Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in The Swamp.
Where Have All the Birds Gone?
A few days ago, I went to the outskirts of Dhaka for birdwatching. Accompanied by a friend and two DSLR cameras, I thought it would be a day full of birds and nature - joy and happiness.
S M Mamunur RahmanPublished 4 years ago in The SwampOpEd: Universities Provoking Racism?
In 2017, Michael Rubin, resident scholar of American Enterprise Institute, wrote an article titled "Are universities driving racism?". The entire tone of the article was condescending and the article lacked a poignant theme. I think Rubin misses a bigger point than he is trying to make about universities driving racism.
Lyssa WyldePublished 4 years ago in The SwampPet Peeves About COVID-19
2020 has been a difficult year for everyone. The one headline that has been dominating news stations and the airwaves this year is the coronavirus pandemic. You can’t go one day or one minute without hearing about it. Honestly, there’s way too much coverage about COVID-19. I understand that it’s an important story and to keep people informed about it. However, it’s not necessary to report about it 24/7 and trying to scare us. That’s why many people have been panic buying and the media keeps instilling fear towards us. It can also make some feel anxious, especially to those who have mental illnesses. Are there even any positive stories in the news to report these days? Here are my least favorite terms and phrases that have been repeatedly said during the pandemic. Don’t get me wrong. This virus is real and has claimed the lives of thousands of people in the U.S. I’m in no way downplaying the severity of it. These are the terms that I dislike the most and not in any specific order.
Mark Wesley PritchardPublished 4 years ago in The SwampLeaderless
Social movements contradict the path-goal theory that was initially proposed by (Evans 1970) and developed by (House 1971). Path goal theory states that leaders change their leadership style or behavior to match the specific employee's needs and organizational environment to create a path for success and improve and motivate them to do better. The path-goal theory explains that people will have a specific behavior in any situation with a specific outcome, and it depends on the desire or wanted outcome. (House, R. J., & Mitchell, T. R. (1975).
Katey RyersonPublished 4 years ago in The SwampYour Suburb has a Racist History
Coming out of the Second World War and the Zoot Suit Riots, whites in Southern California decided they were not going to share space with minorities anymore. Mexicans, Latinos, and Los Angeles’ new black population were all excluded from the visions of suburbia planned in the postwar period. Still the minorities exist in Southern California, so whites sought to find the space for their homogeneity that had declined during the prewar period and defend it with laws, distance, physical barriers, and culture.
Gus KriderPublished 4 years ago in The SwampWhat is happening right now?
What are with these tears? Just coming into existance and rolling down my face. What is this ringing in my head? Up and down the frequency goes. One ear, two ears... it depends on the frequency of the moment.
Lee NaylorPublished 4 years ago in The SwampAmerican Taxes are built for cheating
The American tax system, or more specifically the United States Federal Income tax is not democratic enough. It doesn’t create an equal playing field for all Americans. By nature it is convoluted, and headed by a bureaucracy that does not hold people accountable for avoiding or cheating their taxes sufficiently. A system based in more direct democratic ideals would streamline the tax system and make it more egalitarian.
Gus KriderPublished 4 years ago in The SwampWhen We Became the News...
So there are a number of things we need to unpack here. The first thing is what the hell I’m talking about, the second thing is the way in which I have seen this happen online with not only no backlash but with many people agreeing even without reading the article at hand. And the last thing is how I feel about the situation and how it creates even more of a division. Now let’s have a look at what I’m talking about.
Annie KapurPublished 4 years ago in The SwampAuthor Discusses African American Cemeteries in Westchester
Photo by Patrick Feller You cannot travel very far in Westchester without coming across a burial site that dates back well beyond our current century. Each stone containing a hidden history, author Patrick Raftery of the Westchester Historical Society has written three volumes on the subject. “I think through burial practices, you learn a lot about people and the situations they faced,” said the author of The Cemeteries of Westchester County.
Rich MonettiPublished 4 years ago in The SwampThe President. She’s on TV.
TV mirrors life, except in America where life mirrors tv. From shows like VEEP to the House of Cards women have better luck getting power in the White House in fiction, rather than reality. Thankful VP Harris will be able to break the mold of unfair treatment Hollywood has give the female executive. This paper written by me in December of 2017 may offer some clues as to how female power will be read by the media through the next administration.
Gus KriderPublished 4 years ago in The SwampDr Martin Luther King Jr. Reflection:
I’ll be honest; I’ve been thinking about what to write for weeks; months even. As soon as the conception of ‘Philosofemme’ came to life and the blog was confirmed – I was thinking. I knew for certain that I wanted to write something poignant about Martin Luther King Jr. and his non-violent philosophy – which is not often considered as part of philosophy, but as political theory. We know him as an activist, but I was interested in his ideology behind his politics. However, I was aware this would be difficult. I wasn’t wrong – it’s been very difficult. How can you write anything new and insightful about the most documented civil rights activist in history? The man is on - a rightfully gained - pedestal; he is the king of love. Despite how loved he is, he is also a man who was murdered in a hate-filled vitriol for fighting for basic human rights for African Americans. This dichotomy and the magnitude of his influence means I feel the pressure writing about him. Especially in the tumultuous civil rights battle that is unfolding across the world - America particularly - around the subject of police brutality towards the Black community. Black Lives Matter campaigners are being silenced, harmed and arrested.
Philosofemme.Published 4 years ago in The SwampThe Trump Presidency and Rhetoric
This piece was written and graded as part of my time in college earning a BA in Political Science. To a student looking for research, or just a curious person; if any part of my paper interest you I suggest you follow your research through to my cited sources. The sources are much more knowledgeable than I. This essay was turned in under the title 'Hyper-Presidentialist rhetoric and the fragility of the American Status Quo' by me in November of 2019.
Gus KriderPublished 4 years ago in The Swamp