AT THE CENTER
Matthew Scherer on 9/11, the Financial Crisis, and Climate Change as Conversion Events (Full Screen)
CENTER NEWS
June 19, 2013Freedom, Toleration, and the Naturalness of Religion
June 17, 2013
Transparency Has Momentum
June 17, 2013
Will Inboden Contrasts Rand Paul and Marco Rubio on International Religious Freedom
June 13, 2013
Implementing the International Religious Freedom Act
June 13, 2013
Implementing the International Religious Freedom Act
June 11, 2013
Fes Forum
June 7, 2013
A Fes Aperitif: Searching for Balance
June 6, 2013
RFP Highlights Religious Freedom in the United States and Europe at National Religious Freedom Conference
June 4, 2013
Moving on Governance and Corrupt Practices
June 3, 2013
David Novak Offers Thoughts on "Constitutional Faith" in Touro Law Review
June 3, 2013
Broadening Perspectives through Interfaith Conversations
May 29, 2013
Religion and International Relations
May 28, 2013
Faith Leaders Helping Heal US-Pakistan Relations
May 27, 2013
Evidence Does Not Support Fears of Islam in the West
May 26, 2013
Junior Year Abroad Network Annual Report
Campus Conversation on Values
Where do young people come down on questions of faith, values, and public life? How do they relate their values to public policy issues including education, economic inequality, and the environment? These questions, critically important for the 2012 election, are at the center of a campus conversation being organized by the Berkley Center and Georgetown University. This blog features an ongoing conversation about these issues between students selected as Millennial Values Fellows through a national competition. You can read and comment on their blogs here.
To learn more about the project, visit the Campus Conversation on Values page.
To learn more about the project, visit the Campus Conversation on Values page.
November 15, 2012
The Millennial generation is more connected and engaged with social
media than any previous generation. In this video, Josina De Raadt,
senior at Dordt College; Tyler Bishop, sophomore at Vanderbilt
University; and Rachel Stanley, junior at Elon University, discuss the impact of media
such as Facebook and Twitter on the lives of Millennials. Social media
facilitates two-way communication, however can also be largely
anonymous and lacking accountability. These new technologies can help
bring awareness, but follow-up is often lacking. Social media can
bring lots of attention, but little action.
November 12, 2012
The Millennial generation breaks with their parents and grandparents on a number of social issues. The October 2012 Millennial Values Survey shows majorities of 18-25 year-olds support gay marriage, the DREAM Act that would grant citizenship opportunities for illegal immigrants brought to the United States as children, and legalizing marijuana. In this video, Ryan Price, senior at Drake University; Zeenia Framroze, sophomore at Harvard College; Seth Warner, junior at Vassar College; and Emily Atkinson, junior at Smith College in Northampton, discuss the tolerance and passion of Millennials for social issues, and the shaping of viewpoints by empathy.
November 7, 2012
What do young people have to say about faith, values, and public life? And how will their opinions impact the 2012 election? These questions were the focal point of our conversations at the Millennial Values Symposium, and while the conversations surrounding them were fascinating, these questions led me to another: Why does the 2012 election matter to me?
November 7, 2012
The October 2012 Millennial Values Survey reveals the generation is divided on religion. Millennials are nearly evenly split on whether it is important for a presidential candidate to have strong religious beliefs. While they are less likely to be religiously affiliated than previous generations, less than half say they would be comfortable with a Mormon, atheist, or Muslim president. In this video, Aamir Hussain, junior at Georgetown University; Zachary Yentzer, senior at Arizona State University; Abigail Clauhs, junior at Boston University; and Hira Baig, sophomore at Rice University, discuss Millennials' perceptions of religion and interfaith collaboration and the need for dialog and understanding, especially within the upcoming generation.
November 6, 2012
I’m not the partisan type.
As much as I love politics and personally admire one candidate running for the presidency, I have never been the type to buy into the idea that we need to vote straight down the line in favor of one party. More and more though, I feel forced into partisanship by a disappearing middle.
As much as I love politics and personally admire one candidate running for the presidency, I have never been the type to buy into the idea that we need to vote straight down the line in favor of one party. More and more though, I feel forced into partisanship by a disappearing middle.
November 5, 2012
The presidential race has narrowed considerably since the Millennial Values Symposium. According to the media and pollster intelligentsia, President Obama’s lackluster performance in the first debate allowed Governor Romney to thrust forward in numerous critical swing states, making the contest into, well, much more of a contest. Despite Obama’s victories in the second and third debate, Romney’s first debate burst seems to have staying power. He has moved Florida into his likely column, is ahead in Virginia by the slightest of margins, remains in a statistical tie in Colorado, and is within striking distance of capturing the lead in Ohio—the state predicted to decide the election.
November 3, 2012
The October 2012 Millennial Values Survey shows that a plurality of younger Millennials oppose special efforts to help minorities get ahead because of past discrimination, and 63 percent believe that their gender or race will make no difference in their career. In this video, Ashton Adams, junior at the University of Kansas; Mohammad Usman, senior at DePauw University; Daniel Chen, junior at the University of California, Berkeley; and Brice Ezell, student at George Fox University discuss the relationship between the diverse views of young people and the realities of inequity today. The panel weighs the need and consequences of this controversial solution to an age-old problem.
November 2, 2012
Religion has always influenced politics. Although it works differently between people, as long as religion serves as inspiration in the lives of believers, its tenets will be expressed in their candidates and in their votes.
October 31, 2012
I rock at Wii bowling. With a skillful flick of the wrist, I can send that digital bowling ball on its way to a perfect game. However, in real life even my four-year-old cousin can beat me by a hundred points––without bumpers.
October 29, 2012
“You should form the Committee for the Next Greatest Generation.”
October 25, 2012
Race. Is the most incendiary topic in our history. And the moment it comes out, you cannot close the lid on that box. That may change. But not for a long long while.
-David Mamet, Race
As I type these words, the fate of affirmative action in institutions of higher learning in the United States hangs in a tenuous balance. With the Supreme Court considering the Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin case, a vote that involves a majority of conservative justices with a history of disliking affirmative action (liberal judge Elena Kagan recused herself from the case), a policy with a well-established role in United States collegiate education could be thrown out the window.
-David Mamet, Race
As I type these words, the fate of affirmative action in institutions of higher learning in the United States hangs in a tenuous balance. With the Supreme Court considering the Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin case, a vote that involves a majority of conservative justices with a history of disliking affirmative action (liberal judge Elena Kagan recused herself from the case), a policy with a well-established role in United States collegiate education could be thrown out the window.
October 23, 2012
It’s unprecedented. One misstep on the campaign trail, one blunder in a debate, and the world knows about it within seconds – even people who are not political junkies. The speed with which social media has made all things politics readily accessible is outrageous. What’s more, people can keep an eye on what is “trending” on Twitter and have a pretty decent idea about what is happening in the world. These advancements in technology are being put at our disposal at speeds that are keeping the “coming the age” generation, or the millennials, on its toes.
October 4, 2012
The United States of America is not a divided nation.
October 4, 2012
October 3, 2012
Text version
Let’s not kid ourselves. There have been innumerable attempts to motivate the voting population (especially the young generations), and to be quite frank, they’ve all fallen flat. It’s the simple truth. As exciting as “Rock the Vote” or other campaigns to increase turnout may initially sound, we have yet to see a lasting motivation and desire to vote among Americans.
Let’s not kid ourselves. There have been innumerable attempts to motivate the voting population (especially the young generations), and to be quite frank, they’ve all fallen flat. It’s the simple truth. As exciting as “Rock the Vote” or other campaigns to increase turnout may initially sound, we have yet to see a lasting motivation and desire to vote among Americans.
October 2, 2012
The lights go down, the curtains go up, and the music begins. It’s the 2012 presidential campaign, and––if you’re a Republican––it’s playing out just like Disney’s The Lion King. Obama, this story’s Scar, has turned America into a wasteland and wants to take money from the hard-working Americans to feed those lazy hyenas on the welfare system. Hopefully we’ll get our happily-ever-after ending and Romney will take back the Pride Lands.
October 1, 2012
Voting in the United States is an anachronistic exercise. That is, despite the enormous
advances that technology has brought to all-important tasks such as paying taxes, managing
finances, reviewing medical records, and the like, voting has largely remained unchanged by the
forces of technology. Furthermore, in this country—unlike a number of other advanced
democracies—voting is a one-day event; the absentee process notwithstanding, Americans report
to a designated location and cast a paper ballot, all without any official reprieve from work or
school obligations. The implications that result from this system are innumerable, but the most
significant is low voter turnout.
September 28, 2012
As much as Jon Stewart makes me believe it is, the extreme partisanship
of today is no laughing matter. It might be humorous if it were limited only to the
halls of Congress, but today, the bitter partisanship plaguing American
democracy extends to every big city and small town across the United States.
Look no further than the billboards dotting highways from sea to shining sea accusing us of committing such extremes as bigotry and murder.
September 27, 2012
How can we fix our democracy? The question is a deceptively simple one predicated on a dangerous assumption – that is, that our democracy is in fact broken. Declaring our democracy dangerously diseased is a national pastime these days, but such a sensationalist statement requires supporting evidence. Therefore, to answer the former we must address the latter.
September 26, 2012
Once it begins in full, the Citizens United era will no doubt amass a heap of dead political careers. Multi-millionaires will fund Super PACs to defeat liberal candidates whose roots lie in the working class. Such politicians will mainly be Democratic, of course, and many rely on suburban, white-collar voters who are sympathetic to the GOP’s anti-tax platform.
September 25, 2012
Does the United States have a culture of democracy? Or does she simply have a history of developing democratic principles? I believe the answer lies somewhere in between these. Certainly, what we understand to be American values of democracy emerge from monarchial abuses that produced the Declaration of Independence and defined our Constitution, and certainly this democratic culture has served as a model for new nations. But somewhere along the line, we as an American people have left that culture and history behind insofar as we fail to actively engage in our own democratic process. The fact that our young people look more forward to getting their license than filling out their first ballot is not hyperbole, and is indicative of deficiencies in our educational infrastructure that inhibit a culture of effective democracy.
September 21, 2012
As a former intern for the State Department, a UC Berkeley student, and an American citizen, the recent passing of Ambassador Christopher Stevens is particularly tragic. While the exact motives and nature of the horrible and brazen attack on the U.S. Embassy at Benghazi remain a mystery, one thing is clear: American foreign policy in the Middle East is in flux.
September 20, 2012
The Millennial Values survey reported that only 46% of 18 to 24 year-olds are sure they will vote in the 2012 election. Are youth voters disillusioned with politics, disappointed with the candidates, or is there some other explanation? Obama's 2008 campaign used social media and a catchy campaign to draw youth voters — can this years' candidates engage Millennial voters as effectively? In this video blog, Millennial Values fellows Zeenia Framroze and Tyler Bugg discuss potential causes for the voter apathy reflected in the Millennial Values Survey.
