Author: Amma Marfo (she/her)

At the end of this month, a moment unthinkable in the minds of so many will finally be realized: new episodes of Arrested Development are coming. After a seven year "hiatus", the show is re-emerging from the dead, fueled by a passionate fanbase and a desire to continue a story. Arrested Development's irreverent run was … Continue reading There’s Always Money In the Banana Stand: New Life from Old Programs

A pair of conversations yesterday got me thinking about self-promotion. What is it, who's "good at it", and why some are "good at it" while others "aren't". The first came in the morning, when Kelly Wuest drew my attention to this Chronicle article about recognition. As my first Student Leadership Award ceremony at Emmanuel approaches, … Continue reading On Being Instrumental

Last night, I worked with the Class of 2016 and a professor in the sociology department to facilitate discussion around the 2011 documentary Bully. It was a sparsely attended screening- we spoke to a crowd of about 5 by the time the film ended. Given how much the film rights cost, we had hoped for … Continue reading Don’t Fear the Reaper

I have always struggled with how to close emails. "Sincerely" doesn't always fit at work (harsh but true), "Best" or "Cheers" don't seem to fit me or feel pretentious, and "Thanks" isn't always relevant. My fellow URI alums would appreciate that I came very close to using "Have an excellent"*, but the target audience is … Continue reading Finding Closure and a Closing

I get to do a lot of people watching on my daily commute as a dedicated bus or T rider, and there is a phenomenon that never fails to pique my curiosity. I have seen long streams of people wordlessly exit a train or bus, looking down or ahead, convinced that their day is so … Continue reading Keep the Kindness Going

I'm starting to find the words to express my frustration that escaped me a few days ago when I first tried to write about my feelings about the Boston Marathon. Although I am a relatively recent transplant to this town, it has felt like home to me for years. First as a highlight of intellectual … Continue reading The Frustration of the “I”

There exist a great many jokes lampooning the natural desire of marathon runners to talk about their experiences (e.g. "How do you know if someone's run a marathon?" "Don't worry, they'll tell you."). And true to form, there is a pride and an excitement in the running community around this unique accomplishment. I have no … Continue reading The Heart of a Runner

After seeing articles like "Move Over Extroverts, Here Come the Ambiverts" and "Hire the Quiet Neurotic, Not the Impressive Extrovert" this week, some thoughts occurred to me about the associations that are being made about extroverts.Do I wish to champion the cause of introverts? Absolutely. I wouldn't be so reverent of the work that Susan … Continue reading In Praise of the Extrovert

Could you express all that you need to say to get yourself hired in 140 characters? A Wall Street Journal article circulating on LinkedIn earlier this week asked that very question. So many more people are taking to social networks, particularly Twitter, to find employment opportunities and to connect with those in those offices. Is … Continue reading The 140 Character Resume