Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett a.k.a Superwoman

Far too often, women in science —  specifically women of color in science — are overlooked when it comes to their contributions and accomplishments. We owe a great deal to Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, one of the brilliant scientists behind the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. As an African-American woman, it is my feeling that Dr. Corbett does …

Saigon to Madison

By Gwen Liston It was about a week ago when I was trying my hardest to focus on my Zoom lecture about the chemical properties of air pollutants. Just when I started to drift off into aimless thought, my professor switched the slide to one with an infographic about the Air Quality Index. I chuckled …

The “model-minority” myth and violence against Asian Americans

By Yunjeong Lee TW: racial violenceHate crimes and discrimination against the Asian American community are not new. However, it’s been over a year since the emergence of COVID-19 and the attack on Asians and Asian Americans have continued and, in some places, dramatically increased. Ever since Donald Tr*mp distastefully and consistently referred to COVID-19 as …

Highlighting barrier breakers in Biden’s cabinet

By Alex Johnson-Fry Joe Biden is president, and with the Democrats winning both Georgia Senate seats, Biden has a slim majority on his side to confirm his many cabinet selections. Biden’s cabinet picks include a number of historic firsts with marginalized communities finally seeing representation at some of the highest levels of government. There is …

Madison is the 10th safest city to live in…?

By Eleni Sinnis Madison, Wisconsin exudes Midwestern charm and niceties. It is the capital of Wisconsin, home to the 43,000 graduate and undergraduate students of the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a central location for many businesses. A vibrant city with feelings of home and security are all emphasized in a U.S. News article which ranked …

Casey and Me

By Jocelyn Weiss Trigger Warning: Discussion of difficult mental health struggles and self-harm0 years oldWhen Casey was born, so was I. That is, his OCD: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I’ve always hated that name — my name. I think a simple name, like Suzanne or Patrick would suit me better, but that’s besides the point. The …

Dear Boys in Poli Sci

By Shreya Bandyopadhyay Dear boys in Poli Sci, As an Indian American woman, I could not imagine what you, politically-minded men, go through every day. Despite my lack of knowledge regarding your arduous lives, I will speak as if I do. I mean, you could never be as emotional or sensitive as us women, right? As you …

Mommy Says

By Jocelyn Weiss It’s my 7th birthday. Mommy told me that she has a really big surprise for me, but I don’t really like surprises. It’s okay, though, because maybe the surprise is a present, and I really like presents. It’s a special day, so Mommy wanted to dress me in my favorite outfit. Well, …

Should porn be canceled?

By Lauren Meyer Trigger Warning: sexual assault and traffickingPorn is widely pervasive and accepted — it has become part of our pop culture through literature, magazines, audio and online platforms. As we all know, pornography is readily accessible to anyone with access to the internet.Pornhub, owned by MindGeek, is one of the the most popular …

Mirror, mirror, on the wall

By Jocelyn Weiss What do you see when you look at your reflection? Perhaps, you see a friend, a writer, a comedian or a student. We all see someone. That’s what a reflection does — it shows us who we are. Yet, our sense-of-self often ignores the person we see in the mirror. Instead, it …