Opinion | Student Voices Columns

OPINION | STUDENT VOICES COLUMNS

YikYak and the paradox of public anonymity

By Heidi Smith | March 2, 2022

By choosing to post thoughts publicly, without the identification of a name or pseudonym, a YikYak user is exercising their right to be anonymous in a public online encounter. But, the subject of discussion–if it is indeed a person or a group of people—has no such privileges, unless the Yak is obscene enough to be moderated.

OPINION | STUDENT VOICES COLUMNS

The marketplace of ideas won: how Duke Yik Yak cured cancer

By Monday Monday | February 28, 2022

The progress flowed faster than you can say “Milton Friedman is kinda the GOAT fr.”

OPINION | STUDENT VOICES COLUMNS

Five surefire ways to improve the Duke student experience

By Nathan Luzum | February 28, 2022

I’ve come to realize that task forces are like rabbits—you put two of them in a room for long enough, and soon enough there are 10.

OPINION | STUDENT VOICES COLUMNS

Happiness and its many faces

By Emily Maceda | February 28, 2022

For the people that chase after a profession out of pure passion regardless of the salary, I applaud you and I respect you immensely. But I’ve stopped pretending that I am one of those and I’ve stopped feeling guilty for what happiness looks like for me.

OPINION | STUDENT VOICES COLUMNS

Ashes of war

By Luke A. Powery | February 28, 2022

Because we are all ashes, alike, we should all be better stewards of ashes, treating each other with great care, gentleness, tenderness, kindness and love.

OPINION | STUDENT VOICES COLUMNS

Lessons from All of the Above: your story matters too

By Samantha Sette | February 24, 2022

I joined not as an experienced actress or confident storyteller or believer in my own worth, but quite the opposite. It was a selflessly selfish endeavor: I wanted to bring life to someone else’s words in hopes that it would help me find my own. Just for fun, I reasoned, not recognizing at the time how much this show would come to mean to me, and what it can mean to you.

OPINION | STUDENT VOICES COLUMNS

The five stages of a lecture

By Spencer Chang | February 24, 2022

Taking chemistry was a mistake.

OPINION | STUDENT VOICES COLUMNS

Living on the edge of a hyphen

By Linda Cao | February 24, 2022

When people questioned athletes like Gu deciding to represent China, comparing her to athletes like Chen who continue to represent the U.S., whether I agree with their decision or not, I do acknowledge the risk and courage it took to make either decision.

OPINION | STUDENT VOICES COLUMNS

Happiness Hangovers

By Abdel Shehata | February 24, 2022

I am not scared by the silence before the storm, but by the silence after sunset.

OPINION | STUDENT VOICES COLUMNS

The five stages of first-year grief

By Olivia Bokesch | February 23, 2022

The denial phase begins where everyone begins at Duke: orientation week, better known as O-week. Nothing makes it easier to avoid confronting the gigantic life shift that is college like no work and all play for a whole week...but denial never lasts forever.

OPINION | STUDENT VOICES COLUMNS

Why body positivity?

By Dan Reznichenko | February 23, 2022

Fat shaming--this idea that we can bully people into losing weight--is blind and dumb.

OPINION | STUDENT VOICES COLUMNS

Consumer-centered healthcare

By Kathy Dai | February 23, 2022

Against the backdrop of a high-cost, fragmented healthcare system, the US healthcare marketplace continues to experience a flood of new choices.

OPINION | STUDENT VOICES COLUMNS

What’s the buzz on vibrators?

By Viktoria Wulff-Andersen | February 21, 2022

I've come face to face with society's critical treatment of women masturbating, a memory that reemerges each time I search up vibrators on Amazon.

OPINION | STUDENT VOICES COLUMNS

The art of not caring

By Valerie Tan | February 17, 2022

Being alone most of the time meant that I was forced to befriend myself, and as I got to know her a little more, I grew comfortable with her.

OPINION | STUDENT VOICES COLUMNS

A home for all: couch potatoes & superhumans alike

By Emily Maceda | February 16, 2022

The first step to giving back to ourselves may be recognizing and embracing our non-superhumanity.

OPINION | STUDENT VOICES COLUMNS

Krzyzewskiville: a more perfect meritocracy?

By Heidi Smith | February 16, 2022

A phenomenon like K-Ville, which emphasizes the effort part of the meritocratic equation, rather than aptitude or advantage, begs some difficult questions about what it means to deserve something, especially among the educationally elite.

OPINION | STUDENT VOICES COLUMNS

Devil’s advocacy: Why Duke Basketball is worth the hype and the hate

By Community Editorial Board | February 16, 2022

People should hate Duke because we’re infuriatingly good, not because we are prejudiced.

OPINION | STUDENT VOICES COLUMNS

Remembering Trayvon and Jesus

By Luke A. Powery | February 14, 2022

We love because it is the only power to drive out hate and it is stronger than death, stronger than crucifixions and guns.

OPINION | STUDENT VOICES COLUMNS

“I am in love with my cousin.”

By Linda Cao | February 11, 2022

I feel shocked, then afraid, and ultimately, repulsed.

OPINION | STUDENT VOICES COLUMNS

A Chromebook in a Sea of Macs

By Abdel Shehata | February 10, 2022

I am a low income minority student, a label that I am neither proud of or ashamed of. At least, that's what I want to believe, but understandably it’s more complicated than that.