Andy Roo Forrest is the executive director of Feel Good Voting, an issues-based media initiative dedicated to the advancement of social justice and environmental action. Genessa Krasnow is the creative director and head of brand and content for Feeling Good Voting. She specializes in designing and implementing leading-edge campaigns in technology, entertainment, and activism. … Read more
In 1842, famed writer Charles Dickens visited a prison in Philadelphia, and he did not like what he saw. “The system here is rigid, strict, and hopeless solitary confinement,” he wrote. “I hold this slow and daily tampering with the mysteries of the brain, to be immeasurably worse than any torture of the body.” Unfortunately, … Read more
My older brother is autistic. Having been exposed to and interested in issues regarding this disorder since early childhood, I considered myself highly knowledgeable and passionate about the subject. I have celebrated the TV representation of prominent individuals on the spectrum, such as in Atypical or Rain Man. However, my expertise took a hit when … Read more
In February 2020, Russia launched a nuclear attack on U.S. forces in Europe, and the United States responded with tactical nuclear weapons of its own. Fortunately, this did not happen in real life; the events in question instead took place during a simulation, a military war game used to model a potential future interaction with … Read more
Slim’s, with its red banner and neon OPEN sign, is a retro self-serve burger joint in Chicago’s Ravenswood neighborhood. It is small. It is hot. And every day, Eduardo works in its kitchen. Eduardo is an undocumented immigrant who was born in Mexico City. He went to school outside the city, in a makeshift elementary … Read more
It began with a bang — or rather, a bomber jacket. On April 12, Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts tweeted a photo of himself decked out in a slick green jacket, Boston Red Sox facemask, and Nike high top sneakers captioned: “If you have to go outside, wear a mask.” The photo went viral, amassing over … Read more
A Requiem They are found in suburban bedrooms and urban sublets. They are found in college dorms and motel parking lots. They are found in settings that are completely different from each other in every way, save for one depressing similarity: They are found alone. These are the casualties of America’s opioid epidemic, numbering almost … Read more
Daron Acemoglu is the Elizabeth and James Killian Professor of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A prolific author renowned for his work in the field of political economy, he co-wrote “Why Nations Fail” (2012) and, more recently, “The Narrow Corridor” (2019) with University of Chicago Professor James A. Robinson. Harvard Political Review: “The … Read more
I have always been taught that childhood is not an exemplary state of being. Rather, it is a hurried stage for becoming, a gestation inside of our respect for our elders, who we believe to be wiser because of their experience. College students on the precipice of adulthood especially look to imitate adults. We applaud … Read more
As the coronavirus spreads, it continues to take a toll on cities and towns all across the United States. The response to this ubiquitous contagion, however, appears much more variant: Some states are just now reopening, some have been reopened for more than a month, some are closing again, and others are doing nothing. These … Read more