Injustice and violence are rampant, equality is still a dream, the civil rights movement is in Act 2 of a seemingly never-ending play and innocent lives are taken on a daily basis for reasons that are both illogical and unsubstantiated.

It’s one of the most-heard phrases on any college campus, rotely recited to hopeful applicants when they ask what the college environment is really like.

On Friday, Nov. 13 the world witnessed in disgrace the bombings and shootings in Paris for which the Islamic State claimed responsibility. Realizing that to write about this event can promote it, and hence accomplish its purpose of spreading terror, I am morally obligated to dedicate this week’s column to the memory of those who have fallen in the name of democracy and freedom.

“Sally” – we’ll call her – started watching pornography at the age of 12. Nothing too strange about that.

The opioid epidemic — the recent and meteoric increase in heroin and prescription painkiller abuse — poses one of the most serious public health threats of our time.

For a Penn student, exposure to the idea of diversity starts early. It first shows up in the admissions catalogue: beautiful high-resolution photos of a “diverse” group of friends laughing on the Green; essay questions that ask what diversity of perspective a student will bring to campus; selecting one’s race on the Common Application.

The term “Penn bubble” currently takes on a new meaning. On campus, many students think the Democratic Party is flourishing.

American society has generally demonstrated an increased awareness in the importance of making space for relaxation and quiet time in the past few decades, which is great.

The United States, similar to other large Western economies, is driven by the financial sector. What is especially peculiar about this sector is that, for the most part, it transforms money into more money without the production of any goods during the process. There are procedures, however, such as venture capital investments, through which the financial sector enhances production of goods and services.

The term political correctness, which is usually applied as a pejorative phrase, entered mainstream usage after the publication of a series of New York Times articles written by Richard Bernstein in the late 80s and early 90s.

A few weeks ago, I watched a film called “Drunk, Stoned, Brilliant, Dead,” which chronicled the rise and fall of National Lampoon, a controversial humor magazine which was immensely popular in the 1970s through ‘90s.

As our world becomes increasingly global, there is more pressure upon us to do the same. But this doesn’t necessarily mean we have to spend big bucks or travel extensively to become more global.

The 2016 presidential election has captivated our nation’s collective interest, with televised debates best resembling Comedy Central roasts.

While everyone has been tuning into the presidential debates and following the latest comments from Donald Trump, this is all for an election more than a year away.

At the Democratic debate several weeks ago, Hillary Clinton told her supporters that it was essential that every person vote, claiming that when voter turnout is high, Democrats have an edge over Republicans.

Cliques exist all over Penn. It’s college, after all. But what makes group politics particularly difficult in ethnic minority communities is that minority students often rely on this group as a support system and as a place to feel welcomed, as Jessica mentioned.

Over the previous couple of weeks, members of the Penn community have been especially alert to racially charged commentaries.