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CJ Lair

Opinions Editor

CJ Lair is an opinions editor at The Brown Daily Herald. He is from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and plans to study Political Science at Brown. This is his second year writing for a publication, and is especially interested in political developments and their impacts on the Brown community.


Illustration of a hand holding a pencil on the right, finishing a worksheet entitled “POLS/HIST” with lines and three questions with boxes for answers on top of a lined notebook with notes, an open laptop and tablet in the back with a mug with liquid in it.
Opinions

Lair ’28: A case for the non-STEM problem set

Last semester, I got a taste of my pre-med roommate’s academic life: Every week, I spent a good chunk of my time working on assignments for IAPA 1401: “Economic Development in Latin America.” Typically, I had to answer six to ten questions about the reading — practically, a problem set. The ...

Illustration of a pride flag hanging in front of a building with a bright blue sky in the background that also shows a drawing of an iconic stone Providence, Rhode Island skyscraper.
Opinions

Lair ’28: Gay Brunonians shouldn’t abandon the queer community

Since I first set foot on College Hill, I’ve relished the gayness of Brown’s campus. In stark contrast to my rural high school, nearly 40% of Brown’s undergraduate student body doesn’t identify as straight — more than four times the national average. Although being at Brown does not completely ...

Photo of Thayer Street at night with a bus approaching.
Opinions

Dissent: Thayer isn’t ours to silence

On any given weekend night, Thayer Street transforms into a gathering space for Rhode Islanders. Motorcycles roar past tricked-out cars, and music spills out onto the sidewalk outside a new food spot. Families line up for late-night falafel from East Side Pockets, kids chase each other between tables ...

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Opinions

Lair ’28: The solution you're looking for isn’t trending

When I opened TikTok to see a pink bedazzled Motorola flip phone, I immediately wanted one for myself — maybe minus the glitter. I envisioned myself reading at a park, browsing vintage stores, enjoying a cup of coffee, completely engulfed in the moment. A flip phone seemed like the key to my dream ...

Quote in an image: "This calculated desensitization leads to the same surface-level discourse that prevented constructive criticism in Trump’s first term."
Opinions

Lair ’28: Trump is breaking the press

In 2018, Herald columnist Fabiana Vilsan ’19 analyzed the news media’s portrayal of President Trump during his first term. Amid President Trump’s dramatic return to the Oval Office, I returned to Vilsan’s commentary to try to understand the exact ways Trump has changed between his two terms, ...

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