Hi friends —

Happy September! I spent the week at home in Baltimore, MD, and I'm slowly getting ready for the quarter to start in three weeks. I think I'm taking on a lot, but I think they're manageable and enjoyable. I'll keep my sanity in check, but definitely reach out to me if you notice anything off.

Rose Bud Thorn🌹🌷🌵

🌹 So many tiny highlights while at home this week (from eating my mom's Jollof and waache to visiting my mentor, Eli, and catching up with Hopkins' Center for Social Concern staff), but the highlight was visiting my sister in her new apartment in DC. This is the first time she's living by herself like an adult, and it still feels strange that we're growing up.

🌵 The thorn in my side was sorting out my Teacher Assistantship dilemma for the fall quarter — basically, I didn't want to take on too much, but I want to minimize the loans I'm taking out. I think they've been resolved — I'm waiting on some logistics before it's all official.

🌷 In addition to TAing, I'll be researching with a professor, and I'm surprisingly looking forward to it. The work revolves around dams — from resilience to managing and communicating risks to the public and other experts. It's not in my specific field; however, I think there are several lessons I can take away from doing this work!

Book Talk📚

I read two books this week — Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell and Intimacies by Katie Kitamura. You can read my full reviews on Goodreads here, but here are some snippets of my thoughts:

Talking with Strangers x Malcolm Gladwell

Talking to Strangers was not the book I thought would be. I was expecting an Adam Grant or James Clear type of self-help book about why we must talk to strangers and how to do so. Instead, Malcolm Gladwell constructs a lesson about a fundamental aspect of our lives through an example where it all goes wrong -- Sandra Bland's interaction with the police. Her death was so much more than just the specific incident but everything that created the condition for the incident and the aftermath of those events leading to her death.

Intimacies x Katie Kitamura

There was a lot of hype around Intimacies (especially since it was on Obama's Summer Recs List) however I don't think I connected with the story in anyway... I almost didn't finish reading it. I'd say the central theme throughout the story and the author's writing is "communication" -- from the unnamed protagonist's role as an interpreter to the author's strong and clear language that keeps the reader at arm's length and the often silence (whether over text messages or in-person). I think maybe I was just frustrated by how mundane it all felt. The most interesting parts to me were actually when we were dealing with the ex-president on trial in the Court (so the protagonist's job). I'm reading some reviews now and maybe I missed something so I might revisit this another time!

Intentional Content Consumption📰

TV — Superman & Lois

• I am not the biggest fan of superhero TV shows because the "villain of the week with minor character growth while setting up a season-long conflict over 25 episodes" is so exhausting. However, S&L is different. First, it looks stunning — like it should be a movie! Second, the take on the Superman story is incredible. This show isn't an origin story; rather, it is about a fully realized Superman dealing with modern fatherhood. The characters are great, and they deal with real issues, like anxiety. The dialogue is fantastic — the characters can convey complex emotions very clearly. Finally, the story is great — it constantly subverts expectations and is overall endearing. I finished the 15 episode season this week, and I can't wait for the next season.

Article — The Harsh Climate Reality

• This week saw Hurricane Ida devastate cities across the East Coast — most notably NYC, with about 46 people losing their lives due to overall inadequate preparation for the storm. To be more specific, many of the lives lost were due to basement flooding — locations not designed to be lived in; however, this still raises points about inequity and overall infrastructural preparation. The NYT article above provides the reality check that there's a limit to our resilience-building rate, so we must act now. Two points I really like were:

...in the United States, where efforts to adapt and mitigate American cities for severe storms and rising seas have been plodding. There are many reasons: Government’s reluctance to impose on private property, a legacy of racial and economic injustice, and a system of governance and regulation that often moves far slower than the hastening pace of climate change.

Even with the right projects designed and funding in hand, climate change is outpacing the speed at which American communities can fortify themselves.

• Part of my series on climate and infrastructure justice will examine the impacts of sea-level rise and storms through an equity lens and discuss ways to mitigate them.

Jams🎶

Spotify added a "Blends" feature to compare your music with someone else and make a shared playlist for the two of you. My sister and I have 57% music compatibility; however, I've enjoyed all the songs from her library. So go ahead and check it out with a loved one! You can find mine and Eyram's here.

This Week's Video 📹

Recording a video a home was a bit more challenging than I expected. So much so that I thought about skipping posting this week. However, I figured there would be tough times, so I did my best. I hope I built some resilience for persevering when things get busy this fall. Enjoy the video on succeeding when starting a new term at school.

Thanks for reading and reflecting this week! If you aren't subscribed to get this in your inbox weekly, you can here!

Best,
Awoe ✌🏾