Interested in submitting in an op-ed or guest column with us?
As part of The Panther’s effort to serve as Chapman’s town square, we welcome opinions from all corners of the political spectrum. We encourage submissions from individuals of all backgrounds, experiences and identities. Op-eds or guest columns must be no longer than 600 words and sent in a Google document or Word document to the Opinions Editor, Riley Wood, at riwood@chapman.edu.
Columns must have a clear point of view with strong arguments backed by facts and evidence. Not every submission is guaranteed to be published, and submissions are subject to editing for clarity, grammar and style. Opinion pieces reflect those of the author, and do not represent The Panther or its staff.
Opinion | A message to white allies: educate, don’t just cancel
There’s a strong difference between “cancelling” someone for an offensive joke and being anti-racist.
Editorial | Black Lives Matter is not a trend
The negative side to digital activism is that social media is all about trends, whereas fighting for human rights is not. We cannot reduce decades of work to one hashtag or hundreds of black squares.
Poem | The pain my ancestors felt
We’re not too far removed from the Jim Crow South.
Opinion | They don’t really care about us
As we held our posters high, pleading for every human with a soul to hear our cries and listen to our messages, every person seated outside pretended we didn’t exist. In the year 2020, our Black lives still don’t matter.
Opinion | A socially distant Emmys season saw record BIPOC nominations
Being online isn’t the only thing that felt different about the 2020 Emmy program. This year saw a sizable increase in Black nominations; out of the 102 acting nominations, 34.3% were Black.
Opinion | Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month: A centering of Afro-Latinidad
Racism toward African Americans is often experienced by Latinxs of African descent. We are all Black in the eyes of the U.S. public, and therefore our Afro-Latinidad identity does not protect us from discrimination.
Opinion | On Trump’s ‘patriotic education’
President Trump announced a $5 billion fundraising effort so that “we can educate people as to the real history of our country.” We are the faculty in Chapman’s History Department, and this is our response.
Opinion | My experience of racism against Asians during COVID-19
As the coronavirus pandemic grew stronger in the U.S., it is indisputable that Asians across the country have faced a new wave of racism.
Editorial | Eight perks of ‘Zoom University’
While Zoom can be exhausting and we’d all rather chat with friends in a real classroom, we’ve compiled a list of the top eight phenomena that bring joy our “Zoom University.”
Opinion | Professor Eastman responds
A number of people affiliated with Chapman University have objected to the article I published in Newsweek. Some of the claims made against me are not only demonstrably wrong but scurrilous and defamatory.
Opinion | America has always been burning
America is burning. It has been for a while, long before the pandemic granted us time and isolated space to reflect on the severity of it.
Opinion | No more smoke signals after being scorched
We can no longer ignore the fact that our homes, our memories, our livelihoods, are burning in front of us while we indirectly fuel the flame.
Opinion | The “new” freshman experience
As a freshman at Chapman University, every experience is new to me. Despite this year’s unprecedented circumstances, I’m not entirely sure what I’m missing out on.
Editorial | Zoom: United in isolation
It’s OK to not always be Zoom-camera-ready. It’s mentally draining to be “on” all of the time, and it’s imperative to take a much-needed breather.
Opinion | How COVID-19 interrupted my study abroad
What hit me hardest was what came afterward. I could make a huge list of all the things I feel I missed out on in London.
Opinion | Online workout classes: a saving grace
A place with no stares, no catcalls and no underlying fears doesn't exist in the real world. I am reminded of the hard truth when I venture out into reality.
Opinion | Since you’ve been gone: campus as a quiet, steady pulse
A global crisis. An unprecedented time. I’m starting to realize how surreal it feels to walk through an almost-empty campus.
Editorial | ‘Stick to sports’ is racist and dehumanizing
When you tell a Black athlete to “Shut up and dribble,” you are only valuing them for those gifts and not their entire person. There was a time when valuing a Black person for solely their physical attributes was called “slavery.”
Opinion | Now is the time to utilize your student government
We will, without a doubt, face many hurdles this semester. Nonetheless, the Student Government Association will be there to support students throughout it all.
Opinion | Diversity, together
With action over inaction, tolerance over intolerance and inclusion over exclusion, there will be unity among all members of our fraternities and sororities.