If I had a cent for every penny produced, I would have no source of income by next year. Ever since the US Mint opened full-time coin production in 1793, the penny has been the staple of American currency. As of May 22, the Trump Administration declared that penny production will be discontinued in the early months of 2026. Although we live in a world where digital payment methods are becoming increasingly popular, we strongly believe that the penny should continue to be produced due to its iconic nature, historical value and transaction efficiency. 

Every penny has the same monetary value, but each tells its own story. The lives of its previous owners etched onto its surface map the adventures of its lifetime. That old, tarnished, muddy penny, lying heads up on the corner of the busy street has seen great hardship yet bears the powerful gift of luck. Finding a lucky penny is not life changing, but it marks the change of any regular day into a range of towering possibilities. The popular symbol of a lucky penny carries true meaning – it feels just plain good to find a penny on the ground. Without the production of new pennies, all the floored ones will only get picked up and soon go extinct, getting washed away by the tides of time. 

Pennies have been a part of American currency for over 230 years. As most already know, the coin features Abraham Lincoln, our nation’s 16th president. On the back side of the penny is the Union Shield, representing Lincoln’s ability to preserve the unity of the country. This current design, known as the “Union Shield,” has been printed on all minted pennies for 15 years, and Lincoln himself has been featured on the face of the coin since 1909. Lincoln’s efforts to keep our nation together should continue to be honored, since our country would not be what it is today without him.

The efficiency of cash transactions is arguably the most important aspect of the penny, considering the reason for its existence is to be traded for goods and services. Without a large number of pennies in circulation, physical transactions will struggle, and some businesses may find difficulty providing the proper change. Let’s say my favorite matcha is $5.67. I often pay with a five and a one, expecting to receive the sufficient coins to fill that leftover 23¢. With these few new coins acquired, I can confidently return the necessary change to anyone who needs it. Welp… not anymore. Without a handful of pennies to hand around, odd amounts of change cannot be reached, and the nickel will be used more frequently to fill the large shoes the penny once wore.

In a world where physical cash is dying out, we stand alongside the belief that penny production should not be discontinued in the United States. The history of the penny alone tells a story that does not deserve to end. Its long-term significance, cash transaction value and recognition as a classic American coin all contribute to the value of the penny, which is worth far more than the one-cent market value. Although there are many logical reasons to discontinue the coin’s production, we feel its benefits outweigh its downfalls. Now, we ask you… penny for your thoughts?

I know what you must be thinking. “Seize the day” might just be one of the most overused, generic inspirational quotes to ever exist. In fact, I myself used to see it as nothing but a meaningless platitude. However, my four years at Drexel University have been a journey towards understanding the true meaning of these three words.

As a freshman, when my parents told me that I was about to head into the “best years of my life,” I struggled to believe it. Freshman year has a way of raising anxiety levels; for what is most likely the first time, you have to look after yourself in an unfamiliar city full of unfamiliar people. This phase can be the hardest to get through, and especially having come right off of losing my senior year of high school to the pandemic, I went into college finding that my social skills had gone into a strange slump (as if I was not already socially awkward).

During my first year, I found myself largely going through the motions each day, letting time pass me by and usually staying cooped up in my dorm when I did not have class. This was not exactly intentional; as much as I wanted to become socially involved, I would let small defeats hurl me back into my rigid comfort zone. One failed attempt to make friends at a social event or club meeting would discourage me from continuing to try. There was even a point when I started to feel like “the college life” was just not for me. It took me longer than it should have to realize the truth: you get to decide what “the college life” is. There are so many options that it has to offer, and I eventually found that there was in fact something for me. I just needed to keep on searching for it rather than expecting it to find me.

An important part of this is finding the right people. This could take time; do not lose hope just because you struggle to become the best of friends with your first roommate or do not manage to make friends in your first few classes. There are hundreds of students (and professors) on campus, each with their own unique stories and personalities. Among them, you are bound to find some people who genuinely encourage and inspire you to recognize your talents and skills that you might be taking for granted. However, this will only happen if you keep putting yourself out there.

