Take Back the Tap! (Lead Blog Length)

In honor of the approaching Earth Day on Wednesday, April 22^nd, I will examine the negative effects of bottled water. There is a certain ease and convenience of prepackaged bottled water. I usually grab one before heading to soccer practice or the gym. Vending machines cover shopping centers and college campuses which spit out bottles of water for the nearest paying customer. A nationwide Ban the Bottle Campaign has taken a stand against the use of bottled water. “Last year, the average American used 167 disposable water bottles, but only recycled 38,” states the advocates of the Ban the Bottle Campaign. The energy used to bottle a year’s consumption of water bottles could be used to fuel 190,000 homes. In short, water bottles are a wasteful use of resources and damage the environment.

Ban the Bottle claims that reducing the use of bottled water will improve the environment while keeping more money in the pocket of the consumer. The environmentalist claim, “The recommended eight glasses of water a day, at U.S. tap rates equals about $.49 per year; that same amount of bottled water is about $1,400.” The environmentalists recommend purchasing a high quality water bottle to fill with tap water instead of repeatedly using bottled water. It has been estimated that it takes 450 years for plastic to decompose after it has been thrown out. Ban the Bottle further claims, “Americans used about 50 billion plastic water bottles last year. However, the U.S.’s recycling rate for plastic is only 23 percent, which means 38 billion water bottles – more than $1 billion worth of plastic – are wasted each year.”

The most common excuse for Americans not using reusable water bottles is the claim that bottled water is healthier than tap water. However, considering the regulations of health and sanitation, Ban the Bottle states, “In the U.S., public water is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency, which requires multiple daily tests for bacteria and makes results available to the public. The Food and Drug Administration, which regulates bottled water, only requires weekly testing and does not share its findings with the EPA or the public.” There is no reason to believe that bottled water is a safer alternative to tap water. Ban the Bottle recommends using a filtered water pitcher if you do not like the taste of your bottled water.

The effects of this campaign can be seen on Furman’s campus. If you look at our vending machines on campus, the price of each individual water bottle has increased by $0.25 totaling $1.50 for each bottle. Furman’s Plastic Bottle Campaign was implemented on April 1^st of this year, and will use the funds it earns from the tax to provide more water bottle filling stations in central locations on Furman’s campus. Their future goal is to “eventually eliminate the sale of plastic water bottles on Furman’s campus.” Similar campaigns have reached colleges and universities throughout America including “Take Back the Tap” at University of Nevada Las Vegas and “Tap That” at Vassar College. Perhaps this effort of colleges to eliminate the use of plastic bottles will spread across the nation and reduce our wasteful consumption of plastic.

http://www.banthebottle.net/bottled-water-facts/

Furman Engaged!

 The purpose of Furman Engaged is to “celebrate the wide variety of undergraduate research, scholarship, and creativity of our undergraduates” by showcasing undergraduate research in varying types of presentations around Furman University’s campus. I personally perused through a variety of posters in the PAC and attended the International Food Festival. I experienced the purpose of Furman Engaged first hand by witnessing the eclectic mix of research ranging from river cleanups to Disney World ride times.

The International Food Festival was arranged as a “tour around the world” with stations piled with food from different cultures. Each dish celebrated the culture and history of its country.

  

The first station featured food from the Middle East and India. Puff pastries and spicy chicken imported the mind directly to the Taj Mahal. 

         The second station featured traditional drinks from Mexico. Horchata, a sweet, spiced rice based drink was showcased. Other drinks included Limonada, sweetened lime juice rich in pulp and rinds, and Mango juice which also included pulp. The inclusion of pulp and rinds in these juices surprised me, considering American's usual aversion towards pulp.

                                   

        The Korean food station provided insight into one of the Korean traditions: drinking seaweed soup, miyeokguk, on birthdays. According to legend, this tradition started in the Goryeo Dynasty when people witnessed whales consuming seaweed after giving birth. Now Koreans drink miyeokguk on their birthdays in order to remember the hard work their mothers did birthing and raising them.

                                

        At the Japanese station, I learned that the uncut sushi is actually called ehomaki. They are also called fortune rolls and eaten on February 2, facing the year's lucky direction. The Japanese make wishes for the new year in silence while eating them during the festival of Setsubun. 

                                   

      The Russia station featured crepes, or Blini with fresh fruit. I was somewhat surprised that such a delicate dessert was a tradition in Russia. According to legend, the first blini was created by a weary traveler accidentally leaving oat jelly on the skillet, creating the first blini.

