What's the Word with Arthur

The Mastermind: Drugs. Empire. Murder. Betrayal. There are some stories that just seem too implause, too far-fetched to ever have actually happened. Such is the story of Paul Calder Le Roux. In The Mastermind , Evan Ratliff details how Le Roux started as a harmless and talented programmer, before creating a vertically integrated online prescription drug service with hundreds of millions in revenue, and finally building his own international cartel that dealt in virtually every imaginable field of crime. And this entire ascent happened in just five years, between 2007 and 2012. Among many other activities, he smuggled massive amounts of methamphetamine out of North Korea, sold illegal technology to the Iranian government, and held warehouses full of thousands of gold bars under constant armed guard. Ratliff goes through the decade-long investigation that took Le Roux down, triggered by a DEA agent’s spontaneous look into a local pharmacy’s shipping records. This innocuous action rev...

Arthur Hanlon Making the World a Better Place As I was thinking about the ways I could respond to this assignment and try to make the world a better place, it occured to me that it wouldn’t do much good to formulate some grandiose plan that aims to solve all of our social and societal problems. I have an incredible amount of respect for people who dedicate their lives towards this positive progress, but I don’t have the time, resources, or frankly the motivation to go down a similar path. I realized instead that I could do some good in a different way by relying on the skills and network currently at my disposal.  I’m set to enter the film and television industry after graduation, with the eventual goal of producing content of my own. As such, I can try to make a difference by bringing to life deeply personal stories from around the world, ones that shine a light on the unheard voices and forgotten tales that society left behind. I truly believe that contemporary film is a...

Miami: The Northernmost City of South America Being from Miami is like having a lifetime pass to the world’s biggest beach resort. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been away; as soon as you step out of the airport into the familiar warm blanket of humidity, and hear Latin music blasting from at least three different places, you know that you’ve made it home. And even though some areas might improve and new buildings will pop up, the beaches and iconic culture that make Miami unique always welcome you back as though no time has passed. It’s a vibrant place with a thriving economy and cultural life, but being there can often feel like you’ve left the United States entirely. With an odd blend of Latin and American culture, Miami is aptly described as the northernmost city in South America. Here are three reasons why.  English isn’t the main language.  Roughly 70% of Miami’s population is Hispanic or Latino, vastly outnumbering the 10% that is white alone (Data US...