Is Social Media the New Way to Execute Power in the United States?

For our last unit of Policy we dove into the three branches of U.S. government. We looked into the legislative branch, executive, and now judicial. We looked into the supreme court and the way it functions. The people who are currently in office, and the history of the branch itself. The way that the branch used to run compared to how it does today, and has impacted the lives of many here in the U.S. This term was a bit different. It took a turn at the end of the term after the death of George Floyd which lead to protests around the U.S. and riots. This is history right in front of us. I wanted to take advantage of this moment in time, and acknowledge the way the U.S. government is choosing to take this issue into account. I specifically wanted to look into our President, Donald Trump, and what he finds more important than what is going on in the streets. Take a look to my essay below that takes a deeper dive into the way the executive branch chose to change their system after riots struck in their country compared to the U.S.

Citations:
1. Bowers, John. “Trump's Executive Order Is the Most Futile Attack on 230 Yet.” Wired, Conde Nast, www.wired.com/story/opinion-trumps-executive-order-is-the-most-futile-attack-on-230-yet/.
2. Echenique, Sebastián Piñera. “Sebastián Piñera: A New Opportunity for Chile's Future.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 18 Dec. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/12/18/opinion/pinera-chile.html.

The Shah & a Book Banning

During this unit, diversity, we were able to choose a book that had been banned, and figure out why it may have been banned. While we read, we thought about different themes that may have been mentioned such as politics, diversity, and religion. I read the book Persepolis written and illustrated by Marjane Satrapi. In terms of FE's, we went to the Women & Children First bookstore located in Andersonville. This was an interesting experience because we were able to see the diversity in book that they had, and books that I had never seen in ordinary book stores. Banning books is caused by a group, government, or anything higher than the proletariats, censors or blocks a book from being read in the public. Read my research paper to see why Persepolis was banned from Chicago Public Schools and libraries, and my stance on the issue. 

NB Persepolis (2019)

Here is my research paper on the ban of the book Persepolis. 

Hashimoto's Thyroiditis

For this Winter term STEAM course, Disease, we looked into Cancer. We researched what may cause certain cancer and the treatments that could be taken when getting diagnosed. We dove deeper into the eleven different body systems, and how they work. For my first AP, we were asked to conduct an interview with someone who suffered from a disease. After, we took that information and created a research paper talking about the cause and effects of the disease the patient had. I decided to interview someone with a disease I am pretty aware of- Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. Throughout this paper, you will see the etiology and epidemiology of this disease as well as which parts of the body it affects.

Diagnosis: 

Our patient is named Rhiannon. Rhiannon is 41 years old. She works a 9-5 job, and works in the purchasing department. She identifies as half Mexican and half Spanish. She is married and has a sixteen year old daughter. Rhiannon also suffers from Hashimoto’s Thyroid disease, and has been for about a year or so.

This disease impacts the Thyroid nodules. Thyroid nodules are lumps that show up in a normal thyroid gland. They feel like lymph nodes, but lymph nodes are located on the sides of the neck, collarbone, and armpit area. Hashimoto’s causes there to be a goiter which is when the thyroid becomes abnormally enlarged. Leads to trouble swallowing and trouble breathing. This disease could impact the uterus. The uterus is an organ in a female’s body where an offspring is conceived. Hashimoto’s could impact the uterus because the imbalance of hormones that the thyroid produces can lead to heavy or irregular menstruation which makes it harder to conceive. People with Hashimoto’s could also feel fatigue which a sense of tiredness or lack of energy.

Rhiannon says, “I had felt lazier than I normally do. I just felt like I had to go to sleep constantly.” When she had sought for help, she made an appointment with her primary care doctor. He suggested to take a thyroid test which is a blood test to check the balance of hormone functions, particularly in the thyroid. When she got her results back, the doctors realized that her hormones were balanced. That was a relief for Rhiannon, but she still wondered why she found it hard to breathe. The doctor recommended for her to get an ultrasound. Although thyroid nodules are normal, Rhiannon’s were abnormally enlarged. The ultrasound did show an enlargement in the thyroid, specifically her thyroid nodules.

NB Hashimoto's Thyroiditis Patient (2019)

After the ultrasound, the doctors sent her to another hospital to perform something called a Needle Aspiration Biopsy. During this procedure, they stick a needle in the center of your throat to extract small tissue from the thyroid. From there, they are able to determine the diagnosis. They found out that her thyroid was in fact enlarged, but particularly on the right side. The best option at this point was surgically remove the right side of the thyroid because they were afraid that what she was feeling could be a tumor. The dangerous thing about this tumor is that there was an unknown answer of it being benign or malignant. A benign tumor is a non-cancerous tumor, and a malignant tumor is cancerous. There was a point in the middle of all of this talk about different surgeries to get that Rhiannon thought about taking the natural route. Rhiannon said, “I did go see an herbalist. They didn’t use any needles, but they did tell me that this is caused by anxiety. I have suffered from anxiety from an early age. She prescribed me some natural herbal remedies to try out, and I did take them. I felt like my body was functioning the way it should be, but the worry that I could have a tumor in my thyroid was worrying me.” Sometimes taking the natural route is the healthier option for your body. Sometimes there are natural supplements in nature that are made to rejuvenate our bodies. The problem is we usually go towards the quickest options, pharmaceutical drugs. You know your body best. If you believe that by seeing an herbalist your taking the route that is healthier for you, take it. In this case, Rhiannon thought it was better for her to get half her thyroid taken out, and she did. She got the surgery, and the tumor came out to be benign! Now, Rhiannon has changed her diet. Lowered her sugar intake to decrease her insulin levels. She has tried different techniques to alleviate stress. All of these methods have changed her for the better, and Rhiannon is now feeling healthier than she has ever felt.

