to give yourself more credit in areas you may ignore or not notice, allowing you to be more confident and less hard on yourself. In other words, the goal is to stop perceiving yourself as lazy. Avoid burning yourself out. Ideas of healthy productivity and healthy success should not come with consistent self-torture. Moreover, self-perception is critical to one of the more damaging aspects of Imposter Syndrome, associating self-worth as a result of success. Your perception of your self-worth must not come solely from external achievements. The research you place into your passions and interests does not need the validation of higher academia in order to be seen as valid. You are already worthy, recognition and awards or not. Experience as a transfer student to SMC, transitioning from online learning to on campus for the first time in the third year of college. By Theo Zittel Contributing from News When I was first accepted into Saint Mary’s, I was beyond excited. After attending a year at my local community college, it was time for my journey to begin as a true college student, where I would be able to live on campus and away from home for the very first time. However, the second half of my freshman year was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This made me anxious as my plans to move to Moraga at the end of the summer were in limbo. Along with the majority of the SMC community, I had no other choice but to remain at home for the remainder of that academic year. Come August, I was set to move onto campus, where I would be in a single room by myself due to the living situation at the time to maintain a healthy social distance between each student who lived on campus. Due to the circumstances of the pandemic, classes remained online for the entirety of my first year at SMC. Therefore, I decided living on campus at the height of the pandemic was not for me.
Living at home and attending classes on Zoom full-time was definitely a challenge. Engaging with online lectures and class participation remained to be the biggest of these challenges. I just did not feel comfortable being on a laptop for hours on end, sitting in the same room at home for my entire first semester–something that most students can agree with. However, my third year of college was one of many firsts for me. Amongst these firsts was the ability to live on campus for the very first time. I finally had the opportunity to experience dorm living. The communal living experience has certainly been interesting, especially considering I had already finished two years of college without ever leaving home. Halfway through the school year, my roommate decided to transfer to another college, which left me with a double room to myself for the entirety of Jan Term, until a new roommate was placed in my room. The move to campus allowed me to meet other students in my classes; I no longer had to worry about the awkwardness of break-out rooms and lack of conversing with others during my year of online classes. I could make actual connections with other students, especially those who could relate to transferring to SMC during the pandemic. I also learned what it was like to live on campus during the second wave of COVID and how strict, quiet, and boring it was. Another perk was being able to catch up with acquaintances from high school and friends from my hometown who I did not talk to while taking classes from home. Another obvious first was the access to the amenities located on campus. I could use the recreation center, eat at the dining hall, and enjoy a coffee at Café Louis, to name a few. Attending basketball games with friends was also an activity that I was not able to do since high school. On-campus living also allowed me to speak to professors 1:1, both during and outside of class, which was nearly impossible when classes were online. I no longer had to deal with quirky schedules and talking to them through my laptop screen. Lastly, writing for The Collegian most likely would not have been possible if I were not on campus. Through a reflection on my two years of attending SMC, I have to say that it has not been what I expected it to be like, whether for better or for worse. Saint Mary’s needs to become more accessible for its students By Madison Sciba Opinion Columnist With everyone bringing to light the problems with Title IX at Saint Mary’s, another issue needs to be addressed. There is a severe lack of accessibility on campus for students with disabilities. Grace Martin (class of ‘25) is one of the many Saint Mary’s students who has struggled as a result of the poor accessibility options on campus. Grace’s biggest issue so far has been with finding accessible housing on campus. As of right now, the only option Grace has for on-campus housing is Aquinas Hall, no other resident hall can accommodate students with disabilities. Grace explained, “My ability to live on campus is very limited as of right now, the only building that is fully accessible is Aquinas Hall. I might have the chance to live in Claeys North next year but it is not fully accessible, the room is but the doors to get in the building are not. The walk down to the main campus is something I also have to worry about.” Students paying the very expensive tuition SMC charges (tuition which is increasing for the next year) as well as the costs of living on campus should not have to worry about whether they are able to walk from their dorm building to their classes in the center of campus. Also, why is only one building on campus built to accommodate? Shouldn’t there be more options for students with disabilities? Upper-class students don’t want to live in Aquinas and be surrounded by buildings full of freshmen. Grace was told that she could possibly live in Claeys North next year, however, they won’t be able to make the building accessible until months into the school year. Why wasn’t the building already accessible?
