The Scarlet - September 29, 2017

Goddard Holds Annual Book Sale

The Scarlet

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF CLARK UNIVERSITY SEPTEMBER 29, 2017 | THESCARLET.ORG

Cameron Mitchell (‘18) pushes to the finish at the Worcester City Championships. Photo by Emily Monahan Morang.

COUGARS BEAT THE

HEAT

Clark runners overcome late summer heat on the course to record finishes

By Sara Conroy Contributing Reporter Saturday, September 23, at Moore State Park, runners from a number of local colleges lined up to run for bragging rights as the fastest team in Worcester. The Worcester City Championships is the Cougars only home meet and the big highlight race for Clark. In case you couldn’t make it out to see the action at Moore State Park last Saturday, we have summed up some of the highlights here.

Race day weather was particularly hot, reaching temperatures of around 81 degrees Fahrenheit. For runners, that is an unexpected condition to face so late in September.

Some racers noted it as a particularly tough obstacle to face. Our own

Cougars had a phenomenal day, despite the scorching heat, and posted second and fifth place finishes for the women’s and men’s teams, respectively.

Clark has competed in only one meet prior to the Worcester City Championships, and the teams are both looking forward to the rest of the season, with their next meet taking place at Keene State’s Campus.

No matter the results of this past meet, our fellow Cougars will face some tough courses ahead. Women’s captain, Maddy Doyle noted that, “the season is looking to be really good and we have an amazing team on both sides.”

cross country pg. 5

Alex Hull (‘18) toughs out a hill. Photo by Emily Monahan Morang

By Daniel Juarez General Manger On Thursday and Friday, the Friends of the Goddard Library hosted Clark’s 40th annual book sale, with over 7,000 used books offered on the tables and racks on the ground floor of the Goddard Library. With a variety of paperbacks for 50¢ and hardcovers for $1 to choose from, the book sale stretched from 8 a.m. Thursday until 3:30 p.m. Friday. Clark faculty, book dealers, people from the Worcester community, and Clark students ravenously sifted and picked for the best deals wherever they could. While some might not be that amazed by the fact that it is the 40th book sale in the library’s long history, many will be amazed to discover that the number has great significance in addition to its value.

Started in 1978 by the Friends of Robert Hutchings Goddard Library, the book sale got its start with generous book donations that the library would receive periodically. The donations were not just from the Worcester community, but extended to the Clark students who no longer needed the textbooks and novels required of them, Clark staff looking to retire and clean out their offices, and associates of the above mentioned who simply had some books to spare.

Since one of the purposes of the Friends of the Goddard Library is to provide and attract new financial support to the library, the book sale has come and gone annually ever since.

Each donation is examined and while some editions are added to the library for student use, most of them are set up and organized days before the sale with the help of volunteers. As the sale depends entirely on these types of donations, it would pose trouble to the library if donations stopped flowing in. Luckily, however, the library has never lacked for donations – just last year, over 12,000 books were donated, and over two-thirds of

book sale pg. 3

2 | news

The Scarlet THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF CLARK UNIVERSITY

EDITORS Editor-in-Chief: Jessica Macey Managing Editor: Alika Gillard News Editor: Giulia Elena Casella Opinions Editor: Elyse Wyatt Living Arts Editor: Katherine Hamilton Layout Editor: Ryan King Photo Editor: Amanda Quiñones General Manager and Fact Checker: Daniel Juarez

SCARLET STAFF Julia Baldacci Steven Castiglione Max Elias Sheila Ford Eric Keller Simone McGuinness Kayleigh McHugh Andrew Rose Anna Schaeffer

LAYOUT & WEB STAFF Madison Jones

PHOTO STAFF Rodney Cargill Krithi Vachaspati Emily Monahan Morang

CONTACT Website: thescarlet.org Email: scarlet@clarku.edu Facebook: The.Clark.Scarlet Twitter: @Clark_Scarlet Instagram: clarkscarlet

The Scarlet

sep. 29, 2017

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The Scarlet

sep. 29, 2017

Why Do Feminists Care About Donald Trump?

Dr. Cynthia Enloe discusses gender equality in the “Age of Trumpism” at Clark

By Brett Iarrobino Contributing Reporter The feminist movement in the United States currently finds itself locked in a stasis of resistance and repudiation to Trump and his administration. What is often overlooked, however, is how the rest of the world’s women find themselves trapped in the web of misogyny and gender inequality the United States government weaves. The seemingly endless stream of sexist executive orders and public statements that flows from the White House threatens to drown not just American women, but women under every flag.

