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In recent events, there was a train accident in New Jersey, where many people were hurt and one was killed. The tragedy was broadcasted on the news within seconds and it didn't take long for it to go viral of course; in less than an hour most people knew what was happening. One news station ran the headline "Just One Killed." That struck a cord within me -- how belittling to the family of that victim that headline was and how the words he used had such a negative connotation. That got me to ponder on how much power our words have on people, a power that can easily persuade a million viewers to think of an event in a certain light. Like instead of seeing a tragedy, we see something good since "just" one person died, even though one death is still a tragedy and still very much so matters to many people.

Somehow with that little word, we have belittled the meaning of someone who played such an important role in someone's life. So no, it wasn't just one death -- it was a person with a name, a face and a story. She was a mother who was dropping off her young daughter at daycare, then she caught the train, the last train she would ever catch. She had just moved from Brazil and was starting a new life in America. There were many people, like her family and friends, who think of her death as the most terrible tragedy they've ever experienced -- not just one death. So we cannot simply belittle the death of her, because her life isn't a victory to celebrate because just one person died. No it wasn't just one person at all. She was so much more. She was a mom, a daughter, a wife and she mattered. So should her death and so should the way we talk about her tragedy.

This is just one example among many of how impactful the words we use can be. Words can persuade, belittle, justify, insult, compliment and change people in so many ways. We walk around every day, spitting them out of our mouths without a second thought. These words are important though, because despite the childish rhyme "sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me," words do hurt and serve a great purpose in our society. Words like the ones in Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech changed millions of African American lives in terms of equality. President's words, media's words, even your own words impact so many people around you.

So I challenge you to think about just how impactful your words are and your voice is. Take that into thought when you say things, do things and communicate. Also, think about how you can help change people and the world with just your words -- that you can change how people think by what you think by just expressing your thoughts into words.

Cover Image Credit: Google Images

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9 Eligible Princes You Need To Know About Now That Prince Harry Is Off The Market

You too could have a Meghan Markle fairytale

Madison Linnihan

Madison Linnihan May 29, 2018

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Prince Harry's royal wedding is officially over and there won't be another British royal wedding for quite some time now, as Prince George is way too young to start thinking about that. Fortunately, there are plenty of other countries with plenty of other princes that are still eligible bachelors at the moment. Lucky for you, I did my research and compiled a list of all the eligible princes you need to know about know that Prince Harry has tied the knot with Meghan Markle.

1. Prince Louis of Luxembourg (31)

Prince Louis is the third son of the Grand Duke Henri and Duchess Maria Theresa of Luxembourg. He has recently become a bachelor again after his separation with his wife of 10 years, Princess Tessy.

Fun Fact: He graduated from Richmond, The American International University of London with a BA in Communications. He can also speak Luxembourgish (the fact that's even a language is fun fact by itself), French, German, and English fluently.

2. Prince Sebastien of Luxembourg (26)

Prince Sebastien is the youngest child of the Grand Duke Henri and Duchess Maria Theresa of Luxembourg, so if you marry him, you'll probably never actually be queen because he's pretty far removed from the throne. However, he's relatively young and single, so best of luck.

Fun Fact: For some bizarre reason, this prince actually went to college in Ohio. He played rugby and graduated from Franciscan University of Steubenville in 2015. Now, he is back in his home country and is an officer in the Luxembourg Army.

3. Prince Phillipos of Greece and Denmark (34)

You read that correctly, Prince Phillipos is the prince of not one, but two countries. He is the youngest son of King Constantine and Queen Anne Marie of Greece and Denmark. Unfortunately, Greece abolished their monarchy, so he's a prince in name only there.

Fun Fact: Like Prince Sebastien, Prince Phillipos also went to college in the United States. He earned his B.A. in foreign relations from Georgetown University in 2008. Fortunately, for us American girls, he is actually still living in the US and he works in New York City as an analyst at Ortelius Capital.

