I came home from a long day of school at Temple Japan Campus in Tokyo and was reflecting on how the week went when my thoughts were interrupted by the incessant snoring from my neighbor in the room next door. Genji-san was a typical salaryman, a Japanese white-collar worker in a middle to large company. […]
On October 5, 2018, the Nobel Peace Prize was jointly awarded to human rights activist Nadia Murad and gynecological surgeon Dr. Denis Mukwege for their distinguished work to end the use of sexual violence as weapon of war. The Last Girl In 2016, Nadia Murad established Nadia’s Initiative, an organization dedicated to “increasing advocacy for […]
Naming is a powerful action. When we chose to label something, we automatically establish a relationship of dominance over that object. Imagine having the power to classify a whole group of people. Wouldn’t you have authority over their identity? Those who hold control of a regime are aware of the power of naming, and often […]
Most of us mere mortals perform rituals only occasionally. But some of us enjoy the sweet, savory and crispy taste of a crepe any morning they please. It is made of a simple yet dynamic (to some once a mundane and tasteless) ingredient. It is ritualistic. It is fresh. It is only $1.69 at Fresh […]
China In Xinjiang, an autonomous region within Western China, officials have legalized “vocational training centers” for Uighur Muslims in the area. Uighur Muslims, with a language and culture similar to Turkey, make up 45% of the population, but more Chinese have been immigrating to the area. Human rights groups around the globe have criticized the […]
Every month, the Temple University Office of International Affairs hosts an International Student Coffee Hour where both domestic and international students gather to celebrate diversity and multiculturalism. This semester, each Coffee Hour features a spotlight country, whose culture is represented and discussed at the event. The country of focus this month is India, which on […]
The message was clear from the beginning. The day John McCain was announced dead from terminal cancer, my mother frantically called and relayed the news as if I hadn’t seen it everywhere already. “Did you know he helped normalize Vietnam and America’s relationship?” My mom started her eulogy with the accomplishments of the late McCain, […]
France Last June, French police arrested two Iranians for attempting to set off explosives at a National Council of Resistance of Iran meeting in Paris, France. On October 2nd, French officials accused two senior members of Iran’s ministry of intelligence of being linked to the attempt, and has since frozen assets of the officials and […]
At 5 AM I was on a bus weaving its way through narrow roads, descending the Andes and heading towards Ecuador’s Amazonian region. Part of Temple’s Latin American Studies Semester, I was visiting Latin America for the first time. Our three-week program was based in Quito, Ecuador; however we were all given one free weekend […]
Photo Credit: Milenio Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico On Monday, a protest on the campus of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM by its Spanish abbreviation), Mexico’s foremost public university, turned aggressive as counter-protesters violently attacked protesters with sharp sticks and rocks. The protest was initially organized by students of the Colegio de Ciencias y […]
Throughout my internship with Hummustown, a Syrian refugee catering cooperative in Rome, I was swept into the magic of food and family. This essay is dedicated to both the amazing Hummustown staff and Laura Esquivel whose book, “Like Water for Chocolate” never ceases to inspire a love of food and writing. ****************************************************************************** Mujaddara: Mujaddara is […]
Imagine…. You’ve just arrived in the United States after a months-long journey through Central America and Mexico. You left because local maras and pandillas (gangs) threatened you and your family with violence and death. Everything you own, everyone you love, is miles away. You made the journey with your two kids, hoping to give them […]
Photo Credit: Inter-Korean Summit Press Corps Last Tuesday’s summit in Singapore represents a historic and potentially transformative milestone in the relationship between North Korea and the United States. It was the first time a sitting U.S. President has met with a sitting North Korean leader. It also resulted in the United States agreeing to cease […]
“Prossima fermata: Basilica San Paulo. Uscita lato sinistra. Stepping off the subway at Basilica S. Paulo, I find myself in another part of Rome. The apartment buildings aren’t the color of sunsets and no pretentious cobblestone threatens to trip me with each step. If I blinked, I might be somewhere else, some other city. Here, […]
Guatemala By Alice Hakvaag A volcano in Guatemala surprised hundreds with a large eruption last Sunday, leaving little time for nearby villages to evacuate. The eruption sent tons of ash over 33,000 feet into the sky, before having it fall back down on the mountain, burying an entire village underneath ash and mud. The blast […]
Mexico By: Alex Voisine The second presidential debate took place in Tijuana, Mexico on Monday, indicating even further the tensions and high risks that will come with the Mexico’s July 1 elections. The focus during the debates, which, for the first time ever, allowed for questions from the public, was on the economy, security, and […]
PHOTO CREDIT: Reuters/Stringer May 9th was a historic day for Malaysia. After 61 years of ruling since independence in 1957, The National Front (BN) has finally fallen in the general election. A new political party alliance – Alliance of Hope- was chosen by the people to take the nation forward. On this day, 82% of […]
Today is a very special day. There is a lot of writing that talks about what this day means. It’s not because this is a popular topic but rather it’s such a meaningful and honorable thing to write about. So I hope my writing can make a small contribution to emphasize and celebrate the person […]
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