Fútbol, el deporte más hermosa del mundo, is known to have an extensive network of academies around the world to scout talent. European clubs are constantly looking for promising youth they can add to their development academies. We’re familiar with the “successful” journeys of South American and African wonderkids like Gabriel Jesus, Sergio Agüero, Michael Essien, and Sadio Mané, who migrated to Europe at a young age and rose to prominence. However, these “successful” journeys are the exception. Mixed into them are a number of exploitive sports agents who traffic primarily African (but also South American) youth into Europe. It’s…
The past year I’ve really seen my faith grow. I’m writing this as a reflection on my walk with God and as encouragement to those around me to seek God. A friend shared Revelations 12:11 with me earlier this week, which encouraged me to share my testimony.
Childhood
I grew up attending church and church events on a regular basis. The first church I remember attending and feeling apart of was in Columbia, Missouri. In Columbia, my closest friends (as close as someone can become to you at 5 years old) attended the same church and school as I did…
As I have mentioned in a previous article, Fútbol is Culture and Global Studies, I’m interested in the aspects of fútbol beyond what happens on the field. I’ve discussed my interest in the fashion, culture, and migration surrounding fútbol, but it’s also important to cover the negative aspects of the game as well. Two parts of fútbol that need to be corrected are:
- Forced labor in the construction of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar
- Human trafficking of youth, often to Europe
In this article I will cover the corruption in selecting Qatar to host the World Cup, the unjust…
This semester changed the way I approached computer programming. Since beginning university, I knew it was extremely useful in complex engineering applications, but I always thought it was too difficult to be used by individuals or small organizations. However, completing my Scientific Computation course changed my perspective. Programming can really be used as another language to communicate problems and solutions. For our final project we had the option of creating an infectious disease simulation using C++. …
I grew up seeing the world through the eyes of soccer (fútbol, football). During the 2004 World Cup, I visited my family in Colón, Panama. All summer long I tried to emulate what I saw on TV in my tía’s backyard. By the time I returned to the States, I was dribbling a ball everywhere I went. It became as though fútbol was a way to distinguish my Panamanian identity.
Over time I tried to make connections between fútbol and the world around me. Whether that was learning the flags of the world on FIFA or reading about the nations…
The Caribbean is composed of wonderful cultures, languages, and belief systems. The region can be defined geographically, culturally, or a mix of both, but however you define it, migration (forced and unforced) is a key component. It is at the heart of the definition of the Caribbean. The movement of people and African cultural retention in the Caribbean has led to a unique art scene. This is no different for Afro Panamanians in Panama. Panama has sustained significant cultural contributions from people of African descent in food, music, and art. Despite Panama not being widely recognized as a Caribbean nation…
Since spring break started in March, I’ve finally found time to read up on some themes and topics that have been bouncing around my head the past couple years. Practically all of the books I’ve read since March have been about race, Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa or a combination. I tried to read a balance of fiction and non-fiction that discuss either historical, current, or future perspectives of the topics. For the books on Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa, I wasn’t looking for them to be a substitute for lived experiences (in my opinion nothing replaces living in the communities…
Mental Latitude Imperialism. I first heard this phrase listening to a TED Talk by Bright Simons, a Ghanaian social innovator, writer, and entrepreneur. In his talk, he discusses that the latitude on which you were born determines whether or not your good idea scales — Mental Latitude Imperialism. I think a way to combat this is for a greater number of Western universities to open up study abroad programs in Africa and Latin America. Academic collaboration needs to include universities in those two regions.
This year I have become much more interested in art and what it can communicate about various experiences. Topics surrounding cultural identity and migration primarily grabbed my attention, but I also viewed some fascinating installations commenting on plastic pollution and the environment. The cultural contexts of Fabrice Monteiro’s and Alejandro Durán’s installations allowed me to connect with them at a deep and impactful level. It’s really encouraging to see artists challenging communities around the world to take care of their land.
I’ve always considered the negative consequences of plastic pollution and climate change to be a fact, but after visiting…
As the entire world faces the threat of novel coronavirus, the scientific community has collaborated like no other time in history. This will foster new technologies that benefit society. There has been a lot of attention on developing a vaccine to COVID-19, but the challenge doesn’t stop there. Already strained health systems will need additional solutions to help minimize the impact of COVID-19.
As I was listening to the news this week, I began brainstorming ways that technology could positively impact vulnerable populations. Some vulnerable populations include the elderly, people residing in rural areas with less medical accessibility, and those…
Anthony Doe
Interested in entrepreneurship, Latin America, and Sub Saharan Africa. Aerospace engineering student at The University of Texas at Austin.
