We all know by now that global warming is real, right? Right! So if you want to help Florida not sink underwater, check out these five tips to be part of the solution.

#1: Reduce meat/dairy consumption

Okay look, just hear me out. I’m not saying you have to go vegan or vegetarian (although that is a very good way to help the environment) but it has been proven that even so much as reducing when you can is very helpful and can save gallons upon gallons of water, miles upon miles of land and clouds upon clouds of methane from being released into the atmosphere. There is no other way around addressing this major concern, as animal agriculture is THE LEADING cause of global warming by a long shot. Reducing consumption of these products is the most effective way to fight global warming.

#2: Educate yourself about global warming

It’s important to understand why it’s happening and how to stop it in order to be the best possible advocate for our environment. With proper education about global warming, you will be able to recognize harmful habits that impact our environment and be able to make proper changes in your life that correspond to your newfound knowledge. You may also find yourself more motivated and impassioned about the issue, leading to stronger dedication and willingness to share knowledge with others. There are lots of research and documentaries available, and I recommend Cowspiracy, which is on Netflix. I like it because not only is it informative and entertaining, but there is also some drama in it (other than just the drama of the apocalypse due to environmental harm).

#3: Speak up

We all have to work together on this issue in order for our efforts to work. When you hear others spreading misinformation about global warming, correct them. Recommend documentaries to friends and family. It’s important to talk about global warming, as it’s an issue that impacts all of us, the animals and posterity. Don’t be too aggressive about it, as that is not an effective persuasive approach, and if people try to argue with you about it, it’s probably best to save your time and sanity and move on.

#4: Support political candidates who care about global warming

We currently have a president who doesn’t believe that global warming is caused by humans, despite the ridiculous amounts of evidence that state otherwise. This is very bad. It’s important that we strive to elect candidates who will make global warming a priority. Who cares about building a wall when we have excessive hurricanes, tornadoes and arctic winds? Yes, I include arctic winds because research shows that arctic winds may actually be a symptom of global warming, as the Earth is trying to stabilize its temperature. But notice that when America got a serious barrage of arctic winds, our president had this to say about it:

#5: Do the little things you always hear you are supposed to do

You probably thought this list was going to be about these little things, right? You know, take shorter showers. Carpool. Bike to school. Get reusable bags. You know all the little things, as these are the aspects of change that people like to focus on, because they are easier than doing the previous things on this list. The truth is, reducing your meat/dairy intake FAR outweighs any other change that you can make, and doing these little things is just a drop in the bucket by comparison, but you should still try to do them when you can. Every little bit helps. So yeah, turn off your faucet while you brush your teeth or whatever. Easy stuff.

Thanks for checking out my five tips for being nicer to our planet. I hope it has inspired you to do some research of your own, as well as implement these tips in your daily life.

If we are to believe the content of the email, those who do not heed the warning may be doomed to an experience filled with seizures, psychosis, and even death. Lesser symptoms may include, but are not limited to “..nausea, vomiting, and pain; chills and sweats; dizziness and unsteadiness; hangover effects; itching; and drug withdrawal symptoms,” the email continued. After writing at length about kratom’s fight to stay legal in this year’s spring print edition of Reflector Magazine, I was taken aback by the demonization of the plant. It is true, as with anything, that taking too much of the herb can cause moderate to somewhat severe side effects, but kratom alone has never been tied to the death of any individual if not taken in conjunction with another substance. With this in mind, it is extremely important that the potential kratom user researches all possible interactions with any prescribed or over the counter medication.

The respective school administrations undoubtedly meant the best from their email and wish to see the student body prosper in ways that only an Eagle can. But as someone who has watched one too many friends end up in a casket after entering the throes of addiction, I ask myself where the solution is to come from. By and large, the government and pharmaceutical companies alike seem to be standing by as our generation is dying in droves from overdoses and drug related deaths. Calling the issue an epidemic isn’t an overly-stylized moniker either, over 50,000 people died from overdoses in 2015, with most fatalities coming as a direct result of opiate abuse. A natural, untainted, and beneficial analog-opioid substitute could be the saving grace for the estimated 2+ million people addicted in America. Sadly, according to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, the problem is on the rise at an exorbitant rate with four out of five heroin addicts starting out by abusing prescription painkillers and 249 million people receiving prescriptions for opioids in 2012 alone.

As a consumer of any product you need to do your research before buying it. Before buying a car, you need to see if the seat belts work, if the parking break checks out, or if it will make you vomit uncontrollably from some unforeseen force. Most retailers will tell you the same thing before selling you kratom: DO YOUR RESEARCH. The facts are that kratom does indeed have some unintended side effects, but again, almost every medication does. Kratom effects the same areas of the brain that opioids do, the mu-opioid receptors to be exact, but you will likely not get these effects unless you take a high dose. If taken habitually it does have addictive properties, but so does that cup of Starbucks you drink every morning on the way to work.