Housing is not the only issue students with disabilities have faced on campus. The use of the pavilions in place of classrooms created an issue for Grace and other students who cannot get up to the turf field easily. In regards to a class she wanted to take in the fall of 2021, “this past fall I had to drop a class that I needed to take for my major because the professor would not move the class out of the pavilions.” While the pavilions are finally leaving campus and classes are now all indoors, it is outrageous that a student at SMC has to drop a class because the school could not provide accommodations. When asked: what was the biggest problem she faced that was caused by SMC’s lack of accessibility? Grace responded by saying, “The lack of awareness of certain accessibility things on campus and not much communication with me directly.” There needs to be more acknowledgment on the campus of how Saint Mary’s campus is not accessible for all of its students. Students with food allergies and medical dietary restrictions have struggled with eating in the dining hall. Lauren Stadt (class of ‘24) has had Celiac Disease for over 15 years, and, as a result, she cannot eat any gluten or anything that has even had cross-contamination with gluten. “On weekends the dining hall does not have ingredients listed, which makes it difficult for me to figure out if I can actually eat there.” She explained. Although the Allergy-Free Zone is supposed to be free of all gluten products, Lauren said that she has come across several things that contain gluten. Something that can cause serious issues unless those students are super vigilant about what they are eating from the Allergy-Free Zone. While SMC has been trying to make the campus more accessible for all students, they still have a long way to go. Navigating Life After College By Ariana Perez Opinion Columnist Receiving your degree is a massive accomplishment in life, a testimony to years of dedication and hard work. However, with graduation looming around the corner, many wonder not just in anticipation, but in dread, for what awaits them.
Regardless of whether a job or internship is lined up, many graduates are wondering, “What now?” as they prepare to leave the institution they have studied and built their social lives around for years. As a result, post-graduation depression is not an uncommon occurrence for graduates. While the phenomenon is largely not talked about, it’s a pattern that is too important to ignore. The reality is that many graduates have been students for 20 years, and struggle with losing that aspect of their identity as they transition into working adults. Moreover, there’s the sudden loss of communal space that college campuses provide. Suddenly, it becomes harder to connect with peers and friends, especially when you’re acclimated to living close and hanging out together in the college’s surrounding area. Not to mention the struggle to find a job and pave a future that aligns with your degree and experience. All in all, graduates may plummet in their mental health, falling into what is essentially a quarter-life crisis in their struggle to navigate life after college. Thankfully, there are multiple ways to prevent post-graduation depression. Below are some recommendations for adjusting to life after college: Keeping yourself busy is critical. Whether or not you’ll be traveling, applying for jobs, or working right away, you are inevitably going to have some form of free time that needs to be filled as you develop a completely new routine that doesn’t revolve around class. New or old, exercise or art related, hobbies provide a healthy outlet to destress to shape your day. Engaging in hobbies releases dopamine within the brain, assisting in the improvement of mental health. Setting goals for yourself is important as well. Career planning can be a daunting task, setting achievable goals for yourself allows you to make progress each day without feeling overwhelmed. By Remy Zerber Visiting Opinion Columnist The “Parental Rights in Education” bill is a bill that was passed in Florida that bans teachers from discussing LGBTQ issues and supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, intersex, asexual, or transgender people in grades K-3. The text states that teachings on sexual orientation or gender identity would be banned “in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards” (2022, Laviettes). It would create mistrust in schools and in classrooms. “First, opponents say a broad restriction particularly aimed at sexual orientation and gender identity will have a chilling effect on teachers — making educators question what kind of dialogue students can have with trusted adults in the classroom.” It will also make kids not trust teachers. Kids should be able to trust their teachers with their secrets (2022, Wilson). Proponents call it the “Parental Rights in Education” bill, which is its official name, while opponents call it the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. It was passed on Feb 17, 2022. The “Don’t Say Gay” bill is a step back in progress towards having freedom and acceptance for all people.
