Oct. 14 of this year was Columbus Day, and it saw dozens of social media posts, including several from Eckerd students, saying how unimportant, offensive and overall disrespectful the holiday is. But people treat Thanksgiving differently.

The likelihood of any Eckerd student being attacked or killed by a shark is lower than them being crushed by a vending machine. But it is our responsibility to prevent any such incident from occurring by being respectful of our role in the ecosystem just beyond Eckerd’s seawall. 

Eckerd opened its campus to pets in 1973 to manage animals kept here illegally. The school created new rules to ensure these pets got proper care, but students habitually break them. It’s time to end that pattern.

Dean of Students James Annarelli sent an email to our Editor-in-Chief Elaine Newbern Monday morning stating that President Donald Eastman requires we take down an article published in 2017.

Father Gregory Boyle came to speak to Eckerd students and the St. Petersburg community about his gang rehabilitation program, Homeboy Industries, on Oct. 30. Boyle was both inspirational and charming, but was also a prime example of people in this country who have yet to acknowledge their pr…

Entitlement is an ongoing problem among Eckerd students. And while the inherent privilege of attending a private institution is unavoidable, arrogance towards our staff and faculty is unacceptable.

Our bubble, tucked away on lush, waterfront property in South St. Petersburg, offers little incentive to go elsewhere. 

The consequence for smoking a joint on Kappa field is far less severe than if you were to smoke a joint in Maximo Park. Since law enforcement tolerates minor drug crimes at Eckerd, they should decriminalize them in all of St. Pete. 

It’s 10:30 p.m. on a Thursday evening. You are halfway through your psychology paper hoping to be able to finish it so you can get to bed before midnight. But all of a sudden the people in the room next to you start blasting music. It’s not like you can say anything; it’s not quiet hours yet…

In 1960, Kennedy beat Nixon in the first televised debate because he looked and sounded good, while Nixon appeared sweaty and disheveled. This debate ushered in a new era of politics by emphasizing appearance over content. 

Housing Office is getting creative to find everyone a place to live. Unfortunately, their solutions so far have been to offer students crowded triples and overpriced off-campus living.

For almost a decade, the Eckerd Health Promotion department has been implementing what they call the Eckerd Smoke-Free Initiative.

Social media is a large part of college students’ lives. While social media can be beneficial, often times it is overused and can weaken our social connections.

Starbucks is a treat to students before and after classes, but this popular coffee shop is host to plastic waste that students use and discard within minutes of purchase. Students can make easy changes to avoid falling prey to this plastic death trap and take a stand against single-use items.

College students often live a stressful and cluttered life. A minimalist lifestyle can take away unneeded stress and give more time to focus your energy on reaching your goals and helping your community.

Long-term benefits of long-term study abroad

Changes to the room draw process no longer allow for students to squat in rooms. With housing in high demand, the ban on squatting will bring more equal room opportunity for Eckerd’s growing student population.

Unless you have been hiding under a fairly large rock, you have seen the internet set ablaze by individuals fighting against the use of single-use plastics, particularly plastic straws. But, banning of the plastic straw will disproportionately affect the disabled community, which relies on t…

Eckerd is well-known for its pet-friendly policy. But, this privilege makes it easy for students to impulse-buy pets they are not ready to care for, endangering the animal in the process.

Throughout the years, Eckerd parties have changed and are no longer as fun as some alumni remember. The rules have gotten more strict and less students care about the themes. 

This year, 29 different Winter Term classes went abroad to countries like Cuba, England and Greece. Of those, eight fulfilled the environmental perspective. While these courses allow students to do research with Cuba’s Center for Marine Research (CIM) or learn about tropical plant taxonomy i…

Valentine’s Day is a day dedicated to spreading love, but a lot of people feel indifference toward Valentine’s Day, some going as far as hating it. They ask why a special day for love is needed when it’s a part of life that is already commonly celebrated.

The stockings are hung by the chimney with care, carefully lined up to be at the same height. A tree stands in the middle of the room, taking center stage as it struggles under the weight of a decade’s worth of ornaments and multicolored lights. The smell of freshly-baked chocolate chip cook…

While JUUL electronic brand cigarettes may seem appealing with their sleek design, small size and variety of flavors, the harsh reality is that JUULs are bad for both people and the environment.

I have observed that college students often spend more time focusing on pop-culture news surrounding celebrities and social media memes rather than real world news that matters. This is a problem because to be an active member of society and contribute to a democracy, students need to be inf…

Eckerd recently concluded a week-long series of CPS events dedicated to sexual identity and health, titled Great Sexpectations. The series responded to a need on campus for access to resources pertaining to sexual health. The events also discussed important sexual topics and helped educate s…

Eckerd College has over 80 clubs, yet only a portion are consistently arranging events and meetings. Club life is essential to relationships and diversity on campus and should be of more importance to Eckerd students.

On Monday Oct. 8, Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in as the 114th justice to the Supreme Court. The senate confirmed him 50-48, the closest Supreme Court confirmation vote in American history. Many think that this is a failure for democracy and women, while others think that no man is safe from be…

Yellow bikes have been a privilege at Eckerd since 2004. Much time and money has gone into the operation, yet bikes are still carelessly knocked over and mishandled across campus. It is the responsibility of the Eckerd community to push for a college culture that takes care of its property a…

*Writers Gwen Everhart and Sam York are club heads for the EC Democrats 

When rapper Malcolm McCormick, known to fans as Mac Miller, died of an apparent overdose on Sept. 7, fans were understandably upset. Not so understandable was the blame of his death on singer Ariana Grande, with whom he had previously been in a relationship for nearly two years.

This year, Pet Life has made changes to their policies that students must follow to keep their furry friends on campus. To some, these new policies can seem tedious and harsh. However, students shouldn’t jump to conclusions about Pet Life being out to get students in trouble.

Colin Kaepernick became the new face of Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign on Sept. 3, embellished in an ad by his quote, “Believe in something. Even if that means sacrificing everything.”

Eckerd is known as an accepting, liberal school, yet part of the population does not feel comfortable with a need as basic as using the bathroom. While Eckerd is taking initiatives to make the LGBTQ+ community comfortable, information on gender neutral bathrooms could be spread better.