Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Haley Reading Groups: reflections


[The Best American Science and Nature Writing (2016)]

Over the last few months, we read and commented on:
• January 24 Amanda Gefter's "The man who tried to redeem the world with logic
• January 31 Apoorva Mandavilli’s “The Lost Girls
• February 14 Charles C. Mann’s “Solar, Eclipsed
• February 28 Rinku Patel’s “Bugged
• March 21 Gaurav Raj Telhan's “Begin Cutting"
• April 4 Katie Worth’s “Telescope Wars

What article most challenged your thinking? That is, which article, among those we read, prompted you to most re-think preconceived ideas or stretch your mind in new ways? How so?

55 comments:

Asher Denkyirah said...

I think the reading that intrigued me the most was the "Lost Girls" reading which focused on the needs of women and young girls with autism. The fact that it could take 10 years, 14 psychiatrists, 17 medications,and 9 diagnoses before realizing that the young lady in the reading had autism was really surprising. In fact, after reading the article, I realized that I haven't seen a lot of autistic representation in the media in which the person is female. It's usually a young white man. So, I hope through the years to come, we see more diversity and focus on not just one demographic of those who are the autism spectrum.


- Asher Denkyirah

Jordan R. said...

Gaurav Raj Telhan's “Begin Cutting" was one of the articles that opened my eyes. It was hard for me to realize that in hard situations people would rather go about things in a way that makes them feel better rather than think about the feelings of all the people involved.

Unknown said...

The article that challenged my thinking the most was Apoorva Mandavilli's "The Lost Girls". I like this one a lot because it opened my eyes to how autistic boys and girls are evaluated differently and are still subject to gender roles and expectations just like we are. It also showed me that they are aware of how people assess and treat them differently and how that affects their views about themselves.

Kyla Tinsley said...

The article that challenged me the most was Katie Worth's "Telescope Wars". This article made me rethink how I thought about scientists as I always thought they were more mature and prestigious than they truly were. In truth, they can be as stubborn and headstrong as any other person, especially when they become so stubborn that they cannot hold a conversation in order to improve something (in the article's case, improving astrology).

-Kyla T.

Zaria Whitlock said...

The reading that most challenged my thinking was "The Lost Girls". This story challenged my thinking because it gave me a new perspective of the difficulty families and individuals experience when dealing with someone who has a mental disability. There seems to be thousands of conditions that already exist and there are continuously more added to the lists and I feel as though this makes it harder for doctors to determine how different individuals should be diagnosed. Most importantly the individuals that are affected by these incorrect diagnoses are spending time and money on doctor visits that are not directed toward proper health care plans. In the end things need to change to prevent these individuals from having to suffer anymore than they may already have to with their condition.

Zaria W.

Unknown said...

The article that intrigued me the most was "the man who tried to redeem the world with logic". I consider myself to be an analytical person and as an accounting major, using math to explain brain function was interesting. One thing that stood out to me was Pitt's devotion. Running away from home at 15 and becoming successful was an inspirational is something not many can do.

J'kolbe K. said...

The Reading that challenged my Thinking the most was "Lost Girl." This Article was very eye opening to the range and spectrum that Autism falls within. It also showed me the challenges that come with growing up with autism that i as a person unafflicted were completely unaware of. I definetly gained a new found respect for those who lead full lives even when their situation isnt the best.

Unknown said...

The article that most changed me was Lost girls because I still remember that line, "It took 10 years, 14 psychiatrists, 17 medications,and 9 diagnoses before someone realized that what Maya has is autism." It changed me because I am about to become a pharmacist in two years, when I graduate and my dream is to be a clinical pharmacist where I am more hands on with my patients and really involved in their medication therapy by being there near their doctor and having the power to change their medications if need be. This passage helped change the way I'm going to treat my patients. A lot of people today, especially children, are on medications that they do not even need to be on them and I am going to do everything in my power to make sure that when I do my medication therapy managements on patients, I am going to really make sure that my patients are receiving the best health care possible.

Kelsey W said...

I would say the article that challenged my thinking the most and one I continue to think about would be Lost Girls. I really enjoyed this chapter as it is relevant to some pieces within my future studies and career. I never really thought too much about the disproportionate representations of boys diagnosed with Autism and how it could be because components of Autism present themselves differently in girls. It is so scary to think that most girls are not diagnosed until teen years or later. We need to be able to catch these girls sooner so we can intervene in their early school years and help them to form better social and academic skills. Again, I really enjoyed this chapter and thought it was very relevant and important.

