Pg. 10: Blazing through Birmingham’s History
Pg. 15: UAB researchers work toward COVID-19 vaccine
Pg. 25: Safe drinking vs. stress drinking
MEET OUR
STAFF
Allison Brown is Kaleidoscope’s coeditor-in-chief and a senior majoring in communication studies
Emma Owen
is Kaleidoscope’s coeditor-in-chief and a junior majoring in communication studies
Caleb Wood
is a senior staff member and a junior majoring in creative writing
Jada Nguyen
Hannah Richey is Kaleidoscope’s opinion editor and a junior majoring in philosophy
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is an illustrator and a sophomore majoring in graphic design
Holley House is a contributing reporter and a junior majoring in creative writing
Jack Chamberlain
Sindhu Dwarampudi
is a contributing reporter majoring in mechanical engineering and graduates in 2022
is a contributing reporter and a sophomore majoring in neuroscience
Tayyaba Khan is a photographer and a senior majoring in international health and Human Rights
Ji Ko is an illustrator and a sophomore majoring in art
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Anjali Thottassery is a contributing reporter and a freshman majoring in political science
Celebrate safely with the Holiday Soul drive-thru concert.......... Page 6 “Disconnect� is a show for the pandemic..................................................... Page 7 Leading through the unknown.............................................................................. Page 9
Blazing through Birmingham’s History............................................................ Page 10 UAB begins treatment of long-term COVID-19 symptoms.......... Page 12 UAB researchers work toward COVID-19 vaccine................................ Page 14
Opinion We’re not in the clear yet........................................................................................... Page 18 Stop using confetti in graduation photos.................................................... Page 19 Are Asian Americans becoming “white�?..................................................... Page 20 Don’t fall for fake news................................................................................................. Page 21
Life in a pandemic Fighting SAD this season........................................................................................... Page 24 Safe drinking vs. stress drinking........................................................................... Page 25 Where are they now: Quarantine Cooking.................................................. Page 27
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Contents
COVID-19 at UAB
Kaleidoscope
Let’s talk
CORONAVIRUS
Covid-19 Health and Safety Plan:
1. Wear your mask. 2. Social Distance, stay six feet apart. 3. Wash your hands after probable contamination. 4. Stay home when sick. 5. Complete your daily healthcheck.
#UABUnited
Celebrate safely with the Holiday Soul drive-thru concert As the holiday season approaches, The Alys Stephens Center has provided a unique way for the people of Birmingham to watch the Holiday Soul show presented by Eric Essix through a drive-in concert.
about the energy and emotion that is projected to the audience while also playing well. “My biggest concern with an event like this, is that the energy and the vibe of the music and performance translates to the audience as intended in this format,” Essix said.
This year more than ever, musicians have had to change the way performance is done. Essix has done four live streaming events just in the past month and is planning more for the next year. The music industry is trying to accommodate for the pandemic with new formats such as virtual performances and drive-in concerts, which is the new format of his upcoming Holiday Soul show.
However, all of these nerves and challenges are made up for the opportunity to perform to an expanded audience. “Another exciting thing about the virtual option is that now your audience can expand exponentially as folks from all around the world now have the opportunity to see your shows in real time,” Essix said.
This holiday event is not held through a traditional live format, and Essix said he misses the “live energy” aspect of the show, but is still excited to bring holiday cheer and excitement to the people in the community.
Holiday Soul will take place December 13 at 5 p.m. and can be live streamed or attended through the drive-in concert. Ticket prices vary depending on whether you attend in-person or virtually. Visit AlysStevens.org for more information.
Essix said some changes from the Coronavirus pandemic may stick around, resulting in permanent changes in the music industry. “In the future we can expect there to generally be a hybrid of both live and virtual performances for most presenters even when things return to some degree of normalcy,” said Essix, a contemporary jazz performer. While practicing, Essix said he is constantly thinking of how people will relate to the show on the screen. Despite this, he is still excited to challenge himself with this new format of performance since he has to be conscious
Photo courtesy of Alys Stephens Center
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Written by Anjali Thottassery
“Disconnect” is a show for the pandemic Written by Caleb Wood
Photo courtesy of UAB department of theatre
“Disconnect” is no ordinary play, and that is by design. The latest production from UAB’s department of theater is a hybrid theatrical experience shaped by and created in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The show is a live streamed event with short, prerecorded segments. “Disconnect” exists at the intersection of several different stories of people who have been “disconnected” by the pandemic in the vein of works like “Love, Actually” and “Magnolia”. “It’s really a story about how we have become dependent on social media, through quarantine, through the last year, and how we can grow from this place into beautifully rounded human beings as long as we’re aware of all of our shortcomings,” said production manager Bailey Dumlao. Lee Shackleford, associate professor in the department of theatre and creator of the web series “Herlock”, is credited as the writer of the play, but it was a collaborative effort that birthed this production. “Disconnect” emerged from discussions by a group called The Collective. The Collective is a group of 15 students led by two faculty members who have been responsible for creating this work. The discussions covered a range of topics and saw students creating monologues and 7
other written pieces.
flexibility, and changes are made frequently.
