Abbys Blog

            Music is a very powerful force. It can invoke feelings and thoughts and has even helped people with Alzheimer's parts or feelings from their lives. In The Other Wes Moore, the author uses music as a safe and comfortable space and as a way to connect with those around him. I know for me it is very similar. I have always had a strong connection with music, even before I knew that dance was something I wanted to pursue. The music I listen to is often a reflection of what I’m either currently feeling or how I want to be feeling. When I’m feeling sad I always try to listen to music that is either uplifting or has no specific feeling associated with it, which can be hard to do. I know that sometimes I like to listen to sad music because it makes me feel better about being sorry but it almost always makes me feel worse later. The sadness in the music makes me feel more anxious and even though it makes me feel seen in the moment it always leads to ...

     Coping is a very personal journey, and I have been lucky enough to find resources that support me through my times. But these coping mechanisms don't work for everyone, so take everything I say with a grain of salt. For me, dance has always been an outlet for my frustrations and a place and thing to turn to when times get rough. I specifically remember a time when I was 16, and dance was really there for me. When I was 16, I had a dog, his name was Rubble. Now let's get this straight, Rubble was my baby, he was more my dog than anyone else. But when I was 16, he suddenly passed away. I missed a lot of school around that time, but I always went to dance after those first few days. Dance was the one place that was consistent, and I wasn’t as affected as I was by Rubble's death. I went back to dance two days after because we had pictures for our spring show. I didn’t really want to go, but I also didn’t know what else to do because all I had been doing was crying, so I ...

          I watched a video the other day about Wes Moore talking about his book, The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates, and the impact he had wanted to make with it. One thing that he said both in the book and his presentation is that “We are a product of our expectations.” This confused me at first because I have always heard that we are a product of our environment, not our expectations. But the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Our environment directly affects our expectations. What we see and are surrounded by throughout our childhood is what we grow to expect for ourselves and those around us. Both Wes Moores grew up in what I believe is the same neighborhood, but the difference between them was who their parents were and how they changed their own lives. One ended up being a Rhodes scholar, decorated combat veteran, White House fellow, and business leader, while the other ended up serving a life sentence in prison for felony murder....

   Is higher education worth the price?                You know I do not think I could answer this question without feeling like there was truth to both answers. I think that it is too complicated to have a simple yes or no but here is what I would say for each: Yes, most people who go to college are able to make a living after school that can support their education. Also, teachers need to be paid too. The people who are making my education also deserve to be paid a living wage and if they need my dollar that makes sense. No, because then higher education becomes a luxury and something inaccessible to many. Unfortunately, many people in our country cannot afford the tremendous costs of going to university or getting a higher education. But do not we want our society to be as educated as possible? If that is our goal why isn't college cheaper if not free like it is in some other countries? I know that ...

  Is fast food the new tobacco? Fast food is, unfortunately, a centerpiece in most Americans' diets. With how accessible and fast it is, this is no surprise. For many people, fast food is their best option, it is easy, cheap, and can be on the go. In the case of low-income families, fast food is the most accessible for the family and kids. In the article Don’t Blame the Eater by David Zinczenko, he talks about how he was one of those kids in a low-income home and how it was up to him to choose a dinner and lunch of either Mcdonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut, or Taco Bell. These were the only foods available to him at the price he could afford. The problem with our food industry isn't the abundance of fast food it is the inaccessibility to a healthier option. In today's world, healthy food is treated as a luxury. Fast food is cheap, while healthy alternatives are more pricey , fast food is everywhere, but healthier food is not. Good food that fuels our bodies should not be a luxu...

  Does TV make us smarter?      Before this week, I would have said situationally yes but mostly no. I thought this because most of the time, TV is used to procrastinate or as a distraction, in my case.  Just an excuse to not do what you should be doing or as time to turn your brain off and let someone else think. A few shows that fill this need to not think are Gilmore Girls, Sex and the City, and The Great British Baking Show. I feel like these all give very different vibes, but they scratch the itch. So these specific shows aren’t helping me learn anything or make me smarter in the typical sense, but for me, they helped me learn different social things that I didn’t know, Gilmore Girls showed me what a semi-normal college experience looks like, it helped me navigate the important relationships in my life, like how Lorelai does with her mom and Rory with her boyfriends and friends. Sex and the City taught me about adult relationships, about a city I didn’t kno...