THE
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE
SHOWDOWN
For the week of OCT. 17, 2016
2 | October 17, 2016 | TheMirror
Wall or no wall? The decision is yours By Brandon Ewing news@uncmirror.com
Immigration is one of the hottest topics of the 2016 presidential election because of the effect it has all over the nation. Immigration in the United States is a growing problem because of how popular our country is. The United States is the land of opportunity and it’s the place where people can start anew. That comes with advantages as well as disadvantages. The major party presidential candidates have different views on immigration. Hillary Clinton’s stance on immigration is one that she plans to assert fairly quickly. Hillary Clinton pledged on May 25, 2016 that she would address immigration reform and a pathway to citizenship within her first 100 days in office if elected president. Clinton has stated publically her desire to implement her plans and help create a better plan to get immigrants citizenship. If elected, Clinton plans on establishing an Office of Immigrant Affairs within the White House to help further the work that the Obama administration task force has already done. She also plans on getting rid of undocumented raids on refugees from Central America, and believes that these refugees need to be treated humanely and have the right to a fair trial.
Donald Trump’s stance on immigration in the United States is much different than Clinton's. Trump believes that those here illegally and who are seeking legal status, will only have one option, and that is to return home and re-apply for legal status. Trump's plan goes even further then that. He plans on building a wall along the northern border of Mexico to help stop illegal immigrants from coming into the U.S. Rutilio Martinez is a professor at the University of Northern Colorado and has expertise on immigration from Mexico to the United States. Martinez was asked his opinion of the wall and the possible effects it could have on the U.S. “If Trump wins and implements a policy to deport all the illegal immigrants, Mexican authorities will not be surprised. To deport the illegal immigrants, however, will require some well designed strategies,” Martinez said. In Colorado, illegal immigrant statuses would be affected for businesses such as ski resorts, restaurants, dairies and dry cleaning services. Denver would be the biggest area affected by the policy at the beginning, but a trickle down effect could bring these same issues to Greeley and the Weld County area. Nu-Way Cleaners is a local business here in Greeley, Colorado. It was founded in 1972 and has served as one of the most respected dry cleaners in Greeley during that span. Jim Nixon is the founder and owner of the company and was asked how the proposed wall would possibly affect his business. “The effect wouldn’t be too drastic if the wall were to be built,
our hiring process makes sure all our employees are legal citizens,” Nixon said. Marlyn Granillo is a Greeley resident who has history in her family migrating from Mexico to the U.S. “It seems unfair for people who would want to come to the U.S., but everyone in my family is a U.S. citizen so we would be fine,” Granillo said. If Trump is indeed elected his proposed wall will affect every individual in the United States and in Mexico. Immigrations expert Rutilio Martinez was asked what effect the wall could have on the two nations relationship. “Policies like the one above described will cause a very serious cooling of the relationships between the U.S. and Mexico as well as a very serious decline of the influence of the U.S. in Mexico,” Martinez said. Both of the major party presidential candidates definitely have differentiating opinions when it comes to immigration. This upcoming election will have a drastic affect on how immigration is handled for the next four years. Voters will have a lot to think about when hitting the polls this year, and the immigration issue just puts another factor on their plate when deciding which of the candidates they want to cast their vote for. Immigration remains a key issue among presidential hopefuls Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. But will it be the deciding factor between the two of them? Only the voters can decide.
