The civil war in Syria has passed its third anniversary, yet the situation in and around the nation remains dire. War persists, and the crisis endures, affecting approximately 2.5 million Syrian nationals who have been displaced from their homes into neighboring countries. These innocent civilians—75 percent of whom are women and children and 1.5 million … Read more
“You see, at the end of the day, my most important title is still ‘mom in chief.’ My daughters are still the heart of my heart and the center of my world.” —Michelle Obama, September 2012 * * * “Talk about strange bedfellows!” exclaimed Myra Gu-tin in an interview with the HPR. Gutin, an historian … Read more
For the average American, the words “genital mutilation” conjure up images of babies in developing countries and of human rights advocates railing against horrors that take place on other continents. Genital mutilation seems barbaric, backwards, and very, very far away. And yet, there is an epidemic of nonconsensual genital mutilation in the Western world that … Read more
In 2008, Barack Obama swept into office with two-thirds of the millennial vote, bringing with him strong Democratic majorities in the House and Senate. In 2012, millennials turned out and voted for Obama at roughly the same rate, helping make his reelection possible. Since the election, however, there has been a decided downturn in support … Read more
Pakistan has seen too many coups to applaud when a man in uniform declares one. Yet Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s recent video proposing a coup to the people of Pakistan was met with acclaim. Unlike previous army takeovers, this one would involve no guns, uniforms, or military microfactions; rather, it would be purely cultural. Having launched his political … Read more
In an increasingly digitized world, technology has made it easier than ever to connect with like-minded individuals and tailor online experiences to personal preferences. From Hulu’s persistent quest to learn “which ad experience would you prefer?” to Facebook’s relentless attempts to promote textbook rentals on students’ news feeds, it’s clear that advertisements are now, more … Read more
Brian Lewis, a former Navy petty officer third class, was raped by a superior non-commissioned officer, then ordered by his commander not to report the crime. Afterwards, Lewis was misdiagnosed with a personality disorder and given a general discharge. Filing retaliation claims proved unsuccessful. Lewis was the first male survivor of military sexual trauma to … Read more
“If you’re not a liberal at twenty, you have no heart.” While this famous saying may unfairly mock a young conservative’s ideology, it reflects a widely-accepted truth: young people, by and large, are liberal. And young, educated people—college students—are the most liberal of all. This raises the question: what happens to local government when you … Read more
This February, the White House announced a further one-year delay of the Affordable Care Act’s mandate for medium-sized employers to provide health insurance for their employees. The ACA has been the source of a great deal of controversy ever since its passage in 2010 but, following this latest delay, some experts are beginning to doubt … Read more
We are often reminded—by friends, relatives, and even the media—that the four years of college are the best years of our lives. Perhaps I was naïve at the time, back in the fall of 2010, but I certainly believed in this truism when I started at Harvard. Four years later, after countless sleepless nights, term … Read more