Brief #140 – Foreign Policy Brief
by: Reilly Fitzgerald
In 2024, Paris is gearing up to host the Olympics. It’s a massive undertaking, blending sports, culture, and politics. Recent months have seen some challenges emerge, including venue concerns, security issues, and citizen reactions to the Games’ impact on daily life beyond just sports. With the games set to kick off at the end of June, preparations are in full swing despite these hurdles.
Brief #137 – Foreign Policy
By Reilly Fitzgerald
The detention (or internment) camps that are housing the Uyghurs (and several other ethnic minority groups) are essentially prisons. According to NBC News, they reported that a high-level Communist Party official in Xinjiang described, in leaked documents, the security measures of the camps and they more closely align with a prison than a “vocational center”.
The leaked documents mention video surveillance in/around classrooms, dormitories, and even watch towers. The Chinese government has cited worries about extremism and even terrorism from within the Uyghur population as a main driver of these policies.
Brief #34—Education
By Erin Mayer
Snow is important for the health of Earth. Snow plays a major part in regulating the planet’s temperature. Snow is hyper-reflective and is capable of sending the Sun’s energy back into space which keeps the Earth’s temperatures from rising too much through the year. According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, without snow, the ground would absorb about 4-6x the amount of solar energy that it would if there was snow on the ground – leading to warmer temperatures. Less snow could lead to droughts in areas that typically relied on snowpack melting during the warmer months for access to water, or to harvest with the purpose of providing water. It could also lead to species of animals dying that had evolved to survive in a world with snow, such as snowshoe hares (white fur coats to blend into a snowy environment). It could also lead to Indigenous knowledge related to cultural practices that involve snow may disappear, as well.
From France’s divisive hijab ban to contentious gender eligibility rulings, the Paris 2024 Olympics were marred by heated controversy. These Games raised urgent questions about fairness, freedom, and the integrity of international sport—issues that will linger far beyond the closing ceremonies.
Brief #150 – Foreign Policy Brief
by: Reilly Fitzgerald
As the Paris 2024 Olympic Games commence, the event is already overshadowed by criminal activity, doping scandals, and significant missteps in representation, raising serious questions about the integrity of the Games. With the Seine’s murky waters and security threats looming, this monumental celebration of sport finds itself at a tumultuous crossroads between tradition and modernity.
Brief #166 – Social Justice Policy Brief
by: Reilly Fitzgerald
In the murky world of sports betting, a $330 billion industry teetering on the edge of legality, the line between fair play and corruption is becoming increasingly blurred. As leagues, athletes, and law enforcement grapple with the pervasive influence of sports betting, the integrity of competition hangs in the balance.
Brief #103 – Foreign Policy Brief
by Reilly Fitzgerald
Sports are known to be contributors to pollution, and thus to climate change. Sports, such as ski racing are outdoors. As much as it contributes to climate change, and it does contribute, it also is a victim of it too.
Brief #87 – Foreign Policy Brief
by Reilly Fitzgerald
The hijab is an article of clothing that has sparked debate for years due to its connections to the Islamic faith for some…
Brief #78 – Foreign Policy
by Reilly Fitzgerald
Triathlon has a fairly short, when compared with the likes of cycling and running, history of doping. As the sport really was not founded until late in the 1970s.