A few weeks after my first time volunteering with the Nashville International Center for Empowerment (NICE), I was invited to participate in their weekly “Community Day” English class at a nearby high school. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but when I arrived, I was warmly greeted by Karen, one of NICE’s adult education specialists. … Continue reading FP 3: Let’s share tea.
Category: Policy issues
FP 2: We all bring gifts.
Not too long after I connected with Casa Azafrán, I heard back about volunteering with the Nashville International Center for Empowerment (NICE). I had reached out to Camila, a fellow student who had been involved with the organization for the past year, and she invited me to join a group event scheduled for that weekend. … Continue reading FP 2: We all bring gifts.
FP 1: We hold their secrets in our hands.
On a rainy afternoon, I visited Casa Azafrán (and Nolensville itself) for the first time. Greeted by signs in English, Spanish, and Arabic, I was pleasantly surprised by how the community center’s muted exterior gave way to a lively interior. With an assortment of toys stationed in one corner and a collection of informative pamphlets … Continue reading FP 1: We hold their secrets in our hands.
On TV and Oklahoma’s New State Curriculum
Ah, the television. With old pejoratives like "boob tube" and "idiot box," it's clear that TV has a bad rap in comparison to other forms of media. But given trends like the advent of streaming and the rise of high-budget shows (see: Netflix's The Crown, Disney's The Mandalorian, and—forgive me—HBO's Game of Thrones), the television … Continue reading On TV and Oklahoma’s New State Curriculum
Activist Art: Confronting Climate Change
While it may not always provide solutions to the world’s problems, art certainly offers valuable insight into some of our most deep-set anxieties. As devastating climate-related news has continued to occur (particularly throughout the last several years), it is only natural that a subset of contemporary art reflects our ecoanxiety: the intense worry that we … Continue reading Activist Art: Confronting Climate Change
The Business of (Internalized) Misery
From Animal Crossing to Frank Ocean’s new singles to Zoey 101, a rather assorted range of media has trended on Twitter over the course of the past week. No more or no less assorted than Twitter trends typically are, perhaps, but assorted nonetheless. One viral tweet that caught my eye in particular was the following: … Continue reading The Business of (Internalized) Misery
FP Post 1 – Big Brothers Big Sisters
When I transferred to Vanderbilt as a sophomore, I knew I wanted to work with children in underserved communities as I had at my previous school through YMCA. After attending the Org Fair during my first semester, I came across Big Brothers Big Sisters of Vanderbilt. This seemed like the perfect opportunity for me to … Continue reading FP Post 1 – Big Brothers Big Sisters
The Trouble with Joe Exotic’s American Individualism
During this crazy period, many of us have had more time than ever to watch whatever digital content we desire. And never in history has there been so much to choose from. What does it mean, then, that the #1 TV show on Netflix right now is an outrageous docu-series entitled “The Tiger King: Murder, … Continue reading The Trouble with Joe Exotic’s American Individualism
Plague Art: Danse Macabre Through the Ages
Plagues and other periods of widespread hardship have inspired beautiful, satirical, and haunting artwork throughout history. The Black Death in particular spawned an artistic genre with themes that speak to the sentiments of the affected populace and persist to this day. The Black Death (1347-1351) is the most deadly pandemic in human history, having killed … Continue reading Plague Art: Danse Macabre Through the Ages
A Short Discussion About Object Permanence
(Image retrieved from Wikipedia) If you’ve ever played a game of peek-a-boo with an infant, you probably understand the concept of object permanence. Object permanence is the ability to recognize that objects still exist, even if they are not in our view. The reason why we are able to play peek-a-boo with babies is because … Continue reading A Short Discussion About Object Permanence
Literature and Public Policy 
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