Weekly Writers Round-Up: Super PACs, Teen Vogue, and Criminal Justice Reform

Each week, we’ll be featuring the work of the alumni and current participants of AF’s Writing Fellows Program. A few highlights from the past week are below. For more information on the program, see here. Applications for the spring are now open!

The Mets Aren’t Good, but Free Speech Is by Eric Peterson (Fall 2014) in The Daily Caller
The World Series is now underway between the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Absent from the Fall Classic due to their mediocre performance this year is the New York Mets. But don’t tell that to 15-year-old Ben Aybar. Ben is like many high school students. He enjoys his extracurricular activities, computers and, above all else, the New York Mets. But unlike other teenage Mets fans, Ben has a super PAC to prove his loyalty…

Teen Vogue’s Naive Take on Capitalism by Chloe Anagnos (Summer 2017) in AIER
Nobody would expect Teen Vogue to offer accurate commentary on economics, but the report on capitalism featured on the fashion-and-entertainment outlet for teens recently sounds a lot like a parody. Interestingly enough, Vogue magazine’s founder, Arthur Baldwin Turnure, was nothing but a product of free enterprise and capitalism himself. In founding the magazine in 1892, Turnure wanted the publication to “celebrate the ceremonial side of life,” not misinform the public on the virtues of living in a free society…

‘Tough On Crime’ Means Tough On Work by Jared Meyer (Spring 2015) in Forbes
This year, many states enacted policies aimed at promoting work for those with criminal records. One of the leaders in this area is Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin. In the following interview, Governor Bevin explains why the tough on crime mentality can keep people who are trying to rebuild their lives out of work…