Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Haley Reading Group: reflections

[The Best American Science and Nature Writing (2017)]

This semester, we read and commented on:
• Michelle Nijhuis’s “The Parks of Tomorrow”
• Robert Draper’s “The Battle for Virunga”
• Emily Temple Wood’s “It’s Time These Ancient Women Scientists Get Their Dues”
• Kathryn Joyce’s “Out Here, No One Can Hear You Scream”
• David Epstein’s “The DIY Scientist, the Olympian, and the Mutated Gene”
• Chris Jones “The Woman Who Might Find Us Another Earth”
What article most intrigued you? Why or how so?

44 comments:

Maya Searcy said...

The article that stood out to me the most was "Its Time These Ancient Women Scientists Get Their Dues". This was most interesting to me because I didn't know anything about the women in the article and I didn't know most of them had existed. They did a lot for science and it is important that they are recognized. Not many people talk about women scientist in the past so this article stood out a lot to me because it is a topic rarely talked about.

Asher said...

Robert Draper’s “The Battle for Virunga” intrigued me the most because of the subject matter of conserving our world's wildlife. Especially, wildlife that are in danger of being extinct or being poached and sold at rapid rates. The article talked about the people who work at the park in Virunga who have made great sacrifices to protect the gorillas who reside there. Reading the article was a reaffirmation that we must take bigger strides to take care of our world, whether it is animals, the environment, or people.

- Asher Denkyirah

Kyla Tinsley said...

I found the Wood reading to be the most intriguing to me as there were many women who contributed to the scientific field that I did not know about. The fact that there were so many that were hidden from history makes me want to learn more about other women in history who were not given their dues and help others understand that men are not the only ones who have made major contributions in science in the past.

Kyla T.

Kalonji said...

Chris Jone's “The Woman Who Might Find Us Another Earth” is probably the article the interested me the most. First of all, Sara Seager's story of perseverance is one that is both inspiring and applicable to our day to day lives. She's someone who has dove deep into the field of astrophysics, but she still has everyday things that are a struggle for her. I've also recently read Neil Degrasse Tyson's, "Astrophysics for People In a Hurry" and thoroughly enjoyed it. Anything that explores the origins of the universe, how it works and the space/ time continuum is one that interests me because it's so difficult to wrap your mind around how they exactly work.

Mackenzie Cohoon said...

Joyce's "out here no one can hear you scream" is the reading that stood out to me the most. You typically hear one or two isolated accounts of sexual assault in a workplace, but this was a much larger scale than normal, and even though you sadly hear events like this happening more and more often, it still shocks me. Sometimes I think because its 2018 we have come so far that I forget we still have a long way to go as a society. Yet it encourages me that women are feeling better about speaking up and that those who have been in the same situation are sticking together.
-Mackenzie Cohoon

Jazsmine Towner said...

The article that stood out the most to me was Kathryn Joyce’s “Out Here, No One Can Hear You Scream”. The article talked about the nature of sexual harassment and assault in the workplace. It was a shock to hear some of the horror stories the victims of sexual assault were put through and how their concerns about these matters we not recognized. Also, the article had an interesting perspective about the actions that were being taken to prevent sexual assault and how this issue is a social problem that is not categorized as such. Lastly, because of the recent #MeToo movement I was intrigued to read about this particular situation. In the end, I think that it is encouraging that women are speaking out against their attackers and are no longer suffering in silence.
-Jazsmine Towner

DESMOND CRUMER said...

The article that interested me the most was "Its Time These Ancient Women Scientists Get Their Dues" I had no idea that the women in this article even existed, let alone their contribution to the sciences. It goes to show how much history is covered up simply because of gender.

Kelsey McNeil said...

The article that intrigued me the most was "Out Here, No One Can Hear You Scream." This one was the most interesting to me because this kind of abuse in the workplace is a topic that has been occurring and coming up in so many conversations within the past few years. I felt as though it was the one article we read so far that was the most eyeopening to me. I also felt that it is one of the most important topics discussed within these articles so far.

-Kelsey McNeil

Raillane Kamdem said...

