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A Timeline of Challenges and Progress in Addressing HIV/AIDS
In the 1980s and 1990s, fear, paranoia, and confusion over the enigmatic and epidemic HIV virus marked American culture. HIV, which stands for human immunodeficiency virus, weakens the human immune system and can easily spread through bodily fluids. It is often transmitted through needles and unprotected sex. HIV is especially noteworthy and dangerous because it…
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Boundless Bodies: Toxic Chemicals in Everyday Places
A woman loses both her legs in the aftermath of tampon-induced Toxic Shock Syndrome. A child suffers brain damage years after innocently biting a lead-painted toy. A man spends nineteen days on a ventilator after waterproofing his boots. We hear these stories on the news, but quickly tune them out. Our apathetic attitudes seem rational.…
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Religious Minorities in Some of America’s Largest Cities
Despite the First Amendment’s role in the separation of church and state, the United States is far from a secular nation. God is invoked in our Pledge of Allegiance, dollar bills, and in nearly every inaugural address since James Monroe’s in 1817. Biblical references in these inaugural speeches, during elections, and following national tragedies suggest…
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Separation of Shul and State
It isn’t just antisemitism in France. It’s an anti-religious fervor sweeping the nation, causing people to tuck in their crosses, stars and crescent moons and save religious practice for the home. Sure, there are places of worship dotting the landscape — France is beloved for its astounding Catholic architectural works, historical masterpieces such as the…
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Religion – Are We Better With or Without?
When I saw that WUPR was looking for articles that tackle the theme of Religion, my mind immediately, and excitedly, raced back to December 2015 and a paper I wrote in high school titled, “Religion – Are We Better off With or Without It?” I had a Back to the Future moment, where I wanted…
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America, the Pendulum
During my sophomore year of high school, in a classroom just 13 minutes from the site of the October 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas, my speech and debate coach showed my class a video of a “duo interpretation.” A sharp departure from the humorous clips my coach typically opted for, the piece was a…
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Mapping Violent Crimes
One key element of the United States’ crime problem is that violence varies greatly between cities, states, and regions. While Chicago, for example, is infamous for its sheer number of murders, several smaller cities have higher crime rates. The map below serves to contextualize some of the nation’s violent crime. We have profiled the five…
