The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

A Utah State Board of Education office in Salt Lake City, Utah on Friday, Aug. 28, 2020. (Gwen Christopherson | The Daily Utah Chronicle)

Cushman: Utah’s Educational Leaders Are Letting Us Down

By KC Ellen Cushman, Opinion Writer August 19, 2021

  Over the past few months, Utah has made a lot of national headlines. Both our state legislature’s decision to ban the teaching of critical race theory (CRT) in K-12 classrooms and large COVID-19...

120619-Z-MG757-014 by Camp Atterbury - Muscatatuck Public Affairs is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0

Cushman: Kids Can Learn Self Defense Too

By KC Ellen Cushman, Opinion Writer August 12, 2021

  Every parent wants their child to grow up happy, healthy and successful. They often put their kids in sports or extracurriculars to help them experience various activities and develop skills....

(Chronicle Design Archives)

Cushman: Preschool Education Is Not a Partisan Issue

By KC Ellen Cushman, Opinion Writer July 28, 2021

  In the “New Girl'' episode "Lillypads," Schmidt tries preparing his daughter for an interview to get into a prestigious preschool. The episode pokes fun at how some parents go to crazy lengths...

UnSafe U protesters gather at the public safety building on the University of Utah Campus in Salt Lake City to protest the actions of officers involved in the Lauren McCluskey case on Aug. 6, 2020. (Photo by Ivana Martinez | The Daily Utah Chronicle)

Cushman: Utah Should Adopt Bree’s Law to Educate Teens on Dating Violence

By KC Ellen Cushman, Opinion Writer July 20, 2021

  In June 2014, Cindy and Butch Moore received the news that their daughter, Breanna, had been killed by her boyfriend Joshua Almeda when dating violence turned to murder. After her death, Bree’s...

The Water Conservation section at Red Butte Garden displays a variety of plants that thrive in Utahs dry climate on Friday, July 2, 2021 (Photo by Brooklyn Critchley | The Daily Utah Chronicle)

Cushman: Xeriscape Public Buildings to Save Water

By KC Ellen Cushman, Opinion Writer July 7, 2021

  If you walked through Salt Lake City, you’d still see green lawns for every building all around despite the current drought plaguing Utah. In the U.S., 30-60% of urban water use goes toward...

(Graphic by Sydney Stam | The Daily Utah Chronicle)

Cushman: A $15 Minimum Wage Won’t Solve Much

By KC Ellen Cushman, Opinion Writer June 22, 2021

  Since starting college, every job I’ve had has paid anywhere from two to four dollars more per hour than the federal minimum wage of $7.25. But I still struggle to afford my bills, and I need...

A lion lays down in a Hole Zoo exhibit in Salt Lake City on June 16, 2021. (Photo by Silvana Peterson | The Daily Utah Chronicle)

Cushman: Utah Must Protect Its Animals in Captivity

By KC Ellen Cushman, Opinion Writer June 17, 2021

  As a kid, my parents often took me to Utah’s Hogle Zoo. Being the know-it-all I was, I’d spout new animal facts I had learned to anyone I talked to after our visits. Many of us likely share...

(Photo Illustration by Sydney Stam | The Daily Utah Chronicle)

Cushman: Everyone Needs Proper Civil Rights Education

By KC Ellen Cushman, Opinion Writer June 8, 2021

  In 1990, Clifton Spencer became the prime suspect in the murder of Stacey Stanton and police arrested him on separate charges to keep him in custody. Spencer alleges that police repeatedly questioned...

Crime scene tape. (Photo by Kat Wilcox | Courtesy Pexels)

Cushman: Stop Using Junk Science in the Courtroom

By KC Ellen Cushman, Opinion Writer May 31, 2021

  In 1985, Robert Lee Stinson was convicted of raping and murdering a 63-year-old woman based on so-called expert testimony that his bite matched a mark on the victim’s body. He spent over 23...

(Courtesy Luis Argerich)

Cushman: Plea Deals Make a Broken Justice System Worse

By KC Ellen Cushman, Opinion Writer May 18, 2021

  I’ve always been into true crime. Every true crime fan knows that in many cases, defendants are offered a plea deal, a compromise with the prosecutor to lessen charges or lighten a sentence....