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Student Forum Op-Eds, Discussions, Writing, and Recent Research, Contributed by Undergraduate Public Policy Program Students

November 3, 2020

Access and Equity: Schooling in a Pandemic

Over the last few months, New York City’s schools shifted the way they educate their 1.2 million students in order to protect the health and safety students, faculty and staff…  

NYC Detention Rates during COVID-19

Since the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, there have been over 7700 protests across America against incidents of police brutality and systemic racism against black people. These…  

October 20, 2020

Undocumented Students Are Excluded from Federal Aid – Once Again

Undocumented students contribute more than $10 billion in annual taxes, but the federal government refuses to grant them any federal relief aid during the COVID-19 pandemic. The lack of federal…  

October 19, 2020

Prevention vs. Suppression: U.S. Fire Policy at Odds with Indigenous Knowledge

Over the past 100 years, California has become known for rampant wildfires that burn across the state each summer. Despite making national news each year, millions of acres of land…  

July 21, 2020

The Global Pandemic and its Impact: Preparing for the Future, Interdisciplinary Perspectives

The impact of the rapid spread of COVID-19 has been felt throughout the world. More than 180 countries have reported cases bringing the total number of those confirmed with the…  

May 20, 2020

The Issue with Profiteering During a Pandemic

Inherent in the vocabulary one uses to talk about this pandemic are the complaints and allegations assumed by the speaker. I’ve found that since the beginning of this outbreak, few…  

May 19, 2020

Post COVID-19: The Wipeout of Asian-Owned Businesses 

In Seattle, a family restaurant with broken windows. In San Jose, five businesses destroyed in the span of hours. In New York City, a Michelin-starred restaurant vandalized with graffiti. The…  

May 18, 2020

Public-Private Punishment: A Call to Challenge Private Prison Growth in the United States

A serious reevaluation of the criminal justice system appears at the top of every progressive’s priority list. From increasing police accountability to reimagining the role of prisons, a plurality of…  

Reinvesting in Higher Education

Despite a steadily growing population,  yearly college enrollment in the United States has decreased for more than a decade. With a job market that increasingly demands educated professionals how is…  

May 12, 2020

Air Pollution Inequity in NYC’s Low-Income Communities & Covid-19: A Recipe for Disaster

On April 5, a study released by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health directly linked air pollution to the probability of more severe COVID-19 cases. It is now…  

May 4, 2020

It is Negligent to Solely Blame Preexisting Health Conditions for COVID-19’s Burden on Black Americans

COVID-19’s arrival in the United States has made it impossible to ignore that Black Americans are disproportionately burdened by disease and death. Yet, there is still a lack of understanding…  

April 13, 2020

The Other Danger of COVID-19: Why the Federal and State Governments Must Take Action on the Increased Threat of Domestic Violence During Social Distancing

As of April 6, 2020, just under 90% of Americans are under orders to stay at home to avoid the spread of COVID-19. For most people, home is safest place…  

April 7, 2020

How are we going to define our new “normal”? After recovering from COVID-19 our return to normalcy should not translate to complacency.

Within the past two weeks I have switched to remote learning, evacuated my dorm room, adjusted to working at home, and quarantined myself to a tiny studio apartment. My future…  

March 24, 2020

Without Undocumented Workers, the U.S Economy Would be a Disaster

The Trump Administration is not the first administration that has shown their true feelings toward immigrant communities. Regardless of party allegiance, every president has enacted xenophobic policies – even the…  

March 23, 2020

The Importance of Environmental Regulations

Human action has altered the environment in irreversible ways. In order to conserve and protect natural ecosystems, regulations were enacted with a focus on sustaining a healthy environment. However, the…