Malaria: A disease that won't fly away.

In the third unit of the Disease course, which is called World, the class learned about epidemics around the world, and also looked into the dangers that they cause. We also learned about the different vocab words that are used to rate an epidemic, as well as looking at a scale that would help us determine whether or not a disease would be considered an epidemec. For the math portion we looked at finding the R naught of a disease, which means the number of people expected to be hit with this disease. For the action project, the class was assigned to pick a certain disease that was/is endemic and track down the history, symptoms, look into factors that may lead to this disease, and then graph it out. I decided to choose Malaria, because I know how dangerous this disease can be. At first it was difficult graphing everything out, but then once I figured out how to use the website that is used to create the graphs, it went well. I hope you enjoy my video and script below!


Hey everyone! Through this video I will explain the dangers of the very dangerous disease Malaria. First, I want to go off with saying what Malaria is and the symptoms. The word Malaria comes from 18th century Italian meaning of the the word mala, which means “bad” and aria meaning “air”. That term was first used by an Italian doctor, where at the time, they believed disease was caused by foul air in marshy surroundings. Finally in 1880, they discovered that Malaria is a parasitic disease that is caused by the Anopheles mosquito. The disease is shared by a female mosquito, as she needs blood for her eggs. Symptoms include fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, headaches, and sweats. The RO of this epidemic is RO>200+700 on occasion, meaning that for every person thats gets hit by this disease 200 or even 700 people can become infected, also meaning that this disease is highly endemic. Study shows that 40% of the world population is at risk of the infection. I decided to look into Africa with this Disease. In the beginning of the 90s, it was estimated that that each year 300-500 million people were ill with malaria, with 1.5 to 2.5 million dieing of this disease. 90% of these deaths were in Africa. It is also said that problems with this disease occurred more in places with changes in climate, not enough financial and human resources, land use, and the population. I have a map that shows the regions that are affected, which add up to be 108 countries all together, along with the number of people affected in those countries. There’s the Americas with 1.1 million, Western Pacific with 2.3 million, Eastern Mediterranean with 12 million, South East Asia with 34 million and Africa with 176 million people infected. In Africa a child dies from Malaria every 30 seconds. Below I have a graph representing the amount of cases reported of Malaria, with people also living in poverty. I’ve noticed that the numbers for the countries in Africa go up way more than the others. Mostly because people who live in poverty can not afford the medication or things offered to prevent malaria. I also looked at how drought has affected the number of people hit with Malaria, since these mosquitoes mostly breed in water. Even though drought causes mosquitoes to get away from those areas, the longer they’re gone, the less some people are prepared for when they do come back, resulting in more people being affected. Drought is  even said to  be a benefit and a curse. Thanks to insecticide treated bed nets the number of people dieing due to Malaria have gone down, especially younger children, but again not much because most of the people hit with Malaria live in poverty, which means they can not afford them. Another way to prevent this disease is to get medication, but that usually just works for travelers. The downside to this is that since most people who get Malaria live in poverty, they don’t really have access to any treatment, which means the disease is going to stick around them for awhile.



Works cited:

"Give a Net on World Malaria Day, April 25." CDC Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2015.

"Malaria and Climate Change." Pulitzer Center. N.p., 23 Feb. 2010. Web. 22 Mar. 2015.

"Health Effects of Drought: A Systematic Review of the Evidence – PLOS Currents Disasters." PLOS Currents Disasters. N.p., 5 June 2013. Web. 22 Mar. 2015.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian.

In the third and final unit of the Forbidden Books class, which is called Diversity, the class learned about the different ways authors permit diversity in their writings, but also having the side of intolerance somewhere in there. The class also looked into the meaning of diversity, and seeing how society can be scared of that idea.  For the final actual project the class was assigned to write a "book report" on our chosen book, which were all on the list of banned books. We all had to pick a topic that we were going to be supporting in our essays. I decided to choose The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part Time Indian because since it's written in a form of a diary, I know it's going to be interesting. I also decided to choose the topic of looking how the main character in this book transforms and makes peace with diversity. It was interesting really looking into the main character along with looking at the many setbacks he had while trying to make peace with diversity, all while being surrounded with people that don't accept the idea. I had a hard time when I first started, but with some deep digging in my book, I was able to come up with an idea that I had about the character and his transformation. Thanks to this unit and project, I had a better understanding on why so many people were scared of being open to different settings, situations and even more diverse things.

