After 20 years, the United States’ longest war is over. A day before President Joe Biden’s deadline of  Aug. 31, the U.S. evacuated Afghanistan of as many U.S. citizens and Afghan refugees as possible. However, the Biden administration’s decision to withdraw has been under fire after recent events, including a terror attack at the Kabul airport taking the lives of 13 U.S. service members and dozens of civilians and the Taliban retaking the country. 

Adding to the controversy, an Aug. 29 drone strike in Kabul was confirmed to have killed 10 Afghan civilians – including seven children – in an attempt to target a terrorist group whom the military falsely deemed a direct threat to the withdrawal mission. Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command, called the strike a “tragic mistake” during a press conference on Sept. 17.

According to Brown University’s Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, an estimated 71 thousand Afghan and Pakistani civilians are thought to have died as a direct result of the war since 2001.

The Taliban was formed in 1994 by a group of former resistance fighters that combated the Soviet Union. The Taliban enforced strict Islamic law in 1996 after they took control of Afghanistan the first time. The laws included women having to wear head-to-toe coverings, not being allowed to study or work and being forbidden from traveling alone. Television, music and non-Islamic holidays were also banned. The country under Taliban rule also housed the mastermind behind the sept. 11, 2001 attack against the U.S. and leader of al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden.

After 9/11, the U.S. led an allied attack to oust the Taliban from power and prevent the country from being a base for any future attacks by the terror cell. For 20 years, the U.S. has provided military and administrative support to the interim government of Afghanistan, as the country has struggled to defeat the Taliban. The war cost the U.S. over $2 trillion and thousands of American lives. The conversation about withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan has been a political talking point for over a decade. Plans for withdrawal have been around since the Obama administration. 

In February 2020, former President Donald Trump announced a peace treaty with the Taliban. The deal stipulated that the U.S. would leave the country in 14 months and the Taliban would not harbor terrorists and not harm any U.S. troops. Under the treaty, the U.S. would also release 5,000 Taliban prisoners in exchange for 1,000 U.S. prisoners. Months after the deal was signed, evidence began to surface that the radical group had already violated measures of it. A United Nations report explained that the group still has strong ties to the terror group al Qaeda. 

Biden finalized the 20 year-long war stating that the U.S. counterterrorism mission was over. Since the withdrawal, over 100,000 Afghan refugees have been evacuated from the country with thousands more trying to flee. According to Secretary of State Antony Bliken, “As of the end of last week, we had about 100 American citizens in Afghanistan who told us that they wish to leave the country.” The concerns of human rights violations have become a prevalent issue as the Taliban begins to reimplement Sharia law. 

Almost a month after the withdrawal happened, Biden continues to defend his administration’s approach to the conflict, stating, it was, “The right decision, the wise decision, the best decision for America.” Biden has reiterated the American commitment to help Americans and Afghans safely leave the country. As the Taliban implement their new government, the U.S. will be keeping a close eye on the nation and the new government’s actions.

SpaceX launched a crew of four astronauts to the International Space Station on April 23. The astronauts originated from three countries: the United States, France and Japan. Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur work for NASA; Akihiko Hoshide is a member of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA); and Thomas Pesquet is a member of the European Space Agency. 

The team arrived at their destination on the morning of April 24 – 23 hours after takeoff. All four of the crew members had previous experience in space travel and living in space. The crew will spend six months in space carrying out a scientific mission.

“We couldn’t have asked for anything better,” McArthur, the pilot for the spacecraft, said.

“I asked them what they look forward to most in the mission, and they said launching and getting up on the station and getting to work,” NASA’s Acting Administrator, Steve Jurczyk, said.

The expedition marks the second flight for two SpaceX spacecraft. Falcon 9, the rocket, was recycled from a November mission, and the Crew Dragon spacecraft –the actual vessel for transportation –was originally used in May 2020 for SpaceX’s first-ever manned flight in space.

Reusing components, such as rockets and the vessel itself, may allow space travel to occur with more ease and affordability, potentially important factors in SpaceX’s goals of commercial space travel and to make humanity “multi-planetary.” Though such an accomplishment is still a long way away, the events of last week’s successful mission reaffirmed its plausibility for many. 

Elon Musk, co-founder and owner of SpaceX, Tesla and Neuralink, said he believes that human missions to Mars are closer than most think. The science-orientated entrepreneur claimed to be “highly confident”  that SpaceX will put humans on Mars by 2026. However, Musk acknowledges that such a goal would require a spacecraft that is closer to a commercial airplane. If all goes well, SpaceX’s Starship rocket –which is still in development – would only need maintenance instead of a complete rebuild each time it is launched – a development with the potential to save SpaceX millions of dollars. 