“Suffrage is never small. Don’t ever think advocates of suffrage were ever advocating for their individual rights...they were advocating to be treated autonomously in a public space,” explained Professor Cynthia Enloe, at her lecture on Thursday, Sept. 21.

Graduate of University of California Berkeley, winner of the 2008 Susan B. Northcutt Award by the Women’s Caucus, and author of dozens of publications, Enloe was more than qualified to hold a seminar discussing the relationship global feminism has with an era dominated by the actions of the 45th President of the United States -- “The Age of Trumpism,” as she likes to refer to it.

At the center of her lecture was the constant reminder that while the agendas of sexism and misogyny are apt to flourish under the country’s current leaders, one should never think for a moment that sexism and misogyny originally stem from them.

Enloe’s prime example of the gender inequality that permeates global politics and predates the era of Trumpism is the Mexico City Policy, a piece of legislation whose roots can be traced back to the Reagan Administration, which is infamously known as the “Global Gag Rule.”. Acting as an obstruction to US federal agencies, the executive order prohibits the federal funding

Cynthia Enloe speaks at Clark last Thursday. Photo by Krithi Vachaspati.

of public and private institutions known for performing or supporting abortion, and its existence has batted back and forth much like a ping-pong ball since its conception - it was first signed into law by Ronald Reagan, then unsigned by Bill Clinton, signed again by George W. Bush, unsigned by Barack Obama, and reinstated once more by Donald Trump.

With this legislation in place, no aid may be given to any organization supporting or performing abortion abroad, or receiving aid from an organization that meets these criteria.

“You’re a health clinic in Senegal, you’ve been careful not to perform abortions and not even to mention abortion as a possibility for a women to decide amongst the options she has for her own reproductive health,” Enloe explained in a hypothetical to express the sprawling implications of the bill. “But now under the Trump Administra-

tion, because a Dutch donor includes abortion medical procedure training and includes it as an option a woman can voluntarily choose...because you take money from that Dutch donor, you are exiled from the American funds you depend on.”

As a result, Trump’s actions not only affect the basic equal rights of American women, but also those of women around the world.

Enloe did not shy away from covering the implications Trump maintains on the subject. It is not just his actions and policies that impact women abroad, but also his rhetoric.

In a recent address to the United Nations (UN), Trump’s incendiary and disparaging comments on North Korea captivated media attention, and drew the spotlight away from equally frightening and threatening language promoting sovereignty. Reiterating promises he made on the 2016 election campaign trail to “put America first,” Trump echoed the

sentiments of what it means to declare one’s country a sovereign nation, to disregard the potential ramifications a state may leave upon another when it ceases to include their neighbors or allies in powerful and important decisions. It’s an ideology that plunged the globe into World War II, and the UN has always been seen as an antidote to this dangerous and disproportionate manner of governing. Now, it’s the ideology the leader of the free world seems most interested in pursuing.

For Enloe, Trump’s declaration for support of sovereignty, and his encouragement for other nations to adopt the concept, is a sign that the relationship between feminists and women internationally is about to be horribly disrupted. She pointed to the feminist-grounded foreign policy set forth by Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, who pledged to support women’s rights for countries in close relation to Sweden, and promised gender equality development in the drafting of international development plans. These policies and procedures could serve as an inspiration to other countries in their foreign endeavors, but are impossible to achieve when a nation refuses to be considerate of others, and instead opts to focus solely on bettering themselves and themselves alone.

For Enloe, the question is not why feminists care about Trump - it is how can feminists set aside differences of nationality and background and unite under the common goal of pursuing gender equality for women that live under every flag. She cited the 1995 UN Conference on Wom-

en in Beijing, in which women of all walks of life stood together in support of a common goal, as a testament to the power the women of the world holds when they stand united. It’s where Hillary Clinton delivered the statement, “women’s rights are human rights, and human rights are women’s rights,” now a proclamation printed on shirts and bumper stickers, and a summation of the ultimate end goal of the movement of feminism.

