The horrible tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, with 20 children and six adults dead this past Friday, seemed to come up numerous times at my family dinner. Why? Think about how the media presents and sensationalizes these killers. But the real "Why?" that my family members asked was: why would anyone do this in the first place? The thought of suicide is devastating to begin with, but why kill all these other innocent people too - in this case, innocent, young, totally helpless children? My brother was talking about people who feel they are outcasts, never got along socially, "If you are going to go out (kill yourself), you want to go out and be remembered. They know they'll never be remembered any other way." Sadly, according to the American Society of Suicidology, "in 2005, 32, 637 people completed suicide. Of these, 4,212 were completed by people between the ages of 15 and 24." Do we hear about all of these deaths? No. The ones we do remember are the shootings in which the killer "went out with a name."
In years to come, what will we remember about the Sandy Hook shooting? We'll remember Adam Lanza - he got his notoriety - the attention he never had. We won't remember the victims and their names. In fact, isn't it ironic that I'm blogging about him right now? My mom brought up the school shooting that happened in the Hubbard Woods School in the 1980s. The first name was Laurie Dann, the shooter. It was not how many people were wounded or shot, but the actual killer. I think this says a lot about how our media portrays these devastating events. But, how else would they? Adam Lanza will never be just be another young man who committed suicide, but his name will signify a historic event in history that may be remembered for generations.
A ski resort in Colorado that closed early last spring
because of the melting snow and warm weather.
"Under certain warming forecasts, more than half of the 103 ski resorts in the Northeast will not be able to maintain a 100-day season by 2039, according to a study to be published next year by Daniel Scott, director of the interdisciplinary Center on Climate Change at the University of Waterloo in Ontario." -New York Times
Last year my family opted out of our normal New Year's plan of skiing in Vail, Colorado to visit the sunny beaches of the Dominican Republic. Why? We asked ourselves: will there be enough snow? is the base too thin? will it ruin our skis? And again this year the weather has not quite given us skiers a good winter so far. After many resorts opened in November due to snowfall, they have now been having trouble because of the unusually warm weather. Currently my winter break destination, Vail, has 44 of 193 trails open and the base depth is 18 inches! Now to put it in perspective, 18 or more inches is sometimes known as the "average base depth" for compacted snow; people say that about 36 inches on a groomed run is good and over 60 inches on anything would obviously be the best. Just thinking about last year has been worrying skiers for this coming year. Last year was "the fourth-warmest winter on record since 1896, forcing half the nation's ski areas to open late and almost half to close early." This has also majorly hurt the ski and snowboarding industry; it is estimated that the industry as a whole lost over a billion dollars due to climate change. Analysts have projected that resorts at lower elevation levels will eventually vanish.
In New England, by 2039, about half of the ski resorts will be gone. It is also crazy to read that my frequent ski spots in the Rockies are also pretty spotty: "average winter temperatures are expected to rise as much as 7 degrees by the end of the century." Park City, Utah could be gone; Aspen, Colorado could be "confined to the top quarter of the mountain." I couldn't imagine Vail, Park City, Deer Valley etc closing. Not only should we be concerned about how this will impact our economy, but also the impact on our lives. This industry employs about 187,000 people directly or indirectly, so what happens to those jobs? What can we do to prevent these projections from happening? In our everyday lives, how can everyone of us lesson our carbon footprint? Did we cause this climate change, having a huge impact on tourism and industry?
Last week the New York Times published "The Human Price" which is "the first of two articles examining failures to protect garment workers in poor countries who make much of the world's clothing." A fire in Bangladesh Tazreen Fashions Limited proved a "gap in safety for global brands." It instantly reminded me of the tragic Triangle shirtwaist factory fire in which victims were trapped behind locked doors. Who would have known that this is still going on today, nearly a century later? Recently in Bangladesh, upon hearing the fire alarm, workers were startled and told that it was just a drill and to go back to work. Meanwhile managers blocked the stair case doors. Smoke started to rise from the first floor. It turned out that "mounds of flammable yarn and fabric were illegally stored on the ground floor near electrical generators" caught fire. There was really no way out for the people above. Safety was inadequate and in no way were the workers prepared for a fire of this magnitude. And who was the Tazreen factory making clothes for?
The staircase at the Tazreen Factory shows terribly
inadequate fire safety preparations.
Tazreen produced apparel for stores in Europe and the United States. On the fifth floor, workers were making shorts for Walmart; on the sixth floor, workers were making lingerie for Sears. After the fire, both Walmart and Sears as well as other companies claimed that "they did not know that Tazreen Fashions was making their clothing." However, the New York Times also presented documents that were found at the factory with proof of American buyers, Walmart and Sam's Club.The fire killed 112 people. Bangladesh is home to nearly 4500 garment factories. The government has now started inspections and has already "found fire code violations in almost a third of the hundreds it has examined." It is important to know where the products we buy come from and the conditions under which the items are produced. Why would the United States support poor labor practices with insufficient wages and safety measures? Should our only concern be to buy the cheapest? Because of the demand we often create, we indirectly exploit workers around the world, who earn wages that may not even be enough to support their family.
