What to do after Graduation?

At the end of one’s undergraduate education, many students face the difficult question of what to do next. Almost overnight, graduates enter into what is deemed the ‘real world’. For many people, the only charted territory is to directly continue their studies in some graduate school. However, I think that—for the majority of people—this is a mistake. I believe that it is critically important for people to take at least a year off in between undergrad and graduate school to get a full taste of the ‘real world’.

Time off from school allows an individual to explore their ancillary interests and expand their horizons. Far too often, people are in a rush to finish up their formal education so that they can begin working. It is believed that by rushing to get into the work force, one’s true life begins; however, the important journey in between work and school is often shortchanged in favor of an end product. This journey should not be ignored because it is critical for both personal development and learning. Part of one’s journey through life should be time away from school gainfully employed toward one’s interests.

One way to usefully spend a year off is to pursue some form of research. For example, I graduated last May from New College of Florida and will be doing a Fulbright in Malaysia this year. The Fulbright Program is run through the State Department and it funds scholars to pursue research abroad for a year. Anyone can apply for scholarship to virtually any country in the world and in any field of interest. For example, my research proposal was focused on International Relations and Foreign Policy. Specifically, I plan to study the impact of Islam on the development of Malaysian foreign policy. Through the Fulbright Program, I’m going to enjoy spending my year off from school to pursue this research and teach in Malaysia.

Instead of rushing to become a doctor, lawyer, engineer, or other professional, I think almost everyone should take some time off from school to pursue their other interests. The Fulbright Program is but one example of many things that graduates can do with their time off. Many people decide to take a year off to volunteer, work, or pursue independent study. I would highly recommend upcoming graduates to look into a variety of options, including Teach for America, teaching English abroad, pursuing lab research, studying a foreign language, volunteering in the community, working for an NGO or non-profit organization, doing an internship, joining the Peace Corps, getting a job, or any of the thousands of other options that you have. The bottom line is to take time off and do something that you enjoy. It will make your journey more pleasant and will be an excellent time off for personal fulfillment. Don’t rush through life—it is definitely better to stop and smell the roses.

Hate Not Heritage

I am angry. Every morning during my commute to work, a giant Confederate flag greets me like a slap in the face at the junction of I-4 and I-75. This virulent symbol is a constant remainder of the South’s failed attempt to defend the unconscionable practice of slavery.

The Confederate flag is a powerful symbol of both slavery and segregation. When the South seceded from the Union to defend the institution of slavery, all slaves in the South came to fear the Confederate battle flag. To slaves, the flag represented the cruelty of the slave system and the idea of the indefinite bondage of human beings. The flag still carries this historical baggage and by 1948, the Dixiecrat party used it as a symbol to galvanize support for segregation. The flag has thus morphed into a potent symbol for slavery and oppression.

Some proponents of the flag argue that it merely represents heritage not hate; however, this statement is flawed considering the flag’s historical usage. It represents a racist call to the Old South in which both slavery and lynching’s were the norm. The Confederate flag is similar to the Nazi flag in that they both represent an evil past in which the hatred and subjection of a peoples was acceptable. Proponents of the flag merely appear to be couching their thinly-veiled prejudice behind the Confederate flag.

This flag is unacceptable in our society. Our country has made incredible strides towards healing some of the wounds from our checkered past. My drive to work reminds me that there is still much work that needs to be done to overcome our difficult heritage.

A version of this article was published on September 12, 2008 in the St. Pete Times:

http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/letters/article804896.ece

And in the Tampa Tribune on September 13, 2008:

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/sep/13/na-battle-flag-seen-from-different-perspectives/news-opinion-letters/

Causes of the Food Crisis

There are a number of reasons for the ongoing food crisis, that has set off riots in such disparate places like Haiti, Cairo, Cameroon, Senegal, and Bangladesh. A few of the key reason are:

-Bad weather

-Decline in agricultural investment by governments

-Opening of markets in a variety of countries b/c of various trade agreements that have hurt small farmers and favored international agribusiness

-Rising “protein” demands of large populations in India and China

-fertilizer shortages

-the higher price of oil

-the transfer of countless acres of farmland from the growing of food to the production of bio-fuels