
Opinion
The Opinion section regularly features staff editorials, columnists' essays on topics privy to them, and unpopular opinions.
The importance of voting
Howdy folks! Many of you may or may not be aware that Geneseo is having its mayoral election next week on Tuesday, Mar. 15. Many of us will be home during that time, and will need an absentee ballot to vote, assuming you are registered to vote in Geneseo in the first place. Most Geneseo students probably do not care who becomes mayor of Geneseo as many of you likely do not live in Geneseo full-time—after all, why should I care if I don’t live here permanently?
Marriage is a business agreement, not just a personal one
Over the past century, there has been more than one global shift regarding what the word “marriage” means. For the majority of recorded history, marriage has been a contractual agreement concerned with survival, resources, and the continuation of the species (bow chicka bow wow).
Governor Hochul is not progressive
This year, New York State will be having an electing a new governor. Voting will be in November, but the primaries will occur before then. It’s an exciting time, as for many of us reading this it's the first gubernatorial election we can vote in. But it’s also not so fun if you consider yourself to be remotely progressive, and I’m going to go out on a limb and say that this public, liberal, state-funded school, has a lot of progressives out and about. And I’m also going to have to give you all some bad news—it doesn’t look good.
Elvis is still the king
Throughout history, many artists have come, and many have gone. Some were popular in their time but ultimately lost their popularity as the years passed on. Some may have produced one memorable song never to be heard of again. Though many are the exception to this trend, Elvis Presley is. For a man who died almost 45 years ago, his name is just as synonymous with music now, as it was then.
Spring break should be an actual break
It seems like week after week, you’ve just been drowning in schoolwork, along with your club duties and regular work schedule—but, you look ahead and soon there will be a nice break from this. Your anticipation is building up, each day that goes by is one closer to spring break… but then you look at your assignment calendar and realize multiple things are due for the day you get back. Total bummer.
Accessibility on campus
You’re walking up Newton hill, it’s 8:55 A.M. and you have a 9 A.M. in Newton 202. You get to class and hesitantly let out little weighted breaths as to not let the whole lecture hall know that the mountainous incline of cardiac hill has taken you out once again. That’s all good and well, but what if I told you that, not only is that experience a luxury, but it's also the reason why many students with disabilities never even consider coming to the “welcoming” campus of SUNY Geneseo.
Do you read The Lamron, and why is your answer no?
Ah yes, the newspaper. Sixteen pages of pure entertainment, containing topics such as news, arts and opinions. If you are reading this, you are obviously reading the paper, but I beg you to ask your friends, “Do you read The Lamron?”, and then I ask you to ponder why their answer is no.
You’re not doing it wrong, you’re just not meeting the status quo
Do you ever feel like you’re just not doing college right, like maybe that you didn’t do high school right, like there’s this imaginary person you’re supposed to be and you’re just not cutting it? I empathize with you—for a while, I felt like that too—but I’m beginning to come to the realization that I don’t have to do what others do to be valid. If I’m happy doing my own thing, that’s all that matters. If we were all exactly like one another, the world would be a terribly boring place, yet the standards in place expect just that. You’re not wrong if you don’t meet those standards.
Celebrities should not share their political views
In today’s day and age, a celebrity has more influence than ever. With the number of platforms available for anyone’s use, there are countless ways a person of higher status can communicate a message to their followers. Even so, I think celebrities should not share certain beliefs, especially when it comes to politics. While no law prohibits a person from sharing those opinions with the general public, it doesn’t have to be a law for something to be considered indecent.
Yik Yak’s back, for better or for worse
In recent months, an app has swept the Geneseo campus with the promise of anonymity and an ability to spread information rapidly. It’s called Yik Yak, and you may have heard of it years ago—the app launched in 2013, and was wildly popular throughout schools of all levels in the United States. Now, after a successful rebrand and relaunch in 2021, the app has regained popularity.
American food: Made to make us sick
Titanium dioxide, potassium bromate, azodicarbonamide, butylated hydroxyanisole, brominated vegetable oil and color dyes: just a few food additives that are banned in Europe, but still used in the United States, according to Becky Upham’s article on Everyday Health. These additives have all been researched and found to do or pose possible harm in areas including genotoxicity, carcinogenicity, reproductive harm, nervous system damage and behavioral issues. So why are these things still allowed in our food?
Don’t hold your breath on Trump, he’s not getting jail time
I’m going to break the rules and give you all some good news: Trump and his two kids, Ivanka and Donald Jr, are being investigated by the New York Attorney General for their business practices. The Trumps will have to sit for depositions and have two weeks to hand over specific documents related to his 2016 campaign finances.
Staff Editorial: Racial awareness cannot end when Black History Month is over
As Black History Month comes to an end, we wanted to give a final tribute to the ways in which we need to and should be defending, recognizing and appreciating Black history and Black lives, each and every day.
Letchworth in the winter
Letchworth State Park is considered the best state park in the entire country—its raw beauty allows for it to present its greatness in any season. While it can be assumed many come to the area during the warmer months to take in all it has to offer, there are still those who go in the winter months, as it has a very contrasting feel when it's covered in snow.
Winter is the best season
Here's a hot take: Winter is the best season. I’m not talking about December winter, but winter winter—January through March, and sometimes April. The blissful time of year with snow days and weeks of freezing temperatures, blankets, slush, layers of clothes and, the most joyful of all, sledding. Being from an area that is, frankly speaking, the great plains of Western New York, hills are at a premium and sledding is rare. Unlike my home, Geneseo is positioned on a mountain, not a “hill,” which makes it the perfect location for this engaging activity.
Soup is not a beverage, but it is something else
Let’s address the elephant in the room: soup simply isn’t a beverage. So, soup is just soup, right? Wrong. As it turns out, soup may fall into another category of food. That’s right—soup is a salad.
Face-off: Lift the campus mask mandate
It is in a way unbelievable that it has been almost two years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. So much has changed, ranging from daily interactions with other people to how entire institutions operate. In this span, from 2020 until now, tests have become readily available, and a vaccine has been developed with an additional booster shot to increase immunity to new variants.
Give your mind some love by reducing your screen-time
I know most of you are probably tired of the lectures—usually given by older generations—about turning off that darn phone or video game and opening a book. Well, I’m here to tell you why you should actually consider that advice. I know, I can sense the disinterest and eye-rolls already, but just give me a chance. I’ll only take a few minutes of your time.
Masking should continue on campus
Since the dropping of the New York State indoor mask mandate on Feb. 10, 2022, controversy has erupted as some colleges continue to require masks. Even though the state mask mandate has been lifted, I believe that colleges should continue requiring masks as it is beneficial to their students and the surrounding community.