In a world where 150 people die every year from taking acetaminophen, the main pain-relieving ingredient in Tylenol, and over 600,000 die from heart disease from a lifelong journey to this nations fast food restaurants, what can’t we die from these days? Kratom. You can’t die from kratom. There are two stories to be told here: The story of listing all the side effects, the majority of which will never come to fruition if you take kratom responsibly, and the story of looking at this plant as a realistic alternative to the opioid epidemic. Frankly, even mentioning the product will likely entice impressionable younger students to seek it out, so why not tell them of responsible use? Why not tell them about the dangers of taking those pills they got prescribed when they had an injury? Athletes in particular are extremely susceptible to prescription painkiller abuse, so why not talk to student-athletes about a herbal alternative?

I am by no means an advocate of handing out kratom to the nation’s children, but I am by all means an advocate for families to not have to bury their sons and daughters after an overdose. The facts are there to support the idea that this plant does far more good than it does bad and it would be foolish to overlook them. What I’ve presented in this article is less of a response to the school-wide email and more of a response to the stigma that the federal government is trying to associate with something that they don’t currently regulate. Ultimately, a message intended to be good-natured and informative can be a missed platform for an opportunity to spread the ideals of responsible and educated use of any substance.

Although the few minor “rites of passage” I was granted upon turning 18 excited me, one was obviously of the highest importance. This newly discovered right quickly drew my wide-eyed curious mind closer to politics. Wow, how exciting was the right to be considered “adult”, to get a new driver’s license, to be old enough for marriage and tattoos and cigarettes? But how much more exiting was it to know my voice would mean more than it had before, to know that in the 2016 election, I would be able to express my voice, to plant my decision, my own opinion of who is fit for our presidency on a ballot?

In three fleeting years, I would exercise my gracious right as a citizen and become part of history. The thought of it was invigorating and the knowledge of my “very special” role drew me closer to all types of political knowledge, of history, tradition and change. While amazed by the obvious power of democracy, I became able to peel back the shield that politicians were so crafty about covering truth with. Nothing had ever been so nasty and alluring at the same time.

And even then, I never anticipated this nightmare.

This election has been nothing short of a nauseating disaster disguised as digestible entertainment.

And I barely even have the right to complain considering much of the generation I belong to, “the future,” has often been accurately characterized the same. The idea of “choosing the least of two evils” had begun to evolve on various social media platforms. I hated the idea of settling and choosing when I wasn’t able to form a decision at the slightest.

But what if I didn’t want to? What if I waited so anxiously until my first time to vote for nothing? Did I expect too much? Would I always be this dissatisfied by politics? The discouragement accumulated quickly until I decided I was no longer going to vote. More irritated than ever with the state of the union itself and those who belonged to it; I resorted to bashing politics and the overall system. Then a question arose. If whatever I do won’t make a difference anyway, is it better to not participate at all or to do what I can?

Ghandi said, “Whatever you do in life will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it.”

And there it was, all I needed to overcome this mild millennial angst preventing me from being a decent, worthwhile asset to society.

All of us need to vote, no matter what our color, culture, economic standing, level of professionalism, intellect, experience, wisdom, ideology, age; whether you are a mother of three living on welfare checks or a male college student relying on loans; whether you are employed by a fast food chain or by the United States military; whether you are the son of a Mexican immigrant or the daughter of an Alabama farmer, you are obligated to do your part.

If not a single person voted, the Electoral College would have all the power. So even if you do not feel as if you have any power or influence, think about your role as part of a mass of individuals that, together, does. There are most likely multiple people with a political stance almost identical as your own. You may never know those people, but unknowingly together, your votes are binding and counting as more than just yours alone ever could.

Elections get ugly and tend to bring out the worst in not only the candidates, but those taking sides too.

So in the midst of the face-slapping and hidden agendas, we should keep alive the one aspect of politics that makes the vicious a little more tolerable; our right to have some kind of a say in the figure that will govern our lives on the large scale for four following years.

And if you were once, maybe not during your lifetime but during the history of the United States unable to vote, that should be all the more reason for you to drag yourself into the polls. To all the women, the 19^th amendment was not passed in the snap of a finger. To all the African Americans, the 15^th amendment was not simply enforced in one day. If not everyone, at least these groups should show respect to those who fought for their political voices.

President Obama’s speech at the Congressional Black Caucus Gala emphasized with a plea so dense in emotion that his supporters would be doing a disservice to him if they do not choose to vote in the 2016 election.

“If I hear anybody saying their vote does not matter, that it doesn’t matter who we elect — read up on your history. It matters,” Obama said, “I will consider it a personal insult — an insult to my legacy — if this community lets down its guard and fails to activate itself in this election.” This would inspire not only those from the demographic he is speaking to, but any citizen to vote. He closed by boldly adding, “You want to give me a good sendoff? Go vote.”

