Natalie Villalon

Contact | 55 articles


Spot the difference

A friend of mine showed me an article a while ago that he’d come across. “Disgusting,” he said. “This is why we need to address rape culture.” I glanced at the headline, which pretty much speaks for itself: “School Principal Discouraged Teen Girl from Reporting Sexual Assault Because It Would Ruin Attacker’s Basketball Career.” Skimming the article, I had deja vu.

| Senior Forum Editor

You’re being watched…ladies (and gents)

At any given point during the day, someone might be watching you. In a straight-up “1984” way. Not just that hottie in Whispers Cafe, but some random person drinking Mountain Dew as his glazed eyes take in every movement of your nubile limbs. I mean, the gazer could just as easily be a Selena Gomez look-alike, but how likely is that?

| Senior Forum Editor

Kill the poor, or at least make fun of them

What’s wrong with a homelessness-themed party? Apparently nothing, if we’re to believe Indiana University’s Kappa Delta chapter. According to Jezebel, an online, feminist news source, party-goers wore shredded clothing and signs with pithy pleas for money, such as “Why lie? It’s for BOOZE…” and “Give me a nickel and I’ll tickle your pickle.

| Senior Forum Editor

Stepping Out: Alumni St. Louis

St. Louis means Budweiser products, Cardinals baseball, the Arch, the Delmar Loop, Nelly, crime and the question, “Where did you go to high school?” And the food— oh, the food: toasted ravioli, St. Louis-style pizza with the notorious Provel cheese, slingers, gooey butter cake.

| Senior Forum Editor

Where to draw the line: separating church and state

According to a new poll announced under the fairly self-explanatory banner in the Huffington Post, “Christianity as state religion supported by one-third of Americans, poll finds,” a comfortable chunk of Americans really hate the Constitution. Given that separation of church and state is supposedly a given in America, should we the people be alarmed?

| Senior Forum Editor

Beyond blaming sexual assault victims

“Yes those young men were at fault. But is she equally responsible? What the heck is she doing drinking at 16? #Steubenville” “@Time I don’t believe in ‘sexual assault is never your fault’ in every situation. The 16 yr old girl wasn’t forced to drink—set herself up.

| Senior Forum Editor

Colonize this

If you’ve taken any kind of world history, you learned about areas with a legacy of colonization: India, America, Hong Kong, much of Africa (it’s all the same thing, right?), Wash. U….wait, what? One of those items is not like the other—Wash. U. is, at least ostensibly, free of European men oppressing and exploiting us for our resources.

| Senior Forum Editor

Beyond Fifty Shades of (Sasha) Grey

Sasha Grey, former pornography star and current human being, will no longer be part of a Sex Week panel. According to the Student Health Advisory Committee, the student group hosting the panel, Grey is wary of continuing to be associated with the porn industry, even in the context of a speaking engagement. As disappointed as I am, I can’t really blame her.

| Senior Forum Editor

New Year’s resolution: be more offended

This year, I’ve decided to be more offended. Not necessarily offensive, though I probably shouldn’t shy away from that either, at least not toward those who deserve it. “Why so PC?” the offended hypothetical bigot whines. Because you’ve been offensive, that’s why.

| Senior Forum Editor

A semester in retrospect

For the last issue of the semester (and possibly of all time. Fingers crossed), it seems vaguely appropriate to offer a few retrospective thoughts and weigh whether or not we’ve made progress as a campus over the semester. Full disclosure: I didn’t come to a conclusion, but here are a few of the highlights from the highly scientific process of evaluation.

| Senior Forum Editor

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