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All positions matter in upcoming election By Andrea North news@uncmirror.com
Kyley Burress, the campaign manager for Rep. Dave Young is concerned that the presidential candidates’ extreme controversy will have a negative effect on lower level politics. There are three candidates running for Colorado’s 50th State House District: Democrat Dave Young, who has been a congressman since July 2011; Republican John Honeycutt; and Libertarian Roy Dakroub. Burress said the presidential election has polarized U.S. citizens of opposing parties in a way that has been unseen in more than 20 years. Nicholas Gartrell, Honeycutt’s Senior Consulting Activist, owns a shirt that reads “Hillary Clinton for Prison 2016.” Gartrell expressed a heated passion toward the presidential candidacy, but he believes that focusing on the local election will bring the community together. Gartrell spreads the word about Honeycutt by handing out cards at Glenmere Park and convenience stores. “It’s taken a lot of heat off of the race, for sure,” Gartrell said. In addition to handing out cards, Honeycutt’s campaign strategy includes using technology to optimize Internet searches and personally hold-
ing a sign with his name on the corners of intersections. Honeycutt said that holding a sign by busy streets embarrasses his wife, but he has noticed an increase of people who wave at him. “It gets my name out there,” Honeycutt said. While Hone y c u t t ’s campaign has cost less than $1,000, Burress said Rep. Young’s has raised more than $100,000. This money goes toward ma k ing signs for residents to put on their lawns, documents for volunte ers to bring door-todoor and advertisements on popular websites such as Pandora and YouTube. Burress said she is worried that the Millennial Generation does not realize how important they are to the upcoming election. “Millennials are super important, but they
need to be more active in politics,” Burress said. Elementary education major Reily Moen said she is excited to vote for the first time. Moen is registered as a Republican, but she said she might not vote for a presidential candidate. When she watched the debate, she thought both candidates behaved poorly. However, Moen is still going to vote for other political positions. She said that she will most likely vote for the Republican candidates, but she admitted she has not yet researched Rep. Young, Honeycutt or Dakroub. "I haven’t been paying much attention as I should be,” Moen said. In Moen’s political science class, they discussed the importance of name recognition during election season. She said she learned that a lot of people tend to vote on candidates whose names they recog-
Millennials are super important, but they need to be more active in politics.
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nize rather than learn what the candidates want to do as elected officials. According to the Weld County Clerk and Recorder’s Office, more people in Weld County are registered in the Republican Party than people in the Democratic Party. Burress said that Young’s five-year success has been in part due to his ability to pass laws that members with both the Republican and Democratic Party support. For example, Young passed a law that requires government agencies, such as hospitals and police stations, to file a report when an elderly or disabled member of the community is admitted. This law is used to protect the elderly and disabled from abuse. However, Honeycutt believes that different approaches toward legislature is needed to represent the residents of Weld County. He believes that Weld County should have a representative with more conservative alignments. Honeycutt’s three main issues he wishes to target are protecting the 2nd Amendment, protecting oil and anti-abortion. Burress and Honeycutt agree that the presidential election will either discourage voters from electing other positions, or increase their passions for voting in the upcoming election. “I think it can go either way,” Honeycutt said. Election Day is Nov. 8. This will be the first election that many UNC students can vote in. Tensions are mounting as the debates roll on by.
TheMirror | October 17, 2016 | 3
By Jordan Baca
news@uncmirror.com
Voter turnout in the United States is lower in comparison to other developed countries. Of the eligible voters who do show up to the polls, the demographic which shows up least is young adults, aged 18-29, according to the 2010 census. This election season, candidates have noticeably attempted to catch the interest of younger voters, and it is likely that all the excitement and controversy will prompt a higher turnout in November. It is reminiscent of the excitement of the 2008 election, which saw a 64 percent turnout of the electorate, a high turnout in comparison with the 53.6 percent overall, according to the Pew Research Center. College campuses are crawling with young voters, and it is likely that the U.S. will have a
higher turnout from people between 18 and 29 years old this year, much like it did in 2008. But that doesn’t mean voters are necessarily excited about the election. In fact, it is a common sentiment among the young voters that neither of the major candidates–Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton–are worth getting excited about. “I’m excited because it’s the first one I’ve been able to do, but not excited because there’s no candidate that I absolutely love,” said Maddie Siegle, a 20-year-old English major at the University of Northern Colorado. “I don’t like the amount of negative rhetoric going around either. But I do like that the politicians are reaching out to my demographic specifically this time around.” Nine out of 10 students asked said that they intended to vote, and all of them said
they would probably vote for Hillary Clinton. Though this is a small sample and cannot represent all people in this demographic, it is consistent with the notion that young voters are more enthusiastic about voting for this election, despite not feeling overwhelmingly in favor of either candidate. “I don’t like that the best we could come up with was Trump and Hillary,” said Bailey Alexander, a 20-year-old human resources major. “I guess I like that the debates have been really entertaining, but other than that there’s nothing I like.” The debates have been notoriously heated and rife with personal attacks, merely adding to the controversy of the election, which Alexander said she finds laughable. “They’re hilarious, and they’re not doing a good job of answering important questions,” she said.
Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton suffer from some of the lowest approval ratings of presidential candidates in recent memory. Photo courtesy of the Washington Post.
4 | October 17, 2016 | TheMirror
Candidates divided on education By Jordan Clark
news@uncmirror.com
With the 2016 presidential election approaching, the two main candidates, Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton are discussing key issues, such as the economy and immigration laws. There is one issue, however, that could possibly turn the tide for one side, and that’s the discussion on education. A big part of the education talks is that of college debt. Before America knew who the presidential candidates were, all eyes were on Senator Bernie Sanders. Sanders’s idea on helping was to make public colleges and universities tuition-free. His way to achieve that was to tax Wall Street. During the 2015 CBS Democratic primary debate in Iowa, it was noted by Sanders that it would take 70 billion dollars to make public colleges and universities tuition-free. Many believed that would be Sanders’s way to make it to the general election, but ultimately it was Secretary Clinton who made that cut. Her views on college and university tuition come in her “New College Compact.” Under her presidency, costs won’t be a barrier. A key focus on this matter is what students get out of her college plan. According to the New College Compact plan on Clinton’s website: “Students should never have to borrow to pay for tuition,
books and fees to attend a four-year public college in their state. Additional support they receive will reduce all costs, including living expenses by thousands of dollars. Students at community colleges will receive free tuition. As well as students will have to do their part by contributing their earnings from working ten hours a week.” The second part of her plan is that debt won’t hold anyone back. With student debt, students would be able to refinance their loans at current rates, with an estimated 25 million borrowers receiving debt relief. Future undergraduates will significantly cut interest rates so they reflect the government’s low cost of debt. This part of the plan could save students hundreds or thousands of dollars over the life of their loans. Clinton’s plan will cost in the range of $350 million, and will be fully paid for by limiting certain tax expenditures for highincome taxpayers. More ideas from Clinton’s camp is to increase college enrollment by simplifying FAFSA and provide early Pell Grant eligibility notification to students. One key part of Secretary Clinton’s plan is to also significantly cut the interest rate of student loans. “Clinton’s plan does sound good in theory, but there could be consequences not only falling on the student, but on the economy as well,” said Natascha Ambrose, associate director of financial aid at UNC. “Other than taxing people with a high-income, where else could the money come from?” Unlike the Clinton’s plan, Republican candidate Trump doesn’t
have a higher education platform as of now. According to Trump’s campaign co-chair Sam Colvis, the Trump campaign would fight proposals for debt-free public higher education and tuition-free public higher education. Trump would also reject President Barack Obama’s proposals for state-federal partnership to make community college free for new high school graduates. Trump’s movement on student loans plans on taking the government out of lending out money to students for loans. Instead, he wants to restore that role to private banks. Trump says that local banks should be lending to local students. “Banks could end up charging crazy interests rates, making things harder for student’s than what they are now,” said Marissa Boston, former VA representative and now admissions and compliance specialist at UNC. He also wants colleges to play a role in determining loan worthiness on factors that go beyond family income. An example would be that colleges should factor in future earnings when deciding to give loans to students. This idea means that students that are in liberal arts programs at school at non-elite institutions are allowed to borrow certain amounts based on their future earnings. The same would go to those institutions that are considered to be elite schools. Under Trump’s program, it could ultimately lower how much students have to pay. Ambrose also mentioned that because student debt started to get out of control, President Obama set up a repay program to assist students and make paying off college debt more affordable.
