Episode 13: Conversation Transcript
Alex
Yeah, so we're here. We're gonna have our friend as you said, on Instagram live soon. We have Alexa joining us very shortly It seems she is online to us meaning where we can go and embrace ourselves embracing our community versus individualism.
Alexa
Hi.
Alex
Hi, how are you doing?
Alexa
Am good, how are you guys?
Alex
We’re good. Thank you so much for joining us.
Alexa
Thank you so much for having me.
Alex
Oh, yeah, of course. You're in between classes and maybe your classes were cut short.
Alexa
yeah, I ended my classes for the day.
Dydine
Perfect, perfect. How was your day? It was good. Yeah. It's one of my easier days. So very relaxing.
Dydine
I don't miss being a student. Not in that capacity.
No, no. We wanted to thank you so much, Alexa, for all the work that you do at such a young age. The choices you make in life, I think they give us a trajectory or projection of how the future is going to loo like. And you are making all the best choices.
Alexa
Oh, thank you.
Alex
Yeah. And I also want to shout out because again, we talked earlier and I remembered that it was Alexis' birthday yesterday.
Dydine
You are a Virgo or you’re a Libra?
Alexa
Libra. Yes.
Alex
Thank you so much for joining us. And so if you're ready, I wanted to talk about your upbringing about you know, the way you grew up and how did Alexa come to be who she is today?
Alexa
Yeah, um, I am very grateful to say that I believe that I had a pretty amazing upbringing. I had a very loving and supportive family that encouraged me to do kind of or pursue any endeavor that I wanted to. And so, about a seventh or eighth grade is kind of funny. I did a project where in my home and careers class where you had to learn how to budget, your yearly salary. And so they said, choose any profession you want to do. And I knew that lawyers tended to make a little more money so I chose that profession so that I would have more money to budget. After like, learning more about the occupation and about like the realm of politics, that's what really drew me or really sparked interest and drew my attention. So throughout high school, I did extracurriculars that would sort of help me in the policy realm. And now I am at Cornell University where I am studying policy analysis and management.
Dydine
Oh, yeah. How was that going?
Alexa
I really, really find it interesting, because kind of going back to my upbringing, I was raised in a predominantly white Republican area of New York. So getting exposure to different cultures and a little bit more diversity and a wider range of political views. I'm able to digest more and think more of extra, like, think of more externalities to current issues and just multiple perspectives and how it could affect a lot of people in ways that I had never known.
Alex
Yeah, that's important. Would you say that that that happened like in college like the first year of college.
Alexa
That's when I got a lot of exposure to different like multiple perspectives and opinions. Yeah.
Dydine
How was it for you? How is when you were exposed to new things and knowing that that's your life is going to be a direction where you're going to be exposed to different cultures, different communities and different you know, all those different perspectives and you're going to find yourself in those realms. Yeah, were you scared?
Alexa
I actually was not that scared because I had always, I'd always known that. Where I kind of grew up was a little bit of a bubble. So I know like I would kind of turn to the internet to try to find those, like, different ways of looking at life. However, when I came here is when I actually met people who had those perspectives. So it wasn't really scary to me. It was just more evidence that those people that I like kind of turned online to gather different mindsets and ways of thinking existed if that makes sense. Yeah.
Alex
So, okay, it's always a mouthful for me from you’re a major in policy analysis and management, so for people who don't understand exactly what that is, what is that tax? We've had a lot of interesting conversations about it. But could you explain briefly, what you were going to be engaging in and what you haven't engaged with?
