You see, in my History of Modern Philosophy class we are currently discussing Immanuel Kant, the acclaimed German philosopher who revolutionized the philosophical inquiry for meaning in the world by positing (more or less) that we can learn a lot about that world if we first explore the perspective from which we view the world around us. This may seem somewhat obvious today, but back then philosophy was focused almost entirely on the way the world impacts us, not on the impact our perspective may have on the way we view the world.

As for the Bosnian War, I spent much of yesterday afternoon reading scholarly summaries of the events taking place in Bosnia following its independence from Yugoslavia in the early 1990′s. In a country where Bosniak Muslims, Croats and Serbs all lived in close proximity to each other, the collapse of Communist Yugoslavia and subsequent rise of independent, jingoistic republics ensured that the transition to democracy would be bloody. Neo-fascist gangs of Serbs and Croats regularly bombed Bosnian villages, driving out the villagers, raping women and executing men and boys in the process, all in the name of Serb and Croat nationalism. I thought Behind Enemy Lines was hard enough to watch, but reading about this trip into hell was even worse.

While you might wonder what genocide and a philosopher who died two hundred years ago have to do with each other, I think that in a strange way they both relate to the mission that the founders of NextGen set out to achieve.  We live in a world filled with information, and we spend what seems like half that time trying to dissect that information. We live in a world where we are bombarded with millions upon millions of different people’s perspectives, in the form of articles, blogs, posts, tweets- and the list goes on and on.

Yet not all of these perspectives are objective, pragmatic or factual. Much of what we see today that gets printed or published is completely subjective, narrow-minded and blatantly blown out of proportion. One only has to look at the bitter disagreements going on about such things as health care, government debt and foreign policy in this country and the vitriol spewed in the process. And sometimes, as the example of Bosnia shows, these bitter disagreements over which perspective is best can even lead to tragedy.

So yes, it appears that a lot of what we see that passes for actual “information” in this country is nothing more than a bunch of biased and baseless junk. That is why the NextGen project was so important. NextGen was about providing a platform that voiced the views of the generation, as we waited to take over as leaders of our country. Words have the power to influence our actions, and intelligent, well-thought out words can serve to create meaningful debate, offer viable solutions, and perhaps most importantly show that disagreement does not have to degenerate into a shouting match.

At the same time, we must always try to remember something a little like what Kant had in mind. We all wear a different pair of shades through which we view the world. As much as we would like to think otherwise, our pair is not always the best or most correct, and much of the time another person’s perspective offers a lot.

By now, I realize that I am probably on the verge of rambling- but I only have one more point to make. We are so fortunate to live in the United States of America, a place where you can mostly live without fear, with food on your plate and a great life beckoning if you make the most of your education. I feel that day-in and day-out many of us take these gifts for granted. Perhaps it is inevitable in a capitalist society to demand more and more, looking for the next best thing to use up and throw away, but in the end what really matters but the bare essentials of life? We need to stop thinking about me, me, me, and more about others.

In the end I can live without my clothes from J. Crew, my smart phone, my car and all the other belongings that I don’t need yet have accumulated in my life. On the other hand, I cannot live without family, without friends, or without at least attempting to bring people closer together. Peace is always the most elusive of goals but just imagine what could happen if we all took off our rose-colored shades and put on someone else’s pair. Just imagine. In the words of a man more poetic than I, “You may say that I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.”

The post A Different Pair of Shades appeared first on NextGen Journal.

Talent Earth is especially relevant for college students because it provides a platform for parties seeking jobs to display their talents in creative ways and contact potential employers.

“Most of the core team is made up of ‘affinity groups,’” Basha Millohlen, Talent Earth’s education outreach and recruitment consultant, said.   “People who believe in the project and are giving their time and expertise to make it work. The core team consists of the founder, the film editor and colleagues, members of the web development group, office staff, a CEO/CBO, legal, site coaches and supporters.”

Millonhlen was asked to work with Talent Earth to build a strong list of brand ambassadors, and assist as they built their model pages.

She has developed the marketing plan, tested promotional opportunities such as career fairs and interviews and served as the liaison to Talent Earth’s PR firm, she said.

“Talent Earth went live on June 1, 2012, but it is still officially in Beta,” Millonhlen said. “We get reports daily from our brand ambassadors and new users about improvements or changes needed. We believe the product we have today is well-built, serves the public well and is ready to go.”

Millonhlen noted how there will always be challenges with a new platform. Talent Earth offers members the unique and innovative option for users to share their talents through multimedia content.

This platform must be able to give members enough bandwidth and support, she said. So that they will be able to share their “talent story.”

“No other job connection website does this,” Millonhlen said. “So we have experienced difficulties and pitfalls along the way. The good news is that we have worked all or most out by now and we are close to leaving Beta and formally launching.”

Talent Earth’s formal launch is scheduled for early spring 2013.

“In the almost year since its concept development and five months since the ‘go live,’ the Talent Earth founder, CEO, and other staff have presented the concept to thousands of people through direct connect or group sessions,” Millonhlem said. “Everyone has had a positive response. At career fairs, our booth has always been deluged by job seekers. Once they realize they can promote themselves through multiple tools, they always sign up.”

Currently, Talent Earth uses the top social media platforms, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, in order to connect to followers and members. They also have partnerships with a handful of Fortune 500 companies, colleges and universities, trade schools, and educational organizations in the works that Millonhlem said will be mutually beneficial.

“Talent Earth staff have identified three stages of development for now,” Millonhlem said. “The first stage, building the website and getting it populated, is just about completed. The next stage will target refinement and partnerships. The third stage will focus on building traffic and meeting technological trends or ‘keeping up’ to stay fresh, current, relevant, and meaningful for the members. Talent Earth will stay ahead of the curve to be the ‘go to’ site for the multimedia portfolio, collaborative project teams, and to meet the hiring needs of businesses.”

