Editor's Note

While my layout editors and I are putting the finishing touches on this issue, my peers and members of my editorial staff are downtown participating in the Occupy Wall Street movement. Regardless of where one falls ideologically, the movement is undoubtedly an uprising against the corporate juggernaut that defines our time. The four popular political groups on campus (CU Democrats, College Republicans, College Libertarians, and International Socialist Organization) have weighed in on this very issue in our new recurring feature, Student Stump. I cannot think of a better addition to our magazine, which now begins its second decade of existence. Our mission has always been to showcase our student body’s perspectives and insights on both popular and lesser-known issues – this feature truly takes it to the next level and presents the clash among the political opinions that exist on our campus. We may not know the fate of the Occupy Wall Street Movement, but rising antipathy for Wall Street and its economic volatility are a grave cause for concern today. This has inspired Hadi Elzayn (4) to advocate, in a Modest Proposal, for New York City to “diversify” its economic future by encouraging entrepreneurship and investing in alternative energy and biotechnology industries – in a sense, creating a Silicon Valley of its own.

Along with the constant headlines today about Wall Street, one cannot ignore the endless chatter within the media about the upcoming 2012 presidential election. Taylor Thompson (15) gives his own take on the elections, focusing on the rise of Herman Cain, who has recently become the new favorite of political satirists.  Jordan Kalms (12) analyzes the rising influence of these political satirists on the mainstream media and the American public at-large. Neither the satirists nor the conventional anchors have been anything less than critical of Obama’s presidency, and in our cover story, Matt Getz (7) delves into the forgotten region of Obama’s foreign policy, Latin America, arguing for a new era of reengagement.

As CPR loves to constantly improve and reinvent itself, I ask our readers to provide us with feedback on how this magazine can better serve its readers. Please feel free to contact me at nss2130@columbia.edu.

Narayan Subramanian

Editor-in-Chief