“Then I took all of [those discussions],” Shackleford said, “and came back with a rough work, that title all those things together into a story.”
For those involved, this has been a brand-new experience. “It has been nothing like I’ve ever done before,” said co-director David Parker, senior in theater performance. “It’s been a very engaging process, very eye opening. It’s just been something that has made us problem solve in new ways and do things that we never would have before in a regular theater setting.”
Dumlao, junior in theatre performance, said the changes caused by COVID brought a new level of collaboration to this project. “It’s a lot more collaborative than normal because we wrote the script together, and we edited the script together. We all gave feedback on what video elements we were using and how we were using theme,” Dumlao said. “If anyone wanted to help out at all, it was fair game.”
The collective includes faculty members Lee Shackleford and Roy Lightner and students Izzy Behr, Abigail Coats, Bailey Dumlao, Matias Dupree, Laurel Floen, Devin Ty Franklin, Briana Hernandez, TaShauna Jenkins, Emma Mansour, Terrell Miller, Mell Packard, David H. Parker, Travis Settoon, McKenna Shaw and RachelMarie Strazza.
The limitations caused by the pandemic have dramatically altered the way that this is being performed.
“Disconnect” runs from November 19 to
The show has advertised itself as multiplatform with some cast members even making posts on social media in character prior to the show’s premiere.
November 21. It will be live streamed at 7:30 p.m. at
Doing a show virtually requires a greater
bit.ly/UAB and facebook.com/ disconnectvirtualplay.
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Leading through the unk nown Written by: Emma Owen
COVID-19 contributed to many changes and challenges throughout the year. Members of UAB’s leadership have not been immune to these unique circumstances.
been a big change in her life. “I felt like for eight months, I’ve been working pretty much constantly, and you can’t do that for that long and not begin to feel the effects,” Benoit said. “I think what Dr. Angela Stowe has been talking about, taking care of yourself is also really important.”
UAB President, Ray Watts, said he is proud of the sacrifices his staff, faculty and students have had to make throughout this year.
Benoit said she looks forward to simple acts like giving hugs once life returns to normal.
Watts said that among the challenges of this year, the UAB faculty continues to work harder than ever before.
“That’s the thing “We’ve I probably always miss the been most,” very hard Benoit said. workers, “Seeing but it’s people, really interacting been more with being on people call 24/7, (and) to make being able sure to touch Photos courtesy of UAB Image Gallery we do people. everything possible to keep our large UAB I thought a lot about how the essence of being community safe,” Watts said. “We have 23,000 human is actually being able to have that important employees and 22,563 students and that’s a lot of kind of touch and we’re really limited in what we people. It’s almost 50,000 people so that’s like a can do there right now.” city.” John Jones, Vice President of Student Affairs, said Watts said most UAB students and employees this year has seen many sacrifices in the name of that have been infected with COVID-19 were safety. For Jones, keeping his family healthy is a top infected off-campus. He said that is the reason UAB priority. administration is so adamant on following CDC “If we are intentional about protecting ourselves, guidelines. then we are also, as a consequence of that, “If we do those things, we know (we) can control protecting others as well,” Jones said. “Continue spread of the virus, and until we have a vaccine and to wear your mask, continue to wash your hands, our curative therapies, that is the most effective way continue to practice social distancing. to control this pandemic,” Watts said. Jones said that through family tragedy, he has Watts said he recognizes the challenges students continued to focus on protecting others and and professors have faced through learning online lowering the spread of COVID-19. and appreciates how the UAB community was able “Within the last couple of months, I had a passing to adapt to this situation. of a grandmother,” Jones said. “Even though I had a “We will get through this and we will be stronger on chance to pay my respects, certainly I had to ensure the other side,” Watts said. that my wife and two kids were being healthy and safe, so they could not attend as well, because we Pam Benoit, Ph.D., vice president for Academic had to minimize the risks and chances that we take.” Affairs and Provost, said working from home has
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Blazing through Birmingham’s History:
Learning how the city’s past influences the present Photo courtesy of Chase Thompson
Written by Holley House
Through an educational presentation, members of the Birmingham community gathered to teach UAB students and other community members about Birmingham’s past. David Dada, deputy director at Birmingham’s division of Youth Services, was selected as one of the panelists for the Blazing Through Birmingham’s History virtual event. “I’m excited for us to learn,” Dada said. “It’s centered around the Civil Rights Movement and historical events that have happened in Birmingham. It’s a great opportunity for us to have a discussion about these events and learn from one another.”
Dada said that as a former Blazer, he was very happy to join the event.
