My name is Andrew Savage and I’m a workaholic. They say the first step to solving any problem is admitting that you have one. So, there it is, that has been my addiction for the past six years. As I’ve stated before, I am a proud public school teacher and there is nothing that I would not do or any sacrifice that I would not make for my students. So there is the heart of my workaholism. My sense of guilt that if I don’t devote every minute of every day to the job that I am letting my students down. Regularly, I would work after school from 3pm until about 6pm. One night I was even ambitious enough to work until 8pm. All of these hours plus the hour and a half commute would lead to exhaustion, which would linger for the rest of the evening and sometimes carry over into the very next day. [Read more…] about Tales From a Recovering Workaholic: Finding & Embracing Your Work/Life Balance
A New Year’s Resolution for America: Enough with The Fake News!
The year 2016 was an awful year and yes, in part, because we were confronted with our own mortality by the abrupt and premature deaths of our pop culture icons. However, more importantly, 2016 was an awful year because America’s populace was more uniformed than we’ve ever been; not because we do not have enough information, but because we have too much information. In an age where cable TV news is 24/7 and newspapers are being replaced by instantaneous digital news, it is easy to see how Americans are more prone to reading and accepting what has become known as “fake news” as actual news. [Read more…] about A New Year’s Resolution for America: Enough with The Fake News!
A Personal Tribute: To Phoebe, With Love
November has been a very difficult month for a multitude of reasons. One being the uncertain future our country faces after January 20, 2017. However, November got off to a somber start even before the election in my corner of the world when my beloved dog, Phoebe, passed away at the age of 15. Phoebe was a loyal and loving dog who was present in my life through all of the ups and downs one could have in 15 years time. Phoebe was the only constant presence in a sea of changes that occurred during that period in my life. Phoebe was at my side through graduations, boyfriends, college, graduate school, jobs, and all of the emotions that go along with those experiences. [Read more…] about A Personal Tribute: To Phoebe, With Love
What I Told My Students About Election 2016
November 9, 2016 was a very difficult day for me as it was for many Americans. As a New Yorker who is accustomed to the hustle and bustle of a sometimes grueling daily commute, I noticed that something was different about it that day. It was smoother than usual with less traffic but once I was in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, the air was unusually quiet. It was as if I had just walked into a large collective funeral and people were in mourning on every corner. Some were openly sobbing while others were simply drifting through their day with the morose undertones of what had happened the night before. The feeling of dread and impending doom that many felt when Donald J. Trump was elected President was sprawled across the faces of many who work and live in Midtown Manhattan, mine included. My own shock and dread over the results of the election was not about me or my pride. I am Democrat who lives in Staten Island which is the reddest borough in New York City. I have voted and campaigned for my share of losing candidates. I was concerned about how I would explain the results of this election to my students. [Read more…] about What I Told My Students About Election 2016
Manhattan Digest: We’re With Her
Manhattan Digest has always been an apolitical entity. We don’t take sides in elections. We are a positive media outlet that aims to steer clear of the division and rancor that colors the comments section of websites discussing political matters. Manhattan Digest likes to focus on culture, daily living, celebrity culture, LGBT issues, and other non-political subjects with the goal of bringing out the best in our readers. A difficult task when our current political climate is bringing out the worst in some Americans. However, this election is one where the stakes could not be higher and our nation’s future hangs in the balance. Therefore, in such a consequential election in a consequential time, Manhattan Digest is getting off the sidelines and declaring: We’re With Her. Manhattan Digest enthusiastically endorses former Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton for President of the United States. [Read more…] about Manhattan Digest: We’re With Her
Let’s Shut Up and Vote Already!
From the age of 18, I have been an active voter and a vocal participant in local politics. I have been an enthusiastic campaign volunteer, a starry-eyed city council intern, a party stalwart for my local Democratic Party organization, and even became the first openly gay President of the Young Democrats of Richmond County. Therefore, it should be no surprise that every election season is met with great excitement and anticipation. Every speech, a potential turning point, every State of The Union Address is my super bowl, and even the most boring of debates have captivated more of my attention than perhaps they should. 2016 has been no different. I have read nearly every article on the subject of this election, actively monitored every poll by the minute, and have been a religious viewer of every debate from the primary to the general election. However, recently, for the first time in my life, the most anticipated moment about an election is its end. This is a sentiment that I know many Americans of all political stripes share. [Read more…] about Let’s Shut Up and Vote Already!
Stop the Dehumanization of Teachers
I am new to Manhattan Digest, so it’s time I formally introduce myself to our readers. My name is Andrew Savage and for the past six years, I have been a proud high school teacher. It has been my pride and joy to watch students learn, grow, and flourish. I have never doubted that my students learned and considered their experiences in my class valuable. Every measurable indicator such as test scores and observations from peers and supervisors have confirmed this. I love what I do which is why I feel it’s time to stand up for my colleagues and public education here in New York City and across this nation. Our profession is in a state of crisis where the demands and pressures of teaching have overshadowed the joy and fulfillment that we get out of doing our jobs. [Read more…] about Stop the Dehumanization of Teachers
Goodbye, Grindr. It’s Been Fun.
This weekend I deleted my Grindr app, for good. I know what all fellow Grindr users are thinking. “Yeah sure, it’ll be back on your phone by Monday morning” and they would be correct to make that assumption. I have done this dance as a user of the Grindr app for about 5 years. I delete the app for a while and then I come back to it a few days or even a few hours later. The question I have asked myself a lot recently is: “Why?” While I admit, the occasional Grindr hookup on a boring Sunday afternoon was thrilling for a while, the app itself was a technological form of time travel back to middle school where I was routinely bullied for being “too feminine” or “fat.” [Read more…] about Goodbye, Grindr. It’s Been Fun.