The article that most intrigued me was “It’s Time Women Scientists Get Their Dues”. Since I’m a woman in a stem major, I was very interested in the impact women had in science. I had no idea that they contributed to so much, seeing as all you hear about is men and what they have done for science when you hit the history books. This article resonated with me the most out of all the ones we read, and really challenged my preconceived notions of women in science.

Unknown said...

The article that intrigued me most was "The Woman Who Might Find Us Another Earth" because it talked a lot about science within the article. I liked that it was both focused on Seager's perseverance and astrophysics. I find the topic of space to be very interesting to read about, therefore I enjoyed this read the most.

Michael Dade said...

David Epstein's "The DIY Scientist, the Olympian, and the Mutated Gene” is the article that really stuck with me the most. Not only was the actual story interesting, but the theme alluding persistence is what made me like the article the most. I said it before in my post for that article; If you want something done sometimes you just have to go do it yourself. At the time that we read it I wasn't living behind that ideal myself, so the article really served as a wake up call for me and that's why I enjoyed it so much.

Aleeya Barrolle said...

This semester Emily Temple Wood’s “It’s Time These Ancient Women Scientists Get Their Dues” intrigued me the most. Growing up there is not much taught about women scientist , so to actually learn about the women that were not recognized was interesting.
-Aleeya B.

Alliyah M. said...

The article that interested me the most was David Epstein’s “The DIY Scientist, the Olympian, and the Mutated Gene." I thought Jill's story of how she not only accurately self-diagnosed herself but also another Olympic athlete was very interesting. That fact that she was able to safe another person's life, and possible many more, without having any medical background but instead having only her motivation and patience for reading countless numbers of medical books was also inspiring to read about.

Nia Piggott said...

The article that spoke to me the most this semester was "Out Here, No One Can Hear You Scream." This was an article that discussed a serious issue that affects several people in and outside of the workforce. I feel that this was an important topic to discuss and to think about corrective actions. It allows those without a voice to be heard and starts a discussion on how to prevent cases such as the ones mentioned in the article.

Nia Piggott

Brandy Collier said...

The article that intrigued me the most was Emily Temple Wood's "It's Time These Ancient Women Scientists Get Their Dues". This article was interesting to me because it was very insightful on a part of science that isn't talked about that much which is women in science. For me being a woman studying biology it was very interesting to read about the women that played crucial roles in the beginning of certain parts of science.

-Brandy Collier

Jordan R. said...

Chris Jones's “The Woman Who Might Find Us Another Earth” was very profound to me because it emphasized how a person's life doesn't just revolve around their career. The work a person may accomplish will always be profound, but spending time with loved ones will leave a lasting memory. So I find as life continues, it will be interesting finding a healthy balance for both aspects.

Devin Ellis-Martin said...

The most intriguing article to me was, "The Woman Who Might Find Us Another Earth”. I liked this article the most because I am a Science based major and I found everything very interesting. I have a Science type of mind that allows me to be fascinated by it.

Adejoke Adanri said...

The reading that stood out to me most this semester was Kathryn Joyce’s “Out Here, No One Can Hear You Scream”. The way that women in her field of work had been treated for so long horrified me while reading it. I think it particularly stood out because of how much sexual assault has become a topic of conversation, and we are no longer letting that kind of behavior be acceptable. I was moved by the bravery of the women who came forward.

Kenisha Townsend said...

Kathryn Joyce’s “Out Here, No One Can Hear You Scream” intrigued me the most because I never considered the effects of male domination in fields that require you to go on trips. In this sense, females were the minority and were victims of sexual harassment in an environment where if anything happened no one could even hear them scream. Also, it wasn't easy for a woman to get someone fired for sexual harassment due to the male leads having seniority.

KaelynB said...

The one that I like the most was "out here no one can hear you scream" because as much awareness as we have today, it is still shocking that this stuff happens still, and that it happens so obviously and no one really pays attention to it until it happens to them. Articles like this brings it to the attention of everyone in that it shows where and how it can happen to anyone rather than the people who are "asking for it".

Jayla Pierce said...

The reading I found most interesting was, “Out Here, No One Can Here Scream” by Kathryn Joyce. She touched on multiple key points in one article. She talked about the sexual harassment of women in the workforce, gender percentages in the workforce, and how hierarchy works in the workforce. All these different things she talked about were told in different real life perspectives and from actual experiences. The things also are very prevalent in todays society. She set out how things work in different workplaces and how much it takes just for women to be treated as equals and with respect.

