Aryaana Khan has spent much of her life rocked by climate disasters. In her home country of Bangladesh — a quarter of which is now underwater — the now-19-year-old student faced routine flooding and cyclones, disasters which only seemed to increase in number and intensity over the years, eventually forcing her family to immigrate to New York … Read more
For the roughly 681,000 Americans with intellectual and developmental disabilities who reside in congregate care settings such as group homes and state institutions, the coronavirus pandemic has wrought a tragic, and largely invisible, crisis. An estimated 13% of adults with IDD rely on these congregate settings for full-time support, with aid ranging from medical services … Read more
The cafeteria at a high school debate tournament is a cavern echoing with strategy and spit. A coach whispers an opponent’s shortcomings on the right. On the left, a boy practicing his speech sprays saliva like a lawn sprinkler. Teenage athletes and artists who happen to be at school may try to avoid the noise, … Read more
Out of the ashes of 2020 rose TikTok, a new type of social media paving the way in internet culture, education, and activism. TikTok is a video-based social media app with an unusual authenticity and growing cultural influence – presenting a rare chance for positive social impact through transformation of the social media space. TikTok … Read more
We pushed back with linked arms to free a space twenty feet across. A lone dancer rushed in, bringing the crowd to a standstill as we watched his drops and twirls. Another body took up the invitation and broke through and began to circle the other in playful competition. He pushed his feet off the … Read more
As we witness countless instances of brutality by law enforcement officers, police misconduct has now more than ever rocketed to the forefront of our national conversation. Unfortunately, the current system has proven unequipped to handle this misconduct and hold police accountable for their actions. After all, an outsized number of police officers who violate their … Read more
My parents’ marriage is straight out of a Bollywood movie. My father, who would skip school to watch art cinema and perform radical street theater, fell in love with my mother, a studious medical student who topped her university. A player and a know-it-all, a film buff and a talented artist, a Muslim and a … Read more
Upon hearing the news that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had passed away on September 18, I felt two things. The first, of course, was a profound sadness that her loved ones and the United States had lost such an important person. The second was uncertainty. Since she first joined the bench of the Supreme Court … Read more
When the pandemic suddenly thrust schools across Bergen County, New Jersey into shutdown in mid-March, Laura McKenna’s youngest son — who is on the autism spectrum — faced large-scale disruptions to his everyday life. He went five weeks without any live classes at all: his only instruction came in the form of worksheet packets. When … Read more
Not many changes to American food consumption patterns have been as prevalent and consistent as the rise of veganism over the past few decades. Once considered to be a fringe diet only followed by animal rights activists and health enthusiasts, the number of vegans in the United States has increased from 290,000 to 9.7 million … Read more