Opinion Staff

Tomas Hinckley

Opinion Editor

Tomas Hinckley is the Opinion Editor. His column "Talking With No Mouth" focuses on political and cultural critique of the United States and UConn context.

Where did all the campus protests go?

Opinion Tomas Hinckley - April 3, 2026

In the past week, two articles have been published, from The Atlantic and The New Yorker respectively, with both asking the same question:

No more imperialist wars on Iran

Opinion Tomas Hinckley - March 6, 2026

On Saturday, Feb. 28, attacks from the United States and Israeli military killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

BLM To ICE: Lessons in abolitionist organizing

Opinion Tomas Hinckley - February 20, 2026

Last week, students, faculty and staff received a one-sentence long official announcement titled, “Guidance on Potential Interactions with Immigrations Authorities” directing community members to a UConnToday articlepublished that same day.

Patrick Minnerly

Associate Opinion Editor

Patrick Minnerly is a sophmore from Torrington, CT majoring in political science. He writes the column "Patrick's Politics," which focuses primarily on national topics of interest, as well as local and international issues.

Patrick’s Politics: Christian fanaticism and the unholy war in Iran

Opinion Patrick Minnerly - April 2, 2026

On March 25, within the walls of the Pentagon, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth held a prayer session. His preaching included a chilling encouragement of U.S. troops to commit “overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy.” These words took place in the context of America’s war against Iran, which has dragged on for weeks with no clear end in sight.

Patrick’s Politics: Air travel issues? Blame Trump

Opinion Patrick Minnerly - March 26, 2026

If you’ve ever gone on a long trip, you probably know the drudgery of an airport security line. Waiting for agents from the Transportation Security Administration to check you over can be an onerous experience at the best of times, and the recent partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security has exacerbated the situation. TSA workers haven’t been paid for 40 days, leading many to call in sick or quit their jobs, and security lines are out the door at many airports across the country.

Patrick’s Politics: Trans people aren’t welcome in Kansas anymore, Toto

Opinion Patrick Minnerly - March 12, 2026

What would you do if your government identification suddenly ceased to exist? In the state of Kansas last month, hundreds of residents received a notice that their driver’s licenses had been revoked. They hadn’t done anything wrong to warrant this action – except change their gender identity. Under a new state law that was passed on Feb. 26, Kansans are now forced to have their documentation reflect their biological sex at birth.

Isaac Grad

Staff Writer

Isaac Grad is a senior majoring in English and Psychology. His writing focuses primarily on movie related topics.

X-Men: Apocalypse might be as bad as people claim

Opinion Isaac Grad - March 9, 2026

“X-Men: Apocalypse” has overall not been well-received since it came out in 2016.

Watch independent movies now more than ever

Opinion Isaac Grad - February 23, 2026

Many people have recognized and commented recently on the current state of Hollywood films. They have complained about a lack of originality, a disinterest in casting new and upcoming actors and more recently, the use of AI.

X-Men and the allegation of queerbaiting

Opinion Isaac Grad - February 6, 2026

The problem of queerbaiting in media is prevalent. Often times, media features an especially close “friendship” between two people of the same gender, including jokes recognizing the implied homoeroticism but never making them explicitly queer.

Tamara Segal

Staff Writer

Tamara Segal is a sophomore from Stamford, CT studying Environmental Engineering and English. Her writing centers on environmental, cultural, and political issues.

Pretty Little Liars: Updated Y2K references and looming media control

Opinion Tamara Segal - March 31, 2026

The book series “Pretty Little Liars,” which inspired the TV show of the same name, has come into recent attention after readers discovered one of its lines had been mysteriously changed in the e-book version. Instead of a reference to the show “Fear Factor,” the line now reads, “You guys want to come over and watch this cool TikTok I found?”

‘Good Enough’ Is Even Better: Why gen-eds should be pass/fail

Opinion Tamara Segal - March 25, 2026

This week marks the beginning of course selection for the upcoming semester, and with it comes the (often begrudging) search for a gen-ed class to fill out your schedule.

Should we be cavemen again?

Opinion Tamara Segal - March 12, 2026

The other day, I came across a series of articles published by the World Wildlife Fund celebrating animals whose roles are instrumental to Earth’s self-regulating cycle of life. Bees, for one, have long teamed up with hundreds of thousands of different flowering plants to promote exceptionally biodiverse and thriving ecosystems, while bison’s grazing habits allow grasslands to flourish.

