It’s hard to believe that our first semester will be over in a matter of three measly weeks (well, that is if we all survive finals….. we can do this guys!!). I know that I have had an excellent second semester, as Penn State finally began to feel like home. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved first semester. However, I’m super close to my family and I definitely felt there absence a lot first semester. I am incredibly thankful that I found my family here at Penn State, as I couldn’t imagine getting through the struggles of my crazy, hectic, wonderful first year without them.

WHAT TIME IS IT?!?!?!

I am incredibly blessed to have both a family here, and a family back home. However, not everyone is near as lucky as I am in this respect. In fact in the U.S. almost 400,000 children are living in the foster care system. This means bouncing around between houses that never turn into homes, and people that never become family.

Davion Navar Henry knows how heartbreaking this is. Davion was born while his mom was in jail, resulting in a childhood spent in the Florida state system. He always wanted a family, but years of bouncing between homes went by with no hope of a family in sight. In 2013, Davion made it his mission to find a new family. He set out in a suit and tie, and went out to a church in St. Petersburg to stand in front of a congregation and begged them to adopt him. The story was so unique that it caught national attention; the story was covered by numerous news agencies, and calls came pouring in offering to adopt the boy who so bravely bared his heart to the world. Davion was adopted by a minster in Ohio, yet three short months later, he found himself back in foster care. Frustrated, alone, and heartbroken, Davion shut himself off from the world. For months he refused to talk to anyone, until one late summer night when he called the last person he thought might still care—his case worker Miss Connie, who had been working with him since he was 7.

Sixteen long years later, and Davion has finally found a family to call his own. After talking with her family, Miss Connie and her family decided that they needed to adopt Davion. In August, Davion started spending weekends with the Ms. Connie and her two daughters and adopted son. Then finally after lawyers, and test runs, and joy and tears, on April 22, everything became official. Davion finally got the family he always wanted, and he couldn’t be happier. Gone is the utter silence, and in its place is a loud rowdy child. Of course, there has been some struggles. He screams, he hides in his room, and sometimes he even will stop talking again. But with the help of Connie and a therapist, Davion is making it through.

I think it’s truly incredible that after so many years Damion finally found something that so many people take for granted. Hopefully, we can find a way to help kids like Davion so that no child has to go through life without knowing the love of a family.

If you think about it, college is one of the greatest experiences in a lifetime. You have so much to explore, with such little responsibility. Sure there are somethings I could go without, namely sketchy bathrooms. But somethings really aren’t that bad. I’m sure everyone has made the same joke about crappy dining hall food but really in comparison to other schools I’veheard it’s not that bad (I’d also be lying if I said I didn’t live for Pollock brunch).

One thing that I really love about the dining commons is their focus on healthy eating; of course pizza and mozzarella sticks and a table full of desserts aren’t exactly healthy, but usually there is a good amount of not-so-bad for you options. I’ll be honest, I’m a huge foodie, and I try to eat healthy as my mom always encouraged being conscious about what kind of food you fuel your body with. So it always makes me super happy when I hear stories about drawing awareness to healthy eating, especially at a young age.

Betti Wiggins, the executive director of nutrition for the Detroit Public Schools Office is doing just that. Starting in 2009, Wiggins has revolutionized school dining in Detroit. Gone are french fires and pizza, and in its place are fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean meats. Best of all, Wiggins has turned this program into a sustainable effort, as the district buys 22 percent of their produce, including potatoes, apples, squash, peaches, and asparagus from farms around the state. She has even started a new program called the Detroit School Garden Collaborative. Coming from a strong agricultural background, Wiggins is well aware of the importance of local farming and sustainability. Wiggins created the program as a sort of farm-to-school initiative (similar to the popular farm to table movement) where schools would have their own gardens. Now there are over 76 schools participating in the program, and to ensure these gardens are kept in tip-top shape, the district employs a garden director, a farmer and a horticulturalist.

Wiggins has even bigger plans for the future as she hopes to turn an abandoned high school into the Kettering Urban Agricultural campus, a site that would include a 27 acre farm with its own processing center that could feed school children and community members alike.

