by jmccoy3 on April 21, 2022
Opinion
Why Do We Move Our College Stuff out for the Summer?
Ashley Seldon ’24
Earlier this week, a college girl posted a TikTok poking fun at her father, who asked her if she could call her school and move her items into her new housing before the summer break. College students understand that this is not how move-out day works and that once the end of the semester hits, it is a hassle to pack everything back up and load it into the car. However, everyone in the comment section of this TikTok mentioned that their fathers had said the same thing, as dads certainly dread the toil of moving boxes up and down flights of stairs on move-out day. These dads may be on to something. It seems like it would make more sense if upperclassmen were permitted to move their items into their new suite or apartment at the end of the semester in preparation for the next term. When they return in August, all they would have to bring is their clothes, toiletries, and groceries, rather than packing up their entire college lives and attempting to stuff them in an empty closet at home for three months. There are arguments that the dorms need to be cleaned over the summer, but on move-in day, the rooms are remain dusty and have marked-up floors, presumably from the year before. It could be left to both the incoming and outgoing students to clean their dorms. Providence College could have each class “move out” and move their belongings in bins to their new housing on campus at the end of the spring semester. It could start with rising seniors and end with sophomores so that the upperclassmen will already be moved out before the underclassmen take their rooms.
The TikTok Trend We All Need
By Julia McCoy ’22
If approached with the question, “Do you believe in feminism?” or “What are your thoughts on systemic racism?” would you be able to quickly have an informed answer? These questions are now more frequently asked thanks to TikTok. Despite its marketing as an entertainment application, TikTok does sometimes offer educational information. More so than just a video explaining what these things may be, students at Brigham Young University use the app as a way to highlight disparities in education, specifically on topics like social issues and history.
One group that appears to be gaining popularity recently is “The Black Menaces,” students of color at Brigham Young University who ask their peers questions about race, gender, and sexuality. There are opinion-based questions, like “do you think women should always be stay at home moms?” or “do you support Blue Lives Matter”, which capture the students’ thoughts about hot button issues. In other videos, the students show a picture of a historic Black figure, like Coretta Scott King or Malcolm X, and ask if the students can identify them. Students offer a variety of answers for each type of question, with shockingly underwhelming results for those fact-based questions.
Essentially, the goal of this page is to point out that there is a distinct difference in the education of students at Brigham Young University and those at countless other schools across the country. Students can likely identify well-known figures like Rosa Parks, but not many others. When answering opinion-based questions about feminism and systemic racism, students often deflect, admitting that they need “more information” or “to do more research” on a topic.
Overall, there is a glaring issue in what young people know regarding race, gender, and sexuality. The importance of doing “research” is evident as students are left dumbfounded by rather basic social questions. So, in case this trend circulates at other schools—and just for the sake of knowing more about the world around you—start thinking about your own stance on these social issues.