As an introvert, “put yourself out there” used to be a very intimidating phrase for me, but I have learned from experience that the only way to overcome that fear is to actually do it, again and again. This is certainly easier said than done; it will not necessarily work out in an instant. You might struggle to connect with people at some events, but stick it out nonetheless because you never know when you will find the right one. In the meantime, you will only gain more clarity about what works for you and what does not. You might even end up facing disappointment five consecutive times, but do not let that stop you from trying a sixth time. There are literally hundreds of different things you could try, and when just one of those works out, it could become an invaluable part of your college experience.

In fact, if there is anything that you like to do, chances are that there will be some way to get involved with it on campus, even if you think it is too niche. This could be by joining a student organization, adding a minor or even taking a single elective. Drexel can throw some real surprises sometimes, like when I got to take a film studies class called “Indian Cinema Today,” something which I would have never imagined getting to take a college course about.

Coming from someone who used to have trouble with speaking up in class, you should take the opportunity to say what you think during your classes. Believe it or not, there are so many people who are genuinely interested in hearing what you have to say, even if you think you cannot “perfectly” articulate it. In fact, it was a friend I made during junior year who encouraged me to try publishing my writing, which I used to keep private out of lack of confidence. That was what inspired me to seek out and apply for the Triangle, and becoming a part of this community turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made during my college years.

The point is that it is never too late to take the opportunity to try something new. It can feel intimidating at first, but speaking from experience, I promise that you are capable of even more than you think; you just have to commit yourself to searching until you find the right environment for you, one that will allow you to spread your wings and soar. Plus, unlike what peer pressure may push you to think, there is absolutely no need to engage in risky behavior to get there. Know your personal boundaries and trust your instincts about what works for you and what does not; just try not to make overly hasty judgments.

Turn every day into an opportunity to do something meaningful, something that allows you to grow. Some days might be a slog, but never let that stop you from looking forward to the next day because each day brings a plethora of opportunities; you just have to venture out to find them. This might sound exhausting, and in all honesty, it can be at times. However, when you are doing things that truly excite you, you will find that you automatically have so much more energy to do them. The easiest way to burn yourself out is by forcing yourself to do things you are not genuinely interested in, whether out of pressure or a sense of obligation. When you are not being true to yourself, you are only wasting the precious few years that you have to explore all kinds of opportunities and discover the multitudes that lie within you. It may seem like you have a lot of time on your hands, but it truly does fly by.

Therefore, when I say “seize the day,” what I really mean is: do not let the day seize you. Take it into your hands and make it your own. Sometimes, it might not seem like the world has something for you, but the only way to know is to keep on searching. College is a grand opportunity to learn about yourself, find your identity and simply enjoy yourself. If you use it well, you will come out with a level of self-confidence you never imagined you could have.

“For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Newton’s third law of motion describes how forces operate in balance and opposition. This law can also be used as a metaphor for the political divide unfolding within Generation Z. The older segment of Gen Z, the activists who fought alongside reproductive rights, the Black Lives Matter movement and climate change, pushed hard for progressive values. Now, the younger segment of Gen Z has started to push back against their older peers, embracing more traditional, conservative values.

This inter-generational struggle is more about the reaction to politics than a disconnection. While old Gen Z’s reaction to politics is through a lens of progressive values, young Gen Z reacts by embracing more traditional values. In 2022, the political pendulum swung to the left for Generation Z. Now, it seems to be swinging back.

The oldest members of Gen Z are around 28 years old in 2025, meaning they graduated high school in 2014 and college in 2018—before the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic. In contrast, Gen Z members born around 2001 graduated high school and entered college in 2020, right as the pandemic disrupted education, social life and the economy. For those born after 2001, many spent their formative years attending school through Zoom or entered adulthood amid lockdowns. This difference marks a stark divide in formative experiences.