Since Wiggins started this program, she has cut ties with outside food management companies, effectively doubling the budget for food services. This means that now every student receives a free breakfast in the morning, which Wiggins sees as a means of decreasing the stigma associated with free lunch programs. Students also are served a hot lunch, and for those who stay for after school activities they are even offered dinner.

I think that what Wiggins is doing is an excellent example of how we can begin to change our school systems. Not only is she providing students with healthy options, but she is ensuring that every child has access to multiple meals a day, even if the family might not be able to provide for the child. This sort of support can be incredibly beneficial in certain areas, and I believe that a program like this could have an incredible impact on the lives of many.

And who knows maybe by the time we have kids, they’ll be growing their own lunches.

Today, March 25, 2015, I am presenting to you perhaps some of the most uplifting news ever to have graced my page.

******DRUM ROLL PLEASE*********

Zayn, from One Direction, has officially left the band. Can you believe it? One Direction h8rs across the internet are rejoicing at the fall of the monstrous boyband. This, is truly some uplifting news.

Just kidding (I’m actually a closet One Direction fan so I was a little saddened by this news but hey all boybands meet there fate eventually).

My topic today is a bit more serious, and far more uplifting, than the aforementioned topic.

As many people know, sexual assault is a huge problem across America. From college campuses to urban cities, people have been campaigning to raise awareness about sexual assault and rape. But what about in other countries, especially those where woman have no one advocating for their rights? The charity Ujamaa Africa, which works out of Kenya, is doing just that. And unlike many similar programs, Ujamaa is working to empower both boys and girls.

In Kenya, the common perception about sexual assault and rape is horrifying. A report from the Kenyan government stated that in 2008, over half of married Kenyan woman are beaten by their husbands.

In Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya, Collins Omondi is working with Ujamaa Africa to help these woman through a program called ‘Your Moment of Truth.’ The program encourages adolescent boys to stand up against violence towards women. The program focuses on positive masculinity and empowerment operating under the premise of making the boys into gentlemen on issues such as rape prevention and womans rights. Thanks to funding from the British government, by 2017 it is expected that over 130,000 male students will complete a six week program to educate students on rape prevention and female rights.

Since the installment of this program, Omondi has seen incredible improvement in his student’s attitudes toward woman’s rights. A common perception in Kenya is that if a woman dresses immodestly, she is asking to have sex. At the beginning of the program, 80% of Omondi’s students agreed with this statement, saying if a girl was wearing a miniskirt she was asking to be raped. By the end of the course, that percent had dropped to 30%. Omondi says this negative perception towards woman is likely due to the ways the boys are raised, which is not too surprising when learning that 53 percent of women themselves believe that men have the right to beat their wives.

The program pushes its message through social learning, or the idea that individuals learn from the people surrounding them. A big component to this is courage. Many of the boys stated they felt they did not have the confidence to stand up for a girl that is being harassed. Omondi reminds his students that if they have the courage to stand up for a girl that is being harassed, others will stand up as well.

With the constant struggle for woman’s rights in America, it can be hard to fathom that some cultures across the globe do not treat woman with the most basic forms respect. Omondi’s story is an incredible example of how one person can have such a positive impact on so many people, and how one can challenge these cultural perceptions.

If you have been strolling around campus lately, you have probably noticed the assortment of people giving out free hugs. Why? I have no idea, but nonetheless they stand in the wind, rain, and as of today, even the icy freezing rain. It seems odd to be giving something away for free, but I suppose it’s not too odd considering we live on a college campus. I’m almost positive that if I tried, I could probably live off of the free pizza/cake/cookies that seem to be offered daily by various clubs and organizations.

However outside the scope of free food on college campuses, the idea of receiving something for free is generally met with skepticism.

However this is not the case for a group of community members in Lake Stevens, Washington. Rather, ‘free’ is embraced as the community has connected via a social experiment called Buy Nothing. The premise of the social experiment, which uses Facebook as a catalyst, is to “give freely, share creatively and post anything you’d like to give away, lend or share among neighbors.”

