Opinion

UNH Theatre Department Performs Into the Woods

Why celebrity voice acting is lazy

If persistence had a name: Peter Petrigno

It is not unusual in the United States to find civil servants from all walks of life. Some have lived comfortable childhoods and want others to live a similar, worry-free existence. Others have come from poverty and unstable backgrounds and have the first-hand experience necessary to win the trust of those struggling the most. Peter Petrigno, 67, belongs to the second category. 

Opinion: UNH Health & Wellness Hosted Pro-Abortion Panel Discussion

er grabbing my phone and headphones, I rushed upstairs to my room and logged onto Zoom. University of New Hampshire (UNH) Health & Wellness was hosting a reproductive health panel including four panelists from abortion-supporting organizations, and I needed to be on time for the discussion.   

Why we need the Freedom to Vote Act

If you are a young person in New Hampshire like me, there is a seemingly endless list of concerns that make us question our future. Every day, we see the devastating effects of climate change with more and more ‘once-in-a-generation’ storms and record-breaking wildfires that are becoming commonplace. The crippling student debt crisis continues to weigh down generations, making it difficult to get ahead and stay ahead, and to make it even worse leaders in Concord keep raising out-of-state tuition, and that’s not to mention the challenge of finding a job and an affordable place to live after graduation.  None of these issues will matter unless we focus on fixing the state of our democracy.  

Opinion: HB544 would impact effective discourse

As students who have benefitted from professors who have taught topics that others find difficult to address, we know that progress is not made through silence. It is made through rigorous debate and practical experience.

OPINION: Should students be required to pass a citizenship test?

Last week, the New Hampshire State Senate passed HB320, a bill that if signed by Gov. Chris Sununu would add a civics competency as a graduation requirement for all New Hampshire public high schools. This bill flew mostly under the radar, passing the House 208-141 with some bipartisan support: 14 Democrats joined Republicans in favor with six Republicans voting against, before passing the Senate on complete party lines 14-10.

SCOPE Hosts Pete Davidson for virtual Q&A

Saturday Night Live (SNL) star, Pete Davidson, was welcomed to a Q&A hosted by the University of New Hampshire’s (UNH) Student Committee on Popular Entertainment (SCOPE) and moderated by SNL’s Alex Moffat this past Tuesday.

The MLB’s responsibility to stand up for minority voters

Georgia, the state set to host the 2021 Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star Game has come under national scrutiny for a law placing restrictions on voting, which will disproportionately impact Black Americans and other minorities, according to the Los Angeles Times. Players, coaches, and the MLB have an opportunity to stand up for what's right.

Challenges of a break-free semester of virtual learning

It’s no secret that attending college during a pandemic is difficult. Hours of Zoom classes and meetings, and online homework, projects, and exams have changed student life on campus all over the nation - and have also affected student mental health. While spring breaks have been cancelled at colleges all throughout the country in order to keep communities safe, including University of New Hampshire (UNH), a college semester without a break has seemed to increase the stress levels on campuses.

Opinion: Celebrating Influential Women in N.H. Political History

New Hampshire is known for its unique political scene. Our first-in-the-nation primary means that every four years in February, voters living across the country learn the names of our counties and polling precincts. However, people don’t always recognize many of the women throughout New Hampshire political history who have broken records, made waves and blazed new trails.

Opinion: You are more important than your grades

Sometimes it seems there will be no end to this pandemic. Yet, we have normalized it now and expected everyone to go on with their lives and not think too much about it. But not thinking about something doesn’t mean it’s not there. It’s there. And it might be affecting you more than you think.

Binge-worthy “Bridgerton” is a Netflix hit

The new Netflix original series, Bridgerton offers the viewer a look into 1813 London during the courting season. The eight-episode drama was created by Chris Van Dusen and produced by Shonda Rhimes. The show quickly became a Netflix “Top Ten” and currently remains top four in the U.S. today.

Michael Bublé: an overrated figure in music

My middle school is known for our jazz band. Definitely not as good as we thought we were, but not bad. My instrument of choice in the band was the flute. Most of the time it sounded like a suffocating bird instead of an instrument, but despite my inability to actually produce music myself, I appreciated jazz band because of how our conductor taught us how to play it. We would listen to it, break all the parts down, and then build it back together with the instruments we had. This construction and reconstruction method taught me to appreciate music for all its parts and complexity. I learned that different artists don’t just play music, they are able to use their voices or their instruments to portray a certain set of emotion and values.

"Plastic Hearts” is Cyrus at her best

I’ve never been a fan of Miley Cyrus. No, not even during her Hannah Montana days (I was more of a Wizards of Waverly Place kid). I had never paid attention to her early, controversial music career and only a few of her songs entered my radar. What can I say? “Party in the USA” still slaps. 

Opinion: The fallout from Trump’s social media ban is just beginning

On Jan. 6, thousands of demonstrators, many wearing “MAGA” merchandise and waving Trump 2020 flags, broke into the second floor of the U.S. Capitol building right outside the Senate chamber to stop the certification of the 2020 election results. The riot was the product of weeks of speeches and tweets from former President Trump claiming Joe Biden's victory was the result of voter fraud and encouraging his supporters to “stop the steal.” 

College students hold the keys to cultivate civility

As this challenging year comes to a close, the United States looks back on a year of polarization and politicization of public issues between holders of opposing viewpoints. A divisive election and unprecedented global pandemic both accentuated civil discourse pitfalls that have been present among us for years. It’s easy to allow these issues to overwhelm us, but all that does is doom us to fall into repetitive patterns and get caught up in what’s wrong rather than ways to fix it.

How to stick to your 2021 New Year's resolutions

Setting new resolutions - goals, specifically - can be daunting and overwhelming. It can be difficult to pinpoint exactly what you want to improve about your life, and even more difficult to follow through with a new habit, routine or lifestyle change. After the year - more like century - that 2020 was, I think we could all use a fresh start. I’m here to help you make 2021 your best year yet.

UNH fall semester COVID-19 protocols considered successful

With the rise of COVID-19, universities across the country had to decide whether or not to bring students back for the fall semester. The University of New Hampshire was one of many who brought its students back in person, raising concern for the members of the surrounding community. Read this special local feature submitted by Megan Deane, the editor of Oyster River High School's news magazine.

An upperclassman’s guide to Discovery Courses at UNH

As underclassmen begin to pick courses for their next semester at the University of New Hampshire (UNH), discovery courses remain something many underclassmen want to cross off their college to-do list. UNH requires every student to complete the Discovery Program which is compromised of courses that cover 11 different categories: Writing, Quantitative Reasoning, Inquiry, Biological Science, Physical Science, Fine and Performing Arts, Humanities, Historical Perspectives, World Cultures, Social Science, Environment, Technology and Society. Check out popular favorites and their availability this spring!