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Miami Golf holds strong in Red Sky Classic

Brendan Cafferty
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Miami Golf holds strong in Red Sky Classic

The ’Canes drives soared in the high altitudes of Colorado this Wednesday, as Miami traveled to Vail for the Golfweek Red Sky Classic.

Finishing sixth as a team in the Women’s tournament at the Red Sky Golf Club, Miami’s Ashleen Kaur individually broke into the top-10, finishing ninth, staying 6-under par for the day and 8-under for the final round.

This was the least amount of strokes in a round for a Hurricane since Sara Byrne in 2023.

As the team shot 6-over for the tournament, a final round of 8-under brought UM up the leaderboards, finishing over UC Irvine and Northern Arizona.

USC finished first in the tournament shooting 45-under, followed by Pepperdine (-28) and LSU (-19).

Multiple Hurricanes made it into the top 100 individually, with Stella Jelinek tying for 22nd, even-pa and Rebekah Gardner at 39th finishing 5-over.

Additionally, Cloe Amion Villarino shot 7-over to tie for 44th, with a stellar 3-under 69 finish, and Aada Rissanen just making the list, finishing 99th at 35-over.

Ranked 53rd of all Division One Women’s golf programs, Miami continues to stand firm as the season progresses.

The Hurricanes’ next appearance will be in Chapel Hill, N.C. for the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational Oct. 17-19.

Canes crack top 25 in volleyball, rise to No. 2 in football

Pablo Montekio Brunet
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Pablo recaps another milestone-filled week for Miami athletics! The volleyball team goes 3–0 again, sweeps FIU, and climbs into the AVCA Coaches Poll at No. 24 — with Flormarie Heredia Colon earning her second straight ACC Offensive Player of the Week award. Women’s soccer bounces back with a 2–0 shutout over VCU, regaining momentum ahead of key road matches. And in football, Miami takes down rival Florida in front of a sold-out Hard Rock and the second-most-watched College Gameday ever, vaulting to No. 2 in the AP Top 25 poll. Mark Fletcher Jr. and Marty Brown dominate on the ground, while Reuben Bain leads a defense that held the Gators to zero third-down conversions.

Spotify brings a new music experience to all users

Madison Block
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Spotify brings a new music experience to all users

Spotify announced that users on the free music plan can now listen to any song they want on Sept. 15. Free users now can choose what songs they want to listen to in playlists and albums, features that were only previously available for Spotify Premium users.

The free plan still has certain restrictions including the amount of skips per song. Spotify said free users have a “daily allocated amount of on-demand time.” Once that time is used, they will “then be limited to six-skips per hour.” 

The change comes after Spotify rolled out a lossless audio feature for premium users. Lossless audio is a digital audio format that perfectly preserves all original audio data resulting in high quality sound, song authenticity and no data loss. 

Lossless audio has been “one of most anticipated features on Spotify” and is only available for premium users in “select markets” according to Spotify.

Free users will still have advertisements when using the app, something free users dread.

“The ads were annoying, but I didn’t really think about them that much,” Mary Struik, a Spotify Premium user and sophomore at the University of Miami, said. “The ones I remember the most were the ones from Spotify themselves about getting premium.” 

Although the free plans still contain advertisements, the freedom to listen to any song instantly is a major change for the free plan.

“That was the thing I hated the most about not having Spotify Premium. I wasn’t allowed to play the songs I wanted,” Struik said.

These new features can bring more listeners to Spotify as the audio platform faces competitive pressure from other audio streaming services, like Apple Music and Amazon Music.

As one of Spotify’s top competitors, Apple music already offered lossless audio starting in June of 2021, although they do not offer a free plan.

UM students on any plan can now enjoy an enhanced listening experience on the go.

Coachella 2026 will be a star-studded spectacle

Hope Mallon
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Coachella 2026 will be a star-studded spectacle

The Coachella poster has dropped, and with it, the annual frenzy of fan speculation about setlists, special guests, and more has consumed nearly everyone’s social media feeds. 

