Scratching in the Wall

I half expected to wake up this morning to a family of possums snuggled up in my living room. The scratching began underneath the bathtub and has remained there for months. I told my landlord, and when he didn't seem concerned, I tried to take the same stance. Unfortunately, the creature that lives underneath my house and now inside the walls is not quiet! A couple native Floridians have told me that it is most likely fruit rats seeking warmth. I think it is a bigger animal,  but maybe this fruit rat just has really big claws and is really clumsy. Whatever it is, it is nocturnal and loves nothing more than to keep me awake. C'est La vie.

Yesterday, was a day riddled with obstacles. Monday afternoon I spent quality hours of my life completing my Experimental Design and Analysis (for IBM SPSS Statistics) final project. This class has certainly been my nemesis and has kept me frustrated all semester. I put a lot of effort into this project and was very satisfied with it as I sent it off to my professor via Turn-it-in. I went to Sawgrass Lake Park with Tommy and afterward to work, feeling light and free. Monday night I come home from work to find an email waiting from my Professor. He did not receive my word file, only my SPSS output file. !!!!!!!!

For the first time EVER! I had not saved my work or sent myself a copy. There was some kind of glitch with Turn-it-in and now I am shaking with panic. Ander, my friend who tutors in the Student Success Center where I had completed my work said not to worry, the file would be there in the morning. Unfortunately, Ander was wrong. The computers in the lab go in to deep freeze overnight and most files are erased to save space on public computers. Curtis (one of our Tech wizzes on campus) did all he could to thaw the deep freeze but was unable to recover my file. So I did it all over again. I don't think it was as spectacular as it was the first time, but it was the best I had...

Furthermore, my thesis documentary fought me as I tried to copy it from my hard drive. It first wanted to take six hours to render. It is One hour and ten minutes long! I bought two hour dvd's. Somehow it wasn't long enough. It got to the very end of the documentary (after almost two hours of rendering). I am talking the last thirty two seconds and told me the DVD wasn't large enough. AGGHHHHHH! So after redoing my Statistics final project I went to five stores trying to find the right DVD's. Finally I found them at Office Depot.

Then, Stacey calls and says the city (after we have received inspection and approval by the fire marshall) said that we cannot have anything outside in the parking lot the night of my show. We were wanting to put the food and vendor tents outside to make room for our guests inside the intimate venue.

That was my day yesterday. The good news is, I turned in my thesis (DVD's and all), Stacey and I are meeting today to put our creative heads together and find a way to make Saturday night smooth and beautiful, and I have one more final left to take.

I swear, someone should teach me how to do cartwheels so I can cartwheel my way across the stage at graduation!

Thank you all for the continued love and support.

~Rain.

Her Last Stand

            America the great has stood as a hegemonic power since the 1890’s (Flint & Taylor, 2007: p. 55). Large portions of this semester we have discussed how long we envision America remaining in the seat of hegemony. The world has become more connected thanks to the digital age. The world has begun to see America for who she truly is. The world has begun to contest much of what we stand for. In a brilliant article, Socialization and Hegemonic Power (Ikenberry & Kupchan, 1990), the authors state how imperative it is for the elite (as opposed to the masses) to emulate the hegemonic culture that has been articulated. Socialization of the hegemon simply cannot take place without this emulation by the elite. This is America’s greatest threat.

            Already the world is juxta-positioned on the precipice of a catalyst. We are hovering between the way the world once worked and the new global digital society being forged daily. The new hegemon may be a corporation or perhaps this newly forged world will need not hegemonic power at all. Of course there are still international theorists who use American exceptionalism to argue that she will not fall to the same fate as past hegemons (Layne, 2006). Only time may tell what shall truly come to pass.

            What is obvious at this moment is that America is no longer this great mystery miracle melting pot to most of the globe. Most of the globe now has access to the same internet we do and those who do not most likely soon will. Our façade of “justice and liberty for all” is now recognized as a mask and much of what we do is being questioned by countries which are beginning to think for themselves. What will America mean to the world of tomorrow? How long can America stand strong in the face of truth? How long can America convince the world she always cared? How long can America make this new digital world believe her way is the best?    

            The greatest opportunity lying dormant for America would be to roll with the changing times. If America were to become more global; if America were to become involved in other cultures around the globe; if America were to be as passionate about learning as she was about funding wars; if America was willing to evolve, America may show the world why she became a leader in the first place. This generation of up and coming American leaders are studying hard, they are getting involved in global politics, they are travelling the world and reading incredible books, and they are ready for the world of tomorrow. America’s greatest opportunity can be realized through her youth.

            The only way we can make a sound tomorrow for this undulating world, is to recognize how we impact one another not merely economically but culturally, intellectually and spiritually. This generation of graduates is looking at things without the rose colored glasses of American exceptionalism. This generation of graduates is willing to debate for what they believe in. This generation of graduates is well versed on the wars and politics that drive them around the world. What the United Nations began, a true global council could finish. The best thing America could do to solidify her status in the upcoming global shift would be to lead the way into the dawning of a new age. Of course, it is most certain there will always be wars, and there will probably also always be greed and manipulation; however, the countries of the world stand to learn much from one another and America should lead the way. The articulation of the American culture did not honor the original statements made in the declaration of Independence. This is the day and the time for America the Great to redeem herself. Should she choose to refuse this great opportunity, she will instead witness her Last Stand.

References:

Flint, C., & Taylor, P. J. (2007). Political geography: world-economy, nation-state, and locality. Pearson Education.

Ikenberry, G. J., & Kupchan, C. A. (1990). Socialization and hegemonic power. International organization, 44(03), 283-315.

Layne, C. (2006). The unipolar illusion revisited: The coming end of the United States' unipolar moment. International security, 31(2), 7-41.