Alexa
Yes. So the easiest way I can put it, it's a combination of poli sci and economics. So that's probably the easiest way I can say that. Um, and basically, a lot of what it is is not just learning about the current government that we have going on in America, but also doing a few like comparisons between our government and other countries' government establishments and how kind of what works for them and how we might be able to incorporate that in America. Would it be able to work with the current population that we have, since ours tends to be a little larger than other countries that we might look at? More so if I do introduce a policy, how effective would it be, and would it only benefit maybe one race or one type of community or maybe one income level, just looking at not just the policy itself and how it looks on paper, but really diving into it and kind of exploring ways that it could potentially have negative externalities or even positive externalities, looking into how it may disproportionately affect one community? Would it benefit marginalized communities? It's just basically taking everything and ripping it apart. Looking really deep into it, making sure that the policy proposed is probably the most beneficial, effective, and efficient, hence policy analysis.
Dydine
Remember your previous conversations about how there are programs or scholarships that are available for low-income communities, but the way the policies are put in place? It's very complicated for families to know that they are actually available for them. And remember you can talk a little bit about that. And how were you when you were shocked to find out all those things? Yeah.
Alexa
Yeah. So kind of like back before I came to Cornell when I was just kind of looking for those different perspectives online, I couldn't really grasp like, everything about them. So like, again, a little hard with like, kind of the bubble that I was growing up in. But I would always look at policies and people talking about systematic racism and everything kind of occurring in today's society. And I would always, like try to look for the policies that were put on for like a racist. And I would try to find like, the verbiage in these policies that were explicitly racist and I couldn't necessarily find them. But then after coming to Cornell is when I saw how it doesn't really have to be explicitly racist to hurt marginalized communities. Like there are indirect relations and connections. So kind of what you had brought up with the scholarships. I was just kind of thinking after a conversation I had with someone where there is in New York if I can't remember the threshold, exactly. But it's about um if you make less than I believe, $100,000, or at least that was, what it was when it was proposed. Then you could go to a SUNY school or State University of New York that's abbreviated SUNY, for free.
Dydine
For less than $100,000.
Alexa
I believe that was the threshold when a proposed I don't know the current threshold.
Dydine
Yes.
Alexa
but um, I guess like that on paper sounds amazing. And it was posted to help low-income families and like neighborhoods. However, while that is amazing there aren't as many measures put in place to help those lower-income families and neighborhoods get to the point where they're graduating and going through the college search process. So while there is a program out there to help lower-income with college, there are not necessarily the tools and resources to get them to that point. So while it's like helping quite a few families, it's not helping as many as would be if there were the necessary resources to get to that.
Also in New York, public high schools, get funding based on their performance level. So the highest performing high schools get more money granted to them. So that kind of goes against the whole..
Alexa
Yeah, so that policy hurts lower income families and it doesn't help them get to the point where they are graduating, at which higher income areas kind of counter the whole Sunni School scholarship.
Dydine
Its like hey, you climb these mountains, when you get to the top, we're going to give you all of this…
Alex
kind of presents like, proof for like, Okay, well, look, we have these systems in place. You can't complain to us that you know, people don't have these particular opportunities. But, you know, again, these things, these tools are not available and It's kind of harder, maybe a little bit more subtle to see that that is the particular reason versus you know, versus otherwise. But I'm curious because you said a moment ago, in these discussions in class, you all are sort of tearing up by, like tearing up policy and breaking it down. What are these conversations like with others? We're all young, but you're a little bit younger than we are. What is what are these conversations like, among young people, are they receptive to it, instead of kind of a challenge?
Alexa
Something that at least from my peers at my university that I found, when working on these projects when we have to actually like break down policy is we all regardless of our political affiliation, try to look at it as neutral as possible, which I think to contrast the current system that we have going on with our government being very polarized. We try to mostly look at it as okay, how can this help or so inequality without trying without our own biases? Like I think I'm wording this wrong, but we try to ignore our biases, and biases when looking at these policies and then focus on inequality and how that could help and then efficiency and how, like, how much it could benefit a community or how successful it could be. And I really liked that we tried to go at it as moderate or as neutral as possible. Because we're not trying to just push on something that helps our personal agenda. Rather, we're trying to look at society as a whole and what could most benefit them, but also considering the communities that might need it most.