Is free college education a possiblity? By Caleb Cornell news@uncmirror.com
University of Norther Colorado students have had some mixed feelings regarding the upcoming election and one of the proposals that will most likely discussed leading up to Election Day itself. Free college has always been the dream of every college student. There is a proposal that has been discussed that would make in-state tuition free for all in-state college students whose families’ income is less than $150,000 a year. Hillary Clinton is pushing for the bill, while both Donald Trump and Gary Johnson are both against it. Bernie Sanders was the first to propose something of the sort when he was still in the race, but since Clinton won the primary nomination, she offered something similar. Students at UNC and other universities in Colorado have voiced their opinions on the matter, and the comments have been quite divided. “My parents have worked hard their entire lives to be able to pay for me to go to college. Why should someone whose parents do not work as hard get the same advantages that I do?” said Derek Keirns, a junior business student at
far in debt for after they graduate. There is already a similar thing in place called Pell Grants. They offer money to students at universities across the nation that do not have to be repaid. The amount of money a student gets depends on if they are a part-time or full-time student, and the amount of classes they are taking, etc. The proposal is a little different as it reaches more than just the poor. It reaches all the way up to families who earn $150,000 or less a year. That covers a little more than just the poor and allows for students to get a decent education. “I personally think this new proposal is smart, as college is not cheap these days. For a student to be able to get a free education, it is huge,” said Jerelin Brewer, a graduate assistant on the financial staff at UNC. The new proposal covering more families means a lot to the students that are affected. “My family makes over $100,000 a year and I never would have dreamed that I would get a free education when my family still does well. I really hope this get put into action,” said Oliver Bell, a sophomore at UNC. If this bill were to be promised to pass or Colorado State University Student show some sort of progress, the influence it would have on college students would be tremendous. It would really push the college students to vote for the candiThe proposal would make in-state tuition free for instate students and therefore just leave them with paying for date who is going to put that in motion. We will see what it looks their residence, and their food. That is quite the difference like come election time. money-wise as tuition can really stack up and put a student pretty Colorado State University. The proposal itself does not offer the same benefits to all students, and that may anger a few people. It also may not be a bad thing. “I honestly do not think it is that big of a deal that some students would get free tuition that may not have the wealthiest parents. Maybe their parents have more to pay for; a bigger family to support,” said Mark Welsh, a sophomore at UNC.
“My parents have worked hard their entire lives to be able to pay for me to go to college. Why should someone whose parents do not work as hard get the same advantages that I do?” - Derek Keirns
TheMirror | October 17 , 2016 | 5
Candidates divided over economy By Austin Reiher news@uncmirror.com
With less than one month until election day, some United States citizens are still trying to narrow down which presidential candidate to vote for. One of the most important topics in this election is each candidate’s economic plan. “Jobs, taxation and specific regulations on markets are on most every voter’s mind, regardless of which political party they hold to,” said Lorelei Thorne, an international affairs major at the University of Northern Colorado. About 84 percent of registered voters believe that one of the most important topics in the election is the economy. More U.S. citizens disapprove of President Obama’s handling of the economy than approve. There are also more disapproving U.S. citizens of President Obama’s handling of the economy over
his last two terms than there are approving. Even though his statistics were decent overall, people still want economic improvement. Four candidates are currently running presidential campaigns: Donald Trump of the Republican Party, Hillary Clinton of the Democratic Party, Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party and Jill Stein of the Green Party, although Trump and Clinton both hold commanding leads over the two third-party candidates. The Democratic Party focuses on government spending and tax cuts to boost economic growth to increase demand. Hillary Clinton wants to give tax cuts to small businesses and the middle class. About 70 percent of all new jobs come from small businesses. Her goal is to spend money to help improve the cost of college tuition, improve transportation services such as roads, bridges, airports and other infrastructure, expand child care, repair oil pipelines and reduce carbon emissions.
Clinton wants to increase the minimum wage of workers in the U.S. to $15 per hour, increase job benefits and strengthen the Affordable Care Act. She also plans on raising some income tax on the wealthy, and extend the statute of limitations for financial crimes and make big companies pay for fines out of pocket. The Republican Party is known for promoting supply-side economics. They focus on reducing the cost of investment, business and trade to increase growth. This process allows companies to save more money, hire more workers and decrease the unemployment rate, though this hasn’t been happening lately. Instead of spending their money on workers, companies have been spending it on overseas investments, treasuries and stock. Donald Trump wants to “make America great again” by creating more jobs, eliminating outsourcing and low-
ering taxes. More workers mean more tax money going to the government from those new workers, and less taxes coming out of all worker’s paychecks. “More people are paying taxes which is why Trump will lower taxes for the middle working class. Lower taxes for individuals but more money on their paychecks,” said Republican voter Cody Gomez. Trump wants to tax Mexico, China and other trade partners for imports and exports, lower income tax rates, cut military spending while still increasing their defenses, and deport illegal immigrants and keep them out of the country. He also wants to build a wall on the border between Mexico and the U.S. and make Mexico pay for it. He wants to lower small business and corporate taxes by over half, dropping it down to 15 percent. He also wants to increase tax rates for the rich and the wealthy while also cutting government spending.
