If you are a student at William Jewell College, you have used our learning management platform: Moodle. While Jewell has been using Moodle since roughly 2015, and while it is a fairly simple platform on the surface, it has major problems rooted deep into its very being. 

Personally, Moodle has been the bane of my existence during my time at Jewell. There is rarely a day that Moodle works effectively and simply – it just always seems to be having some type of internet temper tantrum. I have heard the same complaint all across campus from both students and professors. 

On a technical level, Moodle refuses to function as a website. To give it the benefit of the doubt, we do perhaps expect too much from one webpage, loading it with hundreds of courses and large files. However, since this is a learning management platform, you would think it would be up to the task. When you try to load something on Moodle, it will, in my experience, 4 times out of 10, crash completely. If it does not crash, it’s probably lagging and taking its sweet time. Jewell students know that time is always of the essence so we don’t want to be sitting around waiting for it to decide to work. Another problematic feature of Moodle: I can’t count on one hand how many times I have gone to submit something and Moodle deletes the file or just does not upload it without my knowledge, making it look like my work is just not being done. 

Speaking of work not getting done, the grade book feature on Moodle? Horrific. Professors do not know how to use it and so, as a student, you rarely know what your standing grade is in any class. If your professor has figured out how to use it, there are normally more steps than what there ever should be to check a grade because it is not accurately scored on Moodle. Not to mention that there’s no way to put a ‘pass’ type of grade on Moodle, so if you had an optional assignment you didn’t do, it just puts a big ol’ fat “F” in that spot – which is enough to send any college student over the edge. 

As a whole, the usage of Moodle at the college has had its moment, but I am over it. I understand that it is a cheap and easy option – and no one loves cheap and easy more than college students – but this just is not working as a learning management platform. 

If you share my absolute disdain towards Moodle, I am happy to tell you that we don’t have to deal with it much longer. Jewell finally heard the student and faculties complaints and is switching to something better. Recently, the school announced that they have made the decision to switch to D2L Brightspace, a different learning management system. With any hope and luck, this system will be more productive as a whole for Jewell’s students and faculty. At this point, my opinion is that anything will be better than Moodle.

Over the weekend of Sept. 24, 2021, a photo took the Olathe and Kansas City community by storm, prompting district and city-wide calls to action in preventing instances of racist speech or expression. The photo detailed two white students holding a sign stating, “If I was black, I would be picking cotton. But I’m white, so I’m picking you for HOCO [Homecoming]?” The sign also featured cotton balls alongside yes and no checkboxes

The two teens in the photo –one male and one female –were identified to be students from Olathe South High School in Olathe, Kan. and St. James Academy in Lenexa, Kan.

In response to public outcry, St. James Academy responded promptly to the situation on Sept. 25 via a Twitter statement:

Soon after, Olathe Superintendent Brent Yeager issued an official statement on Sept. 30, writing, “I am deeply saddened that this happened in our community. However, this should serve as [a] message to all of us to come together, to create positive change. Creating an inclusive community is incumbent on all of us.”

Rhonda Windholz, the mother of the female student in the photo, released a statement to KSHB 41 News on Sept. 25 to shed more light on the situation: “One Caucasian and one African-American boy were involved. It was the African-American boy who actually made the sign, already marked up and took the picture. This by no means makes it right…”

Although sources have stated the involved Black student was suspended, banned or otherwise discouraged from attending the high school, there are no confirmed reports of this happening.

Yeager’s letter to the community concluded that the district will be working to prevent instances such as this from happening in the future, but also encouraged parents to take action and talk to their children about racism.

This incident occurred only days after the Park Hill South School District opened an investigation into a student-initated petition calling for the reinstatement of slavery.

This is an ongoing case and The Hilltop Monitor will update once more information is released.

Although cat cafes are still a relatively new business genre in the United States, these lively shops stand as an exceptionally creative way to both enhance and support a local community. In addition to offering popular beverages and baked goods, cat cafes often partner with nearby rescues to socialize sheltered cats and kittens and to overall streamline the adoption process. And with the growing success of cat cafes in the KC metro area, the Northland finally received one of its own in 2020.

Last fall, Sugar Kittens Cafe and Cattery opened its doors in Liberty, MO – just a few miles southwest of William Jewell College – off of Route 291. Inside, a vibrant purple-and-blue lounge is always populated with spunky fur babies waiting to find their forever home. While the cafe’s selling point is definitely the cats, Sugar Kittens double as a coffee shop that serves baked goods, bubble tea, ice cream and specialty frappes among other items. Lining the entrance wall, the cafe also sells supplies, toys and merchandise for anyone looking to spoil their pet.

Now nearing their one-year anniversary, Sugar Kittens has found homes for nearly 400 cats and kittens who would have otherwise been on the streets or stuck in shelters. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, the cafe aims to adopt out as many cats and kittens as possible, which they source from local rescues such as Kitty Cat Connections or the community.

For $14.14, an individual can spend 50 minutes in the cat lounge, which is located in a separate area from their supplies shop and cafe counter. One to two employees are always present in the lounge to generally supervise the visits, answer any questions and facilitate the adoption process.