Set for the weekends of April 10-12 and April 17-19 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, the festival’s lineup promises a mix of global headliners, rock veterans and newcomers ready to take the stage by storm.

Headlining the festival are Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Karol G, each marking a significant milestone in their careers.

Sabrina Carpenter, known for her albums like “Short n’ Sweet” and “Man’s Best Friend,” will be headlining both Fridays. Returning to Coachella just two years after her 2024 debut, fans already know Carpenter is going to deliver a high energy and memorable performance mixing her eccentric choreography with pop vocals.

Justin Bieber will also be making his return to the Coachella stage as a headliner for both Saturdays. With the recent release of his albums “Swag” and “Swag II,” fans are anticipating an extravagant performance blending both Bieber’s new and old hits.

Karol G, the Colombian reggaeton superstar, will be the final headliner on both Sundays. She will be making history as the first Latina to headline Coachella. This is a major milestone in not just her career, but in the history of the festival.

Beyond the headliners, the 2026 lineup offers a unique range of talent and genres. BigBang’s reunion, celebrating their  20th anniversary, is set to be a big moment for Kpop fans, while rock fans are awaiting performances from The Strokes, Interpol and Devo. 

EDM enthusiasts on the other hand, are looking forward to performances from artists like Kaskade and Subtronics. 

Additionally, there are several newcomers this year to the Coachella stage like SOMBR, PinkPatheress and Sexyy Red. Fans are more than ecstatic to see what these artists bring to the stage, not just visually but vocally. Another group making their Coachella debut is KATSEYE. This group will also be making Coachella history as the first Filipino girl group to perform.

Tickets for Coachella 2026 went on sale on Sep, 19 and have already sold out for both weekends. Several of the festival’s organizers announced this anticipated sell out with a playful note: “She’s gone, dance on. See you in April.” 

While GA and VIP passes remain sold out, many camping and hotel packages remain open, with fans able to join waitlists in case of any new potential ticket releases.

Ultimately, Coachella 2026 promises to be a landmark event shaped by fashion, dance, diversity and love of music. Just from the lineup alone, Coachella 2026 is set to be an unforgettable two weekends.

Anuel AA’s concert was a night of production over performance

Gabriel Mena
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Anuel AA’s concert was a night of production over performance

Anuel AA’s concert on Sep. 19 at the Kaseya Center was everything fans expected, the good, the bad and the late.

Real Hasta la Muerte 2, his tour’s name, was promoted as a sequel to Anuel’s 2018 debut album, “Real Hasta la Muerte.” Yet, the sequel album has been teased for over a year without any clear release in sight. 

With no new music, the tour feels more like a recycled victory lap than the beginning of a fresh chapter.

Ironically, like his sequel album, he arrived late. He hit the stage right around 11 p.m., almost two hours late, opening with his classic single “Amenece.” 

The production carried the show. Flames, strobes, and visuals filled the arena with spectacle. Anuel put in little effort to match the scale of the setup. Movement on stage was minimal, leaving long stretches where not much was happening beyond the backdrop of special effects.

The crowd reflected that energy. For many songs, the audience only came alive during the choruses, leaving verses flat. Anuel repeated the same pattern for every track: perform the song in full, repeat the chorus a cappella and then launch into his signature gimmicks — yelling “¡Real Hasta la Muerte!” or “¡Ua!” for the crowd to echo back. 

While fun the first few times, the repetition quickly became predictable and boring.Vocally, Anuel struggles performing live. 

His raw delivery doesn’t carry well without studio polish, and the overuse of acapella sections only highlighted that weakness. As much as fans love his catalog, it’s hard to ignore that his stage performance lags behind his recordings.

Thankfully, the night was billed as a double feature with rising artist Blessed, who arguably outshined the headliner. Even though many in the crowd weren’t as familiar with his music, Blessed brought sharper energy, more movement and stronger engagement with the audience.

