Corona Diaries

This has been an extremely difficult time for me. I’ve always struggled with depression and anxiety and being locked in the house has really triggered that. My sadness has been intensified by the sickness of my father as well as seeing how many beautiful lives have been stolen during this time. One positive for me during this time has been my animals. The love that animals give is truly so pure. So I wanted to share some photos of the creatures that have made me smile in these difficult days... 

Earth Day

Unesco estimates over 160 million girls worldwide are not educated due to refugee status, war relocation, poverty and gender preference.

What would the world look like if all girls were educated?

What impact do you think educating girls will have on climate change?

160 Million girls. That’s an enormous amount of potential -- potential child slaves, potential young brides, potential victims, and also potential innovators, professionals, and leaders. According to Unesco, there are 160M girls worldwide who are robbed the wealth of education on accounts of their physical locations:  war torn country, immigration status, poverty, or other societal gender preference. When we look at how vast the potential is for females, it is clear that they have the capacity to perpetuate negative cycles as well as the potential to shift the power dynamics and global impact of human life… IF they are educated. If regardless of their physical location, girls could be offered an education, the world would see dramatic shifts in many aspects. There would be less unwanted births, greater activism for women’s rights which would in tandem lead to changes in policy to prevent the inequalities in the social, domestic, and legal realm, there would be stronger economies, improved health, and safer communities with less violence and war. According to the CEO of the Malala Fund, Farah Mohamed’s research states the following:

- If all girls went to school for 12 years, low- and middle-income countries could add $92 billion per year to their economies.

- Educated girls are less likely to marry young or contract HIV—and more likely to have healthy, educated children.

- The Brookings Institution calls secondary schooling for girls the best and most cost-effective investment against climate change.

- When a country gives all its children secondary education, it cuts its risk of war in half.

So what does this translate to? Well, pandemic or not, the issue of having a healthier population and not stressing the global healthcare systems is in itself a tremendous benefit. As females are often the anticipated caretakers, with greater education comes greater understanding of hygiene and preventive measures to deal with illness and disease that may arise. With greater education, females would be armed with the knowledge of how to prevent the spread of disease, especially sexually transmitted diseases. With less transmitted disease and greater awareness of prevention, the world would experience improved health, and this would in turn free up our resources to deal with other medical emergencies - essentially educated women will help take some of the load of the healthcare system. Historically, men have not been as effective in teaching the next generation how to wash their hands or have safe sex, or even how to treat women with respect instead of objects they can violate. These lessons more often than not come from females in an authoritative role. The ripple effect of improving on all these elements also lends itself to a reducation on global warming; With more women taking charge of how/when/if they get pregnant, this will directly impact the rate of population growth. If women start controlling this aspect of the population, this will in effect reduce the stress of human iimpact on the planet, thus reducing global warming for the simple logic of less humans on the planet means less resources needed. Furthermore, as the matriarch of the domestic terrain, women can have a profound influence on how energy is sourced for their household -- meaning, if they are educated and know of new options, they could choose to use solar, wind, water, or other types of geothermal energy for their homes. Making these kinds of decisions can dramatically reverse the course of climate change for the better. All in all, economies can and will improve when governments restructure their budgets and increase the portion allocated for education, particularly education of young girls -- for as Farah Mohamed said, “girls are the key to a safer, healthier, wealthier world.”

Week Thirteen: April 15th: The Human Wave: Immigration Stories

I was an accident. I wasn’t suposed to be here. Screams and sobs of sorrow filled the delivery room... as my mother had disobeyed the unspeakable rules… my mother had destructed her perfect white porcelain lineage… my daddy was brown.

My father, Jose, immigrated to New York City from Peru in 1969, at just 5 years old. He didn’t know the language but he knew Kung Fu. He had a severe obsession with martial arts legend Bruce Lee and committed his life to becoming just like him. He grew up in the projects of the Bronx and fought on the street every day, gaining a name for himself, taking down gangs and defending those who needed help. He was able to work his way up to eventually getting himself his own school and becoming a “Sifu” - the master. One day, my mom, Ingrid walked into his Kung Fu School…

I was born 9 months later.

The color of my skin being so light cushioned the fall a little…and once my eyes opened and were so big and blue, my mother’s family embraced me. They believed I didn’t do anything wrong… and if they shaped me right, banned me from learning Spanish or embracing any parts of my Latina identity… they believed I could be saved, pass as fully white and live a prosperous, privileged life, eventually marrying a rich white boy to solve and close the chapter on the inconvenience of my ingeneity.

My mother’s family provided us with a huge townhouse in the West Village upon my birth. They then filled our home with endless servants of color that were actually paid to be spies to report back on my father. Though he could not speak Spanish to me within such a controlled and monitored household, I began to learn about my Latina culture in other ways. My dad was “machismo” and he practiced that in different ways.

Firstly, the whole first floor of our house became my dads new Kung Fu school so I witnessed blood and violence every day and became very used to it. This was the frankest expression of his masculinility. The house always had atleast 10 men in it in workout clothes beating the shit out of eachother. This was taken further as all the media he forced me to consume was Chinese Kung Fu movies with eye balls being ripped out and heads flying across the room. I certainly wasn’t watching any teletubbies.

He felt the need to exercise control over me. This especially impacted my self expression as a girl. My “girlness” was curtailed by him and he would rip any skirt or dress that Gigi, my grandmother would gift me. He forced me to wear clothes of his choosing - picked from the boys section - big jeans and big tshirts with thermals underneath (even in the summer) out of a hyper fear of me being sexualized by men. To him, he was protecting me. He also would brush my teeth for me, telling me that I wouldn’t do it properly myself and practiced any way he could within the house to exert dominance that he couldn’t in the outside world.

I understood the sharp contrast between the social class and privilege differences between my mother and father at a very young age simply by the lifestyles. When visiting my fathers family, I would share a bed with 6 cousins. When visiting my mothers family, a chauffer would pick me up, maids would iron my church clothes, wake me with strawberry milkshakes and chefs would spoil me with whatever I desired. I was scolded at the dinner tables for not having proper table etiquette… however I had learned from my dad to just pick up a whole chicken and start tearing into it with no need of silverware.

My mother’s family didn’t understand his behavior and saw him as the biggest threat to my wellbeing and development. Therefore, my mother’s family worked hard to destroy the connection I had to my father. They did this in many ways.

Firstly, they tried to force me to associate the help (all persons of color) as “less then” as I’d watch them be pushed around, ordered and abused. I watched as they exercised their power over the help and I suppose they had intended for me to glamorize or romanticize how “powerful” they were.

Secondly, they gave me access to resources where I could access “superior exclusive knowledge” and paid for me to go to the most prestigous and expensive whitewashed academies where there were never more than 3 students of color and all of them were identified by their dependency on food stamps or the details of their scholarship. They were applauded for their brilliance, as if they were magnificent exceptions to their kind… and I quickly understood the truth was there were just not equal opportunities being given to them for them to even get to a level and equal playing field.

And probably most importantly, they endlessly attempted to assure me it was necesary for me to break any relations with my brown father and made sure I learned the word “golddigger”.

I was 5 years old when police sirens shattered me out of my sleep and 4 big men broke into my room with guns and dragged me out. I didn’t even cry, and later it was revealed to me that that was a concerning sign to them but I guess I was just so used to the chaos. I saw my daddy being ushered towards a cop car with handcuffs, held by multiple men. I locked eyes with him. He was humiliated. They had demasculated my father. They cradled me and they pushed and shoved him, smashing his face against the vehicle. I was 5 years old but I realized then and there that in this world, his life did not matter… but mine did. I had a voice… but he never would.

“Does your daddy ever touch you?”

What is a 5 year old suposed to say to that?

My mom was able to get him out eventually and the sexual assault against a minor charges were dropped… but our story was nowhere from over. Within two months, he was arrested again for “kidnapping” me. I understood that due to the color of his skin, my father was deemed as inevitably guilty of something. My father’s skin color made him a criminal… and my skin color made me his pure, fragile, victim.