Interest in space travel has occupied human imagination as far back as the 1960s – if not before then. Earlier in the week, President Joe Biden called to congratulate another team on their success in their attempt to launch a helicopter on Mars in early April. During his speech, President Biden mentioned that his grandson wanted to know when he could go to Mars. This quip characterizes the purpose of SpaceX and their mission to eventually colonize Mars, which is much closer now than ever before.

Over the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic devastated the country, and yet with the worst presumably behind us, marginalized populations continue to take the brunt of the resulting financial, social and health-related disparities in the United States. Amid the pandemic, an all-too-familiar pattern of violence revealed itself – one that we can no longer let fester by means of our own silence.

Following the murder of George Floyd in summer 2020, the 2020-21 the Monitor editorial staff released a statement in support of Black lives, pledging to devote our organization’s time and resources to covering issues surrounding diversity, inclusion and injustice within our community. Reflecting on our progress, now with two semesters completed, we realize that we still have a lot of room to grow for fall 2021. 

Most urgently, we are extending this commitment to include Asian American and Pacific Islander students and members of our local and national community. With the pandemic promoting violent, targeted attacks against AAPI demographics, we recognize the importance of committing our time and resources towards their perspectives. 

In fall 2021, we plan to further recognize the experiences of both BIPOC and AAPI communities through extensive news reporting, efforts in diversifying staff and offering specific roles to BIPOC and AAPI students. We also hope to devote some staff-writer positions to report on issues specific to diversity, inclusion and injustice on a local and national scale.

We condemn any form of violence toward BIPOC and AAPI communities. The changes made to our structure and news-reporting prerogatives, explained in further detail below, will not change the world; however, we hope to give BIPOC and AAPI people within our community more confidence and security in their identities so that they may be empowered to tell their stories and further inspire others vicariously. 

In this review, we will identify the areas of our 2020-21 Commitment in which we met our goals, did not meet our goals and specific ways we aim to eventually meet such goals. 2020-21 Editor-in-Chief Christina Kirk reviewed our progress for fall 2020 earlier this year.

Thank you,

Krista Halstead | Co-Editor-in-Chief, Chief Copy Editor

Liz Payton | Co-Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor

Trent Brink | Sports Editor 

Zach Dube | Perspectives Editor

Alaina Flory | Arts & Culture Editor

Teresa Mainzer| Lifestyle Editor

Links for resources and donations:

• https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co
• https://indigenousrights.carrd.co/ 
• https://stopasianhate.carrd.co/
  

Undertake journalistic investigations into instances of racism and discrimination within the Jewell community, publishing a minimum of two to three full investigative pieces per semester.

The Hilltop Monitor met our first goal in exposing instances of racism and discrimination within the Jewell community through investigative pieces. As new information about the college’s historical relationship to slavery and the new “Slavery, Memory, and Justice” course was released, The Hilltop Monitor published four investigative updates. The publication also took a look into the college’s Diversity and Inclusion curriculum and how it may evolve alongside Jewell’s Radical Inclusivity work.

This fall, we plan to continue with updates on the “Slavery, Memory, and Justice” course as well as the research into Jewell’s past. We will also be emphasizing a focus on accountability and promoting change with our investigations; although our articles remain unbiased and factually centered, we recognize our role in cultivating change through access to information and alternative perspectives.

Status: Met

Articles:

• Slavery, Memory, and Justice course seeks to investigate Jewell’s past, Feb. 12
• A discussion of diversity and inclusion in Jewell’s curriculum, Feb. 19
• New research uncovers ties between Jewell and slavery, April 16
• Jewell’s Slavery, Memory, and Justice Project uncovers, illuminates Alexander Doniphan’s pro-slavery stances and ties, April 23
• Slavery, Memory, and Justice Project uncovers details about Dr. William Jewell’s slaveholding past, April 30

Provide more accessible avenues by which all members of our community can bring to our attention leads, tips and story ideas relating to diversity and inclusivity in order to expand our coverage, including but not limited to a Google form accessible on all of our social media.

The Hilltop Monitor continues to provide more ways for Jewell’s community to bring up topics relating to diversity, inclusion and more through Google forms and social media. This allows us to expand coverage over relative and impactful stories. As mentioned in later goal updates, we will be attempting to reach out to the community further via more specific Google Forms and opportunities for authoring content for our website.

