BY: PHILIPPE DE JOCAS Hundreds of years ago, Dutch explorers from distant shores drew close to a mysterious island – one that would change the way we look at archeology forever. It wasn’t quite the kind of mysterious island that…
While celebrities promote detox teas, this woman used Instagram to help save a man’s life
BY: AILEEN ZANGOUEI Alison Brettschneider, a native New Yorker who now currently lives in California, is a successful fashion business owner. Her boutique has multiple locations and is called 25 Park, which is also the name of her social media…
Why so much of the world lives in a “poverty trap” and how we can escape it
Rich and poor, poor and rich. These two small words have been the driving force behind so many of the world’s cultural, social and economic history. In the old days, of course, the rich and powerful had it better than…
White(ish) privilege: How eugenics and the caste system still perpetuate racism in Latin America
BY: ADAM THRUSH With international media outlets constantly fixated on the public devolution of race relations in the United States it would be easy to think that the problems of racism and white privilege are inherently American. However, south of…
The dark and twisted side of Salem’s Halloween claim to fame
BY: AMANDA WOODROW I don’t know about you, but I love Halloween! This is where my inner kid comes out and dresses up and gives out the full bowl of trick-or-treating candy. But Halloween is not just about costumes, sugar,…
What is Day of the Dead?
BY: JESSICA BEUKER It’s that time of year again. Where kids and adults alike scrounge together old curtains and bedsheets to try and fashion their last-minute costumes. Where houses deck their doors in cobwebs and adorn their steps with glimmering,…
5 superfoods that actually work and aren’t just a trendy marketing fad
Superfoods often get a lot of bad press from skeptics for, well, not quite living up to their name. But what is it that makes a superfood ‘super’ exactly? Does Beyoncé need to wear a t-shirt sporting various foods? Do…
Meet the elusive and nomadic hyena men of Nigeria
BY: NADIA ZAIDI Like a scene from the Jungle Book, men in Nigeria can be seen walking around the streets with hyenas, and hence have been coined the ‘Hyena Men.’ And it’s not only hyenas that they handle. Pythons and…
Trump Forest makes environmentalism great again
The year is 2093. A hover-bus full of students disembark from their futuristic transport and look around at the sylvan glen around them – a green oasis so different from the hustle and bustle of regular future life. Deer frolic…
Video gamers might be the next generation of pilots
Put down that controller! It’s a refrain that we’ve probably heard many times in our lives. Stop fiddling with your phone! You can’t play that video game right now, you’ve got homework to do! It’s no surprise that for a…
This infographic proves that hydroponics is the answer to urban gardening issues
BY: MAX PAYNE So you don’t have enough space for a garden? Or worse, you lack the lights for growing and learn that most plants cannot live without sufficient lights. Hydroponics can be a viable solution to your situation. First…
What hiking to Abbot Pass Hut taught me about perseverance
BY BROOKLYN PINHEIRO We were about half way up the scramble of the gully when hail started to bounce off our helmets. We stayed close to the side of a towering bolder while people added layers and adjusted their buffs.…
5 modern societies run entirely by women
BY: NADIA ZAIDI “This is a man’s world, but it wouldn’t be nothing without a woman or a girl.” Sure, that’s probably as biased as it gets, but I think we can all agree that both men and women equally…
Tesla is working to restore power following the hurricane in Puerto Rico
BY BROOKLYN PINHEIRO Immediately after the category 4 hurricane whipped out power on the island of Puerto Rico on September 20th Tesla stepped in to help. Originally the company sent Powerwall battery systems that can be paired with the country’s…
California makes history by becoming the first state to legally recognize non-binary as a third gender
Sunday, October 15, 2017 will go down as a historic day, as California Governor, Jerry Brown, signed new legislation that will allow the residents of California to choose a gender other than male or female on official documents. The bill,…
The Dove ad is just the latest example of how covert racism lives in advertising
BY: NADIA ZAIDI Recently, Dove decided to release an ad that showed a black woman taking off her t-shirt to reveal a white woman underneath. There was a bottle of soap in the corner. I guess my only question now…
The quickest route to true happiness is learning not to give a crap
BY: NADIA ZAIDI It’s fairly difficult to stop caring what other people think, but it’s kind of mandatory if you want to live a life that makes you happy. Bare with me as I delve into a stream of consciousness. I…
The problems with radical feminism in the 21st century
BY: SYDNEY KEEFE CO-AUTHORED BY: JESSICA BEUKER Ahh Feminism; a word so powerful that the second it leaves a person’s lips it’s already commenced a fiery debate. The feminist movement dates back to the 19th century, yet still plays a…
I spent the day working at a Toronto marijuana dispensary and this is what happened
BY: REEGS. M By stereotypical terms you would never expect that I am a marijuana fanatic just by looking at me; some might even say that I have “the girl next door” look. But you should never judge a book by…
How train hopping has evolved into the ultimate pastime for vagabonds and thrill seekers
BY: NADIA ZAIDI I’m admittedly somewhat of a recluse. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the company of others, and people inspire me to continue pursuing journalism. But maybe I enjoy my lofty retreat a bit too much. You know…