Old Gen Z’s coming of age saw the rise of anti-Trump resistance movements and protests like the Women’s March, climate strikes, Black Lives Matter and the March for Our Lives. Fast forward to 2020 through 2025, young Gen Z graduated high school through a livestream, and started college on Zoom. When the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, they were thrust into a campus environment that lost all semblance of pre-pandemic times.

The 2024 political climate played a significant role as well. In 2024, a Blue Rose Research analysis found a 20-point gender gap in Democratic support between men and women ages 25 and younger. That is twice as large as the gap observed among voters aged 40 to 70. According to Yale’s Youth Poll, voters between the ages of 22 and 29 favored Kamala Harris by a margin of 6.4 points. Comparatively, voters between the ages of 18 and 21 favored Donald Trump by a margin of 11.7 points.

Despite the stark differences between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris during the 2024 election, many young Gen Z voted in response to the effects of the Biden administration’s COVID-19 policies. For young Gen Z members who entered high school or college in 2020, the pandemic disrupted education, delayed personal, formative milestones and intensified mental health challenges. Old Gen Z came of age, politically, during Trump’s first term, experiencing it as older teenagers. For young Gen Z, they were still in middle school.

Young Gen Z may not remember the impacts of the first Trump presidency as well as their older peers. However, it was young Gen Z who came of age during the height of extreme online political reaction. From 2016 to today, platforms like TikTok, X and Instagram are saturated with emotionally charged reactions towards America’s conservative body politic writ large. Old Gen Z, having become politically “woke” under Trump’s first term, flooded these platforms with doom-and-gloom perspectives and performative outrage towards conservatives. For young Gen Z, these reactions felt overblown, alienating or just plain performative to garner online attention.

This online flood of extreme rhetoric, the growing influence of cancel culture and hyper-progressive, identity-based politics failed to connect with young Gen Z voters. It is not that young Gen Z stepped back from politics, they stepped to the right, drawn towards a community that offered order, traditional values and an escape from the chaotic progressive movements.

Personally, I underwent this political conversion.

I believed in the causes. I believed it was the Democratic Party that would change America for the better. But when people were being canceled over a dumb tweet from their past, when politicians broke their own COVID restrictions while keeping the rest of us locked down and when tolerance was given only to those who repeated the approved narrative, I changed sides.

The idea of a rising Democratic electorate, where future generations of young, progressive-leaning voters will deliver electoral victories for the Democratic Party, will disappear should the Democrats continue down this path. If they do not change course, not only will they lose more elections, but also future generations as well.

I have a confession to make. I write as if I have everything together – as if I have all the ideologies about love figured out. I write as if I understand love up and down, through and through. But the truth is, when I am personally placed in a situation that involves feelings of romance, I often find myself stuck or confused with what I actually want and need. 

I think many of us feel the same.

Many of us are great at talking about love, great at analyzing other relationships and great at giving advice based on the lessons we have learned. But when it comes to taking our own advice, we hesitate. We stumble. We magically forget what we had said. This is what psychologists call Solomon’s Paradox– named after King Solomon, who was known for offering wise, insightful counsel that he struggled to follow in his own life. It is the idea that we reason more wisely about other people’s problems than our own. But when it comes to love, there is nothing wrong with being uncertain; the problem is, we feel like it is. Of course, people grow and unravel the kind of love they want as time goes by, but it is never linear.

A prominent example of how love resists linearity lies in the question, “Am I only attracted to the opposite sex?” The “linear” – or straight – path suggests we grow up knowing exactly who we are and who we will love. For some, that path fits perfectly. They understand their desires early on, and those desires stay steady. But for others, especially those within the LGTBQ+ community, it is more complicated. Some suppress feelings they do not yet understand. Some bury them under the pressure to conform to what is considered “linear” in society. Others do not even realize there was a question to ask until there is a moment where it asks itself quietly. These questions and confusion do not make anyone’s experience less legitimate. The question of attraction is not about invalidating one kind of love over another, but rather acknowledging that discovering what we want, who we are and how we connect is rarely a straight line. 