Public policy minor now available UNC’s political science department promoted their latest addition of curriculum last week with the help of Greeley City Manager Roy Otto. By Samuel McLaughlin news@uncmirror.com
The department of political science and international affairs promoted a new minor in public policy last week with the help of Greeley City Manager Roy Otto. As of this semester, the political science department at UNC has added a new option to minor in public policy. This new minor will pull subjects from sociology, economics, environmental studies and other interdisciplinary studies to bring a well-rounded approach to the understanding of public policy. The development of this new minor has been in the works for about a year, and is now available to declare at UNC. Over a dozen students came
to learn about the new minor and hear Otto speak. Some students even got the opportunity to pursue internships with the city manager’s office. Otto emphasized the importance of the liberal arts degree to students, reminding them that there are jobs for liberal arts majors in the area of public policy. “It was inspiring because students are often questioning the value of a liberal arts degree,” said Christine Olivio, a professor in the political science and international affairs department. Professor Olivio said that public policy is understanding how to work for the public good, and talked about how far the subject of public policy can reach. “Public policy comes from what we learned in history class to help us figure out what is best for society,” Otto said. “It affects us from
whether or not water comes out of our tap to our policy in Iraq. It’s all public policy.” The political science and international affairs office is not offering any new classes for the minor, but rather us-
ing the resources that UNC already offers to draw from other programs that work with subjects having to do with public policy. “We are requiring that all students take on an intern-
ship that is public policy related to get some hands-on experience,” Olivio said. “We also want students to have a firm foundation in research methods that can better help them to go out into the field.”
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6 | October 17, 2016 | TheMirror
sports.
Sports Dylan Editor Sanchez
This week in Northern Colorado sports UNC’s fate.
FOOTBALL FALLS TO UC DAVIS
Northern Colorado (3-3, 1-2 Big Sky) dropped its second straight road game Saturday night in California. The Bears were shutout in the fourth quarter, falling to the UC Davis Aggies (2-5, 1-3 Big Sky) 34-21. but came up short on a few opportunities. The Bears cashed in on two drives, scoring once in each quarter. Redshirt junior running back, Brandon Cartagena, who on the board for UNC. Cartagena broke free on a 16-yard run to make it 7-3 in favor of the Bears with 6:40 remaining senior back, Darius Graham complimented with 54 yards on 10 attempts, with both players earning a touchdown in the loss. Late in the fourth quarter down 27-21 with 3:01 remaining, the Bears were backed up at their own 12 yard line afIsiah Olive, who walked straight into the end zone to seal
but a stout Aggies defense forced a turnover-on-downs and handed the Bears a 34-21 defeat.
match. The Bears hit .423 in the set, while holding MSU to .045. Behind the strong serving from Emily O’Neil UNC took control of the opening set with a 7-0 run. During the set,
now. We have a lot of talent on this team and we have to
The momentum stayed the way of Northern Colorado as
period,” said head coach Earnest Collins Jr. “As coaches, we
opened it on a 7-0 run, never looking back to take the 2-0 lead into intermission. Once again the outside hitters for UNC in Weissmann and Kortney Lockey had nine of the teams 17 kills during it. In the third set, Head Coach Lyndsey Oates played
of the ball.” urday. It will be Homecoming for UNC on Oct. 22 against for 1:05 p.m.
Volleyball moves to no.2 in big sky standings
Northern Colorado completed a weekend sweep of the Montana schools, taking care of Montana State Saturday night 25-15, 25-15, 25-19. UNC came out clicking on all cylinders to begin the
Even with the line-up changes, UNC was led by the usual suspects of Lockey, Weissmann and O’Neil. With the score plete the sweep. After enjoying a four-match homestand, the Bears will now hit the road for four straight away games. The road State starting at 7 p.m. The University of Northern Colorado’s volleyball team doesn’t return home until Nov. 3rd when they will host Idaho State.