MF. Photography. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian cover (2015)

ATTENTION!

In the second unit of the Disease class, which is called Mind, the class went over mental illnesses, and see and try to understand the effects that they have on people. We went over the DSMV and looked at how psychiatrists use this book to diagnosed someone. It was also interesting to just look at the symptoms that make up a mental illness. For the action project the class was assigned to do some research on a certain mental illness that affect children, and also do a stimulation and flier that would help our classmates understand this mental illness a bit better. I decided to research Attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). While doing some research I learned a lot of interesting facts about it, and I defiantly have a different view on this topic. It was challenging though on figuring out ways to create a lesson plan that would let my classmates understand and sort of feel what a person with ADHD goes through. Although challenging, I did have a fun time putting my flier together and creating my lesson plan. I hope through my flier below, you have a better understanding of ADHD. I also hope my lesson plan gives more knowlegde of what a person with ADHD has to go through.


Attention Deficit/hyperactive disorder, also known as ADHD is a mental disorder that makes having to focus, following directions or completing a task difficult, because of how easily distracted you get, and because your brain is entering too much info at the same time. The official definition for ADHD is a chronic condition including attention difficulty, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness. It is very common in the United States, with more than 3 million cases per year. The symptoms include zoning out regularly, difficulty following simple directions, makes careless mistakes, not being able to listen at all, easily distracted, avoids any activity that involves a lot thinking, loses items, forgetful, There are also other symptoms that include hyperactivity. Those include talking a lot, unable to sit still, quick temper, fidgeting/squirming, climbing in children, for adults extreme relentless, hard time completing activities quietly, feelings of driven by motor, blurts things out, out of no where or when its not their turn, and having a hard time waiting. In order to be diagnosed children must have at least 6 or more symptoms, and for people 17 and up at least 5 required. Being unable to focus though, seems like a huge problem, and often leads to hard situations, like doing poorly in school , or you seem to look when talking to other people. “When I am talking with someone, I miss a lot of what they say. I want to listen but I have 20 other things going on in my brain. I am listening but the words are added to the items and juggled around. It is easy to see how this leads to a speaking and communicating problem. The other person would have to continually repeat themselves. How frustrating.” This is a quote I found while researching and landed on a man named TJ’s blog.

Starry Messenger

In the second unit of the Forbidden Books class, which was called Dogma, the class went over the definition of the word Dogma, which means a very strong belief. We also went over many readings from different religions and went over their Dogmas. We read a part of the Quran and then had the chance to explore a Mosque for the first time, which was super interesting.  For the action project, the class was assigned to create a slideshow presentation about a country that was under censorship by government or group and look at what exactly was banned or censored and why. I decided to look deeper into the trial of Galileo Galilea in Rome, Italy. He was convicted of heresy by the Roman Inquisition, and was then banned to write, and had to live under house arrest for the rest of his life. This was a huge case going along with Religion VS. Science, as well as censorship. While researching I found out a lot that was done by the Roman Inquisition to other people, and they were brutal. For example, I also learned about Giordano Bruno, who was burned, simply because he had different views from the church. People didn't have much freedom when it came to what they want to write about, or what their beliefs were. I'm glad I chose to research Galileo, because now I have information on what he believed and why he was punished for believing that. I hope you enjoy my slideshow presentation below to learn more about Galileo and his trial.

