The March 5 announcement of President Hugo Chávez’s death marks a new chapter for Venezuela, as its population reflects on the legacy of the polarizing leader and its own future. As a result of his social programs, his political inclusion of the poor, and his assertions of Latin American independence from “imperialist powers,” Chávez gained … Read more
Today, prevalent cases on the desks of college counselors involve serious concerns including depression, anxiety, and eating disorders, a relatively recent phenomenon in the long history of higher education. For the last several years, Harvard has seen a corresponding increase in the frequency and intensity of conversations regarding mental health. Punctuated by viral articles in … Read more
The past month has seen immense upheaval in the Central African Republic, a nation already renowned for its fragile political structure, rampant poverty, and highly erratic policymaking. On March 25, a rebel group dubbed Seleka, the word for ‘alliance’ in the Sango language, infiltrated the capital of the C.A.R., Bangui, and forced then-President François Bozizé … Read more
After weeks of fierce protests against (and counterprotests in favor of) mariage pour tous (“marriage for all”), the French National Assembly cast the final vote 331-225 in favor of legalizing marriage for same-sex couples on Tuesday. President François Hollande made same-sex marriage a central promise during his presidential campaign. The victory, though a clear success … Read more
On April 29, 2013, 12-year NBA veteran Jason Collins came out as the first openly gay active male athlete playing one of the four major American sports. Recently, the HPR sat down with former Ravens linebacker and three-time Pro Bowl selection Brendon Ayanbadejo to discuss his LGBTQ advocacy work, future ambitions for elected office, and athlete activism. … Read more
Amidst the seasonal chatter of virulent H5N1 influenza strains and lingering concerns about H1N1 arose a new topic of interest this April: the emergence of a new flu strain, H7N9, which had previously never been seen in humans. First reported to the WHO on March 31, the new strain had already caused 77 cases and … Read more
Freshman Mariam Jalloul penned a well received, but flawed editorial in The Crimson last Thursday. In it, she attacked FEMEN, a feminist organization based in Kiev, for having promoted a “Topless Jihad Day,” in which women the world over bared their breasts and wrote messages like “Arab Women Against Islamism” and “Freedom to All Women” … Read more
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison represented Texas from 1993 to 2013 as a United States Senator. HPR: Democrats are trying to turn Texas blue by 2016 or 2020. How do you think Texas’ political identity will change over the next decade or two? Senator Hutchison: Well I do believe that the demographics of Texas are changing … Read more
Let me start by saying that there has never been any sufficient evidence that gun control works. The other more liberal-minded writers here will point to correlations between gun ownership and gun violence, but to quote the infamous Wayne LaPierre, “The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy … Read more
As I have argued on these pages numerous times before, I do not believe civilian access to guns is the real problem behind most gun violence, and I believe that firearm access is a fundamental right that must be protected. That being said, I see no reason why background checks of the type proposed by the Manchin-Toomey Amendment would … Read more