Editor’s Note
Our second issue of the year arrives at a difficult time for our school and nation. With over 3000 Americans dying every day from the COVID-19 pandemic, a country recovering from the invasion of its capitol, and Stanford students once again prohibited from coming to campus, it is easy to despair on the future we face as undergraduate students. Yet I am continually inspired by the work our student journalists manage to undertake in the midst of these national crises. I am exceptionally proud of every writer who contributed to this magazine, with each author illuminating issues not commonly discussed in student journalism. While this issue has no central theme, each piece involves months of investigative work, interviews, and research and exhibits the high standard of journalism Stanford Politics strives to achieve.
Our cover story is an investigative look into Stanford’s sorority system and the activists groups hoping to abolish it. After months of interviews and archival research, the piece illustrates the patterns of harm and discrimination within Stanford’s sorority system that have caused dozens of women to disafilliate.
The rest of the magazine addresses equally pressing and important issues relevant to our current political moment. In his first piece for Stanford Politics, Justin Portela shines light on the challenges low-income countries will face in recieving the COVID-19 vaccine. Avery Rogers investigates the role of Stanford’s Internet Observatory in addressing disinformation, and Cat Buchatskiy writes on the changing social and political atmosphere in Belarus.
This magazine was only possible because of the countless hours our writers, editors, and designers dedicated throughout the past months. I am hopeful their words and ideas will resonate with and inspire many readers. And despite the challenges that come along with engaging in journalism today, I am hopeful our work will cement the trust and appreciate for quality student journalism.
Nathalie Kiersznowski, Editor-in-Chief