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The independent student news site of San Marcos, California

The Cougar Chronicle

The independent student news site of San Marcos, California

The Cougar Chronicle

The independent student news site of San Marcos, California

The Cougar Chronicle

Opinion

People are joining together to protest against what the Trump administration is doing to National Parks.

National Parks are at risk and you should care about it

Celeste Yanez, Opinions Editor March 13, 2025

National parks hit a world record in 2024 with 331,863,358 visits. And as of recently, more than 1,000 national park workers have been laid off by the Trump administration.  Terminations began on February 14 to national park workers across America in favor of “shrinking” the federal workforce....

Transgender rights have been under attack across the United States.

Dear professors, respect your transgender students

Saturn Salama, News Editor March 10, 2025

Transgender people are being attacked across the country. From the stony walls of law and policy to the towering big cities and sprawling countryside, there is a great fear.  As progressive as San Diego appears to be, even our own politicians and community members would prefer to use us for political...

Courtesy of CSUSM UndocuAllies.

Op-Ed: Statement Condemning Repression and Criminalization of Free Speech on Campus

CSUSM UndocuAllies, Guest Writer March 6, 2025

As CSUSM faculty, lecturers, librarians, and staff we denounce the current administration’s efforts to criminalize, penalize, and target student activists, and activism in general, on our campus. On February 20, 2025, students staged a series of nonviolent direct actions to disrupt the Social Mobility...

Protesters yelling through their megaphones directly toward the USU where the symposium was held.

Social Mobility Symposium: A Protest Against Hypocrisy

Celeste Yanez, Opinions Editor March 6, 2025

On February 20, CSUSM hosted the Social Mobility Symposium in the University Student Union—an event dedicated to faculty and universities uplifting their students to success. It was an event for brainstorming and suggesting solutions. Chancellor Mildred García, the Chancellor of California State University,...

AI use is on the rise, especially in universities.

AI in the Academic World

Celeste Yanez, Opinions Editor February 13, 2025

Academic dishonesty has been prevalent in the past few years. Professors have had to keep an eye out for misinformation in students' essays, a student impersonating one of their peers when taking an exam, and plagiarism. But now, professors and teachers all around the world must be aware of the use of...

Kendrick Lamar's powerful performance with his dancers forming an American flag.

Kendrick Lamar’s Halftime Performance: A Political Statement

Celeste Yanez, Opinions Editor February 12, 2025

Kendrick Lamar’s halftime performance was illuminating, powerful, and symbolic. It is no secret that Kendrick is a lyrical genius, but also a master performer. Many people were anticipating his performance to comment on the current state of America: politically divided, and to take it as another opportunity...

Books are inherently political, but why don’t others think so?

Reading is Political: Why the Media We Consume Matters

Nahomi Garcia Alarcon, Arts and Entertainment Editor February 6, 2025

In today’s changing world, a new notion has started to take root in a small but very vocal group: the idea that books and politics should not share the same space. In social media, there is a growing trend of readers expressing their desire to escape political conversations by turning to BookTok and...

The land of the free is being contradicted by our President.

The Attack on Birthright Citizenship

Celeste Yanez, Opinions Editor February 6, 2025

On the day of Donald J. Trump’s inauguration on January 20, he signed an executive order that was a direct attack on the 14th Amendment. The 14th Amendment has been implemented in the U.S. constitution for 157 years, which grants those who were born or naturalized in the United States automatic citizenship.  After...

Your feed isn’t as free as you think. From TikTok to The Washington Post, censorship is everywhere—who decides what we see?

The Iron Grip of Tech Titans: Social Media Censorship

Nahomi Garcia Alarcon, Arts and Entertainment Editor January 30, 2025

In the early days of President Trump’s second term in office, the promise of “free speech” on social media platforms has turned into a battlefield. As tech companies like Meta and TikTok face accusations of censorship, multiple users are starting to raise alarms about suppressed hashtags, limited...

‘Queerness’ is a Third Gender

Saturn Salama, Assistant A&E Editor December 16, 2024

Queers have been forced into a third category of gender: normative man, normative woman, and the elusive, unidentifiable queer—capital Q.  Here, I mean to define the social gender of queerness, a phenomenon I’ve recently noticed. This is not to be confused with genderqueer or any non-binary identity....

Donald Trump's Re-Election

Donald Trump’s Re-Election

Nahomi Garcia Alarcon, Arts & Entertainment Editor November 19, 2024

Donald Trump has secured a second, non-consecutive term as president of the United States, defeating Vice-President Kamala Harris. His victory came after crucial wins in battleground states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, granting him the support necessary to reclaim the White House.  Trump...

CSUSM's Ballot Dropbox can be found at Chavez Circle

Tomorrow’s Vote: An Ethical Responsibility and a Reflection of Privilege

Nahomi Garcia Alarcon, Arts and Entertainment Editor November 4, 2024

Tomorrow is Election Day, a moment that underscores one of the most ethically significant choices citizens face.  As we approach this critical election, the conversation around voting is more vital than ever. In a democracy, the act of voting is not just a right; it is a profound responsibility that...

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