Zuriah Harkins said...

The article that intrigued me the most is the article, "It's Time These Ancient Women Scientists Get Their Due" by Emily Temple-Wood. I was so surprised to learn about how far women have come, but disappointed that they didn't get the recognition that they deserve. They paved the way so that young women, like myself, could even be allowed to participate in the math and science fields. It made me realize that, as women, we need to make sure that our hard work doesn't go unnoticed, and that society properly acknowledges our accomplishments.

Zuriah Harkins

Unknown said...

"It's Time These Ancient Women Scientists Got Their Dues" definitely stood out to me the most because it discusses the numerous breakthroughs women had in the science field and how it greatly benefitted our world even if it was highly overlooked by society. I feel like the world we live in today is very much hooked on the idea of progressivism and this breakthrough with successful female scientists further highlights the meaning of this progressivism.

gabby said...

Emily Temple Wood’s “It’s Time These Ancient Women Scientists Get Their Dues” most interested me, I really enjoyed how this chapter focused on women and their contributions to math, art, and science. As we know it is so important that women are recognized in these fields. This chapter acknowledges the accomplishments of women in these male dominated fields. Women are a force in all of these professions and can be overlooked by their masculine counterparts. It is very crucial that credit is given to them to commend their work. I thoroughly enjoyed this chapter because it did just that.

Jeremiah Terrell said...


Kathryn Joyce's "Out Here, No One Can Hear You Scream" intrigued me most because I started reading it expecting it to be about Parks and Nature but the article touched on more serious topics. Throughout the article, I was disgusted by the actions of the men. Because their actions kept going unpunished, I became more and more hopeful that the women would see justice as I flipped the pages.

Jasmin Smoot said...

The Parks of Tomorrow stood out the most out of each of the articles. I have always been interested in wildlife and the impact humans have on the world. We are slowly killing the planet and pushing off climate change and gloabl warming to the next generation because it is "none of their concern". We should care about the environment. It is only a small few that are fighting to protect the wilderness and more articles like this should be publicized to bring worldwide awareness.

Samontriona Perkins said...

The article that intrigued me the most was Kathryn Joyce’s “Out Here, No One Can Hear You Scream." This is because it went into different stories on how women are sexually harassed in the workforce or a place dominated by males. I felt the title fit the article perfectly, and that alone lured me in.

Ivyanne B. said...

I think the article that stood out the most to me was "The DIY Scientist, The Olympian, and the mutated genes". This one stood out the most to me because it really showed that with hard work you can achieve anything. It also showed me that I shouldn't let anyone bring me down because I can do great things. She never let anyone tell her she was wrong and she discovered great things about her body and the certain illness she had.
-Ivyanne B.

Sierra Taylor said...

The reading that I was intrigued by the most was "Out Here, No One Can Hear You Scream". This is a very relevant topic. The Me Too movement is still very present. I'm happy that women are feeling more comfortable speaking out. Sexual assault in the workplace happens more often than we might believe. I like to learn and read more about sexual assault. It's an experience that some women around me have dealt with.

Unknown said...

David Epstein's "The DIY Scientist, the Olympian, and the Mutated Gene” interested me the most due to the following of a person's journey to discovering them self. The personal touch really added to the story by making you sympathize with the woman. Even in today's social climate, bullying is still a big factor in kids lives, due to genetic mutations or other things out of their control. It's interesting to hear this woman's side of the story.

Anonymous said...

The one that I had the most stock in what's "Out Here, No One Can Here You Scream." That was more a a serious legal matter though that needs to be addressed. That one got the most care. The one that is interesting in a positive-ish manner goes to the finding another earth one though. Has some serious philosophical points while also just having add a lot to economic, scientific, and humanitarian concerns.

-Ash

Youssef Hassan said...

The article that intrigued me the most was the one that talked about the women who contributed a lot to science. It motivated me to care more about the science that i am learning today and it also helped me realize how big of an impact women have made in the field of science.

Jasmyn Kloster said...

