Beat Profile on Mandi Work

With a collegiate history that includes Australia, England, Iceland, Italy, and Taiwan, it is easy to see why Amanda Work chose to come to the University of Georgia as an International Education advisor. “I fell in love with the idea of learning from cultural interaction and experiences,” says the Ohio native. Now Mandi, as most call her, is helping students receive the same inter-cultural experience she found so valuable by aiding study abroad hopefuls in finding the program that is right for them.

At first glance it seems hard to imagine that working a string of jobs at the YMCA and Flagstar Bank in Ann Arbor, MI. would lead Work to an advising position in the Office of International Education at UGA. But Work, who graduated from Baldwin-Wallace College with a B.A. in Business and a minor in English, decided she would pursue a career in international education shortly after receiving her undergraduate degree. Work’s extensive undergraduate résumé includes the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia, Edge Hill College in Ormskirk, England and a geology field course in Iceland.

“I fell in love with the idea of learning from cultural interaction and experiences. I volunteered with my study abroad office whenever I could be of help,” Work says of her post-study abroad days. Her involvement with the study abroad office opened up opportunities such as speaking to classes, individuals, and parents about the study abroad experience. Work also got to be involved in the integration of international students to American culture. She says of that experience, “It is very fulfilling to help international students in their cultural adjustments, because as an American overseas I had gone through the same thing.”

Work quickly found herself applying to graduate school. She says of her school of choice, Kent State University, “I found a program that allowed me to focus all of my elective and internship credits towards the Internationalization of Higher Education.” She was accepted to the university and attended Kent from 2006 to 2008. Her educational career there included participating in the university’s Italian Higher Education and U.S. Study Abroad programs, located in Florence, Italy. While in Italy, Work interned in the International Admissions and Recruitment Office as well as the Study Abroad Office. And like a true study abroad devotee, Work went on to study in the Language and Culture program at the National Taichung University in Taiwan.When all was said and done Work graduated with a Master of Education and an Higher Education Administration and Student Personnel with an Internationalization of Higher Education Certificate.

Now Work calls the University of Georgia her home. Her job here entails a dizzying list of responsibilities from coordinating visits to UGA from outside programs to assisting in events such as the Study Abroad Fair, the International Photo Contest, Orientation, and International Orientation. But if you asked her what her favorite part of it all is Work would say it is helping with outreach and advising students. Talking about her experience as an advisor she says, “I enjoy speaking with students…I get excited when students start planning their program and it is fun to answer their questions.” Work continues, “My favorite part of my job is knowing that what I do helps people achieve a goal that will hopefully become a highlight in their lifetime experiences. Study Abroad is often cited as a student’s favorite experience while in college and I love that I can help make that happen.”

Severing Ties with Arizona

Huffington Post-Calls for Arizona Boycott Continue: After Arizona recently passed its new stringent immigration law protests have transformed from a local level to a state level. Both Los Angeles and San Francisco city councils have decided to boycott Arizona's decision by severing business ties in the state. The Washington D.C. council is also looking to enact a resolution sometime next week that, "calls on the city government and the employee pension fund to "divest" from "any companies that originate out of Arizona or that do business with Arizona," as reported by the Washington Post.

Somalia Flanked on All Sides

Going to the market, if you can afford it, is a danger in and of itself. There is the risk of becoming one more person added to the death count at the hands of Islamic fundamentalist rebels. There is also the risk of being killed by the very people who are meant to protect you. But the African Union (AU), an organization aimed at sustaining unity and peace in Africa, has denied allegations of illegal fighting in Somalia, as outlined by Reuters article "African Union denies illegal fighting in Somalia."

The three year insurgency fueled by lawless Islamic rebels has caused the deaths of an estimated 21,000 people, but for some the blame should also be placed on the AU. Boubacar Gaoussou Diarra, a Somali representative in the African Union, retorted, "We are not at the same level as the terrorists...we are very careful not to shell them when they are among the population." Diarra points out that the AU's fight to remove the insurgents from Somalia is a peaceful operation. Still, human rights groups argue that the AU's peacekeeping force AMISOM should be held accountable for their denied shellings of crowded markets and residential areas.

