Op-Eds
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Fashion Police!: Fast Fashion and Its Inevitable Environmental Demise
In recent decades, clothing brands have generated an American culture centered around fast fashion. Consumers should remain aware of various ways to oppose these fast fashion companies and their damaging effects on the environment and economy.
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Shining Light on Dark Money in Politics
Political spending from anonymous donors—dark money—has infected American politics on both sides of the aisle through elections and the court system. One Senator in particular has been on a years-long crusade to shine light on the problem, but his most recent attempt was blocked in the Senate. Voters deserve accountability in government and it is our representatives’ responsibility to take action on dark money.
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Outside Spending Has Corrupted Our Elections
In a midterm election expected to break records for campaign spending, increased scrutiny has been placed on the contributions of Super PACs and mega-donors. Reigning in those sources of dark money is key to citizens maintaining control of our democracy.
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Gender Norms: Who Wins?
When it comes to sexism and gender norms, it’s simple to point fingers at men. What if it’s not that easy in reality?
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Do Democrats Have a Prayer in the House?
Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health and a strong summer for Biden have created the conditions for Democrats to potentially keep the House. In a race where every seat counts, the party needs to embrace effective campaigning to boost their chances.
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Breaking the Binary: A Story of Iranian Women
One woman’s death has shaken the nation, shifting the trajectory of the Islamic Republic of Iran. This event is not a call for Western civilizations to save women; instead, it is a call to action against the existing institutions of Iran and the necessity to deconstruct a harmful binary.
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The Refugee Double Standard
A bright moment in the Russia-Ukraine conflict has been the remarkable welcoming of millions of Ukrainian refugees into bordering European countries. However, this prompts the comparison to Europe’s less rosey reception of Middle Eastern refugees in the recent past.
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Media Perceptions: Painting a Distorted Image of Guilt and Innocence
Johnny Depp is a name we grew up with. Appearing in Pirates of the Caribbean, the 2005 remake of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (amongst numerous other Tim Burton films), it is also a name that is caught in the midst of a civil suit that is feeding into the existing social culture surrounding domestic violence and abuse. Whether a Johnny fan or a mere spectator, understanding public perceptions in Depp v. Heard characterizes the nature of bias, influence, and resulting polarization through the media.
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Recent Jackson Hearing Sparks Questions About Senate's Power of Advice and Consent
In the past decade, the practice Advice and Consent has caused enough conflict to question whether its purpose has been tainted by politics.
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Bipartisan Gun Reform Falls Short
Congress’s Bipartisan Safer Communities Act may be the first major federal gun legislation passed in over two decades, but it is not bold enough to significantly reduce the staggering, devastating gun violence across America.
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How Our Patent System Exacerbates Global Vaccine Inequity
The western response to the COVID-19 crisis was criticized for failing to properly assist low income counties. Changing the patent for Covid vaccines would lower informational barriers between high income and low income counties.
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Toxic Grading Culture: The Consequences of Grades on the Learning Experience
Grades, as a tool for measurement and for learning, are a fundamental part of American education but its negative effects often go ignored. As studied by psychology, grades are immense obstacles to curiosity and the long-term learning of students.
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Biden’s Opportunity in the Ukraine Crisis
The Biden administration has thus far succeeded in its attempt to reestablish America’s credibility abroad following the turmoil of the Trump era. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has further united the West, and presents an opportunity for Biden to prove that the Western world can be a model in global leadership.
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Digital Currency and the Threat of China
The rise of China prompts competition on all fronts, including the lucrative and dangerous business that is digital currency.
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Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson: More than just checking a box
Ever since Ketanji Brown Jackson was nominated by President Joe Biden and recently confirmed by the Senate to be the next member of the Supreme Court, discourse continues to rage over whether she is qualified for the position. Are critics of Jackson right in their doubts, or are they mistaken?
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SCOTUS Considers Genocide
The Indian Child Welfare Act prevents Native children from being removed from Native communities. Some want to see it overturned, but doing so could lead to genoicide.
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The Silence of Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton did not lash out or say a word after his painful defeat to rival Max Verstappen at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the last race of the 2021 Formula One season. But the reactions to his silence tell us that his very presence, even in silence, has been rendered disruptive.
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History Repeated: Thucydides and the Ukrainian Crisis
What can a historical account written in 5th century BC tell us about the Ukrainian crisis? While President Zelensky pleads he does not want Ukrainian history to be told as “a legend about 300 Spartans,” the Russian invasion is just that: Ukraine versus Sparta. Here’s how great powers in geopolitics shape international relations and incite war.
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The War of the Information Domain: Ukraine versus Russia
International tensions are remarkably high because of Russia’s invasion of the sovereign nation of Ukraine. Although Russia seems to have the upper hand, Putin’s military campaign has hardly been a success. The success of this inspired Ukrainian resistance can be credited to the information war at hand.
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Personality and Political Polarization
When it comes to political polarization, are differences between American political parties’ personalities the cure or the disease?
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Shifting the Focus: State and Local Politics Spotlight
American news media is consistently flooded with doom and gloom stories about Senate gridlock and bills stalling out. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, local and state politicians are working to make real changes that affect our everyday lives. Let’s shift the focus.
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Attorney General Miyares, the Whole World is Watching
University Counsel Tim Heaphy was fired by the Virginia Attorney General in January. The firing made headlines due to Heaphy’s leave from UVa to be counsel for the U.S. House panel investigating the January 6th insurrection. Although Attorney General Jason Miyares’ office denied they were firing Heaphy due to his role on the January 6th committee, the firing was a move to punish Heaphy for his role in holding former Trump officials, some of whom endorsed Miyares, responsible.
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Celebrities’ Decay of the Democratic Spirit
Is the increasing prevalence of celebrity influence on politics threatening the spirit of democracy?
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The Case for Electoral Reform
Tension over political representation and election integrity reached a violent boiling point during the January 6th riots. Voters on both the left and the right feel a fundamental disconnect from their elected representatives. Only comprehensive electoral reform aimed towards proportional representation can address the concerns of the U.S. voter.
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News that Gets Old: The Deradicalization of Art
To push beyond the boundaries of mere tokenization, we must pay attention to how art from marginalized voices reckons with dominant structures.