Continue to forgive, continue to learn

A racist photo taken more than 30 years ago of Virginia’s governor has surfaced. The photo shows one man dressed in Ku Klux Klan garb an another in blackface. When can racism be forgiven?  Gov. Ralph Northam’s blackface scandal is another painful reminder of a dark part in our country’s history. Let us be reminded that Virginia held the Confederacy’s capital in Richmond and was a major proponent of slavery. Although many Americans since have learned to embrace others regardless of their skin color, it cannot be denied that racism has been in embedded in Virginia’s culture for a long…

Anti-vaccinators’ choices hurt everyone

Measles and whooping cough are among the diseases spreading because of the anti-vaccination movement.  The movement started with a possible link between vaccinations and autism. A U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study showed that an aggressive vaccination schedule does not increase risk of autism. Instead of following fact-based evidence, some parents are deciding to risk their children’s lives with illnesses such as measles, polio and whooping cough. Not only do they risk their children’s lives, but the lives of others as well.  People magazine reported that an Ohio teenager chose to get himself vaccinated without his parent’s approval.…

Stressed out, but I’d do it again

I can honestly say that before this was written, I had never taken the bus. Sure, there was the occasional school bus or charter bus for competitions and field trips, but never anything regular enough for me to really get a feel for it.  The minute I turned 16 I had the keys to a car in my hand. Before that I always had my mom to take me places like school or work. I know many students do not have this luxury, so I have decided to write my experience on what it was like to take public transportation…

Drama springs into the season with Shakespeare

DMC Drama Springing into the season with Shakespeare  A young woman in her adolescence has many decisions to make. What are her interests? Her favorite artist? Who are her friends? Where does she hang out and what should she wear? She is torn between identifying herself and letting others do it for her.  The simplicities of a developing girl are fragile, until the day her naivety is exposed. The Del Mar College drama program will explore some of these modern and relevant issues by introducing a 400-year-old piece by William Shakespeare titled “Measure for Measure.”  The plot of the upcoming…