“UAB is my alma mater, and I have a huge appreciation for what the Student Affairs does, and how it touches on the student experience,” Dada said. “I was honored they reached out to me.” Dr. Tondra Loder-Jackson, professor of educational foundations in the School of Education, said she helped create and previously direct the UAB Center for Urban Education. Loder-Jackson was another speaker at this event. “I tend to be especially responsive to UAB student organizational requests that aim to broaden our campus community’s knowledge and understanding of Birmingham’s history,” LoderJackson said. In addition to working as a professor, Loder-Jackson also serves as a senior faculty associate in the Institute of Human Rights.
Charles Woods, the education program manager at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, 10
presented on Birmingham’s history and the Civil Rights Movement at the event. Although this event looked into Birmingham’s past, Woods said how events throughout Birmingham’s history are still pertinent to today. Woods said that if the audience members were to get one lesson out of his entire presentation, it would be that “it was the youth that made the change,” during the Civil Rights Movement.
Jefferson County Sheriff, Mark Pettway, said he agrees with Woods.
“The children led the march and the change,” Pettway said.
Woods said how events such as this were important, because it is necessary to empower the youth in the community today and give them the knowledge they need to lead the Birmingham community into the future. Woods said the youth made the change during the Birmingham Children’s Crusade of 1963, and it will be the youth that make a difference today. Woods said the Black Lives Matter movement is a continuation of the Civil Rights Movement, as well as other Black activist movements that have come before. Woods said he wanted this presentation to help students and community members learn of ways to get involved in activism in the community.
“Register to vote, and then vote,” Woods said.
Woods also listed several activist organizations he encouraged people to join, such as: Be a Blessing Birmingham, Woke Vote, Black People Run Bike and Swim and Gasp. Dada then discussed why it is important for students to be involved, and what it means to be an active citizen.
“Even choosing not to play affects the game,” Dada said.
Dada said he suggests a number of ways for students to become involved, including the Office of Student Involvement, service organizations, internships and taking advantage of shadowing opportunities.
“Don’t think you have to wait to make a difference,” Dada said. “You can start this now.”
To hear from the panelists and more about Birmingham’s history and getting involved, the event host, Kate Redden, said that this event was recorded and will be posted to the UAB Student Involvement page.
Photo by Magnus Manske on Flickr
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UAB begins treatment of long-term COVID-19 symptoms Written by Emma Owen
A new program is underway at UAB, as patients experience long-term effects after recovering from COVID-19. In this treatment program, patients will receive care for a variety of symptoms. Dr. Turner Overton, professor of infectious diseases and program medical director, said this program consists of providers that specialize in assisting patients with cardiac, neurologic, psychiatric and pulmonary symptoms. Out of these symptoms, pulmonary issues are the most prominent. “Early on in the pandemic, we really didn’t have anywhere safely to see people with COVID, and we set up an ambulatory clinic where we see people safely and make an assessment of them,” Overton said.
Photo courtesy of UAB Image Gallery
“That remains intact, but one of the things we found is there’s a small, but not an insubstantial number of people who, weeks to months out from their COVID diagnosis, are having residual symptoms from COVID.” Overton said that while those in the medical field are experiencing fatigue from COVID-19, providers were eager to volunteer for this new program.
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“Our providers, as well as our nursing and coordination center, have all stood up and said we’ll take this on to meet the need of our community,” Overton said.
“We want to be considerate, compassionate and attentive to their needs, and this gives us that platform to really focus on the individual and make sure they have what they need through their recovery Among the lingering symptoms treated in this program, is what is commonly process,” Dye said. referred to as brain fog. Overton said this Dye said there are three different cognitive impairment can contribute to a ways patients can enroll in the program. variety of memory issues. Those interested in self-enrolling can contact (205) 975-1881 to speak with a “I think one of the challenges with nurse. this brain fog is it can have overlap with cognitive function, but also with mental health,” Overton said. “So, we really saw it important to make sure that we also have psychiatrists engage, because some of this could be related to the stress and anxiety of having COVID and then having symptoms.”
“They can share with our (nurses) their symptoms and the nurse will send that to our post-COVID program coordinator, who will evaluate that information, triage that information and direct the patient to the appropriate provider,” Dye said.
Donna Dye, RSN and director of ambulatory services for UAB Medicine, said that while less than 10% of those diagnosed with COVID-19 have experienced lingering symptoms, the providers see a great importance in treating those patients.
The other two ways patients can join this program is by physician referral, either through UAB physicians, or external physicians, and by UAB outreach. Through UAB outreach, providers will contact patients four weeks after their discharge, to evaluate their needs.
“I would impress that quality here is very important, not just the quantity but the quality,” Dye said. “Even if it’s a minority, that minority is important enough to make sure we give that care to those patients.”
