Opinions - The Eastern Echo

Opportunity cost, opportunity lost

By James Tatum · Sunday, March 2, 2014

“Colorado Expects to Reap Tax Bonanza From Legal Marijuana Sales” was a headline which appeared in the New York Times over Winter break.

Interracial dating

By Kimberly Lewis · Sunday, March 2, 2014

I was 15 and participating in a program that included all kinds of students from the Midwest. We stayed in Marquette, Mich. for an entire summer going on field trips, taking summer classes, camping and, of course, dating. A group of students were having a conversation about race and dating; Jim, a group advisor, chimed in on the discussion sharing his experiences and explained how college was an eye-opening time for him. Jim said he had never met what he referred to as a black-haired person, a person outside of the Caucasian race, until he went to college.

Eastern is on the right path with reflection rooms

By Jumanah Saadeh · Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2014

Stress is an inescapable part of life, but its accumulation is detrimental to our health. Its toll on our bodies, however, could be eased if only there was a place where students could get away from the hubbub of life and just enjoy the blessed silence.

Is it time to end the death penalty?

By Anthony Alaniz · Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2014

America has always held itself to a higher standard than the rest of the world, yet the continued practice and use of the death penalty is just one example of how our country morally lags behind two-thirds of the world that has already abolished capital punishment. We, as a country, should be able to take the higher road than we are now.

Bisexuality misunderstood

By Quinn Ellison · Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2014

Attitudes towards people who identify as bisexual seem to be lagging behind the growing acceptance of gay and lesbian-identified people.

Attention Deficit Disorder is as much about nurture as it is nature

By Jumanah Saadeh · Sunday, Feb. 16, 2014

At one point or another, many of us have joked about having the attention span of a goldfish. The joke “I’m ADD, attention deficit dis… hey look, a butterfly!” and others like it make light of what is actually an overall culture of distraction.

Informed voting can help prevent bad politics

By John Keeth · Sunday, Feb. 16, 2014

When people try to pay attention to politics, they are often put off by the arguments that seem to go nowhere, the problems that never seem to get fixed and the steady stream of contradictory information coming from both sides.

Lokale Wirtschaftsentwicklung seminar on economy enlightening

By James Tatum · Sunday, Feb. 16, 2014

On Feb. 14th, in room 421 of Pray-Harrold, students from the University of Applied Sciences, Kehl, Germany presented their research on local economic development.

Teach For America helps to inspire students

By Tiffany Williams · Sunday, Feb. 16, 2014

I knew I was exactly where I needed to be when Stephanie looked up at me after finishing her math exam and said, “I did it.” I had challenged my students to grow two grade levels in math in one year – undoubtedly a significant feat that I knew would be difficult to attain. But for Stephanie, it wasn’t enough. Even as a sixth-grader, her focus was on completing the same problems her cousins in high school were working on. Her passion was math, and she pushed me, her mother and her grandmother to set the bar even higher. It was my first year of teaching special education students in Philadelphia as part of the Teach For America program, and Stephanie was one of the dozens of bright, young kids that I had the pleasure of working with each day.

We must ensure separation of church, health care

By Anthony Alaniz · Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2014

When you rush to the hospital in excruciating pain, the last thing you would expect is to be sent home untreated. Well, that is what happened to Michigan resident Tamesha Means in December 2010 – twice.

Homelessness cannot be written off with stereotypes

By Kimberly Lewis · Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2014

I once met a girl that was convinced that the majority of, if not all, homeless people were lazy, uneducated, irresponsible drug addicts.

Diseases resurface with decline in vaccinations

By Quinn Ellison · Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2014

Despite the continuing technological and scientific advances in medicine, old disease threats are starting to resurface as public health problems.

College, trade school education should be encouraged

By James Tatum · Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2014

In his budget proposal sent to the state Legislature, Gov. Rick Snyder, Republican of the Great Lakes State, requested funds for a 6.1 percent hike in aid to universities. In Tennessee, Gov. Bill Haslam, a Republican, asked for $34 million so that he could waive the cost of tuition for community college.

It's time to raise the minimum wage

By Professor John G. Fike · Sunday, Feb. 9, 2014

If you’re working your way through Eastern Michigan University and think your boss should raise your salary, you’re right. There are sound economic reasons why you should be earning a minimum of $22 an hour right now. Want to look closer?

Complaining about Executive Orders is nothing but political grandstanding

By Anthony Alaniz · Sunday, Feb. 9, 2014

At a March 2012 press conference, President Barack Obama said, “If Congress refuses to act, I’ve said that I’ll continue to do everything in my power to act without them.” President Obama continued his open defiance of Congress in last month’s State of the Union address. He said, “So wherever and whenever I can take steps without legislation to expand opportunity for more American families, that’s what I’m going to do.”

There is no such thing as being left-brained or right-brained

By Quinn Ellison · Sunday, Feb. 9, 2014

Are you left-brained or right-brained? That was a trick question. Unless you’ve had a hemisphere of your brain removed, the answer is both.

Hospital industry aims for repayment

By Anthony Alaniz · Thursday, Feb. 6, 2014

Hospitals are implementing new polices with the hopes of eliminating lengthy insurance reimbursement times by supplementing their pockets with prepaid deductibles and copay payments.

Logic and creativity are not opposites

By Quinn Ellison · Thursday, Feb. 6, 2014

Are you left-brained or right-brained? That was a trick question. Unless you’ve had a hemisphere of your brain removed, the answer is both. It is true that some of the major functions of the brain are lateralized, or largely localized to one side of the brain; language is a notable example.

EMU, Institute of Local Politics

By James Tatum · Thursday, Feb. 6, 2014

Every two years, Harvard University’s Institute of Politics plays host to the lucky few who either toppled an incumbent or claimed an open seat and were elected to Congress.

Multitasking leads to long-term problems

By Jumanah Saadeh · Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2014

The ability to multitask is arguably the most desirable skill to possess in today’s day and age. Whether in an academic or a professional setting, one’s ability to manage a large task load and high stress situations is seen a positive attribute. But despite our cultural preference, our internal biochemistry does not thank us for the ever-increasing amounts of stress we overload ourselves with.