We cannot deny that America’s history illustrates corruption, obvious guilt and lackluster diplomacy, but it illustrates much more. It illustrates that the many individuals who may have annoyed the hell out of us as politicians still worked for our rights to have a voice and never have to hesitate in using it.

It illustrates the countless situations in which, by a slight difference in the Electoral College and popular vote, the more respected person obtained a position in office as President of the United States. It illustrates one special aspect of our country that remains while much of our other strengths have vanished. And that is the right to walk into a room that thousands of others will scatter into on November eighth every four years with a firm belief of what they want out of America.

As a millennial that has become frustrated with my options for this election and was once so agitated with my choices that I hesitated to participate in the process, I still encourage you to vote, just as I am encouraging myself. Someone earned this for us, and whether we choose to deny it or not, we are obligated to prove that worth and to respect that fight.

Get your vote on.

Feature photo courtesy of CNN

America is being shaken once again. This time spearheaded by the bold, courageous and unashamed black students at the University of Missouri.

The hashtag, #ConcernedStudent1950, brought attention to the damning issues at Mizzou. African American students being treated as second class citizens, called racial obscenities, mocked and the more. Not only that they make up a mere 7% of the student population. A true minority being ignored at a public institution and treated with complete disregard.

Through social media I’ve watched the growth of their movement from homecoming week there to now. When a ConcernedStudent1950 protester was hit by the car carrying then President Tim Wolfe in the homecoming parade. A swastika was drawn in human feces at a residence hall. Then this week.

The KKK was present on campus, threatening the lives of black students and others present at the University of Missouri declaring they would kill all the n*****s. Along with this was the seeming disregard given by University Police and the city of Columbia, MO. As their alert system through Twitter stated, “in case of a real emergency,” that is concerning damning alone.

Nevertheless, these young men and women have continued to stand boldly. They have not bent, broken, folded or given up, but they’ve gotten stronger. Not only have they continued their efforts through the use of social media, but they’ve acted in person too. They’ve stated and listed their demands, demonstrated, marched protested and much more. They’ve shaken America again and we plan to shake up Georgia Southern University and Statesboro.

This University has an African American student population of over 26%. Yes, 26%, but you’d be hard pressed to find an adequate representation of such numbers on campus.

We lack a sufficient number of black professionals (faculty, staff and professors). In my four years here I’ve had three black professors and only one male and the only one who was tenured. We do not have a black student union or cultural center. Instead, the most influential black male and employee here was let go and we, black students, were left scrambling for an advisor and mentor. The buck doesn’t stop there. Only three courses are offered in the Africana Studies program and one requires numerous prerequisites. I could go on and on, but in the coming days some things will come forth.

I, Jamar A. Boyd II, stand with the black students at Mizzou. The Georgia Southern University NAACP stands in solidarity too. Georgia Southern and Statesboro can no longer ignore the black student and community population.

No longer can we ignore the fact of institutionalized racism and systematic oppression. We join in with the Colleges and Universities across this nation and world who are determined to eradicate and eliminate this epidemic.

The road won’t be easy, detractors will come, threats may arise, but we will fight and stand tall. If you would’ve told me my freshman year I’d be serving as NAACP Second Vice President and standing as I am, I wouldn’t have believed you. But, thanks be to God for giving me the courage, strength and will to do so.

I love Georgia Southern, I love black GSU and I’m blessed to be where I am. Now, it’s time for a change.

-J.B.II

The letter written by GSU’s NAACP executive board to the black students at the University of Missouri.

About Jamar:

Jamar A. Boyd, II – Senior sport management major, President of St. Jude Up ’til Dawn and Second Vice President NAACP. “A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others.” – Ayn Rand

Should women vote for Hillary Clinton?

Well, that depends. Do you agree with her politics? Do you think that the policies she puts forth, the bills she backs, the statements she makes, align with yours? Does she stand for what you stand for?

If the answer is yes – vote for her.

If the answer is no – don’t vote for her.

It’s as simple as that. That’s how politics (should) work. Our founding fathers didn’t grant us the right to vote (and women didn’t bust our asses until the 20th century) just to throw it away because of uneducated reasoning.

Whether or not you vote for someone should not be determined by their gender. Voting for someone because they are a woman is just as bad as not voting for someone because they are a woman. It’s the exact same as what women have been against for centuries, only flipped. True equality is weighing the respect and value of someone regardless of gender, race, etc.

We saw it in 2008 when Barack Obama was elected president. It was a huge step for the black community to go from having ancestors enslaved to putting a black man in office. That was a step towards equality, but should it have been? Should equality count as a minority group gathering together to put forth a candidate, or should equality count as a mixed group, made up of both minorities and majorities, gathering together to say “He’ll do a good job. He’s got my vote,” and have the color of his skin not even cross their mind?