When we talked about how the "psychological method" was used in times of slavery and during the Holocaust I couldn't help but think about the current, very popular psycho-drama, Homeland(on shotime). The show was developed after an Israeli series that brought the stories of returning soldiers of war into the homes of Israeli civilians. The lead character in Homeland, Sergeant Nicholas Brody, was a POW that finds himself thrown back into his American life after 8 years of captivity and torture. Not unlike experiences known between slaves and their masters as well as some between Nazi guards and their prisoners, Brody was broken down mentally - tortured, deprived of daily necessities - and eventually, completely broken in mind and spirit, and built slowly back up with an altered mindset by his own torturer and wanted terrorist, Abu Nazir.
The psychological method is used to manipulate the victim, often to the point of severe loneliness, such that they feel affection for those they should, in fact, dread the most - their torturer! At some point when the abuser decides to refrain from torture, the victim actually begins to feel grateful and sees their (former) torturer as a "good" person. It seems pretty twisted for sure - but, if you're a Homeland groupee, you'll get it pretty quickly.
Imagine coming to this country as a child, growing up and living a fairly common life through your 20s, then getting deported and returning to a country which you never really knew. Your parents came here illegally with you as a baby; you didn't have a choice whether to come or not so with your family, you made America your home, never becoming a citizen or a legal resident n any way. This is exactly what has happened to many immigrants coming from countries such as Peru, Ecuador, and Mexico. These immigrants have given themselves a name: Dreamers. The Dreamers have initiated the Dream Act, "a bill before Congress that would create a formal path to citizenship for young people here illegally who came to this country as children." It is interesting to note that "Latinos rewarded Mr.Obama with 71 percent of their votes," and now it is Obama's turn to act on the Dream Act. The president says that a top priority for his agenda next year will "be a bill to legalize 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States," offering a path for young people to citizenship. Consider Lorella Praeli's story: as a two year old Peruvian, Lorella's dad brought her to the United States for medical attention after a tragic car accident. Her leg had to be amputated. Lorella stayed in America and worked hard in school and was generally a good citizen - but not legally a citizen. Eventually she went to college on a scholarship and graduated with honors. The idea that she could be deported back to Peru is unimaginable. It would be like going to a foreign country for her. She speaks perfect English and considers herself American. But, she is a Dreamer.
In 2010 the Dream Act passed in the House of Representatives, but failed by five votes in the Senate. Dreamers will try again and "keep the heat on the White House and Congress during the coming immigration fight." Anti-dreamers argue that it will support illegal immigration and take away jobs and school spots for American citizens. I believe the Dream Act should be passed. These people went to school here, many have worked and contributed to American society and culture and probably even pay taxes. Why shouldn't they have the chance to live out their lives where they perceive their home is? Will Dreamers be able to turn their "dream" into reality? More than 600 Dream Activists will meet this weekend to work out a plan, taking one step at a time. This eight minute video describes the Dream Act and what Dreamers/activists are doing for their own citizenship.
(Top) Students of Morton playing musical chairs at last
years Holiday Party. (Bottom) Students with their crafts.
"There are about 25,000 homeless youths in Illinois ranging in ages from 13 to 24, and that that number does not include children under the age of 13, said Megan Wickman of Teen Living Programs, a Chicago-based social services agency for homeless youth." These numbers are exactly what drive a not-for-profit organization I am apart of, Student Alliance for Homeless Youth a.k.a. SAHY. Today, we had our annual Winter Holiday Party. We went to the West side of Chicago to Morton School of Excellence, an elementary turnaround school. For clarity, a Chicago turnaround school is an elementary school structured using a specific model to change the culture of the school in order to help the students become higher achievers. Morton has also been very lucky to have the support of the Chicago Bulls! This has impacted the students tremendously --there are countless drawings by students of the Bulls players all over the walls. The Bulls actually built a new gym in the school! Clearly, the Bulls players are role models for many of the kids at Morton - how great is that!? I wonder if these kids have a lot of positive role models in their lives. Shouldn't all kids have a chance to have a good education, good food, fun, and to feel safe? Today, we set up a fun day for the kids including gym games, arts and crafts, bingo or "Jingo" as in jingle bells, and lunch. The day provides 30 to 50 elementary school kids with fun activities they would not usually have the opportunity to do. It also gives their parents a break and the security of knowing their kids are safe and well taken care of.Our partnership with Morton is special for me and my friends at SAHY because we feel like we get as much out of the day as the kids we are mentoring and playing with. Seeing the smiles on the kids faces makes all of us smile and want to be there. As we handed out goody bags at the end of the day, we were embraced in hugs from the kids, showing their thanks. In fact, some kids even remembered our names from last year! I can't wait until our next event at Morton, the Valentine's Day Party! To read a little about SAHY, check out this article from our Candlelight Vigil in which representatives from the other organizations we partner with spoke.
As fourth graders we learned the states, their capitals, their locations, and sung "50-nifty United States, from the 13 original colonies, 50-nifty stars on the flag that bellow so beautifully in the breeze." So what is this talk about Texas wanting to secede? The outcome of the presidential election, Obama winning, has brought up the very question of Texas seceding from the United States. Way to be "united" Texas! In fact, Romney was victorious in Texas and "won by nearly 1.3 million votes." An online petition has been created asking the Obama administration "to 'peacefully grant' the withdrawal of Texas" and has already received more than 116,000 signatures in only five days. It is required for the White House to respond to a petition receiving more than 25,000 signatures in under thirty days. I don't think Texas will "leave." We did get it from Mexico for a reason! Larry Scott Kilgore, a Texan running for governor in 2014, claims that he will legally change his name to Larry Secede Kilgore, "with secede in capital letters." Going a little far, are they?