Dye said this program allows patients to know they’re being cared for during what is likely a frightening time for them. Timeline information from WHO and CDC
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UAB researchers work toward COVID-19 vaccine Written by Sindhu Dwarampudi
Over the last several months, UAB researchers have worked tirelessly in their efforts to get closer to vaccines and therapeutics for COVID-19.
immune response. “In animals, challenge studies can be done where a vaccine can be given and then challenged with the virus to see if the animal is protected,” Lund said. “This can not be done in humans, but it is an important part of the process to demonstrate efficacy and can be done more quickly in animals than try in humans.”
Frances Lund, Ph.D. and microbiology professor, has been collaborating with AltaImmune, Inc. on a COVID intranasal vaccine candidate. Lund has worked on local immune responses in the respiratory tract for a long time with thorough knowledge of Since the virus is primarily transmitted response properties and methods to measure through air droplets, the local immunity in them. the nose provided by the intranasal vaccine “When we got the vaccine, we tested it stops the virus from replicating in the in animals and tested the mucosal response upper respiratory tract. It has the potential to demonstrate that the animals got mucosal to not only protect the person who has protection. We used that data to have FDA been vaccinated, but also prevents the use that as evidence to go forward with a transmission to others the person encounters. clinical trial,” Lund said. “The AltaImmune “The intranasal vaccine doesn’t require vaccine is the only one, to date, that is a needle for delivery,” Lund said. “This makes going into clinical trials and will be delivered it easier to administer and has the added through the intranasal route.” benefit that people who are afraid of needles In clinical studies, individuals are given the new COVID vaccine and there is a wait to see if they get naturally infected with COVID. Large neighborhood studies have to be done, which can be time-consuming. According to Lund, it is more appropriate to test in animals before going to people to observe whether a vaccine candidate will actually elicit an
don’t have to get a shot.” Lund emphasized the importance of basic science in setting the groundwork for new treatments today, whether vaccines or drugs. “What has become really evident in this current pandemic is how quickly it is now possible to take basic science findings
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Photo courtesy of UAB Image Gallery
“Looking at Remdesivir specifically, it was a randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled study, which they’re intense to run anyway, but particularly during a developing pandemic,” Erdmann said. “Some of the other studies nationwide were able to enroll more robust, larger numbers, but they didn’t have all of the built in controls so that the data that we get out, all of it has relevance, but it is harder to compare.” This antiviral was FDA approved in October and is the first therapy specifically targeting the virus.
and convert them to things that can have real impact on someone’s health,” said Lund. “It wouldn’t have been possible to get the vaccine to the point of being ready to start distributing to people in the next few months without all the foundational science being built before.” Dr. Nathan Erdmann, assistant professor in the UAB Division of Infectious Diseases, has been immersed in COVID-19 clinical trials. “Right now, we have three trials actively enrolling, seven or eight that have enrolled at different times all from the inpatient population, and a handful from outpatient as well,” Erdmann said. ACTT was one of the first trials and was the foundation for setting up the Remdesivir trial, which started in late February.
As of last week, there was an emergency use authorization of a second drug in the ACTT study: Baricitinib. It looks at certain cytokines and it is predicted that the drug is cleaner than steroids but comes with its own risks. “That’s the next trial we are getting ready to enroll in starting next week,” Erdmann said. “We’ll be comparing these steroids versus this other drug. And then finally we just finished enrolling for a medicine where we added another antiviral onto Remdesivir.”
These results will be released in January.
Erdmann has collected 500 to 600 sets of blood from hospitalized patients and hundreds of other people at home on the outpatient side. The team has also been collecting urine, respiratory samples, and saliva samples since the beginning. Timeline information from WHO and CDC
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“Everything is really hard during a pandemic,” Erdmann said. “It’s just been trying to balance our previous lives and pandemic lives and trying to predict where this was going to be in a few months.”
challenge, he said. Much thought and effort is being made to try to improve this, with some protocols steering enrollment towards certain groups.
It is highly important for studies to enroll diverse populations so that vaccines and treatments are assessed across all instead of a biased one. “We have been pretty meaningful in some of these larger network studies because we have been able to routinely recruit those from poorly limited populations, specifically African Americans,” Erdmann said.
Photo courtesy of UAB Image Gallery
There are so many factors that cause this population to be disproportionately affected by COVID-19. “We have people that are more exposed because they are less likely to have food delivered or less likely to have their family quarantine from each other,” Erdmann said. “Some people are more likely to be deemed essential workers, and then there are genetic predispositions on top of that.” Overcoming this on the inpatient side is straightforward but for outpatient studies, getting them referred and having them be trusting in the process to participate is a Timeline information from WHO and CDC
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Although hesitation to get the vaccine once available exists, Erdmann said that testing has shown the vaccine to be safe and efficacious. He also acknowledged all at UAB for doing their part and following safety measures. “I routinely see people wearing their masks and it’s not hard to go on social media and see places where that is not the case, so I think that speaks to the relation between the hospital side of campus and the undergraduates and student body,” Erdmann said.
