Last week, we saw the world glance at a CNN notification on their phone: a new school shooting. 17 this time. Suspect was “deeply troubled.” The conversation turned towards the usual: thoughts and prayers. Mental health. Not the time. Let them grieve. Not the time. When is the time to talk? The amazing shift, after … More Skills of a Teacher in 2018 – Part One
Throughout my study of Peace and Justice, I have taken Introduction to Peace and Justice Studies, Social Inequalities, Social Change and Political Action (abroad), Feminist Theology, Bioethics (currently), and Capstone to Peace and Justice Studies. In addition to my coursework, I have worked with the Interfaith Youth Core, worked as a Community Organizer at the … More How My Mind Has Changed
I fell into restorative justice and prison reform accidentally. But just like each of my earlier understandings, my passion for the topic became genuine. In the end, the way we arrive at our understanding is perhaps less important than what we do once we reach it. Appealing to ignorance in the face of social injustice is one thing, as I could have in high school, but now that I’ve been made aware of the injustice, it is my moral responsibility to act in anyway that I can. … More Accidentally Falling into Social Justice
**I apologize for any spelling or grammar errors you may find in this piece. I wrote it quickly and passionately and then got too angry to look well for errors.** De Pere, Wis., has a sister city in Sweden – Amal. A small, beautiful city in Western-Central Sweden, in 2010 it held 9,065 citizens. But … More People from s##thole countries already knew they weren’t wanted
I’ve been home for several weeks now, and I still cannot comprehend the wonderful adventures I was able to have and memories I was able to make while I was abroad. In just four months, I visited eleven countries, traveled through more cities than I care to count, and met so many wonderful people that … More My Five Days of Doing British Things, Then Coming Home
Around Christmas in 2011, I met a girl online on a site called Goodreads. I had a Goodreads account before I had a Facebook account, which might give you a better understanding of who I wanted to be and thought I was in high school. Her name was Sophie Andrews, and we were astonished to … More Basildon Park: Featured in Downton Abbey and Pride and Prejudice (2005)
Paris goes by many names: “The City of Light,” “The City of Love,” “The Place Where I Got Engaged!” Just two weeks ago I spent the weekend in Paris, and in addition to seeing the sights and wonders that Paris would normally bring, I got to say yes to my love of over four years … More Paris, France
Hyde Park Kensington Gardens Green Park St. James’s Park Kew Gardens Crystal Palace Park Greenwich Park Morden Hall Park Hampstead Heath and Highgate Cemetery Regent’s Park Victoria Park – unfortunately I have no pictures of Victoria Park, but it was a lot like St. James’s!
After spending five nights in Dublin – a long stretch at any one hostel that brought about many odd looks from the receptionists – I hopped on an early morning plane to Brussels, Belgium. Brussels was never really on my radar as a tourist, and you can tell from the city itself that most European … More Brussels, Belgium
Contrasting to my first two days in Ireland, my last two were spent in the capitol city of Dublin. Dublin is a city packed with history and charm, and just like Edinburgh was small enough to be able to traverse easily in a day. I stayed at a hostel downtown, which I loved because the area … More Dublin, Ireland
Mary M. McConnaha 