Slate Staff
Articles
The Slate Speaks: When acting becomes real life
Nostalgic television stars spoke their truth in a new Max documentary series called “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV.” The series aired for the first time on March 18, and it encompassed emotional stories from people who grew up working for Nickelodeon. It is important for society to understand the burden that Nickelodeon placed on these lives and how to minimize the chances of this abuse happening again.
The Slate Speaks: Social Media and Politics
About 60% of Americans get their news from digital services, and 42% of 18-29-year-olds prefer to get their news from social media. Despite these statistics, politics and social media have been at odds over the past few months. Not only is Congress actively working toward banning TikTok and other social media platforms they deem to be a “threat,” but now Instagram has introduced its newest feature.
The Slate Speaks: The culture of hazing
“We’ve always done it this way.” That’s the mindset so many unfortunately stand by when it comes to hazing, or as they like to call it, “tradition.” In light of the recent allegations toward Theta Xi, the discussion of hazing has circulated throughout the campus community and raises the question: Do we as a society perpetuate hazing and the culture around it?
The Slate Speaks: Toxicity Toward Men and Women’s Hobbies
Since the beginning of time, a toxic relationship of depreciation has existed between the way our society views men and women. Specifically, the toxicity is highlighted from a standpoint of men’s and women’s interests and hobbies. Questions are raised about whether certain hobbies are seen as unimportant, if interests are belittled because of gender, or why there is a societal standard of “appropriate” interests. Based on the existing disparities, it is important to understand our potential contribution and how we can help heal the toxic relationship.
The Slate Speaks: Let's talk about Taylor
Even if you do not find yourself keeping up to date with pop music, chances are you have had Taylor Swift popping up somewhere on your feed. Whether her concerts, award wins, NFL relationship or even the 2024 presidential election, it i’s clear Swift is on everyone’s mind. However, are we too obsessed with Taylor?
The Slate Speaks: The accessibility of events on campus
Campus events play a crucial role in fostering inclusivity. Large-scale events should consider weekend scheduling to enhance accessibility, acknowledging that valuable experiences gained contribute to students’' future careers. The prevailing emphasis on academic responsibilities sometimes undermines the significance of hands-on experiences provided by events.
The Slate Speaks: The harm of performative activism
As social movements truly began to take to the streets in the 2010s, it aligned almost perfectly with the social media boom. Suddenly, millions of people all over the world were able to post their support of any ideology or hot-button issue they wanted. Social media also made it easier for celebrities to communicate to their fan bases as well. However, as these two elements correspond, it gave rise to a new wave of performative activism.
The Slate Speaks: Childhood media shaping us today
So much of the media we consume in our youth shapes us into the people we are today. Think of that one piece of media. It could be the one show you used to watch every weekend when staying at your grandma’s house. It shapes our dreams, our passions, our fears and even drives us to the careers in which we hope to find ourselves. What we consume as very young children does not tend to stick with us, but we all find media as we grow up that we attach ourselves to.
The Slate Speaks: Do we overspecialize?
Growing up everyone was told to ‘get a hobby’. However, as we grow older, we begin to notice that our hobbies seem to become one or two things. Either we hyperfixate and push those hobbies into becoming our jobs, or we let them go to make room for our “‘real”’ work.