I saw this even when I’d walk the streets with him hand in hand… the dirty looks I would recieve. I was being shown that by choosing to stand by my father, I was choosing the “losing” side. It would be easier to gallavant off with my mothers family and comfortably explore their manchines across the world. However, I loved my father and I could not let go of him. I was ready to reap the consequences of this.

My mother was hit first - they cut her money supply that she was dependent on and kicked us out of our townhouse, forcing us to struggle to find a rental within such short notice. We had come home to everything we owned outside of our townhouse. I began to associate my mother’s family with evil.

My mom turned to alcohol in her sadness and had great difficulty adjusting to such a simpler life. Desperate for money, my mom did as was as asked and my father was kicked out. I couldn’t help thinking how society had won.

She entered a new relationship immediately… He was (and is) an extremely dangerous alcoholic with a really bad temper. His name is Willy. He was actually one of my dad’s Kung Fu students.

He was (and is) extremely abusive and banged on my door every night to try to get in. I had to move my dressers in front to try to protect myself.

He encouraged my mothers alcoholism and they my mother began to abuse me as he abused her and I was the only one that she had the power to hurt. Child services visited almost every day as I’d come to school with bruises across my body. I never told on her. I just wanted to get through. Atleast once a month, she’d take it too far. I’d find her collapsed in her room with bottles scattted around her body, like flowers at a funeral. I took her to the hospital each time and they would say the same thing: “You’re going to kill yourself and leave your daughter all alone in this world.” She didn’t care. She loved alcohol more. She loved Willy more.

I was not safe within the confinements of school either. There, it was my gender that I began to learn about and experience how that made me a target.

My Math teacher requested my phone number and then used that to excessively attempt to facetime me and serenade me with emoji filled messages. He convinced me to join him alone in the school on weekends for extra help. When I went foward with my truth, I was shamed and told, “He’s such a nice guy!” and accused of lying and put on academic prohbation. This showed me that a white man could get away with anything and as a girl in relation to that, my word meant nothing.

My English teacher promised me A’s in exchange for my silence on his expressions of affection towards me. His flash went off when taking photos of me during a midterm.

Maybe, most impressively, the principal of my school developed a crush on me which caused him to impede upon my learning due to his need of constantly seeing me. A secretary would stick her head into every classroom door I was in and I would sink into my seat, knowing. “The principal needs to see you, Sarah.” I began whispering: “Do I have to…” When I would then sit across from him, he would pry about my daddy issues and offer me comfort I had never asked for. He would rub my back and play with my hair and I’d hold my breath and try to take my mind elsewhere.

When I was 14 years old, I was asked out by one of the only black kids in my school. Scholarship kid. I became super dependent on him because I had no one else. He learned about my family dynamic. He understood my vulnerabilities. He began to abuse me too. He told me he would kill me if I left him, and then he told me that I couldn’t tell anyone because he was black. And the sad part is I actually understood what he meant.

When I turned 18, I gained access to financial privilege - trust funds. I escaped. I moved out the same day. I was able to gain self power by drowning withself within my studies - allowing intersectional feminism to lead me and rescue me and allow me to understand how the personal is political and build the strength to stand up for myself. I now have a restraining order against my ex boyfriend and my mothers boyfriend as she still hasn’t been able to find her own strength to leave. I’m trying to work on personal relationships with both my mother and my father.

It saddens me everyday the realization that most kids in situations like me are trapped. My financial privilege saved me. This is a unique experience and it makes it that I have to do whatever I can to help those not as fortunate as me. No one should be stuck. I know what it feels like.

Overall, my identity is complex. I am biracial, yet I pass as white. I am a woman and that makes me unsafe in this world. I also have grown up experiencing two opposite socio economic classes and lifestyles. I have survived childhood abuse. I then survived domestic violence.

These markers of my identity make it impossible for me to choose to tune out and be ignorant to the injustices in our world. I believe that it is because of this that there is no better place for me than being a Global Studies major.

Everything is personal to me.

To me being a citizen in this world means doing my part to break every silence I’m expected to keep, no matter how hard it may be, because it cannot be underestimated how much this could help someone else.

I see so clearly all the interconnections of oppression and struggle as I have myself lived it. Therefore, to me, to be a true citizen of the globe is to embrace all these pieces that made me who I am and using them as fuel to be an advocate and pioneer for the change I want to see to better our world.

I will continue to share my authentic experiences and making sure that I use the that I have for good. I could have turned away, blinding myself from my Peruvian roots and taking the easier way -- I was shown directly the luxuries and peace I would experience if I was to fully seperate from my Latina and identify as white… but I chose not to. I chose to tune in and there is no going back now.

Celebrities rising to the call during Corona Virus

I wanted to use this opportunity to talk about who has been such a shining bright light amidst this crisis - two people actually - The Cuomo brothers, Andrew Cuomo, our governor of New York, and Chris Cuomo of CNN.

Andrew has bravely led our city of New York during this devastating time. When Rhode Island threatened to not let any New Yorkers in, Andrew stood on TV and told her he will sue her. Andrew continues to stand up for us and fight for us to have more ventilators, masks, and additionally needed medical protection. We couldn’t have a better leader in this time than Andrew Cuomo.

Andrew is not working at fighting this crisis alone however. His brother, Chris, has been advocating and uplifting on his own platform at CNN. Some of the most precious and powerful moments of all are when these two very special beings come together on screen. Incredibly, Chris and Andrew have begun to be reffered to as “a great comedy duo” during this time as everyone is watching the news, and it always brings laughs and smiles when these two interact together. It is so clear how much they love each other despite how they tease, mock and bully each other; it cannot be underestimated how valuable this feeling of warmth that comes from watching their interactions is in a time of such darkness.

Chris Cuomo, despite being diagnosed with Corona Virus, has continued to host his CNN show from his basement in self-quarantine. This is so important because he is trying to destroy the mass fear that people have, share his experience and determination to beat the virus, suggest ways to fel better despite the reality that there is no vaccine yet available, and truly lead through encouragement and resilience. I find his actions to be incredibly inspiring and courageous as he continues to do his show from the basement, despite his sickness, to help people at home feel better. Using his platform in this way is a powerful way of sharing hope, authenticity, and love, truly providing real proof and methods for working through the hard health spikes he and others are experiencing with the virus. Additionally, he leads through example as he uses his tv show and social media to bring much meritted attenion and gratitude to the health care providers who are risking their lives every day taking care of COV-19 patients, also providing them with opportunities to speak and educate the public.

I know that when we eventually overcome this, New Yorkers will forever hold so much fondness in our hearts for the Cuomo brothers and how they helped us in this time of need. To have a leader that can keep in touch with the most fundamental concepts that fuel us to work hard - family - is amazing. Add to that their equal ability to keep a healthy sense of humor and you can start to see why Chris was egging Andrew to run for president. That would be a dream come true!

CUOMO FOR PRESIDENT!!!!

Corona Virus Comedy In A Time We Need To Smile A Little!!

It has been impossible to not appreciate Cardi B’s constant updates on her thoughts and opinions on the Corona Virus.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Cardi B (@iamcardib) on Mar 10, 2020 at 6:02pm PDT

This incredibly has been turned into a very impressive song track:

She has been a bright light in this extremely dark time as she has been so relatable and authentic in this time of need!

So overall, this is a SUPER Cardi B appreciation post for how passionate and entertaining she has been during this depressing pandemic!! Thank you Cardi for all the laughs and smiles!! We need it!!

Trick Mirror Book Review

I chose to read Trick Mirror by Jia Tollentino, an extremely thought-provoking collection of essays that navigate and tackle a plethora of topics, ranging from politics, social media, capitalism and what stood out to me the most and what I most appreciated - her profound exploration of the complexies of being “woman”.

