too close for comfort

Week 8. Option 1: After reading "Effects of Sexual Assault," (http://www.rainn.org/get-information/effects-of-sexual-assault) what are some possible long-term effects survivors have to deal with? Do you think this is the case in all situations? How could these effects make it difficult to get back to a "normal" college life?

 

What does she have to live with?

What could he have to live with?

Waking up in the morning is difficult. You'd never think so. But it is.

 

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder..... I jump at any noise or anyone coming up behind me if I don't see them. I have images. They come out of nowhere...in the middle of the day. And make me sick.

Self-Harm, Sleep Disorders, Eating disorders....I can't eat. I can't sleep. I can't take this. I would rather not think. I would rather not live.

Self-Injury....Feeling this is better than feeling that.

Depression... I can't get out of bed in the morning. No, I don't want to hang out with you guys. No I don't want to go to class. I can't move. 

andon. and on. andon. and on. andon... it goes.

I think these things are very common for survivors of sexual assault. they aren't necessarily the case for every single person, as every person is different and every situation is different. But regardless they are ALL very difficult things to endure.

Difficult to come back to college life?

You can't even imagine.

 

unfortunate

Week 7: option 2.

Option 2: After reading "HIV and AIDS in the United States: An Overview," what populations have the highest rates of HIV and AIDS? Why do these groups have such high rates?

In the entire world, the populations that have the highest rates of HIV and AIDS are those that have lower standards of living (not by choice), those that have higher infant mortality rates, those that have higher fertility rates, and in general the "less-developed" nations in the world. However, when talking about just simply the United States, we have to think more intricately to find out why a certain population may have more or less problems such as HIV and AIDS.

According to, "HIV and AIDS in the United States: An Overview," there are some hard and unfortunate facts to discuss.

"The number of people living with HIV
infection in the United States (HIV
prevalence) is higher than ever before."

"Diagnoses of HIV infection reported to
CDC have increased in recent years. In 2008, 41,269 persons were diagnosed."

Men who have sex with men represent roughly 2% of the American Population.

"Blacks/African Americans are the racial/ethnic group most affected by HIV. Blacks/African Americans represent approximately 12% of the U.S. population, but account for almost half of all new HIV infections. At some point in their lives, 1 in 16 black/African American men will receive a diagnosis of HIV, as will one in 30 black women. The rate of new HIV infection for black/African
American men is 6 times as high as that of white men, nearly 3 times that of Hispanic/Latino
men, and more than twice that of black/African American women."

"Hispanics/Latinos represent 15% of the
population, but account for an estimated 17% of new infections. The rate of new HIV infection among Hispanic/Latino men is more than double that of white men. The rate of new HIV infection among Hispanic/Latina women is nearly 4 times that of white women. From 2005-2008, estimated HIV diagnoses."

a cold response

 Week 6. Option 2.

Option 2: Look up information about the organization Planned Parenthood. What services do they provide for men and women? Find a news story about Planned Parenthood online, briefly summarize and comment on the news story (provide a link to the article).

"un
planned.


scared.


where. is. my. hope.


?


what


do


i 


do....




parent



hood.


unplanned. 


scared.

terrified.

acceptance?

from.

who.

shunned?

from.

all.

 help..."


Planned 
Parenthood.

an alternative. a support system. controversial. pro vida? pro...

what system of support. do i choose?  who chooses?

Planned Parenthood.

on your mark. get set. go. :

(factsOpinionsfactsOpinionsfactsOpinions)

who wins the race?

"Welcome to Planned Parenthood.

We can help you find information on:


Abortion


Birth Control


Body Image


General Health


Men's Sexual Health


Morning-After pill (emergency contraceptive)


Pregnancy


Relationships


Sex and Sexuality


Sexual Orientation and Gender


Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD's)


Women's Health

Planned Parenthood is many things to many people.

