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Obama’s Memoir ....1
Conquering the Challenges – This is Who We Are
BY HON MACKIE HOLDER CONSUL GENERAL OF BARBADOS
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Fellow Barbadians and Friends of Barbados: The attainment and celebration of our nation’s 54th anniversary of Independence comes in the midst of the ongoing, devastating Covid-19 pandemic, which has brought the world to its knees. Indeed, for those of us who live in the United States, there is the unpalatable specter of another period of shutdown and shelter in place as infection rates spike country-wide. Already, the harsh reality is that the numbers are much higher than in spring when the pandemic exploded, first in New York; spread is more widespread and, unfortunately, death rates are again climbing. In the shared tragedy of 2020, Barbadians lives have been lost and our tourism-led economy ground to a halt. It is a sad reflection of our times that the most widely praised of the NY Consulate’s activities was the memorial service held in August celebrating the lives of those who lost their lives to Covid-19 as well as from other causes. Once again, we remember those who have passed and offer heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of those who lost loved ones in the most unimaginable circumstances. We remain grateful to all frontline workers, among whom are many Barbadians, for their ongoing sacrifice, dedication to duty and care. The public salutes have abated, but we all continue to owe an unpayable debt to all who get up daily, if they slept at all, to battle the pandemic. I also note the devotion to duty and service of the staff of the Consulate, who have worked throughout the pandemic, in and out of office. In one of the ironies of 2020, the pandemic has brought Barbadian
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Associations and individuals closer, and the conversations and collaboration with the Consulate, and each other, will remain the outstanding achievement of the year, one that has already delivered important programs and which holds immense, as yet untapped potential for more practical engagement. The unity, resilience and brotherhood of Barbadians, especially in challenging times, are well known, as well as the quality of our leadership. These characteristics that define who we are have been fully evident as our country has battled the pandemic. Our handling of the pandemic and the economic outfall has, once again, confirmed the top world class nature of Barbados in conquering challenges and maintaining its humanity and support to those in need even in the face of fear and paranoia. There has been deserved praise for the leadership of Prime Minister Mia Mottley, her team and Barbadians in keeping Barbados one of the safest places on earth. The magnanimous outreach to cruise liners and non-Barbadian citizens stranded, reflective of the Barbadian personality of warmth, helpfulness and upholding international and humanitarian obligations, has set the country apart and won our country new respect and friends. Prime Minister Mottley has also become the voice for small states for equity, catastrophe funding, the right for citizens to have a minimum acceptable standard of living and for greater attention to be paid to matters of climate change, as hurricanes in the Caribbean region at frequencies and strengths not seen before and wildfires in the US, just two examples, have added to the horrors of the pandemic. The challenges posed by the pandemic in Barbados, firstly maintain the health of all residents and supporting workers beached by economic activity brought to a drip, were faced by the Barbados leadership with the resolve, resourcefulness and restraint that has been the hallmark of Barbados since its Independence in 1966, and which has seen its steady progress to be one of the most developed countries in the world with a well-balanced society. Prime Minister Mottley has kept that stability, first with a strong but caring hand in instituting Covid-19 protocols and then by a series of programs to keep economic activity going, people working and especially to support families beset by a loss of employment. The range of support has included financial support to the tourism sector, direct funding to families, special arrangements for seniors as well as mortgage payment protection and the instituting of programs such as the Adopt a Family Charity. In July, the country received another wave of worldwide publicity and praise when the Prime Minister launched the Barbados Welcome Stamp, which facilitates persons who wish to work for at least a year in the country. This is proving to be a successful initiative, with some 2000 applications to date and almost 1500 approved, with hundreds of persons from the world over already in Barbados. It is a tribute to all that the country is still forging ahead, from re-opening schools, to critical infrastructural works, digitization and preparing to host UNCTAD 13 next year, from April 25 – 30. The words of our National Anthem, that with the Lord on the people’s side, we have no doubts or fears, are instructive. Barbados is, therefore, ready to fully reboot once the pandemic is brought under some sort of control. There is hope in three vaccinations, whose efficacy are, collectively, around 95%. A world back on track will see the continuation of the transformation of Barbados with new tourism projects; targeted housing projects, including an ongoing US$103 million project that the pandemic did not curtail; the further build out of a new foreign policy strategy that has already seen new missions in Brazil and Panama and deeper engagements with Africa that already has in place plans for new missions in Kenya, Ghana and Morocco; and a more structured and nuanced connectivity with the Diaspora, including the establishment of a full Diaspora Unit in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade. In New York, the Consulate will continue to broaden its interactions with the Diaspora and all who have an interest in Barbados. Indeed, a recent dialogue between young Barbadians at home and young people in Newark is an example of the new directions that will shape discourse in the future. We eagerly anticipate a renewal in 2021 and bringing some transformative projects to New York and some of the other States under the Consulate’s jurisdiction. So we celebrate our country’s 54th anniversary of Independence with optimism. Our motto of pride and industry could not be more apt in the dismal circumstances of 2020 and we take reassurance from our leadership and strength in unity that next year will be better. Because Barbados has continuously demonstrated that crises bring out the best in us; and that as long as we come together, we can achieve anything. A Happy 54th Independence and continued Blessing to all.l
Will Filing For Bankruptcy Negatively Impact Your Credit?