My favorite chapter is titled “The Cult of The Difficult Woman” and eleborates on the unequal burdens placed upon women to upkeep certain standards and the catalysts who have often “accidentally” led to our evolving treatment of women in society. Interestingly, celebrities have been the primary teaching tools through which online feminism has identified and been able to resist the force of patriarchal judgement. She exemplifies an extreme positive -- feminist coverage -- AKA fair coverage is now increasingly becoming standard across the media.  

Tollentino, first, provides the example of Britney Spears.

“Britney Spears, initially glossed as a vapid, oversexed ingénue-turned-psycho, now seems perfectly sympathetic: the public required her to be seductive, innocent, flawless and bankable, and she crumbled under the impossibility of these competing demands.”

She also references Monica Lewinsky: “[She] wasn’t a dumb slut, she was an ordinary twenty-something caught in an exploitative affair with the most powerful boss in America.

And most touching to my heart (as she is one of my favorite people on earth) she referneces Hillary Clinton: “[She] wasn’t a shrill charisma vacuum incapable of winning the trust of ordinary people, but rather an overqualified public servant whose ambitions were thwarted by her opponents’ bigotry and rage.”

More and more women are banding together to stand up for one another, recognize and call out sexism and injustice. We are finally beginning to beable to see perpetuators held accountable. We can revel in finally achieving some wins - some successes - such as Larry Nassar being sentenced to life in prison or most recently, the inditement of Harvey Weinstein. It is especially important to note that these are extremely powerful and wealthy men being punished for their actions… despite our history of the norm being the abuse of womens bodies not mattering and therefore being glossed over.

“The personal is political” is being exercised and exemplified to us by the women we are consuming in our media. Tolentino writes: “When presented with stories about famous women as subjects, not objects, massive numbers of ordinary women recognized themselves in what they saw. Women were able to articulate facts that often previously went unspoken: that entering a relationship with someone doesn’t preclude being victimized by them, but sometimes follows it, and that being sexually harrassed or assaulted can ruin your career. Women could see, through Hillary Clinton, how much this country despises a woman who wants power; through Monica Lewinsky, how easily we become casualties of other people’s ambition; through the coverage of Britney Spears’ breakdown, how female suffering is turned into a joke. Any woman whose story has been altered and twisted by the force ofmale power---so, any woman--can be framed as a complicated hero, entombed by patriarchy and then raise by feminists from the dead.”

Tolentino also references a powerful article titled “Being Winona is A World Made For Gwenyths”. This article celebrates the relatable and quirky and often dark Winona, encouraging girls being comfortable with sticking out instead of fitting in and disobeying status quos. I appreciated the references to this article as I like when girls that deviate from norms and we can celebrate girls that are “other”. Gwenyth Paltrow, on the contrast, is criticized as being the ideal, behaving, good girl. “[She] has always represented a collection of tasteful but safe consumer reflexes more than she’s reflected much of a real personality. I imagine that she writes the GOOP newsletter, her laughably out-of-touch dispatch about vegetables and fashion, wearing overpriced clothes in colors like “camel” and scowling at her staff. That is, when she’s not referring to Billy Joel as “William” and seeking nannies that know ancient Greek and play at least two instruments.”

Tolentino elaborates on how there are many types of Gwenyth’s - expressing hyper palatable feminity - and this is exemplified by “the lifestyle supermom”. Examples of this include, Reese Witherspoon, Blake Lively, Ivanka Trump... “They have built tremendously successful brands by embracing the ‘new domesticity’, defined by consumption, maternity, and a sort of twenty-first-century gentility. They have slim, displined bodies and adorable pregnancies;t they never wear the wrong thing or speak negatively or make themselves abrasive in any way. Importantly, these celebrities are also all white and straight.”

That is the woman who would never be dificult… unlike Britney, Monica and Hillary.

The last part of this book I feel is imporant to reference is how Tolentino has no problem calling out unequal treatment and injustice and that is something I really appreciate. We can see this in how she calls out Caitlyn Jenner being championed as a spearhead of the transgender movement, meanwhile being completely ignorant to the dangerous realities that the trans community faces outside of Caitlyn’s privileged bubble. Tolentino writes: “Trans women have some of the hardest and most dangerous lives in America by any metric, but Caitlyn was immediately, remarkably exceptional. She was insulated to be an unprecented degree by her wealth and whiteness and fame (and perhaps by her credentials as a former Olympian). She came out in a corset on the cover of Vanity Fair; she got her own TV show; and her political opinions - including her support for a president who would soon roll back protections for the trans community- made headlines.”

I overall feel the experience of reading this book was extremely enlightening for me and helped me greatly with connecting multi-faceted pieces of female life and identity. An interesting effect that this book had on me was make me want to create my own story - similar to how this was framed - sharing my own opinions and stories… with hopes to encourage and continue progressive and positive conversations and dialogues for all women and continue practicing how “the personal is political.”

Week : Documentary Week: The Hunting Ground

95% of colleges say they handle sexual assault cases “appropriately,” but what does this really mean? According to the documentary, The Hunting Ground, in 2012, 45% of colleges reported no sexual assault. Dr Gail Stern, a sexual assault educator, comments “This is statistically impossible. It makes absolutely no sense. It just tells you the level of denial.” While finding a school with low or no reports of rape may seem on the outside as a positive, the truth is it speaks to deeper levels of injustice going on within the school walls. Many of these schools avoid reporting actual cases with the intention of maintaining a seemingly safe and clean public image, preventing any negative publicity surrounding their prized school brand, and avoiding any expensive lawsuits. However, universities are not just concerned about maintaining their reputation, their brand, and the money behind their brand, but what their brand promises to deliver. Universities that admit that they have a rapist on their football team, for example, Jameis Winston from Florida State University, demystify the appealing advertised promise that states that their campus provides the perfect community, which respects and upholds social justice values. This act of covering up the true reality creates an inviting façade for future applicants and indirectly serves as a form of justification and normalization for the quiet acceptance of misogyny and treatment of victims as “lesser-than” humans, while simultaneously desensitizing the community to the gravity of such violence and disrespect. Furthermore, by remaining silent and inactive, it passively enables this behavior to continue. The concern for maintaining a false image over the health and wellbeing of the student body as a whole, creates a macro problem instead of a macro solution. Colleges are the places where all young adults, regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation or religion, start to define and understand their function and behavior in society. If a college turns a blind eye to this violent behavior, and simultaneously encourages silence from victims and provides a cloak of protection to the assailants, then this becomes a breeding ground for a society that has a tragically weak regard for human life and universal respect for all people.

One of the reasons for low or misreported sexual assault reports is that the majority of the victims are not taught how to report these events. Colleges should provide mandatory rape culture education for every semester attended, instead of allowing it to just be a conversation in which one can choose whether to opt in or not. To report an assault case takes so much bravery and courage, especially in a world in which girls are not believed, or so often blamed, criticized and re-victimized for the outcome. An example can be found at UNC, where a survivor named Annie Clark was finally able to find out how to report a sexual assault case and when she did, the response she received from the administration is unfortunately an all-too-common response for women in our world. Her administrator told her: “Well... Rape is like football, if you look back on the game, and you’re the quarterback, Annie... is there anything you would have done differently?” This exemplifies the culture of victim-blaming and further impedes any momentum to obtain healing, justice, and resolution as colleges shame and blame girls for having been drinking or “going out in skirts” (The Hunting Ground). Through the response and treatment given to the survivors who come forward, the message women receive is essentially to not trust themselves (or worse, to be more responsible to prevent these things from happening in the first place), and this lack of understanding and perspective bleeds into different aspects of their lives. The loss of control of their body often leads to a general lack of control in life when dealing with the aftermath; these results may vary from anxiety, to depression, paranoia, suicidal thoughts, PTSD, or a complete personality shutdown mentally and physically.

