The Seahawk

OPINION: Is it ethical for scientists to manipulate viruses?

Emma Sheeran, Opinion Editor • January 13, 2021

Scientists worldwide perform experiments by manipulating viruses in labs. While some of these viruses are common, others are extremely dangerous. Labs...

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 06: Pro-Trump protesters gather in front of the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. A pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol, breaking windows and clashing with police officers. Trump supporters gathered in the nation

OPINION: Capitol Hill protests depict racial disparities in policing

Hannah Horowitz, Staff Writer • January 9, 2021

The complete lack of control during the Capitol Hill riots that occurred this past Wednesday only reinforced the already clear disparities in...

Students in a class at Aalto University in Espoo, Finland.

OPINION: Should colleges enforce attendance policies?

Emma Sheeran, Opinion Editor • January 8, 2021

Strict attendance policies are a reality for college students nationwide. These policies threaten academic consequences if students miss a certain number of classes. While the policies are well-intentioned, they do much more harm than good.

OPINION: Should vaping be banned?

Emma Sheeran, Opinion Editor • January 6, 2021

Vaping bans have been popping up around the nation in response to growing health concerns regarding the popular smoking alternative. Currently, 13 states and two U.S. territories enforce vaping bans to some degree.

OPINION: UNCW must require students and staff to receive COVID-19 vaccine to attend in-person classes

Emma Sheeran, Opinion Editor • January 3, 2021

Scientists from several different pharmaceutical companies have been scrambling to develop a safe and effective vaccine against COVID-19. Now...

Making cheese is easy and you can use store-bought milk. Like any fermented-type food cheese is not necessarily difficult but it takes time

OPINION: Fermented foods may improve America's mental health problem

Emma Sheeran, Opinion Editor • December 20, 2020

Studies have shown that the microbes and probiotics in fermented foods promote optimal gut health, therefore resulting in healthy levels of serotonin. Fermented foods must be added to diets nationwide to encourage strong mental health. This is especially necessary during these stress-ridden and unprecedented times.

Civil servants are being swab tested by laboratory officers.

OPINION: Trust in healthcare is rapidly decaying amidst COVID-19 pandemic

Emma Sheeran, Opinion Editor • December 18, 2020

On Dec. 14, the U.S. began administering COVID-19 virus vaccines to high-risk healthcare workers. This monumental day was filled with anxiety...

Students gather in a hallway at Kealing Middle School in 2018. Some shorts are prohibited on Austin school district campuses under the current dress code.

OPINION: School dress code policies perpetuate sexism in American culture

Emma Sheeran, Opinion Editor • December 12, 2020

In 2018, the Alameda Unified School District in San Francisco eliminated their traditional dress code policy. Now allowing students to...

The nurse depicted in this 2006 photograph, was in the process of administering an intramuscular vaccination in the left shoulder of a young girl. The nurse was pinching the overlying shoulder skin, in order to immobilize the injection site.

OPINION: Should minors have access to COVID-19 vaccine without parental consent?

Emma Sheeran, Opinion Editor • December 5, 2020

Various COVID-19 vaccines have been in development since the virus was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. Pharmaceutical companies...

A display inside the Upperman African American Cultural Center in Fisher Student Union.

OPINION: UNCW is not doing enough to improve inclusivity of minority groups

Hannah Horowitz, Staff Writer • November 30, 2020

The simple fact is that we are in the year 2020. Universities should no longer be getting praise for having minority student organizations or holding minority student panels. The existence of the Upperman African American Cultural Center, Centro Hispano, and the LGBTQIA+ Resource Office should be givens, not talking points.

OPINION: American restaurants need COVID-19 aid now

Emma Sheeran, Opinion Editor • November 22, 2020

Restaurants, particularly small businesses and bars are the backbones of communities nationwide. These establishments welcome tourists, families and locals to come and enjoy the area’s cuisine. If these businesses are so beneficial to community, then why is the government reluctant to give aid during these difficult times?

President-elect Joe Biden delivers his victory speech after defeating Donald Trump in the presidential election on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, at the Chase Center in Wilmington, Delaware. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

OPINION: A Biden presidency will heal the nation

Nicolas Ziccardi, Contributing Writer • November 21, 2020

However, indirectly or otherwise, a Biden presidency may in fact be the catalyst for real change that many people desire and his creed to heal the “soul of our nation” could very well be a more prophetic statement than once believed. Mr. Biden's most advantageous asset may well be his very presence.

OPINION: "The Queen's Gambit" is much more than a women's empowerment story

Emma Sheeran, Opinion Editor • November 19, 2020

“The Queen’s Gambit” tells a compelling story about a young girl and has deeply moving morals. However, this show is not just about the empowerment of women; it’s about showing the real destructiveness of substance dependency and how one can overcome it with the support of friends.

Business closed due to COVID-19 shutdown. Photo by Andrew Winkler

OPINION: America cannot afford another shutdown

Jacob Sawyer, Staff Writer • November 17, 2020

Regardless of the success of this or any other stimulus plan, no amount of free money can compensate for the severe fallout of home confinement. The “thin bandage” of the stimulus, writes the National Review, would be unable to prevent the economy’s partial recovery from bleeding out.

Coronavirus / Covid-19 cases in the United States. (20.04.2020) Source: www.worldometers.info/coronavirus

OPINION: The holiday season will bring another wave of COVID-19

Hannah Horowitz, Staff Writer • November 17, 2020

This is not time to let our guard down just because of the holiday season. It is important to remember that the world is still experiencing a global pandemic. We may be tired of the virus, but the virus is surely not tired of us.