BY MARY CAMPBELL 311BANKRUPTCY.COM
Conventional wisdom on bankruptcy is that it ruins your credit for a decade. That's far from true, however. That belief stems from the fact that a Chapter 7 bankruptcy remains on your credit report for exactly 10 years, which is the standard for closed accounts that did not have any negative activity. However, this is the *only* type of bankruptcy that is on your credit report for that long. Other types of bankruptcies last for seven years, the standard for a closed account that had late payments. Your credit also cannot be totally ruined by a bankruptcy alone. It is true that a bankruptcy is a hard hit to your score, but letting outstanding debts go to collections and accumulate late payments or chargeoffs is just as bad if not worse.
Let's Talk Points - How Much Will A Bankruptcy Hurt?
Generally speaking, bankruptcies disproportionately hit higher credit scores harder. A realistic expectation for a FICO score over 750 is to lose a little over 200 points just from the bankruptcy. However, credit more in the moderate-to-good range of 600 to 750 will usually only drop by about 100 to 150 points. While you can expect bankruptcy to take you out of the "excellent" credit category for at least a couple of years, your credit can still remain in a good range if you are not experiencing other significant financial issues that drag it down. It's also important to know that bankruptcy score deductions aren't uniform to the debt amount or your starting score. In general, you will come out with a higher post-bankruptcy score if the discharged debts were individually smaller and spread out rather than one or two very large accounts.
Why Does A Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Stay On Longer?
Chapter 7 is viewed as the "last resort" bankruptcy option, if your means are too low to be eligible for the structured payments of a Chapter 13 bankruptcy (or a Chapter 11 or 12, which are basically Chapter 13 variants for specific business types). The cost of having most debts completely forgiven under Chapter 7 is the longer negative impact to your ability to borrow. Naturally, a Chapter 13 is more favorable to your credit if you have the means to make at least partial payments on your existing debts.
Does A Bankruptcy Eliminate The Negative Credit Impact Of Discharged
Accounts? Unfortunately, it does not. If a discharged account had negative payment information prior to being discharged, that will continue to be a drag on your credit for the standard seven years.
Can I Rebuild My Credit While A Bankruptcy Is On My Report?
Absolutely! Having a bankruptcy on your credit report won't negate positive contributions from other accounts. A popular option for rebuilding credit in the wake of a bankruptcy is a secured credit card. With these, you put down the amount of your credit line in the form of a security deposit. Since the full amount of the credit line is on hand, banks will issue these cards even to customers with low credit scores. After a year of good payment history, the security deposit is usually returned and the card becomes a standard credit account, often with a significant limit increase. Of course, making timely payments on your remaining accounts will also continue to build good credit, and keeping your total debt load to no more than one-third of your available credit will also help to bolster your FICO score.l
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EDUCATION 8 4 Tips for College Students to Avoid Procrastinating with Their Online Work
BY KYI XIE & SHENG-LUN CHENG THE CONVERSATION
If you take classes online, chances are you probably procrastinate from time to time. Research shows that more than 70% of college students procrastinate, with about 20% consistently doing it all the time. Procrastination is putting off starting or finishing a task despite knowing that it will seriously compromise the quality of your work – for instance, putting off a major class project until the last minute. In fact, research has shown that procrastination can be a harmful behavior that lowers a student’s grades. Now that so many colleges and universities are operating remotely because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we worry that students are more prone to procrastinate because they have less access to campus facilities and structured support from instructors. We raise these concerns as researchers who study students’ motivation and engagement and their procrastination in online learning. As professors, we’ve also heard our fair share of explanations and excuses for why students missed deadlines. Everything from “my computer doesn’t work” to “my Wi-Fi went dead.” We even had one student claim that “Grandma died” in one course and that “Grandpa died” in another course. We also have had students claim that their roommate deleted their homework. Whether you see those reasons as valid or not, none of them really gets at why students procrastinate and end up in those kinds of situations in the first place. With that in mind, here are four tips that can help students deal better with the root causes of procrastination when it comes to online coursework.
