OPINION


11/7/2023, 12:00pm

Dear Faculty: Class schedules help ease anxiety

At the start of each semester, I sit down and go through the syllabus for each of my classes. Often, syllabi will be bookended with a schedule for the semester, listing dates for readings, quizzes, exams and projects. At some point in the last few years, I made a stylish spreadsheet template to track all this information. 


11/7/2023, 12:00pm

You can fix SGA

If you are a long-time reader of The Slate, you are probably familiar with some of the criticisms that I and others have levied at our Student Government Association. Inaction, a lack of transparency and a lack of engagement with the student body to name a few.


10/31/2023, 12:05pm

The Slate Speaks: Are you too old for Halloween?

For those who celebrate, Halloween was always a magical time for kids. Trick or treating, dressing up and embracing the spookier side of things, October is always a highlight whenever it rolls around on the calendar.


10/31/2023, 12:00pm

The importance of Black Horror

If you consider yourself a fan of the horror genre, you have probably heard the cliché “the black guy dies first” or “the black character always dies first.” Some of the most popular franchises have indulged in it and many others have poked fun at this “trend.” 


10/31/2023, 12:00pm

Journalism and Israel’s Culpability

Last week, Yusra Aden wrote an excellent article on the ongoing violence in the Gaza Strip. If you have not read it, I encourage you to do so. Without repeating too much of what Aden wrote, I have some thoughts to share. 


10/30/2023, 1:07pm

A follow-up to “Is it worth the wait?”

In the Sept. 19 edition of The Slate, I wrote an editorial titled “Is it worth the wait,” in which I had sharp criticism of the mobile ordering system used by Shippensburg University dining services.


10/30/2023, 1:05pm

The Slate Speaks: Do we feel safe on campus?

In the modern age in which we live, the threats posed to college campuses is greater than ever. Even if you feel that Shippensburg University is safer being a smaller school, recent incidents have shown that students here are at just as much risk as everyone else. So do students really feel safe here?


10/25/2023, 8:21am

Views on Palestinian resistance

If you have been paying attention to the news or the media, then you have probably heard of what is taking place in Gaza.


10/12/2023, 5:26pm

McCarthy, Gaetz, Clay and Jackson: The similarities are astonishing

Kevin McCarthy, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, was removed from office on Oct. 3 by a motion to vacate proposed by Congressman Matt Gaetz of Florida. The final vote stood at 216 for removal and 210 for retention. McCarthy’s removal stands as the first and only time that a speaker of the House of Representatives was removed from office. 


10/10/2023, 5:37pm

Mental health isn't all in your head

Mental health is a sensitive subject. As someone who has had to navigate my own struggles with mental health, I am keenly aware of how depressing, frustrating and disheartening life can be at times. 


10/10/2023, 5:36pm

The Slate Speaks: Should universities use diversity as advertising?

It is always curious seeing students of color plastered all over the marketing of predominantly white institutions (PWIs). On the one hand, it is always wonderful to see marginalized groups put in the spotlight and given a chance to shine. On the other hand, if those same faces only make up a fraction of the university’s population, is this practice a shallow attempt to sell yourself as “diverse”?


10/10/2023, 5:30pm

Does the “Girl Dinner” Trend Encourage Eating Disorders?

When I was thirteen, I developed an eating disorder. I was in middle school and deeply insecure at the time, so I found myself turning to dieting and fitness trends to fit in better with my classmates. While it started with moderate exercise and eating healthier, it quickly became an obsession that turned into skipping most meals and eating less than 800 calories a day.


10/7/2023, 12:00am

Caucasian is not a fancy word for white

For the majority of my life, I have struggled with accepting my identity as an Armenian woman. I grew up being told by my father that because we were Caucasian we were white, and I accepted that. When you grow up in rural America, diverse representation is extremely limited. You do not see or hear much about race or ethnicity beyond Black, white or Asian.


10/3/2023, 2:10pm

Republican debates are a cruel joke

Last Wednesday, I had the pleasure of watching the second 2024 Republican debate with members of the Political Science club and Pi Sigma Alpha at University Grille. I should specify that the pleasure came from watching with my friends and peers, not the debate itself.


10/3/2023, 2:07pm

The Slate Speaks: Should Joe Biden be the Democratic nominee?

As the GOP continues to battle over who will be its candidate in the race for the White House, the stage is seemingly set for the Democrats. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, despite multiple polls placing their favorability rating in the 30s are likely to be the nominees and run for reelection. After all, it would be quite uncommon for the sitting president not to see a second term. However, just because it is common practice, might not mean that is the best course of action to seek.


9/26/2023, 12:29pm

Letter to the Managing Editor

In last week’s print edition of The Slate, you issued an open call to “especially busy Raiders out there who may have some advice on how to keep it all together.” 


9/26/2023, 12:27pm

The Slate Speaks: Where are students getting their information

Previously in last week’s Slate Speaks on transparency with the university, the idea of students receiving information from Yik Yak regarding events on campus was brought up. While many students are smart enough to understand that Yik Yak is not a reliable source of information, the flow of information on campus has reached the point where it’s the only way students can get information in a timely manner.


9/19/2023, 12:31pm

Going to counseling is OK

This week I went to counseling for the first time since 2021. Prior to that, I had been going on a pretty consistent basis since I was 9.  For as long as I can remember, I have always dealt with pretty intense anxiety. You know the kind — incessant stomachache, racing thoughts of doom, constant nervousness (for seemingly no reason). With the onset of my senior year of college, these feelings made their way back.


9/19/2023, 12:29pm

Dining: Is it worth the wait?

It is 12:13 p.m. All I had eaten was a pack of Belvita before my 9:30 a.m. class, and the pangs of hunger were making themselves known. I had a delicious Bangin’ Berry smoothie from Freshens waiting for me, as I ordered it ahead of time to be ready at 12:10. I only had a 15-minute break between classes, so I was ready to be in and out.