Etiology & Epidemiology

So you may be thinking, what can cause your thyroid to act up? Many articles, including Endocrineweb states, “caused by a malfunction in your immune system.” Instead of having the immune system protect your thyroid tissue, the cells in the immune system attack it. The goiter in your thyroid is a reaction and cause of hypothyroidism. As this goes on without paying attention to the side effects of hypothyroidism, this could affect your entire thyroid. Hashimoto’s is caused by “large amounts of damaged immune cells, ” says Mira Milas, MD, and that can irritate the thyroid. This takes quite a while until you feel the side effects of Hashimoto’s which is why people usually go years until detecting that there is a problem. Now you may be asking, how can we find a cure? There currently is no cure for Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, but there are treatments.

Now you may be asking, how can we find a cure? There currently is no cure for Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, but there are treatments. Rhiannon decided to take the surgical route. This is usually recommended by the majority of doctors and surgeons because usually by the time they get diagnosed, the thyroid is abnormally enlarged which can lead to a tumor that could be benign or malignant. Other routes could be medication. Although medication is better than surgery, there is a concern many biochemists are talking about. The thyroid produces a hormone called T4 that usually gets converted to T3. T3 usually regulates the body temperature, metabolism, and heart rate. This task for cells also includes brain cells. This conversion for hormones usually takes an enzyme that we produce called type-2-deiodinase. Many patient that suffer with hypothyroidism have trouble converting and using this enzyme effectively. Biochemists who look particularly into the way cells react to medication, noticed that doctors who prescribe oral medication aren’t getting to results they were expecting. An article written by John Easton at The University of Chicago, states, “In as many as 20 percent of people who rely on levothyroxine however, the tiny genetic flaw in D2 causes the shuttling process to go astray.” Meaning the medication is only effective to twenty percent of patients.

This is something that is still being researched, and in a couple years we will probably have a more efficient and effective oral medication. There is always the natural route to take. Many people with hypothyroidism have began to reduce their intake of soy. Soy is ineffective when dealing with a hormonal issue. Soy acts like estrogen in your body, but could also block estrogen from producing which can lead to infertility and other health risks. Seaweed is high in iodine, so that’s something else to avoid. Yoga or meditation are important to relieve stress. Stress is what causes the hormone imbalance. Because of stress, there is an increase in adrenaline and cortisol levels. With these levels rising, this can increase your heart rate. This leads to high blood pressure which is just one more health risk your thyroid is taking over your body. Hashimoto's is affecting many different people from around the world, and this disease needs a cure.
Overall, I found this action project as a good way to wrap up this unit. Being able to research diseases like these makes you walk out of class with more of an understanding of who we are. I think this term is going to be a lot about self care, and being aware of your own body. Because we know our body best, we are able to detect when we aren't feeling the way we normally do. Being aware of diseases that other people can get like cancer, it is important that we educate ourselves on how this disease can affect us physically and emotionally.

Citation: 

1. “Causes of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.” EndocrineWeb, PracticalPainManagement, www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/hashimotos-thyroiditis/causes-hashimotos-thyroiditis.

2. Easton, John. “Genetic Flaw Causes Problems for Many with Hypothyroidism.” UChicago Medicine - At The Forefront, UChicago Medicine, 5 Nov. 2018, www.uchicagomedicine.org/forefront/biological-sciences-articles/2018/november/genetic-flaw-causes-problems-for-many-with-hypothyroidism.

#THEFORGOTTENWAR

This is my final AP for Global Peace. During this term, we discussed what it is to become an activist. We were assigned to focus on a certain conflict in the world. I decided to work with a war that not everyone is aware of, the Yemeni Civil War. I made a nonviolent public intervention by posting stickers around different street poles in Chicago to raise awareness. Read and watch my video to learn more about my public intervention.


Citations:
1. Patrick Cockburn @indyworld. “'The Yemen War Death Toll Is Five Times Higher than We Think – We Can't Shrug off Our Responsibilities Any Longer'.” The Independent, Independent Digital News and Media, 26 Oct. 2018, www.independent.co.uk/voices/yemen-war-death-toll-saudi-arabia-allies-how-many-killed-responsibility-a8603326.html.
2. “Yemen Crisis: Why Is There a War?” BBC News, BBC, 18 Dec. 2018, www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29319423. 3. “Yemen Profile - Timeline.” BBC News, BBC, 5 Nov. 2018, www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-14704951.

