Past Blogs

Posted on

Thoughts on the Boston Marathon Bombing


By Jiyoung Sohn


BOSTON, April 27—It was a beautiful and sunny Saturday in Boston. As I walked down the city’s streets, it was difficult to believe that just a few days ago, they were littered with explosive debris and splattered with the blood of the runners and bystanders of the Boston Marathon bombings. While city authorities have cleaned up the physical traces of the tragic day, my trip to Copley Square has made one thing evident: its memory lives on.

A memorial has been set up in Copley Square, an area near the Boston Marathon’s finish line. Installations feature separate crosses for each of the victims of the bombings as well as one remembering Sean Collier, the MIT security officer who was killed by perpetrators of the bombing while they were on the run. A message board featured personal words of encouragement from visitors from all over the US who had come to pay their respects to the victims of the bombing. Personally, I left a word of encouragement from Hanover, NH.

The Boston Bombing Memorial Site at Copley Square, Boston. Photos taken by me on Saturday, April 27th.

A large crowd, including several media crews, gathered around the site, solemnly sharing feelings of sorrow and grief for the victims of this shocking event. Flowers, running shoes, dolls, T-shirts, and posters were laid down in different installation blocs which were then filled with hand-written messages urging Boston to “stay strong” from students and supporters from all over the United States and the world. The memorial also included a magnificent display of several guardrails with American flags, encouragement messages, and running shoes tied over them. Later, I found out that these were some of the same guardrails that were used during the marathon itself. Paper doves and thoughtful message notes hanging in the nearby trees also added a sense of closeness to the scene.


A Boston Strong Sign located in the North End, Boston (http://northendwaterfront.com/2013/04/north-end-societies-join-for-candlelight-procession-vigil-for-boston-marathon-victims/boston-strong-north-end-strong-on-prado)

Although the horrors of the Marathon bombings engulfed the US for several days as Bostonians experienced an emergency lockdown and a vicious manhunt, there was a sense of healing, faith, and indivisibility in Boston that arose from the rubbles of the tragedy. “Boston Strong” signs that spotted landmarks throughout Boston affirmed that community. The city of Boston and visitors came together in extraordinary unity and genuine mourning for the lives lost. I was humbled by how tragedies can result in heightened solidarity. Amidst the terror and fear, Boston and the rest of the nation responded with perseverance and warmth.

Upon seeing so much unity among a diverse population, I was reminded of the popular image that was spreading through social media — messages of condolences from Syrian Bombing victims and the warm response from Bostonians. This interaction reveals international bonds that surpass the actions of a few radicals, restoring faith in the goodness of humanity. Moreover, as horrible as the Boston Bombing was, it compels us to become more aware of the daily suffering of war-torn nations and appreciate the relative safety and peace that America enjoys.

Image from the Syrian KNRC Kafranbel Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=491452230908632&set=a.205003959553462.60362.183834915003700) 

Contemplating about the Boston Bombing 
The April 15th bombing leaves us with many questions. What exactly drove two brothers to kill innocent people? Were the Tsarnev brothers Chechnya-backed terrorists, embittered immigrants, disillusioned Muslims, or simply extreme radicals? Given all the incidents of bad reporting by the major presses following the event of the Boston Bombing, what in the future can be done to make sure that major media outlets do not publicize false rumors and cast suspicions on innocent people? Is there a need to restrict social media during times of emergency given the unprecedented pace at which (false) news spreads? Will the bombing lead to the introduction of restrictive immigration law proposals? Would such laws make America safer or more vulnerable?

It is difficult to come up with a single answer that can give a clear remedy to all these questions and problems. Nonetheless, the experience of the Boston bombing certainly leaves us with food for thought for policymaking and social change in the future.

Posted on

Eating Unique Cuisine while Studying Abroad in Beijing

By Angela Jin

Growing up in a Chinese family, it is no wonder that I partake in Chinese cuisine. There is the standard fare of rice and noodles, though ‘standard’ gives the wrong impression that there is only one version of each. There is also a variety of dumplings and buns, usually stuffed with meat and/or veggies, and in the case of the buns, occasionally contain a sweet center. These staples of the Chinese meal are accompanied by a multitude of dishes, which may consist of meat, seafood, vegetables, fruit…anything and everything imaginable. Here, in Beijing, China, the truth of that phrase is proven each and every day.


