Ebrahim Raisi: Iran's Newest President

After securing 62% of the Iranian vote, “ultra-conservative” Ebrahim Raisi has won the Iranian presidential election. According to Statistica, out of the 59.31 million eligible voters in Iran, only 28.93 million of these voters opted into casting their vote in this most recent election. In the past, Iran has relied on a high voter turnout to support the notion that Iranian elections are legitimate and fair (even if the Guardian Council virtually handpicks candidates). Recently, however, “#nowayIvote” was trending heavily on Persian social medias in the time leading up to the election. BBC credits this lack of voter enthusiasm with a growing sense of Iranian dissatisfaction with their government. Extreme reactions to political protests, general crackdowns and an economic crisis have resulted in an Iranian population that seemingly distrusts the legitimacy of their government. This corruption and economic crises served as the foundation for the 60-year-old Raisi campaign. Despite his campaign and his election, many question Ebrahim’s ability to act on his promises. Recently, activists have pointed out that Raisi allegedly played an integral role in the mass killing of political prisoners. It is safe to assume that his supposed role in these killings will be a topic of continued conversation in Iran, as there has been a large amount of upset surrounding the killing of political prisoners since the 2017 election.

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Vishakha Desai Offers the Poly a New Perspective on Identity

On November 11, the Poly community was lucky enough to speak with and hear from the distinguished author and intellect, Vishakha Desai. With her book, World as Family as the framework for the discussion, Poly students were given the opportunity to engage with Desai through the Q&A structured event. I was deeply moved by Desai’s perspective on identity. When reading her book, I found myself having a difficult time understanding how her mother was able to be both an ardent feminist and advocate and a woman who maintained her cultural tradition. To me, it seemed as though Desai’s mother’s feminism would be hindered by practices and values she chose to maintain. When given the chance to ask Desai about this dichotomy, she explained that identity does not have to be so clearly defined. We all have many identities, she shared. For Desai, she is an American-Indian, an Indian-American, a New Yorker, a woman from India living in New York, and so on and so forth. None of these i...

Global Scholars Reflection

Looking back on my experience as a Poly K-12 student, the Global Scholars Program stands out. Frequently in our community, we talk about a Poly or a Pasadena “bubble,” a sphere of separation between us and the greater LA, USA, and international communities. The Global Scholars Program allowed me the opportunity to pop that bubble and truly learn about the world around me. As a result of the varied sources we were exposed to- international experts, news, personal stories and even history- I gained a surprisingly well rounded perspective on what it means to be a global citizen. Especially after nearly two years of isolation from my peers and from the rest of the international community, the empathy and connections that were built individually and within our cohort continue to be of paramount importance. For me, my identity as a Global Scholar began to really take hold after I was able to facilitate the discussion portion of our International Women's Day Celebration ev...

Policy Memo in Response to KhinSandi Lwin's GIP Event

Dear President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, As a newly appointed advising foreign affairs officer, I believe it to be my duty to address the current Myanmar conflict. Yes, I am aware that this conflict is not new, and yes, I am aware of the seemingly interminable complications surrounding this conflict, but still, I implore you to reflect on both this memo and the Myanmar coup with great seriousness. In the United States, and as citizens of the globe, we must actively support our core values of democracy and basic human rights. In 1962, when the military first took over what was then referred to as Burma, these aforementioned international values were immediately eradicated from the Burmese social/political landscape . After 60 years of a complete military takeover, and a blatant disregard for the lives of the citizens of Myanmar, the military junta dissolved . This opened up opportunities for the Aung San Suu Kyi-led National League for Democracy (NLA) political pa...

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