Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in The Swamp.
Knowledge: Is It Really Power?
Political cartoons are in and of themselves meant to comment through imagery and text on contemporary social issues, evoking a strong emotional opinion in the viewer. In one of Nick Anderson’s political cartoons, a small burqa-clad woman kneels on an open book three times as big as her with the word “Knowledge” inscribed on one of its pages. A large man wearing a hijab towers over her with the words “Boko Haram” written on his chest and he is about to crush the woman with a book captioned “Dogma.” The message conveyed by the cartoon is clear: the education of women in countries taken over by the terroristic Nigerian sect Boko Haram is forbidden by the male overlords who enforce Sharia, or Islamic, Law upon the people. To raise awareness in young men and women about how Boko Haram forbids the education of women, the cartoon uses specific design elements that are emotionally, yet logically, inducing.
By Sarah Bryan8 years ago in The Swamp
Trans-Panic Stirring over Public Restroom Usage
Dear Readers, I'm writing this to shed some light on a recent situation that has brought a great problem to light: Transphobia. But first, let's break it down for people who don't really know what a transgender person actually is because there seems to be a lot of people who assume that a trans-person is just "some pervert in a dress," and that's not the case.
By Prince Taburyk8 years ago in The Swamp
Why Won't He Leave Me Alone?
As I make my 40-minute drive home, I find myself not being able to ignore my wrist any longer. I’m not able to resist the constant vibrations even though I am almost home. I go ahead and scroll down on my Apple Watch to see what notifications I’ve received while I’ve been on the road. I find a few news headlines, a text message, and the tweet. I don’t know why I still subscribe to his tweets because most of the time they are always the same. I’ve discovered a pattern of how he tweets and whether it’ll be a rant of sorts. There is nothing more irritating than receiving three or four notifications from Twitter in a row. Especially in the morning when I wake up. The first thing I see is a string of four or five tweets. 6 AM is the perfect time to tweet a rant apparently. I wish he would just stop tweeting so I wouldn’t have to worry about him. It’s almost like a game because I never know what is going to happen next. Staying up to date is great, but sometimes I regret delving into the addictive world of the Apple Watch.
By Mallory Jones8 years ago in The Swamp
An Open Letter to the Guy Wearing a Second Amendment Shirt the Day After the Day After the Santa Fe Shooting:
Lebron James did it when he wore his "I Can't Breathe" shirt after the murder of Eric Garner. Lady Gaga did it when she sported a "Love Trumps Hate" shirt the day after the 2016 Presidential election. Even my high school did it by collectively wearing yoga pants the day after our school decided to ban them. Using clothing to make political and social statements is something becoming more and more common in this modern era. It's a more visually-impactful way of practicing freedom of speech, and it's awesome.
By Alexa Dickenson8 years ago in The Swamp
School Shootings, Gun Control, and the Media
I am sure by now we are all aware of the latest school shootings in Parkland and Santa Fe. These shootings are devastating tragedies that our entire nation mourns. Our country goes into a frenzy each time these horrific events happen. Immediately, there are news reports flooding social media and passionate debates on gun control laws among the people. One thing we can agree on, no matter what side of the debate you fall on, is that something must be done. What we cannot agree on, though, is what must be done.
By Elizabeth Horton8 years ago in The Swamp
When Fashion Makes a Statement... (And Why I Love It!)
In almost every facet of our pop culture today, blunt or not, you can find some sort of social commentary about what's going on in the world. Fashion is no different. Recently, the 13th annual "Fashion For Relief" charity show took place at the Cannes Film Festival. In honor of the show, I'd thought I reflect on some of my favorite moments in fashion that made powerful statements about the climate of today's culture on the runway.
By Saint Writes8 years ago in The Swamp
Why This English Girl Supports Repeal the 8th
Why Irish Abortion Laws matter to me As a fan of BBC’s Call the Midwife, I’ve seen the desperate lengths women resorted to in order to abort unwanted children: backstreet abortions, taking unprescribed drugs, and self-abortion that was too graphic to describe. Of course, this was reflecting the lives of women 50/60 years ago and to most of us, it seems unimaginable that scenes similar to those portrayed on TV in a 1950s based show can still occur today in the UK and neighboring countries. I am, of course, referring to Ireland, both North and Republic. For those who are unaware, abortion is currently illegal across Ireland, but this could change Friday 25 May when the public gets to vote on whether the laws should be overturned.
By Ellen Rose8 years ago in The Swamp
Review of 'The Americans' Penultimate
Well, the next-to-last episode of The Americans on FX last night was really something. Keri Russell has been outstanding throughout the six-season series, but she put on an off-the-chart performance as Elizabeth in episode 6.9.
By Paul Levinson8 years ago in The Swamp
1st Amendment Right to Free Speech No Longer Exists
On Wed, May 23rd, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced there was a meeting in Atlanta where NFL team owners met and agreed that players must stand for the national anthem, or they will be fined by the league, according to Jill Martin of CNN.
By Darryl C. Richie8 years ago in The Swamp
Marriage Should Be About Love, Not Gender
An issue that has been very popular recently is marriage equality, same sex marriage, or gay marriage. Whatever you call it, it’s basically a push to change the law so that two consenting adults can be joined legally in a union known as marriage. Many countries have already achieved marriage equality, the first ones including; the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada , Norway, Sweden, and Iceland . Some countries have recognised that everyone deserves the equal right to marriage regardless of gender.
By Emily Tarff8 years ago in The Swamp
The Politics of Food
In the United State, the so-called free country, the citizen would think they have free thought and can do whatever they want, but is the U.S citizen being told what to eat? Although the United States government knows the food they feed their citizen is unhealthy, they have not done anything to help the people get more healthy.
By Miguel Flores8 years ago in The Swamp
