Opinion

According to the website shootingtracker.com, 298 mass shootings had taken place in America by early October this year, the equivalent of one every 25 hours.  A “mass shooting” is generally defined as an incident in which at least four people are injured by a gunman. The fact that this qualification involves such a high number is a big red flag. But what do we do about such senseless acts of violence? […]

Hip-hop group Whodini asked a very important question in its classic 1984 song “Friends.” “Friends. How many of us have them? Friends.  The ones we can depend on.”  I know people who have elaborate birthday parties every year. You can’t go out to dinner with them without their phones lighting up. Every weekend, they’re invited to all kinds of events. They seem to have tons of friends. […]

“Black lives matter” has become an enduring rallying cry of people protesting police brutality all over the country, and I agree. But I also think all lives matter.  On the ESPN program “First Take” recently, Skip Bayless, one of the hosts, pointed out the irony that while black lives do matter, the fact is that more black people kill other blacks than police officers do. […]

My two favorite Tyler Perry movies are “Why Did I Get Married?” and “Why Did I Get Married Too?”  The first is a comedic drama, released in 2007. It’s about the difficulty of maintaining a solid relationship in modern times.  Four married couples (who also are college students) and another friend go to Colorado for an annual reunion, but the mood shifts when one couple’s infidelity comes to light.  The reason I like the movie is that it teaches people about marriage by showing very real-life and honest representations of how some relationships work. […]

Years ago, when I first moved to St. Louis as a teenager, my friends and I would joke that all the interesting places, cool hangouts and fun events seemed to be in St. Louis County. We would hear about something new and exciting going on and – upon inquiring where – get the response “in the county.”  It gave the county a certain mystique and glamour. It made me feel like I was missing out on something as a city dweller.  My thinking began to change in my late teens and early 20s, especially after I received an unusual compliment. I had been attending Forest Park, St. […]

No season says fun and adventure like summer.  Most people have more free time than usual. Students aren’t taking as many classes, and it’s the peak for traveling. If you’re normally too busy or stressed to pursue romance, this would be a perfect time to give it a try.  A “summer fling” is a light, no-strings-attached relationship that usually lasts only a couple of months. People have been having them since way before Sandy and Danny sang about them in “Grease.” But if this is a new concept to you, here are a few tips: […]

Being a student with cerebral palsy at Forest Park has its challenges, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how accommodating people on campus can be.  I wasn’t even sure I wanted to go to college because of my bad experiences in high school. I was bullied by other students and neglected by personal-care attendants. But a case manager at Paraquad encouraged me to give it a try. […]

It’s been three years since I joined the Global Faith Community, a multicultural Christian club at Forest Park. Its mission is to encourage students to meet those from other cultures, learn, socialize and explore views on Christianity. I did not have any friends at Forest Park until I met Erica Li, now the club’s faculty sponsor. […]

Summer is upon us! Some of you are going on vacation. Others are coming back to Forest Park for summer semester. Most students will be hanging around the house and working. What do you have planned for your days off? Understandably, most students have tight budgets and can’t afford pricy entertainment, but there’s actually a lot to do around St. Louis that’s free or cheap. […]

Black women have been cast in the lowest roles possible on television.  Historically, they played housekeepers for white families or mothers on welfare, living in the projects and barely surviving. Other characters perpetuated extreme urban stereotypes: gum-popping ghetto girls with long weaves, short tempers, giant earrings and bad attitudes. […]