For most people, a dream summer vacation involves cabins, lakes and sunny fun. But Maria Blue's recent layoff from her care-taking job has left her spending the summer break skimming through classified ads.
"I've never taken off time for vacation," she said. "So this is kind of my vacation."
It's not often that a seventh-grade student is interested in debating the philosophical dichotomy of greed and giving within society, but Rebecca Johnson isn't a normal middle school student either.
The 13-year-old pianist, percussionist and composer from Arden Hills was recently recognized by Kids Philosophy Slam for submitting the "most musical entry" in the nation. Her composition, she said, reflected her stance on this year's topic: "Greed or Giving: Which has a greater impact on society?"
By Kathryn Nelson, April 21, 2009, and used by the Associated Press and Reuters. (PDF)
Activist-actress kicks off world-wide Darfur Fast for Life for starving innocents in Sudan
Washington, DC-- Activist-actress Mia Farrow announced the Darfur Fast for Life today—a hunger strike in
Introduction
By Kathryn Nelson, Stop Genocide Now, March 15, 2009.
Media Alert
March 15, 2009
Stop Genocide Now activists living outside Federal Building
Coordinating Tuesday rally to demand action for victims of Darfur
4.7 million innocent people are currently affected by the genocide occurring in Darfur, Sudan - that’s more than the populations of Los Angeles and San Francisco, CA put together.
By Kathryn Nelson, Minnesota LTAP, January 1, 2009. (PDF)
Did you know that if the world population were reduced to 100 people, 61 of them would be from Asia, 12 from Europe, 13 from Africa, and 14 from the Western Hemisphere? Or that only 7 would speak English? How about the 69 people who would practice a religion other than Christianity?
By Kathryn Nelson, The Minnesota Daily, November 29, 2008. (PDF)
Featured on Google News Service.
Approximate deaths since 1998 due to civil unrest: 5.4 million
Estimated deaths every month: 45,000
Number of people displaced in the last year: 1 million
These are statistics from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a central African nation roughly a quarter the size of the United States, whose people are being exploited for the riches buried underneath their feet.
By Kathryn Nelson, Transportation Engineering and Road Research Alliance, April 1, 2008. (PDF)
TERRA members collaborate to fund research into cold-weather performance of pervious concrete
By Kathryn Nelson, The Minnesota Daily, September 18, 2008. (PDF)
In the last month, the small Caribbean nation of Haiti has flickered as a blip on the map of international crises thanks to its recent clashes with four storms, including Hurricane Ike.
The aftermath of these storms has left 151,000 refugees and more the 300 people dead, though the government stopped counting bodies days ago.
By Kathryn Nelson, The Minnesota Daily, September 4, 2008. (PDF)
Barack-mania: Not just a Western phenomenon
It was increasingly difficult to comprehend why Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama continued to draw criticism for his lack of foreign policy experience this past summer. But maybe that was because everyone around me was cheering on his every move — and they lived halfway around the world.
