Newly released articles in

Cogito XIV


On January 31, 2023, civilians in Montana spotted a 200-foot-tall surveillance balloon that floated from the West to the East across the United States. While the discovery of this airship was shocking to the public, U.S. military agencies had been tracking it for nearly a week prior to the first civilian spotting, watching as it lifted off from its home base on Hainan Island near China’s south coast. While officials believe the balloon intended to gather intelligence about military activities in the Southern Pacific, the balloon floated over Alaska’s Aleutian Islands on January 28, thousands of miles off its intended trajectory. After drifting over Canada, intense winds pushed the balloon south into the continental United States. The spy balloon saga has reintroduced contentious topics such as China’s international military presence, however, more concerningly, it has contributed to a rise of xenophobic policy and anti-Chinese sentiment, especially regarding U.S. land ownership.

Revisiting the Second Libyan Civil War

 By Alan Cai ·

Revisiting Roe’s Reversal

 By Corban Shih ·
By Joshua Levine ·

Since October 2022, the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) politics have become increasingly prevalent in political discourse. Classified documents have been found at the residences and offices of Former President Donald Trump, President Joe Biden (in his former role as Vice President), and Former Vice President Mike Pence, causing many to consider the role of politics in the DOJ’s decision-making process. Each of the three officials handled the issue differently: Trump has complied minimally with federal investigations, if at all, while Biden and Pence have generally cooperated with investigators. The DOJ has been forced to respond publicly, and the department must respond with force proportional to each official’s issue while also considering the differences in each case – especially compliance.

Race And Revision: The AP African American Studies Controversy

 By Aydin Alsan ·

Protests against Oppressive Laws in Iran

 By Mara DuBois ·

On September 16th, 2022, the death of Mahsa Amini caused Iran and many other countries around the world to erupt in protests against Iranian government and officials. Mahsa Amini was a 22-year-old Iranian who allegedly broke an Iranian law by wearing her hijab too loosely. The morality police, a unit responsible for enforcing strict Islamic laws in Iran, arrested Amini, who later died in custody. Fueled by Amini’s unjust death, thousands have taken to the streets in protest of the Iranian regime, whose oppressive laws have frequently targeted the rights of women. These peaceful demonstrators have been met with intense violence and backlash from Iranian officials, and “as of January, at least 522 people, including 70 children, have been killed and several hundred injured, according to the US-based Iran Human Rights Activists News Agency. More than 20,000 people have been detained.” Although the number of participants in mass protests has declined over the past few months, there is still immense anger at the Iranian regime throughout the country. Many Iranians are not willing to be scared into silence, and continue to advocate for their rights, however the number of public demonstrations have decreased because of the fear of the violent government that plagues citizens.
By Kate Wei ·

Relationships between Taiwan and China have been tense since the Chinese Civil War, when the Republic of China’s government was forced by the Chinese Communist Party to flee from mainland China to Taiwan. Today, Taiwan maintains its claim that it is an independent country. However, China views Taiwan as a renegade province and has repeatedly vowed to unify it with the mainland, even through force if necessary. Tensions have been mounting in recent years due to a growing sense of Taiwanese nationalism, rising Chinese anxieties over the Taiwanese political environment, and the United States’ shifting role in Chinese-Taiwanese affairs. The situation is changing rapidly and has escalated even within the past few months.

A Daring Regiment: the Freedom of Russia Legion

 By Clare Struzziery ·

  • The Spy in the Sky: How the Chinese Spy Balloon is Changing the Conversation about Land Ownership

    By Katie Cheung ·

    On January 31, 2023, civilians in Montana spotted a 200-foot-tall surveillance balloon that floated from the West to the East across the United States. While the discovery of this airship was shocking to the public, U.S. military agencies had been tracking it for nearly a week prior to the first civilian spotting, watching as it lifted off from its home...

  • Revisiting the Second Libyan Civil War

    By Alan Cai ·

    In late 2020, the end of the Second Libyan Civil War inspired me to write my first Cogito article, titled “Libya’s Civil War and the Use of Mercenaries is a Warning for Future Conflicts.” Over two years ago, I focused on the topic of foreign involvement/aid to Libya and the rise of mercenary armies operating in conflict zones. As I...