Another example of the horrific outcome that is experienced when help and action from the colleges are unavailable can be seen in Wagatwe’s case. While attending Tufts University in 2008, she was assaulted multiple times by a fellow student, and when she tried to report the assaults to campus, they told her that their legal counsel said they did not have to take action. Due to her trauma, her ability to focus in class was completely disrupted and her grades began to falter, so much so that she was told she had to withdraw from the university. By indirectly expelling her, the school sent a strong message that instead of finding a solution to her burden, she was now deemed as too below-average to stay. For a student who at one point at prided herself so much in her intelligence and good grades, and was admitted on such excellence, no help on an academic or psychological level were ever offered and the school took no accountability in their role in the perpetuation of the emotional and physical abuse of Wagatwe. It wasn’t until three years later (2011), that the US Department of Education implemented Title IX, which mandates that all colleges to respond to reported sexual violence and provide support, assistance, and treatment to any victims.

The mistreatment of survivors is not limited to a particular campus; it’s not just something that happens “somewhere else.” This injustice can be found throughout the national college scene, which is why solutions must be both broad and specific, and fully enforceable by all colleges. The solution cannot solely be beared by women by teaching them to carry pepper spray, taking self-defense classes, restrategizing their “football game”, or dressing conservatively. Rather, the solution must come from a fully intersectional education and awareness that is generously distributed throughout the campus on a monthly basis, amongst many other things. This solution is in the hands of the student body, and not just the victim’s body. College Administrations should prioritize creating a safe environment for students from all walks of life to feel safe and explore their transition into their profession/career study, adulthood, as well as teach this incoming generation how to treat all people with respect, and maintain a moral compass that is in alignment with kindness, integrity, and human dignity. Colleges should encourage the student body to protect each other as a community, use the technology that they already use all the time to stay connected (circleof6app and safetrek), provide the students with required captivating and poignant education on rape culture on a monthly basis, and enforce a strict policy of no tolerance for any type of sexual assault.

It is crucial to emphasize the importance of thinking before you speak because one “small” comment can further perpetuate violence against women. Schools must be held accountable and educate people on the truths behind the rape statistics found throughout the college scene. Additionally, it is important to remember that rape is not just a sexual attack that happens to white women, but something that is experienced by all different types of women, regardless of race, orientation, and religion. Wagatwe says: “Rape is an act of putting the marginalized peoples in their place.”

By not enforcing a firmer attitude towards maintaining safety and protection to the student body, rapists will continue to get away with the crime, further demonstrating how normal and “okay” our society perceives sexual assault. If nothing changes, there is expected to be more than 100k students assaulted in the next year (The Hunting Ground). While most people aren’t rapists, most people are so willing to protect them and this is a reality that needs to change. We need to engage bystanders so we can work to shift social and cultural norms that currently help to sustain rates of violence while simultaneously working to reduce risk factors for survivors coming forward. Rapists will continue on through college, free of any punishment or repercussions, while survivors who don’t receive the proper treatment and assistance, will not only fall behind in the academic world, but fail on a personal and professional level as their sense of worth and confidence is devalued; their sense of potential will be destroyed thanks to the absolute lack of attention and care given to them from the college. Survivors will hold their injustices within their minds for the rest of their lives, while their rapists can go on to become the top pick for the NFL draft.  College administrations must be willing to expel rapists and/or misogynists to project to the rest of the world that sexual assault can NOT be justified, can NOT be excused and will NEVER be tolerated.

Here is the trailer to the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBNHGi36nlM

Please watch this film.

Week 7: Documentary City: AMY

The documentary I chose to watch was Amy. Amy Winehouse is my favorite female voice that has ever been… so watching this film was very emotional for me. I truly love her music so much and it deeply saddens me to see how much pain it cost her to be the public figure that we so adored.

Here is the trailer to the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJKIwNtLgwk

Amy was extremely young when she entered the limelight. Her piercing, shiver inducing soulful voice skyrocketed her into the world of fame, glam and cameras. Her music would convey such pure emotion that it moved people. Guy Moot, the UK president of Sony who signed her stated: “When you looked at her lyrical capability and her melodic capability, she was a very old soul in a very young body.”

Not only was her voice unique and unparalleled, she was also an extremely gifted poet… which she managed to transform into fantasmic authentic songs. She expressed: “I wouldn’t write anything unless it was directly personal to me because I wouldn’t have been able to tell the story right as I wouldn’t have done it.”

With so much talent, she was signed as a child and immediately granted access to great wealth. She immediately escaped to her own flat, where she became able to practice substance abuse without judgement or critique from her mother. By the age of 13, she was already on antidepressants and struggling with alcoholism and bulimia. Picking up her guitar and belting out her music was therapeutic for her in battling her depression… but it was not enough.

Upon meeting the love of her life, Blake Fielder, and two troubled youths united and ignited each others disastrous flames. Fielder comments: “We were like twins. I liked to sabotage myself and Amy liked to sabotage herself. I used to ask her why was she promiscuous and why she more like a man with sex. It’s indicative of someone who’s had a traumatic event, maybe sexual themselves. So it sort of made sense to me from the way she was. “

Amy herself pondered:  “I fell in love with someone I would’ve died for. That’s like a real drug isn’t it…” Her love was fully consuming and became another addiction to battle with to add to her list.

They ended up marrying and Blake introduced her to cocaine and heroin. They both became extremely addicted and it got a grip of them both entirely.

Her management tried to get her into rehab but she wouldn’t commit.

Amy then created hit song Rehab in which she sings:

This hit propelled her into an intense stardom - a commercial stardom, winning her awards and seating her next to A-Listers, which put a new level of pressure on the struggling young adult.

Amy’s wrecklessness hit new levels. A scene that really stood out to me was her leaving her studio session to go to the bathroom, in which she vomited everywhere and used her vomit to decorate the walls, ceiling, everywhere.

Within their home, it was gory and often covered in blood as their anger issues would cause them to punch the walls until they bled and they both seeked satisfaction in cutting themselves.

Amy became totally incompetentent on stage. She was obviously sick looking, skin and bones like a walking skeleton, shaking and shivering, and staggering.

Amy overdosed. She really struggled in trying to keep up with the levels that her husband Blake was consuming and her petite body could not handle it. Doctors explained: “With the ammount of cocaine, alcohol, heroin and crack cocaine in her blood system we’re amazed she’s not in a coma.. But she’s a petite young girl her body can’t keep up with this”

Her record company disguised her struggles as “severe exhaustion”

Her and her husband temporarily finally checked into a rehab but relapsed majorly as soon as they returned home.

Her deep internal struggle between loving Blake so much and keeping up with his detrimental drug intake is painfully expressed within her song Love is A Losing Game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A235fV-CKEY

Amy Winehouse’s last performance was her being booed off the stage in Serbia. This was supposed to be her comeback moment but she would not sing.

It is so sad to see how at the end she really didn’t care anymore… to the extent that she was willing to sabotage not just her career but also her friendships and musical relationships.

Her last performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxcxEOy6uHI

Amy died on July 23, 2011. Amy’s blood alcohol level was 4-5 times higher than drunk level limits. It is understood that the combination of her eating disorder and alcohol level made her heart stop.

This is an extremely important story that tackles many issues that must be brought to light including substance abuse, alcoholism and toxic relationships.

This film shows that no matter how much success you may achieve or how much money you may make, you can still internally struggle. This also really shows how important it is to check in on those that we love and care about… and make sure they know that they are not ALONE.

What this movie makes us consider inevitably is how we need to fight for the people we love, no matter how strong their demons may be, we need to relentlessly try to be stronger in our intervening and try to really properly offer support and guidance. It breaks my heart Amy was unable to be saved and I can’t help but think this could have been different if she had gotten the help she so needed.