Alex
And that's important that you bring that up, I am reading a couple of books, and I am just in the conversation, we have discourse. It has occurred to me that we'd like to have like, like a general, like a mandate, sort of everything across the board, as if people in your holding company and or communities have the same sort of issues that people and you know, more affluent work in Los Angeles. It's very like night and day long. But the one bandaid won't fix another person or issue, right? Yeah. And so it sounds like you're having very specific conversations and are considering the specific issues that this committee has so it is more tailor-made to be like we recognize the particular issues that we have we recognize the systemic racism certain issues that have been in place that will hurt marginal benefit other people. So those are really challenging conversations to have and it is a far cry from some of these things that were maybe taught like 20 years ago when I was in college, but I just remember those conversations and just the progression it seems that we've had, at least in classrooms, so it's very encouraging is what I'm trying to say. But again, I mean, it cannot be and I feel like maybe sometimes we just kind of like running around in circles like how do we fix this?
Dydine
As you’re saying this, am thinking about the future, because the future is for you young people, and when you're looking at where life is right now and you are now studying how to make this world a better place, do you talk talk to your peers about the events occuring on the earth right now? Do you have hope?
Alexa
I do have hope in like kind of my age group if you're considering me young, kind of the kids that are in college right now. I have a lot of hope for that generation. For example, I was in a government 101 class during my freshman year. So at my university, we have a lot of core requirements that we have to take, regardless of our major. So that involves students have many majors and many backgrounds. And they brought in a guest speaker, which happened to be a former New York House of Representative, Congressman and he sent out a poll which kind of asked us about our political affiliations to further make a point in his lecture, and I would say it was very much down the middle, like very much moderate view, which I think is very even though a lot of people would look at Cornell has been very liberal. The specific question he asked it wasn't really like are you a Democratic-Republican? It was put yourself on a spectrum. And it was not very much like extreme right or extreme left was leaned a little more liberal, but still relatively moderate, if that makes sense. Yes. So I think that's important, especially when looking at the future of our country. Having that mind like removing our biases, and progressing Park kind of going back to what I said, like on we had we have a project that I'm doing right now, where we're looking at policy maps. And if we remove our biases, regardless of what political affiliation we are, we just kind of let the data speak for itself. So we can kind of put a whole bunch of filters in this policy website that we're using when the map and we can put, you know, racial demographics, and then it'll show up on the map and like give you kind of a ledger that said, Okay, if this color, this color means predominantly white, this color means the predominantly, POC, and it gives percentages to there's like a spectrum of colors that you can look at, but then you change the filter and say Okay, now let's look at median family income. It's very reflective, that more POC-dominated communities have a lesser family-like median family income than those that are predominantly white. So we kind of just let the data speak for itself. And I think that's something that at least from the people that I met here, a lot of people like to look at is letting that like letting data and those policy maps and everything speak fo themselves. So like, I guess, that's something that Yeah, but I also like in terms of change, like, we still definitely need to push for our current government to make changes that we can then continue.
Alex
Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. I'm, maybe to piggyback off of that, and just I guess it's kind of a broader question, but how far have you considered in the discussions, things on a global scale? Like maybe the global effects of global reports of breaking down these policies like how does that affect people on the other side of the planet, and like more individuals have you considered recently or have these discussions sort of ventured in that direction?
Alexa
I will be honest and say that most of our conversations have been predominantly domestic focus. Which, now that I am a junior, we're starting to venture out into comparing more globally, like how the US policies then affect other countries. I mean, um, which there definitely are. The biggest one I can think of is in more of a business aspect the ability to…
Dydine
I was thinking about even women, and the evolution of their freedom, say how it affects us. Well, how that freedom really affects other communities around the world in the ways that Oh, okay, So we can get paid the same as men or we can have this high, higher education, we can be more than just giving birth to children. So that's where, as you were saying about US policies, how it affects other communities either negatively or positively. So that was, that's where my mind went right away.