The concert stretched past curfew, ending around 1 a.m.. Despite that, one of the only true ‘wow’ moments came near the end, when a Lamborghini rolled on stage during “Deportivo”. It was flashy, but also underscored the lack of creativity elsewhere in the set.

To his credit, Anuel still manages to draw a sizable crowd. While the arena wasn’t at quite full capacity, it was a respectable turnout. That said, the fact that a double feature was needed suggests he may not be able to fill arenas on his own at this point.

At the end of the night, Anuel proved he can still gather fans — but he didn’t prove he can deliver a great live show. The production was standard, but production can’t carry everything. 

For a performer with his catalog and stature, fans deserve more than cool lights and recycled gimmicks. They deserve a performance that matches the music.

Last loves reveal themselves in the last season of ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’

Marissa Levinson
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Last loves reveal themselves in the last season of ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’

The passionate highs and the soul-crushing lows of young love take the spotlight in “The Summer I Turned Pretty” season three. The Amazon Prime Video series returned for its third and final season in July, with new episodes releasing every Wednesday until Sep. 17. 

Isabel “Belly” Conklin (Lola Tung), finds her feelings torn between two brothers, Conrad (Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah Fisher (Gavin Casalegno). Though the story resolved in 2023 with a happy ending for Belly and Jeremiah, it wasn’t over just yet. 

The drama is better than ever and draws viewers in until the very end. The prior two seasons, though captivating in themselves, were only the building blocks for season three. 

Easter eggs and references to past lines and moments do plague the episodes. But this did give fans plenty to analyze and think about until the next episodes drop. It’s interactive and something that can only be done when the creator of a show truly gives it their all. 

Season three accurately shows how college can be a time to either mature or regress. Conrad, spending it learning from his mistakes, going to therapy and pursuing his passions; Jeremiah, playing games, getting caught up in the thrill and lost in life. 

Now a junior in college, Belly is growing up and she needs someone who will do that with her. Who it will be? You’ll just have to watch it yourself to find out.

As this new season takes viewers through the summer leading up to Belly and Jeremiah’s wedding, significant screen time is dedicated to providing context for the time skips between episodes. 

Though the gaps may be small, it takes time to both catch viewers up and progress the plot, leaving only a few minutes for impactful scenes per episode.

The struggle in pacing is especially noticeable in the finale, which felt like it didn’t have enough time after ten episodes of slow, steady build-up. While this episode is the pinnacle of romance, and it delivered everything many fans wanted and more, it felt rushed. 

This season also had many secondary storylines happening. Though often entertaining, the limited episodes don’t allot much time for side characters like Steven (Sean Kaufman), Taylor (Rain Spencer) and Denise (Isabella Briggs). 

These flaws have the opportunity to be mended by the movie set to follow up and formally conclude the series, which was announced hours after the series finale debuted. 

While the film’s release date is currently undisclosed, fans can thrive on the comfort of knowing it’s coming.

Based on Jenny Han’s book series of the same name, “The Summer I Turned Pretty” often feels like a book adaptation, in the sense that the random poetic depictions of a messy teenage love triangle sometimes lead to a cringy product. 

To enjoy this show as much as possible, the viewer has to acknowledge that it’s not always going to be the most realistic and that it was written for reading before being brought to the screen. 

That doesn’t disqualify the fact that the show often embraces quality, especially with its allusions to other romantic comedies that preceded it, like “The Notebook,” “Friends” and “Casablanca.”

Although it makes sense for readers of the books to feel like the plot has already been spoiled for them, the show still manages to keep every viewer on their toes, never knowing if Han will keep the story the same or if an unexpected twist may leave fans unknowing of what’s to come. 

It’s a worthwhile watch for anyone new to “The Summer I Turned Pretty” and the book-lovers alike. 