September 20, 2012
As the second week of the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) teachers’ strike begins, the role of teachers’ unions burns brightly in the minds of many Americans. Labor negotiations are intrinsically complicated and often center on the rights of the worker. That is part of the case here – CPS teachers are concerned about the length of their contracts and future raises. But there is something else at stake here: evaluations.
September 19, 2012
In these few blog posts I have briefly looked at the changing demographics of the United States and how those have and haven’t affected race relations; also how they will potentially affect the United States in the future.
September 18, 2012
While the Millennial Values Survey found that more American Millennials identify as "religiously unaffiliated" than the general population, Millennial Values Fellows agreed that religion is still an important facet of American public life. In this video blog, fellows discuss the complications of bringing ones faith life to the public sphere and consider the need for a middle ground between justification on religious grounds and the alienation of religion from political discourse.
September 18, 2012
It has been four years since university halls and young cities were filled with the resounding cries of, “Yes we can!” Today, millennials doubt whether any words, a politician’s or ours, hold any power at all anymore. I debated all through high school in all my gawky glory, thinking that persuasion and confidence would help me convince others that there were solutions to the world’s problems, that our generation was ready to take them on. But even as I was watching the well-crafted speeches of the conventions, I realized that words and speech in political discourse were failing this generation.
September 15, 2012
At the April 2012 Symposium, Millennial Values Fellows debated the internet's ability to encourage and facilitate social responsibility. Network technology may create further awareness, but does liking a facebook status or retweeting 140 characters replace face-to-face community service? In this video blog, Millennial Values Fellows Spencer Nelson and Clara Gustafson discuss their generation's altruistic intentions and actions.
September 15, 2012
Everything about social media involves voting. Usually these votes don’t actually do anything, other than show how many people think their friends’ bon mots of the hour are funny, or think their new profile pictures are cute, or perhaps which articles they’ve read, or pages, apps, products, hair color, et cetera, et cetera. It’s all about our opinions and that of our friends, about asking everyone to throw in their two cents on, oh, everything.
September 13, 2012
According to the Millennial Values Survey, young Millennials are divided on whether the government has paid too much attention to the problems of blacks and other minorities in the past few decades, and half of young Millennials agree that discrimination against whites has become as big a problem today as discrimination against blacks. Many Millennials also hold a negative view of Christianity. Two-thirds of all religiously unaffilliated Millennials described Christianity as judgmental and hypocritical, while half of all Christian Millennials said the same about their own religion. In this video, Millennial Values Fellows Abigail Clauhs and Jelani Harvey discuss the racial and religious tensions facing the Millennial generation and encourage the use of truthful, authentic dialogue instead of political rhetoric to address these issues.
September 13, 2012
"Peacemaking in Class Warfare." It's an ambitious title, is it not, the one I've chosen for this series of blog posts?
September 10, 2012
As digital natives, the Millennial Generation relies heavily on the interconnectivity of the web. According to the Millennial Values Survey, 63% of Millennials use Facebook every day, and while 31% of Millennials say that they do not get their news from television, 81% said that they follow current events and politics online. In this video blog, Millennial Values fellows from the April 2012 Symposium discuss network technology's effect on social activism and civic participation. While they agree that the internet enables a quicker exchange of information, the fellows voice concerns about the internet's ability to create lasting, consequential change.
September 4, 2012
One aim of the Millennial Values Symposium was to launch a nationwide conversation about Millennials, values and politics in the lead up to the 2012 election. In this video blog, Millennial Values Fellows acknowledge the challenges of inclusive dialogue across markers of difference and the value of interrogating ones own perspective.
September 4, 2012
“Faith has always provided a moral framework and vocabulary for this country to come to terms with its most pressing challenges… Faith—and the moral obligations that derive from our faith—have always helped us to navigate some of our greatest moral challenges.”
–Barack Obama
September 4, 2012
As the 2012 presidential election heats up, the candidates are trying to figure out the American public—figure out how many different audiences they can reach and convert. Young people, while historically not big voters, are definitely one of those groups.
September 3, 2012
The Millennial Values Survey found conflicting results when it comes to Millennials' views on race and discrimination. Although the majority (61%) of Millennials support the central components of the DREAM Act, they are divided on whether the government has paid too much attention to the problems of blacks and other minorities in the past few decades (49% disagree, 46% agree). In addition, half of young Millennials agree that discrimination against whites has become as big a problem today as discrimination against blacks (48%). Millennials are divided on the issue of gender discrimination as well. A solid majority of Millennials agree that women have fewer opportunities for good jobs than men (56%), but just as many believe that there are no longer any barriers to how far a woman can advance in the workplace. In this video blog, filmed during a lunch event at the Millennial Values Symposium in April, Millennial Values Fellows discuss the significance of the survey results and what they might suggest about Millennial attitudes toward government policies like affirmative action.
September 3, 2012
The shooting at the Sikh Temple again awakened me to the violence that still pervades racial (and religious) discrimination in the United States. When we do not properly engage hate and discrimination, through education and dialogue, it always exists.
August 31, 2012
The middle class is an easy place to fall.
August 31, 2012
College campuses are always political. And whether, as a staunch liberal in a sea of Republicans, or deeply conservative on a largely Democratic campus, college students have become quite familiar with the increasingly bitter and highly partisan comments that politically charged Millennials can deliver.
August 30, 2012
While the Millennial Values Survey found college-age Millennials more likely than the general population to be religiously unaffiliated and less likely to hold traditional or orthodox religious beliefs, many of the Millennial Values fellows noted the continued importance of religion in America today. In this video blog, fellows Colin Steele and Emily Atkinson discuss ways that religious and non-religious Millennials may be able to find common ground by recognizing their shared motivation to pursue a meaningful life — regardless of where they find that meaning.
August 29, 2012
One of the growing trends in the Millennial Generation is to identify increasingly as “religiously unaffiliated” or “other” in the category of religion/spirituality. For many, this involves growing estranged from the faith in which they were raised for a variety of reasons. However, for others, self-identifying as “religiously unaffiliated” or “other” simply means that their personal religious/spiritual beliefs no longer fit into any defined category. In addition, even Millennials whose beliefs do fit into a category are less likely to unconditionally accept religious dogmas on many issues; indeed, they may openly disagree with the “official” stance of their religious faith. I believe that many of the religious divides present in America today are caused by misconceptions about others’ beliefs simply on the basis of their self-identification.
August 28, 2012
Millennial voters are distancing themselves from the institutional framework of government. According to the Millennial Values Survey, young voters are more likely to identify as independent than the general population, less likely to vote, and their confidence levels in the government are generally low. In this video blog, Millennial Values Fellows discuss the possibility of restoring faith in American democracy by bridging the divide between grassroots political engagement and institutional movements.
August 27, 2012
Social media is in the news again as the national conventions of both major political parties approach, and the Romney and Obama campaigns gear up for the final months leading up to Election Day.
August 20, 2012
At the Newseum a few weeks ago, I watched the famous “Morning in
America” ad from Ronald Reagan’s 1984 presidential campaign. As it
played on the big screen, I was reminded again what a clever little
piece of politics it is--the Mister Rogers voice as the sun sets on a
Western ranch, a young bride leaves her wedding, and a little boy zig-
zags through his paper route. “We can look forward with confidence to
the future,” the narrator says. It leaves me feeling hopeful and
patriotic every time.
August 15, 2012
This past February I sat up in the balcony seating of the Camden Opera House in Camden, Maine and listened as a series of speakers lay out their analysis of the state of the nation and the challenges we face in the 21st century. The conference’s theme was America: Do We Have What It Takes? The idea was that we live in a globalized world that is becoming increasingly interconnected in every way imaginable. Connectivity, in this context, also leads to increased competition among rising international actors and an increasingly complex security environment. When looking at the formidable economic, environmental and social issues America faces today, it is understandable why some are inclined to wonder whether we are still up to the job.
August 9, 2012
Everyone wants to offer their opinion on everything. But no one is talking about all the issues when it comes to race in America. Some people talk about racial violence. Others talk about how the demographics of the country, and sub-sections of our country, are changing and how this is a great and necessary time to talk about race. Others are talking about how there are still race riots going on all over our nation and we need to figure out solutions. Still others, including many universities, are talking about how to be more inclusive and welcoming and quietly talking behind closed doors about the implications of the Affirmative Action hearing that will go before the Supreme Court in the fall. However, the majority of us aren’t having new, or all, of the conversations.
August 8, 2012
With student debt skyrocketing, the way we interpret the right to education is changing. Yes, everyone has a right to education, but what type of education? Traditionally, public universities and private universities were the only options. An aspiring college student took the SAT, paid an admissions fee, and packed her or his bags for campus. In these economic times, even the once-reasonable public universities are raising tuition year after year to make up the difference.
August 8, 2012
Heard of "Rich Kids of Instagram"? It's a Tumblr account recently featured in an article from the New York Times about how some New Yorkers—in a city with higher unemployment rates than Atlanta, Boston, Houston, or Chicago—can hardly afford to buy groceries. The author of the article compared these struggling city-dwellers with the stars of "Rich Kids of Instagram," which recently went viral.
August 8, 2012
It’s the summer. I fully admit that on some days, my only interaction with the political world (aside from a quick skimming of the Olympics results, of course), is watching Stephen Colbert make delightfully snarky comments about Ann Romney’s horse, Rafalca. Even though I laugh, and realize that Colbert’s comments are meant to be more funny than they are cutting, I can’t help but wonder if my generation will ever be able to bridge the ever-deepening partisan divide in the United States. I wonder my generation will be able to forget and overcome sarcastic and sanctimonious remarks splashed across the front page of every paper, to engage in meaningful bipartisan communication.
August 8, 2012
In the early 19th century, the French social analyst Alexis de Tocqueville was amazed that despite its position as an “enlightened and free society,” America was still profoundly influenced by religion. I find it even more amazing that 200 years later, very little has changed. Indeed, in spite of the widespread secularization that dominates in other developed areas of the world, the United States remains one of the only developed nations where religion significantly affects public life. This is true even in the Millennial generation, as Millennials continue to rate “spirituality/religion as important to their lives” despite their growing dissatisfaction with organized belief systems.
August 8, 2012
I’ve spent most of this summer in another country, so Internet news and social media are the primary ways election advertising has been reaching me—or not. And here’s the thing: you can find anything you want on the Internet, and a lot of things you don’t, but you can also tune out most of what’s out there, unless you want to hear it. In Oxford, I don’t have a TV and I do have a lot of homework, so I haven’t been getting much American news. I have quite a few e-mails from Obama’s team sitting guiltily unread in my inbox; I see their messages on my Facebook wall. I read the articles my friends post. But Facebook is neither as smart nor as inclusive as it could be, and this tends to cut to everyone’s disadvantage.
