The Politics of Fashion

Fashion. We all take part in it. Whether we're closely following fashion week in Paris or have Air Force 1s bookmarked on our browser, we all are consumers in an industry that rakes in over 2.8 trillion dollars globally every year. Yet, as we're scrolling through online retailers or thumbing through racks, we often don't … Continue reading The Politics of Fashion

Activist Art: Confronting Climate Change

While it may not always provide solutions to the world’s problems, art certainly offers valuable insight into some of our most deep-set anxieties. As devastating climate-related news has continued to occur (particularly throughout the last several years), it is only natural that a subset of contemporary art reflects our ecoanxiety: the intense worry that we … Continue reading Activist Art: Confronting Climate Change

Redefining “Normal” During and After the Coronavirus

(Graphic Courtesy of The New York Times) When thinking of American politics and society over the past couple years I think we can all agree there has been a trend of wanting to return to “normal”. From Donald Trump promising an idyllic vision of the past or Biden promising a return to Obama years it … Continue reading Redefining “Normal” During and After the Coronavirus

Fashion: More than just a statement?

In November 2019, Tan France, the fashion expert from Netflix’s beloved series Queer Eye, visited Vanderbilt University and shared how fashion has shaped his identity. As someone with minimal interest in the world of fashion, I was intrigued by France’s wholehearted emphasis on fashion’s ability to empower. Sure, we may all find ourselves feeling especially … Continue reading Fashion: More than just a statement?

A Modest Proposal for Babycakes

How would you solve world hunger? Jonathan Swift’s 1729 essay “A Modest Proposal” has an answer, but it might not be one you’d expect. In what is one of the most renowned and outrageous works of satire in the English-speaking world, Swift modestly proposes that for Irish babies to be “beneficial to the publick,” 20% … Continue reading A Modest Proposal for Babycakes

“Blackfish” and the Politics of American Consumerism

When the documentary “Blackfish” came out in 2013, SeaWorld was a well-known and beloved attraction visited by thousands of families each year. Kids eagerly begged their parents to take them to see the iconic orca show starring Shamu at one of SeaWorld’s 11 different locations. But during the year that the film aired, the stock … Continue reading “Blackfish” and the Politics of American Consumerism

The Language of Nature

What's the difference between a butterfly and a cage? What would happen if we referred to a tree as ki? Can you imagine calling squirrels (Vanderbilt’s largest population) kin? It might sound weird, but changing the way we speak—and think—about nature is what Robin Wall Kimmerer challenges us to do in her article “Speaking of … Continue reading The Language of Nature