Revisiting the Culture of Poverty

By On 6 June, 2012 · Leave a Comment · In articles, culture and society, environment, life

From what I’ve seen, we’re all really good at laying blame, and skirting responsibility. We’re quick to avoid taking as much of the responsibility as we can, falling into the line of thinking that someone else will ‘clean it up’ or ‘take care of it’. Blame is quickly laid on ‘others’, those not in the same categorized box as us. It is a privilege to ignore (or even be unaware of) privilege and be unaware of the overarching institutions that exist and created those situations in the first place.

I somehow came across this New York Times article, and after reading it (and the referral links), was curious to notice that despite all the interest in the ‘culture’ of poverty, as a means for policymaking pursuits, conversations about poverty are still largely absent of the ‘institution(s)’ of poverty, and how…

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The Kingdom by the Sea

By On 16 March, 2012 · Leave a Comment · In books, culture and society, life

 

Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.

-Miriam Beard

A few more pages and I’ll be finished with Paul Theroux’s The Kingdom by [...]

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You’re reading what?

By On 12 October, 2011 · 2 Comments · In books, education, life

Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.

-Maya Angelou

Last week my public policy professor expressed surprise at the fact that I was reading Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States.
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Art is dialogue

By On 1 July, 2011 · Leave a Comment · In articles, life

It’s not every day that you find a 17-year-old who is impassioned with the arts. I have met people, and were friends with some back in high school, whose artistic capabilities were beyond their years. In their own way they were masters of expression, masters of creating and capturing a theme, a moment, an emotion. [...]

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A parade, a community and a lone reporter

By On 30 May, 2011 · Leave a Comment · In articles, life

Last Sunday, May 22, I had the privilege of covering the Olney Days Parade in Olney, MD for the weekly newspaper I intern for. To be quite honest, I wasn’t too excited about having to go to a parade because, well, I don’t really care for parades. Maybe it’s my age. Maybe it’s where I [...]

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Just a pretty face

By On 18 April, 2011 · 2 Comments · In articles, life

My 3rd grade teacher explained to me on a field trip back in the day that freckles were angel kisses. Now as a 24-year-old, most of those childhood freckles have all but disappeared. But in the summer, my face does get peppered with tiny spots along the cheek and nose. If anything, my face looks [...]

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