TED Talk // David Gruber: Glow-in-the-dark sharks and other stunning sea creatures

I picked this topic because honestly the ocean freaks me out a lot because only like 5% of the ocean has actually been discovered. I don't know what's in the ocean and that's quite unsettling to me. So any opportunity to learn more about the ocean is right up my ally. This topic really stood out to me because of the glow in the dark factor.

David says there are over 200 species of glow in dark fish. That's a fairly new discovery, before discovering the fish it was only thought that algae and certain coral were glow in the dark. One fish talked about was the seahorse, they have glow in the dark eyes. The next fish was the stingray, which lead to the concept that sharks might be glow in the dark too. Only swell sharks off the coast of California were found to be glow in the dark. Sea turtles also glow in the dark!

https://www.ted.com/talks/david_gruber_glow_in_the_dark_sharks_and_other_stunning_sea_creatures#t-674146

TED Talk // Marla Spivak: Why bees are disappearing

I chose this topic because bees are probably my favorite insect. I would like to keep the bees around because life without bees wouldn't be a great as it is right now. They help keep us alive and provide healthy food for us. It would be quite the shame to lose bees.

Maria begins her talk by describing how bees help pollinate and then says that there is a steady decline the the rate of bees dying. Basically if the bees dye we loose a lot of our food sources. She explains that the decline in bee population happened soon after the war when farming techniques changed and pesticides were added into the equation. The pesticides either are administered too much and kill the bees or basically intoxicate the bee making it unable to find it's way back to the hive. She has presented the solution to go back to more naturalist ways of farming to preserve the bees. We truly need the bees, if they all die our lives will never be the same.

https://www.ted.com/talks/marla_spivak_why_bees_are_disappearing#t-402474

TED Talk // Lucianne Walkowicz: Let's not use Mars as a backup planet

Lucianne begins her TED talk by talking about the Kepler telescope is space that helps us determine what planets are like and how much light they are getting from their suns, which then determines if the planet is habitable. We are so busy looking at the stars that we are ignoring the changes our very own planet is going through. She says though the more you look for planets like earth it makes your truly appreciate earth.

People are always talking about Mars being a 'back up plan' to earth, but as Lucianne says "compared to earth Mars is a pretty terrible place to live". Mars will not be our saving grace if we continue to destroy this planet that provides us with so much. She explains that maybe if we try to live in the places we deem inhabitable on earth, we can save earth.


I think space exploration is great, but we need to keep our planet and not destroy it because we think that maybe we could live on another planet. I personally think we were given one planet and that's all we got. Like what Lucianne said if we can advance and try to live in less desirable places and be more eco friendly maybe things will change. Life on earth could be better if we make it that way.

https://www.ted.com/talks/lucianne_walkowicz_let_s_not_use_mars_as_a_backup_planet#t-338664

TED Talk // Jessica Ladd: The reporting system that sexual assault survivors want

A majority of sexual assault is never reported or reported long after that assault happened, according to Jessica Ladd. Jessica says that less than 10 % will ever report it. Apparently 90% of sexual assault  happens from repeat offenders and only 6% of offenders actually get jail time when reported to the police. So like whats the point in even reporting it? Here's the point to create a better and safer community for everyone.

Jessica interviewed college survivors to see what resources would be most helpful. They came up with a way to report sexual assault online. This website has many feature like one that can prove you are not alone in your situation.

Since I am personally a victim of sexual assault this cause is very near and dear to my heart. I would love to see this become a more global thing. This website would make it so much easier to come out about sexual assault and feel validated and believed. I would have loved to have had this website at the time of my assault.

TED Talk // Aditi Gupta: A taboo-free way to talk about periods

I chose this TED talk because i think that it is ridiculous that natural bodily function is taboo and more often then not labeled as gross. It is so much of a taboo that many girl are ill informed on what a period even is. I personally blame this on the patriarchy because it is mainly men who are promoting the concept of periods being gross and something that women should be ashamed of for having. A period is a very normal thin g and should be treated so a long with body hair.

Fortunately I am lucky enough to live in such a privileged area that i can get affordable and clean items in aiding my period. Aditi explains that in India it can be so taboo to buy sanitary napkins that people usually just use rags, which can lead to infections and rashes. Living in India she was considered impure and couldn't participate in certain activities because she was on her period. Aditi brings up the fact that this could cause psychological damage and hurt the self esteem greatly.

The next topic she brought up was the fact that most people are ill informed about periods. Partly because since it is a taboo schools nor parents are teaching their daughters. So she and her husband created a comic book to better help girls understand their periods. It made a safe environment for young girls to talk and learn about their periods.

https://www.ted.com/talks/aditi_gupta_a_taboo_free_way_to_talk_about_periods#t-469264

TED Talk // Hannah Brencher: Love letters to strangers

Hannah Brencher has created a company that you can send and receive love letters "when you need it most". The idea of this company came from when she was only college she only communicated with her mother through the mail. Once she graduated college she moved to New York and got depressed so instinctively she began writing letters. Letters for strangers and leaving them places like on the subway she posted on blog about this and got an overwhelmingly positive response and created her company shortly after that. This is wonderful and much like a breath of fresh air considering we grew up in technological word according to Hannah. The love letters leave more of an impact than we think some people need the encouragement.

