Scared!

The day is finally here. In about 12 hours, I will be presenting my research that I have worked for the past few months in front of ... a lot of people. I don't exactly know how many but I know it is going to be a lot enough to make me nervous.

A lot of people told me to get some rest. I, personally, had a rough week being very sick. But sometimes, I realize that I am a college student... and that I have stacks of school work piling on my desk. I happened to realize that today and so... I pulled an all-nighter. (I hope Beth does not read this until I finish the presentation)

But that is not exactly why I am scared. I am scared because I can vividly feel the chips on my shoulder. This research - that is supposedly last about 10 minutes - will make some kind of impact in my life, others' lives, and the community's history. It is extremely exciting yet scary. simply because you want to make a good impact. not a bad impact. 

A great lesson I learned from Finding Nemo is... we just need to keep swimming until we reach where we want to be. Other fellows and I made it this far so there is no turning back. just moving forward!

 I wish this post made sense despite of my lack of sleep.

- Brian :)

Valentine's Reflections

“Americans watched the events after the Delhi gang rape with a whiff of condescension at the barbarity there, but domestic violence and sex trafficking remain a vast problem across the United States” Nicholas Kristof, New York Times

Greetings!

The previous quote was pulled from an op-ed piece written by Nicholas Kristof featured in the New York Times. Kristof’s words remind Americans that violence against women is not something that just happens in other countries. It’s not just a problem overseas. Violence against women is something that happens in our own country, in our own state, in our own communities, to our own friends and family. 

Just this past weekend I was reminded of this as I read the numerous headlines talking about sex trafficking and the super bowl (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/03/super-bowl-sex-trafficking_n_2607871.html).  Thousands of Americans gather to throw parties and celebrations to watch the game, the half-time show, and the commercials (most of which objectify women). The unfathomable truth is that this highly celebrated event is also the single largest human trafficking incident in the U.S. However, there is hope, as awareness about human trafficking at the super bowl has greatly increased over the last few years.

Finally, as Valentine’s Day approaches, it is difficult to think about all of the people who do not feel safe and loved in their relationships. While statistically domestic violence calls decrease on Valentine’s Day, there is not a noticeable drop over a period of time. Domestic violence persists in homes and in relationships. The sudden drop during Valentine’s Day does leave me with one hopeful, idealistic question: what would one day without domestic violence look like?

You can read the full article here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/13/opinion/sunday/is-delhi-so-different-from-steubenville.html?_r=0

Love,

Molly