Em-URGE-ing Voices

Anna

Major: Neuroscience
Hometown: Ocean Springs, Mississippi
Favorite writer: This is almost impossible to answer, but because of how much the Harry Potter series has influenced not only my love for books, but writing as well, I have to say J.K. Rowling.
Favorite sex scene from a movie/TV/book: Keira Knightley and James McAvoy in Atonement. I loved the novel Atonement, but I almost love the movie more for being such a faithful adaptation, especially when it comes to the characters. So many scenes do a good job of portraying emotions, especially with how tension is used in the scene between these two characters in a library. Plus, James McAvoy.
Hidden Talent: I’m kind of a pop culture guru and know a ridiculous amount of information about film and television.

Posts By: Anna Khan

Reproductive Rights Are Human Rights Is Not Just a Slogan

To anyone that believes that Trump’s presidency isn’t causing any real harm, I’m afraid to tell you that you are terribly mistaken. The State Department recently released their annual human rights report, and the section on reproductive rights has been removed. A section that previously included an outline on access to abortion and contraception and detailed maternal mortality rates has been replaced with a section discussing “coercion in population control” which documents involuntary or “unethical” sterilization. This, along with new sections solidifying America’s compliance with countries with governments known to violate human rights, exemplify what the Trump presidency prioritizes and what it always has. Reproductive rights hadn’t even been included in the human rights report properly until 2011 under the Obama administration. The reasoning behind removing reproductive rights from the human… Read more »

Don’t Confuse Political Correctness with Respecting People

Last year, South Asian comedian Hari Kondabalu released a documentary film entitled The Problem with Apu that included South Asian celebrities discussing the impact of The Simpsons’ character, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon. The character has been criticized since the inception of the show for being a racist caricature of Indian-Americans, not helped by the fact that the character is voiced by a white actor doing an exaggerated accent. Kondabalu’s documentary includes interviews from South Asian celebrities who all have had similar experiences in direct result of the character: microaggressions and racial slurs with several of them being asked to do the Apu accent while auditioning for roles in Hollywood. The producers of The Simpsons have remained largely indifferent to these concerns, but an episode that aired Sunday evening directly addressed them head-on in, quite possibly, one of the worst… Read more »

Black People Have Been Marching

This weekend, tens of thousands of Americans joined together all around the country to protest gun control in the March for Our Lives. The students from the high school in Parkland, Florida, which suffered a massive shooting taking 17 lives, have been speaking up loudly about their feelings on gun control. There was an overwhelmingly positive response from notable figures, even the White House sending out a message to commend the students for exercising their first amendment rights. The March for Our Lives is a good thing, and its response is even better. Youth from all around the country are tired of gun violence being ignored, and their determination is not going unheard. However, this is not the first time gun violence has been protested this much before. What makes this… Read more »

Yes, We Do Need Love, Simon

When I read Simon Vs. The Homosapiens Agenda for the first time, I was not looking for a book about real, political issues. I was simply looking for a fun read, and I got it in this charming romantic comedy about a gay teenager struggling to come out to his family and friends. This Friday, the movie adaptation Love, Simon will be released, and its marketing campaign is filled with funny puns like “He’s done keeping his story straight” and “coming out” used for advertising. The story isn’t groundbreaking or complicated in any way. Rather, it’s an anomaly because it’s a simple gay love story with a happy ending. An article in Time recently discussed whether this is a movie that today’s generation needs particularly. The author argues that a story about a white… Read more »

WE Get The Job Done

On February 11, 2018, the first female American figure skater in Olympics history nailed one of the most challenging feats in figure skating, the triple axel. Her name is Mirai Nagasu, and this is only one of her many accomplishments. A three-time Four Continents medalist and seven-time US national medalist, Mirai has achieved more at the age of 24 than a lot of Americans could ever dream. The recent conversation has been centered around her triple axel accomplishment, while her Asian-American heritage did not become relevant until a tweet from a New York Times reporter sparked outrage a day after Mirai’s triple axel. The reporter tweeted a gif of her performing the axel with the words “Immigrants. They get the job done.” A line popularized from a track on Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton mixtape,… Read more »

Choice Is a Part of Life

Twenty years ago from Monday, terrorist Eric Rudolph bombed an abortion clinic in Birmingham, Alabama, killing a police officer named Robert Sanderson and a nurse named Emily Lyons. About a week or so before, the March for Life in Washington, D.C. was led by Alabama students and activists. Abortion opponents have been protesting just as long as its advocates, and I find it hard to believe that actions like those committed by Eric Rudolph would be morally admissible to activists who are fighting to preserve life. At least, that’s what they really believe they’re doing. I don’t mean to specifically target Alabama–though they are one of many states with a population that is majority pro-life. It was simply the coincidence of these events taking place that got me thinking more about the… Read more »

Rape Culture is Dating Culture

Another sexual assault revelation in wake of the #MeToo movement was posted online, accusing comedian Aziz Ansari of sexual misconduct. The piece, “I went on a date with Aziz Ansari. it turned into the worst night of my life,” has received a lot of backlash, much more so than others, with many supporters of this movement claiming this accuser had gone too far. In the piece, the anonymous woman “Grace” recounts a night where Aziz acted forcefully upon her the whole night with her giving few verbal cues about her discomfort, but giving no indication that she was consenting to anything that he was doing. Still, several publications have released op-eds where woman, often sexual assault survivors themselves, believe calling this an act of sexual assault to undermine the movement. Many… Read more »

They Broke The Silence–Now Show Us You’re Listening

Time‘s Person of the Year was recently announced: The Silence Breakers, a group of women who spoke out against sexual assault this year and helped start the #MeToo movement. Since Trump’s recent claims to have been asked to be the Person of the Year for 2017, the real choice felt like an even bigger victory. Until, I saw that Trump was actually the first runner up for Person of the Year. Here’s a passage from Time‘s article: “One thing is sure: love him or hate him, Trump has invaded our attention in ways previous Presidents never did. He commands more than just the levers of executive power; he has the nation, and the world, in the grip of his singular performance, and events have bent to his will. This has… Read more »

Sexual Assault Is Bad, But a Woman In Charge? Even Worse.

During the past week, national news has covered the Alabama senate race scheduled for December after sexual assault allegations were made against candidate Roy Moore. Post-Weinstein, many survivors of sexual assault have been encouraged to speak up, and Roy Moore has just been added to the list of the accused. Testimonies from multiple women, as well as evidence presented by those close to Moore, all corroborate these accusations, and I frankly can’t fathom why anyone would believe otherwise. Reports have stated recently that rival candidate Doug Jones has been gaining momentum in the polls since the revelations, and although there’s still a good chance of Moore’s victory, the backlash against him since the accusations has made a considerable difference for some voters and major figures at the White House. As a… Read more »