Month: October 2016

“Adulting” and College

Any senior writing thesis yearns for the academic schedule they had freshman year: simpler days, lower level classes and general education requirements, enough time to finish all of your reading AND go out on a weekday. But no, thesis season is for all-nighters, forgotten readings, and waving at deadlines as they whoosh by with a paper disappointing for both student and teacher. For me, and many other students, it’s not actually about the workload. It’s about taking on more “adult” responsibilities and spreading time and effort across various obligations that just didn’t exist in the first year(s) of college.

A rundown of my week will show exactly what the schedule of a senior looks like. I have one project (15% of grade), one debate (25% of grade), two mini research papers (15% of grade), and a congressional simulation (25% of my grade). On top of that, I have readings for classes and a 40-page thesis draft due in less than a week. On top of THAT, I recently moved and need to unpack, work two full days a week, and have familial obligations planned to take up the entire weekend.

It’s a lot to do. Individually, these assignments or responsibilities are not daunting. In fact, they’re enjoyable. But together, they require me to spread my attention and resources so thin that it seems like nothing is being done adequately. This wasn’t the case in previous years, and it’s extremely frustrating to have the high expectations I have for myself tempered by a finite amount of time and effort.

Students reaching the end of their undergraduate careers know what this feels like. With job and graduate school applications taking precedence, optional readings and extra research are put aside. With financial obligations looming ominously, taking an extra shift is more important than revising a term paper. Learning becomes deadline management, because the “real world” is coming up fast. This semester I am taking three classes (and thesis) with professors who I have taken once, twice, and three times before. Never have I struggled to finish coursework for these amazing educators. This semester, I find myself up until three in the morning regularly, just trying to get through mandatory readings.

It’s a truth that has challenged my understanding of higher education and society’s expectations of students and young adults: you have to have your life together by the time you finish college. Yet the actual and perceived pressure this places on students nearing graduation is immense. It jeopardizes the ability of students to be fully engaged with their coursework, because they must also balance job-searching, house-hunting, and learning how to pay bills and navigate the transition from student to “real adult.”

Different – not better.

Since getting married months before my 21st birthday, I have quickly jumped from milestone to milestone at a pace more rapid than many of my peers. I did what I needed to do to push my graduation date up to December 2016, accepted a post-graduation job after a successful summer internship, and my husband and I recently purchased a dog and our first real house. Some of my close friends jokingly congratulate me for “adulting so hard,” for achieving many of the “traditional goals” so early.

But the truth is, I often see differences between the choices and lives of my friends and peers as beautiful expressions of freedom, individuality, and personality.

I have multiple friends who see marriage as an outdated custom born out of a societal need to legally oppress and control women. I appreciate their perspective and their strength as women whose aspirations and self-worth are independent of their romantic relationships. I have friends who are planning on moving across the country to bet it all on a career that they have been dreaming about for years. I admire their hope, passion, and willingness to venture into the unknown in search of greatness. I know people who are applying to graduate programs, and am inspired by their desire to further their knowledge and their confidence that they can use their education to change the world.

People around me are doing amazing things, taking leaps of faith, and following their dreams with more heart and well-intentioned ambition than I had ever thought possible. I vehemently oppose the idea that there is some structure, some socially constructed timeline one must follow in order to be successful, to be happy, or to be “right.” So to all my friends out there doing their own thing, standing up against social injustice, contributing to research on obscure topics, congratulations; to all my friends falling in love, with their best friend, with their significant other, with their job, or with their studies, thank you for your passion. To all my friends living paycheck to paycheck, trying to make a difference by being a good person in a world threatened by bigotry and inequality, keep it up. We need you all, and there will always be someone cheering you on.

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Being in the Moment Vs. Snapchatting it

You spent the whole time snapchatting the concert. I’m not even sure you enjoyed the music.”

These were the exact words spoken by my sister to me as we left the Hollywood Bowl after a performance by Kygo, a D.J. from Norway.