Leukemia

In the first unit of the Disease course, which is called Body, the class went over how diseases affect the body, and for the math portion we went over the how units are measured. For the action project, the class was assigned to research a disease and interview someone we know that has been affected by that disease. I chose to research leukemia because it has affected someone very close to me, but I still didn't know much about this type of cancer. It was interesting to learn new things about what was going on in this persons' body, but also seeing how it also affected them as a person . Although the research was challenging, it was also cool to learn new things about this disease. The life size drawing showing which parts of the body are affected was also fun, and crazy to see how much some diseases can spread. Thanks to this unit and project, I now have a better understanding on how body systems work and how they can die out when hit with a disease.


Izzy is 25 year old healthy, college student, but 6 years ago that wasn’t the case. Christmas eve 2009 was the day she was diagnosed with Leukemia. As she was getting ready to go to bed the night before the last day of work, she felt a bit under the weather, with a cold, headache and feeling a little nauseous. She really didn’t think much of it and took some medicine, hoping she would feel better by morning. The next day on her way to work, walking up the train steps was a huge problem for her. She was out of breath by the time she reached the street, along with having some chest pain. The chest pain scared her because her father had experienced a heart attack the year before, resulting to a open heart surgery. Along with still feeling nauseous and being out of breath for awhile, she decided to finally go to the emergency room. Although the doctors had done tests, they found nothing. It wasn’t until one doctor noticed how pale she was that he decided to take a blood test just in case. The results changed everything. It turns out she has Acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The cancer develops in the bone marrow, then makes its way to the blood, and then the lymph nodes and other parts of the body. It’s also known as the cancer of white blood cells. The cells of people who have this type of cancer cells do not work properly and are unable to accomplish what normal cells can do, like fighting off an infection. Leukemia also isn't just one disease. There are four. Those are called acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).  The blood cells of people with these 4 types cause the Lymphatic system to not function correctly, along with the Immune system, as the body is weak to fight off infections.

Treatment started right away with chemotherapy, something she recalls being really tough. “I was constantly throwing up and fainting. I also had loss of appetite which was so hard especially when I knew I had to eat to keep my strength up, but being nauseous all the time didn't help either.” Along with that many risks and side effects include, anemia, fatigue, higher risk of catching an infection and sensitive to bleeding.

Although anyone anywhere is at risk of being diagnosed with Leukemia, it is more common to be found in developed countries, and race also plays a big part. It is found that Hispanics, especially under the age of 20 are at a higher risk of Leukemia. It is also the most common cancer to affect children. Leukemia is not transmittable since it’s a type of cancer. Research has been done to figure out what causes leukemia, but the closest answers researchers can get is that it links to environmental problems dealing with radiation along to exposure to different types of chemicals, your lifestyle which includes diet, and certain types of infections.


Cancer doesn't just affect the body of the person that it hits, but also the person as a person. I caught on to one thing that I think proves that. “Another symptom that wasn't the worst but hard on me was losing my hair. I knew it was going to happen but I'll never forget the feeling I felt when the first chucks of my hair fell out. I cried! I laughed about it later on that night but being bald for months made me feel self conscious. I embraced it and realized that bald was beautiful.” I hope you understand more of what Leukemia does to your body by looking at my poster.

RD. Photography. Body with Leukemia. 2015

What is soul?

In unit 1 of the Forbidden Books course, which is called Politics, the class went over the past civilizations of ancient Greece, studied books that were once banned, and also went over many vocabulary words that were unfamiliar, but important when discussing all those topics. We also learned about Socrates, a Greek philosopher, who is also known as being the founder of western philosophy. Although he never wrote down any of his principles or ideas, we were still able to understand them through the writing of his student Plato. Socrates and his ideas were considered "dangerous", and therefore led to his death, because he was no longer able to share or practice his own principles. There is also a method named after him named the Socratic Method. It's a discussion between two people filled with questions that require deep, critical thinking. That also plays a big role on why many people were not a fan of Socrates. They wouldn't enjoy being asked questions, because sometimes they wouldn't have all the answers. For this action project, the class was assigned to create a dialogue following the Socratic Method, while discussing a theme or question. I decided to to discuss the question "What is Soul"? The human soul has always interested me, and leaves me with some deep questions that I'm still trying to find answers to, so I thought it would be interesting to follow the Socratic Method, while going over this question. Although interesting, it was still challenging trying to come up with some deep critical questions, but as I was getting more into it, the questions came more naturally. Thanks to this unit and project, I now know why some writers’ work can be considered "dangerous" and how to involve some deep thinking in discussions. I hope you enjoy the discussion below!

