SOCIAL JUSTICE — The Catalyst Project

Introverted as it is

By: Rosaline Dou

What’s the imagery or key words you think out of when you hear the word “quiet” or “introversion”? How do you define yourself as an introvert, extravert, or an ambivert?

The CatalystFebruary 1, 2021interview, introversion, extraversion, introvert, audio, reflection, identity, personalityComment

I’m Not In Love, So Don't Forget It.

By: Dakota Taufeeq

Love, I’ve never been in it, always out of it. Looking at it from a distance, from the safety of my mind. Love is a dangerous thing, it takes the people that touch it, feel it, crave it, and rips their heart out. Why would I want to be a part of that? Still, despite my pleas I can't help but witness those close to me fall in the name of love. We can't all run from the monster.

The CatalystFebruary 1, 2021love, logic, opinion, reflection, human conditionComment

There is Not One Action Done by Women That is Not Criticized

By: Caroline Jung

The CatalystJanuary 31, 2021women's rights, women, social justice, society, social media, social, beauty standardsComment

Education Matters

By: Sarah Son

The CatalystJanuary 29, 2021education, school, society, visual, quotesComment

Girl Boss

By: Holly Ji

You may have seen the term “girlboss” when discussing Kamala Harris now that she is in office as the first female, Asian, and Black vice president. Girlboss seems like a way to uplift and support successful women, especially those who excel in male-dominated fields like politics, but there’s a lot more underlying issues that often go ignored when celebrating girlbosses.

The CatalystJanuary 29, 2021girl boss, women, women's rights, female empowerment, harris, feminism Comment

Voices

By: Ellie Chang

“Do as we say.” / “It’s for your own good.” / What is? / We aren’t naive.

The CatalystJanuary 29, 2021voices, generational, future, society, youth, poem, poetryComment

Bringing Awareness to the Tuskegee Syphilis Study

By: Yewon Lee

The year is 1932. A young African American man is promised free yearly medical checkups, monetary burial compensation, and hot meals in exchange for his participation in a study by the Tuskegee Institute (today’s Tuskegee University). Having little money and illiterate, he is quick to register for the study unknowing of the details of what that would entail.

The CatalystJanuary 9, 2021african-american, social, experiment, unethical, ethics, diseaseComment

Performative Activism: What are Flooded Instagram Stories Really Accomplishing?

By: Meredith Stewart

Performative activism has presented itself as an increasingly prevalent issue over the course of this tumultuous year. This summer I found myself clicking through hundreds of reposts and scrolling past dozens of black squares without even making an effort to read, let alone, understand, the messages behind the posts. However, I don’t think I am the only one who chooses to ignore these Instagram floods.

The CatalystDecember 30, 2020performative activism, activism, social media, instagram, activist, black lives matter, blm, reflection, allyComment

Pronoun Paradox

By: Katie Harbaugh

If you’ve been on any form of social media lately, you’ve probably noticed that lots of people have added their pronouns to their bios. As a background, pronouns differ from person to person. Some individuals go by she/her, while others use he/him, or they/them, etc. For a long time, mainly nonbinary and transgender people put their pronouns in their bios, so people wouldn’t address them incorrectly. The problem with this is that consequently, transphobic people became more inclined to target those with pronouns in their bio.

The CatalystDecember 30, 2020pronouns, lgbtq, social media, respect, allyComment

The Debate on Birth Control

By: Serene Hwang

Since the beginning of human civilization, birth control has been used by women to prevent pregnancies. From IUDs to hormonal pills, contraceptive methods have advanced significantly over the years and women now have multiple safe and effective options to choose from. Birth control is utilized today to plan pregnancies, alleviate menstrual symptoms, and treat hormonal abnormalities. As education on its health benefits spreads, the use of different birth control methods is becoming more popularized in America.

The CatalystDecember 27, 2020birth control, women's rights, women's health, contraceptives, reproductive rightsComment

Hidden Sexism When Growing Up

By: Angela Ryan

“Can I get two strong boys to help me out here?” No matter your gender, this is a sentence that you’ve probably heard several times when you were younger. There was some table that needed moving, and the teacher doesn’t think twice about asking for some help with this simple little sentence. As a little girl, this sentence made my blood boil. And I know it did the same for many others.

The CatalystDecember 26, 2020sexism, gender, gender roles, accountability, misogyny, awareness, gender equalityComment

We’re Citizens of Kindland– You Can Be Too

By: Kaila Morris and Rhea Mahajan

CLEVELAND, OH– It seems fitting that the city formerly known as “Station Hope,” a prime meeting point for abolitionists of the Underground Railroad, is once again working to become a model of what our country can, and should, represent. In Cleveland, Ohio, a growing campaign called “Kindland” is urging citizens to unite to spread positivity and celebrate good.

The CatalystDecember 23, 2020positivity, kindness, ohio, cleveland, kindland, future, optimismComment

Short Story: The Rebirth

By: Dakota Taufeeq

I found the tiniest little egg. Hidden from the eyes of most, wedged in between the cracks of my patio. My egg, my baby—well not yet. You see, I had to clarify that this egg was truly mine. I might be impulsive, but I am most certainly not a kidnapper. I searched high and low for a nest, but I could not find one nearby no matter how long I looked. I was starting to grow concerned.

The CatalystDecember 23, 2020shortstory, prose, life, futureComment

Tolerance and Diversity; Importance of Education

By: Sumedha Mahesh

Tolerance. Acceptance. Diversity. These three words are words that each and every one of us have heard sometime in our lives. These three aspects are taught and encouraged among work areas and any work position in the world, but what about schools?

The CatalystDecember 9, 2020tolerence, diversity, asian, asian american, indian, acceptanceComment

Influencer

By: Sophy Gao

The CatalystDecember 9, 2020

Thanksgiving land acknowledgement

By: Ela Mody

The nationally celebrated holiday “Thanksgiving” happens on the 4th Thursday of November every year. The concept of “Thanksgiving” stems from the story of the Pilgrims and Native Americans sharing a meal and being friends after the Mayflower landed. The Native Americans then later experienced massacre, tragedy, disease, erasure and forced removal off their original lands at the hands of these Pilgrims.

The CatalystDecember 9, 2020Thanksgiving, native american, pilgrams, land, acknowledgementComment

This Year, Just Wait.

By: Caroline Jung

This poem is based on Thanksgiving and how some extended families are traveling despite COVID-19 concerns. As someone who hasn’t seen extended family for a couple years, I’ve continually been struck this year that people don’t realize that not being able to see family is daily life for people in diaspora.

The CatalystDecember 9, 2020covid, cover 19, ThanksgivingComment

The Role of Implicit Bias in Society

By: Shruthika Araselvan

Implicit bias describes the unconscious association of stereotypes with certain groups of people. It is important to note that while these stereotypes are not always an accurate representation of a person’s true values or beliefs, they still affect people’s actions and attitudes.

The CatalystDecember 9, 2020bias, implicit bias, society, mediaComment

Implicit Bias or Being A Racist?

By: Rosaline Dou

It has been old news that an Asian American female reporter asked President Trump, why testing is a global competition to him. She got an answer of “that’s a question you should ask China,” and was cut off from the question. I started to think about how people think of me, as a Chinese studying in the US all alone. Are they going to blame me for the pandemic?

The CatalystDecember 9, 2020asian american, asian, racism, china, biasComment