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The Student News Site of Colorado State University

The Rocky Mountain Collegian
The Student News Site of Colorado State University

The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Collegian Columnists

The Kremlin sits on the Moskva River in Moscow, Russia Dec. 17, 2012.

Henry: Putin’s bully politics won’t work — U.S. should get involved

Brendan Henry, Collegian Columnist • February 23, 2022
All right Vladimir Putin, how about we cool it for a bit? This whole invading and annexing sovereign nations thing is a little outdated. Do you really want your future war crimes to be livestreamed to the entire world? The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics collapsed at the end of 1991, resulting in the USSR losing its economically important satellite nations and the gained independence of Ukraine, among others. Now the only thing exported by Russia on a major scale is oil and petrol, and this, coupled with the desire to regain previously held land, seems to lead their president, Putin, to want to annex Ukraine.
A professor teaches in a large classroom with clearly marked seats for students to ensure social distancing Sept. 1, 2020.

Meltzner: America desperately needs to fix its education system

JD Meltzner, Opinion Editor • February 22, 2022
When the world began to reopen following the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in late 2020, there was a need in many industries and sectors for support systems — both in the aspects of finance and general operations — to help these industries reemerge from the worldwide closures amid the pandemic. Many industries, like business, entertainment and service, received ample support plans from the government and other industry-specific associations to help jump-start their individual economies. However, one industry in America has been woefully under-supported during the past two years of restimulation: the education sector.
Climate Column (Graphic Illustration by Abby Flitton | The Collegian)

Gross: We’re passing the tipping point of caring about climate change

Dillon Gross, Collegian Columnist • February 22, 2022
When it comes to the climate, there are numerous tipping points that human society is nearing or even already passed. A tipping point is defined as a threshold that, when passed, results in irreversible changes. When applying this concept to the environment, it's easy to see why understanding the impact of these climate tipping points and how we can avoid passing them is of utmost importance because, after all, this is irreversible damage we are now dealing with.
Former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the Atlanta Falcons during Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium Feb. 5, 2017. Mandatory credit: Mark J. Rebilas — USA TODAY Sports

Meltzner: Tom Brady finally retired — athlete worship should do the same

JD Meltzner, Opinion Editor • February 16, 2022
Those of us who are familiar with the sporting world are also familiar with the immense impact of the recent retirement of Tom Brady from the NFL. Even those who are unfamiliar with the sporting world are likely familiar with the weight he carried in the sporting community. You do not have to love sports to know Brady's name, and this is because the culture surrounding athletes encourages hero worship on a level that goes beyond the world of sports to permeate the entire sphere of popular culture.
(Graphic illustration by Abby Flitton | The Collegian)

Lopez: With rent prices increasing, it’s clearly time for U+2 to go

Dominique Lopez, Collegian Columnist • February 15, 2022
The pandemic affects everyone. Many people have lost their jobs and have had to depend on unemployment checks to ensure they can continue to buy food and pay rent. However, earlier in the pandemic, rent prices were relatively low, and there was more leeway for those who needed to pay rent — everyone was struggling. However, now that fear of the pandemic is lessening and vaccine rollout is in full swing, the leeway that renters experienced over the past two years is gone. Rent has been continuously increasing, and as a result, people are beginning to lose their homes or are forced to downsize in order to continue to afford their necessities.
A sign hangs in Sage Hall on the Colorado State University campus Jan. 31. Sage Hall is where the Colorado School of Public Health at CSU resides along with the Psychological Services Center.

McKissick: Students should use the psychology department counseling services

Nathaniel McKissick, Collegian Columnist • February 15, 2022
The COVID-19 pandemic has had resounding effects on all of us to varying degrees. Some people have experienced the profound loss of someone close to them, while others have lost their job or their home. It’s hard to quantify just how much this virus has taken from us, but one thing is certain: It’s affected our mental health as a nation.
Former president Donald Trump waves to the crowd at his campaign rally in Colorado Springs, Colorado

Stella: Donald Trump is so anti-law that even Mike Pence spoke up

Michael Stella, Opinion Columnist • February 14, 2022
Former President Donald Trump presents as a law-and-order candidate amid his reelection campaign, but few instances during his time in the office or the year following his defeat have supported this claim. In the last few months, Trump has continued to demonstrate his complete disregard for the rule of law time and time again.  The rule of law is vital to a well-functioning democracy because it maintains order and holds everyone, including the president of the United States, accountable. In America, no one is above the law, not even the president. Laws are not meant to be bent or blatantly ignored just because a president thinks they can, and in doing so throughout his four years, Trump eroded the rule of law in America perhaps more than any American president in the past.
(Graphic Illustration by Chloe Leline | The Collegian)

Gross: Staying silent is just as powerful a freedom as that of speech

Dillon Gross, Collegian Columnist • February 10, 2022
Words are powerful; they always have been. Revolutionary texts like Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” are integral to the founding of the United States. There’s a reason that freedom of speech is the very first amendment to the Constitution. In a day of prevalent social movements and political events, it is expected that everyone has an opinion on everything. And, of course, differing opinions are good and beneficial for democracy. With anyone able to get a Twitter account and say whatever they want, the internet is constantly flooded with more words than anyone could ever read. The constant expectation for people to speak up about everything, however, is harmful. 
(Graphic Illustration by Dylan Tusinski | The Collegian)

Lopez: There is privilege in being heard; stop spreading conspiracies

Dominique Lopez, Collegian Columnist • February 10, 2022
Teachers in schools across the country are begging their respective school boards to better follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. This plea is often overlooked by school boards, and there are still few harsh mandates being placed on school districts despite the growing rate of COVID-19 cases.  After reading this the question about why so many different counties have different mask mandates and also about the way that so many people use their freedom of speech to fight against these mask mandates when they are there to protect everyone including those against them.
A photo illustration of a person trying to post to Twitter who's account was recently suspended.

McKissick: Social media platforms are not bound by the First Amendment

Nathaniel McKissick, Collegian Columnist • February 9, 2022
In recent years, the internet has become a hotbed of misinformation. In 1710, Jonathan Swift mused that “falsehood flies, and truth comes limping after it.” Three centuries later, and this quote still rings true, especially on social media platforms where the truth often goes unchecked by the everyday user. COVID-19 plunged us face-first into an era that exacerbated this issue even further, giving rise to misinformation surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine, the coronavirus itself, ostensible treatments like Ivermectin and ultraviolet therapy, mask sentiments and more.
(Graphic Illustration by Charles Cohen | The Collegian)

Hontz: Media personalities have an ongoing war with truth

Chase Hontz, Collegian Columnist • February 8, 2022
Following the emergence and sustained spread of the COVID-19 pandemic over the past two years, our nation has been hit with a slew of complex issues stemming from the deadly disease. No issue has been more prominent and dangerous than the spread of COVID-19 misinformation that has seemingly become common practice for attention-seeking media personalities across the country. Two years into this unprecedented health crisis, it seems that many among the media have taken it upon themselves to act as self-declared medical experts. There are no two better current examples of this than Fox News host Tucker Carlson and immensely popular podcaster Joe Rogan.
(Graphic illustration by Allie Watkinson | The Collegian)

Head to Head: The Stump debate

February 6, 2022

Editor’s Note: All opinion section content reflects the views of the individual author only and does not represent a stance taken by The Collegian or its editorial board. Two columnists debate the...

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