The People’s Republic of China (PRC), now viewed in the western world as an autocratic economic powerhouse, owes a large part of its reputation today to Deng Xiaoping (1904-1997), otherwise known as the “Architect of Modern China.” Entering the world stage as a PRC leader in 1978, Deng’s rise to power signaled a new change for China’s economic state. Throughout his career, Deng more than doubled China’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in his tenure, quickly rising from $149.54 billion in 1979 to $347.77 billion by 1989.1 As a result, China experienced an explosion in economic growth, living standards, and connection to the world economy.
Chun Hei Chan
April 18, 2025
As the saying goes, “History repeats itself." The meaning of this phrase becomes more relevant as the world progresses forward. When Elie Wiesel wrote his poignant memoir “Night”, he envisioned it would serve as a testament and a reminder for future generations about the Holocaust, in hopes that they will learn from his experiences. However, many horrifying events depicted in the memoir still reflect the violence of our modern world, illustrated by countless wars and conflicts. From the use of dehumanizing language, the mass murdering of innocent people, and the forced separation of family and communities, this essay explores how the current situation in Israel and Occupied Palestine is reminiscent of the Holocaust.
Melody Zhuang
December 09, 2024
As a country with the highest percentage of Hindus in the world, Nepal holds many religious practices that are of great importance to the nation and its people. One of them is revering the living goddess. Known as the Kumari, the living goddess of Nepal is a prepubescent girl who is worshiped as the living incarnation of the goddess Taleju. Kumari worship dates back to 877 on the Newari calendar (1757 AD) (Osborne). Numerous legends describe the origin of Kumari worship, but most of them have to do with a dice-game story between the Nepalese King and his protective goddess, Taleju Bhawani. The common story is that the king used to maintain a close connection with Taleju and play games of cards until the King developed lustful desires. The angry Taleju disappeared, leaving a message in the king’s dream that she would inhabit the body of a young pre-pubescent girl from the Shayka clan for the king and citizens to worship (Maharjan).
Zimo Lyu
November 19, 2024
As our technology continues to develop, the dissemination of information is getting increasingly faster, becoming an incredible and powerful force. As one of the most significant technological elements in the world, social media attracts most of our attention, and the information it distributes has a huge impact on societal wellbeing. However, recently, major social media platforms such as TikTok have started to ban sensitive content. To what extent is it reasonable to control the public on social media? Should Facebook, Google, and TikTok ban certain content, such as terrorist activities or "misinformation"? I believe that prohibiting certain topics such as “terrorist activities” or "misinformation" violates the freedom of speech because banning such content will stop social media from being an active and transparent space for expression. It also leaves no room for the public to debate and discern the validity of information, leaving such decisions to social media companies instead. Furthermore, when it comes to “sensitive content”, the definition is often unclear. In the following, I will argue that the ban is an infringement of the freedom of speech and has several negative consequences.
Wenjia Hu
October 08, 2024
When the protagonist of Dune, Paul Atreides, died in the Dune series, the memory of the sacred legend was buried in the desert sand for the rest of eternity (Herbert). Similarly, Melanie Wilkes’ life ended in Gone with the Wind when the blazing wind of Atlanta scorched the last petal of the chastest narcissus in the Southern US (Mitchell). Heathcliff’s death at the end of Wuthering Heights marked the fading of the most resilient and defiant heather in the wuthering mistral of Northeastern England (Bronte). Lastly,Leo Silvera died in the last chapter of Slayer, taking the night’s velvet secret away from the world permanently (White).
Buxuan Wang
October 08, 2024
In February 1917, Vladimir Lenin assumed power over Russia and sought to create the first socialist state formed by workers. While this may inspire some, to what extent can we regard the Russian communist experiment of the 20th century as a success story for social change? Most pertinently, did Stalin’s reign help the revolution achieve its original goals? This essay will analyze the social change in Russia from the creation of Lenin’s state in 1917 to the death of Stalin in 1953. Using a historical case study of the rise of Stalinism in the Soviet Union, I will argue that while the political and economic conditions matter for whether a movement for social change is successful or not, what is more important in predicting its success is the presence of a leader and their ability to implement a vision via effective means.
Anyi Li
September 28, 2024
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