Exposing the Truth: Gen Y Against Sexual Violence
Nov 22nd
NYC SlutWalk, October 1, 2011
Around noon on a chilly Saturday afternoon on the first of October, Union Square suddenly erupted with police who escorted thousands of chanting men and women: Many were under 30 and wearing nothing but underwear. These underdressed marchers were not making a provocative statement – they were protesting rape and sexual harassment in the New York City SlutWalk,
Sexual harassment protests have been around since the 1960’s. But often the victims were blamed for their “slut” like behavior. More recently, many activists have argued that has emerged that victims of sexual assault should not be held accountable based how they dress or act.
Molly Sternin, a junior at Hofstra University carried a sign with bright pink lettering stating “punish rapists, not victims.” “I have always taken issue with society’s tendency to blame the victim in a rape, whether it be questioning what the victim was wearing, how they acted, where they were, or trivializing their experiences because they didn’t act the way a victim is “supposed” to act in their situation,” said Sternin.
The first SlutWalk was held in Toronto in April 2011. The media reported that the first walk began when a Toronto police officer suggested that women should dress more conservatively to prevent being sexually assaulted. The main message of SlutWalk is that “no one can touch you without their consent” and the specific goals are to “challenging rape culture, victim-blaming and slut-shaming, and working to end sexual and domestic violence.” Read the rest of this entry »
Footing the Bill- College Loan Debt Fuels OWS
Nov 22nd
When Robert Dorman first enrolled in Rutgers University, he didn’t expect that ten years later he would still be paying back his student loans.
Pacing the sidewalks of Zuccotti Park as part of the ongoing Occupy Wall Street protests, Dorman, 28, has one demand scrawled on his simple cardboard sign: “dissolve all student debt.”
“People are always saying we don’t have a single demand, well here it is,” said Dorman, who failed to find a job after receiving his environmental engineering major from Rutgers and works instead as a Fedex delivery man to help pay back $30,000 in student loans. “The system is structured so that you enter the workforce already a slave to debt.”
With record tuitions and a fluctuating economy, the risk of investing thousands of dollars into a college education for a guaranteed payoff is greater than ever. Read the rest of this entry »
The Choice to Slack or Act: Do Online Petitions Count As ‘Real’ Activism?
Nov 22nd
Illustration from The Express Tribune
Type ‘petition’ into Facebook’s search bar and what comes up is a slew of results: pages, groups, apps, all having to do with social activism. There are Facebook petitions to raise awareness of animal cruelty and petitions for women’s rights—petitions that fight to keep ABC soap operas on the air and petitions against Facebook petitions.
The creation of websites like Change.org, that specialize in organizing petitions on the web, are a sign of the popularity of petition-making that reaches outside of the realm of Facebook. With over 5 million members, Change.org is the biggest and most influential petition-promoting site on the web. Boasting a team of over 98 organizers, campaign directors, software engineers and strategists, Change.org calls itself an ‘organizing platform’ for citizen activists.
9/11 Floating Lanterns To Heal The Heart
Nov 8th
Buddhist monks prepare to release signed lanterns onto the Hudson River on September 11, 2011.
A group of Buddhist monks, Sikhs, reverends and Imams congregated on the lawn next to the West Side High Way on September 11, 2011 for the World Trade Center Memorial of the Floating Lanterns. The event commemorated the 10-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks on 9/11/2001 and the 6-month anniversary of 3/11/11, the date of the earthquake/tsunami that devastated Japan this past year.
Started in 2002 by Rev. TK Nakagaki of the Buddhist Council of New York, the Lantern Ceremony is taken from a Japanese tradition in which paper lanterns are made, lit and left to float in a river to celebrate the lives of those who have passed away. The festival was made to represent community and respect for diversity in times of mourning. Hosted by representatives from seven different faiths and religions, the event featured performances by Japanese and American musicians, food donated by United Sikhs of New York, and moments of prayer and blessing.
Peace of Heart Choir Brings Peace of Mind
Oct 25th
The heads of 2,652 meticulously folded origami cranes were among those in the audience when the songs of the Peace of Heart Choir trumpeted throughout Federal Hall in Lower Manhattan on the tenth anniversary of Sept. 11.
The cranes – each with the name of a victim inscribed on its wing – and visitors to Federal Hall were only the latest audience of the Peace of Heart Choir, a choral group that formed in response to the attacks. Over the course the weekend, the choir performed at Central Park’s Merchant’s Gate, the New York City Fireman Museum on Saturday, the Castle Clinton Monument and at Federal Hall.
Read the rest of this entry »
Talking ‘Bout My Generation (But Not Quite Being Sure What to Say)
Dec 9th
The Who have never been more apropos. Over the past decade, the amount of new books (a quick Amazon search for Generation Y yielded over 7000 results) profiling Generation Y has soared, sparking a new industry of those who base their careers pontificating over Generation Y, explaining the feelings and beliefs of the new generation to large corporate audiences for a hefty fee. Stereotyping Generation Y has become a new industry unto itself, and anyone with the platform to say something seems to have something to say about Generation Y, either negative or positive.
