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The Other Wes Moore; One Name, Two Fates Book by: Wes Moore Chapters 6-8 Blog Education as a determining factor in our futures Discussions around education followed us in our class from the very beginning of this semester to our latest conversations about “The Other Wes Moore”. Besides using these last two chapters to describe the end of the other Wes’s freedom, the author also talks about the genesis of his mentorships and his educational experiences. I personally enjoyed learning more about the author’s education, especially after reflecting on how education may have influenced the two main characters’ lives and futures. As the author writes with so much passion about his schooling in these last few chapters, I feel that in those lines exists an unconscious comparison between him and the other Wes Moore. It is quite obvious that his training and the guidance from his mentors shaped him as a person, and assuredly gave him a push out of the threatening environment he was in. On th
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The Other Wes Moore; One Name, Two Fates Book by: Wes Moore Chapters 4-6 Blog   Who was to blame for the other Wes Moore’s upbringing? “The Other Wes Moore” does a really good job in providing us with excitement and anticipation. A story like this, where there is an intricate description of the characters’ lives from their childhoods to their adulthoods, gives you so much space to think about how things unfolded and, at the same time, how they could have happened differently. Moreover, I have to say that the elements that contributed to such contrasting lives between the two Wes Moore-s are quite absorbing. A term that we commonly used during our group’s discussion for the fourth to sixth chapters was “blame”.  Who was to blame for the other Wes Moore’s upbringing? Like I mentioned in my first essay for “The Other Wes Moore”, it was overwhelming to read about the situations that the main characters’ mothers found themselves in, so being able to grasp that side of the story tru
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The Other Wes Moore; One Name, Two Fates Book by: Wes Moore Chapters 1-3 Blog Racism in healthcare “The Other Wes Moore” has been a delight to read. More than just schoolwork, this book is doing a great job in reminding me how much I love storytelling. Its thought-provoking fragments from the characters’ childhoods to their journeys towards adulthood make you think deeply about one’s unique course of life, and about the delicate decision-making which influences that path. Furthermore, learning about the characters’ experiences as black individuals in America was one of the main takeaways for me, and that has opened my eyes even more in relation to their struggles. Firstly, the segments in the book where the author describes the racism that his father experienced in the hospital were quite shocking (Chapter 1, pages 12-15). Not surprising, but still very shocking. Inadequate health care as a result of racism was one of the themes that my group and I discussed in class as well. We feel s
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Is Higher Education Worth the Price? Higher education has unfortunately become one of those conversations that make you feel uneasy and anxious. In truth, higher education should be associated with security and freedom, but when tuition costs and student loans enter the picture, that idea falls apart. In “Are Colleges Worth the Price of Admission?”, Hacker and Dreifus point out how common it has become for students to graduate with six figures worth of debt (2010). With that being one of the biggest issues of this topic, students rightfully question the worth of higher education. The most disadvantaged individuals in these situations are students from low-income families. In articles such as “College Guide for Low Income Students” you can find facts about how the current education system negatively affects this group of students, and it also provides some insight into the unique challenges they face (ASO, 2021) . In some of my blogs I like to mention my personal experiences as an in
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The Importance of Financial Literacy None of the programs during my educational experiences before college included financial literacy; I had to move to America to learn that things such as budgeting and spending plans are discussed in schools. Back in Kosovo I learned about money’s value and things such as budgeting out of “spontaneity”, and more commonly through the examples of my hardworking parents and grandparents. But when it comes to managing money, there is not a lot that you need to do there anyway; you know exactly where your hard-earned money will go throughout the month, and if you are able to save a tiny amount of your salary you will feel very lucky. On the other hand, activities such as financial planning are not very complex in my home country, but I see how important and detailed they are in the lifestyles of American people. My one-month experience in America has already been such an eye-opener to the incredible opportunities that come with financial knowledge. I can
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  Is Fast Food the New Tobacco? Should the obesity issue be government regulated or remain personal responsibility?   Obesity is quite a complicated issue and, when it comes to similar problems, I always find it hard to give my opinion because there is always so much prejudice and preconception on those subjects. I grew up in a generation where we lift each other up and we are all about acceptance. For example, in the past few years there has been an incredible and informative movement of body positivity emerging throughout social media so, as I learn more about obesity and its diverseness now, I find it even more difficult to address it. However, one thing I know is not right is to “glorify” obesity. Like Dr. Garth Davis states on the What The Health (2017) documentary, “this movement to be comfortable with our bodies has made us comfortable with being sick.” (9:48) Obesity puts people in high health risk, especially because it is related to chronic conditions, so it is never a good
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Is Pop Culture Good For You? When I think of pop culture for some reason my brain immediately takes me to MTV . I was six years old when I was introduced to the magic of the entertainment world, and that moment had a lasting effect on my life. In the following years, pop culture greatly influenced my journey in music and my vision as a storyteller, and its impact has my attention to this day. I have realized that I am not the only one who notices this strong correlation between pop culture and the entertainment industry; if you go on YouTube and search "Pop Culture", it will mainly show you videos of celebrities and clips from their interviews that are either funny or the opposite.  However, since there is this evident connection between pop culture and entertainment, people are prone to not take pop culture seriously - or worse, show contempt for it. And with social media added to the mix - especially with its influence during the last few years - many people link pop cultur
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