Alexa
And that's very, that's very relevant, especially with what's going on in Iran. I think technology has very much evolved to a point where a lot of countries are seeing the progressions that we have made in America. So they try to push for those changes to then continue in their own country. But in terms of like actual policies, I am I don't think I have like enough education to give an opinion on that.
Dydine
Yeah. It's heartbreaking. I've been seeing it a lot in the news. I mean, we've seen all over the world, how women are marginalized. And you don't sometimes realize how marginalized you are until you're in a place where you see other women and you’re like, oh, you can do that, so sometimes it's that inspiration to help other countries, usually it's not US making those policies, it’s the people in those countries learning from new information and then applying new ways of life in their lives. Different voting rights because they always historically things that change the person's policies. Yes, sometimes it takes people to change it to kind of take out the advice and now it's exactly what you're talking about. They are on the monitors and see how those things can actually change people's lives. But it takes a long time for humans to kind of embrace those new changes, because of not having a bias. It's a huge people's mind. Yeah,
Alexa
yeah. No, well, it's kind of going back to like, the whole gist of our conversation being community. The community can be defined in so many ways. It could be like, a religious community, it could be your community that you find at your school, it could be your neighborhood, it could be your state. But if we like defined the US as a community, that's just how one community is impacted like a bunch.
Dydine
And also learning from one another. I remember what we talked about when you were in the psychology class, what you learned about the Native Americans, and how when one community doesn't know anything about the other community, they can easily hurt you, can hurt each other because it's a great perspective when we get to learn about other communities and not just assume, or yeah, there are stories you shared about the doctors making the excuses that Native Americans can’t feel pain.
Alexa
Oh, yes. I was trying to remember what I told you.
Yeah, in a fundamental population health class that I'm taking, we saw an example from a textbook in 2017, I believe, that was shown in you know, during med school, I believe. And on that page, it was trying to explain to doctors and nurses the different ways certain cultures may deal with pain. And so they said like, okay, so this culture may take the pain on more easily because they have learned that pain really like pain is good. For them or something like that, like every stereotypical horrible assumptions on how different people will deal with pain. Yes, but while that was just supposed to like may have been innocent. I have no idea what was going on in this like the author's mind. Yeah, but even if it was supposed to be really innocent and say, okay, like, just trying to expose you on how cultures traditionally deal with pain, doctors or potential doctors and nurses and high school or high school sorry, hospital staff could read that and then say, okay, letter, okay. So because this culture supposedly deals with pain this way, I don't have to give them as much pain medicine. More. I don't have to Oh, they may be just like, whiny so. I'll just ignore them when they're telling me how much pain they're in. Which is kind of what's wrong. Yeah. Yeah.
Alex
It was. It was taken fact though, right ? We all have biases, bias is not inherently bad. That's not to say you have prejudices. But the work is when you know, you take the time you take the effort to learn about things or people that you don't understand. It’s dangerous when you run with things that are not substantiated in fact…
Dydine
you can stereotipically and easily classify them and divide them into groups and, assuming how it's almost like, they're not human anymore, they are subject. Yeah, you know, and that's what we saw in the Holocaust. That's what we saw in all the wars and divisions that happened in the world. A lot of the time where those classifications of how this human being who pain or what they need to be able to survive, but it starts slowly like that you read a book and it should just go it'll do whatever. Yeah.
Alexa
Yeah. And I even on in the class after my professor presented that on that slide someone who was Asian raised their hand and wanted to give their opinion on it. And I thought it was very important to hear cuz he did say, I'm going to be honest, like a lot of those stereotypes that they talked about under the Asian subcategory. That's how to like, I was raised. Like, those stereotypes, yes. And, we have to remember that it doesn't apply to every Asian American. What's that through the hospital doors, and also the fact that wasn't a disclaimer saying even if this is what you see, treat them all the same like there was nothing that kind of stated that. So he was kind of pointing out faults in this article, whether the intention was good or bad. And so that's also something that really resonated with me and what he said like, even though it is for him, it happened to be true. Does it mean that you should generalize?