Brandon Nichols said...

The article that changed my mind the most was "Telescope Wars". The article itself is an interesting read, but it really opened my mind to the potential of other stories like this. Hidden rivalries that stem back decades, over things that one would not imagine. The article also brings up the topic of failed successes. How far could humanity have gone had we all teamed up to achieve something? Those professors could have made groundbreaking discoveries had they squashed their problem. Such a shame.

Jasmine Williams said...

"The Lost Girls" was the most thought provoking reading for me. I've never really thought about gender inequality in terms of diagnoses. I'm sure parents of daughters with undiagnosed autism have a lot of emotional struggle when/if their daughter is misdiagnosed. Having a child with a learning disability is already hard enough, and having lack of answers and wrong diagnoses only adds to this stress. This reading is also most applicable to my future career as a pharmacist, so I was automatically most interested in it.

Jasmine Williams

Sierra Taylor said...

The reading "The Lost Girls" left an impression on my mind. Autism is mainly represented by young boys, and Maya had to go to a lot of doctors to finally get the right diagnosis. This says something about the medical field and the lack of research for young girls with autism. I wonder if there are other developmental disorders where one gender is underrepresented. Even the treatment methods are overwhelmingly for boys and do not address some of the challenges that young women will face.

Brandy Collier said...

The article that most challenged my thinking was "The Lost Girls". This article challenged my thinking because I was shocked at how long it took for the child to be diagnosed. This shows that there is still more to learn about autism and how to properly diagnose autism.

-Brandy Collier

Kenisha Townsend said...

The article "The Lost Girls" challenged my thinking the most. I didn't know there could be different symptoms of autism for boys and girls. I thought it would be the same for both genders. I also found it quite surprising how long it took the doctors to realize the girl in the article had autism. I was never really knowledgeable of autism and its effects on children, but this article gave me a better understanding. Many who don't have or know someone that has autism wouldn't understand the true struggle that comes with the condition. I found the article very intriguing.

Michael Dade said...

The reading that stuck with me the most was Apoorva Mandavilli’s "Lost Girls", which talked about females with autism. I was really blown away knowing that even females with autism are underrepresented and don't receive the same diagnostic or treatment as others. You'd think by 2018 women would be treated more fairly, yet it's sad to say that they still aren't; even those who are challenged or genetically different. It made me further question how we can treat women in society so poorly, and in what ways we can change that.

Deborrah B. said...

The article that had the most effect on me was "Begin Cutting." The amount of detail that Gaurav Raj Telhan put into his article about the cadaver, made reading about it seem more real. It really helped me to better understand the mindsets of people who will become doctors and how some struggle with trying to retain humanity in these situations.
Deborrah B.

Alexis Acoff said...

After reading all of the articles, "Lost Girls" stuck with me the most. Autism is such a misunderstood condition/disease, yet more common than we think because it goes un-diagnosed. The article challenged me because while reading it, I would think of a family member who is autistic, however his case is not a severe as this one. I would try to compare his case to hers, but I had to realize that everyone is different and experiences different things. With all of the research and advancements in medicine, you'd think it wouldn't take so many doctors to finally recognize what her condition was

KaelynB said...

The Lost Girls. This is the one that has stuck around with me all of this time. Of course I knew what autism is and the general idea of what it entails, but to read someone’s story and their hardships is so much more eye opening than a definition or symptoms. It’s someones life. I’ll take this and use it to widen my perspective of things like this.

Aleeya Barrolle said...

"Bugged" by Rinku Patel was an article that most challenged my thinking. This article we read prompted my preconceived ideas of how microbes are not good for us. Now my ideas about microbes are that there necessary for our life.

Aleeya Barrolle

Donovan Washington said...

The article that most challenged my own thinking was Apoorva Mandavilli's article titled "Lost Girls". Being a male, it is already hard for me to understand what women have to go through every day to live in this society. Even in this time of 2018, many women are thought of as strong and independent. This article showed me that even with the preconcieved notions of women, we all still face hardships in different ways.

Crystal R. said...

