Art by Jessica RagsdaleThis piece is the counter to another Plastic Surgery piece, found here.By almost every measure, surgical body enhancement is a phenomenon steadily on the rise in the United States.There has been "a steady increase in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery procedures in the United States," according to, "Botox Injections Have Jumped 700% Since 2000," … [Read more...] about Avoid Unrealistic Expectations of Beauty
Isaac Randel
Lower the Smoking Age Again
Art by Peau PorotesanoThis is a part of a pro/con series. For the other side of the argument, click here.The legal age to purchase cigarettes was raised from 18 to 21 in the state of California since May 4, according to Patrick McGreevy's article, "California Smoking Age Raised," published May 4 by the Los Angeles Times. California is only one of two states to hold this … [Read more...] about Lower the Smoking Age Again
Campaign Funding Reveals Disconnect
Art by Peau PorotesanoSix years have passed since the Supreme Court ruled in favor of corporations' right to contribute to political campaigns in Citizens United v. FEC, and the influence of Big Business on politics has remained a point of controversy ever since. In the course of the 2016 presidential election, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has pledged to … [Read more...] about Campaign Funding Reveals Disconnect
Don’t Fear the Clowns
Graphic by Nate BartonA few weeks into the semester I overheard a conversation among my dormmates about the recent wave of "creepy clown" sightings which began this past summer. The details were somewhat exaggerated: The phrase "Clowns are murdering people left and right" was met with nods and shudders. While the facts may have been shuffled around, the general tone of the … [Read more...] about Don’t Fear the Clowns
The (Far) Lesser of Two Evils
Art by Peau PorotesanoWhile visiting Oslo this past summer, my family and I spent an afternoon in the Nobel Peace Center. The exhibitions told stories of human courage and nobility in the face of government oppression, from places like Tunisia, Saudi Arabia and China. We unanimously paid respect to these people and their acts of bravery, until we found among their pictures a … [Read more...] about The (Far) Lesser of Two Evils
