From my time studying abroad in Seville, Spain to my work as an undergraduate political science student in Amherst, Massachusetts, the #NeverSettle Blog is my way of sharing my thoughts with the world, regardless of what the topic may be. Whether it be art, music, politics, sports, or more, I hope to provide unique opinions, answer questions one may have, and give you, the reader, an interesting blog to read from time to time. Thank you for checking it out.
The Forgotten Eighth Sacrament: Voting
Taught by my immigrant parents to always vote, I both grew up viewing participating in elections as an essential civic duty. Therefore, posing the question “Do you have a plan to vote?” is quite ridiculous, given that voting is to be done without question. With recent disappointingly low voter turnouts in Fall River, we need to internalize and routinize voting, just as…
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My Fall River, MA Economic Development Plan
“Currently ridden by widespread poverty, complacency, and a sense of internalized shame, the time has come for Fall River to flip the script and start writing a new history. In this toolbox, I lay out ten specific strategies that would greatly help Fall River embark on a new journey, one that embraces the rich history of the city and places a heavy…
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Parque de María Luisa: The Archetype for Green Spaces
“When looking at green spaces, Parque de María Luisa in Seville, Spain is the archetype for what urban parks should look like. But what makes the park so special? A unique, intricate design by Jean-Claude Forestier with a focus on the four A’s of shared spaces: Activity, Accessibility, Authenticity, and Appearance. In this presentation, I explain why the beloved Parque María de…
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Flooding Resiliency in Fall River, MA
“In the bigger picture, however, the solution to Fall River’s flooding crisis starts by adopting a new mentality, one that places heavier emphasis on planning and prevention, rather than complacent reactivity. Rather than simply responding to flooding incidents by pouring money into rehabilitative projects that place band-aids on a gushing bullet hole, laying out a comprehensive resilience plan for the city’s sewage…
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Building Bridges Between Local Government & Fall River’s 38.5% ESL Population
“Shifting the culture in a city takes a lot of work, and starting by giving graduation speeches in Spanish, campaigning in neighborhood meetings, going on Portuguese talk shows, hiring translators, and destigmatizing and better facilitating civic engagement are small steps that Fall River can take to address its disconnected and underrepresented its ESL residents.”
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Dear Fellow Men,
“As a man, I’ll be the first to admit that oftentimes, we like to think that we know women more than we actually do… No matter how much we claim to ‘know’ about women, the truth is that our preconceived notions could not be any further from the truth of what women actually endure daily.”
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My Sandy Beach Revitalization Proposal
“With the City of Fall River looking to enliven its waterfront areas and attract outsiders, the revitalization of Sandy Beach offers a simple and affordable opportunity to appeal to visitors and restore the liveliness of the Mount Hope Bay neighborhood.”
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Liquor Stores Clustering & Targeted Advertisements; Breaking Down Spatial Inequalities in Inner Cities
“In socioeconomically challenged cities like Fall River, correcting the over-presence of targeted advertisements and liquor stores can set a precedent for future generations to come by potentially freeing individuals from the shackles of underage drinking, mitigate alcohol addiction, reduce the amount of substance-related crimes, and alleviate the strains placed on first responders and the emergency system, granting communities like my own the…
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The Importance of a Strong Downtown in Fall River, MA
“Additionally, by concentrating citywide activity into one vibrant area, maintaining a strong downtown offers other untoward benefits, such as offering a sense of place for residents to help foster a sense of community, stimulating the local economy, offering various employment opportunities, or by protecting and even raising property values in surrounding residential neighborhoods.”
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From Suicide to Illegal Logging: Asking “Why?”
“Building suicide nets and increasing prison capacity offers a short-term, responsive solution to suicide and incarceration. However, we need to adopt a new attitude, one that looks at the long-term rather than just the present, and serves as preventative instead of responsive, which can be done by asking ourselves one simple question: Why?”
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Seven Cultural Differences I Learned in Sevilla, Spain
“I found myself searching YouTube videos, looking up Google Images, going on Street View, and reading plenty of articles about Sevilla, the dos and don’ts of living in Spain, and the cultural differences between life here in the United States versus under the Andalusian sun. After my semester ended, I found that most of these articles failed to highlight the real differences…
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Lecciones Aprendidas en “El Buscador” de Jorge Bucay
“Realizando que mi tiempo en Sevilla fue algo limitado, que podría pasar rápidamente, hice todo para garantizar mi felicidad. Y eso es lo que paso porque hoy, meses después de volver a los Estados Unidos, miro hacia atrás y estoy agradecido para los cuatro meses de verdadero tiempo vivido que tuve en Sevilla.”
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“El Alquimista”, Mi Tiempo en Sevilla y Mi Leyenda Personal.
“Cada vez que lo leo (“El Alquimista”), aprendo algo nuevo sobre mi vida y el mundo, y recuerdo que mi decisión de estudiar en Sevilla fue la decisión correcta, y que todo el universo conspiró para ayudarme realizar mi leyenda personal, y por eso, soy eternamente agradecido.
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What Do You Mean You Don’t Know Why You Didn’t Vote?
The worst crime we as the electorate can commit is voter complacency. Regardless of whether it is a local municipal election, a Congressional midterm, or a Presidential election, your vote is important and matters on every level. If we take for granted our ability to elect new officials and pass ballot measures, we underestimate our role in American democracy and threaten the…
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It’s Time to Observe Art With Our Eyes, Not Our Cameras.
“While others nearby reached for their phones and cameras in hopes of snapping a picture, Magnolia and I were mesmerized, too starstruck to comment, standing in silence as we allowed Da Vinci to do all the speaking necessary.”
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