Samantha Pape 340

  Yes, I Have “Allergies” You probably don’t know, but you’re tested for it as a baby. You have a 1 in 15,000 chance of having it. That translates to .006% of the population that lives with PKU. I am part of that .006%. PKU is the inability of the body to produce an enzyme that is used to break down phenylalanine. This buildup of phenylalanine in the body can lead to multiple side effects/symptoms including: Eczema…had it! (probably coincidental) Fair skin and blue eyes…got ‘em! (this is DEFINITELY coincidental) Hyperactivity Delayed development  Intellectual disability  I have a mild form of PKU called Mild Hyperphe, which means I am at less risk of these symptoms and side effects because my enzymes are present, but just partially functioning. However, I still can’t have things that contain phenylalanine, which occurs in food way more often than you might think. Gum, almost anything diet or sugar-free, and most foods that contain natural proteins all have phenylalanine i...

  All the Young Men: Post Two All the Young Men by Ruth Coker Burks follows Ruth's journey as she navigates love and loss through the AIDS epidemic in the south. Ruth gets pulled into taking care of a man with AIDS by chance when she is at the hospital visiting her friend. From there, more and more people come to her for help as they or their loved ones deal with the side effects of the virus. While financially struggling, she tries to take care of these men--finding them housing, diving into dumpsters to get them food, and finding them jobs. She also works to take care of her daughter as they are effectively ostracized from their community and looked down upon for their compassion and efforts. You get to experience the relationships she develops with the men she helps from her point of view, and because of this, are able to feel (just a fraction of) the loss she felt when they are eventually gone in the story of her life.  I mainly think this book taught me the power of human...

Cheating or Competing?  How professional sports teams can use salary cap loopholes to their advantage in hopes of winning it all.  You’ve been living in a constant state of sports fan despair for most of your life. None of your teams have won anything and you are in desperate need of a victory parade around your city. How far do you want your teams to go to ensure a spot in the playoffs or--even better--a trophy? Are you okay with them exploiting loopholes in their salary structure? Are you okay with having accusations of cheating slung at you, or people trying to tarnish the reputation of your beloved team? And how would you feel if another team was using these tactics while yours suffered even further?  The salary cap can be exploited differently in each of the leagues it’s used in. Let’s look at some of the different ways salary caps can be worked around in three major leagues in the United States and how they might have worked in practice.  What is the Salary Cap...

All the Young Men Post One I’m currently 72% of the way through All the Young Men by Ruth Coker Burks , according to my iPad. I chose this book for, perhaps, a really superficial reason--it takes place in Arkansas. My best friend is from Arkansas. It is based on a woman’s experience as she cares for patients that have HIV/AIDS and have nowhere else to go in a town that is deeply ingrained in their southern and religious roots. This seemed like an extremely interesting premise, and I really wanted to read about her life experience and how she became involved in the epidemic without any personal interest. I wanted to learn more about the epidemic, as most of what I know is from Rent. I think it is important to learn about people’s experiences revolving around caring for and helping others, as it can inspire you to be a better person. I also think it just puts life in perspective when you see everything that other people have to go through. I hope I can come out of this book with a new ...