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Student Cultivates Businesses in East Africa
As he nears graduation this spring, Carlson School undergrad Austin Hermann wants to "go save the world." His passion for cultivating small businesses in developing communities began when he journeyed to Iringa, Tanzania for a once-in-a-lifetime internship.
Business in the developing world
From April through August last year, Hermann advised farmers in Tanzania how to fortify their processes to yield the most benefit for their communities. He shared lessons from the Carlson School classroom to help entrepreneurs identify weak links in their value chains to strengthen their businesses.
"Many of the farmers we were working with have never had a formal business education. So it's about being able to teach some of the basic skills they need to build a profitable business," he says.
In some cases, making small changes to farmers' processes can increase food yields and stimulate the surrounding economy.
A new breed of international aid
Hermann volunteered with Cheetah Development, a non-profit focused on investment in developing nations. The organization's approach differs from traditional aid efforts: Cheetah makes investments that range from $5,000-500,000 in developing communities.
"Cheetah Development has a radical business model that is revolutionary in the aid world. Cheetah doesn't give to the poor or lend to the poor. Cheetah buys from the poor," he says.
A transformational experience
For the entrepreneurial management and applied economics major, the opportunity in Tanzania was a perfect fit. It offered him meaningful experience in the development field, fulfilled his curiosity to explore the economic climate in East Africa, and empowered him to experience a culture completely unlike his own.
"After taking an amazing freshman seminar on water scarcity, I became interested in development work and grew a sort of 'go save the world' attitude," he says. "I wanted to see what the developing world was really all about. All the signs just said Tanzania. It was kind of a gut decision."
Looking back, Hermann's best memories include scaling Mount Kilimanjaro, giving impromptu English lessons to the kitchen staff in a Tanzanian hotel, and glimpsing a cheetah on safari. He documented the best moments on his blog.
"I've really become a believer in Carlson's requirement that students go abroad," he says. "I know it's expensive, and can be a challenge to plan, but at the end of your college career, it is probably going to be one of your best memories and something you will cherish forever."


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Martha Graham
News about Martha Graham, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times. More
Martha Graham was a prime revolutionary in the arts of this century and the American dancer and choreographer whose name became synonymous with modern dance. She died on April 1, 1991 at her home in Manhattan. She was 96 years old.
Frequently ranked with Picasso, Stravinsky and James Joyce for developing a form of expression that broke the traditional mold, Miss Graham was initially acclaimed as a great dancer.
Masterworks and Invention
Yet ultimately her genius -- universally recognized as she became the most honored figure in American dance -- was embodied in her choreographic masterworks and her invention of a new and codified dance language.
The Graham technique, which is now used by dance companies throughout the world, became the first enduring alternative to the idiom of classical ballet. Powerful, dynamic, jagged and filled with tension, this vocabulary combined with Miss Graham's distinctive system of training to set her above other dance innovators.
Although such achievements were part of Miss Graham's multi-faceted pioneering role in helping to establish modern dance outside the older ballet tradition after the 1920's, she continued to amaze her public for more than 60 years. She choreographed more than 180 works.
Throughout her career, Miss Graham's fundamental tenet was that dance should reach audiences through a visceral response rather than an objective image that registered upon the intellect. "Out of emotion comes form," she said, and then proved that out of form she could re-create the same emotion onstage.

subset: commoncrawl


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Florida Tattoo Law
I've been meaning to post this excellent Miami New Times article on Florida's tattoo laws sooner but my own legal work took over last week. The story raises so many interesting issues on the regulation of the industry, which warrant serious discussion, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on our Facebook group page or via Twitter.
Reporter Chris Sweeney discusses the history and implementation of "The Practice of Tattooing," which went into effect January 1st. But even more interesting are the different factions of tattooers for and against enforcement of the law. Chris begins the article by setting the scene of a scratcher, Louie, tattooing a howling woman in his apartment. The woman's boyfriend had just gotten tattooed as well and is sleeping off the pain under a SpongeBob blanket. The family schnauzer roams into the room, looking for attention. Taking a break, putting his machine on a folding snack table (with a blue medical napkin on it), Louie grabs a Bud Light Platinum and tells his wife and daughter, "She's gonna take a crap when she sees how awesome this is."
That's all set out in the first three paragraphs of this 5-page article, and I'm already scared shitless. Maybe it's because Louie doesn't have an autoclave and operates in an unsterile environment. Or that people off of Craigslist come to him -- when he's not working at the hardware store -- to "salvage" the already bad tattoos they have, as you can see from the hot mess above. But what bothers me most are that there are tons of Louie's out there putting people at risk for more than just a shitty tattoo.
As Chris reports, the Center for Disease Control released a review of studies that found "no definitive evidence for an increased risk of HCV infection when tattoos and piercings were received in professional parlors." BUT the risk was "two- to three-times higher risk for HCV infection when the tattoo was received in a nonprofessional setting."
The new Florida law would make Louie's operation a second-degree misdemeanor (a felony if charged three times) and he could be fined $1,500 per violation. The law requires a yearly tattoo license for artists and shop registration, a 70% score on a blood-borne pathogens exam, and the studio must pass inspection by its county health department. No animals, no sleeping quarters, and there's got to be a working autoclave.
Most professional tattooists wouldn't have a problem with such regulations, especially compared to the previous law, which required shops to be under "direct supervision" (later changed to "general supervision") of a physician. Where the controversy really lies, as detailed in the article, is in its enforcement.
Tom Meyer, President of the Florida Tattoo Artist's Guild says his organization will work with health officials to crack down on violators:
"The big thing with the new law is it's all complaint-driven," [...] "So now, every time people come in with bad tattoos or tattoo infections, we as professional, legitimate shops will get as much information as we can on who did it and give that information to the health department or local police."Tom adds that this is all necessary to protect professional tattooing as a "viable livelihood." But other artists quoted in the article disagree with tattooists "ratting" each other out. Many expressed that self-regulation of the industry -- and just being a better tattooist -- is the best way to keep tattooing viable. In fact, some professional tattooers like Stevie Moon are seriously pissed off about this:
"You're supposed to help your brethren, not fucking burn them down," [...] "This is an organization I thought was supposed to support the community, and instead they want to try to police it. They're a bunch of scared little fucking boys still trying to start a tattoo mafia and make it legit by hiding behind this law and the whole scratcher thing."Personally, I can see both sides of the argument here. I'm in favor of regulation if it is drafted based on recommendations from the tattoo industry, which this was. But I feel that enforcement should be done systematically by health officials and not a tattoo witch hunt. [The fees and fines will pay for it.]
Many great artists started on kitchen tables, but today, with the easy accessibility of information, kits, supplies and clients looking for a deal, the risks are greater. Anyone looking to make extra money on the side can find a way to do it, not just the artist who truly wants to tattoo but can't find an apprenticeship.
So what do you think? Are you for stricter rules or self-regulation, and who should police those who don't follow the rules?
Tattoo TAGS:
Chris Sweeney
Miami New Times
tattoo law
The Practice of Tattooing