August 8, 2012
On Wednesday, August 1, 2012, crowds of people took part in national “Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day” to stand with the company and its president, Dan Cathy, who made headlines for his comments in support of traditional marriage.
August 1, 2012
The “young and the restless”—that’s what they call us. Last week I attended an event at the American Enterprise Institute
that sought to predict the role Millennial voters will play in the 2012 election and explored the strategies being used to mobilize our generation.
July 31, 2012
Government has become a porous entity. By porous I mean that the buck stops nowhere. The buck – responsibility for failure, the burden of explaining to a wronged public – falls into the abyss while politicians lurk, waiting for more opportune moments. Barack Obama never said, “I’m sorry. Closing Guantanamo was infeasible.” Instead, after the issue lost its use, the subject was dropped without much fanfare (maybe an aide spoke to the issue). News cycles quickly replaced neglected promises with new ones. Millennials find that promises are made and broken easily, but have no means of ensuring accountability.
July 30, 2012
In preparation for beginning medical school this fall, I have spent my summer reflecting on why it is that I am choosing to endure four years of intensive study followed by three to seven years of further training, acquiring thousands of dollars in student loan debt, and becoming a doctor who is expected to know the answers and give her life to her patients. Although this is a somewhat pessimistic way of looking at a life in medicine, it is the response I have received from many when sharing my future plans. Going into medicine is scary for many reasons but particularly because so much is out of our control. Healthcare is changing and by the time I am finished with my training our health care system will be starkly different from what it is today – but that is an amazing thing.
July 18, 2012
Any election year raises the bar and heightens tension on all issues that make it to the national political agenda. Although there are many factors in this year’s election cycle, women’s rights or the so-called “war on women” has been a prominent part of our national conversation for months now.
July 18, 2012
There is no phrase more emblematic of the American experience than We the People. This phrase is not only my favorite quote, but it represents all of America’s hopes and fears, strengths and frustrations, and, has throughout the centuries, evoked the envy of billions of citizens across the globe. When the Supreme Court upheld the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act at the end of June, I thought about the poor, vulnerable minority citizens, the elderly, people with preexisting conditions, and a host of other marginalized groups in our society. My excitement turned into fear, however, when I remembered all the contentious social cases making their way up to the conservative Supreme Court. As the the wading tide of my reflections simmered, so did my ideations of We the People.
July 12, 2012
The 2012 campaign is kicking into high gear, and it is already rife with stories of doom and gloom. The poetry, hope and change of four years ago – the first election most Millennials voted in – are already distant memories, buried under years of the dissonant prose of governing and politicking in the modern age.
July 9, 2012
As children, we all clung to the promise of fairy tales. We would hold on to detail of
every intricately woven story, from Santa to the tooth fairy to a talking ape that was
your best friend (Was that just me? Never mind then). The blissful illusions don’t
dissipate easily, the dreams we have don’t falter, and our childhood convictions
don’t easily fade. So just imagine how broken our political system must be if only
46% of the youth of this country is sure it’s going to vote. We’ve lost faith in our
institutions and representations, and it doesn’t look like that faith is going to be
restored any time soon. It certainly takes a lot to create disenchantment this
widespread (well done, Washington). I’m going to try and look at some of the major
reasons why we’re seeing voter apathy among a generation that ought to be
engaged, aware and passionate about American politics.
July 3, 2012
As part of the Millennial generation, I take great pride in the fact that our generation is the most diverse in history. In my own extended family, I am part of the first generation to be born on American soil, and for this reason, I identify with the American value of E Pluribus Unum. Recognizing our generation’s diversity as a strength reflects the sense that our commonalities as Americans are much greater than our differences. I am particularly interested in interfaith cooperation because I believe that it is an exemplary reflection of both my core American and Muslim values. In this era of division, examples of interfaith cooperation can be a powerful way to heal our nation. For this reason, I was particularly interested in viewing the interfaith movement and the Millennial generation through different perspectives.
June 25, 2012
In my favorite coffeeshop, I’m always drawn to the smallest booths. The tiny, corner booths outside of the flow of traffic and the churning of the roaster. For me, small space is cozy space. It’s where I can best locate my creative focus in order to, ironically, do the work in understanding the world around me.
June 19, 2012
In today’s political arena, complete with a 24/7 news cycle and echo chamber that prides sound bites over sound judgment, the common wisdom prevails: we, as Americans, need a leader who is a "Profile In Courage." Popularized by JFK in his pre-presidential writings, a "Profile in Courage" is a political superman, merely minus the cape and the red “S.”
June 12, 2012
One of my friends at Boston University has a dream. It might not sound quite as inspirational as world peace or ending starvation in Africa, but it is important. He wants our country to rediscover the ability to have civil conversation. He told me about his plan one afternoon, his idea to organize a huge event—"our generation's Woodstock," he called it—centered on making dialogue happen.
June 5, 2012
As I looked for something in the news that I might write this blog about, I realized that, really, there was nothing in the news that gave me hope or optimism at all. I didn’t want to read another article that focuses on the many ways we divide ourselves—Democrat and Republican, gay and straight, one flavor of religion from another from no religion at all, black and white, Latino and Asian, rich and poor, male and female. I didn’t want to confront it. But we have to, or nothing will change.
May 30, 2012
Georgetown University has been mentioned a lot in the news as of late, mainly in articles pertaining to religion and government and controversy. It has left me contemplating what exactly is most important to my generation and myself when it comes to religion and faith and its role in public life.
May 23, 2012
In another place, in another time, under different circumstances, Mahatma Gandhi once said “You must be the change you want to see in the world.” Whenever I think of this quote, I envision an egalitarian society in which everyone is encouraged to bring their voices to the public forum. A few weeks ago, I thought of Gandhi when President Obama came out in support of gay marriage. I thought, like so many Millennials, of how I could possibly change the world when dubious exclusionary practices halt who can, and cannot, get married.
May 16, 2012
Dialogue and reflection during the Millennial Values Symposium continued with the keynote address by Special Olympics Chair and CEO Timothy P. Shriver at a dinner reception hosted in Georgetown’s Bioethics Library with University President Dr. John J. DeGioia.
April 29, 2012
Being surprised can be a very unsettling experience, but always an opportunity to think more deeply about the assumptions we make. Last Thursday I attended the Millennial Values Survey release event. The comprehensive study provided data on everything from political leanings to religious identity to visions of America’s future. There were many things I expected. For example, we consider ourselves more tech savvy than our parents generation, but there were few findings that I struggled to reconcile with my daily lived experience, like that 47% of Millennials do not believe the values of Islam are compatible with American ideals.
April 18, 2012
I am 21. I am from Portland, Oregon. I am a proud Millennial. I am many things. So are my friends of my same Millennial generation. I am things that my friends are not. They are things that I am not.
April 17, 2012
Our generation gets its news from Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart. For us humor is the highest form of dialogue and absurdism the highest form of humor. But I think this tendency derives from something not at all funny; it reflects the new terror that pervades the world in which we’ve come of age. We live in a world where whole lives are made and lived in a ‘place’ that doesn’t physically exist, where communication is constant but connection perhaps more rare. We know the Internet to be sometimes duplicitous; people may not be who they say they are, what you read may not be the truth. We were taught young not to believe everything we read in this multilayered, infinite Other World to which we lose so many hours; we mustn’t eat of its fruit without intense examination of what, precisely, we’re consuming.
April 17, 2012
It’s nice being born into the American Dream. Our generation grew up entitled with extraordinary opportunities and privileges, the kind many of us now barely notice. Increasingly, though, we find ourselves disenchanted with all the predictability and security of our parents’ dreams. What we won’t tell you--and only whisper to each other--is that it all seems rather boring…
April 16, 2012
The millennial generation has had access to an unprecedented wealth of resources as technology has advanced. For some, this access has led to hope for a generation that will aspire to change the world, from spreading the story of self-immolating fruit-seller in Tunisia to offering the solidarity of ones virtual self to the fight against race discrimination against a young boy in Florida, as Abigail puts it. For others, technology might serve to drown out our voices, with the strength of ours views and values being lost amid millions of voices. However, there seems to be one value of our generation that is remarkably persistent and almost comical – our rejection of the high prioritization of the acquirement of wealth.
April 16, 2012
Early this morning, I started my day like I do everyday: with the New York Times. The headlines today blared news of the North Korean rocket launch, Secret Service agents dismissed for misconduct, and more discussion on Iran. Like most days, the news is disheartening and it’s no surprise that many in our generation are pessimistic about current affairs. Perhaps for some this gloom is a result of being uninformed, for some it is a result of being trapped in the safety net of college life, and for others it is because we are overwhelmed by it all. As the most connected generation, we receive our news quickly and in large doses as a result of social media networks. It is hard for us to hide from the troubles of the world. But perhaps the most beautiful thing is that we aren’t hiding, our generation continually looks towards the future even during trying times. The discouragement is fleeting – Millennials are short-term pessimists and long-term optimists.
April 13, 2012
The Millennial Generation is a generation of doers.
Millennials’ faces have been the fronts of the Occupy Movement, the Kony 2012 campaign, and for justice for Trayvon Martin. We pitched tents, we watched YouTube, we wore hoodies. We combatted capitalism, we “saved” Africa, we eliminated racism?
Millennials’ faces have been the fronts of the Occupy Movement, the Kony 2012 campaign, and for justice for Trayvon Martin. We pitched tents, we watched YouTube, we wore hoodies. We combatted capitalism, we “saved” Africa, we eliminated racism?
April 12, 2012
The Millennial Generation has endured none of the limitations of its forebearers. Information flows freely: young people are unavoidably exposed to new ideas and ways of life. It faces no draft. Never have its adherents been forced to abandon anything – physical or ideological – to unite as a singular body in the face of a common struggle. Prosperity, peace and stability have been the order of our few days. Without the many pressures that shaped the generations that brought us forth, the Millennial Generation has had all the time and space for divergent thought and zealous action.
April 12, 2012
Ever since I can remember, my generation, the so-called Millennials, has been told how special we are. We saw 9/11; we haven’t seen a presidential election without a Clinton or a Bush; we grew up with computers, and social media was created for us. In recent years, we have seen world economies go on multi-year roller coasters and have seen revolutions for freedom take place in countries that were proclaimed unsuitable for democracy. We have seen Americans taking to the streets in the thousands, for the first time in our lives, through the Occupy movements. All of these things that we have lived through are fairly unique.