  • Revisiting the Department of Justice’s Politicization

    By Joshua Levine ·

    Since October 2022, the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) politics have become increasingly prevalent in political discourse. Classified documents have been found at the residences and offices of Former President Donald Trump, President Joe Biden (in his former role as Vice President), and Former Vice President Mike Pence, causing many to consider the role of politics in the DOJ’s decision-making process....

  • Revisiting Roe’s Reversal

    By Corban Shih ·

    Plessy v. Ferguson in 1954, Baker v. Nelson in 2015, and now, Roe v. Wade in 2022. Each case was a landmark decision made by the Supreme Court, and each case was stricken down by a later verdict. For nearly fifty years, Roe stood as a protective measure for fundamental rights, implicit in the Fourteenth Amendment’s liberty clause. “No State...

  • Race And Revision: The AP African American Studies Controversy

    By Aydin Alsan ·

    On August 16, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the most ambitious action to fight climate change in the United States, was signed into law by President Biden. The Inflation Reduction Act addresses multiple issues; it lowers healthcare prices, creates job opportunities, and fights the climate crisis. The United States is the second-largest contributor of CO2 emissions in the world....

  • Protests against Oppressive Laws in Iran

    By Mara DuBois ·

    On September 16th, 2022, the death of Mahsa Amini caused Iran and many other countries around the world to erupt in protests against Iranian government and officials. Mahsa Amini was a 22-year-old Iranian who allegedly broke an Iranian law by wearing her hijab too loosely. The morality police, a unit responsible for enforcing strict Islamic laws in Iran, arrested Amini,...

  • Instability and Vulnerability: The Aftermath of the Devastating Earthquake in Turkey

    By Annabel Abdelal ·

    The Moment Magnitude Scale (MMS), used to measure earthquakes based on seismic movement, is logarithmic, meaning that each order of magnitude (or increasing number on the scale) is 10 times more intense than the last. On February 6, 2023, an earthquake struck southern Turkey and northern Syria, registering at 7.8 on the MMS. This disaster has resulted in the deaths...

  • Extreme Chinese Zero-Covid Policy Garners International Scrutiny

    By Josie Kelleher ·

    Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese government has adopted extreme tactics to prevent the spread of the virus while maintaining a positive public image among both the Chinese populace and in foreign nations. However, the government has prioritized the preservation of its public image, even if it means compromising the well-being of Chinese residents. These strategies have ultimately backfired, as...

  • China-Taiwan Tensions Are Here To Stay

    By Kate Wei ·

    Relationships between Taiwan and China have been tense since the Chinese Civil War, when the Republic of China’s government was forced by the Chinese Communist Party to flee from mainland China to Taiwan. Today, Taiwan maintains its claim that it is an independent country. However, China views Taiwan as a renegade province and has repeatedly vowed to unify it with...

  • Big Budget Films: The Destruction of Creativity in Hollywood

    By Max Daniello ·

    Think of the last time you went to see a movie. Were there intense fight scenes, explosions, and other computer generated imagery? Maybe the film starred a high paying actor like Brad Pitt, Tom Holland, or Margot Robbie. After all, most films we see in theaters nowadays involve big budget effects and expensive actors. Over the last 50 years, the...

  • A Daring Regiment: the Freedom of Russia Legion

    By Clare Struzziery ·

    In the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, Russian and Ukrainian troops have been engaged in a six-month-long, brutal struggle for a foothold in the Donbas region. Among the flanks of the Ukrainian army fighting there are members of the Freedom of Russia Legion, an independent military group that was formally integrated into the Ukrainian military in August 2022. The...

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Contributing authors to Cogito XIV

Annabel Abdelal

Aydin Alsan

Sofia Branco

Alan Cai

Katie Cheung

Max Daniello

Mara DuBois

Josie Kelleher

Joshua Levine

Corban Shih

Clare Struzziery

Kate Wei

Jackie Zhang