Charlotte’s Blog

Test markets are an important part of the development of new products, but where is the best place to set them? Many companies have had success by using Columbus Ohio as a testing site. Upon first glance, it seems like a strange place for reviewing foods, but it's actually the second largest city in the Midwest. It's also home to a large variety of different people and cultures. As stated in the Thrillist article, “Within five minutes you can go from downtown [Columbus] to a farm.” Columbus has a large population of “average” citizens, aka the type of people most businesses are advertising to. Bigger cities like Los Angeles and New York may seem like the more obvious choice, however they lack the socio-economic diversity Columbus possesses. Those cities have greater populations, but the wealth distribution between them is much larger as well. Additionally, Columbus is surrounded by farms, suburbs, and even a college town, making age and interests vary more than most other citie...

                 It was almost summer vacation in fourth grade and my recreational soccer league had finished its season. To celebrate, my entire team was invited to a pool party. Each of us brought different foods to share with each other, mostly desserts. Almost everyone brought basic desserts, like Oreos and cupcakes. However, one girl decided to bring something new. She brought flan. As her mother presented it, she announced to the group that it was my teammate's favorite dessert. It was my first time seeing flan and I remember thinking it looked like some kind of cheesecake. It was large and circular, like a pie, but it had no crust and jiggled slightly whenever it was moved. It was obviously home-made. The kind of dish that took time to prepare and came with a sense of pride after it was completed.  The flan was new and exciting, so naturally each member of my team took a slice. As I bit in, the strange texture assaulted my to...

               As I was reading Educated today, I found myself wondering which social issue I would want to create a presentation on. There are many important social issues throughout the memoir, however after studying the text there was one that felt really necessary to discuss. One of the things that really confused me while reading Educated was why she never fought back against her abusive brother. In fact, when her brother threatens her in front of her then boyfriend, she laughs it off. It’s almost as though she would rather suffer her abuse than ask for help. The sad thing is, most victims feel the same way. It's estimated that almost half of the domestic abuse cases in the U.S. go unreported. There are many reasons this happens, but one of the major reasons is public embarrassment. Despite how common these cases are, they are rarely ever talked about, and when they are, they’re discussed like secrets. Because of this, it can be hard for...

A major issue throughout the memoir, “Educated” by Tara Westover, is how Tara feels about clothes. It seems unimportant, but the way people present themselves has a big impact on the way Tara sees them because of her religious upbringing. It’s especially problematic when she gets to college, where her beliefs about how women should dress is challenged.  When Tara first meets her roommates, she’s disgusted by the way they dress, believing their clothes to be too immodest. Similarly, her roommates are shocked by her super baggy-modest clothing. Each of the women look down on the other, both believing themselves superior because of how they had been raised. In reality, neither are dressing wrong. There’s nothing wrong with dressing immodestly or modestly, yet their perceptions of how people should dress clouded their opinions of each other. At another point in the book, Tara’s parents are discussing how women should dress. They claim that a woman at their church was wearing too loose ...

  Since the beginning of our memoir unit I have begun to respect memoir authors much more. They are able to remember such minute details that make the overall story much more interesting and complex. However, I have also noticed how we as readers seem to take what the author is writing as fact, when in reality they could be completely wrong.  In Educated, by Tara Westover, the attention to detail paints vivid pictures in the reader's mind of what her life was like. She is able to recall details like the color and texture of her grandma's carpet so vividly, it's like you can almost feel the carpet under your toes. Although the author clearly has a great memory, she includes many clarifications, explaining that sometimes the way she remembers things isn't how other people remember them. At one point in the novel, she distinctly remembers asking a man for help while her brother was injured, though the man in question doesn’t even remember being there that day. Whether or n...

Forty minutes on the clock, Not much time until you stop. Uncover the meaning behind the words, Even if it feels absurd. For paragraphs, there must be two, Though sometimes three is okay too. Mix the evidence and commentary Even if it might feel rather scary. Make sure it all ties together, You can do it, I know you're clever. Hurry now, times almost up, Keep on thinking, don't get stuck. There you go, you’ve finished now, All I have to say is, wow. Feel the stress melt off your bones, Finally we can go back home.