The fanciful illusion of astrology
Sraavya Sambara, Editor-in-Chief
March 24, 2020
According to the acclaimed astrology app Co-Star, I’m having “trouble with my spirituality.” And, considering that I joined Co-Star mainly to make a point, that’s probably true. Astrology has always had a persistent, if muted, effect on my life. Soon after I was born, my parents — both a...
Breaking down biraciality: I am myself
Owen Spargo, Staff Writer
March 10, 2020
The most frequent question I have been asked throughout my childhood is, “So what are you?” I often proceed by staring at the other person in confusion. Are they asking about my ethnic background? My religion? Whether I’m a human or alien? My answer is most usually along the lines of, “My father is a ...
Prioritizing electability in politics eviscerates democracy
Sanjana Ranganathan and Vivian Kuang
March 1, 2020
According to a Gallup poll from November 2019, 60% of Democrats surveyed prioritized a candidate with the best chance to beat the incumbent Donald Trump, even if the candidate differs from them on many major issues. This concept of “electability” is not new to politics. But with Democrats anxious to r...
Young Americans should use their power to vote
Mehek Kandru, Staff Writer
February 29, 2020
In March 1965, U.S. troops arrived on the shores of Da Nang, Vietnam and the antiwar movement across the U.S. erupted in protest. Youth from across the country gathered with signs plastered with powerful statements, including the well-known phrases “Make Love Not War” and “Hell No! Don’t Go!...
The splintering illusion of “celebrity”
Sraavya Sambara, Editor-in-Chief
February 25, 2020
Dear Reader, I find it wildly ironic when a celebrity gives an interview in which they scorn the concept of “celebrity.” In the classic era of “Old Hollywood,” “celebrity” was, if not more tangible, at least more clearly defined than the nebulous modern phenomenon it’s morphed into. ...
Screening decreases risk of heart attacks
Rahul Kumar, Guest Contributor
February 20, 2020
We often engage in preventative measures only after a car crash. Typically, we blame the driver for not wearing a seatbelt or being ignorant enough to check a notification on the highway. But for heart disease, preventative measures can mean the difference between life and death. In the United States...
The Citizenship Amendment Bill poses a threat to a secular India
Aditi Praveen and Drishti Upadhyaya
February 19, 2020
On Dec. 11, 2019, the Rajya Sabha, India’s upper-house Parliament, passed the Citizenship Amendment Bill. The bill intends to fast-track the citizenship of Hindu, Jain, Sikh, Buddhist, Parsi, and Christian refugees from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. The bill stands in support of all refuge...
Why my hijab does not define my faith
Shereen Ahmed, Staff Writer
February 17, 2020
There I stood, with the hijab in my hands. My head was itching and my mind was struggling, debating whether to wrap this piece of fabric around myself. It was an early November afternoon and in the back of my mind ran two scenarios. The first included me being myself and going to the Muslim party witho...
Historical simulations bring real-life tension into classrooms
Vivian Kuang and Kavin Kumaravel
February 13, 2020
In social studies classrooms around the nation, students are assigned to participate in debates or simulation activities touching on sensitive subjects. Despite controversy, many teachers pursue simulations to help students understand the experience of living through historical atrocities and to impart k...
Commercialization of summer programs excludes low-income students
Jade Wang, Staff Writer
February 9, 2020
Last summer I spent three weeks in downtown Boston with more than 500 students on the scattered campus of Emerson College, researching and debating for 12 hours a day at one of the most popular speech and debate camps in the country — the National Debate Forum (NDF). But the heavy price tag of going to that cam...
Meme culture and sympathy
Drishti Upadhyaya, Arts and Graphics Editor
February 8, 2020
On Jan. 2, Donald Trump declared Iranian general Qasem Soleimani dead on American orders. A potential war — possibly even a third world war — became a new threat in the present. World War III quickly became a hot topic throughout the world. Articles, videos, and media quickly began focusing on the c...
Academia: it’s time to “write” the way
Riya Bindlish, Features Editor
January 12, 2020
Literature held to the highest esteem is that which portrays characteristics of concision while simultaneously maintaining brevity. In other words, the best writing is clear and to-the-point. When I first started reading lengthy research reports, I was amazed (and simultaneously confused) at th...
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