The article that stretched my thinking was "The Lost Girls." Knowing how long it could take for one to be correctly diagnosed with autism was mind blowing to me. Especially the specific case presented in the article. In this day and age most wouldn't believe how much knowledge about it is still missing, which goes to explain how badly those with the disorder can be treated. More research and findings still need to be done.

Anonymous said...

The most notable article for me was "Lost Girls." I found this article interesting because it opened my eyes to how long it can take a person to be diagnosed with autism and the struggles they face. I also thought it was interesting how the treatment of males and females differ, when they should ultimately be fair because they have the same disorder.

Tiera W.

Jeremiah Terrell said...

"Bugged" made me stretch my mind the most because society has promoted cleanliness and being germ-free, but this can be more harmful than helpful.I think it can be hard to balance not being dirty and not being too clean to be the healthiest you can be.

Nia Piggott said...

The article that most challenged my thinking was the article "Lost Girls". I say this article because it discussed an outlook on researching autism that I had never thought of. Before the article I assumed the study of autism was universally the same. It was very surprising to discover how little information there was on young girls who are autistic compared to the male research. I hope the diagnosis process is improved soon with the improvement of research on autistic girls.

Unknown said...

If i had to choose one article it would be bugged. I part of me knew that all microbes were used if a negative way. My mom has always been a cleans freak and sprays so much disinfectant spray I would think we have no microbes in my house. But now i know that we need that balance of both good and bad microbes in order to survive.


- Andre Valentine

Jasmin Smoot said...

Of the collection of articles we’ve read, Bugged peaked my interest the most. The author discusses the fact that we, as humans, may be hurting ourselves by trying to destroy all germs and bacteria. Growing up, my parents have always stressed the importance of health and sanitation so much so that you believe that all bacteria is bad bacteria when reality it is not. I would love to hear more about this topic in efforts to protect myself from myself.

Jazsmine Towner said...

The most impactful and challenging article for me was "Lost Girls", being that I am a psychology major and plan to become a school psychologist I found the article heartbreaking but eye opening. This is because, in my career I would be responsible for diagnosing children with learning disabilities etc. This article made me realize the biases that young women face in the mental health community and I plan to be more open and attentive to all students and their needs.

Aliyah Johnson said...

The article that most challenged my ideas was Katie Worth's Telescope Wars. Because i have never practiced any extensive work relating to science and technology, and have never completed a project worth so much importance and value (such as a massive telescope), i had no idea that its possible that organizations in charge of significant scientific discovery could be juvenile during money making business decisions. This instance is similar to the Apple and Microsoft Rivalry. It amazes me how two industry advancing groups can allow human emotion to get in the way of great success and collaboration.
--Aliyah Johnson

Aja J said...

One article that I really enjoyed and that I found the most interesting was “Lost Girls.” It really shows how people with disabilities can just be passed off to the next provider without further assessment. It shows the struggles that families go through and shines light on the fact that some providers really just don’t take the time to care.

Anonymous said...

The article I would choose is "The Lost Girls". It still seems crazy to me that it would take 10 years and all those mistakes just to diagnose someone with autism. I thought that someone would notice that the general diagnosis didn't fit the situation and would look for a different cause.

-Marcus U.

Tatyana C. said...

The article that challenged me the most was, “Lost Girls”, because it was so hard for me to grasp my mind around the that fact it it took so many years and doctors to come up with an diagnosis.

Anonymous said...

I totally deleted this email on accident.. All my dang post start with an excuse. I'll do better next time.. hopefully..

None of them challenged me... They just kind of irritated me.I think Lost Girls was one that I was least aware of... Solar, Eclipsed made me the most angry... Bugged made me temporarily glad in a morbid way that people are screwing themselves over by being too clean, but then it sucks cause it's hurting third parties more (children) and not them.. it's also just another example of how our education system sucks anal sphincters. The most disappointing one for me was Telescope Wars, because I was naive to think scientist could think rationally. The rest of the articles were meh..

Is receiving minor spikes in my mood the same as being challenged? My thought process is pretty much the same on all of these, so we'll have to settle on emotional challenges over mental ones.

Ash (Q. Mason)

Erica King said...