Human rights groups also voice their concerns about the discrepancies in the United State's and the United Nation's condemnation of killings by the rebel groups, specifically the fact that the U.S. and U.N. have failed speak up about the abuses of AU and Somali government forces.

The fight against Islamic insurgents is undoubtedly a bloody battle, but it should not become a blood bath at the hands the AU or Somalia's government. In a country where the lines of democracy, rebellion, and violence have been so brutally blurred it is imperative that the actions of AU and Somali government be monitored to ensure the safety of its people. Such a task seems futile, especially in a country where all those vying for power, and in power, seem to rank the rights and equality of the Somali people last on their list. It is for this reason that organizations like the UN and powers like the U.S. need to stop turning a blind eye to the actions of the Somali government and the AU, whether they be just or unjust.

Ukrainian Parliament: Egging Haven

Those opposing the decision of the Ukrainian parliament to allow the Russian Navy to continue to stay in Ukrainian ports until 2042 lashed out by hurling eggs, setting off smoke bombs, and swinging fists. The brawl, as described by Reuters article "Protests as Ukraine backs Russian base extension", reflects the widening political chasm so prevalent in the former Soviet republic.

College Student Clashes with David Cameron

Britain's Conservative Party Prime Minister candidate David Cameron recently found himself answering to 19-year-old college student Chloe Green. The dialogue about Cameron's education policies can be seen in a nytimes.com blog post "Voters Spar with David Cameron."

New Program Gives Free Health Care to Pregnant Women in Sierra Leone

BBC news- Sierra Leone gives new hope to mothers and children: In a country deemed by the United Nations as the worst place in the world for a baby to be born, the free health care that pregnant women, breast-feeding mothers, and children under five will be receiving is expected to improve the UN statistic by saving an estimated 1.25 million mothers and children. Contributions from the UN and UK have helped make this program possible.

Sudan Election Results

After Sudan's first multi-party election in 24 years, President Omar-al Bashir will maintain his presidential position as he was announced winner of the election. News.bbc.co.uk/ article "President Omar-al Bashir Declared Winner of Sudan Poll" reveals that many people, especially of southern Sudan, find the re-election of a man charged with war crimes in Darfur to be fraudulent and unfair.

Afghan Schoolgirls Hospitalized from Possible Taliban Poisoning

Afghan Schoolgirls Fall Ill, Poison Feared: Approximately 80 Afghan schoolgirls became ill after what is feared to have been a Taliban attack on three separate schools in the Kunduz province. Several of the girls recall smelling an odd odor before being hit with symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, and loss of balance. After a few days of hospitalization, all of the girls were cleared to return home. Those who look to the Taliban as the source of the assault view it as a blatant display of the organization's opposition to female education.

One-Child Policy in China May Change

With the growing disparity between children/adolescents and adults, the Chinese government may be re-evaluating their one-child per family policy in the coming years. The generational gap has become increasingly apparent as the number of young workers is being dwarfed by China's aging population. Huffingtonpost.com article "One-Child Rule May be Eased in China" looks at the possible future for Chinese families after years of countless abortions and infanticide directly associated with the family planning policy.

Polish President's Twin Brother to Run in Upcoming Election

After the April plane crash that killed Polish President Lech Kaczynski and 95 other leading Polish officials, new elections are being held on June 20. Kaczynski's brother Jaroslaw will be running in the elections to continue Lech's legacy. Time.com article Late Polish President's Twin Runs for Job discusses Jaroslaw Kaczynski's decision.

Some Iraqi election winners disqualified by electoral court

nytimes.com-Iraq Political Crisis Worsens as Court Bars Candidates: One candidate who won a seat in Iraq's Parliament elections last month was stripped of his position by the electoral court. This decision came on the heels of allegations that the candidate was involved in Saddam Hussein's Baath Party. The court's efforts to purge the Iraqi government of Hussein affiliates comes at a sensitive time as the United States begins to withdraw its combat troops.

