The World in LA; Los Angeles in the World

COVID-19 has fundamentally altered the way people move between countries, states, cities, and even from the house to the grocery store. Freedom of movement is a pillar of life; recent restrictions on travel between countries have made international headlines. Italy, Spain, and China have imposed lockdowns of varying degrees of severity in different regions. The United States recently blocked most flights from Europe, except for travel from the UK and travel by US citizens. Other countries have floated the idea of blocking travel from other regions as well. Recently, speculation that Mexico might shutter its borders to its neighbor to the north has caused a stir, considering the current rhetoric in the United States surrounding immigration from Mexico.  However, the most immediately visible and tragic impact of the outbreak has been the hatred and violence against East Asians in response to the association people now have between the virus and people that hail from its country of...

Since the last post on this blog, much has changed in the world. COVID-19, also known as coronavirus, has swept the globe, resulting in the infection of hundreds of thousands and deaths of thousands. Italy, China, and Spain have imposed strong lockdown measures. Today, the Los Angeles city government issued a mandate to close all bars and clubs and restricted the business of restaurants in the county. The virus has also caused a steep, preemptive decline in the stock market, which may fall further once supply chains and demand begin to more fully drop off. The virus has certainly altered the economic, political, and cultural landscape and will continue to do so in the coming weeks, months, and possibly even years. It will be informative to see how it affects the 2020 elections. I would encourage us to keep in mind the most vulnerable populations during this time of economic and medical stress: the elderly, the immuno-compromised, and those living in poverty or experiencing homeles...

Yesterday, the Jiang-Zhou household welcomed three American Field Service (AFS) international exchange students (including one currently attending Poly) and many members of the Poly and Los Angeles communities. The event centered on a panel on which the exchange students shared their experiences in the States. Moderated by Global Scholars Aaron and Jacqueline, the students discussed the similarities and differences between their respective home countries—Bulgaria, Germany, and Chile—and the United States. The afternoon began, however, with mingling over assorted snacks and dishes, some of which were from the aforementioned countries. Naturally, conversation about the subject matter of the event ensued; perhaps following only deliberate opportunities to discuss these issues, I think breaking bread is the best way to engage with others from different backgrounds. During the panel, the students answered questions about cultural stereotypes, academic differences, and adjustment to lif...

This past Wednesday, the Poly community had the pleasure of hosting Dr. Michael SanClements, a soil scientist, biogeochemist, and author of Plastic Purge. SanClements addressed a crowd of middle and upper schoolers, faculty, and families along with the 2020 and 2021 Global Scholars cohorts. In his talk, he detailed how he first became interested in climate science, how his research developed and took him to all seven continents, and how he began combining his knowledge of the fields of environmental science with journalism and literature. For the remainder of his speech, he outlined and offered solutions to the problems plastic present for the United States and the world. To begin, he explained how plastic first gained popularity; it was invented in a competition to replace ivory billiard balls. The material’s properties, SanClements argued, make it an unparalleled pollutant: its durability, low cost, and multifunctionality make it a sort of supermaterial for commercial goods and ...

This past Wednesday, Global Scholar Mady Burke facilitated an engaging panel on religion in Israel/Palestine. She invited and supported discussion between members of the three major faith groups represented in the region, the Abrahamic faiths. Bishop John Taylor, the Los Angeles Bishop of the Episcopal Church, was the individual from the Christian faith on the panel; Marium Mohiuddin, who works in interfaith communication, from the Muslim faith; and Eliana Kaya, an interfaith facilitator and former soldier in the Israeli Defense Forces, from the Jewish faith. The event started slow, with two of the panelists caught up in unusually heavy traffic even by Los Angeles standards. A few minutes before they were to arrive, Mady began by introducing herself and why she elected to carry out this capstone project. She shared about her semester abroad in Israel and the differences she noticed in the role, or lack thereof, religion played abroad and at home. Once all the panelists were in atte...