The post Talent Earth Connects Job Seekers appeared first on NextGen Journal.

I didn’t know Alyssa personally. Though we were in the same academic program here at Northwestern University, our lives never crossed paths. Or rather, I didn’t take advantage of the opportunities I had that would have allowed them to. Yet I know from the moving testaments of those who knew her that she was compassionate, intelligent and truly special –a young woman who could light up a room, and one I wish that I had known.

It was reported the day after her death that Alyssa committed suicide.

This information, accepted by Alyssa’s mother who told Northwestern that Alyssa was “in a dark place,” came as a shock to her friends, family and, it seems, anyone who came in contact with Alyssa and her beautiful smile. In addition to heightening the grief of her passing, Alyssa’s silent struggle should serve as a wake-up call to all of us.

I see a therapist. In response to the hectic-ness that is my senior year of college, I decided to start taking a bus to an office building a few miles from campus and talk about my feelings for an hour to a woman with a clipboard every other Friday at 5:00 p.m.  Sometimes we meditate together. Sometimes I cry and she waits. Sometimes I just complain about practically nothing for a while to someone who seems happy to listen. Regardless, though I don’t have any pressing mental health needs and have fortunately never personally struggled with any mental health issues, I leave each session  feeling healthier, happier and more in control.

Why then, do I hesitate to tell anyone about my sessions, often brushing them off as an “appointment” and even once as a “doctor’s visit?” What makes anxiety more embarrassing than tonsillitis?

We should all work towards being better, more thoughtful friends who take the time to reach out to those around us who may be suffering from mental illness. Yet what is equally important, especially for people like Alyssa- whose mental health issues were buried deep under her outgoing personality, sense of humor and infectious grin- is the act of making our society one in which mental health is discussed.

“If you know someone who is struggling, or if you yourself are (struggling), tell someone,” my professor told us. “Come out of the woodwork.”

It’s time that we all came out of the woodwork. We need to begin talking about our experiences with mental illness — whether they revolve around us or a loved one, are in the past or the present, are serious or, like mine, rather self-serving. In opening ourselves up to the reality of mental health issues and their unspoken prevalence in our lives, we can change the stigmas often attached to them. In so doing, we can create a space where people feel more comfortable sharing their struggles, encourage them to do so, and potentially save lives.

The post On Mental Health, Come Out of the Woodwork appeared first on NextGen Journal.

But college is not just a place to have fun, nor is college even wholly about the homework and exams. No, the college experience – if done properly – is a laboratory for producing good citizens. College is the place to ask critical questions and develop a complete worldview – the last place to examine everything, before we venture out into the workforce, gain more responsibility, and lose the time to ask such questions.

I wonder how many college students ask the really deep questions about our society, even as they excel in their career-oriented coursework. Some students certainly do, but probably not enough. We are rapidly approaching the time when serious decisions regarding the future of this country (and all of human civilization) need to be made. To be clear, I’m not trying to make any readers panic, or come off as some sort of apocalyptic pundit. No, I just want to talk about a few pressing issues that most people don’t like talking about, yet should be talking about.

How often do you think about hunger? I don’t mean the mere desire to eat dinner now. I’m talking about real, genuine hunger, brought on by food deprivation and poverty.  We’re going to hear more about hunger in the years to come. Great advances in the Green Revolution increased world harvests, thereby saving the lives of hundreds of millions of people. Unfortunately, the advances made in agriculture are starting to stagnate, while the world population continues to soar. This disparity between food supply and food demand suggests that large-scale famine is quite possible during the next fifty years.

Nonetheless, human life is inherently valuable, a belief reiterated by just about every great religious and secular philosophical tradition. Even if we can’t save everyone from starvation, we have a moral imperative to try. Still, we can’t fight famine without advances in farming technology and agronomics. We need people tackling the problem of world hunger.

Renewable energy needs development, too. Oil production in The U.S. will surpass that of Saudi Arabia by 2020. This is certainly good news for our economy, but the science is clear: Oil supplies are finite on this planet, and the end is approaching. More fossil fuels, obtained through better mining and hydrofracking, will only delay the end of petroleum by a few decades. I fear that a new surge of oil production will make policymakers and voters focus only on the present, rather than the need for renewable fuels in the near future.

Recently, I drove in a prototype hydrogen-powered SUV built by GM. The vehicle is remarkably silent, produces virtually no greenhouse emissions, and can double as an emergency power generator for entire neighborhoods. The science is in place. However, this country currently lacks the adequate infrastructure for transporting hydrogen fuel. Without the infrastructure (and cheap hydrogen), hydrogen cars cannot become standard issue.

Although a major push from the government and the oil-dominated car industry is currently unlikely, the public and private sectors must begin to imagine the energy market of the 2040′s and beyond, rather than the energy market of today. Hydrogen may not necessarily be the answer, but, unless we start seriously developing renewable fuels today, we face a rocky transition off oil in the future. I’ll take a smooth transition over gas rationing, rolling blackouts, and civil disorder any day.

Hunger and energy still receive a decent amount of press coverage, though. The issue of unfair labor practices, particularly in agriculture, rarely receives press coverage.

When I drive to college, I pass through a lot of farm country, and I can see the hovels where migrant farm workers live. As extensively documented in Oxfam’s report, Like Machines in the Fields, agro workers go unprotected by labor laws in all states other than California. These men and women endure backbreaking labor for little pay. Why? Well, a lot of these workers (but not all) are illegal immigrants, and employers, already constrained by the high costs of big agriculture, do not want to treat illegal workers fairly.

Americans pride themselves on workplace protections (banned child labor, collective bargaining), yet a floating population of workers is denied legal rights. True, many manual laborers are illegal immigrants, but how would our economy function without them? You see these workers daily. They wash dishes, mow lawns, harvest crops, and do the jobs much of the middle class shuns like the plague. Illegal immigrants cheated the system in coming here, but they are here, working in backbreaking jobs, and they therefore deserve at least a minimum degree of legal protection. Perhaps we can start by reforming agriculture, and then we can tackle the greater interrelated issues of illegal immigrants and unfair labor practices in the economy as a whole.

