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(03/07/21 3:10am)
As I watched the trailer for Sia’s recent controversial film, “Music,” my heart started racing. The film attempts to portray a non-speaking Autistic girl — played by a non-Autistic actress — and her caregivers. However, all I could see was mockery — from the exaggerated bodily movements of the protagonist, to the overwhelmingly bright lights and flashing colors, to her caregiver’s use of the prone restraint. I felt the kind of shame I experienced as a child, when classmates would mock my flapping hands and unusual speech — someone was mocking me and people like me again. While “Music” has received widespread criticism from Autistic people and film reviewers alike, it is still the symptom of a troubling cultural trend. This trend, led by neurotypical-run groups like Autism Speaks, portrays Autistic people as pitiable burdens, who need a cure above all — rather than the acceptance and accommodation Autistic people have advocated for over decades.
(02/18/21 4:31am)
The left has a free-speech problem. As Bryce Wyles’ recent column indicates, there is an increasingly common willingness to strip basic civil liberties in the name of social justice, as well as a troubling lack of understanding of the First Amendment, what it exists to protect and the inherent societal value of free speech. There is deep irony to Wyles’ statement that “people will often assume their freedom of speech means they can deny others’ right to speech … that is simply unconstitutional.” This statement is nonsensical — not only because nowhere on the list of non-first amendment protected speech is anything resembling silencing others, but also because the hateful speech Wyles describes does nothing to prevent anyone from speaking out against it. Most of all, Wyles’ article shows a disturbing disregard for freedom of speech. It indicates a belief that only those who wish to express reasonable — or even only progressive — speech deserve free expression.
(02/01/21 11:56pm)
As the new semester begins, many students return to grounds with the hope of a new start — a new year, new classes and the chance for growth and change that goes with them. However, this year, consider using this opportunity to eat less meat. There are many reasons to eat fewer meat and dairy products, but the staggering impact of the livestock industry — both on our climate and in animal welfare —are compelling places to start.
(11/18/20 8:15pm)
As the holidays approach, the typical jokes about family political fights will no doubt abound — especially with a contentious presidential election marred by conspiracy theories, misinformation and threats of violence. While Biden’s win signals a return to basic decency at the presidential level, the nation remains very much divided. Worse, misinformation on the legitimacy of the election is spreading rapidly, further driving conspiratorial thinking and other alt-right messages to the fore of current political discourse. Thus, behind the jokes and the family feuds which inspire them are very real consequences for millions of people in the United States — something the recent election made incredibly clear. As such, this holiday season, white progressives need to remain consistent with their supposed commitment to social justice — they need to stand up to their racist loved ones.
(10/29/20 7:28pm)
As the presidential election grows nearer, an increasingly powerful group of pro-life single-issue voters face the possibility of supporting a candidate who openly violates many basic ethical standards — avoiding taxes, bungling a pandemic, openly cheating on his spouse, among others. For many pro-life voters, President Donald Trump’s adamantly anti-abortion stance outweighs his other polices and makes him the obvious choice when compared to pro-choice Joe Biden. However, when examining the two candidates’ policies, one conclusion becomes clear. For pro-life single-issue voters, voting Democrat is the obvious choice to limiting abortions. Democratic policies not only prevent unplanned pregnancies, but also make carrying such a pregnancy to term financially feasible.
(10/03/20 4:01am)
In light of the coronavirus pandemic, the University recently announced that it will not require standardized test scores for students applying for the 2020-2021 application cycle. Not only does this choice undoubtedly ease concerns for students unable to access testing due to physical or financial constraints, but it also provides an important opportunity to show the viability of a vital next step — going test-optional permanently. There is ample evidence that standardized tests are not particularly helpful in predicting college success compared to other factors, and their continued use in college admissions only works to perpetuate cycles of inequality that keep low-income students from accessing “elite” institutions of higher education. With this in mind, the University should permanently remove standardized test requirements and even consider abandoning the use of test scores entirely.
(10/01/20 6:33pm)
Recently, controversy emerged over a sign on one Lawn resident’s door criticizing the University. Calls for the sign’s removal due to its criticism of the University, as well as an instance of profanity on it abounded online, but the University announced they would not remove the sign or punish the student in question. This important commitment to students’ first amendment rights sets a clear precedent for protection of future student speech. Still, the University must continue to protect all forms of first amendment-protected student speech, even when that speech is considered objectively offensive and harmful by the student body.
(07/25/20 4:13pm)
In the past few months, debates about the honor system have echoed across the University community. From rent payments to Title IX-related offenses, the honor system has continued to change its role and scope in University life. However, many of these conversations fail to discuss the core problem with the honor system — single sanction.
(05/03/20 7:04pm)
As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the nation, it has also created further barriers in accessing safe medical abortion in many U.S. states. Abortion is one of the most contentious subjects in current American discourse, and in recent decades, debate over this issue has become incredibly unproductive. Advocates on both sides have become increasingly unlikely to interact with and refute opposing arguments.
(04/14/20 5:31pm)
As the COVID-19 pandemic has closed schools across the world, many parents are attempting to help their children learn at home for the first time. However, around three percent of families in the United States are continuing as usual, having already elected to homeschool their children. Homeschooling is an important option for many families — it gives parents flexibility to tailor curriculum around their child’s needs and interests and can offer opportunities for advanced study or a more stable learning environment for children with certain disabilities. However, just because homeschooling can be good for some children, that does not mean it should go unregulated. Without proper oversight, homeschooled children can be denied an adequate education and left unequipped for employment or higher education.
(03/30/20 3:02am)
The world has changed forever. The ways in which we once lived our lives have been permanently impacted by COVID-19’s spread. The educational, economic and healthcare patterns that dominate so many American lives now suffer instability with the rise of this disease. However, one of the most disorienting things about this change is its current subtlety for most Americans. While the fiber of everything we know implodes, everyday life seems eerily the same. The sun rises. I wake up the person I was the night before. I eat and work and function like myself. For now, the dramatic changes facing humanity rest in the background of my consciousness. I do not yet know anyone with the virus — but I know that will not be the case for long.
(03/04/20 7:25pm)
When Lime announced this past December that it would no longer operate in Charlottesville, I was relieved. As a cyclist around Grounds, I have noticed an increasing number of students riding electric scooters dangerously, both for themselves and other individuals on the roads. Unfortunately, the removal of one electric scooter company did not cause the downfall of the e-scooter presence at the University. E-scooters remain an increasingly common sight around Grounds, ultimately to students’ detriment. As convenient and exciting as renting an e-scooter may be, they are fundamentally a danger both to their users and pedestrians — the city of Charlottesville should seek to ban them.
(02/18/20 9:37pm)
Debate around Confederate and white supremacist imagery has been renewed in Charlottesville with the recent activist removal of a slave auction plaque in Court Square. Like many other southern cities, Charlottesville’s past is inextricably tied to slavery — and glorification of that past has increasingly come under scrutiny. However, while momentum in opposition to white supremacist symbolism is growing, one form of such imagery has gone largely unchallenged — the Southern belle.