Avatar director James Cameron called 'misguided'

ForeignPolicy.com article Pandora's Box brandished the efforts of Avatar director James Cameron and featured actress Sigourney Weaver in Brazil as 'misguided.' The two joined environmental advocacy group Amazon Watch in the endeavor to block the construction of the Belo Monte dam, a dam in Para, Brazil which will flood 248.4 miles of forest and farming land. The article's author Conor Foley calls Cameron "a serious irritant for Brazilians on all sides of the issue." To learn more about Foley's position read the full article, Pandora's Box.

The article's author makes an interesting point in his closing argument when he says, "Brazilians do care about the environment, but many find the idea that they should be "pressurized into taking a stand" by international campaigners deeply offensive and patronizing...But this is not a battle between the Na'vi and the Unobtanium-greedy earthlings, and Cameron should beware of confusing real life with cartoon fiction." To some degree I can see underpinnings of an anthropological mantra, one that directly opposes the idea that we, as outsiders, can tell a native people what is best for them.

This argument I can agree with and wish that more of the world's do-gooders would be cognizant of the fact that riding in on white stallions with money and high-handed advice isn't always the best way to help those in need. But when he wholly disregards the efforts of figures like James Cameron and Sigourney Weaver, I find such discreditation unfounded. You will find in the article that when the dam project began some two decades ago, native Brazilians were vocalizing opposition on their own. Granted it is important for crusading samaritans to constantly be sensitive to the needs of the people their helping, but I hardly find anything misguided about the director and actress helping give a voice to a people who were already shouting.

Eyjafjallajokull all over Europe

The eruption of Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull has certainly caused much grief and inconvenience for travelers across the globe, especially for those seeking transport to and from Europe. In New York Times article "Europe Under the Ash" writer Michael Kimmelman gives an apt and somewhat humorous review of how Europe has been handling the crisis, from strikes in France to Italians drinking one extra espresso.

Muslim Woman Fined in France

Woman Fined for Wearing Islamic Veil While Driving in France: In the midst of talks about a possible French ban on Islamic face veils, one Muslim woman's decision to wear the niqab veil while driving drew much attention. A policeman's decision to fine the unnamed woman for wearing the garment which, according to the officer, obstructed her field of vision, has stirred much controversy and debate. Associated Press blogger Pierre-Baptiste Vanzini provides more details in his post, "Woman Fined for Wearing Islamic Veil While Driving in France."

Goldman Sachs on the Chopping Block

The Case Against Goldman Sachs: Goldman Sachs has come under some serious fire with the rising allegations against the global investment banking firm, magnified under the scope of an economy grappling with recovery. Time article "The Case Against Goldman Sachs" outlines the key points in Sachs' downfall, specifically a deal called Abacus 2007-ac1, which augmented the income of people like hedge funder John Paulson with the financial misfortune of Americans.

Elections in Sudan this weekend

The Rocky Road to Independence for Sudan: Fraught by years of strife and instability, the Sudan will be making shaky steps towards restoring some semblance of an organized multi-party government this weekend. Particularly at stake for the people of Southern Sudan is the chance for them to actively participate in determining the region's future for independence.

French President Sarkozy to Ban Islamic Headdress

Associated Press-"Sarkozy Moves to Ban Islamic Face Veils In France": Despite the fact that France is home to western Europe's largest population of Muslims, French President Nicolas Sarkozy is making a move to ban traditional head and face dress for Islamic women. Dissension is expected but President Sarkozy wishes only to provide equality for women, a right integral to France's secular government.

Animal Cruelty Law Struck Down by American Supreme Court

This past week a 1999 federal law directed at crush pornography was repealed by the United States Supreme Court. The decision, as discussed in npr.org story Supreme Court Calls Animal Cruelty Law Too Broad, came after an 8-1 vote by the Supreme Court justices. The law was found to be too broad and an infringement upon certain First Amendment rights. NPR correspondent Nina Totenberg further discusses the original case and the reasoning behind the Supreme Court's decision in the link above.

Cause of devastating earthquakes revealed

According to senior Iranian cleric Hojatoleslam Kazem Sedighi, the recent host of earthquakes, and those to come, have been provoked by the immodesty of Muslim women. This immodesty, as detailed in HuffingtonPost article Iranian Cleric: Promiscuous Women Cause Earthquakes, is tempting young men and corrupting their sense of moral judgment and, apparently, the stability of our earth's tectonic plates.