Even the way we express ourselves is fluid. Love languages, whether it is words of affirmation, physical touch, quality time, acts of service or gift giving, are considered to be personality traits. There is a test online that allows you to have insight on which love language you yourself may gravitate towards more. However, these methods of expression may differ from a month-to-month or even a day-to-day basis. What once felt awkward might later become vital. Sometimes we crave reassurance. Other times, we just want someone to do the dishes without being asked. Maybe there is a day when all we need is a meaningful hug. There is no set formula. While one love language might feel more important at times, pinning all our hopes on a single method – especially in a partner –  is rarely sustainable. Love is not a fixed equation. It is a conversation that changes as we do.

As cliche as it may sound, love is like a game – not because we are playing against one another, but because no two people play it the same way. There are no rules set in stone, no single path to follow and no perfect strategy. Everyone grows at a different pace. Some people figure out what they want early on, while others uncover it piece by piece, day by day. Our needs shift. Our boundaries evolve. Every day, we learn something new about ourselves and others when it comes to ideas of love. We get closer and closer to understanding what we truly desire, even if that understanding comes slowly. Questioning, shifting, unlearning and relearning is all part of the story. And even when it feels like we are stuck, like we are making no progress at all, we are. A mistake teaches us something. A heartbreak uncovers a limit. Love is not about getting it right the first time. It is about growing through the process and letting the process be enough.

If I had a cent for every penny produced, I would have no source of income by next year. Ever since the US Mint opened full-time coin production in 1793, the penny has been the staple of American currency. As of May 22, the Trump Administration declared that penny production will be discontinued in the early months of 2026. Although we live in a world where digital payment methods are becoming increasingly popular, we strongly believe that the penny should continue to be produced due to its iconic nature, historical value and transaction efficiency. 

Every penny has the same monetary value, but each tells its own story. The lives of its previous owners etched onto its surface map the adventures of its lifetime. That old, tarnished, muddy penny, lying heads up on the corner of the busy street has seen great hardship yet bears the powerful gift of luck. Finding a lucky penny is not life changing, but it marks the change of any regular day into a range of towering possibilities. The popular symbol of a lucky penny carries true meaning – it feels just plain good to find a penny on the ground. Without the production of new pennies, all the floored ones will only get picked up and soon go extinct, getting washed away by the tides of time. 

Pennies have been a part of American currency for over 230 years. As most already know, the coin features Abraham Lincoln, our nation’s 16th president. On the back side of the penny is the Union Shield, representing Lincoln’s ability to preserve the unity of the country. This current design, known as the “Union Shield,” has been printed on all minted pennies for 15 years, and Lincoln himself has been featured on the face of the coin since 1909. Lincoln’s efforts to keep our nation together should continue to be honored, since our country would not be what it is today without him.

The efficiency of cash transactions is arguably the most important aspect of the penny, considering the reason for its existence is to be traded for goods and services. Without a large number of pennies in circulation, physical transactions will struggle, and some businesses may find difficulty providing the proper change. Let’s say my favorite matcha is $5.67. I often pay with a five and a one, expecting to receive the sufficient coins to fill that leftover 23¢. With these few new coins acquired, I can confidently return the necessary change to anyone who needs it. Welp… not anymore. Without a handful of pennies to hand around, odd amounts of change cannot be reached, and the nickel will be used more frequently to fill the large shoes the penny once wore.

In a world where physical cash is dying out, we stand alongside the belief that penny production should not be discontinued in the United States. The history of the penny alone tells a story that does not deserve to end. Its long-term significance, cash transaction value and recognition as a classic American coin all contribute to the value of the penny, which is worth far more than the one-cent market value. Although there are many logical reasons to discontinue the coin’s production, we feel its benefits outweigh its downfalls. Now, we ask you… penny for your thoughts?

