Emporia is over three hours away from my hometown. I moved here to pursue my dream job, music journalism, and to grow up, take risks, become someone new. Then my world at Emporia State fell apart. The university fired 33 professors, suspended the journalism program, and plunged all of us int…

I’ve rewritten this half a dozen times. I have spent five years on this campus. Five whole years and I made this my home. But this is my last opinion as the ESU Bulletin’s opinion editor. I’d love nothing more than to reflect on my glory days in this article, but I want to do this justice. T…

In 2016, I was the epitome of the college freshman. I was heavily involved with the Honors College and Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity, I always had money for “fun activities” because I had a job, I was at the bar until 2 a.m. every Thursday and Saturday, and, most importantly, I excelled in al…

A man sits to my right with his head thrown back, snoring as he chases some rest. Another sits a few rows in front of me loudly talking business on his phone (it’s not going well) with an ankle hooked over his knee and black frame glasses hovering on his brow. 

Weapons raised, fear takes over and instantly everything calms as his hand shoots up with a golden bangle and an ornery grin, “Good thing we’re allies, right?”

The seasons are yet again changing; the air is getting warmer and the flowers are blooming. One of my favorite things to do in the spring is to curl up with a good book while hanging out in a hammock in front of Plumb Hall. If you’re anything like me, you get extra enjoyment in reading books…

It’s more than just a coffee shop. 

When I sat in the movie theater last week and the last advertisement faded out, I expected “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” to begin playing. Instead, the actors making up the protagonist group in the film filled the screen to thank the audience for seeing the movie in theaters. 

Cowboy boots, line dancing, dirt, old windmills, a banjo. Those are all of the things I pictured as I listened to the first album on Apple Music by Steel Skarecrow.

This year has broken me. 

I have been The Bulletin’s sports editor for over a year now. This title consists of writing athlete feature stories, attending games and staying up to date on all teams.

I’m sure you’ve heard the chaotic melody of trills, squawks and chirps emitted from trees and shrubs the past few weeks. The birds are back and boy, are they hungry.

“God, I miss being that skinny. I was so small.” 

In 2022, over 70,000 reports of child abuse were reported in Kansas; nearly 1,000 of those came from Lyon County, according to the Child Protective Services intake reports. To combat child abuse, lawmakers have categorized certain professions as mandated reporters. These individuals are requ…

I remember my boyfriend and I showing up at a party to watch Super Bowl LVII on Sunday Feb. 12, just after the halftime show. Despite having little interest in sports, I can tell you that during the second half of the game as the Kansas City Chiefs were starting to make their comeback, I was…

Have you ever wanted something so bad that thinking about it is as natural as breathing? Where you can perfectly imagine yourself in these made up scenarios, living your life as if you got what you wanted? Have you also walked into that situation and it turns into an absolute dumpster fire d…

HBO Max turned a post-apocalyptic video game, released in 2013, into a TV show and I like it. It‘s not the best thing I have ever watched, it wasn’t life changing, but I like it. 

The ancient Greeks believed there were nine different types of love. Each one has its own meaning and purpose. In the grand scheme of life, I believe we each should experience all nine to some extent as many times as we can, and from everything I’ve seen and experienced while on campus here,…

Dear reader,

In many stories it seems as though people gravitate less to the main character or hero of the story and more to the morally gray, more questionable character. This is seen in the “Thor” franchise with many adoring Loki or how people love Tyrion Lannister from “Game of Thrones.” But why does …

While I tend to keep many of my opinions lighthearted and filled with quippy pop culture references, I wanted to write something a little different because something has been weighing on my heart. As I write this it is Dia de Finados, which is Brazil’s version of Day of the Dead.  

My family consists of multiple veterans. This means that growing up, it was drilled into my head to see them as heroes and have nothing but respect for these men and women. I watched my dad walk up to veterans and shake their hand while thanking them for their service. My dad would tell me a…

I work at a funeral home, so I know the ins and outs of the funeral industry. The most common form of postmortem care is cremation, probably because it's about one-fourth the cost of traditional burial. Though cremation is preferred by most, I don't want to leave this world in flames; I want…

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that when the season changes to fall, everyone’s statuses become “taken.” Cuffing season has officially begun and it makes me want to vomit. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good romance, but often cuffing season leads to FOMO, love bombing and the awkward g…

Three weeks into the new academic year, I find the normal excitement for a new start lacking. Instead, I see anxiety and some dread surrounding the future of the university. And, sadly, I share in it. 

The Supreme Court overruled Roe v Wade and Planned Parenthood v Casey on Friday. 

My generation was born into violence.

Earlier this week a draft opinion from Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito was leaked. Essentially the ruling would overturn the previous rulings of Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. It’s left the nation in a headspin and has sparked conversation on every social media platform. If …

For a long time, I didn’t know what my future held. When I changed my major from education to communication, I went from knowing I’d be a teacher to not knowing where I’d be after graduation. Communication is a broad field, but it fits in well with journalism and I absolutely love building r…

Big Pharma is a beast we all know and hate. They control every aspect of the drug market, especially prices. The price of drugs in the U.S. drives many families into financial ruin; with or without insurance.  

When I first started at Emporia State, I was fresh-faced and ready to kick some ass. My family has a lot of history with the university, and I was so excited to be the next generation at ESU. After four years here though, I’ll be leaving this school burnt-out and angry.

Without education, society would not have been able to progress on the same trajectory as it has. We would most likely not live in a technological age with advanced medicine and the conveniences we enjoy today. So why is education such an expensive business?  

Last spring was awful for me. I was taking 18 credit hours, working 20 hours a week and we didn’t have our much-needed spring break. I also had several personal issues I was working through: my friendships were falling apart, I was suffering from a major writer’s block that had me questionin…

This is the 52nd Earth Day; the first was in 1970 after a Wisconsin senator, Gaylord Nelson, watched an anti-war protest cause an oil spill. April 22 was chosen because it's between spring break and finals which means students would be in schools to learn about their environment. 

From the small age of 11, I remember being objectified in a sexual manner. I started filling out and stepping into a more mature body earlier than some of my peers and that changed the way I navigated the world for the rest of my life. I’d be told many times that what I was wearing was inapp…

I have long identified as a lover of books.  

As I shuffle through the pages of a classic like “Lord of the Rings,” by J.R.R. Tolkien, the smell of the old pages and ink fill my nose. Nostalgia fills my heart as I’m reminded of growing up, with my mom reading entire series to the family in the living room. 

The student loan debt in the United States has grown to be over 1.6 trillion dollars with 43.3 million loan borrowers and the average loan debt of an individual is $37,113, according to the Education Data Initiative. At Emporia State, many students get sent to debt collectors each year. In 2…

Something that has plagued and will continue to plague society is the oversimplification of a person or group. Stereotypes are a dangerous and harmful weapon against others’ and unfortunately, I often see this used against me as a fraternity man. 

As we come back from spring break and yet again get in the groove of things, some might feel more exhausted than before the break started. We are three-quarters of the way done with this academic year and while that’s encouraging it’s also been long.  

I got an email from Netflix saying they want more money and there’s nothing new to watch. I think we’re done here.