Counterbalance: the Grudge Goes Global
Following November’s midterm elections, it was quite clear that with a shift in the balance of power, current policies were going to be modified . What may have been less obvious before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s US visit and Senator Tom Cotton’s Iran Letter, is that the new conservative majority would overhaul basic democratic […]
Spread the Word to End the Word
Every year on the first Wednesday in March, thousands of people across the country take part in “Spread the Word to End the Word,” a national campaign to raise awareness about the use of the r-word. The word “retarded” was once a diagnosis for people who are mentally delayed or intellectually challenged. However, in modern […]
Israel, Palestine, and Northeastern University: An Issue of Free Speech and Competing Interests
In March of 2014, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), a student group at Northeastern University, placed dozens of mock eviction notices in dormitories as an act of protest against the forced evictions of Palestinians in Israel.[1] The act was one in a string of controversial SJP protests, which ultimately resulted in the group’s suspension […]
Fifty Shades of Grey: National Security
“Your President(s) will see you now.”
Go Set a Watchman: the Finches in 2015
Late in the morning of February 3rd, Twitter was inundated with tweets heralding an announcement that thrilled many people: Harper Lee, of To Kill a Mockingbird fame, will be releasing a sequel to her critically acclaimed 1960 novel. Literary bombshell: Harper Lee to publish a sequel to “To Kill a Mockingbird” http://t.co/x7FFLSDeEq pic.twitter.com/BZdKBhTzgx — Salon […]
Know Thy Enemy: Cyber Warfare in the 21st Century
“It’s the great irony of our Information Age – the very technologies that empower us to create and to build also empower those who would disrupt and destroy.”[1] Referring to the 2010 hacking attacks on Google and several other companies in various industries, President Obama demonstrates the new type of threat that the world is […]
The Big Bad Brony: Male Dominance of Feminine Space in the Media
From Barbie to G.I. Joe, American toy stores help to reinforce the socially constructed gender divisions between females and males. By separating and color coding aisles based on what is deemed appropriate for little girls and boys to play with, toy stores and toy companies help to entrench gender identities beginning from an exceptionally young […]
The Media Versus the Environmental Movement: The Unseen Battle
The environmental movement in the United States faces many challenges from varied social, political, and economic pressures. Economic growth and the free market often take priority over all other issues, regardless of the implications of those values. As such, attempts at regulation or environmental protection are viewed as restrictive and infringing upon the rights of […]