“If young people don’t have an equal shot at getting a great education, we’re going to create a society we’re not very happy with,” Catherine Hill, the president of Vassar, firmly believes. Her statement underscores a recent focus in the United States on equalizing the college application process across socioeconomic backgrounds, following a disturbing 2012 … Read more
This article is the first installment of an HPR series exploring President Kennedy’s legacy as we reflect on the 50th anniversary of his assassination. Fifty years later, JFK’s most memorable quote remains: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” President Kennedy’s greatest legacy exists not … Read more
With the government shutdown being the main news the first two weeks of last month and Obamacare stirring a considerable amount of debate since then, another topic that might impact all American (and foreign) citizens has been left in the shade: the person replacing Ben Bernanke as the next chair of the Federal Reserve. This … Read more
Superman is the quintessential American superhero. His name is a byword for exceptional performance in a way that is almost hyperbolic, and his red cape and blue suit with the iconic red “S” is a symbol that is recognized around the world. From his creation in the 1930s, Superman has had a special place in … Read more
Enrollment for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), popularly known as “Obamacare,” began on October 1, in preparation for the official launch of the new insurance plans on January 1, 2014. Yet the massive overhaul of the nation’s health care system faces almost as many questions and challenges now as when it was … Read more
Many Americans’ image of Brazil is colored by films like the Oscar-nominated City of God (2002), which described the tribulations of young people growing up in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. This favela image—crowded, gangland slums with little hope of escape—paints a picture of a nation that still seems to be suffering from enormous socioeconomic … Read more
The first 40 minutes of Ender’s Game are like watching an Ender’s Game wiki. Even a decade removed from my second reading of Orscon Scott-Card’s fabled sci-fi story of a young general’s rise, I was bored by a clipped script, stunted plot, and limited acting. In the slew of movies based on young adult thrillers, … Read more
Just before this edition of the HPR went to press, the U.S. federal government remained shut down, a victim of allegedly irreconcilable differences between our political parties. The shutdown may be the stuff of history textbooks, but a few weeks earlier, there was another remarkable occurrence, this time a cross-continental op-ed submission. Vladimir Putin, the … Read more
In a 5-4 vote this past June, the Supreme Court dealt a serious blow to the legacy of the civil rights movement in Shelby County v. Holder. Striking down Section 4(b) of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the decision nullified the coverage formula that determined which states and local governments required preapproval from the … Read more
Avika Dua sits down with Karen Mills, the 23rd Administrator of the Small Business Administration and former member of President Obama’s Cabinet, to talk about how small businesses drive the economy and being a woman in business. You can access additional content by subscribing to our YouTube channel and visiting our iTunes page. Interview by Avika Dua Editing … Read more