I love Snapchat. Its focus on fleeting content is refreshingly different from social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, where content is permanent unless deleted. Yet, despite its novelty, I found myself discovering a serious drawback of the app while I was at the concert.

I was so focused on capturing the perfect picture that I had forgotten the mere essence of why I even bought a ticket — to enjoy the music. I had taken more than 21 videos. That translated to a lot of time spent on my phone screen when I really should have been watching the performance.

This is not to undermine Snapchat’s value as a social media platform. Unlike Instagram, which is more often than not a collection of one’s best moments, Snapchat provides a more realistic picture of daily life. I’ve sent snaps of myself stressing over exams, impending work, or even when I was having a bad hair day. I wouldn’t do the same on Facebook or Instagram.  Furthermore, Snapchat allows for a deeper connection between you and those that you send ‘snaps’ too. Unlike text messages, it is predominantly picture-based, thus bringing in a visual element which is sometimes more personal than plain text.

Perhaps my real problem with Snapchat is what it’s become. I find myself attending social events for the sole purpose of posting it on snapchat — so people know I’m having fun. It’s developed into a vehicle for peer pressure and has led to a fear of missing out, or “FOMO.”

Social media is a powerful tool within limits. Sometimes, you’re better off being in the moment than capturing it on your device. Pictures or videos are not the only source of proof that you’ve attended an event.

Memories exist, too.

Prof. Jeffrey Flory, “Do Competitive Workplaces Deter Female Workers?”

As a Robert Day School Professor, Jeffrey Flory specializes in development economics and has received grants from the World Bank and the Lowe Institute of Political Economy.

This week, I had the honor of attending his Athenaeum talk on the effect of competitive workplaces on female employees.

It is common understanding that there are prominent gender differences in our labor market. In the US, women’s wages are approximately 20% lower than men’s; women only account for 2.5% of the 5 highest paid executives in large firms; and, compared to their male counterparts, are more likely to be unemployed. Various explanations have been offered as to why these disparities still exist: differences in human capital skills, the effect of traditional family roles, and stereotype threats against women.

Prof. Flory’s research expands on a novel approach to explain the gender gap in the workplace: competition. Laboratory experiments have found that work performance of men is substantially more responsive to competition incentives than that of women. This, in turn, may prevent female workers from performing their best when they know they are competing with other employees for promotions or raises. Further lab experiments show a gender difference in preferences for performing in competitive settings. On average, men have a taste for competition, while women tend to exhibit a distaste for it. This results in men embracing competition and women shying away from it.

It is essential that we become aware of the implications of these findings. For the social realm, these conclusions indicate that if women have an aversion to competition, they are less likely to seek promotions and raises, perhaps even removing themselves from the picture. Moreover, if women dislike performing under competitive circumstances, they are more likely to shy away from fields that are perceived as highly competitive. Findings also indicate that highly competent women select out of competitive workplaces while incompetent men select into them. The economic implications of these observations are of great importance. This poor allocation of employee capacity affects firms’ productivity and efficiency, indicating that perhaps firms are not attracting the best possible talent, thus failing to maximize economic performance and prosperity.

Prof. Flory aims to develop this field of study, taking research outside of the lab into natural economic environments. His real labor market experiment involved 9,000 job-seekers interested in a real employment position. By manipulating compensation treatments, he found that having a team-based work environment as well as lowering the amount of wage that is based on competition can help eliminate the gender gap.

This research can provide invaluable insight into a prominent issue in our society. I am looking forward to seeing how this field advances, and observing its positive impact on our changing workplace.

It’s Possible…

Berger Institute Blogger Brittany Woods ’17 is graduating early and currently juggling multiple jobs in addition to being a full-time student at CMC. Also: she’s married! Check out the video – our third installment – to hear about how she makes it all work.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrKA6Jb-niU&w=560&h=315]

Marriage as a Relationship

As one of the few married students on campus, a lot of my friends ask me what marriage is like. My generic, and honest, response is usually this: it’s like living with your best friend: 90% of the time it’s super cool, and 10% of the time it’s either trying not to kill them because they did something that made you unreasonably mad or just needing a second to yourself. After a year of explaining it this way, I’ve given it a bit more thought and the result is the following proposition: marriage is first and foremost just a relationship.