Dydine
Culturally, cultures learn how to survive, there’s a friend of mine and like we were talking about earlier, people learn how to survive, life is about survival and thriving. And so, depending on your circumstances and your surroundings, you learn how to operate in any environment and so even if I've learned to internalize pain, it's because that's the option that's the only option I have in hand so haven't learned to actually not internalize it, and so not so someone who actually knows that pain, pain doesn't have to be internalized. I was the other person who knows that for example, let's say Alex and know, I know that your culture you guys don't express yourself. So what I'm going to do is just keep hurting that person because they don't say anything. But in my culture, I know that it may hurt them. So I think it becomes wrong when you do it on purpose or knowing they're not going to be reactive to it. When in reality, you know that it's going to hurt, even if they're not going to respond that same way. And so, it might be those cultures that are quiet and don’t scream when they experience pain or scream more, it's a great lesson, I think to learn as you were saying it really made me think about how we treat each other.
Alex
Yeah, to piggyback off that. Like it's one thing to sort of conceptualize if you didn't have the conversations for the longest time just trying to sort of understand, Okay, well, we're told it's good to have conversations, you know, we're told it's good. It's meant to try our best to understand it. But once it's actually put into practice with the action. A lot of times you realize, like what you read out of a book or what you're told, doesn't necessarily translate one to one. And it's kind of almost like a case-by-case basis. How do you actually sort of, we talked a little bit about individualism versus community, in terms of like how you live your life, and how you know what you put your energies into. And again, as we said, we were having this conversation with our friend, Pete people intrinsically, one thing that we as humans know how to do and what like as a baseline, how to survive. Like that is our number one goal is just to just learn how to survive, eat, and drink, you know, try to find shelter, and then it's like I think there's like a hierarchy of needs right? You need community, right? That's another major need. we're social creatures, and to exist in something that supports you and the sort of idea that you can carry but on the flip side, we also need to be able to survive, which is a very singular thing. Surviving as a baseline does not include anybody else. Yeah, they survive, you survive. And so how do we move forward in your opinion? How do we move past consumption? To make sure that I'm okay all the time because there's a, you go past the point of what's the point of diminishing returns, right? Where you blow past like, I don't need to do this stuff myself. Let me think about my community. Let me think about the people who can benefit from me or might help my enemies. So what do you think about that? And I know it's broad but it is something that we are trying to be more mindful of. What do you think about that?
Alexa
Um, that's actually very interesting. I never thought about that before. But just kind of often when looking back to how I kind of have like, what extracurriculars I would involve myself in high school, and also just me as an academic student. I think I just when I was at school, coz school is very much on an individual basis. So when I was at school 100% of my time was in working on improving anything that I could about my academics self. However, when I was outside of school, even though I was very much focused on what, backtracking a little bit, for especially some of the more competitive colleges that I was looking at, you need to have a very nice resume and a very nice list of extracurriculars. So and obviously, succeed well in school. Yeah, so I dedicated my time, or 100% into schooling when I was there, but then after school when I did need to build that resume of extracurriculars, I would think about, okay, yes, I'm doing this for myself, so I can build that resume, but also, let me do some extracurriculars that give back to my community. So I don't think there needs to be distinctively that line of okay, I'm doing this for myself up until this point. And then I'll start working on my community.