The devastating reality is that so many people in the media would mock Amy Winehouse and make jokes about her unkept appearance and sloppiness. This was extremely cruel and only made it harder for her to keep her head up. You never know what demons someone is battling and bullying is never acceptable. Many labelled Amy Winehouse a “trainwreck”. I hope after watching this documentary, people can see how truly talented she was and how much of a loss our world has had in losing her.

We MISS you Amy. You WERE and will always be LOVED.

Week Six: Feb 26: March for Our Lives: Teen Leaders of Gun Control

Where do these youth leaders go from here?

I think these surviving traumatized youths are ignited to produce REAL change, and to aggressively weed out all the BS and all the politicians who take money that “support their agenda.” It’s an absolute tragedy and complete devaluement of human life to allow money to support an agenda that puts the lives of our future innovators and leaders in such a harmful way. Never has there been such a demographic so young, so articulate, and so ready to battle for change arming themselves with the greatest weapon at their fingertips: social media.

Is the reign of the NRA reaching its twilight moment?

Perhaps. Emma Gonzalez makes many good points, one of which is so simply and clearly logical to incite reform: “The Guns have Changed but the laws have not.”

And yet, the people in real power - Donald Trumps, Marco Rubio, the many listed on that wall of shame - are still greedily accepting money from the NRA, intentionally choosing to disregard the reality of such poor gun policy has on the society.

Emma once again broke it down to bite size pieces: if Trump received $30M from NRA that means every death in the 1.4 year he’s been president came at a price of $5800/student! When someone breaks it down like that, it feels hopeful that change is inevitable...that Emma and her generation of survivors will not let this just dissolve into last week’s twitter thread… This is the dawning of a new era of freedom fighters - the ones who envision having the freedom to go to school without the fear of having to practice a live shooter drill, the freedom to go to a night club in Orlando and not fear being gunned down, the freedom to be a child playing at the school playground without fear of looking over their shoulders. Yes, I believe the NRA is reaching its twilight moment.

Is the tide turning on gun violence in the US?

Sadly, not yet. Until true gun reform is enacted, and has the history of mass shootings simply continues to accumulate and add to the statistics, gun violence is not going away. The tide is turning for the politicians as they now face an army of fresh 18 year old survivors who are determined to vote them all out of their positions. However, the need to replace them with capable individuals who share the same values as these millennials and generations Z, Alpha and iGeneration (millennials' kids), is a necessary element required to then turn the tide on gun violence.  As David Hoggs said, “What we need more than “thoughts and prayers” is ACTION.” It starts with a voice, that turns to movement, that inspires the vote, that survives the legislative process, that then turns the tide to wash the violence away.

Have you become more active on gun violence issues since March for Our Lives?

The voices at the March for Our Lives were so incredibly powerful and moving that I believe inevitably it united students across the nation. None of us should have to be scared in our schools - our places of learning should be sacred and safe spaces. No one deserves to lose a classmate to gun violence -- or anyone period. It was so empowering to see the bravery of the youth that led this movement and inspired me to activate my voice as well.

Have you Registered to VOTE?

Yes I have! I’m 20 so it will be my first time being able to vote in the presidential campaign.

It is extremely important to me as a woman to vote because I am aware of the history of how hard we had to fight to have this right. However, the electoral college does often make me struggle internally thinking my vote doesn’t matter or make as much of an impact as a New Yorker. I wish we went by the popular vote so that Hillary would have been our president instead.

Week Five: Project Drawdown Book Review

Who is Paul Hawken? Why is his voice important? What is his perspective on global warming and climate change and how does it differ from what you've been reading in the mainstream news?

Environmentalist, entrepreneur, author and activist, Paul Hawken is a man dedicated to leaving the planet better than the way he was born onto it. A pioneer with regards to ecological research, innovations, and practical implementation of environmental solutions, Paul founded Project Drawdown, a non-profit organization whose work focuses on researching how to reverse the severe reality that is global warming. As an active author, Paul’s voice is unique not only as a writer in various peer-reviewed papers and five national bestsellers, but more importantly as an active voice in regards to connecting and communicating with heads of states and CEO who truly have the power to implement change at a larger scale. Considered the leading authority on sustainability, Hawken has given several hundred keynote speeches, conferences, and workshops domestically and internationally that have not only been lauded as highly motivating and informative, but that have profoundly inspired and captivated his audiences (governments and corporations) to go out and take action to be mindful, informed, and empowered to incorporate new policies to lessen their impact on the planet.  

Hawken’s perspective on global warming and climate change is positive as he sees these challenges as opportunities for innovation, compassion and genius. He believes that the effects of climate change can actually be reversed with very feasible solutions that are fully supported by a team of dedicated and expert environmentalists. The news often presents the issue of climate change as a tremendous negative issue (which it is), and fails to break down the topic into layman’s terms, and also fails to present solutions that have been proven to work. If the focus is on the problem and not the why/how it came to be, people won’t understand they contribute to either the problem or the solution. However, Project Drawdown has one-hundred solutions that demonstrate how they’re already being integrated by societies, and how much greater the result would be if they were integrated at a global level to create a new norm.

How does Drawdown move beyond its pages to implement its ideas? Provide several examples.

Implementation comes in the form of humans coming together in a Movement. As McKibben writes: “Movements are what take five or ten percent of people and make them decisive - because in a world where apathy rules, five or ten percent is an enormous number.” Movements change how we think and how we see the world, creating more evolved social norms. Examples of ideas being implemented beyond the page is how several countries now have geothermal energy as the norm; vegetarian lunches at school are increasing in popularity, solar energy continues to be on the rise, and almost every city you travel to now has recycling containers logistically placed throughout the city.

“We see global warming not as an inevitability but as an invitation to build, innovate, and effect change, a pathway that awakens creativity, compassion, and genius. This is not a liberal agenda, nor is it a conservative one. This is the human agenda.” - Paul Hawken

Drawdown Fellows is comprised of seventy individuals from twenty-two countries. Forty percent are women, nearly half have PhDs, and others have at least one advanced degree. They have extensive academic and professional experience at some of the world’s most respected institutions. Having this worldwide diversity enables them to implement these sustainability ideas on an international level, thus moving from the page of hypothesis, to the tangible application of reality.

Also extremely important to note is they acknowledge how very few people actually understand climate science and sought to make Project Drawdown present climate science and solutions in language that is accessible, understandable and compelling to people of all different ages and backgrounds, so that all of us can collectively effect change and how each and every one of us plays a role in the outcome and future health of this planet.

Powerfully stated in the book: “This is why, in creating Drawdown and its associated website, we sought to do more than merely perform exacting research and inform. We wanted to captivate and surprise, to present solutions to global warming in a new way with an eye towards helping draw the threads and webs of humanity into a coherent and more effective network of people that can accelerate progress towards reversing climate change.”

Choose one of the Top Twenty solutions from the graphic below and connect it to a project underway in the world. Choose a celebrity who has aligned with this or a similar project and is promoting it. Discuss their unique strategy and impact. How effective is this project? Have you participated in, worked for, or volunteered at a similar project? If you have original photos to include, please do so.

Out of Hawken’s list of Top Twenty solutions is that Educating Girls actually has such a huge impact on reversing global warming. Bilingual and International popstar, Shakira, has a non-profit organization called Pies Descalzos that is dedicated to opening schools that provide quality education in underprivileged areas of Barranquilla, Columbia. The school is located in the Colombian Pacific region, where the Afro-Colombian population predominates and is known for having the highest poverty rates in the country. Shakira’s organization has been very effective in changing the economic profile of those coming out of the Pies Descalzos schools, proving that education can create a cleaner and more sustainable world. 

The following statistics are proof of the impact of education:

- Girls’ education is paramount to overcoming poverty and disrupting cycles of conflict.

