Despite growing up in Utah, a state structured around the LDS religion, I never held the same conservative values regarding sex and marriage as others in my community. In the…
The hippie generation is now
I grew up listening to my parents talk about “the good ol’ days.” My dad grew up among hippies, and my mom, who was born just shortly after the baby…
What if Donald Trump was Donna Trump?
This election campaign has already been a nasty one. It has undoubtedly ignited a fire and inspired a revolution among younger generations, but it has also quickly exposed the sexist…
Move to Portland!
I first decided to move to Portland in search of something I’d never had before. It was almost as if I was effortlessly drawn to all the unique and interesting…
Keep ‘Looking for Alaska’ in the library
The American Library Association for Intellectual Freedom released its list of “Most Challenged Books of 2015” after compiling reports from schools and libraries across the country. The list is released…
ISIS, Muslim and Islam are not the same thing
Lately, there has been a lot of hatred toward Muslims, but nobody wants to claim responsibility for the bigoted behavior, discrimination or acts of hatred being carried out against them….
The homeless need our help, not our hate
I hate the word homeless. It’s a word followed by too many stereotypes, too many negative connotations and the picture it paints within society’s mind is neither correct nor humanistic….
Tinder really isn’t that bad
I first downloaded Tinder after walking away from a long-term relationship. In the beginning, I was ashamed and embarrassed that my loneliness led me to download the app. My friends…
Slut shaming has got to stop
Thanks to Mean Girls, I was 10 years old the first time I heard the word slut. My parents were overwhelmingly protective when it came to PG-13 movies and tried…
No, mom and dad, I’m not obeying
I’ve heard it a thousand times by now, been reminded a billion times, and have heard it spoken in a disapproving tone more times than I can count: “Just listen…