The article that interested me the most was "The Parks of Tomorrow". I liked this one because I really enjoy wildlife and it makes me so sad to see how some people really do not care that we are destroying so many natural habitats. Global warming/ climate change are things that we can turn around. It still baffles me that people still think that neither of these things are real when there is clear evidence. I would really like to see more articles like this one be brought to more peoples attention. We need to save the environment before it is too late to do so.

J'kolbe K. said...

The article we read that intrigued me most was Emily Temple Wood’s “It’s Time These Ancient Women Scientists Get Their Dues.” This article caught my attention because it opened my eyes to feats that were going unnoticed. The article is perfectly titled because that is how it leaves you feeling at the end

Shaina Falkner said...

Emily Temple Wood’s “It’s Time These Ancient Women Scientists Get Their Dues” stood out to me the most. Being a woman myself who wants to pursue a career in the medical/science field, i , obviously, would like to be given credit for my work and recognized for the progress I've made within the science world. I, also, do recognize bias against women in many areas of work and aspects of life so I believe it is important that we recognize this in order to make a change.

Aliyah Johnson said...

The Article that most intrigued me was Kathryn Joyce’s “Out Here, No One Can Hear You Scream”. This article highlighted the abuses of power that occur in the work place today. This article also shed light on how women working in nature and the out door environment are not exempt from challenges that face women and ordinary office settings.

TOMIKA COLLINS said...

Emily Temple Wood’s “It’s Time These Ancient Women Scientists Get Their Dues” was the most intriguing story in my opinion. Girls are not pushed to be in the fields of science and math like boys are so it can be discouraging for us to go into those fields. When it comes to recognition sometimes we don't get what we deserve.

Alexis A. said...

I think the article “It’s Time These Ancient Women Scientists Get Their Dues” stood out to me the most. Growing up, we learn about the same few scientists that had important creations, inventions, and discoveries. I think it is important we celebrate all people that contributed to the development of our world, regardless of gender or race. I find it interesting certain scientists are "chosen" to be praised for their knowledge and appreciate writings like this recognizing more "hidden figures".

Kendall Clark said...

After reading all of the provided articles, Emily Temple Wood’s “It’s Time These Ancient Women Scientists Get Their Dues” stood out to me the most. Prior to reading the article, I was unaware of any of the magnificent work done by the women who were named, and I found it fascinating to read about their success. As women living in a sexist and discriminatory society, it is not uncommon for a female’s hard work to go unnoticed or under appreciated: I enjoyed reading about the success of these women and the inspiration they are to women everywhere.

JaLeah McKinney said...

David Epstein’s “The DIY Scientist, the Olympian, and the Mutated Gene” interested me the most. The overall theme relating to the importance of persistence and paying attention to detail was a very good one. The fact that she was able to self-diagnose herself as well as someone else still amazes me. Health and well-being is so important and her story just goes to show how critical it can be to pay attention to it.

Donovan Washington said...

After reading all the articles over the semester the one that stood out to me the most would have to be "The DIY Scientist, The Olympian, and the Mutated Gene". I chose this one because we are often told to not question authorities like doctors, but Jill was able to help herself and another by questioning her doctor's decision.

Crystal R. said...

There were two articles that intrigued me the most. Those articles were, "It's Time These Ancient Women Scientists Get Their Dues," and " and, "The Woman Who Might Find Us Another Earth." Both of these articles were about women and how they faced things and eventually came out on top making big accomplishments. They were both very motivating to me being a young woman trying to accomplish so much in my life.

Crystal Rice

Kamela Cross said...

The article that most intrigued me was Kathryn Joyce's "Out Here, They Can Never Hear You Scream". The heart-wrenching, yet inspiring stories of the women who went through being sexually assaulted and felt they couldn't tell anyone, really moved me. It makes me extremely happy that the necessary changes were made to ensure the protection of women in nature. I hope that those changes continue to be made in other work forces everywhere, because no should ever feel like they're not safe where they love to work.

Jada James said...

The story that intrigued me the most was "The Woman Who Might Find Us Another Earth" by Chris Jones, because it has to do with one of my actual interests, which is sustainability and the earth. I always think it's interesting to hear about topics that concern the earth and especially when they come from lesser known sources. I think it's important to talk about economic issues especially in this political climate.