We have been described as dumb (in The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future (Or, Don’t Trust Anyone Under 30)), depressed (in Generation Me: Why Today’s Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled–and More Miserable Than Ever Before), great (in Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation), or just simply as taking over (in Generation We: How Millennial Youth are Taking Over America And Changing Our World Forever). Can all of these contradictory views of generation Y can be true? Does the lack of consistency between the views of generation Y show that these books and profiles are quick to stereotype what is actually quite a large and diverse group of young Americans? And, most pressingly, do any of these views answer the question: what is Generation Y really like?
Unplugged: Deactivating My Brain
Dec 9th
No TV. No Facebook. No Texting. Can anyone imagine such a world?
This became reality for 26 students at the University of Central Florida. Last year their English professor, Mary Ann Murdoch, challenged her students to unplug and live a technology-free life for five days.
Only two of 26 students in Murdoch’s class were able to relinquish cell phones, iPods, portable CD players, text messaging, e-mail, computers, TVs, DVDs, and video games.
I crafted a similar technology-free experiment for myself. No texting. No web surfing. No social networks. No iPods, CD’s, TV, video games or personal e-mails. Just my phone for basic calls and my laptop for emergency school-related email and Microsoft Office programs. For one week.
Tech Diaries
Sunday Night 11:45pm –
The experiment was set to start at midnight. Before I unplugged from my comforting world of chargers and wires, I posted a disclaimer on all my social media profiles stating: Doing a social experiment for a class which involves me giving up most technology for a week. If you wanna talk to me, call me or stop by my place! Starts tonight at midnight! Bets on if I can do it?
Affordable Luxury for the Gen Y Woman
Dec 8th
NYU junior Mary Williamson hasn’t been to Fifth Avenue’s Henri Bendel, where the girls at the headband counter used to greet her by name, all semester. Though she no longer hands over $150 for a Jennifer Behr headband, visions of the pricey accessories run through her head.
Williamson has limited her food purchases, walked the mile and a half to class instead of taking the subway, and skipped going out to bars and clubs in order to save up for her beloved Lululemon yoga pants and a new pair of designer jeans.
She, and other Gen Y women have grown up on brands just as they came of age with Nick at Nite, Beanie Babies, and slap bracelets. They sought out designer buy goods as early as middle school, first with $150 Kate Spade bags, soon after with $80 Juicy sweatpants and finally with $160 designer jeans. Over the years, Gen Y has become hyperaware of designer labels.
Although the recession has hurt premium apparel brands, they continue to find favor among fashion-conscious, Gen Y women who, so long as companies tailor their marketing strategies appropriately, are buying into affordable luxury. Read the rest of this entry »
A Change of Faith
Dec 8th
A Muslim named Kaivan and a Jew named Dylan are both typical members of Generation Y. They both subscribe to a different religious belief, but neither is fighting over who is right. For them, their religion is not about whose is the best, but which religion works best for them.
Overall, Generation Y breaks into three religious categories. There are 27 percent who consider themselves “Godly,” 27 percent who are “Godless,” and 46 percent who are Undecided. This is according to the survey OMG! How Generation Y is Redefining Faith in the iPod Era. generic diflucan This survey found that while today’s young people still follow the same religions their parents did, they differ in their expression of faith.
For many, this means replacing religious services that may feel outdated. “Most young people today will say they are spiritual, not religious,” said Rabbi Yehuda Sarna, the Jewish chaplain at NYU. Those spiritual youth believe holiness is subjective, and doesn’t have to be determined by an organized faith. “People began thinking in terms of ‘me’ and not ‘the community,’” Rabbi Sarna said. Read the rest of this entry »
Hinduism, Caste and Generation Y
Dec 8th
“Each man devoted to his own duty, attains perfection.” –Bhagavad-Gita, Ch 18, v 45.
To Kevin Naidoo, Hinduism is more than a series of rituals performed in temple.
“When I was seven years old, there was a stage in our lives when my Dad was unemployed for nine months,” said Naidoo. “He had to sweep floors to put food on our table.” But, because of his father’s devotion to God, there was never a day the family went hungry, he said. “My dad’s faith carried our family through all those times.”
Naidoo, now 30, works as an accounts manager for a California based company, traveling the world and living life as a successful yuppie. Because of his father’s devotion and dedication, religion is of special importance to Naidoo.
“That’s why I prefer to marry someone within my faith. There’s nothing more blissful in a marriage than a husband and wife praying together.” he said. “Being the only son, my father wants me continue his legacy and uphold what we inherited.”
And in Hinduism, that which is inherited is caste. Read the rest of this entry »