Category: Politics

Opinion, Politics

The optics war underlying the Israel-Hamas conflict

by Sidney Brant A father, pulling his bleeding child out of a pile of rubble; a woman, the crotch of her pants bloodied, being forced into a jeep and taken hostage. The images, videos, text blurbs, and news stories that barrage our screens don’t provide information about the war–they are the war.  The most recent iteration of the century-old struggle between Israel and Palestine began … Continue reading The optics war underlying the Israel-Hamas conflict

Unknown's avatarSidney Brant
News, Politics

After Affirmative Action: Where Do We Go From Here?

On June 29, 2023, college admission offices across the country scrambled to release public statements in the face of the groundbreaking Supreme Court Case ruling declaring the unconstitutionality of affirmative action in college admission decisions. This means that the national high school class of 2024 will not have affirmative action and race-conscious admissions policies affecting their path to higher education.  What is Affirmative Action? Affirmative … Continue reading After Affirmative Action: Where Do We Go From Here?

Unknown's avatarTiyya Geiger
Campus Life, Opinion, Politics

Rep. Bryan Cutler and Educational Racism

Last Thursday, I attended a student Zoom meeting to discuss education policy with Speaker of the Pennsylvania State House, Bryan Cutler. Tiyya Geiger and I represented McCaskey, and two Pequea Valley students and one Solanco student were also in attendance.  Representative Cutler represents the 100th Legislative District in the PA House, which encompasses part of Lancaster County. Even though his district does not include Lancaster … Continue reading Rep. Bryan Cutler and Educational Racism

Unknown's avatarFrances Brogan
Opinion, Politics

Abortion, The Supreme Court, and the Electoral College

In early May, Politico leaked a draft from Justice Samuel Alito on the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, two cases that constitutionally protect the ability to get an abortion.  It is the first time in history that a Supreme court draft has been leaked prior to the final decision, and has led to an outcry from pro-choice … Continue reading Abortion, The Supreme Court, and the Electoral College

Unknown's avatarHannah Geiser
News, Politics

Ketanji Brown Jackson Will Be First Black Woman on Supreme Court

After facing one obstacle after another, Ketanji Brown Jackson was finally confirmed as  the new Supreme Court Justice. This makes her the first-ever Black woman to serve as a Justice on the Supreme Court. Judge Jackson was nominated for the position by President Joe Biden on February 25, 2022. By April 7, 2022, a bipartisan group of senators confirmed the nomination. Judge Jackson has a … Continue reading Ketanji Brown Jackson Will Be First Black Woman on Supreme Court

Unknown's avatarJanette BlainLeave a comment
News, Politics

Ismail Smith Wade-El is Getting More to Give

When national politics are so divisive, it’s easy to forget that local races have a far greater impact on our daily lives and our community. In Lancaster, the primary elections for our state representatives are coming up. While primaries simply determine who the Democratic and Republican candidates will be in the general election in November, Lancaster city is overwhelmingly Democratic, meaning the winner of the … Continue reading Ismail Smith Wade-El is Getting More to Give

Unknown's avatarFrances Brogan
News, Politics

Why Does the US Care About Ukraine?

In recent weeks, the simmering conflict between Ukraine and Russia has escalated with the deployment of Russian troops to the Ukrainian border. It has raised security concerns both in Europe and globally. World leaders have threatened to tighten sanctions on Russia if they go through with a full invasion of the former satellite nation, afraid that if there is a full scale invasion, it will … Continue reading Why Does the US Care About Ukraine?

