In March 2020, my senior year of high school was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I can’t say that the pandemic benefited my social development, but it gave me time to figure out certain aspects of life. While I never truly participated in any school spirit activities, the harsh reality of adulthood simultaneously took full charge and paused. There would be no more Model UN conferences, no more “Say No to the R-Word” campaigns, and something I will never forget: cafeteria grilled bagel breakfast sandwiches, the only edible food at that school.

Student clubs and organizations are a core part of any educational institution, though college is often a time when a larger percentage of students get involved with extracurricular activities on their campus. In any “freshman 101,” it is bound to be said that joining a club or organization is paramount to making friends and getting involved in this new environment. While there are many ways to meet people and get involved, clubs and organizations serve as the central force for activities, programming, and other campus events.

For people with eating disorders, the holiday season can often be filled with more stress than the advertised joy and wonder. The cold air and the falling snow are warning signals for the arriving difficulties. Food becomes a hot topic, and while the table fills with steaming platters, your great-aunt decides to share her opinion on the shape of your body and how much you have decided to put on your plate. It can be challenging to navigate— to know how to deal with potential guilt/body image issues, how to respond to insensitive family members, and how to approach holiday eating with the healthiest mindset possible.

‘Tis the season, and in response, I will be rating the different Doctor Who (2005- ) Christmas specials. As a disclaimer, my opinions are subjective. The ranking is based on how good it is writing-wise and the amount of Christmas spirit present. Let’s begin!

Donald Trump celebrated his victory in the 2024 US presidential election and graced the American people with his ultimate goals for the next four years in a lengthy video. In this video, Trump expressed that his primary goal is mass deportation, altering the role of the Department of Justice, ending inflation, abolishing gender-affirming care, and eliminating the Department of Education (DE).

With registration season passing us by, many students across the campus have been stressed about getting into the courses they need to graduate. Some students even balance the requirements of multiple majors and/or minors on top of general education requirements. This especially becomes stressful for seniors seeking to graduate in May, who are trying to avoid having to take intersession or summer courses —or even worse— stay an extra semester to finish their needed courses. As a student body, it is pertinent that we have the classes we need across all disciplines and levels to guarantee that students are able to keep their education on track. 

Dear Minerva,

I am feeling a bit worried after the election results. I have applied to a bunch of out of state graduate programs and am feeling unsure about the economic impact this may have on me. I am being told not to act due to fear but it is difficult as I feel like my future is at stake. What do you think I should do?

- Snarky Marky

Dear Minerva,

How do I work up the courage to ask questions? Or even just how do I overcome the fear of reaching out?

Sincerely,

Nervy!

For the last couple of weeks, I made a huge change to my nightly schedule and decided it was time to switch it up for the betterment of my own well-being. Instead of doom-scrolling endlessly on TikTok or Instagram for two hours before I went to bed, I decided to spend the rest of my night reading a book of my choosing. Now that the Milne Library has finally opened, we can finally have access to its amenities. Like other students, I wasted no time taking advantage of these services as I checked out around seven neatly stacked books on my nightstand.

Halloween is long gone, and Christmas is still yet to come (despite all of you hooligans who are already listening to Mariah Carrey’s Christmas album). Thanksgiving, however, is the always-forgotten holiday that is just around the corner. Students are counting down the days until break begins, the turkey is served, and football begins.

Most students’ experiences with history beyond the United States begin and end with global or world history in high school— thousands of years summed up in about eighteen months. As someone with a deep, abiding, soul-consuming, and all-encompassing love of history, I eagerly anticipated my college years. I wished to know more and explore areas of the world I had only briefly touched upon in my studies. Expanding my worldview and understanding different cultures and their histories were central motivations in choosing my history major.

With a second Trump presidency soon underway, I, like several others, stood in shock, numb to the core. This suffocating numbness took hold of me for less than 24 hours, after which the vine-like grip was released. In its place, however, is a mixture of pure sadness and rage constantly competing with each other. My body simultaneously grieves what this means for the country and internally screams with anger as people prioritize the cost of eggs over basic human decency.

The presidential election results are in, and everyone in your life is talking about it. If they are not talking about it, it runs as an undercurrent in every conversation. Opinions on what happened are everywhere, and it can be difficult to navigate emotionally. Personally, the opinions that are the most upsetting to hear are those that communicate indifference, relying either on apathy and a sense of privilege or a fundamental misunderstanding of what the president can do.

Over the past five years, the prevalence of technology as a part of the grade school classroom has skyrocketed. In a study done by Education Week, they found that 90 percent of the district heads they surveyed lead schools with a one-to-one student-laptop ratio for middle and high school students; around 84 percent of those districts also remarked that they provided one-to-one laptops for schoolwork at the elementary level. While this has academic advantages for teachers and students alike, I feel it is also important to consider the negative impacts this shift might create for students' relationships with learning and technology.

When I woke up to the news of Donald Trump winning the election, I felt a deep sense of disappointment, fear, and sadness. As I continued throughout the day, I realized I was not the only person feeling the effects of the election results. It seemed that with the weight of this news, students and faculty members were also quite devastated. With over 3,000 students enrolled at Geneseo, it somehow managed to be one of the quietest days on campus. The clouds loomed over campus, mocking the aura that surrounded the school. Classes were quiet, and homes and resident buildings were even quieter.

Being a more sustainable member of society is a goal that most people should be striving for. Trying to eliminate one-use plastic or disengaging from industries like “fast fashion” is where many eco-conscious members begin. Some practices of a sustainable lifestyle have even become trends that, while well-intentioned, might further the problems these movements aim to help with or create new problems of their own.

When thinking of the stereotypical suburban American community, four things come to mind: white picket fences, windy-curved streets, cookie-cutter-style homes, and grass lawns. I think of the countless older men mowing to keep lawns exactly five inches tall to comply with homeowner association (HOA) or municipality codes in the summer, maintaining them artificially lush using pesticides. I think of the countless hours my parents made me spend raking up leaves so that the “grass wouldn’t die,” even as it would a few weeks later when it snowed. It has always been odd that Americans care so much about these sprawling grass plots, especially considering it has no economic or sustainable value.

Milne Library's $40 million renovation is finally finished after five years of continuous construction. Within these years, the reconstruction of Milne Library has caused immense stress for faculty members and students alike. Construction began in 2019, which immediately displaced the library archives and other collection materials. The transition from Milne Library to Fraser Hall Library hindered many students' success, some of whom even graduated without gaining the full library experience. Some students have also used their public libraries as a reliable and capable resource. Students have been utilizing the Wadsworth Library to restore the college library experience. There have been many ways to work around this decrease in study spaces on campus. Still, now that there is a functioning library on campus, students and faculty members have the ability to depend on their library resources.

Reading the title of this article probably made some of you roll your eyes, thinking to yourself, “What does the pretentious writer have to say about the art of poetry?” Stay with me, though. I promise you that I will make the case below for why poetry is the best genre to start your writing career with.

I am sure many of you have heard of the “freshman 15,” but what may be an important concern for many college students is actually the opposite. You may be an outlier if you have not heard a classmate or friend lamenting about their lack of time for a meal. Conversations surrounding missed meals are frequent on college campuses— and the issue is one that has become so normalized that, at this point, most people do not see it as an issue. In a world that seems to simultaneously emphasize self-love—while also constantly reminding us to worry about meeting a vague, perpetually shifting societal expectation of beauty—it is important to prioritize our physical health; do not let the business of a college schedule serve as an excuse for skipping meals and neglecting your body’s nutritional needs.