P- Hey! What are you doing?

V- Nothing much. Just reading Chicken Noodle Soup for the soul.

P- For the soul? Do you even know what a soul is?

V- Everyone knows that it’s something inside you, that makes you unique from everybody else, and when your body finally dies and shuts down, it wanders.

P-Yes, but the word “soul” in Hebrew literally means “a creature that breathes”, and in Greek it means an “entire being”, it’s not something inside you, it is you! So it would be impossible for your soul to wander, right?

V- Well If you put it that way, no it wouldn't, but I’m sure it has to go somewhere, when face to face with death.

P- Not necessarily. Even though I have never experienced a near death event, or have been in a comatose state, I find it hard to believe that some people claim to have seen their bodies, while watching as their soul. Because if their soul were to really escape, that means there is absolutely nothing left of them, which makes them dead. They might still be able to hear and even feel things as their brain is still alive though. So tell me, would it really be possible for your soul to wander once the body is dead?

V- Well no. And if you were to look at the definition of the word soul it has the word “living” or “breathes”.


P- Exactly! Have you noticed the term “brain dead”?

V- Yes I have, but I have always wondered why it’s called that.


P- Wouldn't it just be better to pronounce someone officially dead, rather than brain dead, since the mind is what guides us? Well that comes to show that there’s something else in our body that’s keeping us alive. The erasure of the mind might stop us from feeling and remembering, but your heart is still pumping, which means you’re still living. It isn't until the body completely shuts down, that the soul dies.


V- It’s nice to know that we are more than just the outcome of brain neurons working together.

P- Of course we are. Although the mind can be controlling at times, sometimes we have to separate ourselves from it, and follow other major parts of the soul.

V- What would those be though?

P- Your heart, body, actions, emotions, passions, breath and way of thinking. Those all make up the human soul.

V- So I AM a soul, without my body, there wouldn't be a soul.

Moonrise Kingdom

In the 3rd unit in the Ollywood course, which is called Post-Production, the class learned about the different techniques used to complete a film, which includes the sound effects, special effects, editing, and soundtrack. For our final action project, we were assigned to create a movie critique, in the form of a podcast including those elements, and also choosing an approach that we were going to be looking through the eyes of. I decided to choose Moonrise Kingdom directed by Wes Anderson. I also chose to take the feminist approach, studying carefully how the women were being portrayed in the film. At first I had a difficult time choosing which approach to take while watching. After a while of studying the film I finally was able to find the points I needed in order to look into the movie with that approach. Thanks to this unit and project, I learned how to point out all these post production elements, and now know the big impact that they have on films.



Hey everyone! Thanks for taking the time, to listen to my review of Moonrise Kingdom, a 60s romantic-comedy film, directed by Wes Anderson in 2012.

I will be critiquing this film looking for elements of post-production, which includes editing, sound effects, special effects, and soundtrack. I will be analyzing these elements through the feminist approach. Which means I will be studying how women are being portrayed in this film.

Sam Shakusky, played by Jared Gilman, is the protagonist of the film. Sam is a 12 year old member of the Khaki scouts at Camp Ivanhoe. The camp takes place on a island called New Penzance in New England. Suzy Bishop, played by Kara Hayward, lives on the island, and is also 12 years old. Sam and Suzy met in the summer of 1964. Their budding love started with writing letters to each other back and forth. In these letters, they started to create a secret plan to meet up and run away together. The disappearance of Sam eventually led the scout leader to calling the police, where they then found out he was an orphan, and once they found him he would go straight to social services. Suzy on the other hand had parents who cared about her, but also had some trouble with her bizarre behavior lately. Both are eventually busted by the police and Suzy’s parents ordered that they were never to see each other again. But that of course, didn’t work because at the end we see Sam promising to come back the next day a few weeks later.