Another systemic problem in American society is the state of our school system. Classrooms are overcrowded and standardized tests oppress students and teachers alike, yet most state governments seem to think that more tests and less spending will fix our school systems. These trends need to be reversed – fewer mind-numbing standardized tests and more education spending. (Sorry, Tea Partiers, but we need departments of education.)

However, the true problem in our educational system is the current model of teaching, wherein a teacher stands in front of a room and lectures to students, hoping they absorb enough knowledge. Paulo Freire called this system “the banking concept of education” – the students are the banks, into which the teacher deposits information. Unfortunately, as I’m sure any alumnus of virtually any American school will attest, it is the rare and truly gifted teacher who can make a lecture engaging. All too often, students grow bored, and rote memorization takes the place of genuine understanding.

Dialogic, or collaborative, education stands as an effective alternative to the standard banking concept of education. In this system, the teacher is not a sage on a stage, but rather a guide on the side. Through the use of seminar discussions, rather than pure lectures, students find their way through the class material and learn to think and speak for themselves. Collaborative education isn’t only for humanities or social science classes, though: The use of workshops, peer collaboration on problem sets, and more visual demonstrations can result in truly collaborative science education.

This innovative model of education is currently being tried out in charter schools, but rarely in standard public schools. Overhauling teacher training will require unprecedented collaboration between the state and federal government, as well as both public and private graduate schools of education. A true transition to dialogic education will most likely take more than a generation. But changing our energy sources, inequities in the labor and immigration systems, and food production will take decades, too. That is why we must start implementing these reforms now.

There are other major issues too often ignored – climate change, our decaying national infrastructure, the lack of a definite plan for NASA’s manned space program – but I’ve gone on long enough as it is. I hope I’ve made it clear, though, that the 21^st century is going to be a wild ride. Serious ethical and existential dilemmas exist in our modern society.

As college students, we must become educated about these quandaries and begin a serious dialogue about our future. How do we want to treat our workers? Do we want to transition smoothly off fossil fuels, or delay the transition until oil is scarce? What can we do to alleviate famine, even if some degree of famine is unavoidable? We would do well to think of our future children, and ask ourselves what sort of world we want them to possess by the mid-21^st century.

I don’t have definite answers for solving these problems. I have suggestions, and I believe there are moral imperatives to create a just society, but I don’t have a concrete plan for the next century. However, I am absolutely certain that we members of the next generation can tackle these issues, if we start thinking critically now, if we remain open to innovation, and if we remember, even amid talk of recession and austerity, to extend compassion to even the lowliest among us.

As the great David Bowie once sang, “Love dares you to care for the people on the edge of the night, and love dares you to change our way of caring about ourselves.”

AUTHOR’S NOTE: NextGen Journal is coming to an end. This is my last column. It’s been an honor to write for a national audience, and I will miss hearing from these many talented college students across the United States, who took time out of their busy schedules to write about and discuss the big issues. To quote the Whole Earth Catalog, “Stay hungry, stay foolish.”

The post All Good Things…. appeared first on NextGen Journal.

The clash between exposing Austin to international prominence and the city’s consistent efforts to keep Austin “local” was brutally obvious- a case study of the benefits and disadvantages of globalization.

Formula One is a luxurious event, attended by wealthy people from around the globe. As the weekend approached, my roommate Juliette applied for and was offered a position translating Italian for Ferrari: she was paid $10 an hour, treated to expensive merchandise such as jackets and hats, and exposed to the FI atmosphere for free. When she came home to our apartment, she left a few dozen receipts on the counter: many were $100,000 USD and above.

These were tabs for merchandise and drinks, and she commented that they were spent freely; in other words, she had 100-dollar bills and fancy credit cards casually being passed to her all weekend long. Additionally, stories were told among University of Texas students that travellers were dropping unbelievable amounts of money on extravagances such as helicopter rides for transportation and sightseeing around the city. I’m not telling all this because I’m envious or to criticize how the rich spend their money, but to recount the general mood among college students regarding the race.

Aside from the mood, it’s important to recognize the effects that the extra attention had on Austin. The advantages were explicit and predicated. The task of preparing for the event and working the actual race provided short-term jobs for many. Additionally, increased revenue was expected and achieved for many restaurants, bars, liquor stores, and hotel and motels. However, according to the Austin-American Statesman, the total tally of returns from the F1 race may take several months and the help of a variety of bookkeepers, accountants and economists to calculate and verify. A less tangible benefit would be the international attention spotlighted on Austin, as people from all 50 states and 50 countries essentially vacationed in the city.

The disadvantages were less obvious, and that’s unfortunate because it means they are often ignored or understated. Ray Reece, a longtime Austin resident, book editor and activist, argues that the 1,000 acres of Southeast Travis County land used to build the track for the race offered a missed opportunity to promote local farming in an attempt to combat climate change and rising oil prices, an extremely relevant but long-term issue that isn’t of pressing priority to companies and businesses.

A disturbing effect that no one considers is the increase in human trafficking that accompanies major sporting events. Everything’s bigger in Texas, but the fact that the Superbowl in Dallas in 2011 was the “single largest human trafficking event in the United States” is not a label to be proud of. In preparation for the event, Restore a Voice, a group dedicated to battling the issue of human trafficking, and the Austin Police Department (APD), collaborated their expertise to protect as many victims as possible.

APD actively sought out and rescued trafficked victims who were then provided with shelter and counseling through Restore a Voice. Restore a Voice founder Larry Megason described a dark and sad reality: “There will be a lot of partying going on, but they want more than that. There are many people who come for the seedy side of the sporting event,” according to KVUE.