I know what you’re thinking… of course marriage is a relationship. And yes, I know. But what I mean is that the mechanisms of maintaining a marriage are the same as maintaining a friendship with a family member or loved one.

It takes effort, it’s not always fun, there will be disagreements, and there will be bad days.

It takes compromise, trust, communication, and a mutual desire to maintain the relationship.

It is the most beautiful part of your life, and the most painful.

Relationships are multifaceted, tenuous structures predicated on history, emotions, and external factors like distance, stressors on individuals, and circumstance. Most simply put, they are the result of two individuals’ consistent decisions to make room and time for each other. And if you love each other, the effort it worth it.

The point is this: romantic relationships take on dimensions and depth that most relationships don’t. The nuances of having a significant other come from trying to maintain different types of relationships with one person. They are your friend, your family, your lover, your team mate, and everything in between. That’s a lot of dynamics and trying to balance them all makes the relationship more dynamic than others. So much so that it’s easy to forget that marriage (and other forms of dating) is in the simplest explanation just a relationship. And remembering that makes it a lot easier to manage, refine, and sustain.

The Paradox of Terrorism

After 9/11, the American public lived in constant fear of another attack. Many believed that future terrorism was imminent, and that threats to American soil were going to be severe and frequent. I imagine the people of France felt similarly following the attacks in November of last year. For Western countries, whose military dominance, institutionally secured influence, and alliance largely provide safety, attacks by small pockets of international extremists are destabilizing and debilitating. Right?

Wrong. After 9/11, the deadliest attack on U.S. soil, one attack was used to start multiple wars that have caused more deaths to innocent civilians in multiple Middle Eastern countries than were lost in the attacks. The deadliest attack on U.S. soil, with over three thousand dead and wounded, incited reactionary, rash policy that haunts us fifteen years later. And that’s why terrorism is an effective weapon against Western countries: because we respond. It sounds harsh, and I am in no way discrediting those who lost their lives on that day of great loss for our nation. But on paper, the loss of life does not justify the massive response. Significantly more people died in 2001 from Alzheimer’s, suicide, or HIV.

Terrorism is used against large countries whose conventional forces cannot be challenged because these are the countries whose reputation in the community will be questioned if they fail to respond to an attack on their homeland. This is why ISIS, whose threat to the United States is limited and whose resources and recruiting are exaggerated by the media, keeps coming up in the news and in election coverage. These groups want to send a message to large Western countries whose values they perceive as imperialist, superficial, and corrupt. And because even small attacks promote national outcry and international recognition, these groups use terrorism as a tool to foster support, build their reputation, and challenge the “big players” at a relatively low cost to themselves.

Divisive Rhetoric and Unprecedented Conflict: The 2016 Presidential Race

Disappointment awaited all who tuned in to watch the first two presidential debates. Both candidates dodged questions, instead using their two-minute segments to attack each other and bring up clearly practiced talking points. Instead of digging into policy positions, Clinton and Trump presented shallow, soundbite-adaptable comments about their plans. They attacked each other on the basis of character, temperament, and career history, all while maintaining the divisive, aggressive posturing this election has characterized this election cycle.

Beyond who voters will choose to elect next month, the nature of this election brings up serious questions about the media, democracy, and the nation.

The Media

Since RNC and DNC nominated Trump and Clinton, there have been scandals, missteps, and lies from both presidential candidates. Although the distribution of these events has not been even, it has allowed the media to control voters’ access to information about candidates. News networks do not provide comprehensive overviews of policy platforms. They do not provide untainted records of Hillary’s career, or of Trump’s business transactions. They grab on to the nastiest rumors and the simplest of missteps, painting each candidate as a veritable ally of Satan himself. And while the candidates consistently inspire revelations that lend themselves to sensationalization, the bias from both sides of the ideological spectrum serves to further polarize people’s preexisting ideologies with quasi-truths posted on social media, online newspapers, and on television. The lack of integrity and objectivity has done nothing to inform voters struggling with an important decision and less than ideal options, or initiate informed conversations about policy.