- We can reduce infant and child mortality. A child born to a literate mother is 50% more likely to survive past the age of 5. And every extra year of education reduces the probability of infant mortality by 5% to 10% (UNESCO)

- A girl who completes basic education is three times less likely to contract HIV (Global Campaign for Education)

- We can reduce the risk of sex trafficking. Most trafficked women and girls are from poor and uneducated families. (United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Human trafficking)

- Improved economies: In a study of 100 countries, every 1% increase in women with secondary education boosted a country’s annual per capita income growth rate by 0.3 percentage points. (World Bank)

- Have healthier families. Educated women are more likely to take a greater economic role in their families and communities, and they tend to reinvest 90% of what they earn into their families. (GPE)

- We believe that the global community cannot rise above conflict and crises until the same opportunities are afforded to ALL people.

Hawken’s research shows how educating girls directly correlates with their ecological footprint as they enter childbearing years. A great piece of research from the 2011 journal Science shows, “ a “fast track” scenario, based on South Korea’s actual climb from one of the least to most educated countries in the world. If all nations adopted a similar rate and achieved 100 percent enrollment of girls in primary and secondary school, by 2050 there would be 843 million fewer people worldwide than if current enrollment rates sustain.”

I have embarked on numerous volunteer trips where I have travelled the world to tutor children. I have done this in Kentucky, Thailand, The Dominican Republic, Tanzania, Peru and currently volunteer twice a week in the Bronx assisting refugee youth with their studies. The experience that was the most meaningful for me however was my time in Peru because I am half Peruvian so this simultaneously offered me an opportunity to explore my Peruvian heritage and get more in touch with my Latina identity. I travelled to Cusco, Peru and stayed up in the mountains of rural Ollantaytambo. I worked with an organization called The Sacred Valley Project which aims to give girls equal access to education. I did a project there that I’m really proud of where I asked each girl what it meant to be a girl to them. The results I got were really beautiful. See here: https://sarahgrados.exposure.co/peru

What is the Project Drawdown fellowship program? Choose one of the Fellows from the Project Drawdown website and write a brief profile about them and their work. Provide a TedTalk or other video featuring them if available. Do you believe their project is scalable and can have a global impact? If so, how does it align with one of the 100 solutions in the book?

The Project Drawdown Fellowship is a community made up of researchers, environmentalists, and passionate global citizens working to identify effective and feasible solutions in order to most efficiently tackle the issue of global warming.

Barbara X. Rodriguez is a Research Fellow and has been delved into the study of GreenHouse Gas (GHG) emissions for the last decade. In 2007, she became the first Latina LEED AP (Accredited Professional in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) in Chile and has championed for industry integration and development of improved analytic tools to measure Carbon emissions from buildings. The goal is create Net Zero Carbon buildings. As Chief Sustainability Officer at the center for Innovation, Research and Development at the University of Chile, Rodriguez led the first EPD program for new constructions in Latin America. Currently working towards her doctorate degree she currently works for the Carbon Leadership Forum, focusing on embodied carbon in HVAC systems and refrigerants.

I personally believe that her work is scalable and can feasibly translate worldwide, since all developed countries have some type of air conditioning system for residential, commercial, and government buildings. If all these buildings were to transition to newer, eco-friendly HVAC systems that emitted zero carbon emissions, on a global scale that would add up to a huge reduction of the preventable global warming. This type of solution aligns with solution #18 in the top Twenty list - Geothermal energy. By installing new geothermal units, all these types of buildings could literally plug into the planet and either draw out hot air for heat, or pull it back in to cool the space. If the developed countries of the world were to recycle their old HVAC systems and replace them with geothermal energy, there would be a drastic reduction in GHG emissions, wasted material (as HVac systems often need to be replaced every 10 years whereas geothermal units can last up to 100 years at a time without needing to be serviced), thus presented a highly energy-efficient, eco-effective, and longer lasting solution than the conventional HVAC systems that have been in use for the last several decades.

Research a key review of Drawdown from The New York Times or other publications online, find a quote that aligns with or departs from your view of the book and explain why.

On the Kirkus Reviews publication, a key review reads, “An optimistic program for getting out of our current mess, well deserving of the broadest possible readership.” I find this quote to align with my view of the book because I too felt hopeful about the future outcome of this planet after reading that solutions were already being integrated, and the many varying ways I could increase my participation in cutting down Greenhouse emissions. Prior to reading this book, I thought Earth was very likely to arrive to doomsday within the next decade (and to be honest, I still have reservations about this since so much bureaucracy impedes us from implementing greater ecological solutions on a grander scale), but at after reading Drawdown I feel not only optimistic, but motivated and inspired to be even more active to do my part.

Which solution found in the book surprised you the most? (Choose one that is not on the Top Twenty list)

The solution not on the top twenty list that most surprised me was the one for Dynamic Glass -- “By responding to sunlight and weather, dynamic glass can reduce a building’s energy load for heating, cooling, and lighting. More effective windows lower emissions.” When walking through NY, I notice the majority of the high rises are these enormous glass buildings, wall to wall with glass! Imagine what an impact it would have if every single new construction had a national/international policy in place that required new construction to use this new type of Dynamic/Smart Glass? Not only would it help reduce the thermal energy within the building (which would save money), but in the bigger picture it would yield a lifetime operating savings of $99-165 billion. That’s so impressive! Why aren’t we using this already?

How will you implement one or more of these 100 solutions into your own life?

Firstly, I will continue my avid volunteer work and tutoring children because education is so important and if I can help just one child’s learning experience be a little brighter and more positive then that makes me really happy.

But something new I will be doing because of this book is being much more cautious with my food choices. It really surprised me to learn how negative over-consumption of meat is.

It especially shocked me to read: “Some experts are proposing a more pointed intervention: levying a tax on meat—similar to taxes on cigarettes—to reflect its social and environmental externalities and dissuade purchases.” To equate such a norm in my life - meat eating - to cigarettes is really a statement I couldn’t get out of my head. I’m definitely inspired to learn more and try to begin experimenting with a more plant based diet.

#MeToo #Timesup

1. Why do you think the #MeToo movement has been so effective? Why now?

It’s impossible for me not to consider our feminist history and geneology when contemplating this question. I must think back to the consciousness raising groups of the 1960s and how women were able to create safe spaces to break the silences that needed to be broken on topics such as abortion and the inequalties we were expected to endure. It was through this vulnerable sharing that women were able to learn that their problems were not singular… they were shared… it was discovered that “the personal is political.” This was also an extremely important experience for women as it showed them that their feelings were valid, true and meaningful despite what society might wish for them to believe. I believe that the #MeToo movement could be interpreted as a modern day, publicized, consciousness raising group. Honestly, it is hard to find the power to share your story especially in the society that we live in that shames, silences and dehumanizes women. However, stimutaneously is extremely therapeutic and healing to let your truth escape your lips and find the power within yourself to share it. By being brave enough to share your story, it helps so many others and our power is only multiplied. We are so much more empowered when we stand beside one another and I think that the #MeToo movement is extremely representative of that. To make the #MeToo movement even more complex, not only was it coming to light that women were experiencing this harrasment and abuse-- but often it was the same perpeturators!! I think the #MeToo movement is a way of saying enough is enough… even if the courts will not imprison these men, at least we will be able to share our truths… and keep fighting to see systemic change in gender inequalty and violence.

2. What other impacts have you observed of the #MeToo movement? How has it affected you?

I experienced domestic violence in my relationship of 5 years. I was convinced I should marry him. I believed I deserved it. Movements such as #MeToo helped me to escape this mindset and see the larger picture.

For me personally, I found #MeToo particularly empowering due to the facts that huge celebrities were coming forward with stories as well. It united us, despite differences in race, class, ethnicity...

It was pretty shocking because I think we tend to believe that women have a chance of making it and we tend to veiw those who make it to the big screen or have such cultural power as untouchable… however all the stories that came out showed us that no matter how famous you may be or how much financial privilege you may have attained, at the end of day, we are all women...with bodies that are not protected in our society. The #MeToo movement brought women as a whole together from all walks off life and ripped down the bridges that so often try to seperate and categorize us.