I know what you must be thinking. “Seize the day” might just be one of the most overused, generic inspirational quotes to ever exist. In fact, I myself used to see it as nothing but a meaningless platitude. However, my four years at Drexel University have been a journey towards understanding the true meaning of these three words.

As a freshman, when my parents told me that I was about to head into the “best years of my life,” I struggled to believe it. Freshman year has a way of raising anxiety levels; for what is most likely the first time, you have to look after yourself in an unfamiliar city full of unfamiliar people. This phase can be the hardest to get through, and especially having come right off of losing my senior year of high school to the pandemic, I went into college finding that my social skills had gone into a strange slump (as if I was not already socially awkward).

During my first year, I found myself largely going through the motions each day, letting time pass me by and usually staying cooped up in my dorm when I did not have class. This was not exactly intentional; as much as I wanted to become socially involved, I would let small defeats hurl me back into my rigid comfort zone. One failed attempt to make friends at a social event or club meeting would discourage me from continuing to try. There was even a point when I started to feel like “the college life” was just not for me. It took me longer than it should have to realize the truth: you get to decide what “the college life” is. There are so many options that it has to offer, and I eventually found that there was in fact something for me. I just needed to keep on searching for it rather than expecting it to find me.

An important part of this is finding the right people. This could take time; do not lose hope just because you struggle to become the best of friends with your first roommate or do not manage to make friends in your first few classes. There are hundreds of students (and professors) on campus, each with their own unique stories and personalities. Among them, you are bound to find some people who genuinely encourage and inspire you to recognize your talents and skills that you might be taking for granted. However, this will only happen if you keep putting yourself out there.

As an introvert, “put yourself out there” used to be a very intimidating phrase for me, but I have learned from experience that the only way to overcome that fear is to actually do it, again and again. This is certainly easier said than done; it will not necessarily work out in an instant. You might struggle to connect with people at some events, but stick it out nonetheless because you never know when you will find the right one. In the meantime, you will only gain more clarity about what works for you and what does not. You might even end up facing disappointment five consecutive times, but do not let that stop you from trying a sixth time. There are literally hundreds of different things you could try, and when just one of those works out, it could become an invaluable part of your college experience.

In fact, if there is anything that you like to do, chances are that there will be some way to get involved with it on campus, even if you think it is too niche. This could be by joining a student organization, adding a minor or even taking a single elective. Drexel can throw some real surprises sometimes, like when I got to take a film studies class called “Indian Cinema Today,” something which I would have never imagined getting to take a college course about.

Coming from someone who used to have trouble with speaking up in class, you should take the opportunity to say what you think during your classes. Believe it or not, there are so many people who are genuinely interested in hearing what you have to say, even if you think you cannot “perfectly” articulate it. In fact, it was a friend I made during junior year who encouraged me to try publishing my writing, which I used to keep private out of lack of confidence. That was what inspired me to seek out and apply for the Triangle, and becoming a part of this community turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made during my college years.

The point is that it is never too late to take the opportunity to try something new. It can feel intimidating at first, but speaking from experience, I promise that you are capable of even more than you think; you just have to commit yourself to searching until you find the right environment for you, one that will allow you to spread your wings and soar. Plus, unlike what peer pressure may push you to think, there is absolutely no need to engage in risky behavior to get there. Know your personal boundaries and trust your instincts about what works for you and what does not; just try not to make overly hasty judgments.

Turn every day into an opportunity to do something meaningful, something that allows you to grow. Some days might be a slog, but never let that stop you from looking forward to the next day because each day brings a plethora of opportunities; you just have to venture out to find them. This might sound exhausting, and in all honesty, it can be at times. However, when you are doing things that truly excite you, you will find that you automatically have so much more energy to do them. The easiest way to burn yourself out is by forcing yourself to do things you are not genuinely interested in, whether out of pressure or a sense of obligation. When you are not being true to yourself, you are only wasting the precious few years that you have to explore all kinds of opportunities and discover the multitudes that lie within you. It may seem like you have a lot of time on your hands, but it truly does fly by.

