The reality is that many schools have money problems. Big money problems. Across the country there are major budget cuts and layoffs. Financial issues have been the main topic of conversation in schools for years. A recent solution that many schools have adopted is to allow companies advertising rights within the school, in exchange for …
Tag: social problems
Jun 26
Should Convicted Felons Have the Right to Vote?
It’s an election year again. Which means you, just like me, have been getting bombarded with press releases, flyers, news articles, debates, and more information than you could ever possibly require about this round of candidates. Sure, this can be irritating at times, but it’s what you’ve come to expect this time of year and …
Jun 26
Water is Everyone’s Problem
Did you know water was declared a human right in 2010 by the United Nations? Yet, 884 million people are still without access to safe drinking water and, more than 2.4 billion people lack access to basic sanitation. These statistics are pretty shocking to me because despite many advances, we are facing this problem in …
Jun 22
Who shoulders the refugee burden?
Another week, another UN holiday commemorating a global social issue. This week we had World Refugee Day on June 20th, a day to “honor the courage, strength and determination of women, men and children who are forced to flee their homes under threat of persecution, conflict and violence.” With the situations ongoing in the Middle …
Jun 19
Spread the Word to End the Word
There’s a moment in many social situations when you simply don’t know what to say. Someone has misstepped their boundaries, violated your beliefs, and you don’t know how to respond. The moment hangs in time, as an internal battle rages in your mind. Should you stay silent, stewing in anger? Do you say something? Is …
Jun 12
Myth vs. Reality: There Aren’t Tigers in Africa?
Contrary to popular belief, tigers are not native to Africa. In fact, the only tigers that live on the entire continent are those used for breeding in zoos or on other special reserves. Personally, I was shocked when I heard this fact. How are there no tigers in Africa? What about the lions, and elephants, and zebras? …
Jun 08
The Sahel Crisis: Social Media vs. News Media in a Refugee Crisis
Have you seen much news media coverage about the crisis in the Sahel? I haven’t. Not much at all, actually. The first I heard of the Sahel food and refugee crisis ravaging Africa’s Sahel region was in a tweet. There has actually been a lot of social media coverage on what’s happening thanks to an …
Jun 06
World Environment Day 2012: What does it mean to you?
Did you know that June 5th is World Environment Day? Yeah, me either. That is until I noticed a tweet a few days ago that alerted me to this fact. If you’re into all things environmental you probably already know about this. If you’re not, you’re probably asking yourself “Wait, what is she talking about?” …
Jun 06
Human Smugglers: The Real Immigration Issue
The United States has a massive immigrant population, approximately 11 million of whom are here undocumented. Individuals without documentation are often at the center of law enforcement efforts, the focus of all research concerning immigration, and the focus of people’s anger and problems with immigration in this country. But why is that the case? What …
Jun 05
Don’t Give Up Hope: Women’s Groups Do Make a Difference
When I started writing my blog last week about the battle surrounding women’s health in Texas I was struck by what a powerful group Don’t Mess with Texas Women had become in just one year. But I was still a little skeptical that they or other groups could impact the system enough to protect their …