Observer Department: Editorial

Fake hate crimes deepen divide

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The recent staged hate crime organized by Jussie Smollett is but the latest symptom of a disturbing trend in the current cultural and political environment. Disproportionately experiencing these fake hate crimes are college campuses around the country.  The BBC reports that a “Chicago judge has said that if true, the…

Trump delivers a stately address

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Not once, but a few times bellows of “USA USA” echoed across the floor of Congress, at times with voices from both sides of the aisle. While this bipartisan jubilance might easily be mistaken for a conciliatory moment, the State of the Union Address was the setting of the scene…

Gillette’s commercial gets it wrong

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In rapid fire sequence, the words “bullying,” “metoo,” and “toxic masculinity” are rattled off as news reports play in the background. From a filmmaking standpoint, this opening is an effective and concise summary of the message of Gillette’s controversial advert “The best a man can be,” but it also betrays…

Learning to love the grind

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The end of the semester is here. After many sleepless nights, last-minute scrambles and outstanding pieces of writing and presentation, we can all take a deep breath. As the semester ends, and the next one comes into focus, it’s time to rest, take stock, and prepare to overcome whatever challenges…

Organize, prioritize, accomplish

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  At the heart of being an effective student, in my experience, is three words, which are Focus, Prioritize, Accomplish. While this credo might be a bit simplistic for some more complicated situations, at very least I’ve found these rules to be a useful place to start when I find…

CNN anchor jumps the shark

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On Monday the 29th of October, CNN anchor Don Lemon sparked an outrage when he made comments on air that asserted that the greatest terror threat in the country is white men. According to the Washington Post, the comment in question was “... we have to stop demonizing people and…

Midterm musings

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The midterm elections are fast approaching, and candidates, celebrities and businesses alike are taking part in a nationwide push to energize the youth to become politically involved in the ballot box. Though, in the turbulent social and political environment, perhaps more than ever, the young vote is disheartened, disgusted or…

Guilty until proven innocent?

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The present firestorm over Judge Kavanaugh’s potential appointment to the Supreme Court may be the peak of the many trials (be they legal or public opinion) of the #Metoo movement. Begun and intended as a massive push against sexual assault and harassment in Hollywood, then across the business world, the …

Online censorship stifles discourse

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Recent actions by major social media   platforms heralds the restriction of free    expression and the collapse of partisan discourse Social Media, for all the regulations, terms of service, and monitoring has largely been a wild place for a long time. There has often been simply too many comments,…

Students need to be proactive about future

Like many other students who plan on continuing their education after receiving a degree from Northern Essex, I participated in last Friday’s Haverhill transfer day. After this semester, I’ll have fulfilled all my degree requirements and plan to move on to finish my Bachelors Degree in journalism. However, it didn’t…