Head to Head: Are We the ‘Utah Utes’?

September 17, 2020

Soter: Hire an Artist of Color, Destroy a Racist Monument

By Theadora Soter, Opinion Writer

September 9, 2020

  Fallen Monument Park in Moscow, Russia is full of statues of communist leaders, like Stalin and Lenin, who ruled Russia during the Soviet era. The park now commemorates the lives lost because of those leaders through the addition of more art, like a sculpture wall of stone heads behind a stone figure of Stalin. It honors the oppressed while ackno...

Barron: Keep Talking about Re-Nicknaming the U

By Morgan Barron, Opinion Writer

August 25, 2020

  In late June, the Salt Lake Tribune published an opinion piece by Christopher Mead, a University of Utah employee, arguing that the U needs to retire the Ute nickname as our communities reckon with their white supremacist history. Citing the history of the nickname’s evolution on campus, Mead...

Cushman: Confederate Monuments Are an Affront to Equality and Democracy

By KC Ellen Cushman, Opinion Writer

August 12, 2020

  In Germany, illegally displaying Nazi symbols is punishable with jail time. Displaying a swastika is not only a cultural taboo but can also be a crime because Germany has decided that Nazi symbolism is in direct conflict with its constitution and national values. Germany’s policy contras...

Poma: What’s in a Name? More than Institutions May Realize

By Sasha Poma, Opinion Writer

August 12, 2020

  Over the past few months, the powerful resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement has reignited discussions about racism in the United States – including cultural appropriation. Within these discussions, the problematic names of military bases, schools, professional sports teams and mascots have been under scrutiny. We cannot keep these names beca...

Barron: Stay Home from National Parks this Summer

By Morgan Barron, Opinion Writer

June 3, 2020

  During winter break, my family and I planned a trip to Yosemite for late July. We booked an Airbnb, discussed how to split up the drive and I set a reminder in my calendar to apply for a hiking permit for Half-Dome months in advance. The same day I entered the permit lottery, COVID-19 claimed its second known victim in the United States. Like most Americans at that point, I had no idea how...

Cushman: Utah Should Reopen Its National Parks

By KC Ellen Cushman, Opinion Writer

May 27, 2020

  Unacast, a location data analysis firm, has given grades to each state in order to measure how well they have implemented health protocols to stop the spread of COVID-19. Utah scored a D, one letter grade above failing. Despite that low grade and concern about the risk of reopening the Utah econ...

Barron: Vote Huntsman, Not Cox, to Bring Utah through the COVID-19 Crisis

By Morgan Barron, Opinion Writer

May 20, 2020

  With the June 30th primary election looming, Lieutenant Governor Spencer Cox and former Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr. lead the GOP field in the race to be Utah’s next governor. Back in April, one of my colleagues on the opinion desk argued that undecided Utahns should support Cox’s run. Sh...

Cushman: I Am Voting Spencer Cox for Governor and You Should Too

By KC Ellen Cushman, Opinion Writer

April 11, 2020

  Before school was moved online in response to the pandemic, I had the opportunity to hear Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox speak at a Hinckley forum about what the next ten years in Utah will look like. This experience gave me a lot of respect for Cox. He spoke about issues specific to Utah in a knowledgeable...

Starr: Utah’s Death Penalty Is Too Barbaric To Bring Justice

By Kennedie Starr, Opinion Writer

November 18, 2019

The six people currently on death row in Utah join a total of 2,673 people who face execution in other states and in the U.S. military. While the decline in the death row population continues annually, execution is still a form of punishment in many states. Despite it being unconstitutional, a disserv...