The show is original enough to create its own world and fanbase, and cliché enough to fit right into the genre. It intertwines modern and nostalgic romance – with the help of a soundtrack consisting of 25 Taylor Swift songs, plenty of Gracie Abrams, some Olivia Rodrigo and other iconic heartbreak-hitmakers.

 The needle drops always add that final punch into whichever scene they’re in, the lyrics always fitting the current situation a little too well.

Watching “The Summer I Turned Pretty” became about more than just viewing a show. With every episode released, a culture developed: heated debates of which brother reigns superior, endless video edits and watch parties (even one hosted by the University of Miami’s The Rathskeller) only scratch the surface of people’s love for the show.

Compared to many other currently popular TV shows, “The Summer I Turned Pretty” is a much-needed lighthearted break from the sorrows of both fictional dramas and real-life hardships. 

In this universe, it’s all about summer and finding joy, even in tougher times. For just an hour a week, viewers could escape their worries and make their only concern if Belly is going to pick Conrad or Jeremiah.

Now that it’s over, fans will just have to be patient and await the release of the movie. When in doubt, they’ll always have summer. 

Rating: 4/5

Afternoon at the Lowe: Interview with the Assistant Director

Alina Lytvynenko
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In today’s exclusive interview, Melissa Diaz, Assistant Director of Collections & Exhibitions at the Lowe Art Museum, takes us inside her day-to-day work curating and caring for the museum’s collection. She shares surprising details about how exhibitions come together, highlights must-see pieces in the permanent collection, and reflects on recent shows that resonated with students. Melissa also opens up about the challenges of balancing traveling exhibitions with the permanent collection and offers a delightful behind-the-scenes story about the joy of bringing an exhibition to life. Plus, she explains why students should make regular museum visits part of their campus experience.

Miami WBB gears up for 2025-26 season

Olivia Attalla
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Miami WBB gears up for 2025-26 season

Monday morning marked the first women’s basketball practice for the 2025-26 season head coach Tricia Cullop prepares for her second season at the helm.

Cullop, who spent 16 years at Toledo, was named the eighth women’s basketball coach at Miami on April 5, 2024, replacing long-time head coach Katie Meier. Meier, the winningest head coach in Hurricanes women’s basketball, retired in March of 2024 after 19 seasons at UM.

In Cullop’s first year at UM, the team finished 14-15. With a plethora of new transfers and freshman in her second season, the team looks to return to its 2023 form in which the Hurricanes reached the Elite 8.

Cullop is training her team on the importance of emotional intelligence, and how to be mentally tough.

She talked about their practice schedule, resetting the standard to reach the goals they want. She encourages the players to build chemistry outside the basketball court by participating in community service events and holding cooking classes to encourage team bonding.

Collup also mentioned how the success of Miami football has put more media attention on the athletics program as a whole, including women’s basketball. 

Photo credit: Olivia Attalla // Miami head coach Tricia Collup prepares for her second season at UM on Sept. 22, 2025.

With all eyes on the Hurricanes, the team has an opportunity to make their own waves — hoping to surge up into the top 25 for the first time since the 2023-24 season.

The team seems to be in good spirits, ready to play their best basketball games this season. 

While the men’s basketball team is a completely new roster, the women’s team managed to do one better – returning one player from their 2024-25 roster

Ahnay Adams, the only returning student-athlete from the 2024-25 season, spoke on her role as a leader for the new-look team.

“By showing up, working hard, and leading by example, it isn’t hard for others to follow when they see me leading by example,” said Adams.

She wants to play fast and competitive in every game, and like the men’s team she claims the women’s team is also inspired by the Miami Hurricanes football team being ranked No.2 in the country. 

In what’s shaping up to be a stellar season for Miami athletics as a whole, the women’s basketball team is doing their best to make sure they’re part of the story.

Miami women’s basketball team will play its first game of the season on Nov. 3 against the Hofstra Pride. Tip-off at the Watsco Center is set for 5 p.m.

