Volume 2021 (2021)

Issue Summary

The student essays featured in this second pandemic-era issue include Jake Antinelli’s “The First Step Towards Change is Knowledge,” wherein the author expresses hope that young people can be the catalysts for positive social change by expanding their knowledge and empathy through reading Young Adult Literature. In a paper about the dangers of mindless consumption of social media, Jessica D’Amico asserts that online disinformation threatens our very civilization by perpetuating conspiracy theories. In her essay, “Dark Is Not Fair,” Rachael Chukwu delves into Toni Morrison’s novel, The Bluest Eye, to explore dehumanizing and ingrained social attitudes that perpetuate a view of dark skinned Black women as lesser which results in negative consequences for their mental health. Justin Gabriel further investigates the modern oppressive forces of racism that are often more concealed than overt in the United States. In her paper, author Cora Hawn shifts the focus to Europe and asserts the emerging power of Irish mothers over the traditional patriarchy. Finally, Matt Krusenstjerna offers one practical solution that helps combat the worldwide issue of global warming: drive an electric vehicle.