Most memes happen by accident. An artist draws a cartoon, a reddit user will mess around with a stock photo, or someone will take a screenshot from a movie or TV show, and next thing anyone knows that image is everywhere. And then it will evolve, adopting new captions, new connotations, new users. Usually this […]

The fight for diversity in publishing is happening on social media. On April 24, 2014 Aisha Saeed one of the founders of We Need Diverse Books tweeted: No diverse authors at #BookCon None. Nada. Zilch. #nowords http://t.co/iGza0WYXHL … #weneeddiversebooks @BookRiot — Aisha Saeed (Amal Unbound Out May 8!) (@aishacs) April 24, 2014 The groundwork for […]

The only time I can ever imagine myself attending an AA meeting is when I’m close to bankrupt. I’m going to have to crawl out of my broken chair, make my way to the front of the vacant garage, stand in front of a podium that smells suspicious, and confess: Hi. My name is Sunmbul Ahmed […]

Today, I will be acting as sort-of an independent investigator into the matter of the recent accusations made against the President of the Student Association (SA), Japneet Singh. I have decided to look into this possible scandal because I realized that it has been looming over this year’s student elections (which were held a few […]

After 9/11, anti-Muslim hate groups emerged faster then I could say “freedom of religion!”. By 2010 anti-muslim legislation was making headlines in New York because people were opposing development of Islamic Centers in lower Manhattan. ACT for America, founded in in 2007 by Brigitte Gabriel is a US-based anti-Muslim advocacy group. It is one of […]

Jesus Christ Superstar, a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, that conflates the story of Jesus’s last days with modern celebrity culture. On April 1st, NBC broadcasted its acclaimed live concert performance of Jesus Christ Superstar. Despite some technical flubs, the production has been unanimously praised, overcoming the ambivalence that audiences usually have for […]

When the Black Panther movie was announced it sparked renewed interest in Afrofuturism. What is it? What are its characteristics? Is the Black Panther even a good example of Afrofuturism? Like all of the great debates of our time, the debate about Afrofuturism happened on social media: on the Elysian plane of reason and measured rhetoric that […]

As the US involvement in Afghanistan continues indefinitely, we must address why the war may never end. Unlike previous conflicts in Vietnam and Iraq, there is no popular movement against the Afghanistan war or other US interventions that comprise the “War on Terror.” That alone is reason enough for an administration to not order a […]

Wow, this sunset really helps me forget my fears about global warming and my crippling depression! On March 15th, Escape to Margaritaville, a jukebox musical based on the songs of Jimmy Buffett, opened on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre. Assuming you haven’t heard of it, I’ll save you some time: you don’t want to see it. […]

As someone who experienced sexual abuse at an early age, I can attest to this. I do not believe healing demands, or even finds relevant, the use of comparisons in relation to suffering. Everyone’s experience is their own. This said, I openly acknowledge that my childhood experiences are milder in comparison to the brutality, and […]