Opinion

By Rebekah Rodriguez In late January, I turned twenty-one. The day was met with plenty of birthday wishes, junk food, and good times shared with friends and family. Since my birthday landed on a Monday, I had to limit the celebrations to a reasonable hour. I decided it would be best for me to celebrate with a few friends on Saturday. Throughout the week, questions and presumptions about my plans for the weekend popped up. Despite my attempts to brush them off or even change the subject, I eventually had to be straightforward with them: I don’t drink alcohol. (more…)

This article originally appeared in the February 2016 print edition. By Rodolfo Salinas For someone that is single, the month of February can be so bittersweet. I can’t stand the idea of feeling lonely on Valentine’s Day. However, I also can’t stand the idea of not graduating college. Finishing my undergraduate degree is way more important than a relationship right now. I say this because I made the mistake of dropping out of school one semester due to the fact that I fell in love. It’s the kind of love that makes you feel rejuvenated and the kind that makes you take decisions impulsively. You can say I would do and did everything for the person that I was in love with but after that huge mistake that affected my academic endeavor, I will never do it again. (more…)...

This article originally appeared in the February 2016 print edition. By Evelin Garcia Culture is a beautiful and dangerous thing, and it’s most often times recognized for its contemporary beauty and hardly clouded by its flaws. It is a multitude of traditions gathered by old generations setting the base for new generations to come. Such traditions play an important and valuable role in shaping all of our surrounding society. For that reason, there are some old customs that shouldn’t grow old with the rest of us. Customs that set society back and have no part in any lapse of our time. (more…)

This article originally appeared in the February 2016 print edition. By Virginia Garcia-Ramos Ever since I was a child, I never thought about getting married, let alone having a baby. I never wanted children PERIOD, yet here I was at age 25, married and pregnant. At the time, my dreams were to become a successful individual and have my own company (a dream I still have not given up on). Many things had changed in my life and I saw the world in a very different way. I joined an internship in Florida, lived in California, and did many things people my age only dream about. But on April 16, 2014, I found out that I was pregnant. My whole life was about to change. (more…)

This article originally appeared in the February 2016 print edition. By Iris Vasquez Guerrero Since I can remember my parents have always scolded me for using foul language in their presence. I was brought up in a fairly strict household, where if I even whispered a bad word I would get more than just yelled at.  Up until very recently have I become bolder and use some questionable language in front of them, to which they still give the side eye.  The freedom that is allowed in the classroom can sometimes become a bit overwhelming and even somewhat vulgar when students take their liberty to heart. (more…)

By Judith Menchaca We’ve all heard variations of the expression, “your expectations will set the limits for your life.”  If you expect little, it can be projected you will receive little, and vice versa.  Great expectations produce the great outcomes we all deserve.  Though we can readily apply this axiom to our daily lives, it is unfortunate that we fail to recognize the potential impact this mindset (or lack thereof) has on our community. (more…)