While walking down 南锣鼓巷 (Nanluoguxiang), a street filled with shops, stands and, of course, people, you can not only buy any kind of souvenir imaginable, but you can also discover a lot of the typical street food of Beijing. There are the typical skewers of chicken, lamb and octopus, although these can be abnormal in that they can reach two feet long in length, as well as skewers of crabapples and other fruits covered in a sugar glaze. You can also buy boiled balls made from fish, cuttlefish, sea urchin, crab, and many other types of sea creatures, as well as the snack 臭豆腐 (choudoufu), commonly translated to “stinky tofu.” You can purchase the Beijing specialty drink 酸奶 (suannai), a delicious liquid similar to yogurt, and juice smoothies of strawberry, melon, corn, papaya, and more. Some stores even sell churros, cotton candy and Japanese snacks, attempting to attract customers with their foreign products. But one of the more interesting foods you can find here is from Beijing itself: fried insects.

 


For reasons I cannot fathom, consuming insects does not seem to faze the people of Beijing (or China, for that matter). While I can understand the practicality of eat these things, which possess a high nutritional value, I would never actually do it; the idea of crunching down on one, with its many legs…I shudder just thinking about it. The shop was even selling fried scorpions, which makes me wonder whether their venomous stingers were even removed. This particular shop was also selling fried starfish, which one of my friends decided to try. He decided it wasn’t quite worth the purchase.

 The snacks of Beijing are not the only weird food to be found. Last night my Foreign Study Program group ate at a restaurant that, like many others in Beijing, served sea cucumbers, birds’ nests (which are the actual nests), and frog, among other delicacies. As you can see below, we ordered a dish of frog legs. It was a little disconcerting, to say the least, to see their little toes and limbs. However, I must add, the meat was quite tender. And as to whether or not it does actually taste like chicken, I am sorry to say (or perhaps not so sorry) that the dish was too spicy for me to taste anything. Perhaps you can try frog yourself one day and tell me. Would you eat it?

 

Note: All photos taken by me

Posted on

Notes from Shahbagh

By Tausif Noor 

DHAKA – The idea of democracy in full swing suggests a bang rather than a whimper, and, in Dhaka, the sound hits Shahbagh at full volume. Scores of Bangladeshis took to the central Dhaka area demanding death sentences for all criminals convicted of war crimes during the 1971 Liberation Movement. The cries for the death penalty began on February 5 with the sentencing of Abdul Quader Mollah to life in prison after being indicted for war crimes of mass murder and rape. Thousands of youths, many of whom are students at nearby Dhaka University, have gathered in solidarity to rail against what they have deemed too lenient a verdict, and the spirit of united revolt has spread like wildfire across the small nation. 

The Awami League, currently in rule, seems to consider this a rekindling of the patriotism of the 1971 Liberation front, though the party president and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has discouraged her party members from engaging directly with protestors and has forbidden them to speak at Shahbagh (Tusher). Party lines are linked inextricably with what would otherwise seem to be a universal cry for justice: Quader Mollah held the position of assistant secretary of the Jamaat-e-Islam, and his party, along with the Islami Chhatra Shibir has retaliated against the Shahbagh protests with violence across Dhaka, igniting buses and smashing cars. 

In a city that is prone to regular violence and politically-motivated hartals, such news is unsurprising. In fact, violence seems to be largely absent among the Shahbagh protesters, who are going on ten days of gathering at Shahbagh Square in a move that some have dubbed the “Bangla Spring.” Saiyara Hossain, one of the many university students involved in the protests, attributes this to a “universal demand for justice” that cuts across party lines. 