pinion opinion opin pinion opinion opin pinion opinion opin pinion opinion opin pinion opinion opin “ We’ re not in the clear yet ” “ Stop using conf etti in graduation photos” “ Are Asian Americans becoming white?” “ Don’ t fall f or fake news”
We’ re not in the clear yet Written by Hannah Richey
President-elect Joe Biden’s win doesn’t mean we’re in the clear yet. President Donald Trump has shown himself to be quite keen on sowing chaos wherever he lands, and there’s no reason to think that he’ll stop after he leaves office. His refusal to concede when the election was called for Biden emboldened other Republican leaders to perpetuate myths about the fairness of the election, which will absolutely carry over into later elections.
up his base to continue to maintain power through other political offices and media spots. Even though Biden won, Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene— who supports the QAnon conspiracy theory—won a seat in the U.S. House. This happened in Georgia, a state Biden won. Other people like her are going to continue to work on gaining power and others already in power are going to want to maintain it. This is why a Biden win means this isn’t over. Success will not be in a straight line, especially after such a contentious four years. This election stretches farther than just the days it took to call it. There are many days ahead including finding out who Biden’s cabinet picks are and seeing how Trump’s exit from office will turn out.
Criticism from the right on the fairness of elections should not be taken seriously by anyone when the Republicans have made it their mission to demolish free and fair elections through hacking away at the Voting Rights Act.
The record turnout for election 2020 still resulted in a tight race, and that record turnout was for Trump just as much as it was for Biden.
Trump will continue to make himself the spokesman for the right and there’s no reason to believe that the Voters successfully Republicans have any plans to opposed Trump as president, Photo courtesy of google images truly distance themselves from him. but they also have to Even his most vocal Republican opponent oppose other politicians who supported him. Senator Mitt Romney has towed the line and voted Trump may have lose the election, but he with Trump the majority of the time, importantly in the did not lose his supporters and neither did other confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett. Republicans politicians who supported him. So, Trump isn’t gone, and he won’t be. The It took Trump losing the election for social Republican party never opposed him and almost media platforms like Twitter to start censuring the anyone who says they did isn’t telling the truth. misinformation he spreads and for news outlets like This isn’t about what individual voters think, this is CNN to finally cut the cameras when he perpetuates about what the goals of the political party and their lies in his press conferences. leaders do in their actions, not what they say they will We have to make sure these platforms do. and news outlets keep up that standard for other Trump wasn’t unique in his legislation or goals politicians when they appear or are broadcasted as a Republican president, he just said the quiet parts while spreading misinformation. out loud. If you oppose Trump’s policies, you have to continue to oppose the party that allowed him to be their leader, and who will likely allow him to continue as their leader—whether formally or informally.
What do you think? Scan code to see this article on our website and comment your opinion!
Trump is going to continue to hold rallies and bemoan his loss and use that as a way to rile
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S t o p u s i n g c o nf e t t i i n gra duati o n photo s
Written by Hannah Richey
It’s the end of the semester which means there are piles of confetti across campus that were left by a senior ready to start the next chapter of their life. There’s one problem with this. There’s no reason there should be piles of confetti scattered across campus. This is because the people who are ready to start their adult lives are still expecting someone else to clean up after them. After the confetti is left someone else who probably isn’t as privileged as you has to go behind you and clean it up. All for a single photo that you’ll post on Instagram and forget about in a couple of years. When you do this you are littering. You are leaving your personal garbage on the ground because you didn’t think you had to clean up after yourself. It’s not exactly easy to get confetti out of grass so at the very least opt for an area with concrete and bring something to sweep it up with yourself after you’re finished. It’s the least you could do to make the lives of the people who kept this campus clean for you for the last four years easier. Beyond the problem of leaving your mess for someone else to clean up there is also an environmental impact. So even if you will at least clean up after yourself, you still shouldn’t use confetti in your pictures. Confetti can get into the drainage systems, some which empty out right into waterways. From there animals can eat the confetti which can result in a depleting population. For the ones that don’t go straight to drains, animals on the campus grounds can also eat it. A squirrels diet does not consist of plastic or paper confetti and eating it can cause severe damage. There are plenty of ways to get nice graduation photos that don’t require something that inconveniences everyone and everything around you. This also applies to biodegradable confetti. Even if it isn’t as bad for the environment, it’s still not great and you’re still leaving it around campus. And if none of that can persuade you, then consider that a lot of people will look at those piles and think whoever did it was selfish. The materially bad outcomes of using confetti in your pictures certainly outweigh any good. This isn’t a call-out demanding that students only make decisions that aren’t bad for the environment it’s just a request that you stop doing something that is objectively easy not to do. Illustration by Jada Nguyen
Are Asian Americans becoming “white?”