When I heard about this nonprofit, this was something I wanted to do. I didn't really need that like a resume. But especially in high school, I was like, Okay, I have this stage three is our club that I could fit in there. And so I would join something called Key Club. Everyone knows about it, but it's more of a volunteer based club that focuses on helping your own community. I would do that or Okay, um, after school hours and club hours run by the school I still have Mondays and Wednesdays free. So what can I fill that with? And then I found in my county there is a Youth Corp program, which was taking actual youths that committed nonviolent and nonsexual misdemeanors and putting them through a rehabilitation program where not only did we help them try to avoid the law in the future by focusing on more on less severe punishments and more rehabilitative steps, the entire back end, but it would also give us an avenue to learn about the legal system. And we would actually, like act as a judge in a real-life case. That's like, again, helping my community and helping this particular population within my community. But also again, like giving me something to do. Yes. So long story short, I feel like to answer your question, it doesn't really necessarily have to be split. Like I feel like there can be that constant and if you're looking to do something, seeking out means by which you can help yourself and the community
Dydine
I guess that's pretty good as well.
Alex
I think a lot of that kind of comes with it, but let's face it, Alexa, not everybody has as clear their but head-on-the-shoulders as you do.
Yeah, no, it's a process. And altruism doesn't come naturally to everybody. Yeah, no. But I think you're right. I think you're right in that if you honor yourself and if you know, you do good by yourself, you'll eventually by extension people.
Dydine
Absolutely. So we have like 15 minutes left, and we have our friend, we all know her. She's amazing and she is watching us constantly and she had a question for you. And so we bring her on that we'll be talking more about the community here. And if there are any thoughts, please share them with us. We also really thank you so much for taking your time. I know you're tired. You were pressed all day.
Consolee
Hi, Nice to meet you.
Dydine
In your mind, as you're watching this constantly, all the conversations of the things we talked about.
Consolee
Oh, thank you for having me. I really enjoy your conversations and Alexa is really incredible. You're amazing. You're amazing, hearing how you were talking, I could see the next leader, have you thought about running in the future?
Alexa
It cut out a little bit, can you repeat the question?
Consolee
I said I can see why I was listening to your thoughts. You're the person you are I thought about your you know, I can see a leader in you. So have you thought about running for office in the future?
Alexa
I have thought about it. That's something that I've recently started to think about. What's more, like going back to when I said that I thought about being a lawyer. I then moved into more like being a lawyer, okay, I'm gonna do law for a little bit. But I really want to go in as a politician. And then I kind of took a step back from that and thought about okay, let me focus more on small businesses and nonprofits and maybe go into that area. However, very recently, I've come back to maybe being a politician, but I'm, again trying to weigh the pros and cons of that. Just because it's as we all see, very polarizing. And they're, they're very sneaky, and you know, like very manipulative. So it's very hard to make change through our current government, which I would love to say, Okay, let me get in there and try to make that change. But I could also say that I can make more direct changes by going back and focusing on nonprofits working in that avenue. So that's something that I'm trying to weigh. But I have thought about going into like politics.
Consolee
I am a New Yorker so if you choose to be a politician, I’ve gotten your back and I was thinking about even though we see prioritization and how, especially the older generation, how they run for, they're almost like running everything. You know, the even younger generation is trying the best they could or they're the ones who are running you know, we are different era somehow you could see the generational conflict, you know, anywhere in the era they don't understand mostly because they grew up in a different era. So we are in a technology era. So most young people are more connected compared to our generation. Now they know what's going on in Iran, they know what's going on in Afghanistan. You're more connected than we are, you understand the world compared to how we understand the world. So when you see this generational conflict, do you have hope they feel like there's a way to find a way to kind of like make this older generation listen, do you see like, do you get some kind of disappointment? Especially when you see the way they run things and they don't understand how you operate and think because of the different era we live in now?