When comparing these advantages and disadvantages of the F1 race, it appears as if supporters of the race are most interested in immediate economic profit while disregarding the detrimental environmental and human impact. The city of Austin also hosts two other major events that attract outsiders: Austin City Limits (ACL) and South by Southwest (SXSW). However, these events have exclusively been Austin traditions and are not nearly as massive as the F1 race turned out to be. Additionally, the unique flashiness and excessive big spending that characterized the F1 race weekend is different from the more humble music festival focus of ACL and SXSW.

I can understand the attraction (as an Austin resident) of being a part of the US Grand Prix. Out of all US cities, ours was chosen! Nevertheless, I did not attend the race due to the hefty ticket prices and personal disinterest. However, even if I had the cash and enthusiasm, I would reconsider my support of the race after hearing the increasing critical discussion about the disadvantages as the weekend neared.

The post The Pros and Cons of Formula One in Austin appeared first on NextGen Journal.

While the cost of education continues to be a driving force for Americans in choosing a school, when it comes to studying at an international institution, I think the value shifts from money to overall experience gained. My choice to obtain a master’s degree in the United Kingdom had absolutely nothing to do with cost. I’m not saying that cost wasn’t a final factor, but it certainly was not the sole reason.

I had traveled to Europe on several occasions. Following high school, I impulsively hopped on a flight and did a 35-day tour of Western Europe. At 18 years old, I had done more traveling than anyone in my family or amongst my friends.

Sitting in my freshman art history class and studying textbook images of ancient structures I had already seen in person, like Greece’s Parthenon and paintings of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, I thought, “How silly that our education is in a classroom, when all one has to do is travel outside.”

I wasn’t going to make the mistake of taking another lecture-style class. My second art history class, which focused on the Italian Renaissance, was taught over a five-month period in Siena, Italy. Not only did I see the pieces in person through frequent field trips to Florence and Rome, but I was also taught only in Italian.

My education was no longer confined to a classroom. Through a one-semester study abroad program I learned how to be independent, what it meant to be an American, the Italian way of life, and much more.

I returned to the U.S. for a final year of school, and at that point I had developed a solid five-year plan. I would graduate, get a job in New York City, have my own flat, and settle down. However, sharing my experience abroad with so many people made me realize I wasn’t ready yet to live out this plan just yet.

I began looking at options to go abroad again, considering nanny positions, teaching opportunities, potential jobs and volunteer work. Each option came with challenges and drawbacks. Frustrated at my limited options, I resorted to researching international education programs. I never once considered a postgraduate program until I realized that it might be the most reasonable and accessible way to pursue my dream of living abroad once again.

Currently, I am earning my master’s degree in magazine publishing from University of the Arts, London College of Communication. I couldn’t have chosen a better location to pursue a master’s degree as London is home to so many publishing houses.

It is becoming increasingly popular for recent college graduates to pursue further education. A master’s degree is quickly becoming the new bachelor’s degree, and it doesn’t matter where you earn it. It is the practical application, theory, and relevant skills you gain that will matter the most for a job.

When it comes to cost, I think the price is right. I’m considered an international student, so though the price of my master’s program is slightly higher than what residents of the UK or the European Union have to pay, my tuition of £14,200 (approx. $22,550) is half the price of what most Americans pay for one year of undergraduate school, not including housing.

While American students could be lured by lower costs to study elsewhere, not many are aware that this difference in cost even exists. Also, study abroad programs are just picking up in interest, so it might be a few more years before students begin to see the attraction in studying overseas for undergraduate and postgraduate programs/degrees.

Finally, education may be cheaper abroad, but living costs are certainly higher. Every transaction performed here is in pounds and to top it off, I’m living in a city. Living in London is like living in New York City; everything is more expensive.

Overall though, I wouldn’t give up where I am today and I would highly encourage others to look at universities outside of the U.S. I live in a city full of wonderful opportunities and I’m earning a degree that will further my resume. I’ve started my own online publication, IDEAL magazine, where I get to decide where I work from, and the breathtaking view of The London Bridge lit up in the evening never ceases to amaze me as I look out my window each night.

The post Foreign Education: Why Experience Matters More than Cost appeared first on NextGen Journal.

While America is certainly at a crossroads in our nation’s rich history, our future remains uncertain. Many are asking their country what it can still do for them as the job market lingers in uncertainty and the end to our debt is nowhere in sight. But these are only some of the many question marks that are popping up both left and right.

Blake Simon, senior at the University of Michigan and self-proclaimed Republican, said he was disappointed by the outcome of the presidential election but is still encouraged and enthusiastic about the future of the Republican Party.

“I think conservatives must realize that by maintaining such rigid, traditional stances on social issues, such as abortion and gay marriage, we are losing critical electoral targets,” Simon said. “The party currently scares off many moderate voters because candidates are forced to take a conservative approach during the primary season.”

Going forward, Simon said he believes the party must adjust to adopt pro-immigration policies, comparable to those offered by Senator Marco Rubio, commenting, “We must love and care for our neighbors, not neglect them.”

Simon added that most Americans support fiscally conservative policies already, and that this will prove evident over the next four years. Even though Simon would classify Obama’s approach to the economy as complacent, Republicans have to be willing to reach across the aisle on social issues like those pertaining to immigration, he said.

In contrast, Zak Sawyer, a junior at the University of Michigan and team leader for Obama for America at the Ann Arbor campus, shares a strikingly similar concern for America’s near future. Sawyer said he also strongly believes immigration reform needs to be pursued with the highest level of care and attention by President Obama and the Democratic Party.

“It was a promise he made in ’08 and he needs to keep it now,” Sawyer said. “Also the outcome of the fiscal cliff negotiations could hurt either side so depending on how Obama maneuvers the deal it could be very beneficial or not.”

Sawyer also stressed the importance of looking forward to 2016 and whether or not Democrats will be able to mobilize the same type of following that they did in 2008 and 2012. Sawyer suspects that if the party can bring forward a candidate that has an identical appeal to minority communities in America, a Democrat can be elected once again.