I think the one that was most interesting and made me think the most was “Lost Girls”, it made me upset to read that it took so many different treatments, medications, doctors etc. in order for them to even diagnose her. It makes me think about our health system and how closely related this story is to real life.

Sandra Yokley said...

The article that most challenged my thinking was Lost Girls. While there are obvious marginalizations against women/girls (ie the pay gap) this was a more hidden one and also, a very terrifying awakening. It is frightening to know that girls and women are not at the center of research as they should be along with men and boys and what the implications of that are for future generations.

Marcus B. said...

I think the article, “Solar, Eclipsed,” stop out the most to me and had me thinking and aware of information I didn’t previously know. I had no idea that so many hundred-thousands of people die prematurely due to air pollution and I’m surprised that we don’t reduce our dependency on fossil fuels to try to decrease and prevent and more early deaths. Reading about this stunned me and opened my eyes to the real, massive effect pollution has on human life.

~ Marcus B.

Breanna B. said...

"Her brain rested in a two-gallon plastic bucket on the floor. We could now study her eyes from the inside of her hollow skull." This statement along with others in Raj's "Begin Cutting." Before reading this article, I had no idea how psychologically involved going into the medical field was. I have a new-found respect for these people. Being able to disconnect from the body lying in front of you, viewing it simply as a laboratory experience no different than dissecting a frog or crawdad, is a wildly respectable ability. I, myself could not do this.

Anonymous said...

The reading that caught my attention the most this semester was, “The Lost Girls”. This reading opened my eyes to a lot of stigma in the medical community surrounding females and males. In a male dominated culture and extensive research done for men, by men, it was inevitable that a woman or young girl may be looked over because we all do experience things differently. Without the practice or knowledge of this by doctors, it can cause disastrous results.
Shardai Jamison-Hampton

A. Robinson said...

The reading the Lost Girls was the most engaging to me. It was just very eye opening to realize that it could take so much to get someone the proper diagnosis. It makes me think that there is a lot of work to be done in terms of women and autism.
Alexis R.

Joshua Jones said...

The most interesting read was "Bugged." I thought that it was very interesting because it had so many facts from all types of fields in the story. It enlightened me about my place on earth and it gave me an idea of how my learning of microbiology has paid off. Microbes are very important in the world and we need to understand them better, which I think the author of "Bugged" would agree as well.

-Joshua J.

Maya Searcy said...

The article that stood out the most to me was Lost Girls because as a future Speech Language Pathologist I will most likely be working with clients who have autism. This article helped me realize that boys and girls with autism are very different and benefit from different forms of treatment.

Cheniya A. said...

Gaurav Raj's “Begin Cutting" challenged my thinking the most. Before switching to nursing, I was a Pre-Med student and the fact that they were making light of the bodies that they were beginning to dissect made me uncomfortable at first, before I realized that this might be a necessary practice for doctors because of their work.
Doctors have patients in and out - especially ones that work in the ER and everyone does not always make it. Teaching them how to let go of the weight of a situation, I believe, is required to do their jobs effectively. They can not stew over the same patient because it may distract them from present ones. And while it is imperative that they in some way, grieve to feel the severity, they can't allow it to completely consume them. This begins with becoming comfortable or desensitized. And while it may seem inhumane, doctors are people with feelings that they too, may succumb to if not trained accordingly.

Peyton D. said...

"Begin Cutting" was an article I will never forget and I actually talked to people about it. Being a medical professional, we examine bodies every day. I personally have dissected a cat but a human is a whole other thing. I liked this author's writing style and the way he put moral weight on what he was doing. The medical profession is a special thing and I am proud to be a part of it.

Zuriah Harkins said...

The article that challenged my thinking the most was, "The Lost Girls." I think we kind of assume that doctors and scientists know all of the answers, but really there is still a lot of mysteries behind science. It also made me realize that although male and females can both suffer from autism, there are more tools for boys than there are for girls. I was really surprised that it took the main character so long to be diagnosed with autism all because she didn't show the same typical symptoms that guys show.It goes to show that we can't assume that everyone's body will react to things in the same way. In addition to that, we still need a lot more research about autism in girls.

-Zuriah H.

Unknown said...

