I WRIT340, therefore i am 340

Santa Cruz Surf Foundation for the Empowerment of Women Our goal is to give women in the Santa Cruz and outer areas the opportunity to empower each other through conversation, organizing, and surfing. For years women have been silenced and disempowered by society whether through voting rights, the wage gap, assault, or plain sexism. The Santa Cruz Surf Foundation offers all women, young, old, trans, lesbian...all women the chance to share stories and collaborate on strategizing a better future for women. We believe this type of local activism and resilience is a small yet effective step towards making the world a better place for all of us. Assault, catcalling, wage gaps and silenced women are all struggles that are too often not talked about. These phenomena are rampant in Santa Cruz County and now is the time for women to speak. It is rare that large groups of women get to share experiences or ideas if there is no organized way to do it. We hope to help fellow women realize th...

Tonight I ate at The Bazaar by José Andrés to celebrate my anniversary. Now, I’m not going to lie, my love for everything José Andrés is not new. I wouldn’t classify it as stalking, but if he releases a new product or restaurant, you best believe I’m there. Andrés is an immigrant from Mieres, Spain, known not only for his amazing food, but his anti-Trump activism. He even shut down five of his restaurants in support of the ‘Day Without Immigrants.’ He has chains across several countries as well as manages a handful of restaurants. Regardless of political stance, you can’t deny he is an admirable businessman.  All Bazaar locations are found within SLS (Service Luxury Style) hotels. The interior of the La Cienega location is reason enough to pay the restaurant a visit. There are large screens with visuals of monkeys dressed in tuxedos, bright red carpets, eccentric couches to sit on as well as a variety of different chairs and tables. The whole building looks like the inside of ...

I have visited Mexico, Australia, The Bahamas, and a handful of states. I am endlessly grateful for these experiences however, comparatively, I am not well traveled in the slightest. Thus, who am I to say what would make the world a better place, when all I truly know is my world? Further, small, gradual change is the best catalyst to global change, meaning: local change leads to global change. Thus my recommendation for a better world will mainly refer to the US, the state of California and communities within it, for this is what I know best. I truly believe the first step to an immediately better world is impeaching Donald Trump. It really has little do with politics but simply the principle that the United States will only take steps backwards as long as he is in power. He only perpetuates institutional racism, sexism, and xenophobia through his speech, policy, and demeanor. We live in a very complacent society and it saddens me to believe that Trump even had the remote possibil...

I recently visited New York and had the best meal I believe I will ever eat in my entire life. The meal took place at Chef David Chang's, Momofuku Ssåm Bar. Located on Second Avenue in the East Village, the Ssåm Bar is a dimly lit restaurant surrounded by chic bars at walking distance. When walking down the street the spot might be easily passed as it lies rights on the corner and signage is minimal. When you enter there are booth seats, a bar, small tables and a room in the back. The kitchen is fully visible and the walls made of finished wood, giving the atmosphere a modern feel.  I sat in the back room at a small wooden table. I started off the meal Benton's Country ham. This high salinity slice of prosciutto cut by simple sourdough slice worked amazing. The meat was fresh and though the saltiness was pungent, the flavor of the pork was not lost. Next was the Roasted Savoy Cabbage. I can not stress enough how amazing this dish is. Served with sliced ham jerky and a lemo...

The second half of Chuck Collins' Born on Third Base  covers ideas such as the issues with charity, the Divest-Invest movement, resilience groups, accompaniment, and coming home. I was hoping this half of the book would convince me that Collins' propositions aren't totally idealistic, but I was let down. Albeit there is value in his bringing attention to causes such as resilience groups and Divest-Invest, these (in my opinion) are farfetched solutions to a wealth gap that is a product of greed. That said, would I adopt some of his strategies simply as a lifestyle? Absolutely. Would I recommend the book to anyone? Yes, on the pretense that the only reason Collins' has the platform to talk about these issues is because he was born into riches and he is a white man. Minority voices, the ones actually experiencing these intense inequalities, are the voices we should be hearing. Collins' idea of coming home refers to allowing yourself to stay around family, stay in the...

AMDP final TO: Clark Hansen, CEO, AMDP FROM: Ellen Woolf, R&D, AMDP DATE: July 1, 2018 SUBJECT: Investment Opportunity As head of the Resource and Development team at AMDP my weekly task is to find companies to invest in. The company must meet the AMDP standards, which include meeting the Triple Bottom Line, Corporate and Social Responsibility, Social Enterprise, and reducing Carbon Footprint. VETTA is one of few clothing companies focused on minimalism and sustainability, all while maintaining high fashion status and in turn, profit. After conducting in depth research, I believe VETTA will provide the greatest return on AMDP’s investment. AMDP Standards To provide a rubric of my analysis, I will clarify exactly what AMDP is looking for… Triple Bottom Line expands the focus of the financial bottom line to the three P’s… People- considering the well being of consumers, employees, and the general public Planet- the company is sustainable and has a minima...