ESPN’s College GameDay comes to Coral Gables as the Hurricanes dominate Florida

Gianni Echeverria
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ESPN’s College GameDay comes to Coral Gables as the Hurricanes dominate Florida

ESPN’s College GameDay came to the University of Miami campus ahead of the Hurricanes’ rivalry matchup against the University of Florida.   

In an interview with the Hurricane, Joe Echeverria, the president and CEO of the University of Miami, shared his thoughts about what it means for GameDay to be held on campus: “This is the U. This is the U that I knew. The U is back.” 

The last time College GameDay came to Miami was in 2017, when the Hurricanes seemed to be one of the most promising teams in college football before losing their final two matchups of the season, as well as the Orange Bowl. 

Football legends Desmond Howard, Nick Saban and Pat McAfee all predicted Miami to beat Florida while a crowd of more than 3,500 people behind them cheered. 

At the end of the broadcast, Pat McAfee not only predicted Miami would defeat the Florida Gators, but he also ran to the high dive at the campus pool and jumped into the water screaming, “The U is back!”

Some fans arrived at Lakeside Patio as early as 3:00 a.m. to secure a spot at the front. Among those fans was sophomore Luke Lentini. When asked his thoughts about GameDay in Miami, he said, “I love the atmosphere. It means our football team is doing great. And the ‘Canes are rolling, baby!”

That excitement carried over to one of the show’s most popular segments: the field goal contest. In this segment, one fan is chosen to kick a field goal to win a large cash prize. A Hurricanes fan named Henry Whiting selected his friend Giovanni Guerrette to kick. Guerrette was given two attempts to kick a 33-yard field goal to win $500,000. His first attempt bounced off the side of the Shalala Student Center and his second attempt fell just short of the goal. 

College GameDay coming to Miami means more than just amusing signs and catchy chants. For the students, families and alumni who came to GameDay, the event signals a new chapter in the Hurricanes football program and a restoration to its former glory.  

Shelton Douchett, a Miami native who is well-known for wearing a full Hurricanes football uniform to home games, was also present at GameDay. He wears the full uniform to honor his deceased brother, with whom he would frequently attend games. 

“[College GameDay] means a lot. I’ve been coming to the games for the last 16 years, and I dress up in honor of my brother’s memory,” said Douchett. “It’s like Thanksgiving for me. It’s amazing.”

GameDay brought an increase in police and security presence to campus. Barricades were placed around campus and fans were subject to bag searches and metal detectors before gaining entry to the event. Fraternity tailgates were also cancelled due to the increased need for police on campus. 

ACC Huddle, a live pregame show on the ACC Network, was also present on campus. It aired live from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and included an interview with head coach Mario Cristobal.  

That evening, the Hurricanes traveled north to Hard Rock Stadium to take on the Florida Gators. Miami emerged victorious, defeating Florida in a 26-7 win. 

When asked about Miami in relation to the rest of the ACC, Eric Mac Lain, former Clemson football player and current ACC analyst, said, “I think they’re the best team in the league. They’re the most complete team I have the least questions about.”

Some students had a difficult time acquiring tickets to the event due to a website crash and a persistent loading screen. In spite of these difficulties, student tickets still sold out just three hours after being available for claim. 

The Hurricanes will play their next game on October 4 in Tallahassee against the Florida State Seminoles. 

“Seeing them put on for the city” – Miami hoops united under football’s success

Liam Hickey
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“Seeing them put on for the city” – Miami hoops united under football’s success

The uncontainable hype around Hurricanes football had seemingly reached its tipping point last weekend, extending nationwide after ESPN’s College GameDay rolled into campus on Saturday, hours before Miami routed in-state rivals Florida in a statement 26-7 win. The palpable buzz and excitement on campus spilled over into the Watsco Center Monday morning, where the men’s basketball team held their first practice of the 2025-26 season. 

“Just seeing them put on for the city and dominate football games – it gives all the other sports confidence,” forward Malik Reneau said. The high-profile transfer from Indiana joined the Hurricanes in the spring by way of the transfer portal. 

