Week 16: "Saudi Women Shatter the Lingerie Ceiling" - NY Times

1. Women in Saudi Arabia are finally being able to sell lingerie and cosmetics in retail shops.
2. Gives more concrete women's rights to Saudi women, who are usually restricted by Shari'a law and religious police. 
3. Because of the increasing number of women in Saudi Arabia who are getting educated, the government is realizing the effect of their economic output on the country's economy as a whole if they hold jobs. 
4. This may lead to more freedoms for Saudi women, such as the ability to drive in Saudi Arabia without a male escort or hold a variety of jobs. 

This relates to me because of its impact on women's rights as a whole. Although the prospects for completely equal rights has increased over the past 100 years, the progress in the Middle East regarding women's rights has been significantly less than the progress in Western countries. However, because of the increased need for Middle Eastern countries to become involved in the Western economy, many Middle Eastern countries are acquiescing and allowing more rights to be had for women in their country. This does indicate more progress, but the gap between women's rights in Western countries and women's rights in Middle Eastern countries is still very large. 

Source: Lippman, Thomas W. "Saudi Women Shatter the Lingerie Ceiling." New York Times. 21 Jan 2012: n. page. Web. 12 Feb. 2012.<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/opinion/sunday/saudi-women-break-a-barrier-the-right-to-sell-lingerie.html?ref=middleeast>. 

Week 15: "The True Cost of High School Dropouts" - NY Times

1. The amount of high-school-age kids dropping out of high school is a growing problem in the USA. 
2. A high-school graduate is more likely to pursue a higher-education degree and therefore end up making significantly more income throughout their life.
3. Every high-school graduate benefits taxpayers with an extra $127,000 over their lifetime, and has a 50-100% increase in lifetime income compared to an adult who didn't graduate from high-school.
4. Our economic competitors, in Europe and Asia particularly, are increasing their number of high school graduates while the US' number of high school graduates is dropping - this will negatively affect our economy. 

As a high school student, this issue heavily impacts my life. Although I know that I will not be dropping out of high school, I understand that this is a very prevalent issue in the US, especially in poorer areas. The state of our future economy is also influenced by the amount of money many American citizens are making in relation to the rest of the world; therefore, it is also influenced by the number of high-school graduates the US is responsible for (because high-school graduation has such an impact on a person's lifetime income). This article also serves as way to highlight the importance of education in America, and how the failing of the American education system will do nothing to help the future of the country.

Source: Levin, Henry M., and Cecilia E. Rouse. "The True Cost of High School Dropouts." New York Times. 25 Jan 2012: n. page. Web. 5 Feb. 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/26/opinion/the-true-cost-of-high-school-dropouts.html?_r=1&ref=contributors>.

Week 14: "The lasting impact of good teachers" - CNN

1. A good teacher in a student's life substantially impacts the student's later life by way increasing the chance that the student attends college, earns more money, and avoids teenage pregnancy.
2. A study conducted by Raj Chetty, John N. Friedman, and Jonah E. Rockoff evaluated teachers by using the 'value added' method - the average improvement that a student of a specific teacher has throughout the course of a year. 
3. The difference between a low VA teacher and a high VA teacher's presence in a student's life can amount to a sizable sum - up to $2.5 million dollars lost/gained.
4. Teachers are the second most influential people in a child's life, next to a child's parents.

As a student who has had her share of good and bad teachers, it is interesting to learn about the impact that a teacher can have on a student - not just during the school year, but decades after graduation. This only adds importance to educational professions, which are usually underrated. The relevance of teachers in society and the influence that they have on the success of a country and the future of the world is higher than most think.

Source: Bennett, William J. "The lasting impact of good teachers."CNNOpinion. 11 Jan 2012: n. page. Web. 22 Jan. 2012. <http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/11/opinion/bennett-good-teachers/index.html?hpt=op_bn4>.