April 11, 2012
I agree that this generation embraces the same core values as those who came before us, but I think that our interpretation of what those values mean is differs with respect to previous generations. While ideology and partisanship provide frameworks of understanding that are commonly used to answer difficult questions, many in this generation are finding that these frameworks are rigid, often conflicting one set of personal values with another. As a result, we do not bind ourselves to set models of value-based decision-making. We cherish our individualism but respect the role of government; we stand for family values, but push for progression on social equality. This generation provides hope amidst the current polarized political environment; our open perspectives and the desire to contribute offer us the opportunity to break free of political gridlock and work together to move forward as a global leader in the 21st century.
April 11, 2012
This generation – my generation – may be different not so much in our own qualities as in what we are asked to do. Our parents, the Boomers, changed the world in many important ways, but their greatest impacts have been social: the Great Society, the Civil Rights movement, the sexual revolution, Roe v. Wade, the indelible legacies of Vietnam and Watergate in the national consciousness.
April 9, 2012
Global Warming. Social Security. Crises in the Middle East. There is not a day which goes by that the Millennial generation, a group I am a member of, is not constantly being told of the broken world we will soon inherit. Should we be frightened? Absolutely. Are we? No way! We are the Millennials and we fix problems by Skyping, Facebook liking, and tweeting. We fix problems through our uncanny optimism and faith, that we will, in fact, change the world.
April 9, 2012
I completely agree with Abigail in the sense that the Millennial Generation is, at its heart, a global generation that cuts across traditional boundaries. Social networking and the 24-hour news media allows us to stay connected with people around the world, and as Brian remarked, we help individuals feel like a part of a larger community. Therefore, I believe that while our generation maintains many of the same values as our parents, we have placed a greater emphasis on global awareness.
April 8, 2012
Several millennial bloggers stood by the statement: “Faith is the only sure foundation for values in personal and public life”.
April 8, 2012
Millennials are deeply concerned with the current equality gap in the United States. Many cite the popular fact that the US has the highest GDP in the world, but also the highest income inequality. Their passionate concern for income inequality comes because Millennials see the issue as so deeply connected to direct access to social benefits. They focus on the ever-evident fact that money is power, both in US politics and daily life. Students bemoan an education system where your zip code determines the quality of your schooling. They are outraged at the discrepancies in the US health care system. While recognizing the realities of a capitalist system, many students express a strong distaste for what appears to be rapidly expanding, institutionalized, and inevitable economic inequality. Where they differ is in how best to combat this growing problem.
April 6, 2012
The dramatic social, political, and technological changes of the 20th and 21st centuries have directly impacted how Millennials distinguish the values and priorities of their generation from those of their predecessors.
April 5, 2012
In our “land of opportunity” where pursuit of the American dream harvests freedom, happiness, and prosperity in life, who is given the key to set this bountiful harvest free? Is it any and every individual who works hard in school, is motivated to reach beyond excellence, and perseveres through even the hardest of struggles? Many students of the Millennial generation argue that this ideal is far from reality.
April 4, 2012
Some bloggers believed a certain set of American values continues to unify in spite of what divides us in the changes and challenges of a new millennium. Perhaps we’re united because we are unique and distinctly American. As one student wrote, "America doesn’t do things the way the rest of the world does, and the resulting external pressure has created a fortified internal cohesion.”
April 2, 2012
Educational opportunity remains the key to success in the United States. From the time of our birth we are bred to believe that with our educational success comes the American Dream. If we fail to accomplish the highest level of education then we have failed our pledge toward the American Dream.
April 2, 2012
There are a great many professional and technical skills that are undervalued. Many careers that are vital to the American economy do not benefit from the a traditional liberal arts education—indeed, the opportunity cost of acquiring an education is far to great for many individuals. For these people an education is economically inefficient and without value. Perhaps, politicians push education at the expense of professional training and job skills. Education is not the only key to success and educating those who do not possess the drive and motivation to complete their work and study hard can be both detrimental to the educational system and the American economy.
April 2, 2012
If there ever was a single thing that could be used to separate humans from every other life-form, it would be our brain. What is most remarkable about the human brain is its size. Weighing in around an average of 1,300 grams, it eclipses the weight of every single animal with our similar body mass. These incredible meat patties that we call “brains” (with a little help from our friend, the opposable thumb) are able to accomplish monumental feats. Our brains can create from nothing. By wielding our relentless imaginations, we have been able to turn a blank piece of paper into the Mona Lisa, the Bible, and a paper airplane. Through the firing of neurons, signals can be sent to our hand which can move a pen across paper to create various curves and shapes with ink. But even more extraordinarily, we are able to look at these ordered structures of ink molecules and conjure up a vision of Hogwarts, conjure up a memory made decades in the past, or conjure up a concert with Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony playing in only the recesses of our minds.
April 2, 2012
Americans are united by a common set of ideals, not values. While theory can inform general ideals, experience creates personal values. Our ideals are grounded in the theoretical framework of the Constitution. We aspire to live in a society that promotes liberty, equality and justice for all. We hope that church is separate from our state, that the work place is a meritocracy and that all people can live the American dream. Individuals’ values are different because their experiences dictate what ideals they value more or less. For example, while Americans with consensus consider equality an ideal, a child from an inner city school will value equality of education more than a child from a well-funded school will. We value most what it is that we directly experience. An individual who experiences inequality values equality highly because he has been made aware of the discomfort and hardship associated with a lack of it. Americans take for granted privileges afforded to them if their liberties have not been curtailed. While we may all strive toward a similar America grounded on Constitutional ideals, we do not all equally understand the important of these ideals. The extent to which we value an ideal America is contingent on our direct experience.
April 2, 2012
No one can deny the problem of economic inequality, and the statistics make the case very clearly. The United States has the highest GINI Index rating of any first-world country. Though seemingly fundamental to many other problems, economic inequality is the result of a greater problem, a symptom of a deeper corruption in the system. This flaw leads to many different inequalities in everything from economics to education and health care.
April 2, 2012
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…” These first words of the preamble of the Declaration of Independence are as powerful today as they were when they were written in 1776. Yet, equality has been a long and sustained battle here in the United States. When these words were written slavery abounded, only landowners could vote, and many states made it illegal for women to run for political office. Equality has, apparently, not been nearly as self-evident as we thought. Today more than ever, our perceptions of what it means to be equal and the moral value of creating equality are in question.
April 2, 2012
To those viewing the trends progressing in America, nothing could be farther from the truth. While faith may be an evident factor in processing a moral code and helping dictate the rightful action in a rigorous situation, morality and hope inevitably holds truth in human nature and the ability to cope with our own kind. Faith is a foundation that is dwindling away with the older culture in America still fondling our Founding -- even though our Founders explicitly stated that church and state should be separate. The reasoning sheds that the realm of Christianity and God shouldn't touch the worldly and maniacal realm of man bent on perverse nature, nor should one ideal be initiated robustly over others (Ex: Muslim or Atheist ideals). My own outlook pertains to the fact that 'if men were angels, we would need neither religion nor politics.'
April 2, 2012
I am a Christian. First and foremost, of my many personal and socially-assigned identities (woman/Asian/middle-class/heterosexual), I identify as Christian, because I love God, and my religion has played the biggest role shaping me - my ethics, my decisions, and even my social circles and activities. However, I strongly disagree with this statement ["Faith the only sure foundation for values in personal and public life"]. I wouldn’t dare iterate it in front of my non-religious friends for fear of coming off as privileged, condescending and condemning. The statement reads as very Rick Perry-esque in its assumption that faith is the only “right” way, which, of course, cannot be empirically proven. Thus, all that is left is a dangerous risk of discrimination against agnostics and atheists, some of whom I have known to be the best social activists, ethics professors, and difference-makers. An atheist can abide by an unspoken “treat others as you want to be treated” value just as much as I can abide by Matthew 22:39.
April 2, 2012
I consider myself a practical idealist – but, like most Americans, I’m not always so practical. Americans are united by a shared set of values, including family, opportunity, and independence. But our differing views of the “ideal” state of each of these values causes the fundamental left-right divide in our politics.
March 30, 2012
Educational opportunity is still the key to success in the United States, in terms of both personal achievement, and yet also in regards to the national well-being of our country. Educational opportunity means access to a well-supported school system—elementary through high school—that adequately equips its students with the tools needed to be engaged citizens in society. Consistent with the national values of freedom and democracy, educational opportunity means there is always the feature of choice. Given that students and families are provided information and aware of the benefits of these features, they are free to choose whether or not to take advantage of these assets.
March 30, 2012
“The educated differ from the uneducated as much as the living differ from the dead.”
– Aristotle
One of the greatest strengths of the United States has always been our ability to offer a fair educational opportunity to the citizens of the world. Our schools and universities have always had students from all across the country (and all across the world) come to share ideas and further our collective intellect. This cultivation of our communal brainpower has always been the strongest benefit to our success as a country. It is only when the most people have the opportunity to learn that our country has the ability to succeed.
– Aristotle
One of the greatest strengths of the United States has always been our ability to offer a fair educational opportunity to the citizens of the world. Our schools and universities have always had students from all across the country (and all across the world) come to share ideas and further our collective intellect. This cultivation of our communal brainpower has always been the strongest benefit to our success as a country. It is only when the most people have the opportunity to learn that our country has the ability to succeed.
March 30, 2012
The myth of the American dream is that each member of society has equal opportunity to attain a comfortable life in this country. However, the cracks of our system reveal faults in the foundation of our equality Empirical evidence proves that the disparaging inequalities of socioeconomic levels have created pockets of abject poverty within the United States, that are fundamentally irreconcilable with our notion of being the world’s land of opportunity. To rectify this injustice, we must begin with an equality of prospect. That opportunity starts in the classroom. Teachers should attempt to foster the development of students in academic institutions, so that all students in the classroom have the same starting place. This promotion to “level the playing field” should ensure that all students reach at least an adequate benchmark of a basic education.
March 30, 2012
Equal access to great education should be a right, not a privilege. I believe if the framers of the Constitution would have predicted how society has evolved were the only way to succeed, or even be able to makes ends meet if by pursuing higher education it would have been included in the constitution or bill of rights. I think it is our duty as citizens of a greater society to not be individualistic and promote equal access for higher education. Having an educated society will only guarantee that there will be greater social mobility for the individual, but the society itself will be able to move forward. I believe that if we promote equal educational opportunity the amount of people depending on social services will reduce, thus, meaning we will be able to allocate more money in other departments as well reduce our debt. Also, having more professionals means higher salary and more money going into the Treasury Department because of taxes.
March 30, 2012
Although Americans have principled disagreements on complex issues, we all share a similar set of values. The U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and the many writings of the Founding Fathers remain as vital foundations for our values even in a rapidly changing world.