The article that affected me the most was from March 21st. Begin cutting. This article gave me a different perspective on what it takes to be a medical professional. Growing up I was always the person who was grossing out during any science class where we were dissecting but even then I did not really think much into it. After reading various comments made in “Begin Cutting,” I realize the emotional toil it can take on someone in order to suceed in the medical field. I could never imagine cutting into another person, no matter how much money I would make. I give props to whoeever is able to get through such a life changing point in their life. I only hope is that there is some sort of emotional or counseling services specially available to students during that time in their medical education experience, so that they can better get through it and better understand the process. More so of a way of support than anything.

-Kytela Medearis

gabby said...

I think that the article that challenged my thinking the most was, "The lost Girls". It was interesting to see that researchers tend to focus on boys while conducting research and that the traits associated with autism in girls is seen as "socially acceptable" for female behavior. I think that researchers need to open there eyes and stop stereotyping what is and what is not female behavior. That is an issue with our world today, we can see this specifically through the portrayal of females in the media, which is why researches may have this assumption. Overall, I enjoyed these blogs a lot as they enhanced my learning and allowed me to learn about topics that I was unaware of!

Sydney O said...

I enjoyed, in an educational way, the article "The Lost Girls". There are alot of people who grow up with disorders undiagnosed, making them feel like they are behind when they just learn or understand things differently. The girls dealing with autism had a lot of obstacles to go through before they could understand why they are so different, in a good way.

Victoria Wright said...

After reading all of these articles, the article that most challenged my thinking was "The Lost Girls." Maya was misdiagnosed multiple times, and her battle with Asperger's, anorexia, and depression makee her life very hard. She inspired me by completing college through all of her hardships including bullying and social isolation. I often want to give up on my schooling, but after reading what Maya overcame, I was forced to challenge myself and overcome everything in my way.

JaLeah McKinney said...

I believed the article that challenged my thinking the most was "The Lost Girls". The extent it took for Maya to be diagnosed and the fact that the text read that studies aren't really done on women with autism truly illustrated the issues women encounter in the world. Women are often not given the same respect, representation etc. that men are and this was just another example of this sad reality.

Anonymous said...

Article number two, “The Lost Girls”, challenged my thinking the most out of the articles. I selected this article because of all the medical errors made. I find the fact that Maya was misdiagnosed so many times to be wrong. I also think that that’s sad because nowadays people can know what’s wrong with their kids before they’re 10. Finding out at such an old age is heartbreaking to me. It stretches my mind to think that people are often misdiagnosed and with my interest in the medical field I would like to help make sure that seldom happens again. Lyric B.

Dakarai P. said...

I think Gaurav Raj Telhan's "Begin Cutting" effected me the most because despite how disconnected medical professionals have always seemed to me, this article shoes another side to that. "Begin Cutting" really captures the emotional weight of the situation, as Raj refuses to see his cadaver, Stella, as just a educational tool, but instead as a person.

Tashawna N. said...

The article that challenged my thinking the most was Apoorva Mandavilli's "The Lost Girls". This article challenged me the most because it opened my eyes to the fact that autistic boys and girls are evaluated differently and are still subjected to gender roles and expectations even in research, which is extremely surprising.

~Tashawna N.

De'Abrion Joyner said...

The article that made me rethink how I perceived certain things would have had to have been "Bugged". I think that made me take being extra clean a little less serious even though we don't want germs around us. Knowing that certain microbes are healthy for us and that not being around them could cause more harm than being exposed to them. Most people wouldn't think that being too clean could hurt.

De'Abrion Joyner

Unknown said...

I think the one that I was challenged in thinking about was the Lost Girls article. It didn't seem to occur to me that even in testing, researching, and diagnosing for disorders women aren't really paid more close attention to. This really shows how women aren't as focused on as men.

Unknown said...

The article that most challenged my think was Solar Eclipsed. It made me wonder how to got to a point in the world where babies are literally dying before they even get the opportunity to really live. It's sad because a lot of the destruction our Earth experiences is man made and we are to blame for certain issues that arise. I hope that things change in the future so that people don't continue suffering.

Carlie Bibbs

Xavier Morrison-Wallace said...

I enjoyed the article "The man who tried to redeem the world with logic" because it was a neurology heavy read. The way the author broke down the English language, and thought about how neurons firing could be similar to logic gates was pretty cool to read and actually made me think. I love topics that revolve around neuroscience, so this articles was the most interesting and made me think about his research more than his life story.