Angela's blog

While I am truly happy to hear of the safe return of Laura Ling and Euna Lee, I have some reservations about the way the situation has unfolded back at home.  Many reports seem to be unclear about whether or not the women intentionally violated the law, but at least one source describes a phone call in which Lisa Ling apologized for their illegal actions. This information is confirmed by a letter template stating the women have “confessed and apologized for their actions and their families have also apologized.”

I once heard a quote that really put the concept of wishing into perspective for me. “Always leave something to wish for; otherwise you will be miserable from your very happiness.” – Baltasar Gracian.

With nothing left to wish for, what do you have to work toward? Regardless, there are a few things I’d ask for if I came across a magic lamp.

When I was little, I used to get dressed up in frilly dresses and shiny white shoes to go to church. I looked forward to seeing my grandparents and other friends and family, and listening to the choir sing. The only problem was, most of the time I didn’t understand very much—we always attended Spanish mass. As hard as I tried to learn the language, I never really caught on. We moved to a predominately white neighborhood when I was four and after that it was difficult to learn because I didn’t have to.

I will graduate with my bachelor’s degree with exactly zero dollars in student loans.

I am so honored to have received a full-ride scholarship to Central Michigan University, but the unfortunate reality is that my situation is very uncommon. For the majority of students, attending college means one thing—loans, loans and more loans.

Many students work just as hard (or even harder) to pay for their education as they do in the classroom. And the scary thing is…both tuition and unemployment rates continue to rise.

A recent report issued by the Institute of Medicine has sparked much debate by calling for a smoking ban in the United States military. The study, which was commissioned by the Pentagon, cites high “health and economic costs” as reason to implement a ban that would eventually phase-out tobacco use in the military. 

By now, it’s no secret that smoking can be a deadly habit, but despite its dangers, smoking is not illegal for those of age. Many people use smoking as an outlet for stress relief. So it’s no wonder why tobacco use continues to rise among those in one of the most emotionally and physically demanding professions—the U.S. military.