The passage of Initiative 594, which mandated background checks on all weapon sales, was a huge leap forward for gun safety in Washington State. It set an admirable precedent that I hope other states will follow, and many passionate gun safety advocates are overjoyed. As a student in Matteo Ricci College’s Humanities for Teaching program, […]
I am pretty darn proud of my generation. Okay, maybe I have a few reservations, and there are areas that need improvement, but you know what? We’re making some noise. Take a look at Garfield High School, for instance, which recently participated in the National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality, Repression, and the […]
In August, police officer Darren Wilson, a white man, shot and killed unarmed black teenager Michael Brown, sparking protests and debates across the nation about race relations. The Spectator interviewed Tyrone Brown, administrative coordinator for Seattle University’s Counseling and Psychological Services, about his recent experience in Ferguson, Missouri, and his plans for a new campus […]
Alyssa Brandt · The Spectator The barbarity of the Islamic State—the beheadings, the public crucifixions, the near genocide of a religious minority—is only part of the story. Across Iraq and Syria, these Sunni extremists have set fire to a region already in shambles. Destroyed by America’s legacy of war, the Iraqi state is struggling to […]
I learned of the shooting at Seattle Pacific University through a text from my sister. She asked whether I was safe, whether my friends were safe, told me about the victims (thought to be seven), the fatalities (none at that point), the gunman (in custody). No one died, I thought. This won’t be a big […]
Although I attempt to not watch too much television during the week, I have had the misfortune of viewing some rather disturbing advertisements over the past few months. Typically, these advertisements are presented through an article by The Huffington Post or Time, or through a website like Change.org, rather than on a television screen during […]
Public Safety concludes every Timely Warning Notification with the same few concise points of advice: “use your intuition”, “walk confidently and alertly” and “keep a distance”—all practices the victim is expected to adhere to. The advice is putting the responsibility on the victim to make better choices. But we believe it isn’t the victim who […]
Confusion clouds the situation in Syria as politicians advocate that several varying degrees of military action be taken, while figures like Pope Francis issue calls for peace. Sept. 7 was proclaimed by Pope Francis as a churchwide day of prayer and fasting for Syria, the first such declaration since 2003, when Pope John Paul II […]
It all started at the park. When some citizens of Istanbul heard about the government’s plan to develop Gezi Park, near major tourism district Taksim Square, they expressed their opposition to new construction with a sit-in. It’s the kind of peaceful protest that could have happened anywhere—even our own Capitol Hill. That’s why Istanbul drew […]