Written by Jada Nguyen
Asian Americans will never be “white.” The term “model minority” arose during the 1960s as many Chinese and Japanese Americans were congratulated for their perseverance in overcoming racial hardships and achieving success, perhaps even more than their white counterparts.
and why it’s harder for many Asian Americans, like me, to pursue careers outside of these designated fields in fear of facing backlash from our families or communities. The model minority stereotype does a great job at showing how Asians’ interactions with the American population has transformed the way other Americans think of them, such as opening local businesses, becoming involved with STEM programs or pursuing high-achieving jobs.
This has then posed the question if Asian Americans, more specifically if Upper East Asians like Chinese and Japanese immigrants, should be considered “white.” Those groups tend to be overrepresented among scientists, engineers, doctors and other skilled professions
By grouping Asians with white people, we once again equate one’s success and achievement to their “whiteness.”
A Washington school, North Thurston Public Schools (NTPS), recently grouped their Asian students with their white peers instead of their “students of color” category in a performance report, in hopes of highlighting their goal of an “increased growth rate of under-performing groups eliminating achievement and opportunity gaps.”
This is also wrong because we play into racial stereotypes, such as the model minority. We ignore the history and struggle of Asian Americans, such as forcing Japanese people into internment camps, the Chinese Exclusion Act that banned new immigrants and existing residents from becoming U.S. citizens or even as recent as President Trump referencing COVID-19 as the “China virus” or “kung flu.”
Using race to divide students of color-- which NTPS grouped as Black, Latino, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders and/or Multicultural-- and “white” students brings up notions of segregation and past separations.
Another reason why the school system is in the wrong is because it glosses over the increase in Asian American hate crimes, specifically those that have been caused due to COVID-19.
This leaves out the southeast Asians such as Grouping Asian Americans Vietnamese, Hmong, Screenshot from Steven Welliever with the white community makes Cambodian and Laotian other white people look better, while raising the immigrants who are often employed as low-skilled, less-educated workers-- most of whom entered the notoriety and prestige that is associated with Asian Americans. U.S. as refugees. In a 2004 article, Min Zhou said “whiteness” has become a hard-to-reach status that many immigrants long to achieve, because those that are considered “white” face a great deal of privilege and an abundance of opportunities. Min Zhou makes a great point that the model minority stereotype places expectations onto Asian Americans that funnels them into specific avenues for success, such as math and science.
This forces minority groups against each other, reinforcing anti-Asian and anti-black sentiment within the two communities. Interactions between minority groups have gotten to the point where we have exasperated each other’s struggle in American society. Even after NTPS apologized and removed their report the damage is forever ingrained.
This explains both why we don’t see many Asian Americans in English or history professions,
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Asian Americans will never be “white.”
Don’t fall for Written by Allison Brown
I grew up in a small, rural town in Mississippi, where I saw firsthand how toxic misinformation can be. Not just about soand-so’s dad or that church, but about things like immigration, climate change, abortion and the entire LGBTQ community. I saw people’s lives ruined based on one rumor—true or untrue. I couldn’t even tell you how many times I have heard that global warming is a sham or that people from Mexico are drug addicts and rapists.
true. Everything should be fact checked. I studied media law, where I learned the difference between slander and libel, and the penalties for both. I studied the First Amendment, learning the ins-and-outs of what speech is protected and what is not. I learned about copyright laws and what can happen if you break them. But then there is the idea of fake news.
That’s actually how I became interested in journalism. Even when I was younger, I knew enough not to believe those kinds of statements, but I didn’t know enough to adequately debate the topic. And after growing up in a town that considers word of mouth equivalent to cold, hard facts, I began to see the appeal in pursuing the truth. I wanted to be able to educate people, starting with myself. Not necessarily to change their minds or to prove that I was right and they were wrong, but to show them the irrefutable facts. So, I majored in journalism. I learned that any piece of information that isn’t common knowledge needs to have a source. I learned that just because a source tells you something, that doesn’t make it 21
Screenshot from Twitter
While the idea of fake news has been around for decades, the term went from being a hashtag on social media to a political slur in the span of a few months. In its initial stages, the term fake news was used to describe completely bogus stories circulating in 2016 that a few different websites were publishing, all tracing back to a small town in Macedonia. It had nothing to do with the election, but everything to do with money, specifically the money in Facebook advertising. From there, it has morphed into a cop-out: a dismissal of legitimate news simply because it’s not news someone wants to hear.
During COVID-19, people claimed
the CDC and WHO were reporting “fake news” as an excuse or justification for not wearing a mask. Since the presidential election, people have claimed “fake news” in response to results they didn’t like.
I know that it can be hard, a hassle even, but especially with topics as important as climate change or COVID-19, I urge you to look into the claims people make before accepting them as true.
In fact, President Trump is largely responsible for bringing back the term “fake news.” A perfect example of this is when President Trump called out entire news organizations like CNN, NBC and ABC as being fake. It is discouraging to know that I could spend months researching a story and have numerous credible sources in an article just for someone to roll their eyes and say “fake news” before even reading it. It is disappointing to know that no matter the strength of an argument, someone can claim that it is all fake and there is nothing that will change their minds. There can be fake news, such as the nonsense articles that coined the term. However, I find myself wondering if that is even news in the first place.
