The Seahawk

OPINION: The residential parking situation is inconvenient and unfair to on-campus students

Abigail Celoria, Contributing Writer • October 14, 2021

With the start of a new semester, both new and returning on-campus students moved into their new housing assignments excited for an in-person experience, the first for some since the pandemic’s initial outbreak. The delta variant continues to threaten that hope, but campus life has persisted in spite of it, allowing a sense of normalcy to return to the college environment. However, an unexpected beast arose in this perfect storm of returners—namely, the wildly oversaturated parking situation on campus.

OPINION: Society should implement social programs that encourage interactions between individuals with and without disabilities

Michael Friant, Contributing Writer • October 6, 2021

If we were to normalize social interactions between neurotypical children and children with disabilities, these types of interactions would be few and far between rather than the norm. This is because the neurotypical kids will have had experience in interacting with someone with disabilities. This prior experience will undoubtedly play a positive role in the individual’s interactions with the person with the disability.

Letter from the Editor: The mistakes we make as student journalists

Brenna Flanagan, Editor-in-Chief • September 25, 2021

The Seahawk is committed to doing better. We are reviewing the editing process above and will reduce the instances of single-person publishing. Sensitive stories will be reviewed by a committee made up of editorial staff and general body members to review language, construction and content that could injure underrepresented groups on campus. We will also strengthen our efforts to connect with diverse campus voices and organizations, including through a specific contact on our editorial board.

OPINION: It is not too late for UNCW to require COVID-19 vaccinations

Michael Friant, Contributing Writer • August 21, 2021

UNCW already mandates certain immunizations against certain diseases such as mumps and measles. This is done to protect the greater student body from a massive outbreak. So, mandating the COVID-19 vaccine for all students would provide a layer of protection to the student body against a massive delta variant outbreak, and a subsequent reversal to an online class setting.

OPINION: New mask mandate returns us to an unnecessarily restricted existence

Jacob Sawyer, Staff Writer • August 3, 2021

Even as data show the pandemic to be largely over for the fully vaccinated, the fear-mongering ultimately won the war. On July 27, the CDC recommended that fully vaccinated Americans in roughly two-thirds of U.S. counties should return to covering their faces indoors. At this time, only public places are included, and private gatherings remain unaffected. This does not sound too bad, but the move is based on circumstantial evidence that ignores the overall big picture.

OPINION: In honor of Pride Month, schools should create mandatory classes on LGBTQ issues

Michael Friant, Contributing Writer • June 28, 2021

This synopsis of my story is not the exception for many queer students, who are often leaving home for the very first time. With this being the case, UNCW should incorporate mandatory training for incoming and current students to both try to educate them on how to interact with and around LGBTQ people and alert them to be conscious of their fellow peers whom they do not necessarily know all that well.

OPINION: The government and mainstream media prevented us from addressing the lab-leak theory. There should be consequences.

Jacob Sawyer, Staff Writer • June 25, 2021

The leakage of COVID-19 from Wuhan’ institute has not yet been officially confirmed. It might never be, especially as the lab’s top officials, as well as their ultimate superiors in the Chinese Communist Party, continue to suppress the truth. But numerous signs, relating to both the virus itself and the suspicious politics surrounding it, have emerged in favor of the lab-leak hypothesis.

OPINION: DA must explain and reduce charges on Wilmington protesters

Michael Friant, Contributing Writer • June 18, 2021

Although the DA’s office mysteriously dropped the charges, psychologically they won their case. This is because they made him an example of what they could do to future protesters. Any protesters familiar with his case will have second thoughts about whether to protest due to the simple fact that they might end up having to deal with legal consequences. Unfortunately, in many cases, these protesters will probably not protest in the future, which means David effectively silenced future demonstrations.

OPINION: Stop raising parking fees at Wrightsville Beach

Elizabeth Fowler, Contributing Writer • June 5, 2021

Visitors have to pay $5 an hour to park just to shop, dine and enjoy the sun. Is that fee really worth it? The jump in parking costs from 2018, when it was half this amount at $2.50 an hour, is classist and exclusionary. The costs have been rising annually and reached a new high for the summer season of 2021. This needs to be reevaluated and changed for all beachgoers to enjoy this public area.

OPINION: Political leaders should use their power to accommodate for better transportation options

Michael Friant, Contributing Writer • June 3, 2021

With the current housing crisis in Wilmington, a leader of his stature should use his power to boost the welfare of all his constituents. Rep. Rouzer should not have used one of his earmark requests to secure funds for a road expansion. He should offer an alternative that would be more efficient for everyone involved.

OPINION: Wilmington needs to be more accessible

Michael Friant, Contributing Writer • May 29, 2021

While most people think of using a whole day to travel out of town, the people who rely on Wilmington public transportation have to plan their whole day around going somewhere, which is typically only...

OPINION: The Gaza crisis shows that it’s time to stop glorifying your country at the expense of others

Jacob Sawyer, Staff Writer • May 29, 2021

This senseless violence is another example of patriotism taken way too far. Idolization of the state was a key driving force behind humanity’s bloodiest conflicts, including both World Wars. More recently, right-wing nationalist leaders like former U.S. President Donald Trump nearly caused a further war with policies like imposing universal sanctions on Iran and escalating economic tensions with China. Both moves were harmful to innocent civilians within their target countries and did not help the U.S. in any way.