Zhu: Technology is the answer to the question nobody asked in the Iowa caucuses
Caroline Zhu, Staff Columnist
February 6, 2020
The Iowa caucuses reflect not only a complicated political season, but also a major issue in the intersection of technology and other fields—what problems does technology solve, and what problems are created for technology to solve? A few days after the caucuses, at least some of the blame has fa...
Zhu: What do we see in the Wuhan coronavirus epidemic?
Caroline Zhu, Staff Columnist
January 30, 2020
During an ongoing crisis, it is difficult to judge the efficacy of a proposed solution. China currently faces the unexpectedly rapid spread of a deadly strain of coronavirus in Wuhan, and its subsequent spread to other provinces, and, soon, other countries. Everyone has questions, and although the vir...
Zhu: Dissolve Disney, find new artistic voices
Caroline Zhu, Staff Columnist
January 23, 2020
Two months after the release of Disney’s new streaming service Disney+, it seems more evident than ever that The Walt Disney Company is not what it used to be. As a studio, Disney seems to be relying more and more upon revitalizations of its classic tales, which have been released to mixed reviews....
Zhu: Cancelled culture is moral absolutism, and it’s unsustainable
Caroline Zhu, Staff Columnist
January 17, 2020
Although social media has introduced us to instant connection and a global community, it has also created a stage upon which everyone is a public figure and subject to a growing “cancel culture.” The term refers to “cancelling” public figures, or publicly denouncing them for their negative actions...
Zhu: Why I feel awkward when you speak Chinese to me
Caroline Zhu, Staff Columnist
November 15, 2019
For years, I’ve admitted I’m uncomfortable when foreigners try to speak Chinese to me. Even though I don’t take offense at it, something about these interactions feels hollow and awkward. I know that I’m not the only one to feel it, but voicing these discomforts is often met with confusion and...
Zhu: What we let social media companies get away with these days
Caroline Zhu, Staff Columnist
November 1, 2019
With news commentators comparing our current political and economic state to historical periods like the 1880s, it is of little wonder that antitrust concerns continue to grow, particularly in light of the recent attention Facebook has been getting. The boom in the early 21st century of fast-growing te...
Zhu: The commodification of activism by self-interested corporations
Caroline Zhu, Staff Reporter
October 25, 2019
When did corporations start taking stances on cultural and political movements? When it started to seem profitable to do so. Today, we see some companies put forth genuine efforts to give back to communities and to their consumers, while others put forth hollow advertising that supports social movements....
Zhu: Why we romanticize the hustle, and why I hate it
Caroline Zhu, Opinion Editor
October 4, 2019
Ever since millennials and more recently Generation Z started growing into maturity, older generations have levelled claim after claim of laziness and entitlement at young adults, while many protest that this generation works just as hard as previous generations did, often for less payoff. Tuition rates ...
Zhu: Reboot culture limits creativity, stifles new voices
Caroline Zhu, Staff Columnist
April 19, 2019
In the past decade, more and more blockbusters have been either reboots or remakes of old films and franchises. It raises the question of not only why this is happening, but whether or not these films have any value to offer to popular culture beyond pure nostalgia. Although it is difficult to pinpoint when th...
Zhu: Vulgar humor opens conversation on privilege
Caroline Zhu, Staff Columnist
March 29, 2019
Amid her relatable quips about the state of Cleveland’s streets and being a woman today, Michelle Wolf’s campus appearance last Friday focused on the importance of privilege in modern society. Planted in fun hypotheticals about the historical women’s rights movement, her words helped open conversat...