Enloe acknowledged that the era of Trumpism can be discouraging, at times frightening, and a disheartening example of the regression we some believe we are to be undergoing in the realm of gender equality and women’s rights. She insisted that so long as we continue to stay conscious of the ways the world is changing, and we keep and remain determined to fight misogynistic and sexist actions and rhetoric, we will survive this difficult period. In the words of Enloe herself, “this is a dark time. This is a scary time. But this is a time for some very big thinking.”

book sale continued from pg. 1

ery year.

Next year will mark the 40th anniversary of the first book sale, and with donations continuing to flow in, one can only wait and see the wide range of books that will certainly draw visitors in, even in an age where books have – supposedly – been traded for laptops and iPhones.

those were sold in two days. The profits garnered from the sale go towards expanding the library’s current collection, from books to research databases and article catalogs that students use ev-

4 | news

The Scarlet

sep. 29, 2017

Clarkie of the Week Scarlet: I hear that you’re a member of quite a few clubs.

Leta: I’m a member of Hip Hop Collabo, which is Clark’s audition-based hip hop team, and every semester we put on a show. I’ve been on that since freshman year, and it’s a great team to be on - a great family. I’m also a member of Clark’s All Kinds of Girls, which is a woman-run mentoring program for girls.

Scarlet: That’s quite a bit right there. Are you the sort of person who likes to keep yourself busy?

Leta: Yeah, I like to interact with people, so they’re both nice things to do with my time.

Photo by Krithi Vachaspati

Leta Branham Leta Barnham (‘18) is an international development and social change major from Dallas, Texas. She sat down with The Scarlet to talk about the clubs she’s involved in, her study-abroad experience in Senegal, and sweet potatoes.

Scarlet: Where are you from?

Leta: I’m originally from Dallas, Texas.

Scarlet: How’d you wind up here at Clark?

Leta: I knew that I didn’t want to go to school in Texas, and I liked the idea of a small liberal arts school in New England.

Scarlet: How do you like Worcester?

Leta: I really like Worcester. I think it has a lot of character.

It’s fun to explore, and it has a lot of history. My freshman year was my first real winter, so that was rough, but otherwise I really like it.

Scarlet: What’s your major?

Leta: I’m an international development and social change major. I went to an international school growing up, and have always been interested in the way that people interact with one another.

Scarlet: There you go - good stuff. I heard you spent a semester abroad in Senegal. How was that?

Leta: Senegal was amazing. I don’t even have the words to describe it. I took classes with the other American students. I mostly took development classes, and then took French and Wolof.

by Andrew Rose

Scarlet: Oh my god - perfect.

Leta: My spirit vegetable is a sweet potato, and it’s mostly because of a funny story from my childhood, but I feel it embodies who I am. The story is: growing up, I hated sweet potatoes, and the only reason I hated them was because I thought that they were just a way of preparing potatoes. It wasn’t until way too recently for it to be acceptable that I found out that it was its own vegetable. I don’t really know how that embodies me other than being a little ditzy (laughs).

Scarlet: If you could live in a TV show, which one would it be?

Leta: I’d love to be a zombie on The Walking Dead.

Scarlet: That would be a novel experience. If you had a time machine, what would you do with it?

Leta: I would like to go back and watch the big moments in my own life - not intervene, but just watch and make sure that they’re concretized in my memory.

Scarlet: I’m assuming you’re a native English speaker?

Leta: Yes, but I’m fluent in French as well. Actually, traveling to Senegal having already spoken French gave me the room to really focus on learning Wolof. It made me feel so much more connected to my host family and to my Senegalese friends. I think that learning the local language is so much more important than the colonizer’s standard language, just in terms of connecting with the community.

Scarlet: Last but not least, do you have a favorite breakfast food?

Leta: Potatoes.

Scarlet: You were a PA as well?

Leta: I was a PA for two years. It’s a great experience.

Looking back, I see how much I evolved as a leader and as a member of the Clark community. I’ve made some of the best friends I’ve ever had from being a PA. It holds a very special place in my heart.

Thanks for the interview, Leta!

Scarlet: Any special way in which those potatoes are prepared?

Leta: I’m a big fan of Annie’s home fries - any kind of diner food.

Scarlet: You’ve done quite a bit since you got here. Anything left on the list of things to do before you graduate?

Leta: I keep telling my friends we need to start a Clark bucket list for before we graduate. I feel like I need to participate in some more of the big Clark traditions. I’ve never done Gala, so that’s my big thing for this year.

Scarlet: Now we’re going to do some “getting to know you”-type questions. You’ve probably heard people talk about spirit animals. Have you thought about what your spirit vegetable is?

