College students deserve freedom from food insecurity
Nketiah Berko, Views Editor
December 4, 2019
Last April, 45% of college students reported being “food insecure in the prior 30 days,” according to a survey by Temple University’s Hope Center for College, Community and Justice. This study reflects the inability of millions of American students to satisfy a basic human need. To alleviate this pr...
Students are more than a score
Nketiah Berko, Views Editor
November 20, 2019
Last month, the ACT announced that starting next September it will allow students to retake individual sections of the college admissions test. Despite the stated rationale of making standardized tests easier for students, this and similar recent test reforms only obscure a critical point — test scor...
Leaves of absence deserve Tulane’s backing
Nketiah Berko, Views Editor
November 14, 2019
This month, a Tulane professor won a grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the relationship between stress and mental illness. Such research echoes an increasing awareness of mental health’s significance on Tulane’s campus, from changes at Counseling and Psychological Services to ...
Cancer alley residents are fighting for a sustainable future
Nketiah Berko, Views Editor
October 23, 2019
Amidst the industrial smog clouding the River Parishes, the residents of Cancer Alley insist upon being heard. We owe them our attention. Last Tuesday, Newcomb Art Museum hosted a free screening of “Women of Cancer Alley,” a series of films made by women residing along the eponymous corridor along t...
‘Joker’ social critique: All set-up, no punchline
Nketiah Berko, Views Editor
October 16, 2019
WARNING: Spoilers for "Joker" below. If you haven't watched the movie, help yourself to any of our other quality articles. Entering the month of October, America’s strange fascination with killer clowns continues. On Oct. 4, “Joker,” the Todd Phillips-directed origin story for Batman’s most notorio...
American tradition lives on at Area 51
Nketiah Berko, Views Editor
September 18, 2019
Nketiah Berko is a writer who is definitely human and not at all an alien. In the course of human events, the conscience of a nation is occasionally awakened. From the storming of the Bastille to Tiananmen Square, the power of the people asserts itself against oppressive, often secretive regimes. On Sept. 20, this ...
Stan Lee left a world in need of the heroes he created
Nketiah Berko, Staff Writer
November 14, 2018
Famed Marvel Comics editor Stan Lee died on Nov. 13, leaving behind both a daughter and a transformative impact in the comic book industry. Bringing to life such characters as Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man and the Hulk, Lee’s work both entertained and inspired, laying the foundation...
Kendrick Lamar Pulitzer win showcases increased respect afforded to hip-hop
Nketiah Berko, Views Editor
April 25, 2018
On April 16, Kendrick Lamar won the Pulitzer Prize for Music. Acknowledging Lamar's 2017 album "Damn," the 2018 award marks the first time a non-classical or jazz musical composition has been recognized. Widely recognized as one of the most dominant forces in the rap industry today, Lamar suffers from no shor...
Louisiana Supreme Court case illustrates shortcomings of charter schools
Nketiah Berko, Views Editor
March 21, 2018
The Louisiana Supreme Court overturned a decision by the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal regarding charter school funding on March 13. The lower court's ruling held that 35 charter schools did not qualify as public schools and, thus, were not entitled to state aid. The contentious case, in which ...
A superhero of our own: What “Black Panther” means to us
Nketiah Berko, Views Editor
February 22, 2018
Last Friday, Marvel Studios released "Black Panther," the 18th film in the expanding Marvel cinematic universe. Marvel's newest hero is a regal monarch protecting a prosperous nation. Possessing a fierce intellect and formidable physical abilities, he is a warrior and a chieftain, a statesman and ...
Louisiana must address lack of judicial diversity in the state
Nketiah Berko, Views Editor
February 1, 2018
A recent study conducted by two Tulane professors, released Jan. 25, underscored a startling lack of diversity in Louisiana's judiciary. Professors Sally J. Kenney and Heather L. Johnson, reviewing available Louisiana Secretary of State data, found that despite a 100 percent increase in the number of district court judges, female and minority representat...
City’s agreement with YouthForce NOLA prioritizes student success
Nketiah Berko, Views Editor
January 24, 2018
Last month, the New Orleans City Council agreed to provide $1.1 million in paid internships for the city's high school students. The initiative, undertaken with YouthForce NOLA, aims to support up to 275 interns in 2018, with the number increasing to 325 interns in both 2019 and 2020. This collaboration between the private and public sectors, delivering a good which neither has been able to...
