Venti caramel machiatto please

I recently came across an article on msn.com and it sparked my attention. The title reads “Our nation’s fancy coffee habit is making us fat”. My first instinct was to scroll past it considering every article that comes out about fat or eating too much is unsurprisingly redundant, but something was different this time; the word COFFEE. Like many college students we eat and drink what we can in order to stay awake. Drinking a Mountain Dew at 2:30 a.m. or ordering a triple-venti white chocolate mocha from our local Starbucks is something of a daily routine, but when we ingest this delicious treat what are we really putting in our bodies? According to the article, linked above, ordering a large Dunkin’ Donuts coolatta is over 1,000 calories!

The question is, are we willing to give up these fatty treats to cut down on our daily dose of caffeine? Does substituting whole milk for two-percent really make that much of a difference? The issue isn’t that we are on occasion drinking a fatty drink from our favorite coffee shop, the issue is everything else we are doing.

Eating McDonald’s every night, not exercising and never putting a vegetable or fruit in our mouth is the issue. America is so fixated on the idea of analyzing everything we eat as making us fat, but in reality it’s not what we’re eating it’s how much of it we’re eating. Rather than harp on food dyes and over processed meat, maybe it would be better if we just ate smaller quantities of the stuff we know may not be the healthiest for us. 

Besides, you can’t tell me those don’t look good…!

Photo taken from yummly.com

 

Racial Tension (Cont.)

A video from University of Alabama President Dr. Judy Bonner. The video was emailed to all students at the university on September 17, 2013, finally addressing where she stands on the matter of racial tension.

Time for Change.

We are in a time where nothing really surprises us anymore. Sex on television, women in politics, legalization of marijuana in particular states. It’s safe to say that for majority of the world, we are slowly but surely becoming more liberal in our beliefs and systems. However, one thing still seems to strike a chord with certain individuals, particularly those in the South; the idea of integration among certain organizations.

Over the past week, news of the University of Alabama’s faulty sorority system has spread like wildfire across the nation, enough that racial activist Reverend Al Sharpton, as well as the New York Times have become involved.

It all started with an article that was published in the University of Alabama’s newspaper, The Crimson White. The article shed light on two African American students who were denied a bid from all white sororities on campus. The article goes on to discuss the frustration today’s generation has with alumni and their decision to constantly keep sororities segregated. 

Journalist Anna Holmes of ideas.time.com goes as far as referencing back to the violent Birmingham church bombing in 1963 of four girls. While this reference may seem brash, the point is that we are still dealing with this idea of racial tension and segregation fifty years after the fact.

Alabama Governor Robert Bentley has even stepped in claiming that the alumni making the decisions on who should and should not be admitted into the different sororities need to, quote, “change their attitudes”. 

Doctor Judy Bonner emailed a video to all the students of the university on September 17, 2013, discussing where she stands on the matter. Stating that students are ready to move forward and she wants to give them the space and empowerment to do so.

Now the question is, where do we go from here? Racial tension is nothing new to the University of Alabama, considering a little over fifty years ago in Alabama’s state capitol George Wallace claimed “segregation today, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever.” So what can we do as a group to change the course of history?

It is time to actually push for a difference to be made. Talk of race comes up every year with no change, but this year needs to be different. It is evident that today’s generation feels different about the ideas of race so it is time to step up regardless of what alumni, parents and older generations say. So I leave you with this, what do you plan on doing to make a difference?

 

Is it time to forget September 11th?

This year’s September 11th marked the 12th anniversary of that tragic day. When the nation was in chaos and fear. Our personal security felt violated and our freedom was in question. I was young, it was a time in my life when I didn’t fully understand. Witnessing everyone crying around me is one of the only things that made me realize that what had happened would change my life forever.

Watching the building burn and hearing my mother talk to family members about her fear of my Dad having to leave scared me the most. While I didn’t know much, I knew that because of what my dad did in the Army that more than likely in a few weeks he would no longer be home with us. Barely six months later he was gone. Shipped off to Iraq to fight in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

My story differs from everyone else’s in the world, but nonetheless everyone was affected by this in some shape or form. The question however is, is it time to move forward from this tragic day? There is a large debate on whether or not to do so. Tod Robberson discusses this idea in the Dallas News. Others are furious of even the thought of someone telling them to forget such a traumatic time in their lives. James Bedell being one of them.

Despite how many years have passed would it really be right to depend as if none of this never happened? As many people that were lost during that tragic day it is a time for us to share there stories and their lives. We need to stop discussing the “falling man” and focus on the lives of the people affected; people who are affected even to this day. While for some the idea of remembering this tragic day is mundane, it is 100% necessary. We must be aware of our past and acknowledge past mistakes in order to move forward without fear of the same thing happening again.

Until next year, always remember.

Photo by Martin Ramirez

 

Syria, where do you stand?

Unlike the quick and unwavering decision to declare war on Iraq in 2001, the United States government is currently at a crossroads with what stand to take against Syria. This time around Americans opinion on what to do holds higher importance than Operation Iraqi Freedom which in turn has created high tension among citizens. A recent poll was released stating that 59% of the people surveyed believe that Congress should not pass authorization to take action against Syria.  http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/09/politics/syria-poll-main/index.html?hpt=hp_t1 President Obama, is currently waiting on the decision of the Congress due to be given this Tuesday. Shortly after, he will give a nationwide speech on this urgent topic. 

My question on the polls comes in after reading a few of the questions and wondering, do the American people even know what or why this attack on Syria  might take place? In today’s age, many of us refuse to do our own research and simply take information verbatim from only ONE news outlet. It is pivotal that we uphold our responsibility and do the proper research and form our own opinion on what we believe would be best for ourselves and the country at large. After looking at different news sources I came across this article from the New York Times.  http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/28/world/middleeast/the-conflict-in-syria.html?smid=pl-share While I am still struggling to try and form my own unbiased decision I believe I will be able to make an educated decision by the amount of research I am doing. I think it is pivotal for other to do the same.

 

Photograph of the current chaos in Syria. Photo taken from nytimes.com