Therefore, when I say “seize the day,” what I really mean is: do not let the day seize you. Take it into your hands and make it your own. Sometimes, it might not seem like the world has something for you, but the only way to know is to keep on searching. College is a grand opportunity to learn about yourself, find your identity and simply enjoy yourself. If you use it well, you will come out with a level of self-confidence you never imagined you could have.

“For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Newton’s third law of motion describes how forces operate in balance and opposition. This law can also be used as a metaphor for the political divide unfolding within Generation Z. The older segment of Gen Z, the activists who fought alongside reproductive rights, the Black Lives Matter movement and climate change, pushed hard for progressive values. Now, the younger segment of Gen Z has started to push back against their older peers, embracing more traditional, conservative values.

This inter-generational struggle is more about the reaction to politics than a disconnection. While old Gen Z’s reaction to politics is through a lens of progressive values, young Gen Z reacts by embracing more traditional values. In 2022, the political pendulum swung to the left for Generation Z. Now, it seems to be swinging back.

The oldest members of Gen Z are around 28 years old in 2025, meaning they graduated high school in 2014 and college in 2018—before the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic. In contrast, Gen Z members born around 2001 graduated high school and entered college in 2020, right as the pandemic disrupted education, social life and the economy. For those born after 2001, many spent their formative years attending school through Zoom or entered adulthood amid lockdowns. This difference marks a stark divide in formative experiences.

Old Gen Z’s coming of age saw the rise of anti-Trump resistance movements and protests like the Women’s March, climate strikes, Black Lives Matter and the March for Our Lives. Fast forward to 2020 through 2025, young Gen Z graduated high school through a livestream, and started college on Zoom. When the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, they were thrust into a campus environment that lost all semblance of pre-pandemic times.

The 2024 political climate played a significant role as well. In 2024, a Blue Rose Research analysis found a 20-point gender gap in Democratic support between men and women ages 25 and younger. That is twice as large as the gap observed among voters aged 40 to 70. According to Yale’s Youth Poll, voters between the ages of 22 and 29 favored Kamala Harris by a margin of 6.4 points. Comparatively, voters between the ages of 18 and 21 favored Donald Trump by a margin of 11.7 points.

Despite the stark differences between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris during the 2024 election, many young Gen Z voted in response to the effects of the Biden administration’s COVID-19 policies. For young Gen Z members who entered high school or college in 2020, the pandemic disrupted education, delayed personal, formative milestones and intensified mental health challenges. Old Gen Z came of age, politically, during Trump’s first term, experiencing it as older teenagers. For young Gen Z, they were still in middle school.

Young Gen Z may not remember the impacts of the first Trump presidency as well as their older peers. However, it was young Gen Z who came of age during the height of extreme online political reaction. From 2016 to today, platforms like TikTok, X and Instagram are saturated with emotionally charged reactions towards America’s conservative body politic writ large. Old Gen Z, having become politically “woke” under Trump’s first term, flooded these platforms with doom-and-gloom perspectives and performative outrage towards conservatives. For young Gen Z, these reactions felt overblown, alienating or just plain performative to garner online attention.

This online flood of extreme rhetoric, the growing influence of cancel culture and hyper-progressive, identity-based politics failed to connect with young Gen Z voters. It is not that young Gen Z stepped back from politics, they stepped to the right, drawn towards a community that offered order, traditional values and an escape from the chaotic progressive movements.

Personally, I underwent this political conversion.

I believed in the causes. I believed it was the Democratic Party that would change America for the better. But when people were being canceled over a dumb tweet from their past, when politicians broke their own COVID restrictions while keeping the rest of us locked down and when tolerance was given only to those who repeated the approved narrative, I changed sides.