Black Friday shoppers at a Target electronics
department in New York.
Going in stores with a full stomach, from Thanksgiving dinner, and leaving with a full shopping bag; Black Friday is the official start to the holiday shopping season with countless promotions and eager shoppers. But who really shops on Black Friday? Why would someone want to go out after hearing numerous stories of people being trampled, fighting over items, or even "pulling a gun on line-cutting"?! I personally would not even want to put myself in any sort of situation like that. I mean, is it really worth it? American society is based on consumption. I don't mean consuming food and eating a lot, but having an extreme excess of goods that we just don't need. According to Helaine Olen, a contributor to Forbes, the two main shoppers that Black Friday attracts are "the young and the economically desperate." This seems like a logical conclusion because both these groups may not mind the huge crowds for the huge deals. Others, perhaps the economically stable, may not even bother going through the hassle of the big crowds of people and the hassle of fighting over items. I also think it is interesting that Black Friday, a consumer based day, comes directly after Thanksgiving, a day for family and friends to come together (not-so-consumer-based-day). Here we have a holiday that is geared toward family, and what is the first thing we think of? Shopping. The success of the American economy is driven by consumerism. So is shopping patriotic? Did you shop on Black Friday? If so, what lured you into the store and if not, what geared you away from shopping?
As Lily Stein and I wind around the streets under the El, looking at empty lots and beat-up cars, we finally pull up to the large building known as the Bethlehem Healing Temple on the West Side of Chicago. Here, I lock my car and make sure nothing valuable is in sight. As soon as we walk in the Church, however, a totally different feeling overcomes us: care, love, compassion. For the past four years, a Thanksgiving meal for about 500 homeless people has been held here. We decorated the big dining room in Thanksgiving decor, then made our way downstairs to sort the hundreds of donated clothes and shoes. At the end of the minister's service - guests coming for the meal were all asked to attend -, the volunteers were invited up for a big thank you. Just google 'homeless and Thanksgiving' to see how people across America are thinking about the less fortunate. As the Bishop's wife, Sister Hudson always says, "Each year, it has been bigger and better!"This program really shows how easy it is to help other people and how appreciative they are. Earlier in the day, Sister Candy and my mom drove around the West Side, stopping under viaducts, outside of homeless shelters, in the waiting room at Cook County hospital and in the lobby of the public library to invite people on the streets to this free, hot, homemade meal. Many, if not most, of them came! Everyone I talked to and interacted with seemed so happy and grateful to be there even though many suffer from drug and/or alcohol addictions, unemployment and homelessness.
I can't help but think if we could have used even a fraction of the money that was raised for the most current political campaigns towards hunger and homelessness in this country the difference that could have been made. Tens of millions of dollars were spent- and to what end?! Do we see any change or impact as result of all those dollars spent? Would the same individuals that contributed huge sums of money to the campaigns, contribute similar funds to real humanitarian needs in America - to make their country a better place for all? They were writing big checks while my friends and neighbors chose to donate food to make a Thanksgiving meal for those in need. It is incredible to read the New York Times totals and think how this money could have been used elsewhere -- for the greater good! Was all that money really essential for Barack Obama to win the election or for Mitt Romney to compete? I had a great day on the West Side serving the homeless! It can really make you think.
Tulsi Gabbard at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.
A change. Tulsi Gabbard became the first Hindu-American elected into the US House of Representatives this year. The United States has progressed incredibly since the days of George Washington. Historically, the typical politician is a white, educated male, over 50 years old. Now people who may not fit this standard are starting to emerge. In fact, Gabbard is one of the 17% of women in the House of Representatives. However, Gabbard did not take her oath of office over the Christian Bible, but over the Hindu Holy Scripture, the Bhagavad Gita. Clearly, America has become more accepting open to consider a wider variety of views and beliefs. With that being said, I do admit that we still have a ways to go. Many people still feel uncomfortable about being "different" than most. With that in mind, strangely, America is known as this "melting pot." It is only until recently that the 'melting pot' has been reflected in our elected officials. Gabbard said she never felt discriminated against growing up in Hawaii, practicing a faith that is not dominant in America. But other kids probably did. On a trip to the mainland, Gabbard "met a man who told [her] that his teenage daughter felt embarrassed about her faith, but after meeting [her], she's no longer feeling that way." Tulsi Gabbard has set a great example not only for the Hindu community in the US, but also for people of other faiths, women, and veterans(she served in the National Guard in Baghdad and Kuwait). I am interested to see what the future brings. Will Americans set aside their differences to become one truly coexisting nation?
I will leave you with two quotes relevant to these ideas that I like.
