This year consisted of a lot of changes for me. First of all, I lived away from my family for the first time ever, which is a huge change. Luckily, I adapted quickly and was very happy to finally have my independence. I met so many new people, many of them are now some of my closest friends. I was a member of the STEM EE Scholars program, and I was elected to be the executive co-chair of the program for the upcoming year. I also had the opportunity to volunteer at the Wexner Medical Center. I was responsible for helping patients and visitors find their way around the hospital while making them feel as comfortable as possible. Next year, I hope to get involved with undergraduate research. I am really looking forward to next year!
Month: April 2019
The Vaccine Debate – Current Event
In recent years, there has been a lot of online debate regarding whether or not vaccines are safe. A study published in 1998 by British Dr. Andrew Wakefield claimed that there was a link between vaccines and autism, but upon further investigation, his paper was found fraudulent due to falsified data and alleged abuse against the people he studied. After these findings were made, the paper was revoked, and Wakefield lost his medical license in 2010. However, there were still people who read his paper after it was revoked. These people began to think that vaccines caused autism and hurt people more than help people. They took to the internet to spread their beliefs, and received backlash almost immediately. The anti-vax movement has caused many diseases that had been eliminated already to resurface, causing nationwide health concerns that would not have been an issue if people vaccinated their children against these diseases.
In my opinion, I think people should be required to vaccinate their children. There are very few risks, and it benefits the health of the public by preventing major deadly diseases, such as measles, from coming back. However, it would not be easy to create a vaccine requirement. Many different factors, such as religious exemptions and basic autonomy, would need to be considered.
Buckeyethon
Back in February, I had the opportunity to participate in Buckeyethon, Ohio State’s 24 hour dance marathon benefitting cancer research at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. I started my journey in November when I began to fundraise for the cause. I knew I had to raise at least $250 to participate in the dance marathon, but I made it a goal to surpass that amount. I started by posting on social media about the dance marathon, and people began donating almost immediately. I was overwhelmed by the amount of support the cause received, but I still had more work to do. I posted a fundraising bingo board on my Instagram account in order to encourage my friends to donate a few dollars. This worked really well, and I ended up raising around $50 from that alone, which was enough to get me to the $250 mark and allow me to participate in the dance marathon. The day of the dance marathon finally came, and my friends and I participated in the night shift from 7pm to 7am. During the dance marathon, I continued to fundraise and I ended up raising a total of $453, nearly double the amount required. Buckeyethon was definitely one of my favorite memories from this year, and I can’t wait to do it again next year.
