Next Generation Diplomacy

  Why is it Hard to Get a Good Education in the Philippines? Will Concepcion Introduction In 2015, a sample of 15-year-old Filipino students were tested and ranked last in reading comprehension out of 79 countries, while they were ranked second to last in math and science. As a third-world country, the Philippines has a hard time investing money into education because of the lack of basic necessities in the area already. In fact, many public schools do not have technology such as computers and other tools, despite the digital age. Therefore, education in the Philippines is hard for everyone in the country. Covid-19’s impact Covid-19 had also been a significant cause of concern for education struggles in the Philippines. Thanks to Covid, over 20% were expected to drop out of school, four million students could not enroll for the school year, and even the closing of schools thanks to the lack of enrolled students. The deadly virus had also forced schools to run digitally, which was a...

  QUOTH THE RAVEN, “NEVERMORE”: Open Access and the fight for free knowledge Griffin Hon For hundreds of thousands of researchers and students every day, the little red key and the black corvid that bears it are a comforting sight for sore eyes. With an ever-growing collection of 85,258,448 articles, shadow library Sci-Hub offers free access to 95% of all scientific journal literature. Sci-Hub spells out its goal on the front page of its infamous website, sci-hub.se: “ ... to remove all barriers in the way of science. ” To this extent, it’s been a crucial tool in the education of millions worldwide and an unsung part of the most important scientific discoveries of the last decade. Despite this, our passerine hero has been banned in 11 countries , including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Sweden. Sci-Hub’s creator, dubbed the “ Robin Hood of the academic publishing world ” and the “ Pirate Queen of Science ,” is being sued for $15 and $4.8 million in compensation from sev...

 By Robert Kelly                        Poverty is defined as the state of being inferior in quantity or insufficient amount. This often is equated to insufficiency in money. However, we often don't consider that poverty is far more complex than being financially poor. Often, we only place value on building economic wealth and rarely acknowledge the intricacies in our socioeconomic environment. Poverty is a system where fiscal and emotional needs intertwine with our society's views. The financial boxes we are "put in" ultimately determine our lives, making it difficult for poverty to be simply a deficit in money.  According to Urban Institute, in 2021, "one in seven Americans may have annual family resources below the poverty threshold" according to Urban Institute. In addition, it is estimated that over 1.3 billion people in 107 emerging countries, accounting f...

Nutrient pollution’s consequences float to the surface, dead By: Griffin Hon Crisis on the Sound The Long Island Sound - heralded for its unparalleled natural beauty, has served for centuries as the source of inspiration for many an Impressionist painter and provided a backdrop for beloved novels like The Great Gatsby. However, this very beauty is being beset by a crisis that may prove irreversible if immediate and thorough action is not taken. Throughout the 80s, a steady increase in population and poorly treated sewage led to harbors full of dying fish and shellfish, dirty beaches, and waters almost devoid of oxygen. Despite decades of government investment to improve the situation, in 2016, Long Islanders were still met with a dreadful sight at Shinnecock Canal - tens of thousands of dead fish blanketing the surface - so dense "you could've walked across the water," an eyewitness remarked. Fish aren't the only fauna being choked out - in 2015, hundreds of turtles ...