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Spring AwakeningMarch 2017Primannum Honor Society Issue VI

In ThIs Issue

With the month of March comes a variety of health awareness events. March is not only the awareness month for epilepsy, but also the national Nutrition Month! Here are some health highlights:Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by sensory disturbances, loss of consciousness and reoc-curring convulsions.

Common Myths about Epilepsies:• One shakes uncontrollably during an epileptic

seizure.Not true! Seizures can range from mild to severe cases, where the patient might be conscious or uncon-scious during the episode.• One can develop epilepsy by being exposed to

flashing lights.Wrong! There are many types of epilepsies, and pho-tosensitive epilepsy is just one of them. Triggers that lead to such episodes can vary and can range from lack of sleep to stress to substance abuse.

March Health Awareness Month Highlights

National Nutrition Month: Here are some tips to stay healthy for National Nutrition Month:1. Eat a healthy and balanced diet.2. Eat out less and consume home cooked meals.

This way you know exactly what you are putting into your body.

3. Be physically active, whether it means going on quick runs during the week or working out at the gym daily.

4. If you need more guidance, make an appointment with a dietitian who can offer professional advice to help you meet your health needs.

Source: health awareness gallery

Source: EnidBuzz.comSource: Epilepsy Society

Page 2Books of Awareness

Page 3Dancing Into Awareness

Page 4Disability Awareness

Page 5 March Spotlight

By Maya Pillai

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March 2017Primannum Honor Society Issue VI

Maybe you’re looking for something to read in your free time or during your flights for Spring Break. Here’s a short list of recently published books you might want to read. These books bring awareness to mental health, disabilities, or women’s issues.

Books that Bring Awareness (to Mental Health, Disabilities, and Other Things)

Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven Libby Strout, once dubbed “America’s Fattest Teen,” is ready to go back to school after being homeschooled while she was dealing with her mom’s death. She’s ready for new friends, love and every possibil-ity life has to offer. Then there’s Jack Masselin: he’s got swagger, he knows how to give people what they want, and he knows how to fit in. But he has a secret: he can’t recognize faces. He has something called prosopagnosia. Jack and Libby meet, finding another person who finally understand them.

When We Collided by Emery Lord Jonah never thought a girl like Vivi would come along. Vivi didn’t know Jonah would light up her world. It’s a story about new love, old wounds, and forces beyond our control. When you

collide with the right person at the right time, it will change you. This novel also depicts the realities of liv-ing with bipolar disorder and understanding grief, but reviews say the book is filled with hope and joy.

Every Exquisite Thing by Matthew Quick Star athlete and straight-A student Nanette O’Hare has played the role of dutiful daughter as long as she can remember—until a teacher gives her a worn copy of The Bubblegum Reaper, a mysterious, out-of-print cult classic, and it awakens the rebel in Nanette. The novel scrutinizes the stress and anxiety of Nanette’s battle

against conformity. It explores how mental health af-fects personal relationships as Nanette makes choices that result in serious consequences.

The Memory of Light by Francisco X. Stork After a suicide attempt, Vicky Cruz arrives at a hos-pital where she meets new friends who push her to reconsider her life and offer her acceptance. When something causes the group to split, Vicky is sent back to the life that drove her to suicide, leaving her to find her own strength. It’s a story about a girl struggling with depression. It’s a story of recovery and healing. It’s a story about living when life doesn’t seem worth it and how we go on anyway.

All The Single Ladies by Rebecca TraisterThis book is an investigation into the sexual, econom-ic, and emotional lives of women in America. Trais-ter traces the history of unmarried and late-married women in America who, through social, political, and economic means, have radically shaped our nation. It’s a portrait of contemporary American life through the lens of the single American woman. Traiser addresses class, race, and sexual orientation with anecdotes from fascinating contemporary and historical figures.

We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi AdichieWhat does “feminism” mean today? That’s the question at the heart of this personal essay. Adichie offers a unique definition of feminism for the twenty-first century—one rooted in inclusion and awareness. She shines a light

on blatant discrimination and institutional behaviors that marginalize women everywhere. She draws on her own experiences to offer an explanation of the harm that the gender divide causes for women and men alike.

Photo Source: Goodreads.com

By Lauraine Genota

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March 2017Primannum Honor Society Issue VI

Dancing Into Awareness

Top: Final reveal of fundraising efforts at 2017 Terp Thon Dance Marathon Bottom: Brooke, on left, and Caitlin, on right, singing “Stand By You” by Rachel Platten, during 2017 Terp Thon. Photo Credit: Terp Thon Facebook Page

Terp Thon is one of the largest clubs on UMD’s campus with over 3,000 participants each year. In fact, Terp thon is the largest student run philanthropic organization in the state of Mary-land. The goal of Terp Thon is to raise funds and awareness for the children at Children’s National Health System. A year’s worth of fundraising culminates at a 12-hour dance marathon in March where the final push to raise mon-ey occurs. This year Terp Thon set a historic goal to reach one million dollars. Terp Thon surpassed their goal, making them the youngest dance marathon to have reached one million dollars. The funds raised by Terp Thon are donated to every area of the hospital, ensuring that no child is turned away from the care he or she needs. Additionally, the funds are used in research and for spe-cial programs within the hospital to help the kids have a childhood outside of being a patient. Miracle Kids, patients treated at Children’s National Health System, and their families are at the forefront of Terp Thon. Two Miracle Kids, sisters Brooke and Caitlin, shared an inspiring story of sisterly love at this year’s dance marathon. Brooke was diag-nosed with acute myeloid Leuke-mia and required a lifesaving bone

marrow transplant. Caitlin, a per-fect match, willingly stepped up to save her sister’s life. Funds from Terp Thon have helped ensure treatment for children like Brooke and Caitlin. As Terp Thon continues to grow, more funds will be raised

and more awareness will be spread throughout the campus and com-munity. As “a generation fighting for the next,” Terp Thon is work-ing hard to make sure every kid receives the care they deserve.