The idea of a rising Democratic electorate, where future generations of young, progressive-leaning voters will deliver electoral victories for the Democratic Party, will disappear should the Democrats continue down this path. If they do not change course, not only will they lose more elections, but also future generations as well.

I have a confession to make. I write as if I have everything together – as if I have all the ideologies about love figured out. I write as if I understand love up and down, through and through. But the truth is, when I am personally placed in a situation that involves feelings of romance, I often find myself stuck or confused with what I actually want and need. 

I think many of us feel the same.

Many of us are great at talking about love, great at analyzing other relationships and great at giving advice based on the lessons we have learned. But when it comes to taking our own advice, we hesitate. We stumble. We magically forget what we had said. This is what psychologists call Solomon’s Paradox– named after King Solomon, who was known for offering wise, insightful counsel that he struggled to follow in his own life. It is the idea that we reason more wisely about other people’s problems than our own. But when it comes to love, there is nothing wrong with being uncertain; the problem is, we feel like it is. Of course, people grow and unravel the kind of love they want as time goes by, but it is never linear.

A prominent example of how love resists linearity lies in the question, “Am I only attracted to the opposite sex?” The “linear” – or straight – path suggests we grow up knowing exactly who we are and who we will love. For some, that path fits perfectly. They understand their desires early on, and those desires stay steady. But for others, especially those within the LGTBQ+ community, it is more complicated. Some suppress feelings they do not yet understand. Some bury them under the pressure to conform to what is considered “linear” in society. Others do not even realize there was a question to ask until there is a moment where it asks itself quietly. These questions and confusion do not make anyone’s experience less legitimate. The question of attraction is not about invalidating one kind of love over another, but rather acknowledging that discovering what we want, who we are and how we connect is rarely a straight line. 

Even the way we express ourselves is fluid. Love languages, whether it is words of affirmation, physical touch, quality time, acts of service or gift giving, are considered to be personality traits. There is a test online that allows you to have insight on which love language you yourself may gravitate towards more. However, these methods of expression may differ from a month-to-month or even a day-to-day basis. What once felt awkward might later become vital. Sometimes we crave reassurance. Other times, we just want someone to do the dishes without being asked. Maybe there is a day when all we need is a meaningful hug. There is no set formula. While one love language might feel more important at times, pinning all our hopes on a single method – especially in a partner –  is rarely sustainable. Love is not a fixed equation. It is a conversation that changes as we do.

As cliche as it may sound, love is like a game – not because we are playing against one another, but because no two people play it the same way. There are no rules set in stone, no single path to follow and no perfect strategy. Everyone grows at a different pace. Some people figure out what they want early on, while others uncover it piece by piece, day by day. Our needs shift. Our boundaries evolve. Every day, we learn something new about ourselves and others when it comes to ideas of love. We get closer and closer to understanding what we truly desire, even if that understanding comes slowly. Questioning, shifting, unlearning and relearning is all part of the story. And even when it feels like we are stuck, like we are making no progress at all, we are. A mistake teaches us something. A heartbreak uncovers a limit. Love is not about getting it right the first time. It is about growing through the process and letting the process be enough.

If I had a cent for every penny produced, I would have no source of income by next year. Ever since the US Mint opened full-time coin production in 1793, the penny has been the staple of American currency. As of May 22, the Trump Administration declared that penny production will be discontinued in the early months of 2026. Although we live in a world where digital payment methods are becoming increasingly popular, we strongly believe that the penny should continue to be produced due to its iconic nature, historical value and transaction efficiency. 

Every penny has the same monetary value, but each tells its own story. The lives of its previous owners etched onto its surface map the adventures of its lifetime. That old, tarnished, muddy penny, lying heads up on the corner of the busy street has seen great hardship yet bears the powerful gift of luck. Finding a lucky penny is not life changing, but it marks the change of any regular day into a range of towering possibilities. The popular symbol of a lucky penny carries true meaning – it feels just plain good to find a penny on the ground. Without the production of new pennies, all the floored ones will only get picked up and soon go extinct, getting washed away by the tides of time. 