Week 13: Synthesis - How Thomas L. Friedman Views Society

By observing his column for about a month, one can see that Tom Friedman views society through a largely liberal lens and is particularly interested in international current events, and the impact that these events will have on the future of the world and the future of the US. His ardent support of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its efforts to work with the Department of Transportation to increase the average mileage made by all cars manufactured by US automakers shows his concern for the state of the current environment, and how he believes that the government should intervene in order to encourage a more 'green' America. This belief is shared by mostly liberals, because many conservatives believe that the US government has no right to 'restrict' private businesses with deals like the one in process between the EPA and the Dept. of Transportation. Tom Friedman also displays a concern for the world as a whole and shows how his views are not always US-centric by discussing the protests in Syria in his column. He discusses the impact that the protests in Syria will have on the stability of it's government, and the potential impact that this could have on the rest of the Middle East (and maybe even the USA). 

Week 12: The Next First (and Only) 100 Days - Thomas L. Friedman, NY Times

This week, Tom Friedman's column discusses the concept of 'The First 100 Days', and the conflicts that the next President will need to address (and hopefully solve) in the next 'First 100 Days'. First off, Tom Friedman mentions the gargantuan job crisis on which the future President will have to focus. He categorizes this crisis into three sub-crises: the crisis that resulted from the drop in consumer demand for goods/services, the crisis that resulted from citizens in long-term unemployment, and the crisis that resulted from I.T. job relocation to countries like India and China. By doing this, Friedman emphasizes the scope and scale of the crisis, and how difficult the resolution of this mega-crisis will be for the next President. To help alleviate this crisis, Friedman suggests the implementation of a short-term stimulus that expands the job markets of the future middle class, which no longer has the jobs in manufacturing American goods to depend upon. He calls upon President Obama and any future Presidents to implement a stimulus focused on 'jobs of the future' and the growth of hubs and networked urban areas.

Source: Friedman, Thomas L. "The Next First (and Only) 100 Days." New York Times. 10 Dec 2011: n. page. Web. 10 Dec. 2011. <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/11/opinion/sunday/friedman-the-next-first-and-only-100-days.html?ref=thomaslfriedman>.

Week 11: "This Is a Big Deal" - Thomas L. Friedman, NY Times

This week, Tom Friedman's column discusses the potential impact of the deal between the E.P.A and the Department of Transportation. This deal calls for annual mileage improvements of 5 percent for cars (and about 5 percent for light trucks and S.U.V.'s) until 2025. It also requires that all automobiles made by U.S. automakers must reach an average mileage of 54.5 mpg in 2025. Tom Friedman applauds this step towards making the U.S. more environmentally friendly and the U.S. cars significantly more efficient. He also emphasizes the impact that this deal will have on the U.S.'s energy and environmental agendas, and how this deal will shine a positive light on President Obama (because of his support). Tom Friedman references different  organizations, such as the Global Automakers trade association and the Safe Climate Campaign of the Center for Auto Safety to highlight the positive results this deal encourages. He criticizes the conservatives who are against this deal, emphasizing the negative impact that their anti-E.P.A. efforts had on the US economy and auto industry and sarcastically claiming that their efforts are, "a thing to be proud of."

Source: Friedman, Thomas L. "This Is a Big Deal." New York Times. 04 Dec 2011: n. page. Web. 4 Dec. 2011. <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/04/opinion/sunday/friedman-this-is-a-big-deal.html?ref=thomaslfriedman>.

Week 10: "In the Arab World, It’s the Past vs. the Future" - Thomas L. Friedman, NY Times

This week, Tom Friedman's column discusses the situation in Syria (as well as the slew of democratic uprisings in the Middle East). Tom Friedman says that while he deeply admires what the Syrians are protesting against and the bravery they are showing, he is worried that the longer the fighting and protesting is seen in Syria the less likely it is that a stable democratic government will be implemented. The prospect of a civil war in Syria not only promises a bleak future for the country, but it also negatively impacts the surrounding countries, which house many of the same sects and religious groups that Syria contains. He also emphasizes that the 'battle' the Syrians are fighting is quite literally an 'old vs. young'/'modernity vs. tradition'/'lexus vs. olive tree' battle - with the youth fighting for modernity and true democracy - and that we should support them.

Source: Friedman, Thomas L. "In the Arab World, It’s the Past vs. the Future." New York Times. 26 Nov 2011: n. page. Web. 26 Nov. 2011. <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/27/opinion/sunday/Friedman-in-the-arab-world-its-the-past-vs-the-future.html?ref=thomaslfriedman>.