Well I must say that I am elated that the veil has been lifted off of that mystery (pun intended). There is a serious imbalance in the world when a woman thinks she can show her hair and get away with it. That is one thing I can give Islam, the idea that the woman and woman's body are so powerful a temptation that it can wrench men of their ability to reason or exercise moral scruples. This belief essentially gives women more power, and through Muslim thought, more responsibility ergo women can easily be held accountable for males' transgressions. It is this air-tight logic that drives the incentive for practices such as honor killing, exemplified here, here, and in case you still don't grasp it, here.

At best, this mentality incenses me. My advice to the less-than-conservative women of Iran is to take a page out of Ayaan Hirsi Ali's book (you could really, it's called Infidel) and take refuge in some place where you can show your ankles before the impending earthquake in Tehran.

Enough!

Join the anti-genocide organization Enough in the effort to pass bill HR 4128!

If passed, the bill will give consumers the choice to buy conflict-free electronics. You can help take action each day this week by following this link to the Enough co-founder John Prendergast's blog. The project is urging readers to write to key Representatives each day via the representative's Facebooks to implore that they vote for this bill.

For more information visit the Change the Equation for Congo website.

Pope sends out apology to sexual abuse victims

After a new swell of controversy over allegations of sexual abuse by Catholic priests, Pope Benedict apologized to victims through his pastoral letter of apology this month. Many find his promises to do more to protect children from this abuse shallow at best. Singer Sinead O'Connor voices her biting criticism in this blog post: http://subrealism.blogspot.com/2010/04/to-sinead-oconnor-popes-apology-hollow.html.

Resonating the thoughts of O'Connor I see the criticism the Catholic Church is facing as nothing new nor as undeserved. It is disheartening to consider the number of sexual abuse offenses that have been exposed thus far and it is much more unnerving to consider the cases not yet known and those that may never be known. It is equally unsettling when one takes into account the mob-like secrecy and power of the Vatican. One would think that with such power the Church would be able to root out its sources of degradation with relative ease yet the problem continues to exist.

To know the true sincerity of the Pope's promise is challenging but this can change through his efforts to turn promises into realities; by beginning to make true reparations to victims. It is shameful to consider the injustice done to the people who so revere and respect this institution and Catholics deserve a renewed faith in their spiritual leaders.

To do this the Catholic Church needs to step down from its high horse of tradition and consider how it can better serve its followers in the twenty-first century. The Church lives in a time of antiquity where women cannot be priests and priests and nuns cannot marry. Because they are married to God they sacrifice a marriage to any other as well as any family other than the parishoners they serve. This is supposed to allow them to better serve God and God's followers. Such doctrine, in my opinion, is ridiculous and unfounded. Wouldn't a priest, who knows the experience of marriage and biological fatherhood be better able to guide those parishoners who come to him in need of help? How can a priest who has not lived the experience of maintaining a loving marriage or been responsible for raising a child truly guide those that come to him for spiritual guidance in those realms?

It is along these lines that I would like to argue that perhaps some of the accused priests would not resort to abuse if they were allowed to maintain relationships only natural to humankind. When priests take on oath of celibacy it does not grant them supernatural willpower nor absolve them of their biologies; they continue to be human. Bound to this code priests may break under such unrealistic pressures and abandon their vows in the most atrocious way; but this is a theory the Church would never acknowledge. Sadly, I think it will be a very long time before the Vatican legitimately recognizes the harm its tradition-laden doctrine does to its followers living and thinking in another century and it will not truly make reparations until that recognition is achieved.

A-Legal High

On April 16 the U.K. illegalized the use of a drug called mephedrone. The drug, which experienced a significant rise in popularity last year, is described as producing affects similar to the combination of cocaine and ecstasy. The number of deaths associated with the use of mephedrone rose to 25, raising the pressure on Britain's government to ban its use.