Screenshot from Twitter
More than that, check out the media bias chart which ranks popular new sources in terms of political bias and reliability based on analytics and a politically balanced team. The idea of fake news is changing news. Hopefully, it will encourage honest reporting and weed out unreliable outlets. If nothing else, it will change the level of scrutiny viewers give toward their news outlet.
Social media has certainly blurred the lines on what is a credible source, and, therefore, what can be considered news. Just like with the rumors that spread through my town, things can’t be accepted as fact just because someone told us it was true. We have seen the dangers of this type of fake news with the coronavirus, as reports downplaying the severity or suggesting inaccurate methods of killing the virus has led to a rise in cases and even poisoning in people who tried to drink disinfectants. 22
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Fighting SAD this season Written by Holley House
It’s the most wonderful time of the year… or so it seems. With this time of the year comes some amazing things: holiday food, time with loved ones and Christmas lights. But for the average college student, it can be an incredibly stressful time.
Photo by Holley House
Once the fall time-change hits and we lose an hour of daylight, it is easier to begin feeling more tired as the day goes on. The NIMH website states that signs and symptoms of SAD include oversleeping, overeating, gaining weight, and withdrawing socially.
Before the break between fall and spring semester, we have to trudge through the last bits of fall and into the beginnings of winter with the load of final exams and projects on our backs. However, that’s not all that could be affecting our ability to dive into the excitement of the upcoming holiday season.
Laura Dykes, an activities coordinator at an assisted living, said that SAD affects her ability to motivate the occupants.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that can occur during the late fall and early winter months. People may begin to have mood changes, or not feel like themselves when the seasons change. Some feel “down” when the days get shorter and better in the spring when the daylight hours get longer.
“They tend to be more tired throughout the day as opposed to when it was the summer-time,” said Dykes. “They loved being able to go outside and bathe in the sun, but now that it’s cold they miss it and tend to keep to themselves more.”
Jim Garret, a retired psychology instructor at Jefferson State Community College, discussed how and why SAD can affect people.
This social withdrawal can be particularly draining, because during the holidays we are supposed to want to be around family and friends, and often are obligated to be social. The withdrawal can make us feel like hibernating.
“Studies indicate that, especially in the winter when the daylight hours our shorter, we do seem to often get more depressed,” Garret said. “Part of that is due to the fact that we’re not able to get out into the sunshine and the light when it gets dark earlier in the day. We’re more tired, and this can lead us to sleep more and not be as social.” Garret also said that he believed SAD was something that affects people, especially students. “It can definitely decrease students’ motivation, as well as people’s motivation in general,” Garret said. “Sometimes students get put under a lot of pressure around this time of year, and SAD can worsen that.”
She also added that this year is especially interesting, because the coronavirus has had a huge impact on the occupants’ morale.
Glenn Horsely, and undergraduate college student, explained how he is affected by SAD during the fall and winter months. “At this time of year, there’s so much schoolwork, and it gets so dark so early now, so I am just tired all the time,” Horsely said. When asked how he combats this tiredness, Horsely said that he has to make an effort to be more social, to keep from withdrawing and becoming isolated. “Taking time to spend time with my friends is what keeps me going,” Horsely said.
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Written by: Jack Chamberlain
The impact of COVID-19 in America is startling. It has resulted in record-setting unemployment rates, one of the larges economic downturns in U.S. history, all while – at the time of this publication – the infection rate is accelerating. It doesn’t take actively losing your home or your employment to feel stress in these trying times; you’d be right to do so. As college students, there have always been myriad stressors and obstacles to education even before the pandemic. With these new terrors, a worryingly common way of attempting to deal with them remains: intoxication. To some students, booze and increased stress are new and exciting experiences.To others, drink is a long-time acquaintance. Both of these sentiments, while normal, are not healthy. To discuss these concerns, I reached out to the UAB Substance Abuse Prevention & Recovery Coordinator, Kristina Canfield. Canfield helped me put the unhealthy habits of mid-pandemic college life into perspective. For a point of comparison, during my time in the Marines, the definition of excessive drinking was five or more drinks per sitting or 15 drinks per week. This definition easily applied to 80+% of my unit and was therefore ignored. In this regard, I find a strong similarity between enlisted and college life. The expectation of college life for most students entails excessive drinking. I look to the past and wish we had a more thoughtful explanation of the differences between safe drinking and stress drinking. It is my intent to explain this in a way that might help students be more introspective rather than dismissive of the guidelines.