I think the #MeToo movement also helped to alleviate the shame --- if someone such as Uma Thurman for example can come forward with a story, it definitely could give confidence to many other women.

Inevitably, celebrity involvement also helped bring more light to the stores as well which was beneficial for the entire movement.

3. What is the celebrity lens here? What did celebrities risk in joining #MeToo? What have they gained?

I believe it was really valuable for celebrities to become involved as it forced us to open our eyes and see that no woman is untouchable and we are all at a risk in a society that doesn’t respect us. 

It also encouraged a lot more women to feel comfortable sharing their own stories to see such big names publicizing their experiences.

Celebrities were really able to make this very important conversation have a further reach and spread much quicker.

It was really brave for celebrities to come forward as it could really put their careers at risk considering so many of the people in control in these industry are men either defending Harvey Weinstein or even practicing similar behaviors. They could also be potentially risking their safety... so I am extremely grateful for all those that came forward and shared their stories.

Young Visionaries with Solutions and Gizmos

1. How do these stories help people locate not just hope but solutions?

These stories were all so unique and I appreciated greatly being introduced to so many young brilliant change makers. I think something so valuable about these stories being shared on social media and being broadcasted is that awareness is being raised. Awareness is necessary in order to get to change! As we saw in the case of Boyan Slat, his brilliant idea on solving the problem of the Pacific Garbage patch was able to come to life as his story was heard that led him to receive the backing of investors and a team of scientists and technicians. It’s extremely inspiring to see how many different ways there are to help the planet, as each of the examples we learned about were working on different projects... it’s really important we keep sharing these stories around as we can inspire one another and encourage more and more powerful ideas to come to light and activate teamwork as well.

2. Which of these individuals had to overcome the most obstacles to realize their project?

There were definitely challenges for all of them. However, Kelvin Doe particularly stood out to me. He doesn’t come from a place of financial privilege and he literally went through the trash to find parts to create batteries, generators and transmitters without even having been trained on how to do so. It was really a beautiful thing to see how much he loves his home country of Sierra Leone and how he was so excited to bring back all his newfound knowledge from FIT to share with his community.

3. Which of these stories has the most resonance for you in terms of solution-making?

I was really blown away when Lauren Singer showed how all her waste she produced from the past 3 years could fit in a 16oz glass jar. I found this story particularly resonated with me as she attends NYU, our neighboring school. It showed me how real it truly is that someone we probably pass by on the street to class has been making such positive strides to give some love back to our planet. She really put things into perspective for me and made me seriously question how much I waste on a daily basis. She smashes the concept that everyone tends to say, “I’m just one person, why does it matter?” She powerfully ends the ted talk by saying: “I want to be remembered for the things that I did while I was on this planet and not by the trash I left behind.” Mic drop. After watching this, I’m inspired to try making my own deodorant, cooking at home and beginning to eliminate my excess of waste in any way possible.

4. Is there a key environmental problem are you inspired to solve? How would you execute it?

These videos really have me questioning everything now. 

I want to use this question as an opportunity to explore some random sporadic ideas. Obviously, living in NYC, Uber is extremely rampant and traffic is the worst ever. Wouldn’t it be incredible if all Ubers had to instead be switched to an energy efficient car so we can eliminate pollution significantly?

I also want to explore a way in which online shopping can still be a thing but in an environmentally cautious way... maybe mandating you send your own reusable bag first for the clothes to be shipped in or something like that?

Going a little of track -- as a dog mom, I’ve been personally working with The North Shore Animal League working to destigmatize adoptions so that more dogs and cats can be rescued instead of purchased from pet stores. I do consider this in relation to our environment and world as well.

The sea turtle video killed me. It’s time we glamorize LOVING and RESPECTING animals... 

5. How would you message a movement for your solution?

Social media is obviously an extremely useful tool. Videos are extremely impactful. I would definitely utilize youtube. I’d also want to partner up with non profits or companies to expand advertising.

6. Locate a similar example in Project Drawdown by Paul Hawken

Paul Hawken finds importance in recycling. If plastic is going where it should go all the time, then we would avoid hurting the sea turtles. Even by reducing our personal daily use, it does make a difference and does matter even though we may just feel we are only person -- its so much more at stake!!

Teenage Eco-Heroes

1. What solutions are they offering for global warming, plastic pollution or overall climate change issues?

I really appreciated to learn about so many new inspiring faces this week. An example would be Fionn Ferreira. I had never heard of him before yet he brilliantly invented a new method of extracting microplastics from the water!!! This is insane!

Melati Wijsen is another incredible teen I was so excited to be introduced to. The first inital information that really impressed me was how she founded “Bye Bye Plastic Bags” to organize petitions, awareness-raising campaigns and massive beach clean ups. Her efforts have helped Bali to announce a law banning single-use plastic.

Upon doing further research, I was really impressed by how her website illustrates how easy it can be to help - you don’t need to be a senator or policy maker. You can be a student… and you can be ANY age!

2. How did they organize their work? How have they been recognized?

I really appreciated having this reading this week as I think it’s really important to acknowledge all the courageous students advocating for a better future. It is our future after all so we more than anyone need to be leading this conversation.

In regards to recognition, I definitely feel that Greta Thunberg has truly become the face of the youth climate change movement. She should absolutely recieve recognition as the work she has done is truly out of this world. However, it is also extremely important to recognize that there are many other youth as well fighting this fight… particularly youth of color who are often forgotten and excluded.

It really saddened me to see how Vanessa Nakate was fully cropped out of photos amongst her white activist counterparts from #WEF20. I also feel particularly moved to mention Naomi Wadler, who has consistently addresses directly the disproportionate violence against black lives and refuses to accept their lack of acknowledgement and representation as a normal status quo. She is an incredible activist of color and the speech she did at The March For Our Lives is permanently a part of me.

3. How did they get the word out about their projects? What has been their impact so far?

I think a really necessary part of the impact made by Greta and the others is how they never gave up. In the example of Greta, she literally was brave enough to protest alone, and opened herself up as a target for bullying… but it didn’t matter to her as she had a greater goal in mind. She did not allow herself to get discouraged when she was the only one speaking up because she knew how important her words were… and she doesn’t let mocking or belittling comments made by elders deter her. For others to see this universally, this is extremely empowering and I know it definitely inspires me to want to follow in her lead. They have already done the groundwork by making spectacles of themselves - its time for us to join in and do whatever we can as well. I also need to note how this is a prime example of how social media has been used for good - how an audience can grow so quickly and capturing photos and videos can have the same effect, even if you’re not seeing/participating in person.

4. What obstacles did they overcome?

There are multiple consistent cruel and unjust obstacles that passionate youth advocating for positive changes in our world unfortunately have to face. However, in my opinion, the bigggest is critics seem to always have to challenge and discriminate age as though being a teenager means you are uncapable of forming your own original opinions and ideas. There is so much ageism prevalent accusing youth of not being credible. I love to see how these teens are actively shattering all ideas, expectations and limitations that are expected with their age. They are fighting and advocating for real change in our world and pressing for “more than just talk”, as mentioned in the readings, they are “demanding definitive solutions, action and budgetary commitments to addressing the Climate Emergency."

5. Imagine what they might be doing five years from now.

I definitely can imagine these courageous change-makers running for positions in office. I’d love to see a Greta-esque president. I also know that with them in the forefront, our world will be much a better place.

6. Why do you think young people are rising up and taking to the streets for #ClimateStrike #Fridays4Future and other protests?

I think because it is OUR future. It’s literally in our hands. And we want our world to be healthy and the animals in it to be protected and we want a future for the next generation after us as well. “The biggest threat to our planet is believing that someone else will save it.” - Robert Swan

Who is your favorite celebrity who has made a contribution to the world?

I know that this will be an extremely critiqued opinion... however my favorite celebrity is Kim Kardashian. 

