The Fairfax County School board voted to include sexual orientation and later gender identity to its nondiscrimination guide within the Students Rights & Responsibilities handbook about a year and a half ago. That means up until the start of last school year it wasn’t against FCPS policy to openly discriminateContinue Reading

America has a lot to purge from its system. Fear of difference, rejection of the establishment and hate and anger; the underestimated movement of the 2016 election came at an unfortunate time and cost for progressive legislation, but it was unavoidable. According to our nation’s history, the anger of votersContinue Reading

Despite how much progress technology has made, we are still bound to using paper for assignments, homework and pretty much anything remotely academic. The World Institute reports that globally, more than 300 million tons of paper are consumed yearly, with Canada and the United States being the leading manufacturing countries.Continue Reading

We started Volume 53 of the Rank&File with a number of perhaps rather bold goals. Despite operating with a staff that was far smaller than any of us were used to with just 13 members, we hoped to radically expand our online presence and improve on our role as aContinue Reading

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs), specifically crops such as corn, wheat, tomatoes and rice, are rising in popularity as the agricultural industry attempts to keep up with the rapidly increasing population. A GMO is the result of a process by which genes from one organism are inserted into another in orderContinue Reading

For thousands of years, humans have fawned over exotic wild animals while they were trapped behind bars. Currently global climate change is destroying habitats, causing them and the animals who live in it to disappear. This in turn allows zoos to argue their own existence is essential for the preservationContinue Reading

For the older demographic of the current generation, the 2016 presidential election represents their first foray into the vast expanse of the political realm. While this election process in particular has been riddled with complexities and complications such as the dispute over violence at the candidates’ rallies, its presence withinContinue Reading

Dress codes have changed significantly over the years, depending on the style of the time. According to The Atlantic, many schools in previous decades have banned go-go boots, or tops that reveal the shoulder, and repealed these regulations shortly after they pass out of vogue. The attentive observer will noticeContinue Reading

As an avid user of sites like YouTube and Twitch, ads are a nuisance that I have to deal with constantly. However, plug-ins like Adblock can fix this problem. This clears up the screen for what I’m looking for and not what a company is trying to sell, but AdblockContinue Reading

The United States currency is soon to get a controversial overhaul. Ever since the U.S. Treasury announced a redesign of the $10 bill in June, American citizens have weighed in with their opinions on who should earn a spot in print. Modern Money, the Treasury’s campaign to keep the publicContinue Reading