But does this qualify as an instance of democratic uprising for a nation that has been historically prone to military rule and government corruption? Student political activism is prevalent throughout the nation – often to the extreme in cases of the Chhatra League and Shibir – but Shahbagh has drawn comparisons with Tahrir Square in the media and recent protests in Delhi against violence against women, perhaps in part because of the use of social media by the Bloggers and Online Activist Network (BONA) to inform and attract the “New Generation” (Star Online Report).

Amid the often hectic and Kafkaesque proceedings of the Bangladeshi legal system, there does seem to be a glimmer of hope as a direct result of the Shahbagh protesters. The Bangladeshi Cabinet has approved changes to the International Crimes Act to allow plaintiffs to appeal verdicts made by the tribunals (“Inadequate Sentence”). The bill had proposed permitting “aggrieved persons” to file complaints against the verdicts; but, since this phrase is nebulous at best, it was revised to authorize the “government or the informant or the complainant” to make such appeals (Liton). 


In any case, the development of the Shahbagh protests will prove significant for Bangladesh, both for its impact on domestic politics and for the nation’s standing in the eyes of the international community.

Sources
Hasan Jahid Tusher, “Shahbagh rally unites nation,” The Daily Star, Saturday 9 February 2013, page 19 col. 2. 
Star Online Report, “Shahbagh saga continues amid fiery protests” The Daily Star,  Thursday 14 February 2013. . Accessed 14 February 2013.
“Inadequate Sentence: Provision for appeal endorsed” The Daily Star, Tuesday 12 February, 2013
Shakhawat Liton, “Bill on appeal tabled” The Daily Star, Thursday 14 February 2013. 
. Accessed 14 February 2013.

Posted on

A New Issue (plus a facelift for the blog)

I know what you’re thinking: “Did you guys fall off the face of the Earth?”
 
So here’s the thing. I decided one day to try out my newfound fly fishing skills on the open ocean — drove out to Oxnard and boarded one of those deep sea fishing charter boats, skeptical of the potential efficacy of the contents of my fly box. I’d been standing out on deck casting for quite a while, the heaviness in my right arm pacified only by the immense serenity of the Pacific off the Channel Islands coast, when, suddenly, something bit. I hurried to pull the slack from the line and arrange my rod at the angle once demonstrated by my instructor, but my lack of upper-body strength proved a severe disadvantage in my battle with the marine creature below. Next thing I knew, I’d been pulled into the water’s salty embrace. I flailed and attempted to call for help, but struggled to stay afloat, engulfed by my fear of such situations. Just as I had resigned myself to an unexpected ocean burial, I saw an enormous dark shadow looming in the water below me. Then, the improbable happened. I was swallowed by a sperm whale.
 
After managing to avoid the monster’s prehistoric jaws, by some anatomical miracle, I stumbled upon a cavern within the whale’s body functioning as an air pocket. I pulled the smartphone from my soaked jeans only to find it rendered useless, surprising given the droid’s impressive track record with submersion. So I sat in my dark, unpleasant grotto, listening helplessly to the sounds of the underwater life beyond my flesh container.
 
Well, after what felt like years, I perceived a change in pressure, followed shortly by a bumpy ride to a standstill. Turns out my giant odontocete friend had had a run-in with a ship just prior to having me for lunch and was well on his way to becoming a giant odontocete corpse. (Collisions with ships are among the greatest threats to this threatened species’ population.) Once it occurred to me that the vital organ network with which I was surrounded had failed and that we’d been washed ashore, I began the slimy expedition back to terrestrial life. Needless to say, onlookers were overtaken with surprise and horror as I crawled out of the dead whale’s mouth, and more than one offered to return me to the warm clasp of the San Fernando Valley.
 
And, you see, the trauma of this experience underlies the delay in Issue 42’s release.*
 
PDFs are available for download from the website. Print copies will be available throughout the Dartmouth campus beginning around Jan. 10; they can also be requested for delivery via mail, free of charge. As the academic term begins, keep an eye out for new blog posts (or subscribe in the sidebar and we’ll do it for you). Happy new year, and safe travels for those of you heading back to campus.
 