Colin Hamilton

Staff Writer

Colin Hamilton is a freshman from Simsbury, CT majoring in Environmental Studies and English Education. His articles primarily focus on issues surrounding environmental justice, health, and policy.

In Chiles v. Salazar, the Supreme Court is blind

Opinion Colin Hamilton - April 8, 2026

Last Tuesday, the Supreme Court proved that justice is blind: not free of bias, but ignorant of its own ramifications. Concluding its Chiles v. Salazar case, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Kaley Chiles in an 8-1 vote. Chiles, an evangelical Christian, had sued the state of Colorado for its law banning any medical practice that seeks to “eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attraction or feelings toward individuals of the same sex.” As a therapist, Chiles argued the law prevented her from working with patients who want to live a life “consistent with their faith.”

In search of justice: What happens when wealth turns off the tap?

Opinion Colin Hamilton - April 2, 2026

Humanity has always strived towards the impossible. At the dawn of time, we harnessed fire. At the turn of the 19th century, we channeled the power of lightning into homes. Even now, we harness the power of atoms to create energy worldwide. Nonetheless, our affinity for the unimaginable has often cost us. In January, the UN declared humanity’s most recent inconceivable act: our complete disruption of the planet’s water cycles. Thanks to our thirst for industry — driven in part by the artificial intelligence boom — we are now outpacing Earth’s ability to replenish the water we use daily. The consequences are apocalyptic: Drought-driven famines are expected to rapidly rise in regularity, exposing nearly 1.2 billion to starvation.

Trump, dyslexia and the classroom

Opinion Colin Hamilton - March 26, 2026

Last week, President Donald J. Trump unjustly lambasted Governor Gavin Newsom of California in an interview at the Oval Office. In the latest escalation between the two political giants, Trump attacked Newsom’s life-long diagnosis of dyslexia, a common neurobiological learning condition that causes difficulty with reading and spelling.

Gianna Cassino

Weekly Columinst

Gianna Cassino is a sophomore from Westchester, NY majoring in Communication. Her column “Girl, Uninterrupted” examines pop culture and online trends through a critical feminist lens.

Women in GLAM: Academia’s unsung heroes

Opinion Gianna Cassino - April 8, 2026

Over the past year, I’ve developed a love of wandering museums. Art, natural history, you name it and I’m there with my camera. Despite my penchant for gaping at displays, I (like many other museum-goers) paid little mind to one key aspect: the curators. I spend a lot of time in libraries and museums but rarely take a minute to appreciate those that collected, organized and displayed their materials for public consumption.

In Response to Timothée Chalamet: Is it curtains for ballet and opera?

Opinion Gianna Cassino - March 25, 2026

Dune actor Timothée Chalamet has spent the past few weeks under fire for “taking shots” (his words) at the ballet and opera industries in an interview with Variety. Long story short: Chalamet stated that he wouldn't work in an industry that “needs to be kept alive”, and artists of all disciplines instantly pushed back.

Have we lost the point of International Women’s Day?

Opinion Gianna Cassino - March 11, 2026

Last Sunday marked the 115th anniversary of International Women’s Day.

Evelyn Pazan

Staff Writer

Evelyn Pazan is a junior from Mount Laurel, New Jersey majoring in Finance and German Studies. She currently writes a column "The Evie-dence".

Less Grind, More Growth: What internships abroad get right

Opinion Evelyn Pazan - March 30, 2026

In about two months, internship season will be upon us, and University of Connecticut students will disperse around the country to their internships with one thing on their mind: securing that full-time return offer by whatever means necessary.

“Rich” Diversity: Study abroad doesn’t have to be expensive

Opinion Evelyn Pazan - January 26, 2026

For some students, studying abroad is viewed as a must-do college checklist item and the perfect addition to their Instagram feed; but for others, seeing study abroad posts is a reminder of a financial challenge that they can’t overcome. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way.

The Evie-dence: Make it good. Auf Wiedersehen!

Opinion Evelyn Pazan - April 29, 2025

As I sit down to write my final column, I realize that this might be the first time that I can’t find the right words.

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Opinion Staff