1. Manage motivation
One of the main reasons students procrastinate is that they do not see their coursework as relevant to what they’re doing now or expect to do later on. When students find that their academic tasks are interesting, important and useful, they are more likely to try harder to get them done and less likely to put them off. Remote learning can make students feel bored and frustrated. Therefore, finding ways to stay motivated can prevent procrastination. Remind yourself of the practical value of your academic tasks. Figure out the reasons you’re studying something in the first place. For instance, instead of viewing the completion of an assignment as a way to fulfill course requirements, you can think about how to turn your coursework into something related to your life or career goals. For a computer science student, a programming assignment could be made a part of your portfolio to help secure an internship or even a job – as some of our own students have done. A research report could be turned into an academic journal article to enhance your profile when applying for graduate school in the future.
2. Manage goals, tasks and time
College life can get hectic. Many college students must juggle coursework, social events and work commitments at the same time. Getting more organized helps stave off procrastination. This means breaking long-term goals into smaller short-term, challenging and clear goals and tasks. The reason this technique works is that procrastination is directly related to an individual’s preference and desire for working on a task. When a goal is too large, it becomes not immediately achievable; therefore, you will see this task as less desirable and be more likely to put it off. By breaking a large long-term goal into a series of smaller and more concrete subgoals, you will see the project as easier to complete and, more importantly, your perceived distance to the finishing line will shorten. This way, you are more likely to perceive the project as desirable, and you will be less likely to procrastinate. Second, you need to plan your time daily by listing tasks based on their importance and urgency, estimating how much time you need to complete each task, and identifying concrete steps to reach daily goals. That is, tell yourself that in the context of X, I will need to do Y to accomplish Z. It is also important to plan your time according to how and when you prefer to study. For example, you may concentrate the most late at night, your memory may work the best in the early mornings, or you may collaborate better during the day. In addition, you should use tech tools, such as calendar and task-management apps, to plan your time and monitor how much you’re getting done.
3. Create a good learning space
Another important way to avoid procrastination is to make sure that your learning environment is supportive for learning. During the coronavirus pandemic, students are usually learning from home, but sometimes they study wherever they happen to be, even at picnic tables in public parks. These places may not be best suited for academic activities. These environments have many characteristics that may be more interesting and less emotionally draining than academic tasks. Therefore, students could drift away from academic tasks and wind up instead chatting with friends or watching sports. This is why choosing or creating a good place to study can help people stop procrastinating. Try to set up your surroundings in a way that suits your learning habits, including where you put tables and chairs and how you use lighting and block out noises. For example, some students may enjoy learning in a quiet and dark space with a spotlight. Others may learn best when they use a standing desk next to a bright window and constantly play soft background music.
4. Get a little help from friends
Friends and classmates can help one another stop procrastinating. Colleagues and other contacts can hold one another accountable and help one another meet deadlines. This is particularly important for anyone who struggles with self-control. Research also has shown that having supportive friends and other peers can boost self-confidence and make tasks seem more valuable and interesting. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, students are physically isolated from most of their friends and classmates. The social support that students normally receive in face-to-face settings, such as after-class chats and study groups, has also been moved to virtual spaces. That is, it’s still available, but mainly through virtual means, such as instant-messaging apps, online collaboration tools or video conferencing software. Used wisely, these tools can help students work with friends to overcome procrastination and m ake the classwork more enjoyable. l
Kui Xie is a Cyphert Distinguished Professor; Professor of Learning Technologies; Director of The Research Laboratory for Digital Learning, The Ohio State University.