When asked if the football program’s recent triumphs had rubbed off on the team, Michigan transfer guard Tre Donaldson added, “It 100% helps. It’s a known fact – a good football program always helps the basketball program come basketball season…The energy definitely helps out basketball-wise.” 

Donaldson and Reneau headline an impressive top-20 transfer class assembled by new head coach Jai Lucas, who inherited a complete rebuild after Miami failed to return a single player from the 2024 roster. The Hurricanes stumbled to a 7-24 finish that season under longtime coach Jim Larrañaga and interim Bill Courtney, with Larrañaga — the program’s all-time wins leader — stepping down in December after a 4-8 start. Named the 14th head coach in program history on March 6, 2025, Lucas immediately went to work reshaping the roster.

Both Donaldson and Reneau are Florida natives, an intentional choice by the former Duke associate head coach, who made it a point of emphasis to bring in people who could bond over their common thread of representing their state. 

“A lot of us have played against each other or with each other…Me and Malik obviously playing with each other at Nightrydas…I feel like it’s a sense of pride playing for our state,” said Donaldson. “It’s actually not too hard to build chemistry because we were so close. Me and Malik, we’ve known each other for so long…it’s easier for us to build that camaraderie.”

Photo Credit: @CanesHoops via X // Members of the Miami Hurricanes men’s basketball team take photo postgame at Hard Rock Stadium on Aug. 31, 2025

TCU’s Ernest Udeh Jr., originally from Orlando, and coveted freshman recruit Dante Allen have also bought into Lucas’ philosophy, with Allen decommitting from Villanova to return to his hometown of Miami. 

Allen in particular has drawn high praise from both teammates and coaches. 

Reneau dubbed him as someone that has flown under-the-radar this summer and is poised to surprise a lot of people when the regular season arrives. 

Lucas was also highly complimentary of the burgeoning guard from Montverde Academy, saying, “I’ve watched Dante play the last three years, saw the AAU teams he played on, and I always said if I was somewhere that he would be appreciated and valued, he’d be one of the first people I’d recruit.”

Allen, standing at 6’4, 220 lbs, ran a 4:56 mile during the team’s weekly conditioning — the fastest time Lucas had ever seen. 

Being from Texas and playing at both Texas and Florida during his playing career, Jai Lucas understands the importance of playing for the honor of one’s home state. 

“Just the pride…the pride in putting on the colors, the pride in putting on the U and knowing your family is going to be there every night…just adds a different level of competitive spirit to you,” said Lucas. 

The new era of Hurricanes Men’s Basketball is set to begin on Nov. 3 at home against Jacksonville. 

Future uncertainty for Alligator Alcatraz

Peter Kellogg
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Future uncertainty for Alligator Alcatraz

‘Alligator Alcatraz closure sparks hope’ was printed in The Miami Hurricane on Sept. 4 following a court order to shut down the immigration detention center. That very same day, an appellate  court froze that decision.

The setback came after the defense convinced the three-judge panel, in a 2–1 decision, that the detention center is a state operation, not federal. Because the National Environmental Policy Act applies only to projects under substantial federal control the prosecution’s case collapsed. Its central claim rested on Alligator Alcatraz violating NEPA.

Yet, the project has been puppeteered by the federal government since its inception. The detention center only sprung into existence when the Department of Homeland Security requested the facility be built. And by further implication, following its rapid eight day construction, DHS secretary Kristi Noem personally inspected the site with president Trump. Since then, ICE and DHS have rapidly filled the site with hundreds of detainees. Lastly, Kristi Noem and Florida’s governor DeSantis have publicly stated the federal government would be funding the entire project through FEMA.

How is none of this indicative of federal control?

Florida politicians Ron DeSantis and James Uthemeir boasted online after the ruling. “The mission continues on immigration enforcement…the media was giddy that Alligator Alcatraz was shutting down because some leftist judge ruled, implausibly, that somehow Florida was not allowed to use our own property because they didn’t do an environmental impact statement” said Governor DeSantis on X.

