Kate Stonehill
In the media, not all sex scandals are created equally
Anyone who spent this past hot, sweaty summer in D.C. remembers the sex scandals that loomed large in the nation’s media coverage. We were assaulted daily by front-page images of a shamed Anthony Weiner, breaking down after a futile attempt to explain why he felt compelled to tweet pictures of his genitals to young girls across the country. If Weinergate wasn’t enough, accusations then surfaced about Congressman David Wu’s alleged sexual encounter with a teenage girl. And, of course, there was the infamous photograph of the Congressman himself in a tiger suit. Needless to say, Wu, like Weiner, promptly resigned right before the big U.S. debt downgrade, by which time we had realized that our nation’s politicians were, in fact, going mad.
By Kate Stonehill November 10, 2011
Occupy movement awakens Americans’ preoccupations
Much of the American populace seems dormant in the face of two wars and the growing contingent of radical, anti-progressive right-wing politicians in Congress known as the Tea Party. I have no problem with the actual existence of the Tea Party—they have every right to organize themselves and implement policies—but where was the opposition? Sitting quietly on the sidelines, hoping for “change we can believe in” from Obama?
By Kate Stonehill October 13, 2011
Multiculturalism shouldn’t take a beating even if players do
The shocking headline appeared all over the country last week: “Wild brawl ends Georgetown’s exhibition game in China early.” Some combination of the words China, Georgetown, and brawl appeared in each of the numerous emails, Facebook messages, and tweets I received this summer from friends and family eager to break the news to their Georgetown friend about our basketball team’s on-court battle with their Chinese counterparts. Their descriptions—spectators hurling chairs and water bottles, players throwing punches at their opponents, and foul play all around—portrayed scenes of utter chaos on the court. The incident, which unfortunately coincided with Vice President Biden’s visit to China, was labeled by many major news agencies as a diplomatic disaster.
By Kate Stonehill August 26, 2011