Imagine being subjected to pain without consent, and suffering for the sake of research that is of no benefit to you. This is the reality millions of animals endure each year when they are used as test subjects in cosmetic, medicine, scientific and other industries. Amongst the ongoing discourse around animal testing, which holds a variety of interesting viewpoints, a pressing question surfaces again and again: should it be banned? While some argue that it is essential for human progress, the ethical and scientific problems of animal testing cannot be ignored. Animal testing should be banned because it is cruel, causes unnecessary pain, produces unreliable results, and is economically inefficient—especially when there are effective alternative methods available.
Xinlan Hu
June 06, 2025
After the trailer for Twins Himahima, an anime project with AI involved in 95% of its production process, was released, the anime received massive attention along with criticism, claiming that the anime has low quality and its only intention was to make money. Soon to be released in April this year, Twins Himahima demonstrates how AI can be used in animation while also revealing many potential underlying issues (Otaku, 2024).
Yuxin Xiang
June 06, 2025
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
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