Leta: Yes.

Email scarlet@clarku.edu if you have a suggestion for Clarkie of the Week!

sep. 29, 2017

sports | 5

The Scarlet

Athletic Department Makes Changes With New Sports Information Director Lauren Neilan looking to expand Cougar presence both on and off the field

By Simone McGuinness Scarlet Staff As of last Monday, Sept. 18, Lauren Neilan has been officially named as Clark University’s new Sports Information Director (SID).

From Mendon, Mass., she has spent the past two years at Anna Maria College in Paxton in their Sports Information Office while completing her Masters of Business Administration with a concentration in marketing. At Anna Maria, she first served as a graduate student before being promoted to the Sports Information Director role.

Neilan spent her undergraduate years at neighboring Assumption College as a member of the Women’s Varsity Field Hockey team. Senior year, she began to intern with Assumption’s athletic department,

and there, fell in love with her role.

She was attracted to the energy and pace of the job, being able to get out on the fields and the courts to watch the games and interact with student athletes.

With her second week at Clark underway, Neilan already has visions for the athletics program.

“I want to expand our social media presence. That’s my favorite part of the job ... the video-making, the social-media marketing aspect of it.” She went on to emphasize its importance to the student athletes and coaches alike to promote athletic activities effectively.

Neilan plans to work one-onone with each team and coach to understand their visions and goals, and ultimately try to actualize them.

“If they have a goal in mind that

they’re looking to see out there, then I’m happy to create that for them because that would be really rewarding to be able to give them that...That would be my main goal and I know that it is really important to everyone,” she said.

Neilan also acknowledged the importance of recruitment and how social-media plays an integral role.

“The whole department works together to grow our program... [we want] student athletes to come to Clark and experience Clark athletics.”

In order to begin acting on these goals, Neilan plans to introduce herself to each team individually.

“Now that I am in college athletics, it’s going to become very important to me to do [this]. I think getting out there, showing my face at games

and practices, sit[ting] down with each team to introduce myself and have me tell them their names and a little about themselves [will allow me] to start making those personal connections,” she explained.

“I like to have my presence known. When there are games, I’m going to them...I’m out on the field, throwing up the videos. It’ll be fun and it’s just taking off.”

Neilan has begun at a busy time of the year for athletics, but has been greeted by an extremely helpful and supportive staff.

“There are a lot of people who want to make this position as successful as possible and want to help,” she said.

The new SID arrived just in time, as many of the fall sports have had great success so far.

“It is competitive... where everyone is working 110 percent... and that’s the mentality for every team,” explained Neilan.

As the semester progresses and Neilan settles in, little-by-little will teams, players, and non-athletes grow to know her as a familiar face.

She is ecstatic for what’s to come in Clark Athletics and cannot wait to help the program evolve.

Cougars Beat the Heat Highlights from Moore State Park Meet on Sept. 23 continued from pg. 1 Fast Females: Before the big day, Women’s Senior Captain, Kristen Glennie (‘18), said of the race, “it’s a pretty tough one, there’s a couple big hills throughout the race, so it’s not a course where you’d expect to PR [Personal Record].”

The course was going to be a challenge for our female Cougars, but they seemed to have been up for it, as Glennie went on to place third overall in the race with a time of 20:58. Nicolina Braccio (‘20) followed close behind in fifth, placing in the meet. The women would take second overall in the meet, which was an honorable finish on our home course, just falling shy of first, which went to Worcester State College.

Please do this one. Photo by Emily Monahan Morang

Cougar Pack: On the men’s side, the team struggled a little more with the tough

course and hot temperatures. Men’s Senior Captain Ryan VanDine (‘18) said after the race that “Saturday was a bit of a mixed bag in terms of results… On the men’s side, we definitely had some trouble dealing with the heat, which ultimately led to one of our runners dropping out.”

Overall Clark came in fifth place

“Battling through the elements will only make us stronger come the conference meet.”

-Coach Bill Gray which was troubling to the Senior Captain, who said it put them in somewhat of a slump in the middle of the season, but despite this, the boys had their eyes forward to the next race. VanDine lead the Cougars with a finish of 32:26 along a fivemile course. Teammates Cameron

Mitchell (‘18) and Bobby Sharma both finished within seconds after VanDine.

Coach’s Word: Coach Bill Gray is in his fourth season as coach of the Cougars.