Children and their education are being affected by this bill. My friend Dylan who is a student here said, “I think the “Don’t Say Gay” bill prevents our youth from being exposed to important matters regarding identity and poses a major safety and mental health concern for our LGBTQ+ youth.” Mental health is important because it is what keeps people going. Brains are what control our bodies, so it is important to make sure they are healthy. The people who are in agreement with the bill are saying that “...early exposure to sexual content can harm young students. It has been linked to poor “mental health, life satisfaction, sexual behavior and attitudes, and pornography-viewing patterns in adulthood.” (2022, Eckerd) Proponents of the bill think that they are protecting kids from harmful sexual content by limiting their exposure to discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity at a young age, but all they are actually doing is preventing kids from learning about LGBTQ issues early in their life. Dylan, a student who is against the bill said, “The bill will prevent youth from talking about the identities of themselves and their loved ones. The classroom will become a space that isn’t respectable towards inclusivity and the notion that “love is love.” It should be a safe space for all students. “In a statement, [Sen. Joe Harding of Florida] explained that “the exaggeration and misrepresentation in reporting about the amendment was a distraction; all the amendment did was create procedures around how, when and how long information was withheld from parents so that there was a clear process and kids knew what to expect.” (2022, Rosica) LGBT kids already face enough issues like bullying, high suicide and depression rates, and low representation. “Charlee Corra Disney, the heir of Disney who recently came out as transgender, said, “I had very few openly gay role models,” Corra, 30, said. “And I certainly didn’t have any trans or nonbinary role models. I didn’t see myself reflected in anyone, and that made me feel like there was something wrong with me.” (2022, Yurcaba) Dylan, a student against the bill, said, “My worry about the bill is that it will shadow LGBTQ+ history from part of our generation and that it will increase suicide rates, which are already high amongst LGBTQ+ individuals. I think that this bill is a huge step back in progress and is a threat to the future and well-being of America.” “[Openly gay republican Carlos Guillermo Smith] cited research that LGBTQ youth are four times "more likely to seriously consider, make a plan for, or attempt suicide than their peers AND that at least one LGBTQ youth aged 13–24 attempts suicide every 45 seconds in the U.S." (2022, Rosica) This bill is damaging to LGBT children’s (or kids who are LGBT but don’t know it yet) mental health because once this bill goes into effect, they will feel like they are different and not good enough for society. Opponents of the bill say that it is just homophobia. It is a shame that more states are considering passing a “don’t say gay” bill. Andrew Sullivan, a British-American author, wrote “a flurry of red states are now beginning to follow in the footsteps of Florida and shut down instruction in critical queer and gender theory in the kindergarten through primary school years” (2022, Sullivan) in an article for The Weekly Dish. It is too bad that other states are going to shut down queer instruction in kindergarten through third grade. If children don’t grow up believing in LGBTQ rights, they will probably be homophobic adults. Dylan said, “Other states have already begun to look into implementing the bill. So yes, I see it as a huge threat that will spread to other states.” States like Mississippi and Arkansas have already put restrictions on transgender people so I wouldn’t be surprised if they followed Florida’s lead in passing a “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Everyone should be treated equally. This bill is unfair to kids that identify with the LGBTQ community. Everyone should be free to be who they are and express their individuality without fear of rejection or being outed. I think students should be allowed to learn about the LGBTQ community in kindergarten through third grade because the younger they are exposed to these issues, the more comfortable they will be with them and the less likely they will be homophobic. Florida has made a mistake and accidentally regressed in progress towards freedom and equality for all people with the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. The bill is very damaging for students and teachers alike in schools. The ideas are spreading to other places, taking many parts of the country backward. A look into the slim course offerings at SMC Riley Mulcahy Opinion Section Editor Academic excellence and inclusion are two of the most important tenets of the Saint Mary’s College community; however, the course offerings have declined over the past few years. When it is essential to promote classes that best support the whole student, how can a college say that it is preparing its students for the real world?
Looking at the course offerings for next semester, there are 492 courses offered at Saint Mary’s, and according to their site, SMC has 40 majors in total. Some, such as Women and Gender Studies, have three courses offered in the fall, along with Ethnic Studies. Given the lack of attention to diverse majors, how can change at SMC occur when students are not given options to learn more about America that accepts all parts of our history, one that showcases the diversity of SMC, which we still need to strive towards more. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that we must understand what our political and educational leaders are doing and what their motivations behind it are. One must ask, why is there such a significant reduction in classes, and who takes ownership of this problem? The classes that are missing in the fall are important to notice because they have negative ramifications for students looking to graduate in a timely manner. There are only seven Seminar classes in the fall, an essential class, however, Spring 2022 had seven Seminar classes. Specifically, Biology, Microbiology, and Genetics are either reduced or not offered, and these are foundational classes for the Biology major. Furthermore, the English department is offering limited classes as well, with ten sections devoted to Composition, limited Creative Writing options, and no class for the Authors and Genre requirements. The major with the most classes is the Performing Arts Department with 33 classes. The major encompasses music and theatre and it is understandable why there are a lot of classes. However, how does it make sense not to spread the funds in a more equitable way, one that understands the stresses of students needing to fulfill their requirements to graduate? From the Spring to the fall semester, there is almost a 200 class reduction, which is curious given where SMC spends their money. Some may ask what the solution is to this problem, and the first answer is to increase the enrollment so that there are more students to serve and more classes to be offered. Although this is a logical conclusion, we must ask ourselves how currently enrolled students are treated. Without access to classes that are needed for graduation, there is a sense that students are working so hard for something, a degree, and there are barriers to getting something they have worked so hard for. |
STAFFMadison Sciba '24, Archives
September 2023
Categories |
RSS Feed