"Show me a religion that doesn't care about compassion. Show me a religion that doesn't care about stewardship of the environment. Show me a religion that doesn't care about hospitality." -Eboo Patel
"My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness." -The Dalai Lama
Last Tuesday, the presidential election was not the only happening of the day. The ECGC hosted a special screening at New Trier of Miss Representation, a film whose goal is to bring up the question: "How does the media's portrayal of girls and women affect their future success?" It exposes how mainstream media under-represents women and "challenges the media's limited and often disparaging portrayals of women and girls, which make it difficult for women to achieve leadership positions and for the average women to feel power herself." I think this is important to address because so many women and girls try to change themselves to look like the "perfect" person, when in actuality there really is no such thing. One clip in the movie that talked about this "perfect" person was originally presented by the Dove Self-Esteem Fund. It takes a model and drastically changes her looks (check out the clip below of this!). Dove's campaign celebrates "a world where beauty is a source of confidence, not anxiety."
After the movie, the audience had a chance to discuss it with two panel members, Mindy Faber, of Columbia College in Chicago, and Mr. Bolos (!). In the discussion, not only did I hear how mothers felt about this topic, but I also had a chance to voice my own opinion-- though I will share more now. One mother (I think she has been active in women's issues) commented that when her daughter was younger, she didn't allow her to go to nail painting parties because of what it might imply with regards to objectifying the girls. I agree that sexual objectification is very wrong (treating women as sex objects), but to not let your daughter go enjoy her friends and get her nails painted-- I just think that is going a little far. When does it cross the line to objectification? Where does objectification start and can awareness be taught so little girls can also enjoy being girls? At some point, we, as women, have to be proud of who we are and the things that we can do together to have fun as women- things that we can do for ourselves. So go get your nails done, have fun, catch up with friends, celebrate a birthday while having your nails done! I also took note that there were only two boys and one dad at the screening of the film (not including Mr. Bolos and Dr. Dohrer). I had to leave a few minutes early, but I did really want to hear what they thought of the movie. I think this movie is an important film for everyone to see and think about. I don't think we stop often enough to think about how the treatment of women and girls in todays world impacts our everyday lives.
The day after watching the film, The Colby Echo, my brother's college's newspaper arrived at my house. Flipping through it, I guess it was just meant to be, I came across an article titled "Girl Power in the Media." A Colby professor and two former students took action to give girls an opportunity to "talk back." They chose to start PBG, Powered by Girl, "a media activist arm of Hardy Girls Healthy Women." The PBG is a website "comprised of blog posts and interactive forums for girls of all ages to share their thoughts regarding the portrayal of women in the media." I looked around the site and saw how girls are taking action. They are using the site to talk back to the media. But still, we need to spread the word. I also looked through the "PBG Ad Gallery." Here "girls can log on and make changes to advertisement images that depict women in disempowering ways." Look at one of the many examples I took from the Gallery below. The image on the left is the original magazine cover; the one on the right has been changed by a PBG user. By doing this interactive activity, users can highlight sexualization of women in advertisements we see everyday.
Overall, watching the film Miss Representation and then running into numerous articles and organizations has really been a thought provoking process for me. Women are still constantly objectified and it is what little girls are growing up watching and seeing in the media-- only trying to pursue to be the "perfect" person.
(Above) Thousands of people at the
Obama rally in McCormick Place
waving American flags.
Four years ago my family had the opportunity to go to Grant Park and see history in the making: Barack Obama elected as the first African-American President. And again four years later my family attended this same event at McCormick Place. The line weaved around the whole building as we waited to go through security. A man ran up to my parents pleading if we had any extra tickets-- it was his dream to see Obama and we were able to make it happen-- for two of his friends too who flew in from Newark. After we gave them the tickets the wife of a couple behind us in line said with a huge smile on her face, "It just makes me so happy to see that you could make a person happy like that." It is just so amazing that one act of kindness could make such a big impact in ones life. This was only the start to the eventful night. Walking under the Forward signs, we approached the big showroom where our President would eventually speak later that night. Every time a state was awarded to Obama the crowd burst into excitement, waving American flags, showing their hope for the country. After numerous battleground victories, the President elect was announced and the crowd could not stop cheering. The emotions on peoples faces were amazing to see: happiness, relief, tears.
I realized how diverse the people around me were: young, old, black, white, hispanic, asian, gay straight. These people were an indication of the new America Obama has brought to the surface for all to see. I think this is truly what America stands for as a nation, like a big melting pot or a big collage. In fact, later we would learn that it was truly many of the minorities that lead Obama to victory. Ugene Robinson, of the Washington Post Writers Group, addressed this and found that "roughly three of every ten voters Tuesday were minorities. African-Americans chose Obama by 93 percent, Latinos by 71, percent, and Asian-Americans, the nation's fastest-growing minority, by 73 percent." Obama's re-election is a reaffirmation that we truly are a melting pot and power in our country will continue to follow the demographics of the electorate. The true test now is bringing the Romney supporters into the mix, did you notice the lack of diversity amongst the Romney supporters? Do you think they will willingly step into the fold to support the challenges that President Obama and our nation face? I had an awesome time at the rally, and can not wait to vote for the first time at the next election!