The drug is not yet illegal in the United States but that is in large part due to its relative inexistence, says DEA spokesman Rusty Payne. Many argue that the U.K.'s ban on mephedrone is a premature knee-jerk reaction. If you would like to learn more and join the debate follow this link to msnbc's world blog: http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2010/04/09/2263442.aspx

The Day of the Sun

This past Thursday North Koreans celebrated one of their single most important holidays of the year. The holiday, the Day of the Sun, celebrates the life of their former leader Kim II-Sung also referred to as 'sun of the nation'. The celebration's main feature is the ‘Kimilsungia Exhibition' in which participants use North Korea's national flower, the magenta orchid to create artful likenesses of Kim II-Sung . ABC's The World News Daily Blog provides the following post (The Jolliest Day of the Year) for more titillating information about this event! http://blogs.abcnews.com/theworldnewser/2010/04/jolliest-day-year-north-korea.html

Pompeii on Display!

For the first time ever the casts of those immortalized by the violent AD 79 eruption of Mount Vesuvius will be on display together at the L'Antiquarium di Boscoreale, a museum just minutes from Pompeii. The inspiration for this exhibit has been necessitated by the incredulousness of visitors to the fact that these are not mere pieces of art but plaster casts of the unfortunate caught in the terror emitted by Mount Vesuvius. For more details about the exhibit and its unique history follow the link below to the intelligenttravel blog!

http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/2010/04/human-history-on-display-at-po.html

Banning the BBC?

Everyone knows Somali has been in a state of unrest, to say the least, for far too long. In the following blog ABC's Dana Hughes depicts the face of the current leadership in Somali: one which bans bras, musical ringtones, and the BBC.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theworldnewser/2010/04/somali-insurgents-war-on-fun.html

President Lech Kaczynski dies at age 60

Polish President Lech Kaczynski dies in a plane crash over Russia. For more info follow this link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/11/polish-presidents-body-re_n_533307.html

Madonna lays four bricks (really one) to save the world

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/madonna/laying-the-first-brick-at_b_525993.html

After reading Ayaan Hirsi Ali's provoking autobiography "Infidel" I became very sensitive to the power of education, especially for girls and women in developing countries. The sad fact is that most of these girls are destined to live a dutiful life as wives and mothers, matriarchs of the home. Without the opportunity or choice for higher education they continue to live isolated in ignorance.

It is for this reason that I'd like to draw attention to the efforts of pop sensation Madonna and her organization Raising Malawi. This week Madonna laid the first brick of the Raising Malawi Academy for Girls, a school that will board 450 girls when it opens in 2012. Not only will the academy be making a difference in the lives of local Malawi girls but its eco-friendly design will also contribute to preservation of the environment. Pictured at the top is the projected design of the academy. For more information you can read Madonna's blog by clicking on the blog link above this post.

A scholastic dialogue on why anthropology should be in the high school curriculum

I must admit that this may not be a dialogue in the sense that it's two or more people contributing to the discussion. It is a dialogue as in' I can write enough for two people' and scholastic as in 'this is something I am really passionate about'. I will begin with an important question: Is this even related to world issues? You bet your booty it is! Anthropology by definition is a curriculum which endeavors to study the whole of humanity, in all of its cultural, social, biological, and archaeological subtexts. When one studies the various disciplines of anthropology one is taught to do away with their biased ethnocentric views of the world (redundancy noted)long enough to study different and seemingly strange peoples, ergo cultures, societies, and biologies, in such a way that one's study of those peoples is not clouded with fallacious judgment. I say seemingly strange because when one can successfully look at a culture like the head-hunters of Borneo and not immediately focus on the peculiarity of it but instead endeavor to understand such a culture through the eyes of its people, strange is not a word in your vocabulary. Anthropology has taught me that just because a culture is unknown to you does not necessarily make it adverse,wrong, or strange.

It is from this that I draw my argument. Imagine a world where people harness the ability to first remove all of the biases that have been ingrained into them since their inception, sculpted from a shared cultural identity, and then work towards understanding the very thing which is bewildering to them with the clarity of a newborn baby. A world which is foiled by our current reality, where people jump to biased conclusions about that which is foreign to them based solely on the fact that it is foreign to them. The former is a world which I believe can be worked towards via the implementation of anthropology in the high school curriculum.

