CURRENT MISSION

To be a thorn in the side of power, to become a polemicist, to be a scholar of body modification, social media, and the commodification of cool.

ABOUT ME

Most people would say I am "cool," except for ultra-conservatives, gun-aficionados, and white racists. They tend to hate me (seriously, google my name). I get along with most people, although I tend to have strong opinions and a sharp tongue. Politically, I am progressive-left, and it comes out a lot in my conversations with others as I am a sociology PhD student and instructor at the University of Maryland. However, I am a fun guy. I promise. :D

PHILOSOPHY

"So today more than ever, opposing racism requires that we notice race, not ignore it, that we afford it the recognition it deserves and the subtlety it embodies. By noticing race we can begin to challenge racism, with its ever-more-absurd reduction of human experience to an essence attributed to all without regard for historical or social context. By noticing race we can challenge the state, the institutions of civil society, and ourselves as individuals to combat the legacy of inequality and injustice inherited from the past. By noticing race we can develop the political insight and mobilization necessary to make the U.S. a more racially just and egalitarian society." -Michael Omi and Howard Winant

"When linked to group action, our individual struggles gain new meaning. Because our actions as individuals change the world from one in which we merely exist to one over which we have some control, they enable us to see everyday life as being in process and therefore amenable to change." -Patricia Hill Colllins

"I have no idea when, or if, racism will be eradicated. I have no idea whether anything I say, do, or write will make the least bit of difference in the world. But I say it, do it, and write it anyway, because as uncertain as the outcome of our resistance may be, the outcome of our silence and inaction is anything but. We know exactly what will happen is we don't do the work: nothing. And given that choice, between certainty and promise, in which territory one finds the measure of our resolve and humanity, I will opt for hope." -Tim Wise

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I would love to host some people on my couch just outside of DC (in Southern Maryland). It is not the most convenient for seeing all the sites and museums of DC, but I guarantee you a good time. I will do my best to make you feel completely at home.

I also hope to use CouchSurfing instead of booking hotel rooms for academic conferences in the near future. Us grad students don't make enough money to fund our own travel and speaking engagements...

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Just began this project, and I fucking love it.

Interests

In short: PhD student and Instructor; Sociologist of subculture; Tattoo collector; Horror buff; Metalhead; Teenage dreamer; Cat whisperer. I spend most of my time reading books, expanding my mind, watching films (especially foreign films), and kickin back with a blunt, cider, and my best bud and feline friend Meatball.

• cats
• books
• perfumes
• concerts
• instructor
• politics
• movies
• reading
• traveling
• communications
• religion
• sociology

Music, Movies, and Books

Metal, black metal, drum and bass, dubstep, hip hop, a little indie, and everything in between. Not a huge fan of country music. Also, I do not like sports.

Movies I like horror, drama, arthouse, foreign, indie, thriller, cult classics, etc. Go to my facebook page instead. facebook.com/theDPS

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Concerts I guess. I haven't done much in my life. Nor traveled a lot. I have never left the country. This is something I hope to change when I finally get that PhD.

I'm only 25 and spent the first quarter of my life keeping my nose to the ground and working hard to get into grad school. Now I am ready to travel and have fun, meet new people, try new things, and have some life experiences.

Teach, Learn, Share

I am an instructor, so I am always learning from others (especially my students), teaching, and sharing what I have learned/read with others. It's more second nature than anything. I tend to start conversations with, "You know, there was this dude who did a study on this shit and he found that... blah blah blah." I do have a strong opinions, especially on politics and religion, but I recognize and respect others' views. I used to be VERY christian and was brought up in a super religious, conservative Texas household, so that explains my movement to the political far left.

Countries I’ve Visited

United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States