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

Students raise concerns about full cost of tuition during a pandemic

Students raise concerns about full cost of tuition during a pandemic

Ariel Lopez, Assistant A&E Editor September 29, 2020

This story was updated on Oct. 1 to include the student petition to lower CSUSM tuition. Despite not being able to use most of the on-campus facilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic, CSUSM students are still required to pay the full cost of tuition, much to the dismay of many students.  Over 850...

Recent wildfires underscore the need to take climate change more seriously.

Climate action starts with you

Maria Jungers, Assistant Opinion Editor September 29, 2020

The issue of climate change is becoming more concerning, as wildfires are visibly moving faster along the west coast.  Just this year in the states of California, Oregon and Washington, there have been five million acres of land burned, thousands of people who were forced to evacuate their homes...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hopes to increase diversity in films by implementing new standards.

The Oscars have updated their Best Picture policies, but does it even matter?

Jules Appleton, Staff Writer September 29, 2020

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released new policies for Best Picture eligibility as a part of their Aperture 2025 initiative on Sept. 8.  According to the Oscars’ website, the initiative is a “five-year effort to diversify our organization and expand our definition of the ‘best.’” Films...

Social media has become a platform for activists during this pandemic.

Social media influences magnitude of social issues during pandemic

Alya Burnand, Staff Writer September 29, 2020

The pandemic has played an unusual role in amplifying social justice issues through social media.    Stripping away all the distractions and noise - like, for many, physical school, jobs and socialization - has revealed the truth of and alternatives to what we actually do. It revealed who...

Cancel culture promotes a mob mentality and causes damage to people’s lives.

Cancel culture gives a toxic power to people on the internet

Tania Ortiz, Opinion Editor September 29, 2020

Social media has become a tool for activism, socialization and self-expression. Over the past several years, it has become the ideal platform for cancel culture’s growth.  We have witnessed cancel culture affect people’s lives, from celebrities to regular people like you and me. This trend on...

Students will be required to take ethnic studies courses starting 2023.

New graduation requirement will impact students

Tania Ortiz, Opinion Editor September 15, 2020

With the nation mobilizing and becoming aware of the social injustices occurring to minority communities, there is a growing demand for schools to require an ethnic studies/social justice class for their students.  The need to learn about systemic inequalities has become a priority, inspiring many...

Campus life is on hold until Fall 2021 until then CSUSM classes will be held virtually.

Returning to campus in the future will change campus life

Tania Ortiz, Opinion Editor September 15, 2020

Campus life is on hold for the time being and now that we know classes will unfortunately remain online through the spring, the question remains if we will feel comfortable returning in fall 2021.  With campus being closed, students are not receiving the same amount of socialization with peers as...

Learning from last semester’s mistake will help students succeed in virtual classes.

Learn from last semester’s mistakes to succeed this semester

Tania Ortiz, Opinion Editor September 14, 2020

As we embark on this new virtual semester, I can’t help but look back to last semester to reflect on what went wrong and what worked for me.  Last semester felt foreign when logging onto Zoom instead of being on campus. Being at home for the latter half of the academic school year at first felt...

COVID-19 changes can make us grateful for what we still have

Ariel Lopez, Assistant A&E Editor September 14, 2020

When COVID-19 hit, our lives drastically changed, making 2020 the worst year ever for many of us.  Now that we are six months into the pandemic, it does not seem as bad as it was when everything first shut down. This has become a way of life that I know is temporary, but does not bother me as much...

Reflecting the transition to online learning mid semester

Tania Ortiz, Assistant Opinion Editor May 7, 2020

As this whirlwind semester is nearing its end, many students are reflecting on how this last half of the semester has thrown us through the wringer and how unexpected all of this really was. I’m not so sure about you, but I find myself thinking about how at the beginning of this semester I had a positive...

Social distancing can affect our mental health past the COVID-19 crisis

Tania Ortiz, Assistant Opinion Editor May 7, 2020

As we continue social distancing, we are taking everything day by day in hopes of returning to normality. For all we know it could take another couple of weeks, even months, until this is all over. Which could lead to more time quarantined in our homes, without being able to interact with people we care...

A Call to Civility: Prioritizing People Rather Than Their Politics

Alexandra Bennett, Contributor May 7, 2020

In the current year, many Americans have been affected by the blatant political polarization that has taken hold of the nation since 2016.  Many may scoff when the term "civil war" is brought up regarding this new political landscape. Still, I see the disheartening truth in it. We are in a civil...

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