Fennec Fox (Vulpes zerda)

I am a sophomore at GCE Lab School. This STEAM(Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) Population, we discussed binomial nomenclature which is a two part name for every animal in the world, usually in Latin language. We studied taxonomy, which is the science of categorizing into levels given to every animal in order to tell them apart and to organize animals in their similarities and differences. We usually find these traits in morphology which is the organism's physical traits. We were able to go onto an FE (field experience) to the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago where we observed an animal. I chose a Fennec Fox and I have organized them into taxonomic levels.

 
Venn diagram of Grey Seal, Cinereous Vulture, and Fennec Fox:

In class, we were grouped up with two other students who had completely different animals than us in order to compare and contrast the taxonomy levels. I was paired up with WH who was observing the Grey Seal, and ALL who was working with the Cinereous Vulture. I learned that a Grey Seal is usually found on both shores of the North Atlantic Ocean. They usually live along rocky coasts and aren’t very sociable with each other, despite living together in large colonies and gathering together in large groups just like how Fennec Foxes gather in groups of about 10. On the other hand, the Cinereous Vulture can be found in European Countries such as France, Italy, and Spain while the Fennec Fox is found in the Sahara. Cinereous Vultures also live in habitats that can give the higher ground advantage, which is usually in forested areas with hills. I found it interesting to discover how closely related two animals could be connected to one another even though they come from two totally different habitats.

                                                           Picture of Vulpes zerda:

Drew, Avery, File:Fennec Fox Vulpes zerda.jpg, 28 January 2010, 13:07:16

NB Hand Drawn Picture of Fennec Fox(2018)

                               
Fennec Foxes are usually found in North Africa or in the Sahara desert. The scientific name for a Fennec Fox is Vulpes zerda which translates to small fox. Because they live in the Arabian Peninsula, they have adapted to warmer climates like the Sahara desert by using their unusually large ears to cool down from the heat. The Fennec Fox would typically hunt for rodents, reptiles, and insects. They are social animals that like to live in packs with one another, hunt together, and play. A Fennec Fox may live 16 years. They may tend to use their feet for digging to build underground tunnels.

Taxonomic Levels:

                                     
I have drawn and labeled the different parts in a Fennec Foxes body which identifies their levels on my taxonomic chart visually.

                     

Set theory was a way to organize these groups into mathematical terms and to find the similarities in these animals to other ones. We use different symbols to mean different things. For example, “U“ means universe which is everything that may be inside of the brackets. From there we can use, Є, to mean it is an element to a specific group. “⋃” which is used to mean a union, or addition to, while ⋂ means an intersection. When we use the apostrophe after we label a specific group that means everything in the brackets are opposite of what we are trying to get to. Here are my examples:


U= { Fennec Fox, Grey Seal, Cinereous Vulture}
Fennec Foxes, Grey Seals, and Cinereous vultures are all a part of my universe.

Herbivores’= {Cinereous Vulture, Fennec Fox, Grey Seal}
Vultures, Fennec Foxes, and Grey Seals are not herbivores.

Feathery ⋃ Furry: { Fennec Fox, Vulture}
The set of animals that are either feathery or furry are the fennec fox and vulture.

Feathery ⋂ Furry: {Ø}
There is no animal in my universe that is both furry and feathery.

fennec fox Є Mammalia
The fennec fox is an element of the Mammalia group.

fennec fox Є carnivora
The fennec fox is an element of the Carnivora group.


Conclusion:
To conclude, I found my first AP to be quite interesting. I was able to learn more about how and why organisms are listed into taxonomic levels and I was able to find out how closely connected we are to the animals around us, even though we all come from different habitats. It's interesting to know that although morphology may show us our differences in physical traits, when we break these levels down, we can see the comparisons between organisms.

Citations:
Artist unknown, https://moniqueschoutenblog.wordpress.com, May 19, 2018.
Lincoln Park zoo, https://www.lpzoo.org/animal/cinereous-vulture#, September 15, 2018
Lincoln Park Zoo

Female=Future

For this Humanities term, we were focused on the 17 SDGs. For each unit we had to write a different essay focusing on a specific SDG. For my first SDG essay, I wrote on SDG #16 which was Peace and Justice. Equality plays a huge role in our society so I decided to talk about it. I described the differences in different countries, how different countries are supposed to focus on specific issues such as violence. Second unit, we focused on gender inequality. We were able to meet with someone from the Women's Health Center, where they discussed issues on women's healthcare. For the last unit, we were supposed to tie both issues like SDG #16 and domestic behaviors, and figuring which SDG combines both essays.

All in all, these SDGs really taught me about how our world is changing. Although, before some people living in the U.S. thought after the presidential election everything will change for the worse. But, we have these organizations and foundations like the U.N. that will make society better by creating these SDGs.

Works Cited:

United Nations,Goal 3 .:. Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform,United Nations,October 30, 2017

 
Vox,California decided it was tired of women bleeding to death Vox,June 29, 2017
, October 30, 2017, Julia Belluz 

NPR, U.S. Has The Worst Rate Of Maternal Deaths In The Developed NPR, May 12, 2017
,October 30, 2017, ProPublica Nina Martin, Renee Montagne