— Grace


*not a true story

Posted on

As Voting Age is Lowered to 16 in Argentina, Continuismo May Loom on the Political Horizon

By Axel Hufford

A banner with the image of Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner being displayed at the Congress in Buenos Aires on Oct. 31, 2012 (Getty)

On October 31st, Argentina’s National Congress overwhelmingly approved a bill to lower the voting age from 18 to 16 years old in presidential and legislative elections. Backed by President Cristina Fernández, the bill became law before Argentina’s midterm elections in 2013 (Popper, 2012).

Though the president’s supporters claim that the electoral change will strengthen democracy and give young people a political voice, the reality is less utopian. Fernández needs her party to win two-thirds of the seats in both houses for her to have the chance at a third term in office. Since the youth vote is projected to help her party during the election, the law is a thinly-veiled attempt at altering the constitution and overstaying her welcome as president—a phenomenon known as continuismo. To protect the legitimacy of Argentina’s already fragile democracy, the Supreme Court must overturn the law or face the possibility of future indefinite reelections and an illiberal government.

In Argentina’s 2011 general election, Fernández secured a second four-year term in office with 54% of the popular vote. With a landslide victory, having received 37% more votes than her closest opponent, she became the first woman ever to be reelected as president in Latin America (Warren, 2011). Just a year later, with a slowing economy, protesters clanging pots in the streets, and legislative elections looming, the fate of Fernández’s Peronist party has become unclear (Economist, Sept. 2012).

One thing is certain: Fernández cannot constitutionally run for a third term, but both houses of Congress could allow her to do so with a two-thirds majority vote. As of 2011, the Peronist party is in control of both houses but neither has a supermajority. Though the president remains silent on whether she wishes to run for another term, the new law looks suspiciously like an attempt to increase Peronist votes under the fallacious guise of improving democracy. Fernández, the same ambitious woman who climbed from the usually apolitical role of First Lady to Argentina’s president, quite possibly wants another term in office and is using misguided legislation to get it.

The law will improve Fernández’s chances at reelection because many young Argentinian voters are likely to vote for the Peronist party; in fact, a recent poll suggests that the younger a voter is, the more likely he or she will support the president (Economist, Oct. 2012). According to critics of the president, younger voters are more easily manipulated by government advertisements and political propaganda, and thus Peronists could obtain well over 50% of the new votes (Llana, 2012). Since the law adds 2.1 million potential voters, increasing the electorate by 5%, the president’s party may garner enough support to reach a supermajority in Congress. Fernández could then effectively amend the constitution at her party’s will and, in the right circumstances, be reelected to a third term.

Fortunately, if the President wants to continue her presidency after 2015, she has a few obstacles working against her. First, much like in the United States, young voters in Argentina are significantly less likely to vote than their older counterparts (Economist, Oct. 2012). It would take a massive turnout for the Peronist party to get a supermajority. Even if they did, however, the party itself would have to vote near-unanimously to amend the constitution, something that may be unlikely since Argentinians have seen the negative effects of loosening restrictions on the presidency in other Latin American countries like Peru and Venezuela.

Despite the relatively low odds Fernández has of actually getting a third term, it is in the Supreme Court’s best interest to overturn this law. Not only would lowering the voting age from 18 go against international precedent (only four countries allow 16-year-olds to vote), but also the potential benefits of the law would be far outweighed by the possibility of yet another Latin American country being set down the path of continuismo. By this logic, the law could be considered unconstitutional.

While President Fernández has done an admirable job leading Argentina through difficult economic times, that does not justify moving away from the limits placed on presidential terms. Historically, Latin American presidents increasing their own power through force, coercion or constitutional changes have set their regimes on a path from liberal democracy to illiberal authoritarianism. Even though increasing the number of terms available to a president seems relatively minor, the change undermines the very set of laws that were created to prevent executive abuse. Argentina, generally considered a liberal country, must actively prevent itself from walking down this path in order to protect its future democracy.

Sources

Llana, Sara. “Pimples at the Polls: Argentina Tries to Lower Voting Age to 16.” Yahoo News. N.p., 21 Oct. 2012. Web.

