September Journals

Ebola is still an issue?

In the New York Times an article named “Health Experts Fight Ebola in Congo, and Each Other” by Denise Grady, NYT writer since 1998, is proof of my ignorance as a citizen on this Earth. Years ago the issue of Ebola went viral when there was an outbreak and the virus possibly came to the United States. After a few, the issue silenced, and until today I thought the virus had been contained and cured. However, my beliefs were wrong. In this article, Issues of how the government is only causing more havoc during the seriousness of the disease is quite absurd. This affects groups like the W. H. O. and doctors without borders who are there to help. Even when a new vaccine was created, Grady wrote how the government was very hesitant over this vaccine because they felt that people would not accept more treatment. As an outsider, and a person who wishes to become a doctor, sounds very conflicting to me. How can the government not force harsher policies for health issues? How is the government rather than help create this virus more difficult than what it already is? This article is very informative, which is what many other people like me need to read. The title foreshadows the article by foreseeing the government issue, the writing flows beautifully and showcases Grady’s tone of desperation towards this issue of Ebola and lack of support from the government. Overall, this article is well written and very informative.

The Right Consumption for Children

To begin with, children should be treated with care because of their developing bodies. Their diets need to hold good enough protein and nutrients to help develop their bodies and maintain great health, however, these days it’s more common to eat junk food than healthy choices. In America, obesity is a common problem, children eat a massive amount of soda and sugary drinks that can cause issues to their health, like diabetes and cholesterol. In the article, “What Should Young Children Drink? Mostly Milk and Water, Scientists Say”, by Roni Caryn Rabin, discusses the reasons why children need to drink better supplements like water and milk. However, “close to half of all 2 to 5-year-olds in the U.S. drink sugary drinks every day”, Rabin states. This is outrageous, as a person that has taken care of smaller children before this speaks volumes to me. This article attracts, parents, teachers, babysitters, and the pediatrician because of the connection between children and their health. This article was very predictable to read because it is expected that children are suffering through health conditions because parents or guardians are unable to withhold healthy choices for the better future of their children’s health. It was not as interesting to read because it is more of an issue that is lectured for poor parenting, unlike other articles that have new information about something most people don’t know. Overall, this article should be shared among people that take care of children because if we keep directing children the way that we currently are, this future is looking more like the humans in the movie Wall-E.

October Journals

Malpractice in Pakistani City Resulting in 900 Testing Positive for H.I.V.

As a parent, as a doctor, as a patient your greatest fear is malpractice at any clinic. As a parent, you trust the doctors and nurses to help your child’s health along with yours. As a doctor, malpractices only damage the trust people have with modern medicine. As a patient, you put yourself in the hands of others in order to get better, to prevent the worst, not to be a victim of a doctor reusing syringes that have caused an outbreak of H.I.V. Pakistani researcher and author Zia ur-Rehman along with South Asia correspondent Maria Abi-Habib illustrate how a single pediatrician has raised havoc in a Pakistani City in their article “Panic in Pakistani City After 900 Children Test Positive for H.I.V.”. Within the article both authors discuss how this pediatrician, Muzaffar Ghangharo was violating his rights as a doctor and violating the guidelines/rules set when dealing with sensitive items as syringes, especially towards children. This article raises questions about healthcare in countries like Pakistan. What health benefits do low incomes get? Does the government truly care about the health issues happening in its country? Although this article is focused mainly on Ghanghro reckless actions, this raises the questions whether other doctors in poverty areas follow the same unhygienic, cheap decisions. As a reader, I can’t help but spread my curiosity of other parts of the country or whether low-middle income group countries have had the same issues? Ghangharo alike Dr. He were unethical to their practices, completely disregarding the rule to always keep a patient or willing participant safe and informed.

