For the average reader, the most infamous line of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” may be “Wherefore art thou Romeo?” But instead, I’ve found myself repeating the question, “What's in a name?” over and over again in my head.
After an entire school year of being online, we are slowly and cautiously returning to where we left off in March 2020. Students are figuring out bus routes, navigating campus and adjusting to life beyond the comfort of their own homes. One of the many benefits that came from the online scho…
With the start of the fall semester, Hokies have had their first taste of pre-COVID-19 college normalcy since March of 2020. With in-person classes, football games and other social activities in which to look forward, there is much to be excited about this school year. However, it is importa…
The transition from high school to college is rife with fear and anxiety. We’re suddenly removed from our parents for the first time, far away from friends we’ve known for years and often hundreds of miles away from where we grew up. All of this to say, college is an exercise in discomfort. …
Author's note: I first published this piece in August of 2019 when I was a newly-hired opinions editor. Though I originally wrote this for the class of 2023, I believe my words still hold true today and embody a lesson that we all need to remember. Whether you're a freshman, a senior like me…
Arriving on campus for the first time as a freshman can be stressful for a multitude of reasons, so keeping yourself busy is key to settling into a healthy routine. In order to get into this new college lifestyle, Virginia Tech provides its students with plenty of opportunities outside the c…
Most college students have received sympathy this year for our strange, disrupted COVID-19-induced experiences. Many parents and friends look at us with pity and say, “It’s a shame; college should be the best four years of your life.” This seems to be a common belief — that college is a care…
In 2011, a movement named Occupy Wall Street gained force. Disenchanted with the economic disparity between wealthy and poor Americans, protesters marched and camped in Wall Street’s Financial District for two months. It was a sensational occurrence that took up news headlines and disrupted …
Imagine it’s the first day of classes and you’re in a classroom building on campus. You sit down, maybe near some friends, and prepare for class. You’re so excited for a fresh start to the semester and can’t wait to see what’s in store.
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Course Request opened this week, which means that most students are spending hours deliberating over their ideal schedule for next semester before finally hitting “submit.” Unfortunately, these hours of deliberation don’t result in immediate answers. For the following weeks, students wait as…
According to the university, the purpose of the Virginia Tech COVID-19 Dashboard is to “inform (the) community as well as provide metrics which will be useful in our decision making process related to campus operations.” Indeed, keeping the public informed and guiding decision-making ought t…
Nearly two weeks ago, Virginia Tech President Tim Sands sent an email out to the Virginia Tech community admonishing students for disregarding safe COVID-19 practices. Some students read the email and agreed with the general premise — students certainly could and should do more to protect on…
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It’s easy to envision the stereotypical college apartment: they’re somewhat affordable, small and offer us our first glimpse into life as an adult. Sometimes, they may even be falling apart at the seams. Blacksburg apartments are no exception — students can often feel like they’re forced to …
Meeting people in person is now a health risk, so we turn to dating apps to satisfy our natural hankering for human interaction. Some dating apps have tried to adapt to the times by giving users the option to change their settings to “socially distanced dates with masks only.” It is importan…
In the midst of a pandemic, being home for the holidays and approaching a new semester, conflict may be on the rise in your personal environment. While it may seem easy or more time-efficient to brush any occurring issues aside, being non-confrontational may prove to be more difficult in the…
Attention deficit disorder affects 6.1 million kids in America from the ages of 2 to 11. While this number is staggering in size, the knowledge the general public has regarding ADD is limited. This ignorance hurts the very people who struggle with this disorder.
Essential workers, particularly those working in customer service, have often been the casual target of unpleasant, entitled behavior — and this was before their job title became a well-known phrase. Nearly a year has passed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, so by now we are all prof…
After completing the fall semester and exams in December, Hokies now have the time to reflect upon their experience taking online classes. Since classes began on Aug. 24th, many students found themselves taking classes online for the very first time. Although a small percentage initially att…
As the pandemic began, we adjusted our lives to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Now, almost a year later, we are coming to terms with another major change. To minimize the risk of an increase of cases, Virginia Tech has rolled out a new policy that replaces a week-long spring break with…
In light of the novel coronavirus, Virginia Tech has proposed new plans for spring break 2021. Tech’s new schedule will feature five one-day breaks in the months of February, March and April. This is meant to help stop the spread of COVID-19 by preventing students from traveling, and while t…