This is the second of two profiles of Learning Life’s fall 2015 student interns. This fall, our two bright and capable interns, Samantha MacFarlane and Ian Ball, are drafting new quizzes, facts and big questions for Learning Life’s website, assisting with community research, and helping in other ways for which we are grateful. To learn more about interning with Learning Life contact us atemail@learninglife.info.
Where were you born and raised?
I was born and raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I grew up close to Harvard University and spent much of my childhood reading and playing soccer in BAYS (Boston Area Youth Soccer).
What is your school, year and major?
I’m currently a senior majoring in organizational sciences and minoring in Mandarin Chinese at George Washington University.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I enjoy reading fantasy novels and watching action movies, and try to hone my skills at Super Smash Bros. with my fraternity brothers and friends.
What is the most beautiful place you have seen on Earth, and why is it so beautiful?
I think the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen would be the Classical Gardens of Suzhou in Jiangsu, China. I only got to see two or three of the gardens during my stay, but these ancient gardens are filled with classical architecture, beautiful flowers and tranquil ponds. The effort and skill put into the stonework and landscaping of these scholars’ gardens is truly something to behold.
Is there a particular life experience you have had that has shaped you as a person? If so, what was it, and how has it shaped who you are?
Just before starting high school I began taking lessons in Soo Bahk Do, a traditional Korean martial art. It was both physically and mentally strenuous, and the discipline I learned while training there is something I have taken with me into every facet of life.
Why did you choose to intern with Signia Surfaces?
I applied to intern with Signia Surfaces because I was interested in giving back to DC communities while I attended college here. Growing up near Harvard University showed me the value of knowledge and Learning Life keeps people informed about the issues.
What are your career plans?
I’d like to go into management consulting in China; there I can work to improve relations within American joint ventures and enjoy fine Chinese cuisine while I’m doing it.
Intern Spotlight: Samantha MacFarlane
This is the first of two profiles of Learning Life’s fall 2015 student interns. This fall, our two bright and capable interns, Samantha MacFarlane and Ian Thomas, are drafting new quizzes, five facts and big questions for Learning Life’s website, assisting with community research, and helping in other ways for which we are grateful. To learn more about interning with Learning Life contact us atemail@learninglife.info.
Where were you born and raised?
I was born in Miami and raised in South Florida, splitting weekends between the beach and Disney World.
What is your school, year and major?
I’m a senior at Georgetown University, studying Culture and Politics in Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I like to listen to music and walk around the neighborhood or city, especially in the fall. I’m also a big fan of Netflix and watching documentaries with friends.
What is the most beautiful place you have seen on Earth, and why is it so beautiful?
Last Christmas, I was abroad in Morocco with an American friend. We had our own makeshift Christmas Eve with hot chocolate and Christmas music on his laptop as we sat in the backyard of our hostel in a small mountain town. Miles away from major cities, I saw more stars that night than ever before and got to make lots of shooting-star wishes.
Is there a particular life experience you have had that has shaped you as a person? If so, what was it, and how has it shaped who you are?
I studied abroad last year in Morocco and Senegal, which was the longest I’d been away from my friends and family in the United States. Stripped of the comforts of familiarity, and even my native language, my experiences and friendships were genuine and eye-opening. I learned a lot about myself and about how things work in other parts of the world, which has also given me a new perspective on the US since I’ve gotten back. I’m still working on it, but my year abroad showed me how to slow down, spend time with friends and family, and not get so caught up in the process of working, studying, and chasing money.
Why did you choose to intern with Learning Life?
Learning Life is driven by values that resonate with my own beliefs. The importance given to empowerment through education is lacking worldwide, and this internship allows me to work for that cause while gaining valuable research and writing skills.
What are your career plans?
I would eventually like to work with NGOs (non-governmental organizations) in developing countries, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa addressing issues of education or human rights. For the moment I’m looking at opportunities for service abroad before starting real life.
International Migration
People move across national borders for various reasons, including the pull of family and economic opportunity, and the push of violence or the threat thereof. The following five facts offer a quick take of current migration dynamics and trends worldwide.
Thanks to Learning Life intern Samantha MacFarlane for her assistance in researching and writing these facts.
Top five immigrant countries
The five countries with the largest number of immigrants in 2015 were:
The USA has 5% of the world’s population, but 20% of the world’s migrants, and is the only industrialized nation in the world where over 25% of its migrants are illegal.
Since World War II, substantial improvements in communications (especially the internet, social media and cell phones) and transportation as well as the expansion of human rights have facilitated international migration.
The number of refugees, those displaced by war, or seeking asylum has reached an all-time high: nearly 60 million people worldwide at the end of 2015, compared to 51 million in 2013, and 38 million in 2005.
The main cause of the growth is the war in Syria. Those fleeing conflicts in Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia comprised 53% of refugees worldwide in 2014. Lebanon, Jordan and Nauru (an island nation in the Pacific) were the top host countries for refugees in 2014, by proportion of their countries’ populations.
Many if not all Americans are aware that money plays a large role in American elections, but fewer people know exactly how. Check out these five facts on election campaign finance to check your knowledge, or learn more.
Thanks to Learning Life intern Samantha MacFarlane for helping to research and write these facts.
Federal Election Spending More than Triples in 14 Years
Spending on election campaigns has increased substantially nationwide. In federal elections (i.e., elections for Congress and the President), total spending by candidates, parties and interest groups increased from $1.6 billion to $6.3 billion from 1998 to 2012. The split between Democrats’ and Republicans’ spending fluctuates between 40% and 60%, often leaving 1% just to third party spending.
Below are the spending totals during the last four presidential elections. Click here for the spending totals during mid-term Congressional elections in 1998, 2002, 2006, and 2010.
There are spending limits for individuals but not for all organizations. For 2015-16 federal elections, individuals can give up to $2,700 to a candidate per election, and PACs (political action committees) and parties can give up to $2,700 or $5000 depending on the type of organization.
However, due to the U.S. Supreme Court’s controversial Citizens United v. FEC decision in 2010, political organizations can, separately, collect and spend an unlimited amount to attack or support any federal candidate, so long as these organizations do not formally coordinate with any particular candidate (see below for more on Citizens United v. FEC).
Less than one-third of one percent of Americans (0.31%) give $200 or more to a political candidate, party or PAC, and this tiny minority is responsible for 67% of all individual contributions.
Federal elections are largely financed by special interest groups trying to promote their own goals and ideologies. Among the many special interests putting money in politics, finance (banks, investment firms, insurance companies, real estate investors) give the most.
The financial sector often splits contributions between the two major parties, leaning slightly towards the party in power. Most business groups give more to Republicans, but unions, lawyers, lobbyists, and communications & electronics industries tend to give more to Democrats.
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)
In this landmark decision, the U.S. Supreme Court opened the way for even more money in politics. The Court’s majority ruled that the First Amendment, which asserts the freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition, protects, as a form of speech, independent organizations’ (e.g., businesses, labor unions, political action committees) right to produce media supporting or opposing particular candidates. These groups can now spend unlimited amounts to broadcast political messages supporting or opposing candidates as long as they are not collaborating with a candidate or party and no financial transactions between the two are involved. Following this case, some groups became “Super PACs” — political action committees that can engage in political advertising without limits on their income and spending.
What is your school, year and major?