Why wouldn't people go to the polls tomorrow to vote for the President of the United States? Voting will come to a close tomorrow, November 6. People are urging others to vote, get out there and contribute their voice. I have been constantly hearing, "I need to make sure that they vote tomorrow," "If Latinos don't go out and vote, Obama may not win." But when I hear these questions and comments I ask myself, why wouldn't people vote? Out of laziness not to go to the polls? Because they live in a state that is already "predetermined" and it simply "wouldn't really matter"? Or, do people think the candidates are just full of lies and they don't know who to vote for? Many people live in countries where they can't voice their opinion or cast a vote. Here we are in a free country, and people take this freedom for granted. In an opinion piece of the New York Times, Errol Morris mocks the excuses people come up with for not voting by interviewing young voters, between the ages of 25 and 40. He points out several reasons why people, especially young people, should vote. The goal of the documentary is to urge people to vote.
After watching Errol's piece, I thought, are these really reasons why people are not voting? The excuses used by young Americans who are able to vote, but choose not to, are inexcusable. According to Morris' article, "only 51 percent of young people voted in 2008. A smaller group is expected this year." In his series of interviews of potential young voters, Morris asked why young people don't vote. Responses ranged from "the issues they care about are not discussed by Democrats or Republicans" to "apathy is actually supported by the evidence"-- meaning the gap between what is said and done can be evidently shown in the past "that it's impossible to trust anyone."Stand up, I don't care whether you are left or right, what you believe in counts for something-- it may be for your own sake or for your nation's sake. This video is a little on the long side, but feel free to check out Errol Morris's Opinionated Documentary above. As for me, I would definitely vote - I wish I could vote.
How did this year's New York marathon get to be known as "the underground marathon"? Here in the Midwest Region we have not been too physically effected by Hurricane Sandy. A couple of rains here, a couple of gusts of wind there but really, that's it. My brother got off the phone yesterday with his friend from New York and quickly told me, "The storm is crazy out there. My friend just told me a tree went right through his house." Since we are so far removed, it is hard to imagine the effects it has had and the devastation much of America's east coast is going through. Let's look at it through the lens of the New York marathon to see some positive outcomes of the storm.
"Runners took the ferry with supplies to distribute to
residents of Staton Island."
The New York Marathon traditionally takes place on the first Sunday of November, which would be today! Runners from all over the world have come in past years to run this in Central Park for a great experience. But, this year it was cancelled because of Hurricane Sandy. Despite the cancellation, Americans came together. Thousands of runners showed up for the marathon as a symbol of unity to help fellow Americans. Flags were waved, a symbol of the runners victory, to help those devastated. Because supplies were few, New Yorkers took it upon themselves and improvised to bring what they could: "Diana Binger of Mount Kisco, New York, not only had her 2-year-old son, Owen, in her stroller, but also an impressive stash of Gatorade, bananas..." Runners ran for charity to help victims and help recovery efforts of Hurricane Sandy. While some runners ran through Central Park, others "collected donations for storm victims while going for a run." Thus, becoming known as "the underground marathon."
People have still continued to show unity from the happenings of Hurricane Sandy. While not having power, people in one of my family friend's building all came together and spent two days in the dark. Everyone brought the non-perishable food they had to have a party and stay with each other. Because of the storm he met people in his own building that he may have never met before. He had a great time.
After devastating events, it is always important to have support and stay together. We see this now with Hurricane Sandy, but we also saw it in the past with the attacks on 9/11. Though devastated and in fear, America came together to show patriotism and unity. We see similar happenings now as people help fellow American citizens and truly care about each other. The silver lining to events like these is that we really see the great humanitarian side of our neighbors.
"Kantar Media CMAG finds out that
out of the 1,014,484 ads about the
presidential campaign that have aired
between April 10 and October 22, a
majority have had a negative tone."
Lately, I have noticed a great increase in hearing the two lines: "I am Barack Obama, and I approve this message" and "I am Mitt Romney, and I approve this message." Not only do these lines come after countless commercials, but the content in these commercials always seems to put down the opposing side, not boost up/brag about their own. Today we have come to a time that putting down others, helps boost up yourself. Do people across the United States really listen to these ads? I listened to the npr: morning edition asking this exact question. It turns out that there may actually be influence in ads; in fact, from April to October ads were on a negative term of the opposing side by 7 to 1 provided by the ad-tracking firm.
Not only do the ads reflect negative light on both sides, but in order to accomplish this goal both Democrats and Republicans are "on track to spend $1 billion each." They will mostly aim at the nine battleground states of Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, Virginia, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The new question that also arises is: When is a good time to show ads on TV? And to what audience do we want to aim for? Ken Goldstein, President of Kantar's Media Analysis Group, brought up an example of white males in the Midwest watching college football games and how commercials with airing time during the games would be very valuable, "campaigns target certain voting blocks."
Ad spending per electoral vote--
source: Kantar Media, CMAG
Now as I was hearing this story, I started to think to myself... Is this just another curveball ad that will suddenly say at the end, "I am Barack Obama, and I approve this message?" Turns out it wasn't just npr. But a new shocking number did turn up. "Former Democratic nominee, Al Gore, lost by 537 voters in Florida in 2000." That is about 1/16th of the people living in Glencoe! Because of that, Goldstein figured "that there are about 800,000 truly undecided voters in the battleground states; factor in a total of $1 billion in ads -- and that means campaigns are spending about $1,000 per persuadable voter." I guess each and every vote really does count! Personally, one of my brothers used to go to school in Pennsylvania and registered to vote there instead of in Illinois because it has been a swing state. My other brother now goes to school in Denver and will vote there. A recent Obama ad publicized a woman speaking about "her first time" (voting) and making the right decision about who to vote for. The race is on as these ads frequently pop up, my door bell rings with solicitors whom I do not answer to, and phone calls come in even though my parents claim we are on a list for people not to call. Will all of this impact the race to the end?
