Especially in times like these, we need to have conversations around opinions — after all, everyone has one. In her Letter from the Editor, Editor-in-Chief Rowan Toke shares her own experiences with voicing her beliefs and hopes the different viewpoints in the fall 2021 special edition provide members of the community with insight into who we are and deconstruct the negative connotation of having opinions.
Opinions
History of the Freedom Wall
Pepperdine’s Freedom Wall is synonymous with sharing opinions on campus. This timeline details the major displays throughout the wall’s history, from its establishment in 2003 through this semester.
Hope Dease Finds Hope in Her Faith
Senior Hope Dease said she is passionate about her faith and believes everyone is saved by God, no matter whether they accept Him into their lives. Dease said she uses her platform as a student to try to spread the love of Jesus to everyone she meets.
Raymond Rider Believes Everyone Should Take a Philosophy Course
Raymond Rider, a senior Philosophy and Psychology double major, was also a student speaker of TEDxPepperdine in 2019. Rider said he is passionate about philosophy and argues that Philosophy 200 should be one of the General Education classes for every undergraduate student to take.
Setting Aside Personal Biases: Members of Pepperdine’s Debate Team Explain Their Process
Members of the Pepperdine Debate Team consider and communicate arguments regularly. Different members weigh in on how personal opinion plays a roll in debate.
COVID-19 Breeds a Plethora of Opinions
COVID-19 has shaped the way people share their opinions and think about those of others, whether on social media or in real life. Students say everyone has some type of opinion about COVID-19 and social media could be aiding in the spread of people’s opinions about the pandemic.
Chase Johnson Champions Productive Disagreement
SGA President and senior Chase Johnson discusses the importance of being able to disagree with others respectfully and have productive conversations. He said he believes that this was once possible but that individuals have lost that ability in recent years.
Opinion: Remove Heteronormativity From the Default
Why do people need to come out, and why is “straight” the default? Heteronormativity is the center of how people go about relationships, and that needs to change — pronto.
An Open Essay: Abortion and the Holocaust
The Holocaust is not anyone’s political talking point. From an individual who feels the repercussions of the Holocaust every single day, this is a response to someone who compared abortions to the Holocaust.
Opinion: Isolation to Inundation — Pepperdine Must Make Transition Easier For Students
During COVID-19, many Pepperdine students were relatively isolated. But now that we are back in person, how can Pepperdine adjust to meet the needs of students who are struggling to adjust to increased social interaction?