I wrote about this because this is something i'd live to get involved in. I think that if just writing one letter to a stranger could cause the ripple effects that she presented in her TED talk we need to be writing more handwritten letters to strangers. I'd love to help someone feel loved or even save someone's life.

https://www.ted.com/talks/hannah_brencher_love_letters_to_strangers#t-269358

TED Talk // Tavi Gevinson: A teen just trying to figure it out

I liked this TED Talk especially because it's by a successful girl very close in age to me. I mostly picked this talk because it is pertaining to feminism and I enjoy hearing other's views on feminism.

Tevi started with a fashion blog and eventually moved on to have a website for teen girls about feminism and figuring things out. She begins her talk by presenting the fact that there are not mare strong female roles within the media, like movies. She explains that usually the strong female characters we get in movies tend to lead with their sexuality to represent power, but women are so much more than that. She explains them as flat or cardboard characters, which then sets an expectation for real women to be like that. One thing that I love is that she says flaws are key, what makes a strong female character is that they have weaknesses and they are not perfect. There are not many modern shows that represent women in a great way, some older shows like freaks and geeks are good representations of how women should be portrayed. The last thing that I love about this talk is that Tavi says all women should strive to be Stevie Nicks because she is so unapologetically herself and I love that and Stevie Nicks.


https://www.ted.com/talks/tavi_gevinson_a_teen_just_trying_to_figure_it_out#t-186278

To This Day Project

Shane Koyczan is my all time favorite poet. He inspired me to write my very first poem my freshman year of high school. My very first poem i preformed in a poetry competition and got a standing ovation  and I've loved poetry ever since. I attribute a lot of my success with my poetry and writing to him and my creative writing teacher in high school, Mr. Nelson. This is why I picked this poem.

“My experiences with violence in schools still echo throughout my life but standing to face the problem has helped me in immeasurable ways. Schools and families are in desperate need of proper tools to confront this problem. This piece is a starting point.” –Shane

To this day is an anti-bullying campaign. The main video on the page is an animated video of his original poem to this day.

The video begins with his own personal bulling story and how it effected him. Then proceeds to tell a few other stories of people who have suffered bulling and how it has impacted their whole entire life. Shane puts it into such better words than i do but he basically says ignore what people have called you because you are so much better than what bullies think of you. 

One of my favorite lines from the poem is: "If you can't see anything beautiful about yourself, get a better mirror. Look a little closer. Stare a little longer. Because there's something inside you that made you keep trying despite everyone who told you to quit. You built a cast around your broken heart and signed it yourself. You signed it they we're wrong."

This poem is life changing please take a moment to go watch the short video.

http://www.shanekoyczan.com/to-this-day-project/

TED Talk // Taylor Mali: What Teachers Make

What teachers make is a poem by Taylor Mali, its a sort of dialogue type poem about the impact that teachers make. He describes that having a job as a teacher is not about how much money you make. Being a teacher is so much more than that. Being a teacher is honorable and there is no better job.

Taylor Mali was one of the poets that really stood out to me when I first started writing. This specific poem actually made me want to go into teaching. He words were so moving. The last line of this poem especially hit me hard, he says "Teachers make a god damn difference, now what about you?"
That line resonated with me so hard because I want to make a difference in other people's lives, especially children. I think the teacher you have going up shape how you think about education for the rest of your life. I want to be that positive influence.


https://www.ted.com/talks/taylor_mali_what_teachers_make

TED Talk // Roxane Gay: Confessions of a Bad Feminist

Roxane Gay starts her TED talk by calling herself a bed feminist. As she further explains in the TED Talk is that she feels as if she cannot live up to the expectations of the feminist movement. She explains that we put these famous women, these famous feminists up on pedestals and once they do something that doesn't reflect perfect feminism their feminism is questioned. That's why she refers to herself as a bad feminist because she doesn't follow the 'outline of feminism'. Roxane says "But back then, I worried about the tone people used when suggesting I might be a feminist. The feminist label was an accusation, it was an "F" word, and not a nice one. I was labeled a woman who doesn't play by the rules, who expects too much, who thinks far too highly of myself, by daring to believe I'm equal — (Coughs) — superior to a man. You don't want to be that rebel woman, until you realize that you very much are that woman, and cannot imagine being anyone else." 
What is going advance the feminist movement is getting people to say they are that rebel woman and they will stand up for women. 
Roxane brings up the point that people with power need to step up they are influential and teach people that we need to be better and say no we won't stand for this mistreatment. The wonderful this is she also includes trans women and people who identify as women into her definition of feminism.
 I loved this TED talk because it is eye opening that the only reason that women have these barriers because we are unwilling to stand up to the normal things that we usually let slide. For example she says rap music, the lyrics ate usually demeaning to women yet we listen to it. If we didn't and said that's not okay there would be no demand for it.