“However, the 2014 midterm elections will also be very important for Democrats if they want the President to have a greater chance of implementing his second term vision,” he said. “This all depends on how the Republicans choose to regroup post-Mitt Romney — If the Republicans do not change their current reputation as the party of old white males who coddle Wall Street, they will have an even more brutal wake up call in 2014 and 2016.”

Sawyer added that the GOP needs to broaden its base by reaching out to more non-traditional Republican voting blocks in the future because if they continue to allow Democrats to dominate among young voters, Latinos, and African Americans, they will not succeed. Mitt Romney lost this year with 60 percent of the white vote, while Obama won with the remaining 40 percent.  It is clear that the demographics of this nation are shifting towards greater percentages of minority voters, and Sawyer said if Republicans ignore this fact they will dearly pay for it in 2016 and the following elections.

The real question remains as to whether Republicans can make concessions to their staunch immigration policies in order to attract voters from previously Democratic-held constituencies.

Still, other policies could be of crucial importance as 2016 approaches. Sawyer said he believes the fiscal cliff negotiations could be a large point of attention and could benefit or damage either side as events unfold. Additionally, how the new administration will handle the new marijuana laws in Colorado and Washington, with respect to states rights, should be a substantial point of interest in the coming months. Furthermore, climate change is only becoming more and more pertinent in people’s lives as researchers’ findings point towards a rapid heating of the earth, he said.

Regardless of their stance, Republicans and Democrats can agree on some things, including what is truly important to our country looking forward. If both sides can recognize this, maybe one unthinkable concept- actually working together- might become more feasible.

The post How Can Democrats and Republicans Move Forward Post-Election? appeared first on NextGen Journal.

Two months ago, I was invited to deliver a lecture on the history of American popular music at the University of Rochester. I agreed to give the lecture, then briefly panicked, wondering how on Earth I could condense one hundred years of music history into an hour-long lecture. In the end, though, I pulled together a presentation (which can be streamed in its entirety here), and the project taught me a great deal about how to deliver a quality lecture.

1. Start preparing well ahead of time. Usually, when given a big assignment, people will procrastinate until close to the last minute. I’m guilty of doing this many times in the past. However, although a presentation can be pulled together in a short period of time, the quality will probably be poor. As such, do a bit of prep work – whether it’s researching, drafting your remarks, or rehearsing your presentation – daily. The quality of your work will be higher, your remarks will seem more thoughtful, and your stress quotient will be significantly lower.

2. The amount of necessary prep time is directly related to the scale of the presentation. If you’re giving a ten-minute presentation in class, you can start anywhere from a week to three days out. If you have to present a paper in a seminar, begin at least two weeks in advance, since you must read primary and secondary literature, then write a paper. And if you’re given a much larger project, like a twenty-page term paper or, in my case, an hour-long lecture, start your daily preparation regimen at least one month in advance.

3. Shun Wikipedia like the plague… except for the list of sources at the bottom of the page. Wikipedia is invaluable for pointing the way toward scholarly books, journal articles, and online resources. But do not rely on Wikipedia for actual research material, because the standard Wiki article is usually a watered-down treatment of a particular subject. Professors, peers, and job recruiters can tell who has actually read primary and secondary literature, and who is merely regurgitating Wiki articles. This prohibition of Wikipedia can be extended to include Spark Notes and other quick-answer websites.

4. Outline. Get all of your ideas in one place. Include both your planned remarks and a list of key sources in your outline. Sometimes, when speaking, you will asked tricky, detailed questions, and it’s good to know specific books and articles you can reference.

5. Write a substantive presentation. If you’re presenting a paper, your first focus should be the paper, but you should also put together a list of talking points for your presentation, separate from your main academic argument. If you’re giving a lecture, put every idea you have into the lecture, then prune it down a bit. I encourage you to include more material than you can cover in the time allotted, though. This will give you room to change your lecture on the spot, if needed, and gives you plenty of material to draw from during a Q&A period.

6. Cut down all filler phrases. Even though you should get all of your details and facts on paper, cut down all but the most essential technical jargon, and cut out every single adjective. Most appositive phrases need to go, too. Adjectives and asides take up time that could better be used by outlining an aspect of your argument.

7. Rehearse for an audience. Adequate rehearsal time is the key factor separating great presentations from the mediocre ones. Grab friends, family, or random people off the street, if need be, and rehearse your presentation in its entirety. By reading your argument aloud, you can edit your remarks to sound and flow better. An audience can also critique your body language, volume, enunciation, and stage presence.

On a final note, if you’re using a PowerPoint or other slideshow, use photographs judiciously. You don’t want too busy of a slideshow, because too many images will distract your audience. You, not the images behind you, should be the focal point of your presentation.

Don’t think that you can ever deliver a perfect lecture – there is always room for improvement, and you should analyze your performance after the fact. Still, with adequate preparation, you can definitely give a great presentation. Besides, the more prepared you are, the more fun you can have while presenting your work.

The post How to Give The Best Presentations appeared first on NextGen Journal.

Our aim was to create a national platform that helped elevate the voices of our generation into the national dialogue. We’ve come a long way since the original idea hit in mid-2009 and since our official launch in September 2010- tinkering, expanding, and hopefully improving along the way.

We grew our staff from a few writers at a couple of schools to a few hundred, at dozens of colleges and universities across the country. We ran articles on topics ranging from climate conferences to hip-hop classes, and e-readers to Election 2012. We interviewed Governors, Congressmen, and Presidential candidates; talked about our generation on a number of mainstream outlets, including MSNBC; and built up to a series of exciting projects during the 2012 election.

But for our team, it’s now time to move on.  At the end of November, we’re wrapping up regular operations of NextGen Journal. The site will remain live, and all content published, but we’ll suspend daily publishing for the foreseeable future.