other news... By Wilhelmina Jackson news@uncmirror.com
Just outside of the University Center, a bunch of small white crosses were scattered over the grassy lawn last week with a small, white sign that read, “In loving memory of 3,300 lives lost to abortion today.” The crosses on the lawn represented only a small portion of the lives lost to abortion, according to the junior elementary education major and assistant coordinator of Bearfoot for Babies, who asked to remain anonymous. She, with some other students, woke up around 6 a.m and planted the crosses. Some of the students were barefoot during this process, despite the cold. Bearfoot for babies is a silent
protest advocating for the prolife movement, where students walk around campus barefoot for a week. During the protest, there are different activities and events around campus, including a pedicure party, illuminated rosary and guest speakers. A UNC junior elementary major worked with other students to put together the Bearfoot for Babies event. The team consisted of an AIMS community college student, and student volunteers like freshman nursing major Dario Melgoza (18), and freshman athletic training major Alejandio Castillo (19). A series of tables ran along the windows of the UNC bookstore. Each was covered with pamphlets and cards full of information with people ready to inform the public. Students for Life, Life Choices, Bear Catholic, and
News Will Editor Costello
Resource Center Pregnancy STD Support all came to the expo ready to share their available resources. A 20-year-old sophomore psychology student, who asked to remain anonymous, said that he valued life, which was why he participated in the protest. A video he saw of a baby in the womb also influenced him to join the protest. This year was his second time joining the protest, and he did walk barefoot a few times. He is part of Bear Catholic and works with Students for Life. He hoped to educate others about being pro-life. Bethany Janzen, a political science major with a emphasis in business, and the regional coordinator partnered with Bear Catholic and set up a booth at the expo. Janzen uses her degree to the fullest to educate others about human rights and being pro-life. Since she
Crosses were placed outside the UC in the lawn last week for Bearfoot for Babies. Photo by Alex Nunley | The Mirror.
was little, she believed in prolife, but college only cemented her belief. Janzen wants to stand for equality, peace and freedom for all people. “I believe every life is valuable, and that every person deserves human rights, whether they are
born or preborn,” she stated. The goal of Students for Life is to educate students about pro-life and to provide resources for students who are also parents. Other organizations such as Life Choices and Resource
Center Pregnancy STD Support provide resources like limited STI testing, limited ultrasounds and free pregnancy tests. These centers also provide a safe space for young mothers to privately recieve a variety of services and counseling.
TheMirror | October 17, 2016 | 7
Arts Jason Editor Keller
Coming out to UNC By Erika Siebring arts@uncmirror.com
With National Coming Out Day as a backdrop, the asexual, transgender and genderqueer flags hung proudly at the front of the Ross 1040 lecture hall last Tuesday. Rows of tables stood in front of them, displaying historical LGBT infographics and ready for the main attraction. To celebrate and acknowledge LGBT History Month, UNC’s Gender and Sexuality Resource Center sponsored a Voices: Queer UNC panel. Five University faculty and staff members shared their own personal experiences with being queer, and answered questions from an audience of 34 students and community members. Marika Barth, a sophomore queer and trans student and special education major, explained their excitement in seeing adult representation and people they can relate to; Barth uses the pronouns “they/them/their.” “Queer” is used as an umbrella term for individuals in the LGBT+ community, and can overlap with “Trans,” which is to say an individual doesn’t identify, or exclusively identify, as the sex they were assigned to at birth. “I’m sitting here and I’m so scared, and I’m just like ‘How am I to do this?’” Barth said, in admiration for adults like them for being successful and happy. “It just gives me so much hope for myself and for this community.” Immediately, a pleasant ambiance was drawn over the event as comedic narratives came to light. Montez Butts, UNC’s Director of Residential Education, shared how as a UNC student, he hid a certain video in his VHS cabinet, hoping it’d be inconspicuous. However, his friends later held a makeshift intervention, knowing he was hiding something from them. “They’re like, ‘We know you’re hiding something from us,’ and I’m like, ‘What are you talking about?’” Butts said, laughing. “And they’re like ‘We have letters, we have photos.”” Likewise, Liane Ortis, UNC’s assistant director of equity and inclusion, explained how a few of their college hockey teammates had a hunch they weren’t straight. One teammate, dubbed “The Recruiter” created a ruse with another teammate, asking Ortis to show her how to make out with her boyfriend, resulting in Ortis finally finding out what had been missing all the time. Ortis uses the pronouns “they/them/their.” Nicholas Syrett, an associate professor and chair of UNC’s history department, ex-
