The Student News Site of Traverse City West Senior High

The Occidentalist

The Occidentalist

The Occidentalist

All content by Em Rigda

TikTok SHOULD NOT Be Banned

Em Rigda, Columnist May 1, 2023

  TikTok has become an increasingly more popular social media platform. Since the raise in popularity during 2020, there have been concerns about the personalized algorithms the app uses. TikTok uses...

Taking Sides:School Personnel Should Not Be Armed

Em Rigda, Columnist March 1, 2023

  In the United States, there is a constant threat of being harmed in a public place due to gun usage. According to the New York Times, as of Feb. 20, 2023, there have been 80 mass shootings in the U.S....

Taking Sides: Social Media Companies SHOULD Ban Individuals From Their Platforms for Hate Speech

Taking Sides: Social Media Companies SHOULD Ban Individuals From Their Platforms for Hate Speech

Em Rigda, Columnist February 1, 2023

  Freedom of speech is a fundamental right in the United States protected by the Constitution, however, this does not mean that all consequences are relinquished from everything one says. A common ideology...

Taking Sides: Student Loan Debt SHOULD Be Forgiven

Taking Sides: Student Loan Debt SHOULD Be Forgiven

Em Rigda, Columnist December 20, 2022

  Student loans are given to students to help them pay for their college education. The main problem with this is that a college education is not a cheap cost. According to U.S. News and World Report,...

Taking Sides: The U.S. SHOULD NOT Have Stronger Security On the Mexico/U.S. Border

Em Rigda, Columnist November 22, 2022

  To many, the United States is seen as a safe haven, the land of the free and opportunity. The millions of people fleeing nations with dictatorial governments, unsafe homes, war and poverty look to...

Taking Sides: Prop 3 SHOULD Be Adopted in The State of Michigan

Taking Sides: Prop 3 SHOULD Be Adopted in The State of Michigan

Em Rigda, Columnist October 26, 2022

Proposal 3 would entail providing a state constitutional right to reproductive freedom for all people across the state of Michigan. This would protect women’s rights to their own body and to make the...

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