“First, I think it’s important to point out that there is no such thing as ‘safe’ drinking because any time we introduce something that is mind-altering, there is risk involved,� Canfield said. “I typically refer to certain ideas as safER drinking and I think that is an important distinction. What you defined is still true and is the definition of binge drinking.� According to Canfield, there are several ways to ensure safer drinking habits, from simply being more conscious about what you put in your body to dietary changes. “Safer drinking tips include not drinking more than one standard drink per hour (12 ounces of 5% alcohol by volume beer, 5 ounces of 12% alcohol by volume wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80 proof liquor), knowing how much alcohol is in what you are drinking (I cannot stress the importance of reading labels and knowing what is in a mixed drink), eating foods high in fiber and protein before, during and after drinking and drinking water between alcoholic beverages,� Canfield said. An often-overlooked aspect of drinking is is one’s motivation to do so. Many outside factors can influence your decision to drink, but
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what drives you to do so matters. Our thoughts and actions do not exist in a vacuum, Canfield said. “It is also important to take note of your own mental state,” Canfield said. “Are you stressed? Are you sad? Are you happy? Alcohol can intensify emotions we are already feeling so drinking when we are stressed is not going to alleviate the stress we may be feeling. It is so important to work on developing healthier coping mechanisms. If a person chooses to drink then I would encourage them to not only make safer choices, but also to check their motives about why they are drinking. Using alcohol as a coping mechanism could inadvertently lead to much bigger issue such as substance use disorder or worsening mental health.”
Photo courtesy of google images
The National Institute on Drug Abuse has reported a significant increase in drug use and overdoses since March compared to the same time period in previous years. College is an inherently stressful time under the best of circumstances. The pandemic, the necessary adjustments to classrooms, and the increase in online learning likely hasn’t made that much better. Canfield said there has been an increase in patronage of the Collegiate Recovery Community compared to previous semesters.
“We have had an increase in membership this semester as well as students seeking help or questions about stopping the use of substances,” Canfield said. “Isolation is not kind to people struggling with substance use disorder and finding ways to meet those needs has been a challenge for sure. I have also seen so many people rising to that challenge though; recovery meetings shifting to an online format, for example.” Humans are social creatures. We gravitate towards light in the dark and search for friendly faces in the crowds. Approaching your health and recovery should be no different. On the Collegiate Recovery Community’s site is an ‘initial self-assessment for substance use disorders’ checklist. If you happen to find you checked a few of those boxes, Canfield and others are ready to help with the first steps. “Reach out! I really want students to understand that there is a space for them on campus to ask those questions and be met judgement free,” Canfield said. “I am a person in long-term recovery myself and I got sober while I was a college student, so I have been exactly where you are now. I want [students] to know that they are not alone and that there is an entire community of students just like you who would love to support you. I am also happy to connect students to other resources they may need as well.” The Collegiate Recovery Community’s open recovery meetings are currently on Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. and are open to anyone in recovery or seeking recovery from substance use. Additional information can be found on the Collegiate Recovery Community’s Facebook or Instagram pages.
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Qua r a nt i ne c o o k i ng
Written by Emma Owen
Hernandez made and sold tamales during quarantine/ Photo courtesy of Okaeri Hernandez
For one student, cooking was more than just a quarantine hobby. Okaeri (Oky) Hernandez, junior in Spanish health science education, said he began making and selling tamales after remote learning began last spring. Hernandez did this as a way to make money once the pandemic began. “After losing my on-campus job due to the pandemic and seeing that I was not qualified to get a stimulus check, I decided to sell tamales to be able to pay my bills and lease,� Hernandez said. “I grew up seeing tamales being made, and knew that it was something I could do to make money.� Hernandez said his grandmother makes and sells tamales herself, which is how he was first introduced to the idea. His mother was the one that taught him how to make the dish. Hernandez said after he finished selling Tamales, he began working at his brother’s restaurant, Hops N Guac. “Selling tamales was good business, but it was a lot of work,� Hernandez said. “I spent my 27
summer taking online classes and working at the restaurant and on a food truck that would go to various neighborhoods in Madison County.” Hernandez said that as life begins to pick back up, he is taking the steps to prepare for graduation. “I needed to obtain a letter of recommendation from an optometrist to be able to apply to schools of optometry, but it was difficult to find eye care practices that were allowing students to shadow,” Hernandez said. “I began interning at Adams Eye Care in downtown Birmingham in September, and it has been going really well.” Hernandez said he looks forward to life returning to normal. “I look forward to not (wearing) masks, especially while working, when things go back to normal,” Hernandez said. “Wearing masks is a new normal, and it would feel scary or weird to go back, especially after taking microbiology, but it does get tiring wearing masks while running around in a restaurant, or working in a hot truck.” Hernandez said he made the decision to graduate one year early and is beginning to look into optometry schools. “I plan to eventually attend an optometry school, maybe UABSO, and become an optometrist,” Hernandez said. For those interested in keeping up with his journey, Hernandez said he has an optometry account on Instagram under the handle @oky.opt.
Hernandez poses with Claudette Colvin/ Photo courtesy of Okaeri Hernandez
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