Take a look at this video clip of how Governor Mitt Romney manipulated one of President Obama's speeches to put him in a bad "light."
The front page of today's New York Times read, "Armstrong's Wall of Silence Fell Rider by Rider." With just a little blurb on the front page I continued to read this article about the cycling world's doping scandals and found that there was still a whole other page-- "Continued on Page 14." As more news comes out about Lance Armstrong being stripped of his titles because of doping, I really started to believe that this is all true. At first, I just kept trying to convince myself that he would never go to the extreme of doping to win, but now the U.S. Anti-doping Agency has the proof to back it up. After all, he has been a role model for so many all over the world-- the man who battled cancer and fulfilled his dream of cycling with numerous Tour de France medals!
Landis Floyd and Lance Armstrong pictured together while they were still friendly with each other.
The article introduces one of Armstrong's ex-teammates Floyd Landis "who was among the first to reveal the culture of doping." Landis was stripped of his 2006 Tour de France title for failing a drug test. I then went on to read that when a rider joins a team, he may have no idea what is going on on the inside. In the case of the U.S. Postal Team, riders found themselves caught up with their team mates in doping, but not one of them could tell anyone, not even their families. When Floyd Landis first told a journalist of this, he was then asked, "Have you told your mother?" He responded that he had not yet and made a comparison to the Mafia, "When you're in the Mafia and you get caught and go to jail, you keep your mouth shut, and the organization takes care of your family. In cycling, you're expected to keep your mouth shut when you test positive , but you become an outcast. Everyone just turns their back on you." Is this risk really worth the win?
Armstrong recently stepped down as the chairman of his cancer foundation and lost nearly all of his endorsements-- did he think that he would never get caught? So many athletes have gone to extremes in using drugs to enhance their performance, thinking they will never get caught, but again... what ends up happening?... they get caught. Is our will to win enough to succumb to cheating and lying? Will cheaters prevail as winners? Is our will to win enough to manipulate our bodies? Is it for the fame and money or the pride of winning?
A panoramic view of the booming parking lot of Northbrook Court.
The other day, I found myself weaving around a huge mall parking lot trying to find a place to park. Finally, I spotted the white reverse lights and put on my turn signal. This whole situation had me thinking: Is the economy really that bad? I started looking into consumer spending and its fluctuations. It turns out that "U.S. Consumer Sentiment jump(ed) to a five year high." This was a surprise to many after a significant decline in US unemployment rate. It turns out that consumers "confidence" has increased-- according to Gennadily Goldberg, a strategist at TD securities, "...confidence index hitting the highest levels since September 2008 should remain a positive as consumers continue to become more optimistic." But how does one truly measure "confidence"? Is it fair to say that the reason consumer spending is up is because people are emotionally more stable? Goldberg then commented, "Improved confidence should in turn begin to filter more prominently into consumer spending, thereby helping support the economic recovery." On the other hand, while ones state of mind may be positive, some numbers presented by Labor Department estimates in a Forbes article, state that the US GDP has gone down from 1.7% to 1.3%. This is believed to be because of declining consumer spending and business investment. But then, why in the parking lot was I fighting for a space? Could location be a key factor in this that the economy only affects people in certain areas or are people here, too, hurting?
This past week, my brother brought to my attention a photograph his friend took while sailing the Northwest passage over the summer. His friend, Ben Yeager, took the photo while maneuvering between two icebergs on a 37 foot mast in Sermilik fjord south of Angmagssalik Island in East Greenland. He submitted the candid photograph to the National Geographic 2012 Photo Contest and has been a top contender.
After seeing this photograph, it lead me to research the current standings of the United States and global climate change. How are we impacting our planet? I know it has been quite a trend to "go green," but are we really aware of our constant negative impact on our environment? The United States is often known as being "the most significant contributor to historical emissions of global warming pollution." Burning coal or natural gas in power plants and gas or diesel in vehicles make up most of these emissions. The Union of Concerned Scientists analyzed "that the U.S. can dramatically reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and nearly phase-out coal by 2030." Will Americans take action in order to help their planet and generations to come? As one of my teachers always says, "Carpool, ride your bike, bring a reusable water bottle!"It all adds up in the long run, and if people start taking more initiative and having more awareness in what they buy, how much they drive etc. we can help our planet...one step at a time!
Check out this interactive Global Warming Effect "Hot Map" to see what is going on in the United States and other countries, and how we can take action to help our environment.
Driss and Phillipe together
on a walk for some fresh air.
Over the weekend I saw the new foreign film, The Intouchables. As the movie started and the actors started to speak in French, I thought to myself, I really hope this whole movie isn't in French. It's always a real bummer to be reading the subtitles every minute of a movie. To my surprise, the subtitles were actually a great "topper" to the movie. The script had a very strong conversation feel that flowed extremely well. It completely changed my mind on my thoughts of foreign films!