By Jillian Yant

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March 2017Primannum Honor Society Issue VI

Disability Awareness: How to be a Respectful Peer

Many people feel uncomfortable around individuals with disabilities. Much of this discomfort stems from lack of personal contact with people with disabilities and a sense of uncertainty as to how to speak and act in their presence. The poor representa-tion of people with disabilities in the mainstream me-dia often perpetuates stereotypes that can be harmful to these groups of people. People with disabilities are actually the nation’s largest minority group, and over a billion people worldwide live with some form of disability, ranging from autism to spinal cord injuries. Because disabilities are often incredibly stig-matized, here are some ways you help dismantle offensive stereotypes about people with disabilities:

1. Recognize that individuals with disabilities are people first.

It’s always important to remind yourself of an individual’s personhood instead of the circum-stances that define them. Everyone should be treated with respect, and without patronization or superficial assumption about his or her abilities. Understand that a person’s disability is just a part of his or her life, as everyone has things they can and cannot do.

2. Use person-first language.

Instead of phrases such as “wheelchair bound” or “autistic boy,” say “person who uses a wheelchair” or “boy who has autism.” This is person-first lan-guage, in which you refer to the person first and the disability second. This is not only a language rule, but also a way of thinking about the person.

3. Don’t make assumptions.

People with disabilities are the best judges of what they can or cannot do. Do not make decisions for them about participating in activities because of a presumption about their limitations. If you have a question about what assistance to offer or what termi-nology to use, simply ask.

4. Ask permission before touching or petting ser-vice dogs.

Guide dogs are almost always on the job, so speaking, touching, or crowding the dog may distract or confuse the dog. As much as you want to run up to every dog you see on campus, make sure you get per-mission from the handler first, even if the service dog is still in training. Also, do not assume an animal is not a service dog if he or she is not wearing a vest, as U.S. federal law does not require it.

Disability is a topic rarely addressed in most of our classes or in our daily lives, but understanding individuals with disabilities is important to making ev-eryone feel comfortable. The basis for normal interac-tion comes down to this: treat everyone, no matter his or her abilities and disabilities, with respect. Source: Emmanuel College

Source: The Tribune

By Kylie Mauricci

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March 2017Primannum Honor Society Issue VI

ConneCt With Us!

2141 Tydings HallUniversity of Maryland

College Park, MD 20742

301-405-1692

primannumhonorsociety@gmail.com

The Primannum Honor Soci-ety is a University of Maryland Honor Society that represents two national honor societies: Alpha Lambda Delta and Phi Eta Sigma. Both of these na-tional honor societies recognize academic excellence during a student’s first year in college.

Spotlight on Cara Snyder, a Women’s Studies Professor

Cara Snyder is a third year Ph.D. student in the Depart-ment of Women’s Studies. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from Agnes Scott College, where she double majored in Economics and International Relations and minored in Spanish. She currently teaches Introduction to Women’s Studies: Women, Art and Culture.

Q: What made you interested in Women’s Studies? A: My godparents lived in Guatemala and I stayed with them for a year. They worked on a project where they saw kids living in the city trash dump. I could not believe children worked in this environment and families were making money off of trash. I majored in Econom-ics for answers. However, I found that the answers I got from my classes were not true in the real world. I took a Women’s Studies class in my last semester of undergrad. Here, they were asking the right kinds of questions. The class gave me the vocabulary I needed to express the things I was seeing in the world.

Q: What are you studying specifically? A: My main focus is transnational feminism, which is especially relevant in the current political climate with the increasing promotion of nationalism. It is important to have a transnational perspective because borders are imaginary. Nations are just one category of analysis, like gender, race, and class, all of which are interconnected. I specialize in the transnational Latin Americas. My current project involves archival research, inter-views, and ethnography. I will also be going to Brazil this summer for research. The year 1996, the first time

women’s soccer was in the Olympics, initiated a process of mainstreaming — women’s sports teams were brought in from the margins to the mainstream. In marketing, women had to fit an aesthetic for profit, mainly by being sexualized, and this was done explicitly. I am studying a specific tournament in 2001 by looking for media cover-age, interviewing players, and doing spatial analyses in two Brazilian museums, where I will be looking at how women are represented in these spaces.

Q: What are your future goals? A: Ultimately, I want to be a professor. I want to teach the things that I learned in my Women’s Studies course. The students at Maryland are incredible, and I am lucky to teach here. There has been a new energy in the class-room, especially post-election. Students are more tuned in, and there is almost a new importance in what teach-ers are doing, although what they do has always been important.

Q: Why would you recommend students take a Women’s Studies course?A: I believe that the course will end up being as trans-formative for other students as it was for me. It shifts the way they see the world. They notice things and are empowered as change agents. It is also relevant to our everyday lives and interactions. The specific course I teach focuses on art and culture, which are enriching and essential to life. They allow us to make sense of the world and answer ethical questions.

By Madeline Dang