​When violence is viewed as a part of a community, it is essential to remember that meaningful progressive action is a part of that community as well. There are people who have spent their lives fighting for gun control, youth programs, mental health, and funding for community-based programs (which are proven to reduce violence).

​Most people want to make a great first impression, whether it’s to gain employment or to impress a potential romantic interest therefore we tend to make sure we’re approachable, polite, interesting, and tolerable- in other words on our best behavior. The comedian Chris Rock once said, “When you meet somebody for the first time, you’re not meeting them. You’re meeting their representative.” Which is basically the version of themselves that’s more appealing and socially acceptable. Whether joking or not, it does have some truth to it.  

​Sometimes, the hardest person to forgive is the face staring at you in the mirror. You really feel a way when you have let a loved one or yourself down. But one day, you have to allow the sun to shine again. Has it been challenging to do that? 

Originally published June 02, 2021. Article has updates.

I remember sitting at home watching a show when I was younger, and I saw a woman. I had seen her plenty of times before, but this time was different. I smiled at her a little harder on this particular day. She was just “really pretty to me”. As years passed, I noticed that I began to have a crush on this pretty woman on TV. I never shared that with my siblings or my parents because I knew based upon the conversations I heard at home; I would get in "trouble" aka beat. It was like that growing up in the deep south. 

Being an employee at the University of Arizona right now is tough for so many reasons. Budget cuts due to mismanagement, layoffs and being told that employees won’t even receive a raise as the cost-of-living skyrockets all around us. It has been a challenging few months as uncertainty turns into the reality that U of A has failed so many of the people who have dedicated their lives to the WildCat Community.