                             

      The last station featured spicy ground beef and rice from Cuba. This type of food likely originated after the introduction of cattle by its conquerors from Europe. This particular recipes symbolizes the spices of Cuba mixed with the cattle of Europe. A true mixture of cultures was represented in this dish that occurred from the Columbian Exchange.

      From this experience of tasting foods from many cultures of the world, I saw the influence of history and tradition in the preparation of each. The significance of each food is celebrated in each culture's festivals and holidays. 

Article Links:

http://russiapedia.rt.com/of-russian-origin/blini/ 

http://crazykoreancooking.com/recipe/miyeokguk-korean-seaweed-soup 

http://gojapan.about.com/cs/japanesefestivals/a/setsubun.htm

A Virtuous Inequality

The influence that sports have on American culture is massive. Millions of dollars are spent each year fueling the competitive side of America, as millions watch their favorite sports teams play one another. From this cultural phenomenon, spurs a puzzling conundrum: why do professional athletes make way more money than other professions which contribute more overall good to society?

For example, the noble profession of the teacher at the elementary school level make a mean salary of only $45,600 a year. Teachers are very important members of society, for they are responsible for educating America’s youth. This education sets children up for success in higher education at a college level, and instructs youth in the importance of continuing democracy. In contrast, the average salary of a professional football player is $1.9 million a year. No one would dispute that teachers are more important to maintain a successful country than professional football players; however, this importance is not reflected in their pay grade.

At first glance, this system seems to reflect injustice; however, the high wages of professional athletes is caused by simple supply and demand. Sports in America are massive revenue-generating opportunities, and there is simply a low supply of athletes that can compete at the highest level of skill that occurs in professional settings. A shallow view of the economy is taken when there is outrage at the large gap between professional athletes and normal professions. Personal significance is placed upon the teachers of our youth, who instructed us in the ways of the world, and prepared us for our future. We understand the intrinsic value of our teachers, but we must also understand that at the end of the day these same teachers kick back and watch their favorite sports team too.

Money does not reflect the intrinsic value that noble professions like teachers, soldiers in the military, policemen, and firefighters have in society. One could argue that there is a sort of a higher calling driving these men and women to work these occupations, and not the lure of high salaries. Does this make them more virtuous citizens for choosing to work for the wellbeing of society instead of higher pay grades?

Article Links:

http://www.careerprofiles.info/salaries.html

http://www.businessinsider.com/charts-expose-how-badly-nfl-players-get-paid-2013-9

On The Errors of the Sequel

    The movie industry is responsible for creating fantastic cinema to transport the seated mind into an alternative universe. As the average movie goer sits in his plush, oversized theatre seat with his bucket of buttered popcorn anchored between his knees and large bubbling Coke, he expects an experience instead of just a movie. The sounds surround him as he stares up at an epic car chase scene. She wipes her tears as two lovers must say goodbye. To go to the movies is an experience, that differs in compare to a Friday night rental. 
    However, the movie industry is very aware of the revenue it generates from the service is provides; and thus the sequel was invented. The sequel exists as a continuation of an original movie, often featuring the same characters. The merit of the sequel comes from the popularity of the original movie. Though the sequel can sometimes act as an individual movie, the interest that it generates stems from the fans of the original movie. The sequel is often a cheap imitation of the first movie, created not for its superior plot but for its ability to create profit from the popularity of the original movie. 
    A trend has surfaced over the past decade concerning series of movies like Harry Potter, Twilight, and the Hunger Games trilogy. The final movie of the series was divided into two feature length movies in order to make more profit. After the series has hooked fans into its fantasy, the need to know how it ends drives customers to shell out money for two movie experiences instead of one. The personal utility that a movie series offers a consumer causes his demand to become more inelastic, and the more money he puts into watching every movie in a series is a sort of investment to reach the end. The movie understands and profits from this as they stretch out the series to earn every scrap of money possible from these series. 
   When the purpose of the movie industry becomes making money through these tricks played on the consumer, the quality of cinema decreases. Consumers desire their favorite characters and movies to be treated with respect and not as a profit-generating ploy. Does anyone even like Rocky V?

The Pursuit of Wealth

The individual’s right to making decisions concerning the distribution of one’s wealth in the U. S. is that individual’s decision alone. Most tycoons of industry distribute some of their wealth to noble causes, while living lives of the luxury they have earned through their labor. Often, trust funds are set up to ensure the hereditary distribution of wealth. In contrast, Andrew Carnegie, mogul of the oil industry, set out to distribute his wealth to charity in his lifetime. He was one of the few wealthy industrialists to see the positive effects of his charity.