Sugar Kittens holds their felines into foster care until they are healthy enough for adoption; by the time a cat or kitten is moved to the cat lounge, they are microchipped, vaccinated and spayed or neutered. Absent of the occasional sale, cats can be adopted for $100 and kittens for $150. However, due to the need for socialization, the cafe requires customers to adopt a second cat or kitten if they do not already have another pet at home. Additionally, certain cats or kittens are bonded together and the cafe requests that those pairs be adopted together.

Overall, the cat lounge can be described as upbeat and fun, yet relaxing and comfortable. Natural lighting illuminates the room, adding to the vibrant feel of the blue and purple walls, juxtaposed to the soft cushions, plush seating and sleepy cats. While there may be other people present in the lounge – up to 10 people can be scheduled at a time – there is enough space and seating to give peace of mind to even the most introverted individual. And despite the number of cats and kittens running amok, the entire room is kept immaculate; many lounge-goers opt to sit – and even lay – on the carpet to play with the kittens.

As for the main attraction, there is no shortage of friendly felines at Sugar Kittens. By doubling as a cat cafe and adoption facility, the cats are less chaotically socialized to humans compared to shelters and, subsequently, much more of their true personalities come out around a potential new forever family. For example, immediately upon arrival, one exceptionally amiable black cat named Cricket crawled into features editor Sam Bahler’s arms and slept for nearly her entire visit.

The menu is not something to overlook either. Offering popular items like bubble tea and frappes in an impressive array of flavors, the cafe counter is worth visiting itself. The menu may not appeal to everyone since it focuses on an overtly sweet theme – hence the name, Sugar Kittens. But for everyone else looking for a sizable dose of sugar and caffeine, the customizability of the drinks leaves no one disappointed.

As a whole, Sugar Kittens Cafe and Cattery gives a rare type of satisfaction that many look for in small businesses. Customers can indulge in a genuinely enjoyable experience while knowing that every dollar spent – whether at the cafe, supplies shop or by adopting a new friend – is directly benefiting their community. For cat lovers, families and stressed-out college students alike, Sugar Kittens is the perfect place to visit – be it as a one-time event, weekly recurrence or anything in between.

Today’s world is constantly buzzing with the latest celebrity tweets, the hottest new Kardashian scandal, who said what and so much more juicy drama that we all get wrapped up in from time to time. With all this conversation, it is no surprise that great online debates have taken over most of our feeds – for example, IS a hotdog a sandwich? However, as thrilling as the debates and gossip can be, every action has a consequence. With this, the internet gave birth to the term “cancel culture.”

Cancel culture is described by Urban Dictionary as “a modern internet phenomenon where a person is ejected from influence or fame by questionable actions.” 

Some of the most famous examples of cancel culture include celebrities that were once major influences online or in pop culture, such as Shane Dawson, J.K. Rowling, Jeffree Star, Chris Pratt, Taylor Swift and so many more who fell into the mouth of cancel culture.

But, here, I focus on the real questions at hand: is cancel culture beneficial, and is it something we should be concerned about?

While cancel culture’s root meaning was to make people who had gotten away with racism, sexism, homophobia and other heinous topics take responsibility for their actions, it has turned into something so much larger – and meaner – than intended.

One thing cancel culture is right about: we should hold everyone accountable for the things they have said or done. This is a pretty universal truth and one we often learn in preschool. If you make a mistake, you should own up to it, apologize to the people you have affected and try your best not to do so again. This is true.

While cancel culture tries to promote this idea of owning up, fixing your mistakes, learning a lesson and then changing your behavior, it can often have the opposite effect.

Cancel culture basically says “you messed up and now you are never allowed to change from that. This is who you are.” It upholds a very black-and-white mindset –the exact opposite of what we should be promoting.

Human behavior is just not as simple as black and white. The only word good enough to describe human behavior is complex.

Of course, some actions will never be forgiven and when they’re done, there is nothing you can do to take them back or make them right. Generally, these are the offenses punishable by law or made on a deeply personal level where relationships end in huge flames and resentment.

However, is cancel culture getting the point across to these celebrities and major influences that they messed up? Is ending their career, targeting their families and homes and making their mistakes the front page of everything really the best way to get a message across?

Personally, I am inclined to say no. On a less personal level, I think it depends.

When you sign the Hollywood contract for fame and success, you know your every move is being watched. This, however, does not change the fact that you are still a flawed, complex being who is going to say things you regret.

This means that when you made a comment 10 years ago that does NOT age well and was never okay, it is more than likely going to come back to haunt you (Shane Dawson). If you have political or religious views that oppress an entire community of people, you are probably going to lose some money in the process (Chris Pratt).

I think on some levels, we have to allow these celebrities space to mess up and regret what they say, while still holding them as accountable as possible. On another level, there is a huge space between messing up and actively being hateful. If you are using views and personal identity to hate another group of people, to take someone down or harm the people in your life, there is much more work to be done than a public apology.

Cancel culture presents this idea of letting people grow from their mistakes while still holding them accountable when they do mess up, without ever acknowledging that, overall, people are people and we have all done things we really wish we hadn’t.

Overall, cancel culture is probably not going anywhere, as humans are basically house plants with really complicated emotions, and we all see the world so differently. However, accountability is always needed and required when you do make a mistake, and with that accountability you have to accept the fact that there may be some consequences that can sometimes go way further than you, or anyone else, expected. It is important to give people the ability to change and own up to the mistakes they have made. To not let people fix their mistakes and change for the better is really the most harmful part of cancel culture.