Based on a true story, it took place in France and dealt with a wealthy man, Phillipe, who is a quadriplegic (handicapped from the neck down) from a paragliding accident and a young, Senegalese-born ex-con, Driss, who took care of him. Coming from two completely different backgrounds, these two men connected in a way no one thought they ever would. It was almost like they were incomplete without the other by their side. Phillipe was known for going through caretakers very quickly because no one would ever be able to handle his extreme needs and be on call 24/7. Driss treated Phillipe as a normal person, sometimes even forgetting his handicap, helping him to live the most normal life he could with having only a sense of feeling in his head.
Driss has a sense of "realness" to his personality. He tells Phillipe that his daughter is a brat, laughs at the dancing tree during the opera, gives the neighbor his mind when he is parking in a "no parking" zone. They were both able to understand one another without saying a word. As the old saying goes "Opposites attract." The French Publisher's Agency comments on Abdel Sellou's (character Driss in movie) life as "fearless because he has nothing to lose," while Phillip di Borgo "is fearless because he has already lost everything." Who knew two exact opposite people could come together in such a similar, yet different, way? If your up for a good laugh and smile I encourage you to come see this movie! Check out the trailer to the right!
Do we have to say the Pledge each morning at the beginning of our school day? In class last week, we talked about this and how it is ones protected right to refuse to say the Pledge for any reason i.e. belief, religious, political. Yet, my advisory is required to stand, whether or not we would like to recite the Pledge. Do I have the right to refuse to stand? Yes. But will I get reprimanded if I do not stand? Yes. This also brings up the topic of the influence of authority. Mr. Bolos shared the story of his daughter refusing to say the pledge during school, then having a gym teacher come up to her and telling her the reasons he says the pledge. Immediately after hearing this my jaw dropped. I thought to myself, how could a teacher, an authority, share his opinions so aggressively at a time in ones life when their own opinions and thoughts are being constructed and formed? There is always someone above you who can easily have a big impact on your thoughts. For example, young children tend to promote their parents beliefs, such as their political views as to whether they claim to be democratic or republican.
Authority is also the reason, as my advisor explained to us, that we have to stand for the pledge every morning. She discussed with us how her brother had traveled to a country in the Middle East, and when their "pledge" was recited wherever they were, everyone immediately stood up as a sign of respect, otherwise there may have been a serious punishment. But, again, why would we have to stand to say the pledge? I mean, we aren't half way around the world in a different country. We have many more protected rights here. One year after Obama had been in office, Will Phillips took the nation by surprise. This 10-year-old boy refused to say the pledge because he does not agree with the lines of the pledge, "With liberty and justice for all." Phillips says he "won't say the pledge until gays and lesbians have equal rights." After refusing to stand for four days he was sent to the principle. When watching the interview on CNN with Phillips he seems to have already formed his own opinions as just a 10-year-old. I could not believe the analysis he had put into every word of the pledge of allegiance because when I was his age, I just knew the pledge as part of my daily routine in the morning. Do most kids these days realize the words they are saying as being significant to them or, like me, do they just say the pledge as their daily routine in the morning? (check out an article about Phillips as well as an interview from CNN with him and his father). Is it right for adults to require children to recite the pledge when most, in fact, may not understand the fulling of meaning of it?
Also, there was a poll taken referencing what others think about the article about Will Phillips refusing to say the pledge: Should students be allowed to abstain from reciting the Pledge of Allegiance? Out of 119, 019 votes, 49% said, "Absolutely not. That would be disrespectful of our nation." This had just outnumbered the 46% who said, "Yes, if it conflicts with the students beliefs." While only 5% said, "Only in private school. Public school students should recite the pledge." Does it matter whether one goes to a public school or private school? Though I have never been to private school, rules and regulations may be different or stricter depending where and what school, but we still have the right to free speech under the first amendment. No matter what kind of school, I believe that students should be able to "stand up" for what they believe in, and be respected for that. Students should not have to face any pressure around them because of what they believe.
As I browsed through Columbia College's Museum of Contemporary Art on Wednesday, one particular body of work caught my eye: "A New American Picture" shot by Doug Rickard. His photographs picture scenes from the Street View of Google Maps that he wandered through on his computer. Rickard's story caught my attention because I sometimes find myself doing the same as he did, just wandering through, exploring the country in which you live right at the convenience of your own couch! After seeing so many possible pictures, the few that Rickard chose seem to have a certain, similar connotation to them. He wanted to find perfect pictures "containing an 'apocalyptic-like brokenness.'"But out of all things America has to offer, why show the lowest of the low? Living in the North Shore of Chicago, it is hard to think that these neglected communities exist in real life, not just movies; the evidence provided by Google Maps is just a click away to prove it. This feature gives us the opportunity to explore communities much more in depth than we ever could have, going to almost every street in America. It is so interesting to think that people can explore these under-developed areas of our nation, and still not have a clue of what they are really like. Can a picture really take oneself into the scene it captures?
I also find it interesting to explore Google Maps because I am pictured on it having a lemonade stand with two of my friends at one of their houses. It was at the beginning of the Street View's introduction to Google in 2007. We found it strange that a white van was driving on the street with cameras attached to the roof, but they did buy some lemonade from us!