Status: Met

Forms:

• Contact us at monitor@william.jewell.edu
• Social media: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Presence
• The Hilltop Monitor Suggestion Box

Place an increased focus on reporting on racial disparities as they present themselves within Liberty, the Kansas City metro and the U.S., by publishing at minimum five of these news pieces per semester and designating a beat specifically concerning these issues, so that staff members are always ready to cover these issues the moment they present themselves

The Hilltop Monitor met this goal by publishing five articles that reported on newsworthy topics impacting BIPOC. From local talk about police reform to vaccine availability to vaccine deserts, these articles provided insights on some of the difficulties BIPOC are currently facing. 

For fall 2021, we plan to increase the number of beat reporters working with us and dedicate at least two of those positions to BIPOC and AAPI issues specifically. Additionally, we are increasing this goal from five news pieces to seven, with the hope of publishing even more as we grow our staff.

Status: Met

Articles:

• Vaccine deserts in Missouri, Feb. 26
• Progressive crisis response team reveals promising results, March 5
• An update on the confederate monument in Fairview and New Hope cemeteries, April 9
• Making strides for police reform in Missouri, April 9
• Rising hate crimes against the Asian American Pacific Islander community, April 12

Incorporate themes of advocacy, inclusion and dignity into articles on all pages, not just Features and News, including but not limited to publishing more artist and sports features on BIPOC and more reviews of art/work/content created by BIPOC

Although we recognize several articles outside of Features and News that touch on advocacy, inclusion and dignity, we believe that we have not yet reached our goal. We aim to highlight the talents and voices of more BIPOC and AAPI students by reinstating our “Humans of Jewell” series. 

With an emphasis on reporting issues specific to BIPOC and AAPI students, we also hope to foster an environment where students can feel more comfortable reviewing media that holds importance and relevance to BIPOC and AAPI communities.

Status: More work to be done

Articles:

• A Time for Hope: Vice President Kamala Harris’ Historic Inauguration, Feb. 5
• The role model effect illustrates the significance of Kamala Harris as Vice President, Feb. 12
• Serena Williams legacy is shadowed by her NFL counterpart, March 17
• A day in Kansas City, March 19
• Hideki Matsuyama makes history at Masters, April 23

Recruit more BIPOC staff members by reaching out to organizations like BSA, Mi Gente, INSA – not only asking them to join our staff but also asking them if there are ways we can make our reporting more inclusive

As of spring 2021, The Hilltop Monitor staff remains predominantly white; however, as fall promises us more opportunity to meet in larger gatherings and host events, we hope to recruit more BIPOC and AAPI students. Due to restrictions and general stress from COVID-19, many organizations at Jewell had problems with sustained interest from students throughout the 2020-21 year. We hope that as organizations like BSA, Mi Gente, INSA and others gain more influence and interest on campus, we can partner with them in more structured ways and work towards inclusive recruitment.

Status: Unmet

Use our platform to highlight and amplify BIPOC voices, including, but not limited to, regularly commissioning opinion pieces and letters to the editor from BIPOC, seeking out interviews from more BIPOC and featuring more BIPOC-led initiatives in our news reporting

In our news and feature coverage, we highlighted many initiatives that Jewell took this semester regarding Radical Inclusivity and diversifying campus. Though we reported on these topics, we did not seek out BIPOC voices to provide their perspectives on the changes. We plan to start featuring the voices of those directly or indirectly impacted by such initiatives moving forward.

Over the spring semester, very few opinions or submitted pieces were published, let alone from BIPOC. To remove some of the barriers in submitting content, we plan to offer a more easily available platform for BIPOC and AAPI artists, content creators and critics, so that they may submit their reviews, artwork, media creations, etc. via a Google Form. Though this opportunity will not be exclusive to BIPOC and AAPI students, we will focus on publicizing this Form among Jewell organizations that serve marginalized populations in hope to feature their voices among other artists and content-creators who would not have the opportunity otherwise. The Hilltop staff looks forward to sharing the opinions and perspectives of BIPOC and AAPI students by regularly commissioning content.

Status: Unmet

Articles:

• Student groups, library services create Radical Inclusivity focused Critical Foundations Collection as part of Curry Library, Feb. 12
• An Update on Diversity and Inclusion Efforts with Dr. Rodney Smith, Feb. 15
• How Jewell’s admissions department is taking steps to improve campus diversity, Feb. 19
• Shape Your Future program assists select incoming students transition into college, Feb. 19
• Jewell Establishes Racial Reconciliation Commission, April 12

Establish direct lines of communication with the leadership of campus multicultural organizations in order to increase coverage on them, especially those representing BIPOC, including publishing dedicated features explaining the missions of each of these organizations as well as publishing content throughout the year reporting these organizations’ initiatives 

As mentioned, general campus culture took a hit this past year due to COVID-19 restrictions. Once multicultural organizations are allowed to hold more gatherings and events, we hope to cover them extensively. This will also open up more communication between the Monitor and such organizations so we can continue to encourage organization members to submit content or feature specific individuals within the organization.