Sleep is a Necessity

The human body needs more than a healthy, nutritious diet, 8 cups of water a day, it demands hibernation. In other words, the human body alike caterpillars need their “hibernation”, for humans this is more of our sleep routine than flourishing into a creature with wings. American pediatrician and writer, Perri Klass, suggests that it is a necessity that has to be treated more strictly towards social media, technology infested adolescents. In Klass’ article “When Your 200-Month-Old Can’t Sleep Through the Night”, she illustrates how sleep deprivation affects melatonin in the body. This hormone is responsible for helping us sleep and wake up. It is very eye-opening to see how Kass brings up how parents think that the reason their children are distracted and uninterested at school and at home is at fault with A.D.H.D. When truly the real problem is the lack of control parents have and don’t seem to acknowledge towards technology, a major factor in the lack of sleep. This articles is perfect for parents, guardians, teachers, and those that suffer from a lack of sleep themselves. Sleep is essential for you or “your academic performance and your athletic performance” will be damaged. Lack of sleep causes a disfunction on your system due to the deprivation, it takes a toll on your daily life from the lack of energy. As a college student that also works, my schedule is very heavy and sleep is more of a luxury than an option, with the constant demand of new projects it has become of either a decision of sleep or finish an assignment. I feel as if my body has reached its peak in sleep deprivation when while doing assignments I would spontaneously fall asleep and wake up to the aftermath of a deadline. This article poses a solution for parents, and those that suffer from lack of sleep. Phones, Ipads, Laptops have plague our rooms and they take a toll on our sleep, Kass proposes that parents should “jail lock” their children’s phones, and keep away from the bedroom at night to build a healthy sleep routine. Overall, sleep has to be treated as priority and Kass emphasizes that, especially for adolescents.

November Journals

Young Genius

Child prodigies are praised in society, they are seen as intelligent individuals who exceed the normal individual mentally. London based journalist, Elian Peltier, talks about a child prodigy that will become the youngest to graduate from the university at the age of nine in his article, “A 9-Year-Old Is About to Get a University Degree. He Has #Giganticplans”, featured on The New York Times. The title is already a great giveaway at how this nine year old differs from past geniuses as his teachers referee him as. This nine year old, who’s name is Laurent Simons, is different as Peltier points out in the first paragraph, by stating “He doesn’t play chess or any musical instruments. But he loves Fortnite and Minecraft and watches Netflix.” I myself, relate to Simons, I don’t play chess nor am I well with instruments, however, on a free day you will catch playing video games and simultaneously watching Netflix. By making this point, Peltier allows his readers to feel a sense of comfort and relativeness to such a successful person. A way to make this article more interesting, although it already is, would be to showcase some examples of Simons’ work at the university to give his readers a taste of how this nine year old does in the university with tasks that as a college students are quite stressful and hard. Overall, this article is very interesting, and comfortable since there’s no pressure that such a genius has to be as innovative as Picasso or Mozart (as Peltier also pointed out), but rather that such intelligent people are relatable even if they are expected not to be

Ultra Black is The New Black

Society never settles, trends keep on changing and many things are lost in the past. Now, colors are changing. American non-fiction writer, and science journalist of The New York Times, Natalie Angier, wrote an article featured on The Times called “Ultra Black is the New Black”. The article borders interesting and not interesting, the fact that a new, deeper color has been made pikes my curiosity, however, the facts that surround this discovery does not. Aside from the facts, the way Angier raises the fact that such color has been used in clothing and frame, showcased the versatility of the color. As a reader, I expected the color to be kept in the lab and keep being experimented on since light does not reflect in such color, it’s as if light disappears within the color, making it look like a sci-fi movie editing. However, this is real? I question what drew scientists to create such a thing? And what happens to light to not reflect? What other colors have they tried experimented on and failed or actually accomplish?

December Journal

Somebody Has A Sense Of Humor

As I navigated the world of the Science section of The New York Times, an eye catching title caught my interest. This article is called “Someone Is Putting Cowboy Hats on Pigeons in Las Vegas” by reporter on the Express desk Christine Hause. Although as a reader who majors in Science, I tend to find some articles lacking that shock factor, and this one did so just by its title. Hause has focused on the weird, yet comical side of Science? I question this because how does it relate it to it. As I keep on reading, Charles Walcott comes up. Walcott is an ornithologist from Cornell University, who questions whether this is harmful for the pigeons. He states how the garment looks “light”, and they seemed like “happy pigeons” while wearing the miniature cowboy hats. Unfortunately, no discovery has been made of who has done such things to these pigeons. This article is not common to see in the Science section of The New York Times, yet its refreshing and humorous, reminding readers that Science is not always about chemicals, reactions, creations, it’s also about nature and organisms.