The project, which started only a year ago back aims to promote a strong connection among communities. People are able to post on the Facebook group, both asking for and offering various goods and services. The town of Lake Stevens has even started a lending library, where neighbors can borrow everything ranging from books to bridal gowns. The principle of the project as listed in the mission statement is to create “hyper-local groups” that “strengthen the fabric of their communities” ensuring the “health and vitality of each member.” One thing that is particularly interesting is their stance as a gift economy, not a charity. In this economy, there is no difference between want and need, wealth is measured by the personal connection made between community members, and all gifts are considered equal no matter how big or small. There is no buying, selling, trading or bartering, merely sharing among community members. The communities try to avoid need-based giving in an effort to avoid separating themselves by economic status.

Buy Nothing projects have been popping up around the country. In the case of Lake Stevens, the community was motivated to start the project after watching it flourish on Bainbridge Island. A year ago the Project included only 40 people; today over one thousand people are involved in this project.

The Buy Nothing movement is not limited to gift economies. Other projects include the 365 Days of giving project and the Walker Family Experiment, which documents a large family that challenged themselves to get by for a month through the gifting community.

With over 16, 676 and communities in 12 different countries, it’s easy to see how this idea is spreading across borders. In the United States, communities exist in 47 states as well as the District of Columbia. And if your town isn’t listed as a giving community, you can always reach out to the project to start one in your area.

I personally think this is an incredible movement, one that fosters a greater community value while reducing consumer waste. If you’re interested in this project, or want to find out more about it you can go ahead and check out the Buy Nothing Project website!

Being a teenager of our generation, it is more than likely that we all have experienced the selfie bug, and perhaps are still recovering from the illness. I’ll be honest; I take way too many selfies. Embarrassing, serious, with friends, with cute animals, my camera roll is filled with pictures of myself and others. Like many others, I have become finely attuned to what it takes for a photo to garner the most “likes” or what photo Snapchat friends will find funny. I feel like I speak for a large majority of kids my age when I say I am way too invested in social media. My Instagram is a carefully crafted persona, revealing only the most intriguing aspects of my life. This obsession—it’s narcissistic, it’s dumb, It’s borderline embarrassing, but hey Iguess that’s why we’ve been dubbed the selfie generation.

Nic Tullis, a 19 year old Belleville Illinois native, is using his skills as a child of the selfie generation for a different purpose. Tullis, an emerging figure in the local art scene of Saint Louis, has started to use his Instagram as a means of instigating social change. Rather than sharing his latest meal, or a group shot of friends, Tullis’s Instagram is a bit more serious than your average teen’s social media. His feed is filled with hardened faces, hooded figures, and black and white allies. It’s urban, it’s moody, it’s mysterious, but what is his purpose?

Tullis has filled his Instagram with pictures of the Saint Louis homeless population. He snaps photos on either his IPhone or his cannon, edits them on his phone briefly using a free editor like VSCO Cam or Snapseed, and then uploads them right on to his Instagram.

This project started almost five years before, when Tullis was still a freshman in High School. His mom had gotten a tax break and decided to take him to get a new phone.  Tullis started playing around with the camera app, documenting the world around him. One day Tullis went to downtown Saint Louis, when he noticed a man asking for money outside a storefront. Tullis gave him some spare change in exchange for a portrait. This happened almost three and a half years ago. Now Tullis carries around single dollar bills in exchange for portraits.

Tullis states that the reason he likes to take pictures of homeless people is because they have a story to share. They are willing to talk, because unfortunately most people will walk past them like they don’t even exits. Tullis hopes that by posting his portraits on social media, he will help to draw attention to the plight of homelessness that many people so easily ignore. It is Tullis’s way of giving back in a creative manner. Tullis’s latest project is fundraising for an Art Show where he hopes to auction off some of his prints. The proceeds will cover the cost to rent the space and make the prints, and the rest of the money raised will benefit the St. Patrick Center, a center for the homeless that teaches self-efficiency.

Nic Tullis shows that you don’t have to do something astronomical to give back to the community; your contribution can be as simple as snapping a picture on your phone.