During his first three seasons here, he worked on building teams on both sides that were ready to face the tough competition posed by our athletic conference the NEWMAC and other local teams. Gray was pleased overall with the results on last Saturday, stating of the women’s race that it was “just overall [a] great race by all… Our finish was our best at a Worcester City Meet in eight years.”

While discussing the men’s race, Gray made a point to emphasize the tough course and stated, “although we might not have had the results we wanted, this kind of battling through the elements will only make us stronger come the conference meet.”

6 | living arts

The Scarlet

sep. 29, 2017

Professor Gohar Siddiqui Brings New Perspectives to Visual and Performing Arts Program

By Nandita Modhubonti Contributing Reporter From not being allowed to watch films as a child to teaching Screen Studies here at Clark University, Professor Gohar Siddiqui has come a long way. As the newest addition to the Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) Department, Siddiqui has found teaching film in an art department to be a novel experience. However, she says she appreciates the “the liberal arts approach [and] the combination of art, theory, and performance in the same department.”

As a high school student, Siddiqui says she “loved reading books and had spent hours secretly reading them instead of doing homework for other subjects.” So, naturally, as an incoming freshman at the University of Delhi, she decided to pursue a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in English Literature, which she chalks up to an instant of “naiveté.”

Although at that point in time Siddiqui had yet to discover an interest in teaching, she credits her own teachers and mentors, “who went above and beyond to help, motivate, and inspire students,” for influencing her desire to become a teacher.

After completing her B.A, Siddiqui went to earn 2 Masters (M.A.) degrees in English from Delhi University and Bridgewater State University. In 2017, she earned her Ph.D. in English with a concentration in Film and Screen Studies from Syracuse University.

Even though Siddiqui has the most experience teaching cinematic texts, her love for novels continues to prevail. However, Siddiqui refuses to choose one over the other, asserting that “a comparison between the two is unfair to both and reduces the capacity each medium has to make a reader or viewer experience the worlds within their texts, to respond to the pleasures of these aesthetic objects, and to think about our world through them.”

When Siddiqui isn’t teaching at Clark, she has a number of ongoing research projects, including, but not limited to, a book titled “Déjà Viewed: Nation, Gender, and Genre in Bollywood Remakes of Hollywood Cinema.” The text explores concepts of gender and identity in Bollywood remakes of originally Western or Hollywood films.

Siddiqui says that she has also been interested in the notions of and relationships between gender and patriarchy since she was a child. Additionally, a large portion of the media she consumed growing up was culturally-based, and this heightened her interest in the field of gender identity.

Furthermore, when describing her experience of coming to the United States for the first time she remarks, “I was made very aware of my race and ethnicity.” On a similar note, Siddiqui says that her work and research is, to her, “a way to investigate unequal power dynamics and ideologies that are systemic in our society locally, nationally, and transnationally.”

When asked about her favorite Bollywood remakes of Hollywood, she claims that she has too many, but is able to narrow it down to Sriram Raghavan’s Johnny Gaddaar and Navdeep Singh’s Manorama Six Feet Under. She attributes her love for both films to the use of “cinephilic homages” as well as the exploration of gender in both cases.

In addition to her book and current research projects, Siddiqui is determined “to grow as a teacher and a researcher.” She expressed excitement about engaging in future research endeavors such as investigating the role of race and gender in sitcoms like “The Mindy Project” and “Master of None.” Likewise, she says she is eager to collaborate and work with students mentioning that “students have already mentioned their interests and I’m excited to work with them as well.”

Siddiqui also offered some words of wisdom to undergraduate students: “You are incredibly lucky and privileged to be getting this education and experience, so make the most of it. Go to events and talks outside of your major or minor.

These are amazing opportunities that are hard to come by once you graduate.” She comments about how she regrets not being able to take sociology and physics classes back in Delhi University, which did not have a liberal arts program. She also stresses the importance of finding a balance between hard work and self-

care. Furthermore, she recommends that students “think of the ways in which what you are doing contributes in some way or helps you think about contributing to communities that are dealing with problems at the local or global level.”

Gohar Siddiqui remains true to herself with her last piece of advice: “Enjoy this time and watch films.”

Although Siddiqui is as new to Clark as the incoming freshmen class, she states that from her first interactions with the student body, she has “loved how they thought about the world, about their educa-

tion here at Clark, and about films.”