Popper, Helen. “Argentina’s Senate Passes Bill to Lower Voting Age.” 
Chicago Tribune. 17 Oct. 2012. Web.”The President and the Potbangers.” 
The Economist. The Economist Newspaper, 29 Sept. 2012. Web.

Warren, Michael. “Argentine President Wins Landslide Re-election.” Msnbc.com. 23 Oct. 2011. Web. 

”Young Guns.” The Economist. The Economist Newspaper, 19 Oct. 2012. Web.

Posted on

Chinese Night Market at Dartmouth

By Jane Zhang

 

 

The Dartmouth Chinese Culture Society hosted its annual Legacies event, celebrating Chinese culture and bringing together students and members of the local community. The theme of the event was “night market,” reflecting the bustling street life of contemporary China. During the evening’s festivities, the Chinese Dance Troupe was showcased, performing Tibetan, water sleeve, and sword dancing to the show tunes of a Chinese television drama, gracefully merge the traditional with the more contemporary. 

In addition to the dance performance, various “street booths” had been set up. Each booth featured various Chinese treats. I came upon bubble tea, White Rabbit creamy candies, dumplings, and fish balls. Of course, there was no bubble tea left by the time I had gotten to the booth.


A group of students were playing Mahjong, engaging in traditional Chinese gambling. It brought a festive feeling to the evening, similar to the atmosphere in Chinese neighborhoods when neighbors get together to play games after dinner.

A few kids from the Upper Valley had fun writing Chinese calligraphy. Chinese calligraphy is taught in schools in China. Quite a few Dartmouth students kept venturing back to the calligraphy table, writing jokes and comparing their calligraphy skills.

It was nice to speak Chinese and to hear friends speaking Chinese. Of course, as college students, the catered food was the big attraction that got us to venture through the cold weather to the student center. But we didn’t simply stay for the food. We stayed for the company.

Posted on

Education Inequality in China

By Kristy Choi
A Teach for China Classroom in Lincang, Courtesy Hu Xiaodan 

We are constantly being told that America is underperforming in education. That Asia, and China in particular, are catching up. However, for all the high-achieving, hard-working students that China churns out, there are hundreds more that are left behind. While working with the non-profit Teach for China (a Teach for America affiliate that sends recent graduates of both American and Chinese universities to teach in rural China), I have become increasingly aware of the education gap in China. It is a persistent and systemic problem. The problem begins with the rural/urban education gap. Like many other countries, rural education in China is particularly dismal. However, even if a student wanted to attend school in the city where the possibilities for higher education exponentially increase, they cannot. Teach for China maintains that some 80% of children in urban areas have the chance to go to college; that number is less than 3% in rural areas. The result? Among other reasons, rural dwellers have been increasingly fleeing to the city.  However, there they run into problems that Americans would never think to worry about.

The Chinese government issues a hukou to every citizen: it is a household registration that labels what city or region a person is from. In order to buy a house, a car, or enter schooling in an area, one needs the correct hukou. That would be like everybody in New York City carrying a special license, and no one from any other state being able to move there. As more and more migrants are attracted to the opportunities in cities, hukous are increasingly a restrictive factor. The government worries that overhauling the current system would lead to an unbearable inflow of migrant workers, yet under the current system, they already come in droves. In addition to being an obstacle for migrants, hukous reveal a clear gap in the educational system. According to one study, the average years spent in schooling for those who hold hukou status in an urban area is 10.3 years compared to just 6 for those of rural status; there is a 4 year gap in education simply based on where one is born. Moreover, the Chinese government has declared mandatory education of at least 9 years — that means students in rural areas don’t even manage the minimum requirements by its own government standards. In another startling statistic, 67% of citizens with urban hukous go to high school while only 29.9% of rural hukous make it there. The hukou system makes it so that those born in rural areas with less educational opportunities are almost systematically denied the option for improvement.