We didn’t arrive at this decision easily. This has been an incomparable experience for myself and for many on the NextGen team.

Yet for the last several years, the 2012 Election was our big ‘thing on the horizon,’ towards which we were consistently building. Now on the other side, and with most of our projects and goals behind us, our Core team is growing older and busier. We’re nearing graduation, and some interests are changing. This Core team has always driven NextGen, and right now, it’s becoming a bit harder for us to keep up.

As one of our staff members remarked recently, the last couple of years were the perfect time for a project like NextGen- with a critical election, an opportunity to elevate a unique series of perspectives, and technology that made it all possible.

But NextGen has always been just one element of a larger cause- promoting the voices, perspectives, and interests of a rising generation. I still believe in that mission- we all do. Millennials sure aren’t perfect. Some of the time, we may even be flat-out wrong. But we’re also impacted by every decision that is made on a national and global level. We offer a new sort of perspective, and it’s one that should be heard. Young people represent an important interest, and that should always be respected.

Other groups will continue to further that mission. We hope you’ll check out our friends at The National Campus Leadership Council and OurTime.org. USA Today College is doing some great work, as is PolicyMic.

For us, though, it’s time to wrap up. In baseball, there’s a saying that it’s better to trade a player a year too early rather than a year too late. I think the same idea holds true for NextGen. For us, this just feels like the right time.

On behalf of our whole staff, I want to thank our tremendous core team for their dedication and hard work over the last few years. Chas Jhin and Aaron Weber put in hundreds of hours of work on technical projects that I usually couldn’t pronounce or fully understand.

Robert Casty, Kelsey Manning, Clint Akarmann, Tori Roeck, Thomas Grant, Kelly Keenan, John Todd, Brendan Moran, and all the rest of our Editors were incredible. Plus our excellent team on Election 2012 projects- Mike Mezzino, Jordan Jones, Charles Roesser, Julia Manning, Nick Madden, Rohan Smith, Kieley O’Connor Chapman, Noah Gray, and Madigan Stehly.

Above all, I want to thank all of you, both contributors and readers.  Although we abandoned the slogan a long time ago, many of you bought in to that original idea: “Read. Think. Post.”  You’ve made this whole thing possible, and you’ve made it a blast for us.  Thanks for following along- we’ll see you again soon.

The post NextGen Journal: Wrapping Up in 2012 appeared first on NextGen Journal.

Throughout her childhood and adolescence, Kelsey was a rare breed. By the time her love of drumming was just picking up steam, Kelsey was one of the only percussionists at her high school, Blue Springs High School in Missouri.

“I know that I am one of the only percussionists to actually have gotten a degree because people lose their passion as time passes,” Cook said.

Cook, who first picked up the drums in fifth grade, credits her passion back to her mother.

“My mom would always take me to country rock shows and somehow, since she knew somebody from the bands almost every time, I got drumsticks from the drummers and they would sign the sticks for me,” Cook said.

It was back then that Kelsey’s fascination with drumming took root and it slowly transformed into a lifelong passion.

“I just liked watching them, the hair flipping was amusing to me,” she said. “It was who I wanted to be then and who I definitely want to be now.”

Now, only a few months after graduation, Cook’s music is flourishing faster than she ever imagined it would. “I’m playing with the band, ‘The Depth and the Whisper,’ and in December we’re going to New York City,” said Cook.

Cook was granted these opportunities due to her attendance after graduation at the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles, California. “It was a summer program that recruited young artists for networking purposes and experience,” said Cook. “It was a truly interesting experience. Meeting people from different cities, states, at the actual institute brought together all aspects of life in a musical sense, which basically made it such a fun experience and connected me to a lot of people in a way I never expected.”

It was at the institute that Cook met Go-Go Ray, currently known as the best drummer in Kansas City, Missouri. As someone who has personally seen Cook play, Go-Go Ray got Cook into the two projects she originally started with: playing with “The Depth and the Whisper” and playing with Katy Guillen.

“Go-Go Ray gave me those gigs because he was originally in them himself,” said Cook, “he was the drummer, so I would fill in for him on the days he couldn’t make it. Personally, it’s an honor to have had him call me first. He basically threw me headfirst into the mix and told me, “Do your best” so I did.”

Ray told Cook that her summer had exploded and as an artist, Cook couldn’t have agreed more. “I started going to jam nights after the institute,” said Cook. “The musical chemistry just has to connect, (and) jamming with other artists really proves that.”

Cook’s next big milestone in the music industry is coming up this December as she travels to New York City with ‘The Depth and the Whisper.’ “The other members of the band have some connections and have a place where we can stay,” said Cook, “so, we’ll be going to a collection of venues on a mini-tour to try and connect with Sirius XM Radio starting December 8 and going until December 15.”

This opportunity is one Cook never imagined she’d be graced with. “Everyday since the Music Institute I’ve been doing things I’ve never done before,” said Cook. “I’ll be traveling and networking and carrying my endorsement cymbals.”

The foundation to being a successful graduate, in Cook’s own words, is to surround yourself with good people; the music industry is no different. “Living in New Orleans, the birthplace of Jazz, has become the backbone to making me the artist I hope I will one day grow to be and soon, New York will be the perfect place to start,” said Cook.

“My education came first,” said Cook, “but with connections and hard work, things really start rolling for you as long as you believe being successful is possible – dream big, stay humble and keep learning, success is one step at a time.”

Check her out on Facebook.

The post From College Student to Star Drummer: Kelsey Cook’s Story appeared first on NextGen Journal.

Indeed, Skyfall is a triumphant return to form for 007, whose momentum came to a screeching halt with 2008’s bleak successor to Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace. Rather, Skyfall is a perfect storm; a blend of the new ingredients of Daniel Craig’s run as 007 with the old, campier flavors of Bonds forgone.

