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The Peril of Zero Tolerance Policies: Enabling Generational Cycles of Poverty and Detrimental Effects on the Lives of Marginalized Students

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By Amber Gordon The utilization of zero tolerance policies in schools across the United States informs a grave threat to the success and wellbeing of marginalized students. Overall, zero tolerance policies require the expulsion, suspension, or arrest of students for specific offenses and are disproportionately applied towards minority group students. For example, according to the Sentencing Project, black students are five times more likely to be incarcerated when compared to white students (Rovner, 2023). As a result, these disciplinary actions have led to the creation of the school-to-prison pipeline, which refers to the trend of students being expelled or removed from school and into juvenile detention centers or prison (ACLU, 2008).  Additionally, since the implementation of zero tolerance policies through the Gun Free Zones Act of 1990, students across the nation have been expelled and incarcerated, oftentimes for minor infractions, which should not warrant such severe punishment
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U.N. Sustainability Goals

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By Aubrie Thomas Climate change can be a scary thing, especially for our generation. We are inheriting the world, and it feels like there has already been irreparable damage done to it. With this in mind, my post will highlight the positive steps that have been taken to benefit our world. Such as the United Nations Seventeen Goals to sustain development. Not all of these goals directly relate to climate change, but I want to mention all of them because they are all incredibly admirable goals to work towards. Here are the Sustainable Development Goals: No Poverty Zero Hunger Good Health and Wellbeing Quality Education Gender Equality Clean Water and Sanitation Affordable and Clean Energy Decent Work and Economic Growth Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure Reduced Inequalities Sustainable Cities and Communities Responsible Consumption and Production Climate Action Life Below Water Life on Land Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions Partnerships for the Goals All members of the Unite
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The "Neutrality" of Technology

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By Liam Sadlier In my engineering ethics class, we often discuss the role of technology in our lives and the ethical implications of the technology we use. Recently, our class had a discussion on the neutrality of technology. The prompt that sparked our conversation was, “Are technological artifacts morally neutral?” While this might not immediately seem to be an important conversation, it is important to remember how influential technology is in our everyday lives. Assuring that we properly analyze the development of technology could prevent dangerous mistakes as technology continues to become more powerful. To dive deeper into this discussion, let’s first define some terms. Technological artifacts are “material objects made by human agents as means to achieve practical ends” (oreilly.com, 2024). Technology is “the practical application of knowledge especially in a particular area” (merriam-webster.com, 2024). For example, a scalpel or an X-ray machine would be some technological arti
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America's Complicity

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By Avery Heverly   America is complicit in genocide, and it is time we stop tiptoeing around it. For the sake of humanity, a ceasefire must be enacted. Immediately. I am tired of the retaliatory, “an eye for an eye” rhetoric that has been spewed regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and I am enraged at the lack of compassion for human life. I understand that it is a privilege to be “tired” of this anti-humanitarian rhetoric. I understand that it is a privilege to be “enraged” at the complicity of the United States. This is the lived experience of Israeli, Palestinian, Jewish, and Muslim people, and my tiredness and enrage are minuscule in comparison. I understand that. I also understand that there is no way for me to fully comprehend the complex history that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict holds, which, again, is a privilege. I acknowledge the privilege that I have in writing this post. My hope is that my freedom to be able to share this collective call for a ceasefire can aid i
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The Greatest Man in the Room: Reflections on Robert Caro's "Master of the Senate"

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By Baybars Charkas “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.”  - Proverbs 26:4-5 (KJV)  I remember first hearing of Robert Caro’s sprawling four-volume series The Years of Lyndon Johnson over half a decade ago, when a teacher held up one of the books as an example of a tome that might kill a man if you plopped it onto his head. At 3,378 pages and over 1,900,000 words, the four volumes together are nearly twice as long as Edward Gibbon’s monumental Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire –and there is a fifth and final instalment of the series on the way. Not a little intimidated by their length, I put off reading the books until, last December, I was looking forward to an uneventful winter break and decided there would be no better time to have a go at it. I went off to Pattee Library and pulled the third volume, The Master of the Senate , off the shelf.  I chose to start in media
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A Review of PSU's School of Theatre's Production of Urinetown

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By Jack Briggs Urinetown is one of the those shows that slid under the radar when it got to Broadway. Even with its three Tony wins for best direction, choreography, and orchestration, the hit comedic satire opened on September 21st, 2001, a little over a week after the attacks of 9/11, which explains some of the distraction. Despite this, it's still being performed around the world today. When the PSU School of Theatre put on this satirical comedy, they really were able to put something together that not only honors the original text, but also allows a reflection on how our world has come closer to Urinetown, the place, and farther from Urinetown, the musical. Directed by the School of Theatre's Professor of Practice, David Kersner, Urinetown covers what happens when corporate greed gets in charge of public need. The world of Urinetown is one that is suffering from a lethal drought. It has shaken the Earth and has forced high regulations on water, which affects many things, s
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The Age Old Question: to Limit or Not to Limit Terms in Congress?

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By JT Thomas There’s an (ironically) old saying in the English language that I rather like: “out with the old, in with the new.”  Essentially, it means that one should keep moving forward in life, whether that be in gaining new skills, gaining new perspectives, or by realizing that, at a certain point, it’s time to move over so that the next generation can take over. It’s this last part that seems to have the U.S. federal government in a bind; over the past year or so, we’ve seen multiple episodes in which some of our longest-serving government officials have shown the effects of their age. From Senator Mitch McConnell (currently aged 81) freezing in press conferences in July and August, to Senator Dianne Feinstein (age 90 at the time of her death) missing 93 total votes due to her medical absence from the Senate floor between the months of February and May of last year, we’ve seen firsthand the difficulties that are inherent to governing at an advanced age. This issue isn’t limited
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