Deconstruction of the Gender Binary in Time is a Mother
Posted inWorld Issues Writing

Deconstruction of the Gender Binary in Time is a Mother

Hi all! I recently finished the poetry collection Time is a Mother by Ocean Vuong. Before I dive deeper into it, let me preface by stating that this collection is phenomenal. Anyone looking for a profound sense of connection to one's familial, cultural, linguistic, and gender and sexuality identities will flip open the first page and immediately absorb Vuong's beautiful pain. Taking my lessons from Advanced Literature Theory from…
Posted inWorld Issues, Writing
Sunscreen Project: Infographics and Children’s Book
Posted inBiology Creative writing Environmental Science Health Visual art World Issues

Sunscreen Project: Infographics and Children’s Book

Hi all! Throughout this school semester, I worked to address the racial misconception surrounding sunscreen use and melanoma prevention by spreading infographics around my campus, Northfield Mount Hermon School, and holding exhibitions and presentations on my children's book for universal sunscreen use. I wanted to share this with you all as well, so please check out some of the infographics and storyboards I worked on below! My research has…
Posted inBiology, Creative writing, Environmental Science, Health, Visual art, World Issues
<strong>The Appeal to Religion: Order, Certainty, and Empowerment</strong>
Posted inPolitics World Issues

The Appeal to Religion: Order, Certainty, and Empowerment

Religions have shaped global society throughout human history, inspiring and justifying variations of beliefs and practices. With the rise of secular practices and scientific developments, religious influences were predicted to decline; yet, religion remains widely accepted and potent in determining the norms and trends of modern society (Moore 1). Many scholars explain this popularity of religion through its appealing offering of security and comfort to believers. Accordingly, the beliefs,…
Posted inPolitics, World Issues
Racial Misperception: Danger of Melanoma Skin Cancer and Importance of Sunscreen [Part III]
Posted inHealth Social Justice World Issues

Racial Misperception: Danger of Melanoma Skin Cancer and Importance of Sunscreen [Part III]

Without searching up "sunscreen" + "black skin," the image of darker-skinned sunscreen use does not show up on Google, showing the rootedness of the social undermining of darker-skinned melanoma prevention. Recommendations In order to educate different populations on the danger of skin cancer and the importance of its prevention, numerous countries have implemented health interventions. Many of them focus on educating children, as damage from UV radiation is likely…
Posted inHealth, Social Justice, World Issues
Racial Misperception: Danger of Melanoma Skin Cancer and Importance of Sunscreen [Part II]
Posted inHealth Social Justice World Issues

Racial Misperception: Danger of Melanoma Skin Cancer and Importance of Sunscreen [Part II]

Sunscreen UV radiation exists in three forms, UVA, UVB, and UVC, in decreasing order of wavelength. While all of the UVC and most of the UVB rays are absorbed by the ozone layer, UVA rays reach and penetrate the skin, causing increased melanin production, premature skin aging, and melanoma development through gene damage and mutation (Bais et al., 2015; Del Bino et al., 2006; Miyamura et al., 2010; Young,…
Posted inHealth, Social Justice, World Issues
Racial Misperception: Danger of Melanoma Skin Cancer and Importance of Sunscreen [Part I]
Posted inHealth Social Justice World Issues

Racial Misperception: Danger of Melanoma Skin Cancer and Importance of Sunscreen [Part I]

One of the symptoms of melanoma; moles/darker spots in the skin Introduction Melanoma is one of the deadliest types of skin cancer. Around 132,000 people are diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer annually around the globe, and its incidence is estimated to increase as further depletion of the ozone layer brings more ultraviolet (UV) radiation to the Earth’s surface. Chronic exposure to UV radiation causes DNA damage, which can lead…
Posted inHealth, Social Justice, World Issues
Massachusetts and Maryland: How These Colonies Shaped Current-Day America
Posted inOpinion Politics World Issues

Massachusetts and Maryland: How These Colonies Shaped Current-Day America

During the 17th century, thirteen British colonies rose along the east coast of North America. Diverse people settled in those colonies for various reasons: economic gain, seeking religious freedom, escaping their hometown, etc. With those different people, the colonies became unique; Distinctions in religion and government of the colonies, two frequently-intertwined factors, shaped the individual characteristics of states of the modern day. Massachusetts Bay and Maryland were built upon…
Posted inOpinion, Politics, World Issues
Leprosy and leprostigma: A review from the past through COVID-19
Posted inHealth World Issues

Leprosy and leprostigma: A review from the past through COVID-19

Leprosy patients and leprostigma: Present-day situation and impact of COVID-19 Compared to the past, the prevalence of leprosy has decreased prominently. Important research funding sources have stopped supporting leprosy research, perceiving it as eliminated (56). Because the disease now mainly affects only small populations in poor and developing countries, leprosy is categorized as a Neglected Tropical Disease, meaning it gains low interest in various medical industries (57). However, <1…
Posted inHealth, World Issues
Leprosy and leprostigma: A review from the past through COVID-19
Posted inHealth World Issues

Leprosy and leprostigma: A review from the past through COVID-19

The consequences of leprostigma A leprosy hospital in India Leprostigma in society causes many patients with active leprosy to delay or avoid treatment (35). In Kaur and Ramesh’s research (48), nearly 77.4% of female leprosy patients in Delhi were afraid of receiving confronting questions about leprosy. Furthermore, Pelizzari et al. (49) found that some medical professionals even advised their patients to avoid discussing leprosy in public. These actions of avoiding…
Posted inHealth, World Issues
Leprosy and leprostigma: A review from the past through COVID-19
Posted inHealth World Issues

Leprosy and leprostigma: A review from the past through COVID-19

Leprostigma One of the biggest obstacles in reaching the complete elimination of leprosy is universal leprostigma. The main sources of leprostigma are religious and linguistic stereotypes, misconceptions, and fear of people with deformities. Religious and linguistic stereotypes come from many sources, one being the persistence of discriminatory language, as classified by the UN special rapporteur (30). Across diverse cultures, the word ‘leprosy’ was metaphorically associated with sins, curses or…
Posted inHealth, World Issues