Alexa
No, I definitely do see that generational gap. But I'm also like, sadly, I think that there are some parties that use that to their advantage. Like I'm not trying to say that I'm against Democrats or for Democrats, because that's not what I'm here to talk about I'm not trying to talk about my political affiliation. But what I will say is that I'm not a fan of really any congressman, rather Democratic-Republican just because, like for example, Democrats, especially with codifying Roe v. Wade, a lot of congressmen with that affiliation kind of dangle that carrot and said okay, if you vote for me, I'll codify Roe v. Wade. Six years later, nothing happened because they want to use that as a means to get votes. Because I know a lot of people in younger generations want this to happen. But now since everything that happened with overturning Roe v Wade, people are starting to see that that was only a means of getting reelected rather than an actual piece that was on their agenda. So I think now a lot of Democrats are scrambling to codify those goats because they were kind of called out. Yeah, those types of things. Though, I think that's like, um, that's one way that I do kind of lose hope with the generational gap. Because obviously, when it comes to Congress or just looking for votes, and because the job security is kind of, I don't know it goes back and forth. There. So that's one way where I see it really negatively affecting us because they're trying to make it seem like they do actually hear what the younger gender generation wants. But in reality, it's it's not something they're really focused on because if they weren't focused on it, it would have been more so that's one way where I can lose both but like, what I really do think that in kind of bridge that gap is really less attack, attacking related conversations and more. Just very respected conversations or respectful conversations. Where just because like, especially recently, people, especially the younger generations are getting angry with older generations. So it's very much attack based. We're like, remember that phrase, like, okay, Boomer? Like in a very, very negative way. Personally, I don't see that as an effective way to communicate with older generations, because they're just going to see it as an attack and they're not going to take anything that we say seriously. So I think just very, very neutral based conversations and just kind of like, just talking through your feelings rather than attacking the other person's opinion. Because I have noticed a lot of people say like, oh, I can't get this person to, like, see what I'm trying to say. When comes to for example, gun laws. And then I'll be like, Okay, how did you approach it? Like was very much like you trying to say your opinion and not accepting anything else? And they would kind of agree that that's how it went. And I'm like, okay, like, while I don't think that are, well, I don't disagree with you. Maybe that's not the best way to approach it.
Dydine
Finding a common ground and having constructive conversations, conversations that are not going to erupt, and then leaving it at the table with no solution. Because, as you just mentioned, if we keep bumping heads, all we are going to do is not listen to one another. Cause we are all right in our own minds. So I think your way is really good. I like the way you see life because we need those conversations. We need those that are in their 70s having conversations with 20 year olds, because this world is yours. I really like that and I love the question. Consolee, you can also run?!!
Consolee
You can be a campaign manager.
I really enjoyed everything you talked about.
Alex
Very special. Very, very special. Thank you.
Alexa
Welcome.
Alex
But I did sort of leave it off with this and constantly you may have touched on a little bit. I have a question written down here. What positive change do you want to be a part of for yourself? And by extension, what might what positive message do you have? For the older generation people a little bit younger generation people who are inheriting this world in the future, what sort of messages do you have for them?
Alexa
Well, going off your first positive change. I'm very much getting more into environmental regulation and sustainability just because I do see that as one of the most crucial things we can focus on right now. Because in order to keep fixing all these other social challenges that we face in society, we need to have, you know, a planet to live on that is healthy, it's the same with every species on the planet. So one thing that I think is very important to focus on so that we can keep improving as a society. But I guess I kind of think as advice I really just, it's really cliche, but be open-minded. Like, understanding that we don't live in a world of absolutes, and extremes and that a compromise can be found between two people coming from different backgrounds. But I think that's really important because that's when change can happen is when we're not butting heads and rather finding a common solution to fix our issues.
Dydine
Oh, yeah, that's beautiful.
Alex
Yeah, and also one of our community members Grace, says also,
Dydine
Make sure to be vegan.
Alex
What you said, you said a lot of things are cliche for a reason. There's a reason why many people say these things. We all agree. And beautiful sentiments as always. Yeah. And again, thank you so much. Thank you so much for joining us.
Alexa
Thank you for having me.
Consolee
Pleasure meeting you.
Alex
And for everybody. Thank you for tuning in. I can see a couple of comments. Europe and Australia aren't awake right now. When they do wake up. But yeah, hopefully, they'll still resonate. Or what you say will resonate with them, and inspire them as well.