All through our young adult lives rarely is the importance of understanding what is beyond our shores emphasized to us outside of the context of history or economics. This to me is a grave failing indeed because there is world outside of our backyard and to go through life without even a glance its way or a guiding hand helping us to make sense of it breeds palpable ignorance and ethnocentrism.

Anthropology, however, breeds cultural sensitivity. It is a humanity and a science. Much like a journalist, anthropologists must free their minds of preconceived notions, biases, and judgments in order to collect the most objective data possible. As teenagers move on to college and the professional world it is imperative that they are capable of fairly and intelligibly questioning that which is unfamiliar to them. Each successive generation of leaders (and non-leaders) needs to know America's place amongst a backdrop of varied and diverse cultures. By teaching the basic precepts of anthropology to high schoolers we help them understand the world we live in, not just the country we live in. It is in this way that we can best serve ourselves and others.

Machu Picchu!

Looking for something fun to do this summer? UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, Machu Picchu re-opened this week after having been closed for over two months! Intensive rain and floods heavily damaged the train tracks to the Peruvian site causing the two month respite.

The site, which sits over 7,000 feet above sea level, is most popularly believed to have been built for Inca emperor Pachacuti; it's location chosen for its placement under significant astronomical alignments and proximity to sacred mountains.

As Machu Picchu is Peru's most popular tourist attraction the country lost a significant amount of money but some say a break from the treading of tourists' feet was good for the over 600 year old site.

For more visually titillating info about the re-opening of Machu Picchu click here: Train ride to the lost city of the Incas. (Be sure to scroll down for the audio slide show)

Do you know what's happening on April 8th?

On April 8, President Obama and Russian President Medvedev will rendezvous in Prague to conduct some mildly important business, specifically the signing of a treaty that will commit each country to the reduction of their long-range nuclear weapons to 1,500 apiece. Currently the U.S. has 2,150 readily available nuclear weapons while Russia has 2, 600 as approximated by nuclear weapons expert Hans M. Kristensen.

The signing of the treaty will not mean the immediate retraction of either party's nuclear weapons as both country's Senates will have to ratify the treaty before it can be put into effect. Although Russia could successfully ratify with ease it will wait for a synchronized ratification with the United States. In the U.S. Senate the treaty will require 67 votes to pass, a feat which is likely to experience enough opposition to delay such ratification.

These are strides that I have been looking forward to. Many might argue that reducing or completely eradicating our nuclear weapons pantry is suicide but this is a sentiment that I cannot wholly agree with. How can we, as a nation, expect other countries to acquiesce to our demands for nuclear disarmament when we ourselves continue to sit happily perched upon our stockpile of nuclear weapons? The sheer purpose of such defensive measures seems to me to be counter-intuitive. We harness this nuclear power to protect our citizens while Russia, the U.K., France, China, Pakistan, North Korea, and India wield nuclear power for the very same reason, not to mention Israel, which has neither confirmed or denied its ownership of nuclear defense weapons. The same horror we could unleash upon any of these countries could just as easily be unleashed upon us and what purpose would that serve? If Hiroshima and Nagasaki serve as any kind of example what we can look forward to is the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians.

I applaud the effort to reduce nuclear arms because its a step in the right direction. Besides, wouldn't it just be easier to devise a mechanism that would target our enemies and transport them the island in Lost?

Virgin blogger!

As avenues for journalistic excellence grow, so must I. My blog is a large part of this endeavor. Although there was a time when I believed I would never be a part of the 'tweeting' community, I am excited to challenge my skills as a writer and to gain experience that will be invaluable in the field of journalism. I would also like to request that my readers and editors bear with me through this growth period as I will be committing a great many 'firsts', which will probably not meet the standards of a professional journalist. Albeit, my hope is that my blunders will be the steps that teach me how to be a better writer, student, and journalist. A great deal of my work will be coming from Jour 3410 lab assignments but I also intend to sprinkle that with some personally inspired pieces but feel free to subject those to just as much scrutiny as the aforementioned. No matter what the content, I wish this blog to be a productive as possible and you, my readers will be a significant part of that.