We are a trusted health care provider, an informed educator, a passionate advocate, and a global partner helping similar organizations around the world. Planned Parenthood delivers vital reproductive health care, sex education, and information to millions of women, men, and young people worldwide.
For more than 90 years, Planned Parenthood has promoted a commonsense approach to women’s health and well-being, based on respect for each individual’s right to make informed, independent decisions about health, sex, and family planning."

An. Article.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-04-23/planned-parenthood-targeted-as-ohio-considers-grant-restrictions

This article is discussing a recent debate about a potential budget-revision which will close down some of the "Planned Parenthood" facilities.

A Generation at Risk

Week 5. Option 2.

Option 2: After reading "Marijuana: Know the Facts," are the rates of adolescent marijuana use increasing or decreasing? What factors do you think are responsible for this recent change?

According to "Marijuana: Know the Facts," the rates of adolescents' use of marijuana is increasing. Sadly, the numbers have almost doubled. 

Is this my generation?

I am no teen... but I was just there yesterday. Just a short, 5 years ago. 

We go to a party. Its readily available. 

As a young girl in high school I remember going to a friend's house and people smoking marijuana trying to get me to do it. People rolling who knows what and doing "lines" of only God knows what. I stared in amazement... this is the kind of stuff I only saw in movies. After a short "season" of partying in my younger years, I am so thankful I never got too deep into it. But, oh, how the young girl who dropped out of high school because her life was ruined from drugs, pregnancy, or any number of things could have been me. That could have been me. What a scary, and humbling thought. 

The rates of adolescent marijuana use are increasing...and increasing quickly. "The downward trend in youth marijuana use during the late 1990s has ended. In 2009, according to NSDUH, the rate of past-month marijuana use among 12- to 17-year-olds climbed to 7.3%.19 This is significantly higher than the rate (6.7%) in 2006, 2007, and 2008," states the article. According to the article, this may be because of, or at least correlated with the fact that fewer young people today see smoking marijuana as a "great risk". Its becoming more normal to do it to these young teens. I think that has things become more common, people become more desensitized- without always considering the long-term, or short-term consequences. Another reason I think could be that smoking marijuana is more common to see in the media and movies than it was in the past. Just like cigarettes made their way into popular movies and celebrities, now marijuana is doing the same thing. 

It is a sad truth, but a truth that needs to be addressed. I was happy to see in the article that the government is trying to focus on more of the prevention side of the issue now. Slowly over time, I think people will start to see the truth in all this madness and hopefully teens will get a good grasp on it before its too late and things spiral out of control.

To be or not to be Smoke-free....

Week 4. Option 2.

Option 2: Ask an undergraduate student if they would be in favor of a completely smoke-free campus policy (there are no wrong answers, just ask their opinion). Ask them to provide a reason to support their decision. Why do you agree or disagree with them?

When I asked Elena, my friend who just graduated from BGSU with her undergraduate degree, whether or not she would be in favor of a completely smoke-free campus policy, and why, she didn't hesitate much in her response...
                        "I am impartial. While I do not think its wise to smoke, I do not think more rules will help anybody. The government already tells us what to do enough. Inside a building? No. Outside? I don't care." -Elena

I agree with Elena's stance on this issue. I also do not think its wise to smoke... however, I think that completely banning it would just make people want to do it more. Not that I think we should legalize all drugs for the sake of that argument. But I think smoking is something that can only really inflict harm on the person smoking (unless of course they are smoking inside a closed space, which is now banned). But smoking a cigarette is harmless to other people, as apposed to for example, someone drinking and driving who could cause danger for others. This is a free country, so people should have the right to make their own decisions even if its taking a risk for their own health. The only time this rule should NOT apply, I think, is when it threatens another life. So, by all means, if you want to smoke outside, as long as you're not blowing smoke rings in someone else's face, have at it.

Work hard - play hard?

Week 3. Option 1.

"Describe several ways alcohol abuse could impact grades. Do you think it’s possible for students to “work hard and play hard”?"