While studying the two main females in the film, I noticed one thing; they were both secretly running away to love, the daughter and the mother. In the beginning of the movie, when everyone finds out that Sam first went missing, Captain Duffy Sharp, played by Bruce Willis, visits the Bishop house. From his brief visit, I had no clue that there was a secret affair going on between him and Mrs. Bishop. It wasn't until right after he got into his car and left that we see Mrs. Bishop running out as if about to do laundry, but instead gets on her bike to go meet Captain Duffy Sharp. The next scene shows Suzy standing on the top of the lighthouse looking through a pair of binoculars, and through the use of the look-off film cut,the scene cuts to a close-up shot of the two together. This shows that Mrs. Bishop is secretive, and weak for having to hide the truth from her family. Although those qualities are fitting, I also see her as a strong woman which she demonstrates in the scene when she first finds out Suzy is missing. Mrs. Bishop walks around the house with a megaphone,showing that she’s the boss of the house.

She also wasn't just a housewife either, both her and husband were attorneys. Their wealth can be seen in the big house they own which is shown along the ocean and appears to be in the middle of nowhere. I can tell that there was use of CGI when looking at the exterior of their house because the house looked too perfect, almost like a dollhouse.

Before being introduced to the front of the house there was also some audio-linkage. While inside Suzy is listening to The Young Person’s Guide To The Orchestra on her record player, and then when the film cuts to the official introduction, we hear the actual recording, without the fuzzy quality.

In one scene ,we see both Mr and Mrs Bishop in their room at night in separate beds . This shows that she was strong enough to show him know she was no longer in love with him, but again weak because she couldn’t be honest about her affair or that she was out of love for him. I see a lot of Mrs. Bishop’s qualities in Suzy. She’s very intelligent for her age, and very tough. We see that side when she starts to stab a kid with a pair of scissors.This is the part that makes Suzy seem “equal” to Sam, according to Ryan Reft, writer of the article “Gender And Sex In The Films Of Wes Anderson”. It also says “Suzy occupies the role of violent protector more so than Sam”.

Although intelligent, she’s still a young girl, as we’re able to see when she goes through her collection of fairy tales. I also see her as a sneaky young girl, as she was able to keep the letters a secret, only until she went missing. Again like her mother though, I see her as weak. In one scene while going through Suzy’s books, Sam asked her if she was depressed and she shrugged. She then shows him a book that she found at her house titled “Coping with the very troubled child”, assuming her mother was trying to get advice on how to deal with her bad behavior. Once Sam sees this he starts chuckling, and Suzy gets sensitive and runs to her tent. Even in one scene, when Suzy is finally home, her mother is cleaning her up in, and she says “We women, are more emotional” when talking about how she understands what her daughter is going through.

We also get to see how Suzy prepared for the run away. She takes things that are more meaningful for her, while Sam takes things that are needed in order to survive out in the wilderness, he didn't bother wasting space on personal things. Suzy is also dressed a little too elegant for this runaway. She has a nice dress, Sunday shoes, and some bright blue eye shadow. She looks uncomfortable when sitting down with Sam. Sound effects in this scene was effective , as we heard the frying fish sizzling, and the chirps and water from nature, watching Sam cook it, and being able to hear it, made me want to join them.

I also noticed how Anderson put more authority into the men. Captain Duffy as the main cop, we have the scout leader, and then there’s Sam, the leader, the one who kind of saves Suzy from her miserable time at home.

The soundtrack also contributed to the natural feel to the movie. The film score was composed by Alexander Desplat. He named the soundtrack The Heroic Weather Conditions Of the Universe, giving the different weather conditions a theme song. We also hear this when making their ways through the wilderness, trying to not get caught, and when also having a conversation about what they want to be when they grow up on a rock above the ocean. Its fits the suspenseful but whimsical mood of the story.

Although different from films I usually watched, I really enjoyed going through this witty, whimsical love story, and I would for sure recommend this movie to anyone thats in for a good fantasy film.