Volume 5 Issue 1

Janelle Monáe: Revolution Through Music

I recall casually browsing Tumblr one day and coming upon a picture of an extremely pretty black woman, button-nosed and petite, with the most fabulously coiffed pompadour afro, rocking a sharp tux and sharper cheekbones. My interest was instantly piqued, but I never really listened to her music until someone uploaded an Mp3 track from […]

Domestic Threat: How the US Military Continues to Fail on Issues of Sexual Abuse

A great documentary sheds light on an underrepresented niche of human life and exposes us to issues we never before considered. Documentaries should be creative and enlightening, but when it comes to being hard-hitting, some hit harder than others. Rather than examining sushi chefs, babies, or folk singers, the Academy Award-nominated “The Invisible War” documents […]

The Salary Man Lifestyle: A Japanese Work Ethic or Unjust Labor Laws?

In November 2007, third-generation Toyota employee Kenichi Uchino collapsed at work at 4 a.m. after putting in more than 80 hours of overtime for six months. The 30-year-old’s widow, Hiroko, later told reporters that her husband had been overworked by the company, training employees and writing reports that caused him to work overtime hours officially […]

The Road Ahead: Scotland and the Contentious Question of Independence

  “Go back to England and tell them there that Scotland’s daughters and her sons are yours no more. Tell them Scotland is free.” Mel Gibson’s portrayal of Sir William Wallace is legendary in cinema circles; and for the casual observer of modern British politics, this very quote might come to mind when a politician […]

The Question of Catalonian Independence: More than a Soccer Game?

Most people would be forgiven for thinking that the peak of the Catalonian campaign for independence from Spain is the infamous El Clasico soccer derby, Real Madrid vs. FC Barcelona. FC Barcelona recently won 2-1 against Real Madrid on its home turf, the Camp Nuo stadium. On March 13th, 2013, El Clasico will come to […]

Left-by-South-West: The Return of Democrat Politics in Texas

This summer, Texas legislator Wendy Davis, clad in pink sneakers, staged an 11-hour filibuster that successfully blocked Republican efforts to greatly restrict abortion policy.[1] The filibuster delayed the passing of House Bill 2, and successfully launched Davis to political fame, both within the state and across the country. Incumbent Rick Perry will not seek re-election […]

Harmful Drugs, Harmful Policy

  For Mike, every day is the same. Shivering nights mercifully give way to morning while he watches the people in his neighborhood get ready for school and work. Although Mike has no job, he has the same plan every morning, afternoon, and night: make money to score heroin. Tuesday is trash day, which means […]

Big Brother Is Here To Stay

Big Brother is here. Earlier this year, Edward Snowden exposed the full reach and extent to which the American government spies not only on its own people, but on foreign governments and even its supposed allies in Mexico, France, Germany, and the European Union. The National Security Agency (NSA) collects massive amounts of phone data, […]

The Infrastructure Improvement Conundrum

Infrastructure in the United States is in a state of disrepair. The American Society of Civil Engineers 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure stamps US infrastructure with a letter grade of D+, with an estimated $3.6 trillion investment needed by 2020 to bring that grade to a B.[1] How will the US finance the necessary […]

Growing Gender Gap Gripes Globe

The uncompromising reign of the patriarchy in most societies has unquestionably imposed detrimental effects on women, including political, economic and social discrepancies. Gender has only recently been interpreted as a social construct, independent and separate from the biological difference of sex. According to the World Health Organization, “’sex’ refers to the biological and physiological characteristics […]