Reconsider getting pets while in college

Through out college, especially during finals week students need some form of a stress relievers. Pets such as dogs and cats can solve these problems but they can also create new ones. As this Daily Texan article titled "Students should reconsider getting pets while in college" by Emily Vernon explains, pets for a college student should be something to truly reconsider. Even though it might seem like a good idea to have what the Daily Texan calls a fury friend, consider the cost of owning a pet and whether the pet will live a life trapped in doors all day or have the life it deserves. College students paying up to $30,000 a year while taking five classes at UT-Austin will most likely become unable to supply their animal with the proper attention they require. For those who are renting they could also be charged even up to $500 a month to keep a pet, and if the student ends up moving buildings the other building might not allow pets at all. "The life of an animal shouldn't be taken lightly or treated as a disposable object," Hannah Horstman, events and outreach manager for Austin Pets Alive said.

I agree with Vernon, a lot of students already have to much on their plate. It might seem like a good idea because you'll have a way to relieve stress, or you'll never be alone, or any other reason but it can build more stress if your not efficient at controlling it. As for your pet do you really think it wants to be locked inside all day while you attend your five classes and sit indoors studying all day and that not even including work. How will you pay those potential $500 monthly charge for your pet, plus checkups for you pet and their food and so on. The list is never ending. Over all I think Vernon has a strong point. Even though Some students I do believe are capable of taking care of their pets with every need to be met, i doubt they want to figure out if they can provide every need.

Criticism and commentary: Sebastian Espinoza's "PROP 1."

As I was going through my classmates' blogs I came across an original editorial/commentary from Sebastian Espinoza, titled "PROP 1." Going over this article seems to be too late since Proposition 1 was not passed on may 7th. However I still feel like this could easily happen in other cities so it some how is still relevant. Proposition 1 was intended to keep the city from requiring both Uber and Lyft to have fingerprint background checks. 

After hearing about Proposition 1 being voted against I started to think about what Mr. Espinoza was saying.  I agree completely with Mr. Espinoza, everything from these companies lowering DWI rates to them creating more jobs for the citizens of the city. He stated that since Uber and Lyft arrived that DWI rate have decreased. seeing that proposition 1 was voted against does this mean that DWI could rise again in the future? Overall i agree with Mr. Espinoza that we should have of voted for proposition 1. 

Semester finals and stress managment

Stress on students gets higher and higher as the semester comes to an end. Every year universities provide aa variety of sources to help the stressed out students. Some of these sources include therapy dogs, free food, and care packages. Towards the end of the semester all-nighters and students have a close bonding session. however there is no coffee shops open past 10 p.m to help the students out through the all-nighter. "In addition to higher stress, Jane Morgan Bost, associate director of the Center for Counseling and Mental Health at UT-Austin believes that students also have fewer tools to handle that stress." Bosts says to KUT that she is not sure if students have learned how to entirely cope with stress. she believes that students tend to be more perfectionist and have a harder time to spring back after making a mistake. Take breaks may feel like pushing aside responsibilities but it actually enhances production level. It is a way to refresh and comeback more effectively. continuous time on a task tends to drain focus and physiological resources. taking time off to be with the therapy dogs or taking a break for some free food might seem like a waste of time but it actually helps bring you back to study harder. As a result it will bring the stress down.

As I read Khadija Saifullah's article titled "Students should utilize stress relief resources on campus during finals," I could not help but nod and agree with what he was saying. I used to be the student to take no breaks because I thought I was just wasting time. However sitting there for hours at a time made me realize that I was just sitting there doing absolutely nothing, but since I had my reviews and textbooks out I thought I was making progress. Even though universities provide all these stress revealing resources they should make it a priority to allow every student to know about these opportunities. If students are three hours deep in the library they probably do not know about the free food. And what better way is there to relief stress than with food. I think the universities should send out alerts through email, or even have faculty walk around telling students about these resources. Maybe even have a coffee shop on campus that is open past 10 p.m. Overall I do believe students need to informed or taught how to cope with stress and learn that taking a break doesn't mean your are pushing your responsibilities away.