As she becomes more and more integrated into the Clark community each day, Siddiqui is “glad to say there are some amazing teachers, scholars, and human beings” in the department of VPA. Siddiqui finally states, “I’ve been here four weeks so far, but yes, I have been very happy with the campus, the community, and my students.”

Important Message For Clark Students Receiving University Grant Aid We need your help! You recently received a survey from Dianne Dyslin in University Advancement asking for biographical and other information she needs to match your University Grant (UG) aid with endowed funds established by our donors. The interest from those funds is the source of your UG support. Please take a moment to fill it out. We can’t write to our donors without you.

Please complete the survey by midnight on Sunday, Oct. 15, 2017.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please feel free to contact Dianne at ddyslin@clarku.edu or at 508-793-8835. She will respond to your call or email as soon as she can.

Many thanks, in advance, for your participation!

Digitized Theft

The opinions enumerated in this section represent those of the author and the author alone. They do not reflect the opinions of the editorial board, The Scarlet, or Clark University.

Proposed digital visits throw a monkey wrench in criminal justice reform

By Mike Cox Contributing Writer On September 13, 2017 I had the honor of standing shoulder to shoulder with the ACLU, Prison Policy Initiative, Prisoners’ Legal Services, and community activists in the Massachusetts State House. We offered testimony in support of House Bill 1278, which would protect the rights of incarcerated people to receive inperson visits.

As you read this, local jails and for-profit telecommunication companies are colluding to usher in the newest form of oppression - digital visits. Digital visits are a bit of a misnomer because they are more akin to enhanced phone calls than a traditional visit.

Here is how it works: telecommunication companies approach jails and offer to install digital visit kiosks. In exchange, sheriffs are usually required to abolish in-person visits. This is a critical requirement that creates the demand for the service. In addition to on-site digital visits, these companies offer an athome service that can be accessed on a PC, laptop, or smartphone. Onsite visits are typically free of charge to families, but the at-home service is a paid subscription. It can cost families up to $1.50 per minute to use it.

To justify these new digital visits, local jails cite the need to reduce the cost of staffing visitation rooms and to prevent drugs, or other contraband, from entering the facility.

These cost savings and safety justifications may sound convincing.

However, the overwhelming majority of jails abolished “contact visits” decades ago and replaced them

opinions | 7

The Scarlet

sep. 29, 2017

with two phone receivers divided by a plexiglass wall.

Unless visitors have somehow figured out how to defy the laws of physics, I’m not convinced drugs can pass through plexiglass. Anyone that’s been locked up can tell you that most prison drugs are introduced by guards looking to supplement their salaries.

Digital visits are unreliable. According to a report by the Prison Policy Initiative, families often complain that images of their loved ones are blurred, pixelated, or frozen. It is not fair to charge $45 for a glitchy

“Incarceration disproportionately impacts marginalized communities, particularly communities of color and low-income communities.

These are the same communities that this for-profit scheme seeks to exploit.”

30 minute digital visit when a traditional visit was offered freely. Overcharging families for a sub-optimal service to a captive audience goes against principles of justice and common sense.

Digital visits are not the same as traditional visits. Nothing can take the place of looking your loved one in the eyes, having intimate conversations, or assessing their health.

Cameras are often angled so that eye contact is not possible. Video quality is so poor that evaluating the health or even skin tone of your loved one is impossible.

Incarceration disproportionately impacts marginalized communities, particularly communities of

color and low-income communities. These are the same communities that this for-profit scheme seeks to exploit. Remember, families are already expected to provide their loved one funds to purchase toiletries, food, and writing supplies as well as cover the cost of collect phone calls. For many, this will be the final nail in their fiscal coffin.

While families choke on these fees, jails typically enjoy a 20-40 percent kickback.

Digital visits can be helpful for families who are unable to visit their loved one due to distance or a disability. One study conducted by the Minnesota Department of Corrections found that inmates who receive any type of visit are 13 percent less likely to recidivate for a new crime and 25 percent less likely to be reincarcerated due to a violation of probation. As such, digital visits would be an excellent addition, made free and subsidized by the corrections system, instead of a replacement for the essential experience of in-person visits that so many families and prisoners depend on.

At a time when criminal justice reform is gaining traction nationwide we should not allow for-profit companies to implement criminal justice regression.