According to a study in "The BACCHUS Network", abusing alcohol has a very negative impact on students in college. 

Obvious? Perhaps.

Obvious enough for people to take action and make changes? Doubtful.

Its an obvious elephant in the room that college students are widely known for their high levels of partying and alcohol abuse. Its the stereotype many people thing, but don't always voice. How much truth does it hold? And if it holds truth? How much is it actually impacting the ratio of graduates to non-graduates? 

Can a student really work hard and play hard, and be well enough at the end of the day to feel accomplished. Hard to tell. However, I'm going to go ahead and guess- no. Then again, could it depend on our definition of how hard is playing hard and working hard? I think balance is important in everything in life... and if not balance, then at least harmony. Harmony is when everything may not be perfectly balanced, but the things that need to have heavier weight do, and the things with lighter weight do. This allows harmony-- a "just right" amount of everything. Can you be harmonious when playing hard and working hard? When do the two start to affect each other? I think that you can't just be harmonious with this. There is nothing wrong with drinking but you have to think about two things- how will this effect my work tomorrow? and how will this effect my health tomorrow? If both of these questions are honestly answered- the response would equal something related to not over-drinking.

So, up to this point I have just been stating my opinion. How about we look at some facts.

According to "The BACCHUS Network", abusing alcohol effects your grades in more serious ways than we may think. It effects things like memory foundation, abstract thinking, problem solving skills, attention and concentration, and perceptions of emotion. These are all things that, if impaired, can heavily effect a student's performance in college. 

Here is a direct quote from "The BACCHUS Network" showing some raw numbers that leave an impression:

Alcohol use can result in missing class, doing poorly on tests or projects, disciplinary issues, or other problems.
The following statistics show on average, students who drink the most alcohol receive the lowest grades:

• "A" students average 4.21 per week
• "B" students average 6.03 drinks per week
• "C" students averages 7.76 drinks per week
• "D" and "F" students average 9.97 drinks per week 

A 30 Second Commercial - starring...

me...?

 

Week 2. Option 2: 

"Write a “30 Second Commercial” for yourself. Briefly include your background, your current interests, and your goals for the future. Describe some situations where you might use a “30 Second Commercial” to introduce yourself."

Well, talking about ourselves can sometimes be the easiest thing to do, but it can also sometimes be the hardest thing to. I personally have a hard time with the idea of it being a "commercial"- because commercial = selling something. I guess its good to practice this... as I will soon exit the college world and enter the "real world" and start looking for jobs. In job interviews you definitely have to be able to "sell" yourself and talk confidently about your strengths and weaknesses. Another example of situations where you may need to be able to introduce yourself with a "30 second commercial" is in just networking and meeting people. Networking is a very important part of almost any career. So even though it may feel awkward and be difficult to talk about myself in that way, you have to start somewhere...so, here goes nothin'! :)

 Meet Angelica Cristina De La Torre. Also known as Gelly (pronounced like jelly, yes, like the food). 

And soon to be Angelica May. In exactly 93 days, Gelly will be marrying Ricky. Ricky and Gelly...sittin' in a tree. Hard to believe how quickly time has passed...and oh, what a journey it has been.

Gelly was born in Tallahassee, Florida- but currently lives in sweet little Ohio. Gelly is passionate about her faith in God, her love for family, friends, art, music, and people. She is studying Social Service and Mental Health right now, and will be graduating soon.

In the future, Gelly and her soon-to-be husband Ricky, are excited about serving and working wherever life's adventure takes them. They would love to be involved in campus ministry, service projects, and mission trips. Individually, Gelly hopes to always stay up to date with the latest information and findings on human psychology as Counseling is a route Gelly would be interested in pursuing one day. 

Life is an adventure. Gelly loves adventures and is excited to see where life takes her, thrilled about all the possibilities, while also desiring to take things one day, and one step at a time. Learning to live in the moment and find happiness in the present is important to her, and will continue to be.