Skip to Main Content
The Student Voice of Fordham Lincoln Center

The Observer

The Student Voice of Fordham Lincoln Center

The Observer

The Student Voice of Fordham Lincoln Center

The Observer

ALISSA FAJEK, Assistant Opinions Editor Emerita

All content by ALISSA FAJEK
(Sri Stewart/The Observer)

Lack of Jobs and Social Media are the Sources of Generation Y’s Unhappiness

December 14, 2013
Having expectations that are set too high does not make us a depressed generation—the lack of jobs combined with the instantaneous nature of social media is what is hurting our morale.
(Angela Luis/The Observer)

Customers Need to Stop Taking Advantage of Retail Workers

November 10, 2013
Retail employees are not there for your amusement or to pick up after you and your children.
(Melanie Chamberlain/The Observer)

Race is Not a Halloween Costume

November 4, 2013
It is completely possible to dress up as people of other races without changing the tone of one’s skin.
Candidate Bill de Blasio with Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito and Council Member Jumaane Williams (photo courtesy of Bill de Blasio via Flickr)

Next NYC Mayor Cannot be a New England Sports Fan

October 29, 2013
Which team de Blasio supports says more about him than merely what jersey hangs in his closet.
An empty prison in 2007.
LUI ARGERICH/WIKIPEDIA COMMONS

Prisoners Are Entitled to Basic Human Rights

October 3, 2013
Refusing health care to inmates and making their conditions fatal seems more like an unfair, unconstitutional version of the death penalty—not to mention, a greedy one at that.

Social Media Helps the Fight Against Rape Culture

September 23, 2013
Every two minutes someone in the United States is sexually assaulted.
Elmo and his friends in Times Square are now the subjects of a police investigation following recent reports of harassment and assault.  (Megan O'Hara/The Observer)

Street Characters Strike Back

April 25, 2013
There’s nothing scarier for both children and adults alike than seeing childhood heroes transform into monsters right in front of their eyes.

Was Seth MacFarlane the Best They Could Do?

February 25, 2013
I laughed a few times, but I laughed more from discomfort than amusement.
Calories on any label, including those on restaurant menus, can be deceptive. (Trounce/ Wikimedia Commons)

Truth in Numbers? Think Again.

February 20, 2013
What’s the point of posting this information if it’s just going to be wrong?
“Smart Pills” Aren’t Such a Smart Idea

“Smart Pills” Aren’t Such a Smart Idea

January 26, 2013
Though Known as a Quick Fix, Adderall Can do More Harm Than Good
With the destruction and delays brought on by Hurricane Sandy, Fordham had to make major changes in its academic schedule, eliminating reading days for the fall 2012 semester. (Savannah Schechter/The Observer)

Point — Counterpoint: Should Fordham Have Cancelled Reading Days?

December 12, 2012
With the destruction and delays brought on by Hurricane Sandy, Fordham had to make major changes in its academic schedule, eliminating reading days for the fall 2012 semester.

Natural Disasters Take Social Media by Storm

November 12, 2012
Natural disasters are nothing to laugh about. Communities are destroyed and many are injured or even killed. These “meme-sters” and bloggers are being insensitive and do not understand the gravity of the situation.
(Savannah Schechter/The Observer)

I’m Not In A Relationship With My Cat

November 6, 2012
Are you single? Are you female? Are you approaching your mid-twenties? Do you live alone? Do you happen to like cats? Be careful, you don’t want to become one of “those” women—the crazy Cat Lady.
Sexist Halloween Costumes

Sexist Halloween Costumes

October 31, 2012

“In the regular world, Halloween is when children dress up in costumes and beg for candy. In Girl World, Halloween is the one night a year when a girl can dress like a total slut and no other girls can...

Now, business cards aren’t the only tool we use for professional networking in our digitalized society. (Sherry Yuan/ The Observer)

Social Media: Not a Distraction, But a Tool

October 18, 2012
Comedian BJ Mendelson’s makes a bold statement in his latest book “Social Media is Bullshit.”
If it sounds sticky, sweet, and delicious, or like something you might call your cat, don’t use it on your girl. (Savannah Schechter/The Observer)

Pet Names: Cute or Condescending?

October 17, 2012
Personally, I don’t see the cute side of these “terms of endearment.” I use the word “endearment” loosely, because in all honesty, I see nothing endearing about being compared to a dessert or an infant.
Without proper preparation for climate change, the island of Manhattan is in danger of severe flooding in future years like the hurricane victims pictured above. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times/MCT)

Preparing for Climate Change on Campus

October 4, 2012
Colleges must do something to stand up to these natural disasters.
Women’s issues like abortion and birth control are key issues during this election, but women’s voices are missing from the discussion. (Todd Sumlin/Charlotte Observer/MCT)

Year of the Woman, Narrated by Man?

September 19, 2012
It is no secret that the hot topics of the 2012 election have had a lot to do with women.
Today’s young people have technological skills that put them at an advantage in the workforce. (Ayer Chan/The Observer)

Despite Doubt Our Generation Will Succeed

August 22, 2012
Our generation is unlike any that has come before or after us. We have opportunities and grew up with limitless information right at our fingertips.
It’ s called breaking up, not breaking down. (Photo Illustration by Katherine Fotinos/The Observer)

Questioning TV’s Broken Woman Stereotype

May 2, 2012
NBC’s new hit comedy “Best Friends Forever,” created by and starring Bridesmaids’ Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham, portrays how this “broken woman stereotype” is explored in the media.
(Harry Huggins/The Observer)

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words, But Is It Worth A Billion Dollars?

April 23, 2012
Facebook wasted money in buying Instagram, a social media platform that has limited and unimpressive features.
Point-Counterpoint: The Debate Over Birth Control: Should Fordham Join the 21st Century?

Point-Counterpoint: The Debate Over Birth Control: Should Fordham Join the 21st Century?

February 4, 2012
As students of Fordham, we should not find it surprising that our Jesuit-affiliated school that has certain attitudes towards premarital sex and other "risqué" behaviors, made it to the list of the “10 Most Sexually Repressed Colleges” by CollegeMagazine.com.
Courtesy of MCT

Now! That’s What I Call…Extinct: Lay the Compact Disc to Rest in 2012

December 7, 2011
With the end of the year approaching, some people may play along with the “end of the world” myth as we enter 2012.
(Courtesy of Twitter/Facebook)

Status Updated, Mood Tweeted and Life Tumblred

November 16, 2011
You open your laptop, load the Internet and go to the Facebook homepage without a second thought, even if that wasn’t why you opened your computer in the first place.

Troops are Coming Home: Life Without Iraq on the Forefront

November 2, 2011
For as long as most of us can remember, our nation has been at war. As a generation, we grew up in an “age of terror,” so to speak.
Load More Stories