But recent events suggest this confidence is cracking. On Sept. 18, reports emerged that hundreds of immigrants at the detention center had mysteriously gone missing. While officials have not confirmed their whereabouts, some reports claim they were transferred to Florida’s latest immigration detention center, “Deportation Depot,” in the northeast. 

With two pivotal cases looming over Alligator Alcatraz, these disappearances hint at a waning confidence in securing a favorable outcome. This decision should also be seen as highly unethical and attacked in the courts for its legality.

Environmentalists and tribal communities feel the sting of the latest ruling but remain hopeful as the case heads to a new appellate panel of three judges.


“This is a heartbreaking blow to America’s Everglades and every living creature there, but the fight isn’t even close to over and I’m confident we’ll ultimately prevail,” said Elise Bennett, senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. 

For now, the fate of Alligator Alcatraz remains unresolved. Both sides have taken a win in court, but one fact is uncontested — the project continues to degrade the land around it.

Latest redistricting debate puts our democracy in danger

Alex Airapetov
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Latest redistricting debate puts our democracy in danger

When President Trump asked the legislature of Texas to rework their congressional maps for the next three election cycles, it triggered a cascading effect. Other states such as California and Ohio began to call for mid-decade redistricting. 

Gerrymandering is the process of shaping electoral lines in order to benefit one’s political party. Politicians controlling our state redistricting processes is bad for our democracy. A federal ban on gerrymandering would help increase voter turnout for all ages and regions in the United States. 

Gerrymandering gives politicians in one party an advantage of control of their respective state. For example, if one party has control in the senate, house and governorship, also known as a trifecta, the party could opt to further their power by drawing congressional seats in their favor. 

States that have trifectas such as Illinois and Texas can draw congressional maps that misrepresent voters. This is a ridiculous misuse of state power. State power should be reserved for helping people and not directly contradicting the beliefs of the other side. 

In the 2024 General election 14 of Illinois’ 17 congressional districts went to democrats, even though former Vice President Kamala Harris only won Illinois by a 55% to 44% percent margin. That means that a staggering 82% of congressional districts in Illinois were won by democrats while 18% were won by republicans. 

Another example of gerrymandered maps is in the state of North Carolina. In the 2024 general election, President Donald Trump narrowly won the state of North Carolina by a margin of 51% to 48%. While 10 of the 14 North Carolina congressional districts went to the republicans by a margin of 72% to 28%. 

Gerrymandering weakens trust in our government. Without having a voice in their district, many people feel left out of our democracy and indifferent to voting in crucial elections.  

One way to combat gerrymandering would be to set up independent redistricting commissions. Four states, California, Arizona, Colorado and Michigan have independent commissions.

Independent redistricting commissions try to make sure that state’s congressional maps are even and accurate  for the given state. They are typically controlled by non-partisan citizens of the state who try to draw even districts. But even that system has its flaws.

The flaws come in the form of California’s so-called independent redistricting commission. 

In the 2024 general election, Californians voted by a 58% to 38% margin for Kamala Harris. But their congressional delegation has 43 democrats compared to nine republicans. This made for a staggering 83% of their congressional seats allocated to democrats while only 17% were made for the republicans. 

An independent redistricting commission is not the perfect or only solution to solve the problem of gerrymandering. A federal ban on gerrymandering would assist in making our congressional districts more fair for everyone.

Gerrymandering is a threat to our sacred democracy. The United States is one of the only countries in the world where the federal government does not draw districts to represent people. Too often, it gets manipulated by greedy politicians looking to serve for life. In order to have fair representation, we need a national solution.

States currently have full say in regards to what they want to do when it comes to redistricting. A federal ban would stop that and ensure that the people get fair congressional representation in their respective states.

Call your representatives and demand action for fair maps for our next election because our democracy works best when it is actually working for you. 

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