In the arid landscape of Palo Alto, California, nestled between Lomita Court and Jerry House, there stands a lush garden bordered by a shallow stone wall. The flowerbed occupies an easily overlooked corner of the Stanford University campus typically used by students for beer pong and pig roasts. It is a quiet, serene, unassuming space, […]
United States
The Surprisingly Selfish Parents Behind the Unsurprising College Admissions Scandal
When news broke that thirty-three wealthy and influential parents were busted for bribing their children’s way into some of the most elite American universities, the media instantly fixated on the story. The scandal had all the elements of great clickbait: it brought together discussions of Hollywood families, privilege in contemporary America, education reform, and influencer […]
Predatory Doctors and Nowhere to Run
Life expectancy for Native American men in Montana is 56, a whole 22 years below the national average. In the context of the low standard of living that Native American communities often find themselves in, such a low life expectancy fits in with the other poor conditions that characterize those communities. To illustrate, health programs […]
Will President Trump End Birthright Citizenship?
Mr. Trump told Axios during an interview. “We’re the only country in the world where a person comes in and has a baby, and the baby is essentially a citizen of the United States for 85 years, with all of those benefits.” But, President Trump’s claim is simply false. There are more than 30 countries […]
Julia Salazar and the American Fib
At just 27 years old, Julia Salazar is now the first-time state senator of New York’s 18th district. Salazar – a woman of color, a democratic socialist, and a rookie politician – defeated the incumbent (eight-term!) state senator Martin Dilan at the primaries in September, and then ran uncontested. News outlets loved her story of […]
Trans Discrimination as a Cost of Gender Administration
Do you ever think twice when you check the M (Male) or F (Female) box on official documents, surveys, health papers, or just about any form? How much does that box affect your life, or does it not affect you at all? There are at least 1.3 million US citizens who worry about those checked […]
US-China Trade War
While exploring the food systems and rural communities of Iowa on an Alternative Spring Break trip, two things surprised me. The first, is that I became a vegetarian. The second, is that Iowa has become a geopolitical battlefield at the center of a recent trade dispute between the US and China. On March 1, President […]
#MeToo is Here to Stay
Finally, it seems like we are making progress. When the #MeToo movement first started, it had the potential to fade into oblivion: another casualty of lazy social media activism. However, with the first month of 2018 over, the movement has proven to be the very opposite. The brave women behind #MeToo are not going away. […]
Why the Left Should Forget about Fairness
If Barack Obama’s message of hope pushed a political pendulum, then Donald Trump’s rabid chauvinism has started a wild pirate ship ride. Although for many of us, having Trump as president makes us feel as though we are slowly walking the plank toward an impending societal plunge, there lies ahead a tangible future in which […]
My San Juan Seven Months Later
This personal essay is set in a context of privilege. I am lucky enough to have maintained contact with my family for the entirety of the storm, and reside in one of the most densely populated neighborhoods of Puerto Rico’s capital. I did not visit any other cities on the island, and thus am unable […]