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The Founders Never Dreamt of Data: Partisan Gerrymandering and Why Our Constitution Must Protect Our Right to Privacy

May 2, 2021

9 Min Read

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By Ana Deckey (CMC ’22) Partisan gerrymandering is a wily evil that distorts our democracy. However, in 2019, the Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution does not protect us from partisan gerrymandering and its anti-democratic effects. This ruling was handed down in Rucho et al v. Common Cause; in the case, citizens of Maryland and North Carolina argued their state governments acted...

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As Ignorance Continues To Plague The Political Atmosphere, We Must Push For Educational Reform.

April 24, 2021

6 Min Read

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By Grace Fan (PO ’23) The need for education reform has never been clearer. From the response of the Trump administration to the Black Lives Matter movement to the outrage and pushback that the movement garnered, Americans must reckon with the pitfalls of their current education system. Schools are where the youth are supposedly introduced to the tools necessary for success and are...

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Lessons From Operation Varsity Blues: Entitlement, Loss, and the “Blues” of College Admissions

April 23, 2021

6 Min Read

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The college admissions scandal of 2019, Operation Varsity Blues, revealed just how far wealthy parents were willing to go to secure spots for their children at elite universities. While money has always shored up a student’s chances in the college admissions game, the scandal highlights a particular anxiety amongst the White upper class that increased competition and interest in educational...

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A Clash between Industry and Environmental Responsibility: The Laws Regulating U.S. “Dolphin-Safe” Food Labels

April 21, 2021

5 Min Read

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Camryn Fujita (SCR ’21) The Netflix documentary Seaspiracy that came out this past March was not the first attempt to question whether environmental food labels really reflect the “sustainable” practices they claim to guarantee. Although Seaspiracy has faced heavy criticism for selective reporting and their portrayal of aquaculture, climate change, and the state of the ocean, one useful...

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Genetic Discrimination and Privacy Laws

April 19, 2021

9 Min Read

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Kathryn Parker (SC ‘23) Human genetic data is in high demand for cutting-edge medical research, and genetic testing is important to diagnose and treat many diseases. As a result, genetic privacy laws are a necessity to protect the basic rights of citizens. However, in the United States, while genetic discrimination is expressly prohibited, privacy is not enforced. So, what can be done to protect...

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An Examination of U.S. Laws and Policies that Facilitate Gender Discrimination

March 30, 2021

11 Min Read

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Despite the United States making efforts for the past half a century to combat gender discrimination, sex-based prejudice still runs rampant in American society. The government and its courts have disseminated a sex-based slant on rights and freedoms that in reality, protect men far more than women. This bias has resulted in the federal government allowing various forms of gender discrimination...

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The Mistake by the Lake: Ohio’s Higher Education Funding

March 24, 2021

7 Min Read

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By Jon Burkart (PO ‘24) In 2008, the Great Recession struck. And in its wake, upwards of 20 states cut public spending: Ohio was one of them. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic struck. And while the future remains uncertain, one thing is clear: austerity is returning. In some states, it has already made a return. On May 6, 2020, just months into the pandemic, Ohio’s Republican Governor Mike DeWine...

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The Impact of Black Lives Matter on Legislation and the Conversation on Racism in Hawaii

March 21, 2021

6 Min Read

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Camryn Fujita (SCR ‘21) In June of 2020, a week-long series of protests in support of the Black Lives Matter movement across the state of Hawaii culminated in a march to the Hawaii State Capitol that drew an estimated crowd of about 10,000 to 20,000 people. These protests sparked a long overdue conversation over how people in Hawaii think about race, anti-Black racism, and criminal justice. In...

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A Post-Truth Internet: Understanding and Addressing the Harm of Fake News

March 19, 2021

36 Min Read

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By Sam Fiske (CMC ’21) Introduction Social media websites that originated as a platform to connect with friends and family have evolved into some of the most intense, poorly regulated battlegrounds for political discourse. Companies that began in dorm rooms and garages have blossomed into Silicon Valley giants, yielding unprecedented power to shape public opinion and gnawing away at the...

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Who Counts as Asian American?

March 18, 2021

7 Min Read

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By Nick Yi (PO ’22) In November of 2020, Kamala Harris was elected as the first Black, Asian American vice president. Her identity raised questions not only about multiracial identity but also what it meant to be Asian American. Who counts as “Asian American,” let alone “Asian”? The label may appear misleading in its simplicity. Is the term a reflection of a shared racial, ethnic, or continental...

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