4. Prince Albert of Thurn and Taxis (34)

Ever heard of Thurn and Taxis? No? Me neither. Anyways, Prince Albert is from the House of Thurn and Taxis, which is essentially a very old German aristocratic family. He is the son of Prince Johannes XI of Thurn and Taxis and Countess Gloria of Schonburg Glauchau. His family is well known for their breweries and castles, so unless you're gluten-free, you can't really complain.

Fun Fact: He's not just a prince. He's also a racecar driver and 10 years ago he was ranked 11th on Forbes Magazine's List of The 20 Hottest Young Royals.

5. Prince Mateen of Brunei (26)

Prince Mateen is basically like all the guys you already know, except he's royalty. He's the prince of Brunei, which is a small country on the island of Borneo, south of Vietnam. He is one of the five sons of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, and he also has seven sisters. Maybe that's a little different than the guys you know, but one thing he takes very seriously, just like most frat guys, is his Instagram.

Fun Fact: Mateen enjoys playing polo, flying in his private plane, cuddling cute wild animals, and keeping up his Insta game with 890k followers. You can follow him @tmski.

6. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai (35)

Sheikh Hamdan also has a killer Instagram with 6.3 million followers. Anyways, Sheikh Hamdan is the billionaire crown prince of Dubai and the second son of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is the prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and essentially the king of Dubai (Emir). He's actually next in line for the throne because his older brother died in 2015.

Fun Fact: Hamdan's hobbies include skydiving, zip lining, and diving, just to name a few, so if you're an adrenaline junkie, Sheikh Hamdan is the prince for you.

7. Prince Hussein of Jordan (23)

Prince Hussain is the son of the extremely beautiful, Queen Rania and Abdullah II of Jordan and next in line for the Jordanian throne. At 23, he's already a second lieutenant in the Jordanian Armed Forces and he was the youngest person ever to chair a UN Security Council Meeting

Fun Fact: Like Prince Phillippos, Prince Hussain also graduated from Georgetown University in Washington D.C.. Also, like Prince Mateen and Prince Hamdan, he's Insta famous with 1.3 million followers and you can follow him @alhusseinjo.

8. Prince Constantine-Alexios of Greece and Denmark (19)

Like Prince Phillipos, Prince Constantine-Alexios also has two countries. Lucky for us though, he is also living in the US right now attending Georgetown University in Washington D.C. (like pretty much every other prince, amirite?) He is the oldest son of Crown Princess Marie-Chantal and Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece.

Fun Fact: He's Prince William's godson, so that's pretty neat. However, if that wasn't cool enough, you might like to know that this Greek/Danish prince was actually born in New York. Oh yeah, you can also follow him on Instagram @alexiosgreece where he has 88.7k followers.

9. Prince Joachim of Belgium (26)

Prince Joachim of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este is the third child of Lorenz, Archduke of Austria-Este and Princess Astrid of Belgium. Although he bears the title, "Prince of Belgium," he is also Archduke of Austria-Este, Prince Royal of Hungary and Bohemia, and Prince of Modena. Unfortunately, he'll probably never actually be king in any of these countries as he is ninth in line to the Belgian throne.

Fun Fact: Prince Joachim has degrees in economics, management, and finance, but he decided to join the Nautical School in Brugge after completing college and is currently an officer in the Belgian Navy.

Hope is not lost for all you girls dreaming of finding a Prince Charming that's literally a prince. After reviewing the data, my best advice is to transfer to Georgetown where princes are basically around every corner.

Cover Image Credit: @meghantheduchessofsussexstyle/Instagram

Madison Linnihan

Madison Linnihan May 29, 2018

At Troy University

College Majors as Birds

Birds of a feather flock together.

Alexa Rojas

Alexa Rojas Jun 24, 2018

130

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Birds have so much personality. While most people think of just robins or sparrows, there are a wide variety of birds with varying appearances, sizes and habitats.

While each student has individual, wonderful qualities, we tend to share some of these great traits with students of a similar study track. You know what they say, after all: Birds of a feather flock together.

Please enjoy this re-imagining of some popular college majors as birds! Feel free to leave a comment on my Facebook wall adding a bird mascot for your own major.