Heads up!

     HEADS UP AMERICA! No that is not some type of motivational campaign to raise the economy in America. However, this campaign could stop any future economic issue in America. Heads up America is a campaign to raise awareness about the importance of America's community colleges. In other words, Heads up America is a battle to fight for free Community College in America. This campaign was started two years ago by Barack Obama the president of the United States and Dr. Jill Biden the Second Lady of the United States, who is also an American educator. President Obama and Dr. Jill Biden started the Heads up America campaign because they believe that free Community College can benefits the students and also the economy. During this campaign, Dr. Jill Biden went on a tour to Community Colleges all over the United States to give speeches to High schools and Colleges students on why free Community College is important to us. On November 4th 2015, Dr. Jill Biden visited LaGuardia Community College, along with Jean Chatzky, financial editor of the Today Show, Rachel Chambers, student of LaGuardia Community College and LaGuardia Community College President Gail Mellow. Students and teachers from five different High Schools, along with students and professors from LaGuardia Community College, went to support the campaign and listened to the speech.

     So how can free Community College benefits the economy? According to statistics datas from Jean Chatzky the financial editor of the Today Show, she stated that almost every four out of five job positions are offered to College graduates and left the last one out of five for the people who never went to nor graduated from college. She also stated that a high percentage of smokers smoke because of unemployment, that led back to one of the biggest reason of unemployment, which is college. This shows that how important colleges are. However, not all people are too lazy to go to college, some people just can't afford to go to college. Therefore, if Community College was free, the people who can't afford it would start going, and the rate of College graduates would go up. In addition, that means unemployment rates would drop, therefore, the economy of United States would rise.

     Community College is as important as University. Dr. Jill Biden gave us an excellent example on why that was being true during the speech. She gave us examples of successful people who once went to Community Colleges, such as Eileen Marie Collins, she was the first woman astronaut for NASA and Sarah Louise Palin, the former Governor of Alaska. These two successful characters received many honors in their life time. You would think they came from top Universities, but they actually started in Community Colleges. This example given by Dr. Jill Biden showed us that does not matter if you came from a Community College or University, you can still great stuff in life, Community College is just as important as any other four years College and University.        

Everyday Africa Response.

     What are some of the things that came up on you mind when you hear the word "Africa"? That was the question that I needed to think about when the founders of Everyday Africa came to visit my journalism class. Some of the things that came up on my mind when I think about the word "Africa" are Aids, Ebola, War, Kidnapping, Starvation, and much more stereotypes negative things. Basically, these are the same words that my classmate came up as well. I am sure that is what most people came up with when they hear the word "Africa". However, after the visit from the founders of Everyday Africa, they completely changed the way I look at Africa. Everyday Africa is a project on how Africans live everyday in Africa. Showing the "other side" of Africa, beside the typical negative things what people usually think about Africa. 

     It takes a photographer to be in the position of their subjects to understand them. Regular "parachute" photographer would not really understand the positive side of Africa. They are the ones who take photos on the stereotypes negativities and also the reason why we see Africa the way we do. They are called "parachute" photographer, because just like parachute, they would just go in for their photos they need with out understanding the subjects. Therefore, most of the time they would just photography the negativities. Unlike these "parachute" photographers, Everyday Africa captures the real side of Africa. Even though the negativities are what people want to see, Everyday Africa would rather goes against and show what is real. What you will find on their Instagram and Tumblr will surprised you. You will realize that everything you do here in New York City, you will find them doing it as well in Africa. Such as partying, playing spots, or even using their cell phones are just basic stuff to the Africans. At first, this was just a small project started by Peter DiCampo and Austin Merrill. Then, it became noticed, it was used as a front cover for a magazine, because people actually like to see what is real. That's when they started getting sponsorships from companies to continue to do what they're doing. After, that's when the "Everyday" project exploded. People all over the world starting to create their own everyday projects; Everyday Asia, Everyday Brazil, and even Everyday Bronx, no one would think even a small borough could have so much to tell. However, all these projects share one mission, their mission is to go against the stereotypes and to show the viewers the real picture on where they live or grew up. 

     I thought the visit from the founders of Everyday Africa was great. It made me want to start my own project in the future. I think it takes a lot to start something like this since it brings no incomes, but DiCampo and Merrill still managed to spread the positivities to us and the world. I hope they will continue their tour and inspire more younger generations.