March 30, 2012
Every social and political problem that we claim to have in America today – from faith to values to freedom – stems from a single fact: Americans are no longer participants in their own democracy.
March 30, 2012
I’m an atheist who does interfaith work. Although this may sound like an oxymoron, for over two years now I have worked for Project Interfaith, an Omaha, Nebraska-based non-profit that grows understanding, respect and relationships among people of all faiths, beliefs and cultures. In my work, I have confronted multiple stereotypes about my identity as an atheist. I feel the biggest misconception about “non-believers” like me is that we have no morals or values to live our lives by. This notion was reinforced in my mind during a project I coordinated called RavelUnravel.
March 30, 2012
We are in the Connective Era and what this means for Millennials is using weak network ties, individuals that are not in someone’s close circle of colleagues or friends, to engage in politics, culture, and social interactions. Millennials are characterized as the most affluent, most educated and most diverse population. Our civic mindedness is not focused solely on American issues, but we develop a global perspective. We don’t recycle because it’s good for the local environment but because we believe that we can save the rainforest. Our predecessors were concerned about joining formal organizations like the Boys Scouts or the Lions Club whereas now Millennials can find meaningful connections through their weak network ties.
March 29, 2012
After college, I volunteered for a nonprofit dedicated to empowering inner city youth in San Francisco. I translated documents into Spanish, which teachers would utilize to educate Spanish-speaking parents about higher education opportunities awaiting their children after high school. The nature of the position struck a chord with me because my parents lacked the knowledge to provide me with college guidance. My translations were distributed district-wide, reaching a larger audience than I had envisioned. Through this experience, I understood the main barrier to educational opportunities for Latino students is a lack of awareness of such opportunities, combined with a lack of educational role models.
March 29, 2012
I strongly agree that educational opportunity is the key to success in this nation. My parents immigrated to this country from China and Jamaica without formal education. My mother had less than a high school education while my father only had a high school education from Jamaica. Growing up, my family was only able to afford to live in a basement of a century-old home in Brooklyn, New York. Although I agree educational opportunity is the key to success, it should be noted that I think a high quality education is the key, not just any kind of education.
March 29, 2012
Fifty percent. One-Half. One out of two. Any way you look at it, the number of students in our country who have the opportunity to pursue higher education is appalling. We live in a world in which education literally plays a direct and massive role in all facets of life – attaining jobs, status, making a difference, creating credibility – all vital things in shaping a “successful” life. However, the current conditions in too many of our school districts are so poor that vast portions of our most vital capital – human minds – are subjected to the inability to advance. It is time to make a real change. A change that will make educational opportunity a reality for ALL Americans. It is time for a change that is so desperately needed.
March 29, 2012
I like to call myself a child of “opportunity.” Educational opportunity, that is. I am young,
bright, and live in the United States, the land of opportunity. I can rule the world if I wanted, but
only with the proper education. When I moved from the Dominican Republic to the United
States three years, there was one thing on my mind, getting an education. I left my life behind to
pursue an education, so when I say I am a child of opportunity, I mean it. When I got here, I had
nothing. All I had was hope, drive, and my family’s support. I look back in joy because it was
worth it, I am pursuing that education.
March 29, 2012
One common value held by people in America is the desire to succeed. Alexis de Tocqueville noted more than 150 years ago, “Americans are taught from birth that they must overcome life’s woes and impediments on their own.” Success takes on diverse definitions, and is pursued by people in America regardless of age, race, and documentation.
March 29, 2012
America is not the country in which we live, but rather a story we tell ourselves about ourselves. As Americans, we are bound by a set of communal values, independence embodied by the self-made man and a belief that this nation is exceptional, underscored by a contradictory axiom: Things will be better tomorrow, but things will never be as good as they used to be.
March 29, 2012
The United States is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. It also stands as the country with the greatest income inequality gap. The proliferation of economic inequality between the top 1% and the 99% reveals the shrinking middle class along with all its disastrous ramifications. Repercussions influence a variety of spheres, jeopardizing financial security and increasing individual and collective anxiety. The spike in stress-related health concerns and the growing market for anti-depressants in recent decades testify to the inextricable ties between mental, emotional, and physical well-being. The aggravations are numerous and far-reaching; they share a common source: economic inequality. Freedom has always been a fundamental right and point of pride for Americans. But as Roosevelt once said, “True individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence.”
March 29, 2012
Take a moment and try to think of the last time you paused. The last time you truly took a moment to sit down with your thoughts and notice the world around you.
March 29, 2012
People have many different reasons for the ways in which they define their morals. While the reasons could include faith, faith is not the only justification. Just like with past generations of Americans, the Millennial Generation is diverse ethnically and culturally. Individuals find inspiration and guidance from many different areas of their lives. American democracy has been able to thrive for so long with religious freedom as an integral part of the constitution because individuals are allowed to define their own morality however they choose. Americans have all been able to live together, regardless of faith, under the same set of laws. The government does not impose a basis for morality but it does impose a set of values by the laws it sets and upholds. Americans have been able to act on their own morality and develop their own values as long as they follow the laws. This means that values have been developed by individuals and religious institutions to fill in the gaps of American morality.
March 29, 2012
Evolution and all hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and open-hearted vision of people who embrace life.
– John Lennon
Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.
– Maya Angelou
– John Lennon
Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.
– Maya Angelou
March 28, 2012
In an increasingly globalized and competitive environment, educational opportunity is a fundamental requirement for success in the United States. While educational opportunity is a key component of success, the access to such opportunities in America is not equal. This nationwide disparity in educational opportunity has served as an institutional check against inherent American values such as equality and individualism, while simultaneously weakening our country as it tries to compete within the global arena.
March 28, 2012
You could build a convincing argument that education opportunity remains key to success in the US just by using statistics: high school dropouts are three times as likely to be unemployed as Americans with a bachelor’s degree, while a Georgetown study found that even graduates from the lowest-paid undergraduate majors make hundreds of thousands more in average lifetime earnings after the cost of college than they would have done with just a high school diploma. Better educated Americans generally earn more – and given that increased income has been shown to correlate with life satisfaction, it’s a reasonable assertion that they’re happier with their lives on average, too.
March 28, 2012
Picture Jessica, a nine-year-old girl living with her struggling family in the urban neighborhood of West Philadelphia. Jessica’s parents together work four jobs to support a family of five and their oldest daughter often serves as a babysitter for her siblings. She attends a local public school that is, as it has for her entire life, feverishly preparing its students for a statewide standardized test. However dull the reading and math assessment is, the instructors at her school cannot afford to skimp on practice: if the scores fail to adequately improve, the school will be declared failing and funding will again be slashed. Jessica is tired of arriving at school every day only to complete more multiple-choice questions and be sent home with another set. She is not motivated to complete her schoolwork and is intellectually stagnated; after reaching sixteen, she is relieved to formally end her schooling and begin work at a local grocer.
March 28, 2012
The paradox of Facebook is that the website which is supposed to be able to connect you with anyone around the world can actually make you feel rather isolated.
March 28, 2012
American society is often represented as sharing a common set of values, expressing itself through a pervasive culture, a revolutionary governmental experiment in liberty, an “exceptional” patriotism, and trust in a distinctive way of life. The United States has certainly always been unique, and while “exceptional” is the wrong word, renowned sociologists from Alexis D’Tocqueville to Alan Bloom have sought to define what about America is so distinct.
March 28, 2012
As a student in college, I was faced with the daunting struggles of fee hikes and rising interest rates. Later, only two years out of college and barely dipping my feet into the workforce, the subprime mortgage crisis hit the nation in 2008, creating economic havoc across the nation. Although my family and I were fortunate to have been spared of major setbacks, I was surrounded by friends who really were in crisis and had to see their homes foreclosed. Around this same time, mass layoffs were occurring as the result of budget cuts in every sector. In fact, people realized there was something unusually wrong with the job market when attorneys and law school graduates found themselves unemployed for months and some even finding that their offers had been deferred. The American dream was becoming an American nightmare.
March 28, 2012
Income inequality has been described as one of the greatest challenges facing America today. The Occupy Wall Street movement brought income distribution inequity to the public forum in a very vocal way. Despite a failure to enact or inform any real policy, the movement was successful in getting the conversation started.
March 28, 2012
The importance of faith in the role of the lives of Americans has remained a big issue for some time now. It’s such a controversial and hot topic issue in which numerous arguments can be debated. The posed statement above states that “faith is the only sure foundation for values in personal and public life.” I completely disagree with the statement as I feel it has numerous flaws and assumes too much.
March 28, 2012
For some, religion helps explain the unexplained. It represents a second chance and the
feeling of belonging to an exclusive group. Religion has been prominent in society for as
long as we can remember. Although it may be a huge component of one's personal life, it
does not have a place in the public sphere. France passed a law in 2004 that prohibited
wearing conspicuous religious symbols in schools. It caused a huge amount of uproar,
especially among Muslim women who wished to wear veils because they represent
modesty in their religion.
March 28, 2012
The Millennial generation, also known as Generation Y, has revitalized the workplace and social landscape as we know it leaving many members of previous generations troubled by their tenets. These young adults were raised to the mantra of conscious inquiry into every statute, regulation and ideology that had previously been accepted as the status quo. Whereas previous generations perceivably adhered to and seldom questioned authority and social standards, Generation Y (why) has used their art of asking to leverage both social and workplace change. Yes, these “renegade” rebels of our world are different from the generations that have gone before them, but they are perfectly poised to address some of our greatest societal needs. With technology in-tow, these young adults pioneered the election of the first African-American president and have, in large part, bid adios to the “arbitrary” 8- hour workday, trading time constraints for talent optimization. The power of this persistent group has been displayed in our society in countless ways over time. Although often perceived as the lazy or “go-nowhere” generation, Millenials are a distinctly valuable class of our culture-without them barriers to positive change may still be widely prevalent. Unlike the Baby Boomers, and even dissimilar to the antics of Generation X, Millenials approach the world carrying the belief that there exists a plethora of innovative and atypical ways to address both personal and cultural needs. They seem to traverse the path of life by wandering aimlessly through many jobs, passions, and pursuits, yet they are some of the most self-aware members of our society.
March 27, 2012
This January I picked up John Keegan’s Churchill: A Life and founded that it was immensely difficult to put down. From war stories in South Africa to political intrigue in the House of Commons, Churchill was a bold person who dared to speak truth in spite of the ramifications that such courage entailed. One passage in particular has been stuck in the back of mind. During his time as Chancellor of the Exchequer, Churchill dedicated a war memorial to the fallen soldiers of the Royal Navy and said the following: “They [the sailors] never asked the question, ‘What shall we gain?’ They asked only the question, ‘Where lies the right?’”