plained how he identifies as a gay man and respects individuals in the movement, even jokingly referring in hindsight to his days at “Queen Mary” public school. Despite the humor, both Ortis and Sarah Aragon, the leadership coordinator for the Stryker Institute for Leadership Development, spoke about their struggles against what was expected of them, and the difficulty they faced in finding their identities. Aragon depicted learning about leadership and self-empowerment after being in two long-term heterosexual relationships; she explained her search for solidarity and acceptance, and her path to figuring out who she was as an individual. “I really sat with myself and just did a lot of self-work and a lot of truth-seeking, a lot of reflection, and realized that it’s ok to be me,” Aragon said, happy she now feels she can be 100 percent authentic. Ortiz said they also went on a journey of self-discovery while trying to distance themselves from the socialization they were exposed to as a child. Rejecting long hair and dresses, Ortiz noted that their search was “confusing as f***,” and resulted in a lot of tension. “For me it turned into a lot of self-hate, which turned into self-harm,” Ortiz said. “I didn’t like myself, and it made it really difficult to figure that stuff out.” Moving down the line, each shared the changes they’ve seen in the Queer/LGBT+ community. Syrett explained his hopes for the movement. “My fear for the queer rights movement is that we not rely too heavily on the argument that we’re just like straight people, and that’s why we deserve rights. I actually think we’re not just like straight people and we still deserve rights,” Syrett said. In terms of what advice each would give to their younger selves, Chris Talbot, an assistant professor and program coordinator for UNC’s gender studies program, was among the ones to answer. “Give yourself time,” Talbot said. “I know it feels like something that has to get figured out by tomorrow or the world will end, that’s actually not really true. The world will not end. Give yourself some time.” Barth appreciated the intergenerationality of the stories and said each story resonated with them. However, they still acknowledge the lack of representation on campus. “We had five who felt comfortable sharing and talking about that today and that was so incredible, but they are few and far between,” Barth said. “I should not have to come to a once-a-year panel on National Coming Out Day to see someone who looks like me at this university.”
art.
In Lindou Auditorium last Tuesday, an LGBTQ Panel titled “Speak Out” was held for National Coming Out Day. Photo by Alex Nunley | The Mirror.
8 | October 17, 2016 | TheMirror
opinon.
Defending the 19th By Sarah Methuselah editor@uncmirror.com
The hashtag #repealthe19th has been trending on Twitter after two maps surfaced depicting the would-be results of the presidential election if only males or females voted. One map shows that Hillary Clinton would win if only females voted, and the other shows that if only males voted in the election, then Donald Trump would win. This sparked the hashtag, led by many Trump supporters, to repeal the 19th Amendment. The 19th Amendment states that “the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” It was established almost 100 years ago, and it was a right that women fought hard receive. As a female, I strongly support the 19th Amendment because it is a fundamental step in women’s rights. Yet, adamant Trump supporters who want Trump in office at all costs think one way to get him elected is to eliminate an entire gender’s voting rights. It is downright unconstitutional to disregard an entire gender’s rights, which women have been entitled to for nearly 100 years, in order to elect a presidential candidate. Some female Trump supporters even supported the hashtag on Twitter, although repealing the amendment would mean they wouldn’t get a voice in the election either. The discussion is a major step backwards in progression of women’s rights because it implies that if women have a voice, then our country is doomed. It also implies that the decisions women make are irresponsible and detrimental to society, which is completely false. Women are more than capable of making competent and
Photo courtesy of joemygod.com.
Photo courtesy of theberry.com.
intelligent decisions, which has been proven throughout history. Rather than fighting for their right to vote and being unwilling to give up that entitled right, those in support of repealing the 19th Amendment are actively participating in the discussion of handing over the right they fought so hard for just for the sake of one election. I want to have a voice in the upcoming election, and I don’t feel it is appropriate for society to propose to take away my right to
vote in order to get a presidential candidate elected into office. It is absurd that society has decided that such a discussion is even acceptable. The topic should not have gotten a second glance, let alone been popular enough to trend on Twitter. In the words of Beyoncé, “Who run this world? Girls.” -Sarah Methuselah is a sophomore journalism and mass communications major and an opinion writer for The Mirror. She can be reached at editor@uncmirror.com.