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Opinion

February 3, 2012

To be 18 again

Like many other fresh-faced 18-year-olds do on their birthday, I bought a Powerball lottery ticket for $1. The feeling of freedom that washed over me, and the potential ability to win millions of dollars was almost too much to handle. As I casually walked out of a West Fargo gas station on that brisk April day, I still remember gripping onto that little piece of paper and daydreaming about what I would buy with my winnings.

American Crystal Sugar

Not such a sweet proposal

American Crystal Sugar executives and their union workers still cannot find a solution to their current six-month lockout. Union workers and top executives at the American Crystal Sugar Company in North Dakota and Minnesota have been in a disagreement over union benefits and wages since August of last year.

Rebuttal to:

'My problem with feminism, and what equality really means to me'

A few weeks ago I noticed an article in The Spectrum entitled "My problem with feminism." I was hesitant to read the article, but I knew I needed to. It was written by Rylee Nelson. My issue with people who have a problem with feminism is that they usually aren't particularly educated on the topic.

Movie Preview: ‘Woman in Black,’ ‘Chronicle’ and ‘Big Miracle’

Another week is winding down, and three new movies look to break into theaters this week. What is there to watch this weekend? Between a boy wizard all grown up and on his own, super powered teens and three trapped gray whales, there should be something for everyone.

Health Talk: Kicking off the Superbowl with healthier snacks

5 tips to healthier Superbowl snacking

If only we all had the will power to eat healthy snacks during the biggest sporting event of the year. Munching on carrots, celery, bananas, apples and water seems like the perfect way to veggie out while watching Tom Brady and Eli Manning lead their teams in the 2012 battle we like to call the Superbowl.

Get rid of the randoms

Whose birthday is it today? It's right there on your Facebook news feed, take a look. Now, ask yourself if you will tell them all "happy birthday" today either in person, via phone call, text message or by writing on their wall. If the immediate answer is no, then it's time to delete some friends! Unless you have nothing else going on in your life, chances are pretty good that you don't have the time to stay in regular communication with all of your Facebook friends, whether you have 100 or more than 1,000.

Book covers discriminate against gender

Recently, a video of a little girl named Riley talking about gender discrimination in toys went viral on the Internet. In the video she raised a question why she, as a girl, has to buy all the pink toys and why all the boys have to by superheroes? Ironically, I had to face a similar kind of an experience but in a different form.

January 31, 2012

America is now on the right track

As the Republican candidate primaries are becoming increasingly gritty between Mitt Romney and Newt Gringrich, President Obama seems to be once again gaining momentum once again in seeking to become President, but this time for his second term. He delivered his State of the Union speech last Tuesday and seemingly ignited the audience and viewers around America.

If Congress would do its job

If I were to show up for work at The Spectrum only to sit at my desk all day long, not answer any of my emails or edit any of my writers' articles, argue with my coworkers and go home without accomplishing anything, you probably wouldn't be reading an opinion section right now.

Ouch, my pride

To begin, let's just make it clear that I love America. I think there are, at times, very real threats that our nation has to face. However, I believe that alongside these threats is another that lurks not so quietly anymore: finances. How scary is the world? More appropriately, how scary can we afford the world to be? We've hovered around $738 billion, and we've only now found our breaking point.

The transition from sun to snow

Tips for winter driving

Freezing weather has come and snow has made its first appearance. Many people may be thinking about how to dress and how to begin preparing for the cold season, but things like how to drive in winter conditions and how to properly take care of a vehicle in colder weather may not come to mind.

Looking to the future

Upcoming games for February

It seems like the season to start buying games starts earlier every year. First, gamers had to wait until September at the earliest to start seeing quality titles. Now it seems like not a month goes by that a blockbuster title doesn't stack up in everyone's backlog.

The unseen double standard

In recent weeks, through a series of deep and lengthy discussions, we have arrived at a topic both intriguing and unusual: the general lack of appreciation for men by women. Our country has made major improvements in the last hundred years by way of women's rights, granting them all of the same rights and freedoms as men.

How to: For the fish fans

Tips on how to keep pet fish alive

Many college students had a pet growing up but the second you live in a dorm and most apartments, anything that can't live in some type of aquarium is usually not allowed. So for those of you with the no-pets blues, here are a few tips on keeping fish pets alive from www.

January 27, 2012

From liberty to oppression

Our society has taken God and swept him under the rug in our ethics and in our society. We have made him into a white elephant in our classrooms and irrelevant in our Congress. Our money, the very thing that holds this country together, currently proclaims a blatant lie, plainly stated in rarely read text.

Put the ‘birther’ suit to rest

Remember when popular Christian radio personality Harold Camping predicted when the world was going to end a few months ago? He developed a loyal group of followers, some who had quit their jobs and wholeheartedly believed that what this man said was the truth.

iProtest:

Shame on you, Anonymous

On Wednesday, Jan. 18, a form of protest that is becoming more and more common appeared again. The blackout of websites like Wikipedia, Google and Mozilla was staged in protest of two bills, SOPA and PIPA, going before congress on Jan. 24. Wikipedia in particular made the English-version of their site inaccessible for 24 hours, opting to educate any visitors on the protest and encourage contacting their local representative in protest.

Super Bowl XLVI:

Could the teams be any worse?

If I could pick two teams in the National Football League that I did not want to see in this year's Super Bowl, it would be the New England Patriots and the New York Giants. This is a rematch of Super Bowl XLII where the Giants miraculously upset the Patriots, whom were previously undefeated.

He, she or it?

Gender important when raising children

While browsing the international papers this past weekend I came across an article that struck a dissonant chord. A couple in England has raised their child for the last five years as gender neutral and have just announced, "It's a boy!" The family is composed of Beck Laxton, Kieran Cooper and the five-year-old in question Sasha Laxton.

January 24, 2012

January 20. 2012

January 13, 2012

November 22, 2011

Where will you be watching the Super Bowl this this weekend?

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