by Jenny Jannari | Sep 2, 2018 | American Presidency, Midterm Elections, Personal Reflections, Politics, WPI Activities
We had the chance to see the excellent 1968 exhibit at the Minnesota Historical Society. What a crazy year it was 50 years ago in many parts of the world, but especially in the United States! So much changed because of the Vietnam War, the political assassinations of...
by Yana Nikolova | Aug 31, 2018 | Personal Reflections, WPI Activities
I think it’s about time to introduce you to your eleventh WPI fellow – the red van or Berta, as I call it, is going to be your long-term companion during the first three weeks of your stay in the United States. She will take you north and south – on the...
by Josefina Pagani | Aug 31, 2018 | Immigration, Personal Reflections, WPI Activities
A few cars and some trucks are moving along Highway 14, an east-west route that goes through Tracy, Minn. Through the window of the van one can see acres and acres of corn and soybean fields. According to the 2010 census, Tracy has more than 2,000 inhabitants. It’s...
by Rafael Gregorio | Aug 31, 2018 | Immigration, WPI Activities
In the United States, like in Brazil, black students as a whole often perform worse than white peers in standardized testing, and have lower graduation rates. To battle the racist stereotype that black students lack potential in comparison with their white peers, Eric...
by Jenny Jannari | Aug 30, 2018 | Journalism, Journalism in the era of "fake news", Journalism in the Trump Era, Personal Reflections, WPI Activities
It is important that privileged people are regularly reminded of their good fortune. The best way to do this is to hear the stories of others and get out of the bubble where it is most comfortable to live in. The world is in a state of severe polarization at the...
by Joana Azevedo Viana | Aug 29, 2018 | Journalism in the era of "fake news", Journalism in the Trump Era, Personal Reflections, Politics, WPI Activities
Welcome to Ely, population 3,400+. Located in the northern part of Minnesota, next to the Canadian border, it is a relatively small town by American standards – and a very polarized one, regular Minnesotans tell us before we depart from the Twin Cities to the...