Yet, quite a lot has been made about the film’s apparent piggy-backing on Christopher Nolan’s Batman films – an observation that is fundamentally hard-headed. Silva (Javier Bardem) has a lot in common with Heath Ledger’s Joker – his mannerisms, his disfiguration, his plan – and Thomas Newman’s score, at times, hearkens back to Hans Zimmer’s Batman work, but other than that, it’s a bit unfair to draw any further comparison.

Alas, director Sam Mendes did say he was inspired by The Dark Knight, but such a parallel can only be drawn to Skyfall in the most meager and superficial of terms: neither Skyfall nor The Dark Knight are particularly stupid, they look pretty (though Roger Deakins’ work on Skyfall runs circles around Nolan’s epileptic action direction) and they are dominated by their baddies.

Skyfall is its own entity, not only alongside other contemporary blockbusters, but in the Bond canon itself; a movie that is able to combine a couple different directions without ever feeling overcrowded or like it doesn’t really know who it is.

In fact, it was entirely plausible for Skyfall to suffer from an identity crisis — a lethal cocktail combining the grittiness™ of Bond’s presumed death and an attack on MI6 with the camp of Bardem’s Silva, the in-jokes with the Aston Martin from Goldfinger and a deadly Komodo dragon – but it doesn’t. Instead, it’s able to take that formula that’s worked for Bond for 50 years and keep it contemporary without throwing away the staples that got lost in Quantum of Solace.

Skyfall is indeed the sum of a lot of good parts. Bardem is a scene-stealer; a force to be reckoned with as one of the first truly memorable Bond villains in a generation. Silva doesn’t just have an underground lair, he has an entire island to himself, where he plays target practice with the sultry Sévérine (Bérénice Marlohe) after an uncomfortable first meeting with Bond. His motivations aren’t anything particularly new, sure, and at times, it’s as if he’s recalling Ledger’s Joker a bit too much, but the reveal of his disfigurement is a treat, almost as much so as the reveal of one of the iconic old Bond gadgets.

Deakins’ cinematography is breathtaking, highlighted by a swanky, neon-lit fight atop a Shanghai skyscraper. Dench and Craig in top form as always, albeit with a welcome addition of actual humor, as are newcomers Ralph Fiennes as Intelligence and Security Committee Chairman Gareth Mallory, Ben Whishaw as the snarky new Q, and Albert Finney as Kincade, the guardian of Bond’s old family home.

Mendes’ real triumph on Skyfall is that he was able to take what worked for Casino Royale and made it better. Skyfall isn’t quite as one-note as either Casino Royale, as good as it was, or Quantum of Solace. Rather, it’s able to take those more grounded arcs – Bond’s resurrection, M’s past – and weld them together with bits of fun, classic Bond formula to make a contemporary classic that never feels as if it’s got a foot stuck somewhere it shouldn’t.

Grade: A-

The post Skyfall: A Triumphant Return to Form for James Bond appeared first on NextGen Journal.

There can only be one winner. Those, including myself, celebrating an Obama victory must solemnly remember that about 60 million people voted for the other guy.  John F. Kennedy used to carry around a slip with the number 118, 574 on it, reminding him of the amount of votes by which he won the White House. A constant recognition that so many others do not agree with you and yet you are still making decisions that affect them brings a spirit of humility and reflection that the country needs.

It is only humility and reflection that will get us through this transitional time. And after a grueling, prolonged campaign season, it’s time for less posturing. It’s time to remember that while we have our opinions, our ideological camp may not have all the answers on every political issue. It’s time to reflect on how politics became so deeply hateful and disrespectful. Politics can be strategic without being demoralizing. It’s not a new concept that we have grown exceedingly polarized, but it’s reached a necessary turning point when there is more concern for which side will win the latest conflict than on how we function together as a country.

President Obama won, not because he gives “handouts” to those supposedly lazy and useless minorities or because women are just so damn addicted to their contraception. Romney lost, not because the red states only have racist voters and people just looking to defeat President Obama. Policy-making is much more complicated than these reductionist notions which both parties use, and it’s time we rise above them.

The level of polarization in this country is not only distorting and exhausting, it’s downright dangerous. When Congress can’t get anything done, the country can’t grow. There is nothing more damaging to a country than stagnancy. As we look forward to an increasingly hostile political climate and a divided Congress, we have to remember that the other party is not the enemy. As much as others have said it and as ‘after-school special’ as it sounds, we really are all in this together.

We, as a nation and as fellow citizens, need to start asking each other questions harder than ‘Who will control the Senate?’ Questions like: Why is it that a once moderate Republican leading a fairly progressive state was brought to a severely conservative stance to win his party’s primary? Why is it that so many people were only interested in defeating President Obama despite what that would mean for the country? What is at the heart of the difference in our political opinions and why is it that we are unwilling to budge from our current stances? If we can’t ever come to agree, where do we go from here?

That remains the biggest question: What do we do now? Where we go from here is not only decided by those sitting in Washington D.C. It’s a decision for everyone to make. We can continue to demonize our political opponents and dismiss their policies with disgust. Or we can look for common ground and values that we share to build understanding. It’s time to stop demanding bipartisanship from our leaders when we don’t practice it ourselves. It is only then that we can both believe in America and move forward.

The post Post-Election 2012: It’s Time To Move Forward appeared first on NextGen Journal.

Governor Romney was able to cut into President Obama’s support- but not by nearly enough to pull out a victory. Obama, who gained the votes of 66% of young Americans in 2008, retained support from 60% this year, according to exit poll data. Governor Romney’s support was below 40%.

Stay tuned to CIRCLE later today for exclusive data on youth turnout- we’ll continue to update this post as more information becomes available.

The post Early Numbers: Young Voters in President Obama’s Victory appeared first on NextGen Journal.

I’ve been spending the semester studying abroad in Istanbul, Turkey, which means that I spent last night attending an election event that didn’t even get started until 11:30 p.m.  And I thought that a seven-hour time difference made Skype inconvenient.

