Category: Society

Rehab vs. Control

J Elizabeth Mascoli

Over 2.3 million people, adults and juveniles alike, are currently in some sort of correctional facility in the United States. Our country has the highest rate of incarceration per capita in the world, yet over the years, many have come to realize that our prison system does not work. The main source of this error is the prison system’s hyperfocus on punishment and control rather than the rehabilitation of its inmates. Prison itself should be a system of rehabilitation. Most people who go to prison do not go for life…

Sexism Kills: Medical Misogyny and Ignorance of Female Bodies

Anastasia Lacina

In the 5th century BCE, followers of Hippocrates—the founder of Western medicine—published “The Hippocratic Corpus.”  The exact writers of this ancient text are lost to history, but their views of the human body prevailed for centuries in the West.  One of the works included in the corpus is called “On the Diseases of Women,” which introduced the “wandering uterus” theory.  2,500 years ago, doctors believed that almost any illness that a woman contracted was caused by her uterus literally floating around her body, putting pressure on other organs and poisoning…

The Electoral College: Extinction or Evolution?

J Elizabeth Mascoli

The biggest news of the 2020 electoral season (so far) is the ever-growing pool of Democratic candidates whose progressive policies are ever more in the mainstream.  Recently, the senator from my lovely home state of Massachusetts, Elizabeth Warren, made a bold statement about abolishing the Electoral College.  Other candidates have also said they were open to the idea.  But what would abolishing the Electoral College actually mean for our country?   The idea is not new.  In 2000, Republican George W. Bush beat out Democrat Al Gore for the presidency…

Northern Ireland and the Implications of Brexit

Allyson Ryan

Discussions revolving around Brexit and what it will actually mean for the United Kingdom have been in the works since before 2016. Originally set for March 29, 2019 the day the UK will officially leave the European Union has been postponed to April 12, 2019. The date has been pushed back due to disagreements between the British parliament and the prime minister. An important discussion revolves around Northern Ireland. The importance of Northern Ireland in Brexit discussions cannot be overlooked; Brexit has strong implications for everyone in the UK but…

Is Ilhan Omar Wrong?

David Andreas

On Sunday, February 10th, freshman Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota’s 5th Congressional district sparked a major controversy with tweets about AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Kevin McCarthy was fiercely defending U.S. support for Israel, and Rep. Omar tweeted that “It’s all about the Benjamins baby,” suggesting that his vehement support for Israel was a result of campaign donations. Connecting Israeli money and U.S. policy referenced a long-running facet of anti-Semitism, suggesting that Jewish money is the driving force behind the strength of the U.S.-Israel alliance. Democrats and Republicans…

Why Representation Matters

Samantha Zandanel

If you are a straight, white, cisgender, able-bodied man or woman, it is likely that you have never given diversity much thought because you have always been represented. You have always shopped in a store, turned on the TV, or read a book wherein the names and faces match what you see when you look in the mirror. For many people, this is not reality. Occasionally LGBT and non-white people are given a bone – as if to say, “here, now stop complaining” – but the amount of times in…

The Problem with the Phrase “The Movie We Need Right Now”

Henry Michels

If you’ve been paying attention to the film industry in the past few years, odds are that you’ve noticed the increasing political nature of the types of films released, as well as the critical reactions released alongside them. I take no issue with films having political messages, as I believe any form of art should be a form of expression for its creator. If a director feels passionate about telling a particular story or delivering a certain message, then not only is it well within his or her right to…

The Legacy of Robert Moses

Allyson Ryan

Robert Moses’ legacy has survived long past his death. It is seen in every corner of New York City, from his highways, to his private and public housing projects, to his contributions to major New York landmarks. Moses is accountable for the extravagant building projects of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the United Nations headquarters building, Shea Stadium, campus buildings for the Pratt Institute and Fordham University, and the since demolished New York Coliseum. Along with these projects, Moses ensured the construction of parks and playgrounds around the city…