Unknown's avatarHannah Geiser
Campus Life, Politics

We Should Talk About the Pledge

Recently, McCaskey High School began playing the pledge of allegiance every morning on its announcements.  “It mocks our ancestor’s cries and screams: their terror,” shared Essence Winters. “What justice has America shown?” she asked. “Black people still haven’t received reparations.”  “Not saying it is disrespectful to those who have died. We should honor it, value it, and be fair to it,” said Sujan Upreti.  These … Continue reading We Should Talk About the Pledge

Unknown's avatarRose Carlson
Opinion, Politics

Toxic Masculinity and Covid-19: Deadly Consequences

Toxic masculinity. It’s an amorphous concept, often scorned as overly intellectual, criticized by the right as a war on traditional masculinity and by some on the left as ignoring the role of individual choice in determining behaviors. It generally manifests itself in performative male aggression, the desire to project physical strength, sexual dominance, and no signs of vulnerability. And discounting the significance of toxic masculinity … Continue reading Toxic Masculinity and Covid-19: Deadly Consequences

Unknown's avatarFrances BroganLeave a comment
Opinion, Politics

The Vietnamese Perspective on the Vietnam War

Content Warnings: graphic descriptions of war, violence, and illness Imagine being born as a symbol of death. Blood fills your nose, your mother hates your hungry mouth, and your foreign father lays dead in a smoldering plane. Being born into war was something my parents had to shoulder for their whole lives, and yet, when discussing the Vietnam War, we Americans tend to push it … Continue reading The Vietnamese Perspective on the Vietnam War

Unknown's avatarThùy NguyễnLeave a comment
News, Politics

Puerto Rico’s Governor Recognizes Gender Violence as Emergency

On January 24th, 2021, Puerto Rican governor Pedro Pierluisi signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency to allocate resources to create more gender equality in Puerto Rico, responding to the pleas of thousands of protesters to improve the ongoing gender violence crisis in the US territory. The new order will create a committee called PARE (in Spanish: Prevention, Support, Rescue and Education of … Continue reading Puerto Rico’s Governor Recognizes Gender Violence as Emergency

Unknown's avatarNatalie LopezLeave a comment
Opinion, Politics

The Centrist Agenda: What Biden’s Done- And What He Could Be Doing

President Biden has made it clear that he’s sacrificing an opportunity for systemic change out of a desire to be palatable for everyone. As we celebrate the end of Trump, let’s not let cosmetically diverse Cabinet appointments distract us from the fact that Biden is a man who, a year ago, told billionaires that “nothing would fundamentally change” for them if he was elected. We … Continue reading The Centrist Agenda: What Biden’s Done- And What He Could Be Doing

Unknown's avatarFrances BroganLeave a comment
News, Politics

Democratic Victories at the Georgia Senate Runoff Elections

A lot of big events took place the week of January 4, 2021. Among them were the Georgia Senate Runoff elections, which occurred because neither candidate in the Senate race received more than 50% of the votes cast. In the running for the one of the two senate seats available was democratic candidate Jon Ossoff, who faced off against Republican incumbent Senator David Perdue. The … Continue reading Democratic Victories at the Georgia Senate Runoff Elections

Unknown's avatarEllen HaverstickLeave a comment
Opinion, Politics

The Case for Prison Abolition

As a teenager, Brandon Bernard fell in with the wrong crowd, and at 18, he was an accomplice in the murder of two youth ministers, Todd and Stacey Bagley, setting fire to their car and possibly killing Stacey. Brandon’s age made him eligible for the death penalty, and he remained in a 6-by-8 foot cell on death row for 23 years, praying, crocheting, and playing … Continue reading The Case for Prison Abolition

Unknown's avatarFrances BroganLeave a comment
Arts & Culture, Politics

My Uncle’s Experiences as a Foreign Service Officer Overseas

Before he retired, my uncle John Cogdill worked as a foreign service officer at US embassies.  “I was what’s called a criminal investigator. Sort of like an FBI agent-but for the Foreign aid program,” he tells me over zoom call from his house in Bethesda, Maryland. “And so we had to find out if people were trying to steal our money by bribing people to … Continue reading My Uncle’s Experiences as a Foreign Service Officer Overseas

Unknown's avatarRose CarlsonLeave a comment