March 27, 2012
Education is the bedrock of any innovative and productive society. I have always believed this, because since I was young my parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins have all instilled in me the importance of a good education. An education is not a good that can be bought and automatically used. Education is a tool that one invests in and over the years there will be increasing returns. In order to have a bright future at the forefront of innovation, technology and industry the United States must seriously evaluate and restructure the existing public school system.
March 27, 2012
The first question the older curious gentlemen asked me was “What’s the difference between you and them?” Confused by the question I asked the gentleman, who was an aide to the Mayor, to explain what he meant. He said that the Princeton University Preparatory Program graduates more than 95 percent of its students from high school and almost 90 percent go on to 4-year colleges and universities. Trenton Central High School, on the other hand, graduates less than half of its students from high school and sends only 15 percent to 4-year colleges and universities. So what’s the difference between you and them?
March 27, 2012
Contemporary Americans possess an obsession with social privilege, power, and a fear of centralized authority. Our voice and participation in public affairs illustrates a symbolism that reflects our cultural values and biases. Nonetheless, our value of conspicuous consumption and desire for social status represents a modern shift towards cultural individualism—a perceived necessity demanded in order to integrate into American society.
March 27, 2012
It seems our Founding Fathers had it wrong. The values we’ve followed since our inception have included the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness. These values have historically been society’s way of letting Americans know they’re free—free to live openly without experiencing roadblocks from others along the way.
March 27, 2012
“The worst form of inequality is to try to make unequal things equal.”
- Aristotle
People often equate economic inequality to the flawed nature of capitalism, but perhaps the true flaw is our reasoning. Perhaps we humans have it backwards. Imagine a world where everyone is treated equally, a world where social ownership exists. Then what? Imagine the types of problems that are bound to emerge. Could exploitation still occur? Yes. Could unemployment still occur? Yes. Could a lack of motivation consume us all? Yes. So in effect, we could still end up a nation of people exploited, unemployed, and consumed by some ill. In effect, we could still end up a nation horribly unequal. This is because, contrary to popular belief, no one type of economic system is the problem. I propose a different solution; one that requires looking at the problem through a social mobility lens. I propose that capitalism or it’s alternative, socialism could never be the direct or sole cause of our nation’s woes. Our problem, regardless of our quest to become more capitalistic or socialistic, or some hybrid of the sort, is not economic inequality. Inequality in social mobility, the type that causes extreme poverty, is the single greatest problem facing America today. Perhaps John Ralston Saul, an international essayist, should have reformed his suggestion to, “everyone” should have “an equal right to inequality.” Perhaps this right is the only type of right we should be fighting for.
- Aristotle
People often equate economic inequality to the flawed nature of capitalism, but perhaps the true flaw is our reasoning. Perhaps we humans have it backwards. Imagine a world where everyone is treated equally, a world where social ownership exists. Then what? Imagine the types of problems that are bound to emerge. Could exploitation still occur? Yes. Could unemployment still occur? Yes. Could a lack of motivation consume us all? Yes. So in effect, we could still end up a nation of people exploited, unemployed, and consumed by some ill. In effect, we could still end up a nation horribly unequal. This is because, contrary to popular belief, no one type of economic system is the problem. I propose a different solution; one that requires looking at the problem through a social mobility lens. I propose that capitalism or it’s alternative, socialism could never be the direct or sole cause of our nation’s woes. Our problem, regardless of our quest to become more capitalistic or socialistic, or some hybrid of the sort, is not economic inequality. Inequality in social mobility, the type that causes extreme poverty, is the single greatest problem facing America today. Perhaps John Ralston Saul, an international essayist, should have reformed his suggestion to, “everyone” should have “an equal right to inequality.” Perhaps this right is the only type of right we should be fighting for.
March 27, 2012
2011 saw people around the world rising up against problems stemming from economic injustice. America was not spared from these types of protests, as the Occupy Wall Street movement has shown us. While the state of the economy is always an important issue, especially during an election year, the state of the economy now is particularly pressing for our country. Research shows that the “Great Recession” rattled the financial security of homes across the country, no matter how wealthy or struggling they might have been before the economic downturn. However, recent research also shows that, as our economy slowly emerges, the top earners are recovering at a much faster rate than the households on the bottom of the income pyramid.
March 27, 2012
Faith is the only sure foundation for values in personal and public life. Social consciousness has grown exponentially throughout the world in the last century, with civil rights being granted and respect being given to women and minority groups that previous generations would have laughed at. There is no doubt that, as a human race, we are breaking through the walls that have long separated one gender from another, one ethnicity from another, and even one race from another. We should definitely be proud of that and continue the work.
March 27, 2012
America’s founders built this nation on the premise that everyone is created equal and deserving of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Its major and minor peccadilloes aside, since its inception America has represented the values of opportunity and hope; courage and perseverance; community, freedom and possibility. Belief in these shared values buttresses the idea of what it means to be American. At the same time, these values do not always share a common ideological origin. America’s founders included many Christians, but they also included Unitarians, Deists and people with no faith at all. From George Washington and Thomas Jefferson to Susan B. Anthony, Abraham Joshua Heschel and Martin Luther King, Jr., leaders from a variety of belief systems have shaped and cultivated the fabric of the American identity and proved that, while the values we share define us as a nation, the belief system from which those values emanates is between an individual and their conscience.
March 27, 2012
The Millennial generation—an epoch to whose membership I belong—is, much like generations that preceded us, unique in outlook, in worldview, in groupthink. But to say our values are fundamentally different mischaracterizes the identity of the millennial generation.
March 26, 2012
Faith is not the only sure foundation for values in personal and public life; however, it is an excellent medium for achieving these ends and can harmoniously existence with agnostic or atheists perspectives. Since its conception in 1776 the United States has been a melting pot for immigrants fleeing religious persecution or a lack of opportunities. The culmination of their varying beliefs was a welcomed by the founding founders as they professed the importance of religious tolerance and social understanding. Today, over two hundred years later, this diversity and open mindedness remains a hallmark and a tremendous asset for the United States.
March 26, 2012
Since the mid-20th century our world has changed almost beyond recognition—and certainly beyond the recognition of the Baby Boomer generation. Today, the world we live in is truly global. In our lifetime, the internet grew from a government project to a massive social network that allowed people to grow interconnected in ways never before imaged. Previous generations did not have the access we have to each other via mobile devices or tablets like the iPad. We are truly a connected generation and while not all of us share the same ideals, we do all share a sense of interdependence and an appreciation for the concerns of others. The glaring difference between the Millennial Generation and our predecessors is that we have an abundant access to information, continual development of technology, and wide access to this technology.
March 23, 2012
In Lee County, Virginia, a short drive from the annual Remote Area Medical program where much of the region’s medical care is delivered in Wise County horse barns, there are other talented young men much like myself but with incredibly contrasting futures from my own. Most will finish high school but with the common understanding that the diploma issued at graduation no longer means very much. The price my friends will pay for a lackluster education system, unfortunately, won’t be incredibly noticeable. After all, how much calculus must one truly know when headed into a coal mine anyway? In Appalachia, a persistent pessimism, stagnant in these hard working Americans, validates itself time after time.
March 23, 2012
Sophomore Nataly Lopez knows exactly how much a semester costs at Baruch College in New York. An illegal Ecuadorian immigrant, Nataly works a full time job while attending school to save the $2, 805 she needs to attend another semester of school. As an illegal immigrant she is not eligible for federal funding or for most scholarships though she is a minority, lower-income, and high achieving. A March 14 New York Times article featured Nataly’s struggle and several advocacy groups who are attempting to help fund immigrant students.
March 23, 2012
I have great hopes for my generation. Our ability to access information is unparalleled and our means of communication have expanded. We have mastered the technology needed to thrive in a globalized world, and not only that, we care about shaping the important issues of our day. With greater means come greater responsibilities, and as a whole, we desire to use our gifts to leave our workplaces, communities, and world better off than how we first found them. It is certainly no hard sell to claim that the millennial generation is different.
March 23, 2012
As a United States citizen growing up in India, I felt like I was single-handedly
shouldering the flack the country was taking for decisions of the Bush administration.
Naïve, I know, but in grade 6, staunch Democrat though I was, I felt the need to defend
America and American values to every Indian kid that thought America was comprised
of ignorant Mid-Westerners and pompous New Yorkers who has scarce little in common.
March 22, 2012
We need to recognize that the most critical domestic problem in the United States today is the widening of the educational gap between the children of the haves and those of the have-nots. We live in a society where your zip code determines your level of success. Education is the most powerful weapon, yet it is not accessible to all, and that is a serious problem we need to address immediately. The population in the United States is over three hundred million, yet our current educational systems and institutions only directly reach a small minority of the population. If society does not reform the current educational system and create a different vision for the future, large parts of our society will be excluded from the benefits afforded to a highly educated and skilled population and work force. Right now we are in a massive brain drain due to the retirement of the baby boomer generation; still, our workforce cannot meet the demands due to a lack of education and skills.
March 22, 2012
Economic inequality is not the single greatest problem in America today. The disparities that exist arise from a spectrum of forces that concretize socioeconomic class. The steady transformation of the US from a capitalistic democracy to a class-based system where democratic ideals are spurned threatens the legitimacy of the American dream. Neglect of American foundational values of social mobility and the freedom of opportunity—this is the real problem. Defining economic inequality as the primary culprit is to trivialize inequality to one dimension.
March 22, 2012
At its base, faith means for one to be fully committed to an idea or set of ideals.
When the phrase “person of faith” is used, it conjures up images of people standing on
street corners fighting for your soul, images of slow marches led by peaceful and proud
figures, images of solidarity and often images of passionate debate. Whether positive
or negative, mass turnout or singular meditation, having faith connotes confronting the
eternal, having an opinion and testifying to one’s belief. This is why faith is the only
sure foundation for values in personal and public life. If one does not care enough to
form an opinion by which to live by, if one does not think about confronting the eternal,
one cannot be expected to be able to form solid values in one’s life. In addition, if one
is willing to have faith it means they are also willing to stand by their faith in the face of
opposition. This quality is essential to having other values as well.
March 22, 2012
Are Americans united by a shared set of values? I would argue that the biggest problem the United States is our inability to agree on a shared set of values. This divisive indecision is omnipresent in current social-political spheres, from the controversy over the Affordable Care Act, to the dispute over economic policy during the current recession, to the current 2012 election process. The inability to identify with a common set of values is the most significant impediment to consensus and political progress in government today.
March 22, 2012
Perhaps the closest thing to a universally shared American value is our belief in
social mobility. The American Dream is impossible without the availability of the
skills required to succeed in life – derived almost entirely from education. A lack
of educational opportunity drives inequality and its attendant social fracturing.
Another American value, our belief in meritocracy, hinges similarly on the nation’s
ability to provide a means for determination and ability to earn gains in society.