Democracy

Democracy in America has always been grounded in the idea of participation. While the early eras of America barred access to political participation for many groups, including women and minorities, , equal rights have been expanded over time, allowing most citizens the opportunity to vote and engage in other civic duties. Yet those versed in civics, government, elections, and policy consistently provide evidence that the American public struggles with understanding issues, fails to vote consistently, and lacks a basic understanding of how the U.S. government works. When the media presents superficial criticisms or endorsements, voters adopt and internalize these overly biased perspectives, participation becomes arbitrary. When people are not informed, but vote based on Facebook articles, memes, comedy TV shows, and skewed broadcasting, voters can validate their own biases and point to sources like CNN and Fox that used to be credible. Instead of checking multiple sources, international news outlets, and academic writing, people share a questionably cited article posted on a shady website. Without looking into the issues, people go to vote on superficial understandings of policy platforms and propaganda based opinions.

The Nation

Many look at Trump and Clinton and fail to understand how either ended up as a presidential nominee. Trump’s problem is a lack of qualifications, consistently bigoted/racist rhetoric and generally poor presentation of policy. Clinton comes off to many as a cold, corrupt career politician with a cheating husband and a campaign characterized by defending two concepts: emails and Benghazi. With two candidates so aggressively opposed by the public, many have started questioning the state of our nation. Religious zealots claim that the end time must be near, foreign policy experts fear how the instability of the election will affect our international relationships. If half of the country is willing to support a seemingly xenophobic demagogue and the other half supports an alleged liar in regards to potential felony offenses, what does that say about our government and our citizens? Instead of ideological discourse and intellectually based disagreements, we see character attacks and grandstanding. This is concerning.

When Donald Trump claims he will “make America great again” and Hillary Clinton says “we are great because we are good,” it falls flat. This election cycle indicates that we need to reevaluate how Americans get their information, what students are taught about civil discourse, and what kind of people we want in charge of representing our nation.

This election has been more spectacle than substance, and neither candidate will suffer greatly – in terms of status, finances, or opportunity – in the event of a loss. Yet the outcome of the election will affect the American people and the status of the United States as an international actor for years to come. And that’s a concerning proposition.

Family Meals: Small inititative, Big Benefits

At the breakfast table, my father launches into trivia concerning Indian Classical Music, American politics, and World News. My sister and I fumble for answers, my mother holds herself back from revealing them, my grandma reminiscences of life 30 years ago, and my 11-year-old dog searches for scraps of food under the table. Missing breakfast or dinner is a cardinal sin. Even on weekends, my sister and I are hauled out of bed to the breakfast table at 8:00 a.m.

Eating family meals is more than just a tradition. It’s something that I had assumed commonplace for most families . But upon closer inspection and many sleepovers with friends, I realized that not all families place as much of an emphasis on family meals as my parents did.

I was obliviously lucky.

A recent article in the Washing Post strongly advocates the need for family meals, for a variety of reasons:

  1. Building vocabulary: Through conversation and dialogue with adults, children are exposed to unfamiliar words and concepts. Many an SAT words was learned at the dinner table in my house
  2. Physical health: A sit down dinner with parents means more fruits and vegetables.
  3. Mental health: Studies have demonstrated strong association betwen family dinners and a reduction in depression, suicidal thoughts, and high-risk behaviors.

My favorite memories have been made on the dining table, whether they involved distressing about impending exams, solving crosswords, or discussing the decline in pop music with my father. It has always provided warmth, support, bonding, and intellectual stimulation for me.

For most families, eating all three meals together is unrealistic, given work and school commitments. But creating a schedule that incorporates one meal together- to sit down, de-stress, and engage with one another – is not an impossible feat, and certainly worth it.