Summer of the Monkeys

I leave September 24 to go to Ukraine for Peace Corps. I'm going to teach secondary English education, and i couldn't be more excited right now.

Now that my thesis is finished, I have three things i plan to do until it's time to leave: party, ride my bike, and watch baseball. The rest of the summer is going to be celebration of life with my closest friends and family. Let's get it started with some bubbly tonight!

From my thesis - Broke at the Buffet: Food Insecurity in America

Acknowledgements

I would like to express my sincere thanks to my major professor, Dr. Spencer Wood, for his assistance and guidance throughout my studies at Kansas State University. I am endlessly grateful for Dr. Wood’s advice, which helped guide me to this topic and proved indispensable to its completion.

I would like to thank the other members of my advisory committee, Dr. Gerad Middendorf and Dr. László Kulcsár whose feedback and support was invaluable.

Thanks to my fellow graduate students, the faculty, and the staff at Kansas State University for their support and encouragement. A special thanks to Ryan and Andy Button for welcoming me into their home, feeding me (preventing food insecurity), and giving me advice about surviving graduate school and completing this project.

Lastly, I want to express my deepest gratitude to my family, my brothers, and my friends for answering the phone to talk sports or politics when Kansas was a little too far away from home. Your love, support, and patience are critical to my success. A last thanks to Tylor Sherman and Sarah Donley for proof reading more than one academic paper for me during my time as a student.

Dedication

My work is dedicated to:

Aunt Mary and Uncle Jay,

You are the source of strength and stability that allowed me to find my way. I am eternally grateful for all of your guidance and love.

Elizabeth,

In our most difficult times, you were the reason I kept going.

Laura Jane,

For letting me be the string to the most beautiful balloon.

Food Security: Not Just Academics

I know that when i say, "food security" most people hear "blah blah blah." It's possible it evokes some thought about bananas with bullets. Every so often i think of myself as a produce wielding James Bond. But, i digress. I thought i'd post a couple of articles that show some of the inspiration for studying food security. It's bigger than statistics and USDA reports. My interest is in social justice.

First, here's a really awesome NYT article about Will Allen and his organization Growing Power in Milwaukee, WI. His story makes me want to be a farmer - even if it's just part-time. I want to garden so badly, and that's inspired a newly found desire to learn how to cook and can.

This is another article where Obama is talking about African food security. The concept of food security in this article is a bit different than the way I use it in my thesis, but the idea is generally the same: people are food secure if they have access too enough food.

In the wise words of Dr. Schaeffer, "Food is political."

I hope you enjoy the articles and that maybe Will Allen inspires you too.

RE:surrection

12 year-old Charles: The word erection is in the title if you look for it.

Adult Charles: I write from the library while i should be working on my thesis. Revisions are such a pain in the ass. It's always been so much easier for me to be flawless.

Earlier i read a blog entry of a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV), and she laid out a timeline for the invitation process. I took away two things: (1) don't worry about seeing that invite until the beginning of August, and (2) maybe i should start using my blog again - get everyone back in the swing before i leave.

Unrelated to Weather.. or much of anything.

Whenever i read or hear the word Hamas, I don't think "terrorism" or even "Palestine." When I hear Hamas all i can think is, "delicious with pita bread."