My two friends and I pictured on Google Maps five years ago during our lemonade stand.
As I ate my daily bowl of cereal, I listened to the morning edition of NPR. Today's story just so happened to be on requiring to post calorie information for foods in fast-food restaurants, specifically McDonalds. When I eat, there is always a little voice in the back of my head wondering what am I really putting into my body? Do I really know what and how much I am eating?
The number of calories pictured next to the food it
represent. Bagel, 320? French fries, 500? It is
amazing how much could be in so little.
When going to McDonalds most people know that it is highly unlikely that they will get a low cal meal. But, by publicly posting calories, people will be able to know how much they are eating compared to how much they should eat each day. After all, the reporter Allison Aubrey commented, "a large strawberry McCafe shake with whipped cream has 850 calories." And according to the popular iPhone app, Fitnesspal, that is a little more than half of the number of calories an average teenage girl should consume per day with no exercise. Aubrey interviewed New York City locals about the thoughts they had on posting calories at local McDonald chains. Marvin Ruffin veered towards the reasoning of, "If I'm at McDonalds, I'm not worrying about calories." What would the point of going to McDonalds be if you were going to get a salad? And anyway, somehow the calories are always able to add up with creamy dressing, cheese, greasy bacon etc.
Calorie counting also appeared later on Nightline with Dr, Brian Elbel, who has come to the conclusion that having the calories posted next to the food does not change peoples' orders. He even went to the extent of talking to a person beforehand, then taking their receipts on their way out to count up the amount of calories they are about to eat.
This story of counting calories reminded me of a previous experience I had at a Mexican restaurant, Qdoba Mexican Grill. Everything on the menu had a calorie counter, which deterred me from my usual options of a burrito or enchiladas. The only slightly appetizing and "lower" calorie option(but still not-so-much) was a special dish that was cooked to be low calorie. It sucked. Though it did not appeal to my taste buds, it appealed to me mentally. I knew that I had not stuffed myself with crap.
Body image constantly comes up in our American society. I wonder if there is a direct correlation between the advent of corsets and body image obsession. Yet, it is just now becoming known that you can count your daily calories on your smart phone. Fad diets have become the it. I personally do not count the calories I consume each day and sometimes figure that I can just burn it off by exercising. Seeking one's ideal image has proven not always to be the most healthy choice. We see examples of this often whether it be on tv or when your best friend doesn't eat any carbs because she thinks that all carbs are bad for you. In fact, on tonight's episode of Glee, a dance instructor constantly critiqued not only the students' dances, but also their figures and "muffin tops." As we start to see the calories being posted next to menu items at fast food restaurants, will it become a disadvantage to the eateries? Or like Ruffin said before-- we go to McDonalds for a reason, and it is not to order a salad. Monday will mark the starting point of posting calories next to foods at McDonalds restaurants nationwide, and we will soon find out the impact of posting calories has on one of the world's biggest franchises.
Christopher McCandless pictured on the left while in Alaskan
territory and Christopher Vaughn’s mug shot on the right.
Coincidental resemblance?
While reading the book Into the Wild, it was hard to believe that it was actually based off of the true story of Christopher McCandless—a young man who ventured away in order to escape his structured, material world and live on and in nothing but the natural world. It was hard enough to imagine that McCandless made the choices he did, let alone to think that other people in my lifetime, would make similar choices. Could I ever believe that this would happen to anybody else? No. Yet, I found out that an ongoing trial of Christopher Vaughn has been taking place to determine if he “may” have shot his family in order to “live life in the wilderness without obligations.” (For the most recent update on the Vaughn Trial click here.)
Christopher Vaughn set out on a typical path that many Americans take i.e. go to high school, college, graduate school, start a career and settle down with a family. Like McCandless, he later decided that the traditional path was not for him. McCandless, however, did not, in any way, want someone to accompany him 'into the wild', because he felt it might burden his quest to escape society and discover his true self. Vaughn did bond with another man online “over their mutual desire to leave civilization behind.”
Once someone leaves society, both physically and mentally, can they ever find their way back? From McCandless’ experience, each time he returned to society and a somewhat traditional lifestyle, he “(felt) extremely uncomfortable in society (now) and must return to road immediately'" (37). McCandless never gave himself the chance to live the “material life” that Vaughn lived with a wife and three children. It took having a spouse and kids for Vaughn to realize that “he shouldn’t do something because everyone else does.”
Christopher Vaughn comments on materialism. In addition, I believe, he himself represents the very skewed level of importance that material goods have in our culture today. The Sun-Times emphasizes this by sub-titling a full-page article about the Vaughn trial with a quote by Vaughn all in upper case,“THE BIGGEST THING I’LL MISS IS MY JEEP.” Materialism has surfaced much more in America in the recent past than ever before. Madonna's song Material Girl from 1985 brings the idea of the importance of materialism over human relationships to the forefront. It appears that Vaughn does not even care about the deaths of his whole family. Many people in today’s society, like Vaughn, base their happiness on the material things they have; not the things that really should make them happy such as family, friends, memories etc. The media has contributed to our need for material items. Advertisements frequently broadcast the need for the next better item, which leads us to want and buy. Will society ever have a limit to how far people go with their material items? Will Vaughn ever think twice about the loss of his family rather than his Jeep?