Yemen: A State of Injustice

By Hannah King Contributing Writer In the last two years, more than 4,600 civilians have been killed in Yemen, and the United States seems to be complicit.

Yemen is currently considered the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Not only are civilians being targeted in the war, but the country is also experiencing a famine and cholera outbreak as a direct result of military action. The Saudi-led coalition has blocked any form of aid from entering the country, even though 18.8 million civilians are in desperate need of it. 500,000 people are sick with cholera due to a lack of clean water. 2,000 are already dead.

More than half of the hospitals are closed, and a lot of the medical staff has not been paid for almost a year.

A coalition of Gulf states, led

by Saudi Arabia, started began airstrike campaigns in support of President Hadi, against the Houthis and their ally, former President Saleh.

Civil war has ensued raged on since, with no end in sight. Both sides have targeted civilians indiscriminately and have been accused by the UN of committing war crimes. However, Saudi Arabia has been accused of causing most of the civilian deaths in the war.

In 2014, Houthi rebels, a group based in northern Yemen that fought the government on and off for a decade, took over Yemen’s capital, Sana’a. At the beginning of 2015, the rebels forced President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi to flee the country.

Despite the crisis, the United

States continues to sell weapons to Saudi Arabia, which are being used to target civilians. This past January, Human Rights Watch found that out of 81 strikes by the Saudi coalition, , 23 were carried out by US-made bombs. The United States should stop selling weapons to Saudi Arabia because they are used to kill civilians, or the United States should face consequences.

Some senators, however, are showing promising actions.

Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey have committed to blocking arms deals with Saudi Arabia. Senator Warren was a cosponsor on a resolution in June to block weapon sales, and Senator Markey voted for the resolution.

I call on both senators to continue to be leaders in the fight to protect civilian lives in Yemen and speak out against the violence and our complicity in the crimes committed by Saudi Arabia. We need to make arms deals conditional in order to ensure that innocent civilians are not killed in war. It is our civic duty.

Hannah King is a junior at Clark University, majoring in Sociology with a minor in Political Science and a concentration in Holocaust and Genocide Studies.

She is the co-president of Clark’s STAND: The Student Led Movement to End Mass Atrocities’ chapter and the STAND Massachusetts State Advocacy Lead.

8 | opinions

The Scarlet

Can We Handle the Other Side?

By Rebecca Thaler Contributing Writer How does one separate the political sphere from the personal? This is an age-old concept which seasoned debaters and politicians alike have been trying to master. Recently, I participated in a rather spontaneous debate that left me questioning how opposing views can productively engage in a thoughtful, respectful, and fact-driven debate rather than the huffing and puffing match I seemed to be a part of.

The debate I participated in centered around Muslim women and the role of the burka in their lives.

On the surface, the debate broke down between two sides: the burka as a symbol of intolerance, and how we “shouldn’t have to tolerate that intolerance” opposing a view that believes the burka represents a conservative religious community that is deserving of its traditions and should not be questioned.

But there was another issue at hand concerning the actual notion of debate in itself. Tensions were high, students’ guards were up, and most of the class did their best to watch this debate, turned inaccurate political rhetoric, from the sidelines.

This was a learning experience to say the least. My multiple “opponents’” obvious and loud disapproval concerning my positions felt unproductive and stagnant. I did my best to avoid eye rolling and sighing when I heard ludicrous and factually incorrect information, but did not seem to receive the same treatment.

I try my best to be a fairly moldable person and believe in a philosophy of the ever-adapting human. I try to enter conversations with the mindset that if someone can factually persuade me in another direction, then I will try to honestly rethink my viewpoint. Stubbornness is the opposite of progress. Tolerance is key. Opposing views are healthy if you treat them as that, simply opposing. But when one takes it as a personal attack rather than a political debate that should be fact-driven, things get very messy, offensive, and hurtful. When name-calling replaces evidence, political grounds become shaky and Donald Trump has the ability to become president.

Sometimes it can be hard to separate the personal from the political.

We are not robots. Just like the majority of people, I have an emotional and passionate core, and that’s what makes us so political! We love high emotion politics, we love identity politics, we love anything that resonates with our personal identities. But I can also acknowledge that emotions can trap and isolate people therefore preventing our society from adapting. In this highly divisive time, simply judging politics off of instinct and emotion, rather than fact, limits us and allows us to turn our heads from the truth. It’s time to step away from emotional ranting and allow the truth to lead.

sep. 29, 2017

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