1. \\ Check out the huge report my work just launched on inequality [it's a big deal].
The New York Times called it "a deeply serious document - one of the best overviews of income stagnation and inequality." Also - check that unruly blonde bob live tweeting away - you guessed it - my first CSPAN appearance
A few weeks ago I was sending TED talks to my Business professor when she suggested that I join their team for the TEDx Chester River weekend. I joined the group just 1 week ago and when asked who would give the presentation, I jumped at the chance! We are hoping to write up a paper on our ideas and have it published. This was such an amazing experience and I'm so excited to post about it.
Lord & Taylor was having an ah-mazing sale the other week, and I found this perfect black shift for work, interviews, life.
We heard from Mary Daley Yerrick, the Co-Founder of Vital Voices, married couple, writer Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr of Idiot's Books, Robbie Blinkoff the Cultural Anthropologist, and Washington College professor, Kaitlin Thomas. The speakers at TEDx Chester River were so inspiring and thoughtful. I can't wait to see the videos when they are published!
I'm so excited to finally announce that I'm working with the Smart Girls Group on their exec staff as their Bookings Director. It is such a LOVELY sisterhood and an amazing magazine that brings some of the best women together to learn and grow. We had our first meeting tonight over Google Hangout and it's amazing knowing that I'm connecting with women in NYC, Austin, and Paris to collaborate on this wonderful mission: to empower the next generation of super star women who make the world a better place.
In addition to my #SmartGirl project, I've taken on communications and strategy work for a Congressional Campaign, and political research for a Women's Magazine called Vitamin W.
I was worried that I was taking on too much, and then I saw this on Pinterest, and now I'm not so worried. I'm doing things that I love & I'm so excited to be a part of them!
This article was really wonderful to read and reminisce about my travels in Europe. If you've had the luxury to travel alone, I commend you and encourage to do it as often as you can. With graduation approaching, this article makes me want nothing more than to pick up everything and backpack around Europe for the rest of the summer. There is still so much I have yet to see and I'm itching and eager to just go.
I'd like to think of myself as pretty 'up to date' with current events, however I was so inspired by a classmate today when she told us in Feminist Playwright class (right? it's an ah-mazing class) that she gets her news global. She diligently checks the daily news from networks and publications of that country, not specifically American sources of international news. I think that is amazing and I'm really interested in doing that for myself.
This youtube called, "I Am A Ukrainian" shows the devastating turmoil in the Ukraine. It is absolutely heartbreaking but I'm so glad this video is going viral. This conversation needs to happen.
I literally just received my $3 copy of Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique in the mail 2 days ago. It was today in 1963 that the leading lady published this status quo shattering read. A few weeks ago in Women and Politics (another ah-mazing class) we spent some time on second wave feminism and I fell madly in love with the movement. I was always aware of its implications, but watching clips of protests and hearing from women of that time was really moving for me. I can't wait to catch up on actual school work so I can get started.
Any thoughts on Ukraine? Or The Feminine Mystique?
Ladies and Gentlemen, my thesis is complete. It is turned in and awaiting a final score. Lots of love, passion and hope went into the making of this thesis project.
My research question and title changed about 5 times during the creation and writing process but it ended up being:
Partisan Media and A Polarized America: A Study of Twenty-Four Hour News Networks and Their Lack of Policy Discussion Surrounding The Supreme Court Ruling of The Affordable Care Act.
Mouthful.
A huge thank you to all of my family and friends that sent over edits and words of encouragement!! It wouldn't be done today if it weren't for you!
In the spirit of completing a huge goal, I am feeling such good vibes for the months left of school to follow! I'm SO anxious to get started doing the things that I love, incorporating exercise into my daily routine, waking up early, applying for jobs, finishing small creative projects, and jumping into big ones.
In order to keep the inspiration flowing, I had to pass on this beautiful interview from Marie TV that I found through The Daily Muse. As I'm currently filling up my Google Calendar with times to yoga, knit, and paint, it's important to remember Goal Setting.
