Author Archive

I want to talk a lot about the politics of choice. In a society like the United States, where we place so much emphasis on the individual – the individual’s abilities, capabilities, the ‘you can do whatever you want to do’ mentality – I’d like to use the idea of a choice when talking about things.

Challenging the stereotypes of body size and health

How our access to water comes at a price By Chris Zivalich In July 2010, the United Nations formally declared water a fundamental human right in an effort to ensure “acceptable, accessible and affordable water and sanitation” for every human being on the planet. While many applauded the decision, others questioned why water needed to [...]

Sexual identities and the guise of equality in the military By Chris Zivalich The recent repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” was lauded by progressives, LGBTQ activists and even a good portion of soldiers and military personnel. After years of discharging those found guilty of violating the controversial policy, everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation, [...]

Oil and imperialism in the modern world By Chris Zivalich Political theorists and outraged citizens of all countries continue to grapple with the term “neo-imperialism.” What does it mean? How exactly do modern economic constructs and international relationships constitute a “new” form of imperialistic operations? In reality, the word’s actual meanings and applications are as [...]

By Chris Zivalich Let’s face it: You go to dance clubs to get laid. Okay, okay. I’ll reconsider such a direct assumption. Maybe you yourself go for different reasons—reasons you quantify at a “higher” value of morality.  After all, a night at the club usually promises hours on end of digitized pop music, hundreds of [...]

One road trip at a time By Chris Zivalich Only a handful of people can claim to have made the arduous journey from Denver, Colo., to Ithaca, N.Y., by car. My good friend Sara and I are two of those people. In fact, we’ve done it four times now. Just do the math: two people [...]