European (Dis)Union

Lily is currently studying International Affairs and Economics at Sciences Po in Paris, France. Since the beginning of the conflict in Syria, about 4 million refugees have fled the region, seeking safety from the violence and destruction left in the wake of ISIS and by the Assad regime’s brutal policies.[1] As people move westward, a […]

Thoughts and Prayers

Since the World Trade Center attacks on 9/11, the federal government has expended incredible amounts of time, energy and capital on the image of American protection from foreign terrorism. The nation watched on live television as the Twin Towers caught fire and fell to the ground in New York City, and the Bush administration wasted […]

Political Correctness: Humor, Language, and Mental Health

“I’m just joking” is a byline in everyday conversation. Stereotypes are fair game, as long as you tack on a “jk” at the end. “I’m not racist/homophobic/sexist, but…” is a red flag unnoticed by most. We are constantly congratulating ourselves on being a society with the absence of widespread prejudice. But this supposed disconnect between […]

War of the Words

Almost thirty years ago to this day, Tipper Gore, wife of then-senator Al Gore, met with three other wives of prominent politicians to discuss a very serious issue: children were in mortal danger from the insidious threat of explicit lyrics. After hearing her daughter listening to Prince’s “Darling Nikki,” which contains references to sex and […]

When O’Reilly Attacks

On Tuesday, Bill O’Reilly took down another group of pesky liberals with his patented combination of condescension and gross misrepresentation. But this time his target was…Northeastern? Yes, our beloved school just got torched on the O’Reilly Factor for the following quote, which appears in an RA training pamphlet: “In order to have the experience of […]