Don’t get me wrong – I don’t think Obama was voted into office purely through the black community. But I do think there was a large portion that did so because he was black – just like there was a large portion of the population that refused to vote for him because he was black. Neither of which were okay simply because, it shouldn’t have mattered.

Hillary Clinton has had a huge decade-spanning political career. She’s been a Senator, First Lady, Secretary of State, and now Presidential candidate. Not to mention her many achievements outside of politics i.e. graduating from two prestigious colleges: Wellesley and Yale Law School. Now, maybe you think she did an incredible job at these roles. Maybe you think she flat-out sucked. Either way, you can’t deny that she did them. It would be shame if someone with a list of accomplishments that long to be judged solely on their gender.

As a woman, I would love to see another woman take office. Maybe I’ll vote for Hillary, maybe I won’t. I’ll make that decision during the upcoming election season. It won’t be made by deciding “Should I vote for a woman or not?” I’ll ask myself, “Who do I think will make the best president?” and that’s who I’ll choose.

It shouldn’t matter what community a person fits into, whether it’s a minority or a majority. We as a population, and especially a generation, should be able to look past those factors to simply choose the best person for the job. That’s what equality is.

About Cheryl:

Cheryl Nuzum is a sophomore English and Communications dual degree major. She is a lover of bad puns and all things Harry Potter. This semester she is also a contributor for The George-Anne!

The recent events which have occurred in the United States and worldwide are chilling and damning. Abroad Isis is still committing mass murders, over 100 Nigerian college students were massacred, a refugee crisis is ongoing in Germany and much more. Here, innocent black men are being killed daily, set to political bondage, live at a sickening poverty level and more. However, the epidemic at heart is the loss of innocent men at the hands of law enforcement.

As a citizen of this country, I am grateful for the men and women who have taken an oath to protect and serve, but everyone they encounter is not a threat, and doesn’t cause one to fear for their life or be shot and killed like a wild animal. The death of Walter Scott, which occurred in North Charleston, is damning. I have watched the video over and over again in awe and disbelief. I have prayed continually and asked for God’s protection, but the question arises, “Are all black men considered a threat?”

I’m a 21 year old, Black male, 5’10, about 150 pounds and maybe considered a threat to someone, better yet law enforcement. To think my life could be taken in the blink of an eye because one feared for their life is mesmerizing. Forget the fact I’m someone’s son, a brother, a friend, college student, a Christian, minister, mentor, and the more. All they see is that i’m a threat. Although this may not be the case for all, it’s the trend of the day.

Each and every day black lives are being lost at the hands of law enforcement. Instead of being encountered in a civilized manner, they are treated like dogs. Constantly, insulted, degraded, mocked and killed. Yes, black lives matter.

We matter not because we’re greater than any one being, but because without us there would be no you. Without us there would not be a United States. Without us there would be no gospel, jazz, hip hop, or rhythm and blues. Without us there would be no Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., Benjamin Hooks, G.E. Patterson, Shirley Chisholm, and other greats. Without us, there would be no Barack Obama. Without us there would be no you.

African American men and women not only sustain and propel their people, but the world at large. They are copied by many and imitated by leaps and bounds. Black lives matter because they bring a swagger and assertiveness that can’t be brought by anyone else.

Yes, we come in all different heights, shades, sizes, and each embodies greatness. Although we may not have the money of our counterparts, education, or culture…we matter. So, the next time you encounter a black male or female don’t look at them as a threat, but a treat.

We love as others love. Embody great fashion. Are hospitable like non-other. Cook better than 5 star chefs. Possess great knowledge, an outstanding vernacular, and unimaginable wisdom. Believe and pray at all times. We even dance with a rhythm and smoothness that can’t be matched. Black lives matter not because we’re greater than another, but because we have something to offer.

“Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.” 1 John 4:20-21

– J.B.II

About Jamar:

Each and every student at Georgia Southern has an open-ended opportunity to be a part of the RC and get their conversation started. The mission is simple: to ensure that your voice may be shared and your opinions heard. If talking about the rights of humans versus the rights of animals is your passion–let it be heard, if you’d like to explain why it’s acceptable to wear slip-ons and athletic shorts every single day–let it be heard, from video game crazes to thoughts on marriage equality, here in the Reflector Community, each opinion is invaluable.

As GSU students, and more importantly, thinking and active members of the world community it is imperative that our conversations be heard by those who are willing to listen. Let this not be your personal diary, let it be an informed and opinionated blog to share your experiences and ideas with the community around you. As a generation of progressive-minded adults it is our responsibility to unite and reflect on life’s many opportunities; however, it is our moral responsibility to also discuss the hard stuff.

What you have to say matters, so let’s start the conversation.

Macy Holloway,

Reflector Community Editor