Megan Baaske

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Megan Baaske is a junior fellow at the Center on Communication Leadership. In May, she graduated summa cum laude from the University of Southern California, where she earned a bachelor's degree in Communication and History. While at USC, Megan interned for the Huffington Post in Los Angeles, worked with California Common Cause, and spent a summer as a campaign researcher for Nels Ackerson For Congress. She also worked for two years as a research assistant to Professor Peter Mancall as part of his ten year project to reconstruct the economy of Colonial British America in the 17th century. She has presented her research on the coverage of Hurricane Katrina and the CNN/YouTube Debates at international conferences in Amsterdam and Tokyo, respectively. Megan is part of the Order of Troy and was one of only two university seniors to receive the Phi Beta Kappa Award.

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Blog Entries by Megan Baaske

How Cultures Around The World Consume Dangerous Foods Daily With No Worries

Posted April 30, 2009 | 17:52:09 (EST)

It all started when I was searching for a salad recipe for an upcoming party. I found a dish on Epicurious that called for asparagus, shaved pecornio, and fava beans. At the bottom of the recipe came a nonchalant, but startling note:

Be aware that fava beans can cause...

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Japanese Food: Beyond Sushi

Posted April 7, 2009 | 15:50:41 (EST)

Americans know sushi. By now, we understand it. Raw fish of all types served with rice, wasabi, and seaweed in the Nigiri style or in rolls which wrap fish and vegetables inside the seaweed. In one west coast state, in particular, sushi is so popular that it launched its own...

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Nowruz: A Holiday Rich in Culinary Symbolism

Posted March 20, 2009 | 12:45:34 (EST)

Today marks the start of Nowruz, the Persian New Year. Observed throughout parts of the Middle East and Asia, the thirteen-day celebration is particularly significant in Iranian culture. Nowruz, meaning "new day," begins at the exact moment of the vernal equinox - 3:14pm in Tehran or 7:44am EST. The holiday...

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Of Pundits and Politicians

Posted August 27, 2008 | 18:22:39 (EST)

HuffPost's OffTheBus is teaming up with USC Annenberg's Center on Communication Leadership and the Institute for Photographic Empowerment to support citizens' coverage of the Democratic and Republican conventions. "Maximum Exposure" is the title of the project under which OffTheBus will be posting your photos...

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