Status: Unmet

Carefully question and probe the validity of data and statistics from law enforcement agencies for misrepresentative or racially biased information

The Hilltop Monitor met this goal for spring 2021. With four investigative stories on Jewell’s historical ties to slavery, publishing unbiased, factually accurate information was imperative. Though we have four checkpoints in place to catch potentially biased or incorrect information, the Monitor staff took extra caution with these investigative pieces, ensuring that every detail was suitable to be published under our standards. In fall 2021, we plan to further include staff writers in informative workshops on biased versus unbiased writing and the importance of credible sources.

Status: Met

Explicitly ask cabinets and senators running for Student Senate both at the annual Senate debates and within interviews how they intend to oppose racism and promote diversity and inclusivity on campus, particularly with regards to recruitment and retention, enrollment, housing and representation on campus

Hosting the Student Senate debate last fall, we asked each candidate a few questions regarding topics like campus safety, Title IX and diversity on campus. We intend to emphasize the same topics, with more detail, at the next debate and within individual interviews.

Status: More work to be done

Articles:

• Cabinets running for Student Senate participate in annual debate, Sept. 29, 2020
• Jewell’s new Student Senate Cabinet plans for the year, appoints senators, Oct. 20, 2020
• A Demographic Analysis of Student Senate, Dec. 4, 2020

The Hilltop Monitor encourages feedback from our audience. If you have any questions, constructive criticisms, or suggestions for how we can better reach our goals, please contact us at monitor@william.jewell.edu, or send it anonymously to The Hilltop Monitor Suggestion Box.

On April 14, Congressional Democrats proposed legislation that would expand the Supreme Court to 13 justices, as opposed to nine – the longstanding standard since 1869. This proposal is the first significant effort to overhaul the Supreme Court since President Roosevelt attempted to expand it in his second term. 

The number of justices on the Supreme Court is established through a Federal Statute, not within the Constitution. According to the House of Representatives Judiciary members, the legislation is an attempt to rectify the actions of judicial appointments made by former President Donald Trump.

“As our country has grown, so should the Supreme Court,” Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), chair of the judiciary committee, stated. “13 justices for 13 circuits is a logical progression.” 

The proposal follows a recent executive order by President Joe Biden that calls for a bipartisan commission to study the Supreme Court and its history, which will include the legality of any proposed changes. The commission will focus on reviewing the current lifetime tenure of Justices and the number of judges allowed to serve. The commission has yet to report its findings. 

As top Congressional leaders in both political parties criticize the proposed legislation, the bill will be facing an uphill battle before it is even considered for a vote.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said she supported Biden’s effort to study the history of the Supreme Court but stopped short of supporting the legislation that would expand it. Pelosi told reporters that she had no intention of bringing it to the House floor to be voted on. In October, President Biden was asked about the issue of expanding the Supreme Court and said that he was “not a fan of court-packing.”

Along with criticism within the Democratic Party, the proposal has been universally dismissed by Republicans. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) described the attempt to expand the Supreme Court as a “terrible idea.”

“The stability is what I worry about,” Graham stated. “If they try to expand the court to dilute a conservative majority, the next time Republicans are in power – will we change the number? And you make the Supreme Court basically a political football – it loses its independence, its consistency.”

Graham’s sentiment is not only shared by the Republican party but by some Supreme Court Justices as well.

“It is wrong to think of the Court as another political institution,” Justice Stephen Breyer said during a speech at Harvard Law. “And it is doubly wrong to think of its members as junior league politicians. Structural alteration motivated by the perception of political influence can only feed that perception, further eroding that trust.” 

After the announcement of the proposed legislation, Rasmussen – a self-described nonpartisan, independent electronic data company – conducted an independent survey on one thousand voters, finding that 55% of likely voters opposed the expansion of the Supreme Court. Rasmussen conducted a similar survey last fall and found mirrored results: 53% of likely voters opposed the expansion of the Supreme Court.

However, creating term limits for justices appears to be a more popular proposal for any changes to the Supreme Court. In Rasmussen’s fall survey, they found that 52% of likely voters supported term limits for Supreme Court Justices. Similarly, a Reuters poll found that 63% of likely voters from their surveyed population wanted lifetime appointments to end.

The next step in the process depends on if the proposed legislation is accepted to be heard on the House floor. If the measure is not heard, the next step will undoubtedly depend on the recommendation from the bipartisan commission.