The absence of educational opportunity swiftly leads to a dearth of professional
options; portions of society without access to quality education can be left
stagnating in poverty, betraying American values.
March 22, 2012
We are all feeling a lot of pressure during this election season. It’s easy to get lost in the Facebook updates, the Tweets, arguments at family Christmas, the candidate bloopers, and of course the avalanche of the almighty political bumper stickers. Political spin has left us… well, spinning as some of us try to figure out what it is all worth. The issues unite some and divide others as we, the humbly confused voter, attempt to gear up for our day in November.
March 21, 2012
“Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that.”
- Norman Vincent Peale
- Norman Vincent Peale
March 21, 2012
Everyone in the world has faith. In the United States, where debates in the political and social realm often play out as battles between religious belief and
secularism, “faith” is sometimes seen as something only the religious have. However,
faith is a thing that everyone possesses in one form or another. Faith doesn’t
exclusively mean a belief in God, Judeo-Christian or otherwise. Faith is but another
word for worldview; faith is how a person interacts in the world, both with others and the
everyday things we all encounter. Faith shouldn’t be a dirty word used to relegate
religious people to the status of anti-intellectualism. The world is a kaleidoscope of faiths, each with its own different take on things.
March 21, 2012
A little over 10 years ago, this country faced one of the most devastating events in recent history. The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 shocked this country. However, despite the trauma of the day, I noticed something amazing happen. This whole country united in a way that I have never believed possible. People from all over flocked to New York to aid in the recovery and this country was united in a way that I don’t think it ever was before.
March 21, 2012
As I was sitting in my living room, I overheard my mom talking to my grandma, “I’m starting to realize that here, in America, girls and boys can be friends… and just friends.” Coming from Jamaica, I thought my parents would completely understand that it was possible that girls could have couple of good friends that were boys without any interest for a deeper relationship. To my surprise, it was not just the country you came from, but the generation you came from, that determined what was considered normal.
March 21, 2012
Millions of students wake up every morning, pack their books and walk to schools that are failing them and their country. For the first time in the nation’s history, many education scholars fear the current generation of high school students will be less educated than their parents. In order for American schools to produce a workforce for the 21st century, our education system needs to be reformed from the bottom up.
March 20, 2012
Educational opportunity is the key to success not only in the United States, but for the United States. While the quantity and quality of one’s education will no doubt differ by circumstance and specialty, what seems incontrovertible is that at least some post-secondary education will be a requirement of 21st-century life. College – from community college for basic computer literacy to brand-name colleges and universities – really is the new high school.
March 20, 2012
For
the
past
four
to
five
years
I
have
seen
the
University
of
California
struggle
in
a
battle
to
maintain
its
core
values
of
accessibility,
affordability,
and
quality.
However,
these
years
I
have
seen
how
in
a
declining
economy,
one
of
these
core
values
must
be
sacrificed
for
the
sake
of
the
other,
and
vice
versa.
The
constant
rise
in
tuition
has
placed
education
in
California
at
levels
unaffordable
to
most
and
thus
inaccessible
to
many
residents
of
the
state.
These
raises
in
tuition
are
implemented
in
order
to
fill
the
gap
the
State
has
created
by
decreasing
the
state
funding
of
higher
education.
At
the
same
time,
these
have
been
implemented
in
the
hopes
to
maintain
the
level
of
quality
and
prestige
the
University
prides
itself
on.
March 19, 2012
My high school environmental science teacher, a reformed hippie who had gone from Woodstock attendee to educator, often told us, "We were the generation who said we were going to change the world. You are the generation who is actually going to do it."
March 19, 2012
2011 could easily be characterized as a year of American identity crisis. On the left, streets were overtaken in Occupy protests that made one of the boldest demands for economic equality our country has ever seen. The right continued to be a fascinating study, with a GOP divided and confused about who it is and who should represent it. A painful debt-ceiling crisis revealed deep seeded tensions about American spending and national priorities going forward.
March 19, 2012
It doesn’t take long for the child of a Haitian immigrant in the slums of Little Haiti in Miami to become aware of the effects of poverty on their lives. Not only will children in impoverished areas like Little Haiti be surrounded by a host of other children whose families are at or below the artificially low poverty line of the United States, they will be faced with other children who share the same heritage yet are allowed to reap greater benefits from our society. It is a struggle for individuals in situations similar to these to meet even their basic nutritional needs and human rights, let alone muster enough concentration in order to learn basic math concepts and progress in their literacy.
March 19, 2012
Nothing better symbolizes the shared values that unite Americans than “Old Glory” herself. The thirteen stripes are reminiscent of our common history, spanning from the American Revolution, to the Civil Rights movement to today. The fifty stars are coequal, exemplifying the common commitment to states’ rights and representation in government. The Stars and Stripes fly proudly over both the White House and the homes of everyday American citizens. The Star Spangled Banner prevails as a unifying symbol in times of crisis and prosperity.
March 19, 2012
Opportunity is the American way. Whether it is giving the educational foundation that enables us to have the opportunity of success, the freedom to vote for political figures, become activists for civic causes, or the ability to speak our minds without fearing repercussions. Over the past several years, we have seen a rise in riots and outbursts of public decry in places across the world where there is a lack of freedom and a lack of opportunity. We need to look no further than to the Arab Spring or the Elections in Iran to see examples of these events in the media, and around the world.
March 19, 2012
According to a February 2012 study by The Hartman Group, 47 percent of millennials tweet while they eat. America’s millennials or “echo boomers” (the demographic immediately following baby boomers) find little too intimate to share with hundreds of followers online, including pictures of lunch (taken with instagram). The latest generation, in constant contact with itself, circulates personal data at a rate of 500 tweets per second. Open Twitter’s public timeline and see a new era of transparency—one that, despite its appearance, isn’t all that new.
March 19, 2012
A few weeks ago, I became enthralled by an article in the Wall Street Journal which highlighted the universality of community and shared meaning-- values that are often fostered by religions. In the article, the author, Alain de Botton, writes about the loneliness of modern society and how "we tend to imagine that there once existed a degree of neighborliness that has been replaced by ruthless anonymity, by the pursuit of contact with one another primarily for individualistic ends: for financial gain, social advancement or romantic love." The article appeared around the same time one of my local newspapers addressed the growing atheist community in the Pacific Northwest and their yearning for a community where they were accepted and loved unconditionally because of who they are-- values that are often not fostered by religions.
March 17, 2012
During presidential elections, the vague term ‘values’ tends to get tossed
around a good deal. As an English major (we do have some practical skills!), I’ve
been taught to carefully consider what such nebulous terms mean to the individuals
who throw them around so casually, because it’s often a different definition for
everyone.
March 17, 2012
Faith has long been part of the American political foundation – it pushed colonists
to seek out our shores, Union soldiers to forge ahead when the war seemed turned
against them, and it was the source of inspiration to our nation’s greatest civil rights
leaders. But now, in the 21st century, appeals to faith have sidetrack this country
when our leaders attention is most essential. Faith is a great divider in American
politics of the present, and will be an afterthought for American politics in the
future.
March 17, 2012
“Always we are chasing words, and always words recede. But the greatest experiences are those for which we have no expression. To live only on that which we can say is to wallow in the dust, instead of digging up the soil. How shall we ignore the mystery, in which we are involved, to which we are attached by our very existence?”
-Abraham Joshua Heschel
I grew up in a family of big conversations. Set against the stark Minnesota landscape, my sisters and I took long wandering walks talking about meaning and existence. So when my sister announced at the dinner table that she was an atheist, the reaction from my mom, the interfaith minister, was “How wonderful! Let’s talk about it.”
-Abraham Joshua Heschel
I grew up in a family of big conversations. Set against the stark Minnesota landscape, my sisters and I took long wandering walks talking about meaning and existence. So when my sister announced at the dinner table that she was an atheist, the reaction from my mom, the interfaith minister, was “How wonderful! Let’s talk about it.”
March 16, 2012
The contemporary discourses surrounding education would overwhelmingly represent it in terms
of access. Pervading the country’s educational infrastructure are heated and often partisan
debates on affirmative action policies, of undocumented immigrant enrollment in public
universities, of campus diversity, of tuition and cost spikes, and the list goes on infinitely.
March 16, 2012
News articles regurgitate the same information again and again. America is behind other
countries in education, public schools are failing, massive budget cuts are making it harder for
teachers and parents, etc..
March 16, 2012
A hundred and four years before Neil Armstrong placed the first footprint on the moon, a Frenchman named Jules Verne accurately predicted that an American would be the first to do so. His leap of intuition was based on his understanding that, “The Yankees, the world’s best mechanics, are engineers the way Italians are musicians and Germans are metaphysicians: by birth.” In other words, he understood that Americans are inventors and entrepreneurial by birthright—it is deep in our blood.
March 16, 2012
Conflicts over income inequality are only symptoms of the much wider phenomenon of pessimism, which is by far the greatest challenge facing America today. Dr. Eboo Patel once said, “America isn’t perfect, but America is great because it’s perfectable.” Indeed, throughout history, Americans have continually improved our country through their own hard work. However, a culture of pessimism undermines this paradigm and stifles progress in an era when ordinary American citizens are needed most to rise above new challenges.
March 16, 2012
In the Declaration of Independence, our Founding Fathers stated all men have rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” It is then rather shameful, that in America, there are 46.2 million people living in poverty according to the most recent census. Millions of Americans live on safety nets, meaning they are restricted from living their lives to their fullest potential. As a result of this disparity, thousands have begun to protest, to riot, and to outright disobey our political institutions.
March 16, 2012
Earlier this month I had the great opportunity of eating breakfast with hosting Gordon Wood and David McCullough, two of the greatest historians of our time. I listened to their conversation about how the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness have changed and how today in America there are many who are unable to fully act on these rights as a result of economic inequality. Leaving that morning, I began to consider how wide this disparity has become, what it means for the future of our country, and how our choices as a country has limited justice for all.
February 6, 2012
My generation loves the Internet. We have a well-established dependence on its ever-expanding resources. Ask any young American, across almost every socio-economic divide, where they most frequently access culture, news and entertainment, and their answer will be the World Wide Web. Our professional and social lives are tied to its networks, and more and more we seek truth, practical and existential, in its great depths of information.
January 26, 2012
"Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.” – Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Last week I was given the opportunity to share in the spirit of the Freedom Riders as I sang with the "Let Freedom Ring!" choir that performs annually at the Kennedy Center to commemorate the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. Our opening song, "Buses Are A-Comin’," transported the audience, along with myself, back to the 1961 jail cells of Jackson, Mississippi, where the song was created by members of the Freedom Riders. Risking their lives, this courageous group of citizens became soldiers fighting a nonviolent war – diverse in race, gender, and socioeconomic status, but united in their unwavering demand for equal rights. In their quest for social justice they were met with bats and lead pipes, beatings and racial slurs. Jailed, but not broken, their spirit intact, they remained strong as they sang, "you can lock us up, but you can't stop the movement.” And that night, at the Kennedy Center, we sang not only to rejoice at the progress that has been made, but also to remember that the movement is still very much alive.
