Is the Market Moral?

Feel-good Hollywood movies are a hallmark of American culture. From childhood Disney films like Aladdin and Cinderella, to classics like Rocky and Forrest Gump, American media saturates our screens with moral heroes who overcome challenges and earn deserved rewards, leaving the wicked villains with their just deserts. This fondness for satisfying endings isn’t new. During […]

Understanding Recent Legislative Responses to the Opioid Crisis

The summer of 2018 saw a flurry of legislative efforts to curb the opioid epidemic that reached a record high of 72,000 victims in 2017.[1] On August 16th, 2018, President Trump asked Attorney General Jeff Sessions to bring a “major lawsuit” to opioid-producing drug companies.[2] On August 22nd, Sessions announced a “warning” to opioid distributors, […]

Remembering Kimberly Jones: Professor, Mentor, Advisor

Letter from the Editor I first encountered Professor Kimberly Jones very early on in my time at Northeastern. I was an office assistant in the International Affairs Department during the fall of my freshman year, and, for four hours each week, worked around the corner from her. At the time, I had no idea that […]

Low Juror Compensation Harms Judicial Process

This article is the first installment of a column dedicated to addressing the problems jury duty both faces and creates. Juries often go undiscussed; when they are, the central theme is that juries are essential despite the associated inconveniences. My column will question why we remain passive about such an extremely flawed institution, especially when […]

The Degradation of Immigrants in America: An Analysis of Dehumanizing Linguistics  

Language is one of the most distinguishable founding elements of humanity. It is a basic principle of human development and existence, determining every interaction and relationship. A well known psychological theory championed by Sapir-Whorf states that language isn’t simply how we voice our thoughts; it shapes our ideas and perceptions of reality.[1] In accepting this, […]

The Thorn in Japan’s Side: Okinawa & The Relocation of the Futenma Base

On August 8th, the governor of Japan’s Okinawa prefecture passed away.[1] A polarizing figure, Governor Takeshi Onaga was well known for leading efforts to reduce U.S. military presence in Okinawa. Most notably, he opposed the relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from Ginowan to Henoko in Nago City.[2] In July 2017, Onaga even […]

Why Inequality Matters

In an adorable experiment known as the “Fairness Study,” two capuchin monkeys in separate cages are tasked with handing rocks to a researcher in exchange for pieces of cucumber. While both monkeys are willing to conduct this transaction, when one monkey begins receiving grapes as the other receives only cucumbers, the underpaid monkey becomes clearly […]

Quit Trying to Escape Identity Politics

Every movement we’ve ever had has sprung from another. I’m taking a freshman-level course in my final semester at Northeastern. Call it what you will, but I’ve found it’s extremely helpful in reevaluating my education and my perspective on more than just books. In week three, we spent the bulk of our time learning foundational […]

What is There to Fear About Social Justice?

The Arizona state legislature introduced a bill, HB2120, in January to limit school activities and courses that, amongst other things, “promote division, resentment or social justice toward a race, gender, religion, political affiliation, social class or other class of people.” This bill expands upon an existing law that banned Mexican-American studies courses in colleges and […]

Trumpian Collective Over Self

“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” – Audre Lorde What’s a Tuesday night without curling up in a multi-colored quilt with some chardonnay to watch The Office, before being rudely interrupted by a call to discuss reconciling America’s many divisions after the inauguration? I’m constantly torn on […]