I like to see powerful females. I especially admire when a woman is able to escape societal restraints and roles to become a leader. 

Kim Kardashian has always been labeled dumb... but it is impossible for me to see her as that. 

I find myself so in awe of her. Firstly, I appreciate how she has taken entire control of her body, appearance and sexuality and monetizes that for herself, not for others and has used this to her advantage to become a multi-millionaire CEO who now fights for criminal justice reform and brings the stories of abused POC victim of the unjust system to light.  

Typically in our history, women’s bodies have been critiqued, abused and used as puppets by male breadwinners and CEOS and Kim is a contradiction to that. Kim is her own boss.

Beyond how she empowers women through her body positivity and success as a female in male-dominated world, she has became an extremely important figure in the fight for criminal justice reform.

I think it’s extremely important for people of privilege in this world to use that privilege for good and that is exactly what she is doing. Despite her mass wealth, she is choosing to tune in and not be ignorant to important conversations on race and gender inequality. 

At the end of the day, even though there have of course always been people doing and living this work before Kim Kardashian, their voices simply are not as loud and don’t have as far of a reach so for someone with as much cultural influence as her to become an advocate for social justice makes such positive change and impact in our world.

Obviously, flawed, as she should begin to acknowledge our feminist foremothers and other POC who have always fought this fight, we cannot deny that Kim using her power to get the unfairly incarcerated out of jail is phenomenal. 

She is also a mother and full time CEO who is still prioritizing education. In her late 30s, she is now attending law school. I feel this is extremely important. By being so vocal about her studies and passions, she is inevitably glamorizing and popularizing the study of law which is really impactful because the world needs more passionate youth striving for careers in social justice. 

Kim Kardashian is opening the eyes of so many youth to the inspiring battles for equality and I truly find her to be an icon.

Girls in Tech ♡

How do you define Genius? Does the word transcend gender?

I think the definition of Genius means someone who is so significantly beyond above average, and so brilliant with their ability to process, learn, discover, and form new ideas and thoughts that have not been thought of before. These innovators, in my mind, don’t come with a predisposition that is only accessible by gender. In other words, Genius can and does transcend gender, and also orientation, race, and creed. Genius is a matter of the mind, not the physical biology of a gender. It is a matter of speed, unique perspective, and innovative approaches to discovering connections that had not been established before their genius thought.

What are your favorite girl scientists/geeks/brainiacs in popular culture? Who would you add?

Honestly, it says a lot that no female scientists come to mind. It goes to show you that mainly men have dominated the science field, and this poses a problem. How can young girls dream of being “geniuses” if they don’t have any role models, heros, or trailblazers to look up to?

Do you think representations in popular culture can have an impact young girls to become scientists, technologists, inventors, or do you think the key is education and exposure to historical figures in school?

Clearly it is extremely telling that I cannot even think of girl brainiacs and inventors yet endless names of males come to mind. Representation is extremely important and we just aren’t seeing that for female scientists. I think representation in pop culture would greatly inspire young girls to become scientists because now it’s not unchartered territory - someone has gone and paved a path for them, or at the very least, make the option to be the trailblazer available to the younger generation.

Education should also encourage young girls to push the envelope with their approach and innovations within their science experiments. I think school is a great place for girls to discover career paths that are viable to them in science so that they can feel (and know) that with their work in science/mathematics/physics etc, they can improve the world, help others, and also be creative.

Do you think the impulse to address climate change through innovation will lead more girls into science and technology careers?

Absolutely! - Because this is an issue that reflects the need to help the planet. I think women are innately wired to be more maternal and nurturing anyway, and to reciprocate that love and attention to Mother Earth seems like a very encouraging platform for young females to jump on board for. Women tend to want to help, tend to want to be creative, and the brightest of minds are always seeking a challenge. I hope more girls take the current state of the planet as a giant invitation to become more active in the science world.

How can STEM be re-messaged or rebranded so more girls join in?

If girls are geared towards being creative, helping others, and contributing to society, then I think creating toys that represent these types of jobs (civil engineer, astronaut, biologist, etc), I think more girls would be inspired to delve deeper into STEM subjects.  For girls, there should be more cognitive development toys made, like how Goldie Box is making the engineering toys. I think that’s a great idea.

I also think celebrating and popularizing the amazing women who have put men on the moon, the genius mathematicians, or the genius psychologists and biologists and onward, should be hyped up more so that they can trend in the social media platforms. THis is where young girls are getting their inspiration from already. So why not make the concept of being hyper smart the new form of being Cool? Why not make striving to be a genius the new trend?

What do these wins reveal about authenticity and reframing narratives?

In my eyes, one of the most powerful wins that happened was by Ayanna Pressley - the first black woman to win congress in Massachusetts.

Her story is particularly powerful because she is STRONG. She had to be strong as she is a survivor of incestal sexual assault and campus assault. This fact alone makes her stand out from any other candidate in history as she truly has experienced the realities that women are too often subject to due to our gender. To have endured and survived rape, and overcome the trauma to help women universally, her strength is truly unparalleled.

To be a survivor means that she understands the importance of women's rights in the deepest of ways. To be a survivor means that she can truly bring the most authentic advocacy and be a true pioneer for other women who have been assaulted and harassed, finally see representation -  we finally have someone in our government looking out for us that understands.

One of the points that is compelling about her campaign is how she refers to her mom as her “shero.” I found this to be such a touching choice of words because it shows how powerful, courageous, intelligent, resourceful, and loving a true She-ro can be. Additionally, without a positive father figure to save them, she learned that women can save themselves and each other by donning the role of a She-ro. This use of reframing an age-old word into something modern, grounded in authentic simplicity (a mother’s love), and inspiration was instrumental in winning the votes of so many who probably had never even heard of her before the campaign season. This is the power of being true to oneself, the power of authenticity, and without sounding cliché, the power of love.

What surprised you about these outcomes?

I think what was most surprising is that so many of these first time campaigners did not have any backing from their political parties - parties that were comprised mainly of the old boys on the block (i.e. white men). Of course they didn’t want to vouch for them. What was surprising is that women of all colors, orientations, ethnic backgrounds, and social economic levels, won these elections because of their authentic desire to help their communities by serving in Congress. Money didn’t influence the voters - authenticity did. Many of these women - women like Alexandria Cortez who comes from working middle class -  didn’t have the funding to “properly” campaign, and yet without using campaign funds from rich tycoons, their messages reached the masses and won. I’m not surprised by these outcomes. I think we can all feel that the time for change is happening right now.  

What are the most important pieces of our democracy need repair to ensure that all voters have an equal voice in the election process?

One of the most valuable things in my personal experience has been how my progressive education system is always encouraging our student body to vote and be passionate, engaged and informed. It really concerns me to know that there are so many places in the world in which students don’t have access to such support and actually have quite bias and unfair educational experiences. Particularly, I think of Texas, how the school board just voted to eliminate Hillary Clinton and Helen Keller from their history curriculum. This is blinding to students and because of this decision out of their hands, they will lack learning about two major female heros that have made major impacts in our history as women and forged many pathways. If schools could practice more neutrality and instead encourage the simple act of getting out and voting, that would be tremendously helpful. But this is only helpful when students have all the information present, and they can’t when their own history classes are being chopped into Patriarchal dictated pieces of filtered biases.

What do the historic wins in 2018 tell us about women and leadership at this point in time?

Women are flooding, breaking past the patriarchal stronghold that has kept them out of Congress, Senate and positions of power. These wins are indeed historic because so many first-time female politicians are winning by landslides. Their approach to campaigning is not anything at all like career politicians of prior male candidates. Instead, they are fresh, authentic, full of compassion and relatablity. What these wins tell us about women is that they are beyond ready to be recognized as leaders and true changers of society, and that the people who have voted have made their voices heard. These wins also show how many more young voters are getting involved and voting - especially young women. The time for change is now - time’s up.