The event—held in a grand old, train station—was co-hosted by the US consulate, and populated by press, students, civilians, and guest speakers of both Turkish and American descent.  Previously in the night I had had the opportunity to enjoy listening to Q&As (including one with US Ambassador to Turkey, Francis Ricciardone), chatting with other attendees, being interviewed by Turkish journalists, and feasting on the free Starbucks, Krispy Kreme donuts, and Pinkberry.

As I was about to make a beeline for another latte, I noticed a group of Turkish students sitting at a nearby table and decided to sit down.  After allowing me to spend several minutes grilling them about their reasons for coming to the event, who they believed would win, and how many donuts they’d had so far, one student turned the tables and started interviewing me.

What did it mean to me, he asked, to be watching the election in Istanbul instead of in America.

I let the thought ricochet through my sleep-deprived brain, and realized that it felt strange to not spend the first election I’m legal to vote waiting in line at the polls.  In the same way that all of the Sandy destruction seemed so unreal even when I was pouring over images online, watching videos of people standing in long lines out in the rain feels so disconnected from my current reality.

At the same time though, watching the election in Istanbul while surrounded by screens splattered with projected Twitter feeds, I also felt a confirmation of the important role of social media in my life.  I may not have been watching the numbers roll in at the Syracuse University viewing party, but the Instagrammed photos and hash-tagged tweets kept me part of the conversation.

I have to admit, it also meant wishing I had spent a little more time focusing on the details of each candidate’s foreign policy: one of the things that several journalists asked my American friends and I our opinions about.  I felt the pressure to give these reporters intelligent, informed answers to their articulate questions, but found myself stumbling over my words as I tried to decide whether I thought that Mitt Romney, if elected, would increase or decrease the number of drones in Pakistan.

Along those lines, watching the election from Turkey reinforced for me how important American politics can be to other countries.  When the subject of the election came up these past two months, all of the Turks I met had an opinion.   And almost all said that they supported Obama.

“Turkey was the second country that he visited after he was elected in 2008,” one of the Turkish students told me proudly.  He said that he felt that Obama saw Turkey as a major world player, that he felt a connection to the president, and that he thought that Obama would be better than Romney at promoting peace (something that Syria-bordering Turkey is particularly concerned with right now).

At almost 7 a.m., when CNN announced Obama’s reelection, the train station erupted into echoing cheers.  My American friends and I surged, whooping, into a giant group hug.  In less than ten seconds, seven video cameras crowded in, training their lenses upon us.

In those elated moments, seeing big-screen shots of celebrations in Time Square over the shoulder of the anchor who was prodding us for our breathless, joyful reactions, the experience of watching the election unfold in Istanbul most of all meant that I felt proud to be an American.

The post Watching the Election Overseas: My Experience in Istanbul appeared first on NextGen Journal.

But until then, let’s talk about the election — one last time, I promise.

Every four years, American citizens are faced with an extremely important choice — electing the new president of the United States of America. The President of the United States is a lofty title, one that comes with much power, but also with many duties and responsibilities. We’re not just choosing the president today, we’re choosing the Chief Executive, the Head of State, the Commander-in-Chief, among many other roles.

It’s by no means an easy decision, but perhaps one of the most important ones that American voters are asked to make.

Over and over again, the candidates have publicly spelled out their positions. They’ve fought over any and every policy from the economy to education to foreign policy to healthcare. By now, it feels like many of us can recount their platforms by heart. With a 24/7 news cycle focused on the election, never-ending television ads and political memes gone viral over social media, Election 2012 has been almost impossible to ignore.

Campaigns tend to be issue-focused. It’s one of the only tangible ways to differentiate a candidate from his opponent. But, the overemphasis on policy takes away from an important aspect that should be considered when picking a president — choosing the best leader.

In an article titled Character, Policy and the Selection of Leaders, George Friedman makes the case that a president’s leadership, decision making and character are far more important than just policy platforms.

As he points out, when a president takes office, there’s no saying what his term will have in store. Historically, the most defining moments of a presidency have been unexpected, nothing voters could previously even have imagined.

Abraham Lincoln didn’t know states would start seceding as soon as he was elected. JFK couldn’t possibly have predicted the Cuban Missile Crisis. President Bush came into office wanting to focus on domestic policy, but got 9/11 instead. And in his first term, President Obama campaigned on promises of closing Guantanamo, ending the Iraq War and rebuilding American diplomatic relations around the world — the 2008 financial crash forced the economy to the top of his priorities.

The point being, rarely are presidents able to assume office and accomplish everything on their campaign to do list. While presidents do make efforts to implement their policy platforms, more often than not, they are forced to react to day-to-day events. And honestly, they won’t end up having detailed policy action plans for most of those events. Much of a president’s daily decision making is in response to immediate events based on the limited information known to him in that moment.

And, we don’t know what decisions the next four years will bring. We don’t know what the next big crisis is going to be. We don’t know what’s going to go down in the history books as the defining moment of the upcoming presidency. And there isn’t any way to know that.

But we can choose a candidate that can lead, even in the most difficult of situations. Someone who knows how to make tough decisions when they need to be made. Someone who sticks to his principles and leads with integrity. Someone that can step back and assess what’s best for the country, even when special interests are pulling in a thousand different directions.

I can’t tell you which of the presidential candidates that is. That’s your decision to make — after all, that’s what your vote is for.

But when you go to the polls today, vote not just for the policies you agree with, but for the candidate you believe in. The candidate that you feel will best be able to answer a 2 a.m. national security call or react to a natural disaster or lead in the face of an unexpected crisis.

If there’s any takeaway from Friedman’s article, it’s that character and principle are just as important as policy. Regardless of what a candidate’s campaign promises are, on day one in the White House, he’s going to have to deal with the issues at hand. And more often than not, those issues won’t neatly line up with his policy priorities during the campaign.

The post Picking a Leader, Not Just a President appeared first on NextGen Journal.