Viv's Blog

An issue that I wholeheartedly wish I could solve would have to revolve around animal cruelty. I have always been passionate about animals and it always makes me sad to see when people are cruel to innocent and vulnerable creatures. I feel as though there are not enough efforts being made to help animals that are abused, in addition to the animals whose habitats are constantly being destroyed. I would love to reach a point in my life where I have enough time and resources to dedicate myself to helping animals in need. As humans, I believe we have a collective responsibility to help and take care of animals, especially when humans are the ones contributing to their suffering though habitat destruction and exploitation. To help animals, more actions need to be taken to prevent issues like animal entertainment, experimentation, hunting, and neglect. Though there are many issues that would need to solved beyond animal cruelty in order to make this world a better place, helping animals is a...

You know that one company that seems to have an infinite marketing budget and pops up anywhere you go? You know the one...  Something about dancers and communism. Yeah, I'm talking about Shen Yun. Well... I guess all their advertising worked because they finally got me. Well, more specifically, they got my dad (because he wanted to see the show).  I accompanied my dad this weekend to finally see what all this hoopla about Shen Yun was really about. He had been mentioning the show for the past few years now, saying it would be interesting to check out. So, we finally bit the bullet. I got us a pair of tickets for the performance, which took place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. I'll admit, it was great! The dancers were some of the most skilled I have ever seen and wore some of the most beautiful costumes. My favorite performance was titled "Yellow Blossoms". It was a folk dance with a background of lush hills and bright blossoms taking center stage. These "blo...

For Book 2 I decided on reading The Wayfinders . The reason I chose this book is because I was very interested in being able to learn about different cultures. I feel like our education system does not give us a great enough perspective about the traditions and practices of other cultures without making them seem alien, so I was hoping to get more from this book. I wanted to learn about the values of other cultures and how they make sense of the world around them.  Most of the history we learn about is from the eyes of Europeans and the accomplishments they have made, but we rarely get the perspective of indigenous cultures. As the book explains, Europeans have the tendency to discredit the discoveries and capabilities of indigenous people. For example, the Polynesian cultural identity is fundamentally defined by their navigation abilities. Yet, early European navigators were quick to discredit the capabilities of Polynesian people not because of a "mere oversight, but an inevitab...

To: Clark Hansen, CEO of AMDP From: Vivian Cardenas, Research & Development Analyst at AMDP Date: March 05, 2024 Subject: SheaMoisture Investment As a member of the Research and Development team, I was asked to find a potential investment recommendation that Anima Mundi Development Partners (AMDP) might want to consider. My first contender was SheaMoisture, a Black owned beauty company that prides itself on being socially responsible and environmentally stable. However, after an extensive amount of research, I have concluded that AMDP should not invest in SheaMoisture . To begin, I will define AMDP's basic fundamentals and detail why they are important to our core business. AMDP Standards Triple Bottom Line : A fundamental business concept that suggests that instead of a firm solely concentrating on their financial performance and profit generation, they should commit to measuring their social and environmental impact. The concept can be further broken down in the "Three ...

The book I have chosen to read for Book 2 is The Wayfinders . While I also considered Feel Good Productivity , as I am a chronic procrastinator, I ultimately decided against it. I think what interest me the most about The Wayfinders is the opportunity to learn about new and different cultures. Especially when it comes to something as abstract as 'what it means to be human and alive'. I think cultures always have their own personal and profound ways of explaining things that we don't necessarily have correct answers to.  I have just purchased the book, but upon reading the reviews I am intrigued as to what I will think of it. There seems to be tons of great reviews, with lots of them saying that there is the opportunity to learn about indigenous beliefs and how in modern times we seem to "dismiss the achievements of indigenous people". The reviews also mention how the book talks about how fragile cultures are , with the ability to disappear at any moment. As someon...

Senior Scaries As February nears its end, I have no choice but to become more worried and more stressed as graduation in May approaches. Lately I feel like there is so much to do and so little time left to do it. Sometimes I can't help but wonder if people are feeling the same sort of anxiety that I am feeling about graduating. Although it should be super exciting, as it is an amazing achievement, I am worried about what happens after. Additionally, there is so much preparation to do be done prior to the actual date. Although some thing are more so mundane tasks, their addition to the list of "Things To Do" does not make completing the tasks any less daunting. Some of the things currently on my list: buy senior portraits, customize and order sash, order cap and gown, buy a dress, schedule graduation photos, make plans for a post graduation family celebration (taking suggestions!). Most important on my list, GET A JOB! As someone who has not yet secured a job following gra...