Social Media and the First Amendment
Social Media and the First Amendment

Whether we like it or not, it is hard to deny that social media has transformed our modes of communication, in ways that were unheard of 20-30 years ago. Former Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy recognized this point, affirming that “…social media in particular…” has been one of “…the most important places (in a spatial sense) for the exchange of views.” Jack Dorsey, the founder and CEO of Twitter, reflected this when he referred to his platform as a “digital public square” in a 2018 Senate Intelligence Committee hearing. Despite the monumental impact these platforms continue to play, they have also faced unmistakable backlash from prominent users, and several high-ranking politicians, over the implementation of their content-moderation policies

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LawMason PolanerSpring 2021Comment
The Section 230 Wars
The Section 230 Wars

Republicans in Congress act with the goal of repealing an obscure piece of legislation called Section 230, part of the Communications Decency Act of 1996. The law is composed of two portions: a shield and sword. The shield defends Internet companies from liability for the content posted on their platforms. The sword allows such companies to moderate their services however they would like, permitting them to remove pornography, spam, and other posts that would hamper the user experience. These protections have allowed the Internet to flourish, such that Section 230 was dubbed “the law that created the Internet.” With recent events, however, Section 230 has come under fire by politicians on both sides of the aisle.

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Domestic IssuesOscar TirabassiSpring 2021Comment
Erdoğan’s Cities: Who Are They For?
Erdoğan’s Cities: Who Are They For?

“Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s AK Party may lack a substantial number of qualities that one might hope for in an elected government, but one thing cannot be denied, they possess an unyielding ambition to reform Turkey (some might argue, beyond recognition). This claim does not merely refer to more obvious shocks (the radical constitutional referendum in 2017, or the countless activist, and often provocative, foreign policy initiatives), but specifically to urban policy – yet another arena manifesting Erdoğan’s excerption of power.”

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InternationalRose Persson EsfandyariFall 2020Comment
Antarctica Keeps Breaking Temperature Records: Here's Why That Should Scare You
Antarctica Keeps Breaking Temperature Records: Here's Why That Should Scare You

“On Thursday, February 6th, 2020 the sun was shining on the Argentine research station Esperanza, and despite a breeze, the weather was pleasant, if not balmy.[1] T-shirt weather -- good for relaxing in the sun or going for a hike. The station recorded a temperature of 18.3 °C, or about 65 °F: nothing too out of the ordinary. Except, you know, if you’re in Antarctica.”

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EnvironmentSkye HawthorneFall 2020Comment
Symptoms of Neo-Imperialism in Economics: The Robinson Crusoe Narrative
Symptoms of Neo-Imperialism in Economics: The Robinson Crusoe Narrative

“As a result, I naively dismissed the problematic example and attributed it to the time and context it was written in. It was only when my professor assigned Crusoe, Friday and the Raced Market Frame of Orthodox Economics Textbooks, by Matthew Watson that I finally caught a glimpse of the bigger picture – that the Robinson-Crusoe rhetoric is actually commonplace in economics textbooks.”

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Social JusticeKalyani MohanFall 2020Comment
Protests in the US and Nigeria: Adult Problem, Young Leaders
Protests in the US and Nigeria: Adult Problem, Young Leaders

“My view of modern Black-led youth movements comes from a place of sadness and admiration. I hate that people my age are forced to fight the battles of corruption but I am extremely humbled by the acts of courage I’ve seen. The hands of white supremacy have twisted our ideals to value money over people, production over product and individuals over communities. The EndSARS protests started as a call for the disbanding of the police force but turned into a multi-dimensional demand for a more equitable government.”

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Social Justice, InternationalTyler JenkinsFall 2020Comment
Don't Get It Twisted: Hair Discrimination is Racial Discrimination
Don't Get It Twisted: Hair Discrimination is Racial Discrimination

“When African people were savagely kidnapped and arrived in unknown territory, they were deprived of their traditional wardrobes, practices, and rituals. Natural hairstyles, particularly braided hairstyles, were seen as a form of communication. It communicated a story about a person’s marital status, age, religion, ethnic identity, wealth, and rank within the community. One of the first things slave traders did was shave slaves’ heads. Europeans erased the slaves’ identity and culture by dehumanizing them.”

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Social JusticeDarielle MatthewsFall 2020Comment
Data Privacy
Data Privacy

“It’s all too easy to take for granted all of the ways technology has improved our lives. But as in most things, some have benefitted from the technological revolution more than others. And the ones who’ve gained the most have done so largely in the shadows, packaging and selling their product to anyone who can pay the price. This ever-growing industry is Big Data. And all of us are the product.”

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Domestic IssuesJack JontzComment