Pennies have been a part of American currency for over 230 years. As most already know, the coin features Abraham Lincoln, our nation’s 16th president. On the back side of the penny is the Union Shield, representing Lincoln’s ability to preserve the unity of the country. This current design, known as the “Union Shield,” has been printed on all minted pennies for 15 years, and Lincoln himself has been featured on the face of the coin since 1909. Lincoln’s efforts to keep our nation together should continue to be honored, since our country would not be what it is today without him.

The efficiency of cash transactions is arguably the most important aspect of the penny, considering the reason for its existence is to be traded for goods and services. Without a large number of pennies in circulation, physical transactions will struggle, and some businesses may find difficulty providing the proper change. Let’s say my favorite matcha is $5.67. I often pay with a five and a one, expecting to receive the sufficient coins to fill that leftover 23¢. With these few new coins acquired, I can confidently return the necessary change to anyone who needs it. Welp… not anymore. Without a handful of pennies to hand around, odd amounts of change cannot be reached, and the nickel will be used more frequently to fill the large shoes the penny once wore.

In a world where physical cash is dying out, we stand alongside the belief that penny production should not be discontinued in the United States. The history of the penny alone tells a story that does not deserve to end. Its long-term significance, cash transaction value and recognition as a classic American coin all contribute to the value of the penny, which is worth far more than the one-cent market value. Although there are many logical reasons to discontinue the coin’s production, we feel its benefits outweigh its downfalls. Now, we ask you… penny for your thoughts?

If I had a cent for every penny produced, I would have no source of income by next year. Ever since the US Mint opened full-time coin production in 1793, the penny has been the staple of American currency. As of May 22, the Trump Administration declared that penny production will be discontinued in the early months of 2026. Although we live in a world where digital payment methods are becoming increasingly popular, we strongly believe that the penny should continue to be produced due to its iconic nature, historical value and transaction efficiency. 

Every penny has the same monetary value, but each tells its own story. The lives of its previous owners etched onto its surface map the adventures of its lifetime. That old, tarnished, muddy penny, lying heads up on the corner of the busy street has seen great hardship yet bears the powerful gift of luck. Finding a lucky penny is not life changing, but it marks the change of any regular day into a range of towering possibilities. The popular symbol of a lucky penny carries true meaning – it feels just plain good to find a penny on the ground. Without the production of new pennies, all the floored ones will only get picked up and soon go extinct, getting washed away by the tides of time. 

Pennies have been a part of American currency for over 230 years. As most already know, the coin features Abraham Lincoln, our nation’s 16th president. On the back side of the penny is the Union Shield, representing Lincoln’s ability to preserve the unity of the country. This current design, known as the “Union Shield,” has been printed on all minted pennies for 15 years, and Lincoln himself has been featured on the face of the coin since 1909. Lincoln’s efforts to keep our nation together should continue to be honored, since our country would not be what it is today without him.

The efficiency of cash transactions is arguably the most important aspect of the penny, considering the reason for its existence is to be traded for goods and services. Without a large number of pennies in circulation, physical transactions will struggle, and some businesses may find difficulty providing the proper change. Let’s say my favorite matcha is $5.67. I often pay with a five and a one, expecting to receive the sufficient coins to fill that leftover 23¢. With these few new coins acquired, I can confidently return the necessary change to anyone who needs it. Welp… not anymore. Without a handful of pennies to hand around, odd amounts of change cannot be reached, and the nickel will be used more frequently to fill the large shoes the penny once wore.

In a world where physical cash is dying out, we stand alongside the belief that penny production should not be discontinued in the United States. The history of the penny alone tells a story that does not deserve to end. Its long-term significance, cash transaction value and recognition as a classic American coin all contribute to the value of the penny, which is worth far more than the one-cent market value. Although there are many logical reasons to discontinue the coin’s production, we feel its benefits outweigh its downfalls. Now, we ask you… penny for your thoughts?