Column

Universities and prospective students alike must prepare for an uncertain future If you’re a UC Davis student, odds are you’re reading this at home. The current COVID-19 crisis has led to the cancellation of in-person lectures across the nation. From Berkeley to Ann Arbor to Ithaca, university campuses and the college towns dependent on them […]

Despite being Russia’s capital city, Moscow’s underground liberalism misaligns with country’s political ideologies To President Vladimir Putin, the “liberal idea” is now obsolete. Coming from the president of Russia, this statement doesn’t surprise me. While liberalism refers to many things, including economic, political and social liberalism, Putin seems to be most concerned with the latter. […]

I’m talking to you, Drake.  TikTok has become an unfortunate constant in my life.  In the time of coronavirus, I find that my lectures are punctuated by a scroll through the hilarious video-sharing app as a sort of cleanser.  TikTok is an important tool in music because its trends, like dances and lip syncs, are […]

With all this free time, be mindful of your social media use  With more time on our hands than ever before, checking social media has never been easier or more appealing. We now find ourselves spending many hours scrolling (possibly stalking) on Instagram or watching thousands of videos trying to learn the newest TikTok dance. […]

The ugliness of fast fashion is no secret, but where does that leave consumers? Americans have a shopping problem, and it’s easy to see why consumerism has skyrocketed. Major retailers are now mass producing fashionable and trendy clothes so fast that consumers are overwhelmed with a plethora of options. But as many know, fast fashion […]

The battle to mobilize voters this November is already on With all the uncertainty regarding the 2020 presidential election, there is one surefire guarantee: The outcome will depend on how well either side can mobilize non-voters. America’s hyperpolarization has effectively limited the number of persuadable voters over the last several election cycles. To put it […]

Billie Eilish’s success is a combination of hard work, privilege Thank you, Billie Eilish, for making me feel that I have nothing to show for in my life. At 18, she won five Grammys and made herself one of the most magnetic figures in the music industry. At 18, I spent my senior year making […]

The nation’s past issues with transparency may come back to haunt the government during the pandemic “Under control” are the two words President Vladmir Putin used to describe Russia’s current management of COVID-19. And up until recently, the numbers reported seemed to be saying that too.  Despite Russia’s large population and close border with China, […]

Through a deliberate decades-long campaign of ethnic cleansing, Turkey eradicated its minority communities and denied their history. Now it’s time to speak up. Deep in the heart of the Syrian desert, some 280 miles east of Damascus, lie the ruins of the Armenian Genocide Martyrs’ Memorial. Constructed in 1990, the memorial long served as a […]

Although unprecedented, we can still take advantage of this free time Simple pleasantries such as small talk with a coworker, catching up with a friend over coffee or even hugging your loved one have become rare and almost entirely forbidden. As the number of COVID-19 cases rise, the importance of social distancing has become more […]

Fashion is not just an outward display of culture, but a way to connect to it   Wedding season is generally a happy time for all, but it’s especially meaningful for Punjabis. It’s a chance to finally see family from various continents who we haven’t seen in years, party for a straight week and, of course, […]

What Russia’s early obsession with fast food implies Just two years before the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, over 30,000 customers flocked to the opening of the very first McDonald’s in Moscow. They formed a line that snaked around several blocks and waited more than eight hours. With an average salary of 150 […]