I loved her perspective on how we can change feminism for the better. 

https://www.ted.com/talks/roxane_gay_confessions_of_a_bad_feminist/transcript?language=en

Pepsi Commercial

Recently Pepsi has come out with a very controversial commercial, featuring Kendall Jenner. The commercial, linked below shows a large group young protesters marching through the streets. One of the more prominent characters within the commercial gives a look to Kendall, signaling her to come rally with the other protesters. Kendall is in the middle of a photo shoot and proceeds to rip off her wig and hand it to a woman of color.She then wipes off her lipstick and storms of confidently into the crowd of people. Once she joins the crowd she grabs a Pepsi and walks up to a line of police men and hands one the Pepsi, once he accepts the Pepsi the crowd begins to cheer and clap and congratulate Kendall. The commercial ends in the whole group walking towards the camera with the words "Live Boldly" in all caps across the screen.

This commercial sparked an uproar within the community and rightfully so. While Pepsi may have being trying to convey unity and peace they did not do it in the correct manner. The commercial down plays the seriousness of the Black Lives Matter Movement and invalidates all they have been through. You cannot simply stop police brutality but having a WHITE woman give one officer a Pepsi. Huge mistake on the Pepsi company and Kendall Jenner.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dA5Yq1DLSmQ&t=0s
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/05/business/kendall-jenner-pepsi-ad.html?_r=0

Alpha Chi Omega Stance On Transgender Women

I am a part of the Greek community here at Utah State University, I am an Alpha Chi Omega. I also happen to be a part of the LGBTQ community.

The president of my sorority, Angela Costley Harris has announced to the Greek community that transgender women will be welcome to join Alpha Chi Omega. She says "Alpha Chi must be inclusive of all who live and identify as women regardless of their gender assigned at birth"

As a member of the LGBTQ community and an advocate for ALL women's rights i think that this was a fantastic step in the right direction. Greek life is all about if including people for who they are and personally I think this will help with recruitment and give a loving community to someone in the LGBTQ community that doesn't have the support system that most of us have. It will also bring diversity into the individual chapters as well as the Alpha Chi Omega Organization as a whole.

There has been scrutiny from some of the alumni, but regardless I personally think this was a great step in bettering  Alpha Chi Omega and Greek Life.

http://www.komu.com/news/alpha-chi-omega-to-admit-transgender-women

TED Talk // Harry Baker: A Love Poem For Prime Numbers (59)

Harry Baker is more than just a poet, he's a mathematician and a student. He combined his love for math and his love for poetry and love for love all into one thing. 

A Love Poem For Prime numbers is a poem about love of course, but so much more than that. The start of the poem Harry(59) says he is in love with a girl that's so perfect(60), but she'll never love him back because he's nothing close to her type. After some time of being sad. He finally met is other half(61). He compares them both to being prime numbers and says: "You’re 59, I’m 61, together we combine to become twice what 60 could ever be."

I love that line and the poem as a whole because it promotes healthy relationships and that if one relationship may not work out the exact way that you want it to there's no need to fret because eventually you'll meet your very own 61.

The poem ends with the line: "When it came to real love, they were a prime example." That's a fantastically clever line!

Then the proceeds on with the rest of his TED Talk once he finishes the poem. He goes into the history of poetry slams a bit to introduce the the fact that the was invited to the poetry world cup in France and won. That is so inspiring to me as another slam poet, I would love to one day achieve as much as Harry Baker has done.

He performs the poem that won him the poetry world cup and then one other.

I chose this TED Talk because Harry Baker inspires me and makes me think that if i try hard enough i could be performing at the poetry world cup or have a TED Talk like him.

https://www.ted.com/talks/harry_baker_a_love_poem_for_lonely_prime_numbers

TED Talk // If I Should Have A Daughter

The beginning of the video Sarah Kay performs one of my favorite poems.The poem is about what kind of mother she would be. She poetically describes that she's going to teach her daughter how to live life the fullest and that trouble won't last forever. Also that when she's down her mother will be there for her because that's how her mother was. She end the poem with the line: "And when they finally hand you heartache, when they slip war and hatred under your door and offer you handouts on street-corners of cynicism and defeat, you tell them that they really ought to meet your mother." and I absolutely love that.

Then proceeds with her Ted Talk about spoken word poetry, she says spoken word poetry is poetry that doesn't want to stay on the paper. She mentions he love for poetry began her freshman year of high school. The first time that she performed her poetry she got amazing responses from her peers and that's what kept her going with spoken word poetry. Then she started going to poetry open mics with her parents and got great support from the older poets she met.

Something that really resonates with me is during he talk she says: Spoken word poetry is accessible to anyone, that everyone has stories to tell. I love that. I am personally a slam poet or spoken word poet.


I chose this ted talk because I love this poem and I had a very similar situation to Sarah Kay and I look up to her.




https://www.ted.com/talks/sarah_kay_if_i_should_have_a_daughter#t-306662