Medha Chandorkar

Bio

As a junior at Georgetown University in Washington DC, I'm studying Government, Women's and Gender Studies, and Justice and Peace Studies. I'm interested in social justice issues, particularly women's rights in the developing world, and politics. Outside of school, I love dancing and reading, and I'm a huge TV / movie buff. In the future, I hope to become a lawyer but right now, I'm just focused on the moment.
On Thursday, it was announced that former South African President Nelson Mandela had died, at age 95. Mandela had a number of issues with his health in recent years, including repeated hospitalizations with a chronic lung infection. The leader had…
Denying climate change is ridiculous. Denying mankind's role in it is even more ridiculous. As Typhoon Haiyan hit the shores of the Philippines (eventually killing over 10,000 people and leaving more than 50,000 homeless), the other side of the…
It's no secret that former presidential candidate Mitt Romney was a childhood bully. A year ago, Romney's classmates from high school recounted his reputation as a prankster, but also ended up telling some deeply troubling stories. It culminated…
In fields like medicine, where doctors handle sensitive information about individual human beings, there are strict ethical codes that determine professional behavior. The most fundamental medical principles are "do no harm" and "put patient…
The fight for workers' rights to openly identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender in the workplace is building up to a grand finale, as the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which prevents employers from discriminating against LGBT…
Imagine being in the middle of a forest fire, with the thick, heavy smoke choking you and making it impossible to see anything. Now take out the fire and multiply the smoke a few times over, and you might be able to imagine what it was like to be in…
Today marks the anniversary of the United States' 13-year war in Afghanistan, a conflict that nobody seems to remember is still being fought. Operation Enduring Freedom began 12 years ago as a "just war," with a direct link to 9/11 and a clear…
If there is one thing more infuriating than imagining the Republicans shutting down the government to placate their temper tantrum, it's listening to them trying to explain their logic and reason behind this ridiculous move. On Sunday's Meet the…
The unending struggles of the Israel-Palestine conflict is the latest issue on President Obama's mind. President Obama has arranged a meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas tomorrow at the U.N. General Assembly meeting in New…
A spacecraft launched in the 1970s, Voyager 1 is still traveling and sending back data today, well beyond the scope of its initial, relatively simplistic mission. Keep reading to find out more about where Voyager 1 is today, what it's teaching us…
The public's approval rating of Congress hovers in the mid-teens, and it's not hard to see why, especially when the GOP-controlled House seems insistent on wasting time with ridiculous bills that are purely symbolic rather than effective. It's no…
For centuries, doctors have considered a person to be dead once their heart stops beating. But according to Dr. Sam Parnia of SUNY's Stony Brook University, even after someone's heart has stopped and their brain is no longer active, they can be…
In 2010, Pennsylvania's Tom Corbett (R) won the race for governor by running on a platform that promised to restore public trust in the state government. Corbett championed "honesty, accountability, and transparency," and he has released statements…
No matter how little or how much you care about the British royal family, you must've seen the pictures of Will and Kate presenting their new son to the entire world. There's a lot of tradition in that picture. The royal baby is always born in the…
On Wednesday, students at a public school in the Indian state of Bihar complained that their school lunch didn't taste good. Students complaining about cafeteria food is usually par for the course at any school, but this time, it was a much more…
Massachusetts has finally figured out the key to domestic violence policy: make the abuser pay the price, not the victim. The U.S. justice system might legally blame domestic abusers, but in practice, it's the victims that suffer the consequences.…
Superheroes are the idols of children everywhere, and for good reason. They fly at the speed of light, leap from the tallest buildings, and own the coolest gadgets, all while fighting crime and restoring justice to the world. It's no surprise that…
The role of the Catholic Church is to guide and protect its followers. Except, apparently, when it’s protecting its pedophile priests instead. According to hundreds of documents that were released this week, the Milwaukee archdiocese has ignored…
Two sisters, dancing and singing in the rain. One flashes a smile at the camera. In some places in the world, that would be a cherished home video. But in Pakistan, it is grounds for murder. 16-year-old Noor Basra and her sister Noor Sheza, age 15,…
President Obama is beginning an 8-day tour of Africa on Thursday, the first time he has done any sort of extensive African visit as president. It's a moment that's been eagerly awaited by countless Africans, many of whom view Obama as a promising…