First Tenant Evicted in NYC Since the Pandemic Started. Here’s What It Means
BY ALLISON DIKANOVIC, THE CITY
Marshals recently carried out the first legal residential eviction in New York City since the start of the pandemic, THE CITY has learned. Here’s a breakdown of how that happened during the eviction moratorium and what the move could mean for renters going forward.
So someone was evicted during the pandemic?
Yup. The first legal residential eviction in the city since March — when the pandemic hit — took place Nov. 20, according to officials at the city Department of Investigation, which oversees marshals. While we don’t have all the details yet (we’re working on it), we do know someone was removed from their home. What does this mean? Housing advocates said that any evictions taking place right now signals that we should expect more, even with COVID cases rising. Justin La Mort, a tenant attorney at Mobilization for Justice, said his organization has recently helped stop at least two evictions after tenants received a marshal’s notice. We do know that for now, marshals are issuing these notices to people who lost their eviction cases before the pandemic. Diane Struzzi, spokesperson for the Department of Investigation said: “Before an eviction can proceed, a court must have reviewed and concluded that the eviction can go forward, including that the tenant has not suffered financial hardship during the COVID-19 state of disaster. Eviction protocols are set by the court and by the Governor’s Office. The marshals must follow the court’s orders and directives.” La Mort said: “Eviction is a form of violence and any eviction is a policy failure. The fact that we’re evicting people during the pandemic is extremely problematic.”
But isn’t there still a moratorium?
Not quite. New York tenants still have some eviction protections — at least until the end of the year — but not a full blown moratorium. One protection is a state law called the Tenant Safe Harbor Act, which prohibits evictions against tenants who have suffered financial hardship during the pandemic. Gov. Andrew Cuomo expanded who this law covers, but it leaves a lot up to individual judges. The other primary protection is the federal Centers for Disease Control moratorium, which bans evictions for nonpayment if tenants fit qualifications showing their inability to pay full rent because of the pandemic. Both require a tenant to prove in court that they qualify for the protections, so neither is automatic. Esteban Girón, an organizer with the
Residents of a Fort Greene, Brooklyn apartment have been fighting their landlord’s efforts to evict them, Sept. 11, 2020. Peter Senzamici/THE CITY
Crown Heights Tenant Union, said of last week’s eviction: “This is the perfect example showing that we don’t have a moratorium in place. It wouldn’t have mattered if this person had COVID or if they lost income. If they didn’t have an attorney and didn’t appear in court, they got evicted.” Marika Dias, a tenant attorney and director of the Safety Net Project at the Urban Justice Center, said: “We really have reached a moment where it’s clear that the lack of political action does not just have hypothetical consequences, but it has the very real consequences that people are being put out of their homes in the middle of a pandemic. The last thing we want in the middle of the pandemic is more and more people being put out into the streets or in the shelter system or doubled up with another family.”
So why is this happening?
Well, it’s complicated. When New York’s full eviction moratorium ended in October, instead of just carrying out all the evictions for tenants who received court judgments before the pandemic, the courts added an extra step to the process. Officials decided that any tenants whose landlords wanted to proceed with an eviction order could get another chance at a hearing when the courts reopened. This was a positive development for tenants. If the tenants showed up to that hearing, they would have access to an attorney from the Right to Counsel program. If they didn’t make the hearing, the judge would schedule a second date. But if they didn’t show up to the second court date, the tenants would lose by default and a marshal’s notice could be issued. If a tenant has an attorney, they could block this eviction. But if that doesn’t happen, the eviction will go through. People in that situation and tenants who couldn’t prove to the judge that they qualified for COVID protections are those who can be tossed from their homes. There are a lot of reasons a tenant might not appear in court. Dias said: “Maybe they have COVID or health issues. Maybe the tenant didn’t understand how to participate without physically going to court and endangering themselves. Maybe they lacked access to technology or found the instructions to virtual participation not accessible. Maybe they had language access issues.” La Mort said: “Those who fall through the cracks are most at risk because they’re not connected to services, and that’s really disheartening. There’s no need for this right now. It highlights the need for us to have a real eviction moratorium and a real program to assist tenants.”
So now what?
Cases are continuing to move through the courts, and legal service providers are working to make sure that any tenant who appears for their hearing has access to a lawyer. Help: If your landlord files a petition to evict you, make sure you answer that petition. If you have questions about your case and want to get connected to a lawyer, call 311 and ask for the tenant helpline. l
This story was published on November 24, 2020 by THE CITY.