"Knowing your core desire feeling is really about you becoming an intentional creator of your life." - Danielle LaPorte
I would love your feedback on this video? Did you guys feel the same inspiration that I did? Danielle LaPorte is a spiritual goddess and I feel like a new woman after watching this. Has anyone read The Desire Map? One of my favorite pieces of advice was towards the end when she discussed a common occurrence among women: the questioning thought of, "Do I deserve these desires? Am I good enough to have dreams this big?" The answer is MOST DEFINITELY YES!! Shine on ladies and let your dreams grow big :)!
School is officially in session & I am already bogged down with homework and looming thesis deadlines. I've really tried to cut back on my involvement this year so I can put as much effort into my thesis as possible, yet somehow I'm still freaking out. In effort to help me stay on top of all my work, I found these precious printable calendars from Oh So Lovely just in time for September.
In other news, I'm really enjoying my Political Inequalities class this semester. I've discovered I have a real passion for human rights, economic and social inequality. I was reading "Why We Can't Ignore Growing Income Inequality" by Timothy Noah and loved his reference from Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett's The Spirit Level.
"Modern societies will depend increasingly on being creative, adaptable, inventive, well-informed and flexible communities, able to respond generously to each other and to needs wherever they arise. These are characteristics not of societies in hock to the rich, in which people are driven by status insecurities, but of populations used to working together and respecting each other as equals."
I had a weird Monday. Mostly because I was so sleepy from not being able to fall asleep; sometimes my brain just won't turn off. I came home from work early to clear my head from cubicle land and start packing. After a long chat on the phone with Mom & Dad, I felt refreshed and refocused. As much as I love DC, I think I'm just ready to spend a little quality time with the fam. Since being home from Denmark, I haven't spent more than a week with my parents. As we chatted about going on bike rides with Dad and zumba class with Mom, it really hit me that I'm leaving and going back to school for my final year. My parents are moving me into college for the last time.
Simultaneously it hit me that I have due dates coming up...for my thesis. (shrill)
So I decided to take everyone's advice and sit down and watch an episode of The Newsroom.
BTW: My senior thesis is on partisan political media and it's effect on American political polarization.
I watched Episode 1 and I know that I am hooked.
I pulled the quotes from the opening scene because it moved me that much and it summed up the inspiration behind the topic of my dissertation.
“Just in case you wander into a voting booth one day, there are some things you should know. One of ‘em is there’s absolutely no evidence to support the statement that we’re the greatest country in the world. We’re 7th in literacy, 27th in math, 22ndin science, 49th in life expectancy, 178th in infant mortality, 3rd in median household income, number 4 in labor force and number 4 in exports. We lead the world in only three categories: number of incarcerated citizens per capita, number of adults who believe angels are real and defense spending, where we spend more than the next 26 countries combined, 25 of whom are allies. Now, none of this is the fault of a 20-year-old college student, but you, nonetheless, are, without a doubt, a member of the worst period generation period ever period, so when you ask what makes us the greatest country in the world, I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about! Yosemite?!”
"It sure used to be. We stood up for what was right. We fought for moral reason. We passed laws, struck down laws, for moral reason. We waged wars on poverty, not on poor people. We sacrificed, we cared about our neighbors, we put our money where our mouths were and we never beat our chest. We built great, big things, made ungodly technological advances, explored the universe, cured diseases and we cultivated the world’s greatest artists AND the world’s greatest economy. We reached for the stars, acted like men. We aspired to intelligence, we didn’t belittle it. It didn’t make us feel inferior. We didn’t identify ourselves by who we voted for in the last election and we didn’t scare so easy. We were able to be all these things and do all these things because we were informed…by great men, men who were revered. First step in solving any problem is recognizing there is one. America is not the greatest country in the world anymore.“
This is why I want to go into public service. This is why I can't turn my brain off at night.
This is why I want to change the world.
And Dad, this is why you have to stop asking me when you're going to get some grandkids to play with, I've got a lot of work to do.
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