Last week I was given the opportunity to share in the spirit of the Freedom Riders as I sang with the "Let Freedom Ring!" choir that performs annually at the Kennedy Center to commemorate the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. Our opening song, "Buses Are A-Comin’," transported the audience, along with myself, back to the 1961 jail cells of Jackson, Mississippi, where the song was created by members of the Freedom Riders. Risking their lives, this courageous group of citizens became soldiers fighting a nonviolent war – diverse in race, gender, and socioeconomic status, but united in their unwavering demand for equal rights. In their quest for social justice they were met with bats and lead pipes, beatings and racial slurs. Jailed, but not broken, their spirit intact, they remained strong as they sang, "you can lock us up, but you can't stop the movement.” And that night, at the Kennedy Center, we sang not only to rejoice at the progress that has been made, but also to remember that the movement is still very much alive.
January 25, 2012
In my opinion, President Obama’s 2012 State of the Union was a fine speech. But from President Obama – the renowned orator and campaign presenter – fine is an underwhelming qualifier. The laundry list of perceived success over the last years looks great on paper, but didn’t have the same passion and energy that originally carried him into office. The President looks and sounds tired – not that he shouldn’t be, given the requirements of his office. But the speech didn’t leave me excited for America or energized for the coming year.
December 19, 2011
2011 was not a good year to be a dictator. The death of North Korea's Kim Jong Il follows the murder of Muammar Gaddafi in Libya, the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak in Egypt, and the ousting of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in Tunisia. The passing of Kim Jong Il bookends a year of revolution, and grand shifts, in international politics. Yet, for all that we could say about the changes on the Korean peninsula his death, and the deaths of men like him, provides a profound moment of national reflection.
November 21, 2011
Today in America, we are witnessing a re-organization of our belief system about what it takes to be successful. A college degree used to be the ticket to a comfortable life. Today, rising college costs, an increasing need for access to higher education for low-income students, more borrowing and fewer entry-level jobs for new graduates mean that Millennials are questioning the worth of higher education. Are students irrationally borrowing money to spend more on college than it’s actually worth?
November 20, 2011
From November 17th-20th, 2011, I had the pleasure of serving as a Delegate from the state of CT at the National Girl Scouts Convention on the hundredth anniversary of Girl Scouts’ founding. 15,000 girls, adult volunteers, celebrity guests, and friends all converged on Houston, Texas with the aim of commemorating 100 years of progress and a promise to propel girls and women’s leadership into its next century. Girl Scouts of the USA is the preeminent leadership development organization for girls, with 3.3 million girl and adult members. Through international and domestic chapters, Girl Scouts promises its members access to life changing experiences that inspire them to do great things. Forbes recently reported that Girl Scouts now counts 10 million members in 144 countries and a growing alumnae network of 50 million women.
November 8, 2011
There is no doubt that American race relations have come a long way in the last 60 years. On Tuesday, November 3, a panel of incredibly distinguished guests came to Georgetown to celebrate the life and legacy of the Rev. Jesse Jackson. Rev. Al Sharpton, Laura Murphy of the ACLU, Professor Michael Dyson and his esteemed wife, Rev. Marcia Dyson, among many others, marked Jackson's contributions to the political landscape.
November 5, 2011
At Thursday’s weekly debate hosted by the circa-1830 Philodemic Society of Georgetown, members and non-members alike debated the proposition: Resolved: Wall Street, and not its occupiers, better represents American values. Keynoters on the affirmation side argued capitalism fosters innovation and the benefits and efficiencies from Wall Street ensure American values of freedom and individualism. One speaker also said Wall Street helps maintain meritocracy and social mobility.
November 4, 2011
The recent event “A More Perfect Union: A Dialogue on American Values,” co-sponsored by Georgetown University and the Ford Foundation, provided a venue for discussion amongst a cross-section of leaders from diverse fields such as politics, business, religion, and education. The most essential question considered was, “Can our nation still find common ground to guide public policy decisions as we confront a new set of domestic challenges?”
October 25, 2011
What will it take to make social entrepreneurship a field that Hoyas dive into just as eagerly as they do into consulting and investment banking? At Tuesday night’s panel on “Community Service as an Undergraduate and Beyond”, Moderator Paige Lovejoy (SFS’12) coined a new phrase inspired by panelist and Vice President of Education at Compass Partners Nabil Hashmi’s comment related to the creative culture at Google. “What can we do to build a Georgetown DNA—or does Georgetown DNA already exist?” Lovejoy asked.
October 20, 2011
I am dreading the next election cycle. Democracy is wonderful, but I could do without the elections. We hold debates where little is said and run TV ads digging up the inconsequential for a bump in the polls. It is not just our politicians. We have to take responsibility for our political culture. We have to want civility and discourse. Last Tuesday, I attended an event that made a significant step toward fostering discussion free from mudslinging and deep-seated animosity. The Conversation on National Values held in Philadelphia, hosted by Georgetown and the Ford Foundation, was the first in a series of events to try to get Americans to talk about our shared values and beliefs. While the program certainly has room to grow, I am optimistic about its ability to help hold back the current onslaught of extreme polarization prevalent in the current political sphere.
October 17, 2011
In a recent Los Angeles Times Op-Ed, comedian and atheism campaigner Penn Jillette claims that the word “Christian” is being increasingly employed by politicians to appeal to a wider base of voters. Further, he argues that this shift has been to the detriment of society as a whole. However, the same evidence could be used to argue that a positive shift has occurred - one towards greater understanding among those with similar beliefs. Perhaps it has even been instrumental in providing a unified voice for common concerns and beliefs.
October 13, 2011
I am sympathetic to those who have chosen to camp out on Wall Street and storm Congressional office buildings. As a generation, we have a lot to be angry about. As the stock market crashed in 2008, I thanked God I was still in school. Four years and a young, fresh, and Democratic president was more than enough time and talent to make the ever-growing unemployment figures a thing of the past. I remember responding with a deep sigh of relief as my economics professor graphed out the long-term income differentials of those entering the job market during a recession. There was hope; the economic downturn was temporary, and the government was going to do something about it.
October 5, 2011
On Tuesday, October 11, the Ford Foundation and Georgetown University are sponsoring a "Dialogue on American Values," hosted by George Stephanopoulos. The event will take place at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia from 6:30-8:00pm. Participants will include Mayor Michael Nutter, Carly Fiorina and Peter Orszag.
October 4, 2011
American civil religion places a significant emphasis on pluralism. Every Fourth of July picnic I have ever been to extols the merits of America as the great melting pot. This rhetoric carries over onto to our college campuses. Diversity is touted as essential to an enriching classroom environment. As a nation of immigrants of an immense variety of cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds, an appreciation for heterogeneity is critical to our success. Yet for all our parades and college seminars, I am not entirely convinced diversity is something we routinely value with our actions.
October 4, 2011
Last spring eleven pro-Palestinian students were suspended at the Irvine campus of the University of California for aggressively heckling Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren during an on-campus appearance. This summer UCI took further disciplinary action against the Muslim Student Union, suspending the organization for a year for its leadership’s involvement in planning the protest. The university has a right to punish individual students for inappropriate behavior, and it is often futile to try to speculate about the interworkings of a university disciplinary hearing. However, as the events unfold, it is difficult to understand why the university and the state have responded with such severity.
October 3, 2011
The multitude of perspectives on the research that inspired David Brooks’ op-ed, "If It Feels Right...," are limitless, but for the sake of brevity we will focus a more substantial review on two opposing viewpoints that are particularly thought provoking. As we recently explored, for some, Christian Smith’s findings are actually a sign of moral progress being interpreted by an actor stuck in an old moral framework. Their optimistic defense of a new moral paradigm is intriguing, but ultimately for many, too rosy an understanding of human nature. What evidence is there to suggest that man has evolved beyond the need for structures of moral restraint? Yet, these same writers approach the current moral vogue of individualism and possibly even relativism with more hope than Brooks. They reject Brooks’ inflammatory language as the rhetoric of an older generation tainted by nostalgia.
October 3, 2011
The freshman in the Class of 2015 at Harvard had an unconventional invitation upon moving into their new dorms this fall semester. The Freshman Dean’s Office in cooperation with dorm proctors invited each student to sign a pledge promising to uphold values tied to the College’s mission. The Class of 2015 Pledge reads:
“At Commencement, the Dean of Harvard College announces to the President, Fellows, and Overseers that ‘each degree candidate stands ready to advance knowledge, to promote understanding, and to serve society.’ That message serves as a kind of moral compass for the education Harvard College imparts. In the classroom, in extracurricular endeavors, and in the Yard and Houses, students are expected to act with integrity, respect, and industry, and to sustain a community characterized by inclusiveness and civility."
“At Commencement, the Dean of Harvard College announces to the President, Fellows, and Overseers that ‘each degree candidate stands ready to advance knowledge, to promote understanding, and to serve society.’ That message serves as a kind of moral compass for the education Harvard College imparts. In the classroom, in extracurricular endeavors, and in the Yard and Houses, students are expected to act with integrity, respect, and industry, and to sustain a community characterized by inclusiveness and civility."
September 28, 2011
Passionate responses to David Brook’s op-ed "If It Feels Right..." flooded the blogosphere almost immediately after its online appearance. Some negated his premises out right, challenging Smith’s work and Brooks’ application directly, while others took a more nuanced critique of his melancholy approach. Still others joined Brooks in decrying the lost morality of a generation. Yet for the great diversity of response, is anything of this new? Has the post-modernism movement and its tendency toward individualism and relativism fundamentally changed the way this particular generation understands morality? For some the answer is definitively, yes. Young Americans operate within new social structures and are grounded in new norms, especially a propensity for relativism.
September 27, 2011
David Brooks, in the spirit of many moral conservatives before him, takes up the present state of America’s youth in his recent New York Times op-ed, "If It Feels Right...". Responding to Christian Smith’s new book, Lost in Transition, Brooks narrows in on Smith’s data regarding the moral literacy of young America. Concern for the decay of virtuous society is in itself not a new point of contention. In a sermon given in 1274 AD, Peter the Hermit laments the failings of the youth, decreeing, “The world is passing through troublous times. The young people of today think of nothing but themselves… They talk as if they knew everything, and what passes for wisdom with us is foolishness with them.” In many ways, Brooks has simply joined a long tradition of criticizing the moral vision of young people.