TJ Gill

Dec 10, 2024 | columbiaspectator.com | TJ Gill |Kelsea Peterson

“In the beginning was the Word.” Where I’m from, Texas, most kids recognize this opening line of the Gospel of John by the time they’re five: God’s verbal transmutation of chaos into order. Oppositions like that of chaos and order lie at the center of the Judeo-Christian tradition: truth and falsehood, purity and impurity. In this worldview, morality is objective, and God makes the rules. However, 20th-century postmodernists would’ve begged to disagree.

Nov 6, 2024 | columbiaspectator.com | TJ Gill |Kelsea Peterson

My friend had a dilemma in the buildup to the 2020 election. She was voting for Joe Biden, but one of her good friends was considering voting for Donald Trump. Her friend’s family owned a small business and believed that Trump would be better for the economy. My friend was pissed—how could anyone vote for someone so demented? I wasn’t as shocked or devastated.

Oct 17, 2024 | columbiaspectator.com | TJ Gill |Kelsea Peterson

He was white, alabaster even; he wore glasses, spoke well, and always seemed to be clad in a button-down, his brown hair gelled to the side. For about a semester of my Columbia undergraduate experience, we were in the same club, and I interacted with him on a weekly basis. He had a fascination with history. He spoke of the virtues of cross-party dialogue, of America.

Oct 9, 2024 | columbiaspectator.com | TJ Gill |Kelsea Peterson

However, this introduction led me to think about microaggressions more broadly and how they nudge us to assume bias in the absence of necessary information. After all, even the Oxford English Dictionary defines “microaggression” as a “statement, action, or incident regarded as an instance of indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination or prejudice.” As this definition illuminates, remarks that may look like microaggressions are, oftentimes, cryptic and ambiguous.

Sep 30, 2024 | columbiaspectator.com | Brenda Huang |TJ Gill

TJ Gill is a first year at Columbia Law School and a graduate in the Columbia College Class of 2022. During his undergraduate studies, he majored in English and psychology, was a director of Nightline, and also served as an editor in Spec Opinion. He is interested in religion and spirituality, the causes and outcomes of political polarization, and the best burger spots in the city.