Perhaps Carnegie and other tycoons who followed his example had read what the Roman Catholic theologian, Thomas Aquinas, authored concerning the pursuit of wealth. Among his many various interests, Aquinas examined the factors which are typically associated with happiness including wealth, honors, power, health, and pleasure. Thomas Aquinas argues, “For wealth of this kind is sought for the sake of something else, as a support of human nature.” Pursuing wealth, therefore, is insatiable, for there will never an amount after it’s been acquired that can satisfy the soul. There is always a new technology, luxury, or pleasure for purchase. Wealth only offers the gratifying of wants and needs that continuously reoccur throughout a lifetime.

               Thomas Aquinas views the soul of a human as the only eternal element existing in a human. Therefore, the soul can understand eternality and finds happiness in the vision of the Divine Essence. It naturally seeks to know and understand its cause, or God. Only when a soul achieves this understanding of eternal law, or the inner workings of the universe can it attain its final happiness.

               From this one can imply that Carnegie understands the transient nature of life, and he nobly desires to rid himself of his wealth in his lifetime. He did not find happiness in wealth. Maybe this is something that the modern American can take into consideration when he chooses ambitious goals over virtue. The pursuit of wealth is not necessarily the pursuit of happiness.

Inconveniences

      There's something thrilling about boarding a flight. Whether it's to a foreign country or a conference for work or in my case, a flight home from Greenville, South Carolina to Fernandina Beach, Florida. Once you finally board the plane, you find your seat and gaze out the window. You watch as the proportions rapidly change, shrinking cars and trees, and buildings until you can see an entire suburban neighborhood from your seat among the clouds. Usually a flight attendant hands you a cold Coke product and a tiny packet of pretzels to thoroughly enjoy your flight. This entire experience is dependent on one simple fact, one must first make his/her flight. 
       On my journey home to Florida, it's necessary to connect in Charlotte due to the unavailability of direct flights. This particular trip home, I ran into a number of issues making my connection in Charlotte. Once I boarded my first flight, we took off 35 minutes late. Once we landed in Charlotte, I realized that I had a grand total of 15 minutes until my connection took off. I grabbed my shiny red suitcase and sprinted from Gate E to Gate A. Unbeknownst to me, one of my wheels broke off my suitcase, so I dragged a 30 pound suitcase for ten minutes to my Gate. Sweaty and exhausted, I made my flight by 3 minutes. 
      This narrow escape from having to shuffle all my travel plans made me question the efficiency of air travel. Passengers pay through their teeth for tickets, and yet are victims of gate changes, delays, flight cancelations, inept workers, and overall inefficiency. In a normal business structure in the United States, this inefficiency would not tolerated. The monopolistic power of airlines is difficult to break. There are often limited options concerning travel. Travel by air is the most direct and speedy option. Therein lies the power of the monopoly: consumer dependence on this service causes our demand to be inelastic. There is no other form of travel that can compete as a substitute service. Therefore, this international inefficiency continues to effect travelers in every continent. 

Meet Lammily

The typical American girl plays with Barbie dolls from the beginning of her childhood. Since 1959, Barbie dolls have been a staple in the every American girl’s toy box. Young girls sit around miniature tables and attend imaginary tea parties with Barbie as their guest of honor. They brush her long platinum blonde hair and dress her in the latest fashion. Barbie is perfect. She is tall, has long tan plastic legs, a miniscule waist, huge breasts, and flashes her plastic smile at the world. She possesses unobtainable measurements, yet serves as a role model for young girls everywhere. Barbie’s impossible standards are damaging to the developing mind of a young girl. Girls strive to achieve this unobtainable perfection that they see in Barbie, and this is an impossible task.

Last year, Nickolay Lamm developed an alternative take on the typical Barbie doll. She’s called Lammily. Lammily was created by taking the average weight and measurements of an American 19 year old teenager. The Lammily doll sets more realistic beauty standards for young girls. She has toned-down makeup, brown hair, and looks fit and strong (WIKIPEDIA). She is marketed by the slogan, “Average is Beautiful.” The company takes this slogan seriously. Lammily’s clothing is less extravagant and appears to look like the clothing of the average American. There is even a sticker pack that you can purchase which contains stretch marks, freckles, acne, moles, scars, and casts to place on your doll. The developers made Lammily into the “normal Barbie.” She represents real girls in the real world.

The “normal Barbie” promotes self-confidence by representing real life. Real girls have muscle, scrapes, and bruises. Real girls wear comfy clothing and get acne. Becoming a Barbie is an unrealistic expectation imposed on young girls who look up to this flawless figure and desire to have a tiny waist like she does. The Lammily doll is a step in the right direction for establishing self-confidence at a young age by providing an alternative role model for girls to follow because average is beautiful too.