The clear solution would be to shore up the rural education system. And there are a lot of places it could be improved. In rural areas, only 20% of teachers have 4-year degrees.  Rural areas in China simply lack the funding and educational resources necessary to keep up. The Chinese government has been taking active measures to fix this gap. Notably, it allocates free textbooks and lunches to those who are unable to afford them and is taking steps to make education free for those in rural areas (at least for the requisite 9 years). However, there are still large barriers to success. One of the most important is the lack of qualified teachers. Chinese schools require an entrance exam and one of the main components is English. Yet, too often, the teachers themselves have a shaky grasp of the language. The Chinese government has taken active measures to confront the problem, but without the qualified personnel to teach, simply putting children in schools will not allow them to succeed.

For as much as Americans worry that Chinese education will soon surpass our own, the Chinese education system has a number of pervasive problems. If China truly wishes to step out from its developing country status and enter the world of the developed world, its education system is going to have to change.

Sources
http://www.tfchina.org/about
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/15/china-migrant-workers-children-education
https://docs.google.com/viewera=v&q=cache:mArWDxXGLKMJ:www.psc.isr.umich.edu/pubs/pdf/rr11-735.pdf+education+inequality+in+china&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShYoFL_IQNvuuvhNWrD4E2610doyMN2sFsEVpha5tdjiKHv5QBilLdQCvEijOUpGd_JhmImLJ_TCVukL1g1BhZ3run4WFyoW-6SPWl9sEW4mympchdnIcs4rMuSFSBiE2txr0Hg&sig=AHIEtbSAH3Qf4ptzAsLQyQk4ZDQMC_Vgbg

http://www.forbes.com/sites/sap/2012/07/25/from-world-factory-to-learning-society-the-education-landscape-in-china-and-the-future-plan/
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2012-09/26/content_15783022.htm
Posted on

A Taste of China: Unexpected Ice Cream Adventures in the Far East

By Nicole Boyd

For a girl who loves to travel, I haven’t done it nearly as much as I’d like. So when I do go abroad, I’m always eager to soak up as many of the nuances of a place that I can, in a lot of ways — the beauty is in the details. Which brings us to a particular peculiarity I’ve noticed, and that is the Chinese approach to ice cream.
Green tea-flavored soft serve.
Chinese people don’t eat a lot of desserts in the Western sense: cakes, pastries, cookies, and chocolate are available but expensive (sometimes extremely) by Chinese standards and are not terribly popular with natives. Ice cream, on the other hand, has been adopted wholeheartedly as a summer favorite. Most afternoons you can expect to see people of all ages walking down the street cold treat in hand. One of McDonald’s most popular items is their vanilla soft serve. Cheap and ubiquitous, most cones or pops are available for 3 kuai or less (about 50 cents U.S.) and have a decidedly Asian twist. You’ll still find your chocolate and vanilla of course, but the best-sellers are a bit more in line with the flavors of everyday Chinese cuisine: jasmine tea, green tea, mango, dragon fruit, and even pops filled with red-bean paste, a common ingredient in traditional desserts and festival foods. One of the strangest things I saw in China was a shining golden ear of – you guessed it – corn-flavored ice cream. A friend of mine was brave enough to risk it. Her consensus: tastes, somewhat disturbingly, just like the corn.

“Er… Ice cream?” Courtesy Lisa Li.

Something you’ll see everywhere is the particular ice-block pictured below. White, skinny, and not entirely flavorful, these pops were our salvation on 100-degree days. In particularly crowded places, parks, and tourist hot spots like Tiananmen Square, sellers line up every 30 feet or so to call out their wares. The sheer number of vendors makes the price fairly stable at a single kuai (17 cents). If a savvy entrepreneur tries to get more out of you because you’re a foreigner, you’re in luck: the next seller is usually just a 15 second walk away.
Courtesy Lisa Li.

Though it wasn’t something I expected to see half way across the world, I ate more ice cream the summer I spent in China than I have in the last four years in the ‘States. Beijing is a hot city – any traveler would be wise to take their cue from the locals and cool off with an icy treat. It’s a wonderful excuse to consume huge quantities of cold confections at a delightfully guilt-free rate: As they say in China, ru xiang sui su (When in Rome, do as the Romans do).