Criticism and commentary: Lomas' "Abortion Limits Create Nightmare for Parents of Stillborn baby"

As I was going through my classmates' blogs I came across an original editorial/commentary from Megan Lomas titled "Abortion Limits Create Nightmare for Parents of Stillborn Baby." After reading the first paragraph I sat in shock that the doctors rejected the Mahaffey's request to be induced due to a House Bill. House Bill Two includes multiple bans or restrictions when it comes to abortions. I am certain that House Bill Two has its advantages but in this case it seemed unfair and inhumane in certain points, However I do agree with Ms. Lomas that things should be looked over and revised. A little tweaking here and there can make a huge change especially in this case. Having to wait three days for a mother to give birth to her son when she knows her son will not make it out alive seems extremely outrageous. Things happen in life that sometimes cannot be controlled which makes me think that having permanent restrictions on things like birth should be flexible. 

On a criticizing note, I would of like to have seen the positives of having a bill such as House Bill Two and not just why it should be revised, even though I completely agree. I feel like having something good to say about it will make it look as if your not just pointing out the negatives and that it clearly looks like you took time to consider the opposing viewpoints. This way it seems like you have something to argue about because you have all the information and not just because you think it is ridiculous, which again I completely agree with it being ridiculous. Over all I definitely agree with Ms. Lomas editorial/commentary and think she had reasons to consider a revaluation on House Bill Two. 

Texas, slow your roll cowboy.

We are in the forth month of the year 2016 and 11 executions have occurred in the united states. Out of those 11 executions more than half of them have been from the state of Texas alone. As of April sixth, Texas went through with its' sixth execution. Whether some of those 11 deserved it, who knows. Texas should take a step back and realize either that they are jumping to conclusion or its' citizens are awful human beings. Just over two weeks ago another man was executed, making him the fifth person to be executed in Texas. Out of 11 executions throughout 50 states, how did one state manage to execute more than half. 

I say Texas should take a step back but they really need to take a step back. Don't think they should? lets see if you still disagree after this. Texas' first execution was on January 20th, and the most recent execution was on April 6th. There is a total of 78 days between the two dates. In those 78 days, six people have been executed. That averages out to one execution every 13 days. About every two weeks someone is going to be injected with a lethal dose of pentobarbital. I can't speak for everyone but I would rather do my time than be injected and slowly start fading away to your death.

Texas state and local government should slow down and think about their system. They should sit down and ask themselves rather an injection of pentobarbital is required or if time can heal them. They should rethink their procedures in the court house and introduce new ways of punishment that wouldn't make Texas feel like a horrible place to become a citizen or a place where its' citizens won't feel unsafe. 

Anti-police brutality is not anti-police

On Thursday, February 18, 2016 The daily Texan published an opinion article titled Anti-police brutality is not anti-police.  The authors intended audience leans to more of a black community due to the effects of not just recent cases, but long time cases as well. This article can also allow different races to join in this big issue against police officers. The author acknowledges the other sides argument that international activist groups such as Black Lives Matter are often portrayed as murder movements instead of movements that fights for equality. The author gave an example of a recent shooting that happened in Austin. A naked, unarmed 17 year old black male was killed by a black officer, which caused a local protest by local activists. The authors' claim is that local law enforcement should be trained in rebuilding their image to gain trust of not just the local black community but the community in general. The author believes that the way to build any kind of trust between the local community and the local law enforcement is to have fewer prejudices. This would make since this trust would allow citizens and law enforcement not to be on edge. I agree with the author that law enforcement not only local but also nationally should be trained to not be discriminatory or bias to a general race. I also agree with groups such as Black Lives Matter should protest until this issue between law enforcement and the community comes turns into a equal trust between the two.   

Houston Slayings Fueled Border Security Debate

On Sunday, January 31, 2016, the Texas Tribune published an article titled Houston Slayings Fueled Border Security Debate. This article is about a 25 year old male named Spencer Golvach who was shot in the head at a red light by an illegal immigrant named Victor Reyes and a few others who were killed or injured that same night. The first half of the article tells a chilling story of Spencer's history leading up to his death. The section following goes over the gunman's records, starting from 2001 all the way up to January of 2015. Between those 14 years Reyes managed to enter the united states four times illegally. After the encounter with Spencer, Reyes was killed in a shoot out. At the time the Houston police department were not allowed to ask person if they were undocumented a making it a "safe heaven" for illegal immigrants. This brought more attention to boarder security in Texas. Overall I think this article is very interesting to me as a Mexican-American since this talks about immigration and seeing how people give bad reputations to not just Mexicans but all Hispanics. These type of articles help notice any future laws or regulations on immigration that could be put into act.