Saturday, September 04, 2010
Thursday, April 08, 2010
Easy in my harness
Right now, the EMU is quiet. There are no epileptic children squawking, as there often are. It makes this place feel like a pet store full of myna birds and guinea pigs rather than a specialized care unit in one of the more prestigious hospitals on the Eastern Seaboard. When it is quiet like this, and no one is fussing with my electrodes or checking my pulse, and all I can hear are the sounds of minutes passing by I think I might mistake whatever I am feeling for something close to contented.
It is, in some ways, a relief to be literally glued to one spot for a time, at least for me-- at least for now. For all the discomforts of the wires, and the tedium, and the terrible food they bring me (or forget to bring me...), I can sort of make peace with being stuck here. I have to be here, for a predetermined length of time, for a predetermined reason, and that is that, There is no anguish on my part whatsoever over what I should be doing, and if it is the right thing to be doing at all. It is easier to stifle longing for various elsewheres when I cannot even walk across the hall. Of course I cannot be at Knox right now, I am glued here. I am glued here until Monday, and so why bother longing at all?
It is, of course, not so easy to settle into my surroundings when I am at home. There I am also trapped, in a lot of ways (some some of them literal, some of them less so), but for no good reason. When I am able-bodied and un-glued, I do not think I should be content to sit in Maryland, biding my time until somebody signs my permission slip. Just as the wild animal who knows he is injured will allow himself to be handled and caged, and the one who is well will bite and pace when he is restrained, so too do I, I suppose (Now I apologize for that metaphor, I really do, but it was apt, you see. You understand. Don't make fun).
All of this is not to say that I do not want to be at Knox right now, because of course I do.I just have momentarily sorted out "something I want" from "something I should have", and so the turmoil of being trapped has died down. It's nice. When you give up the struggle, it is quiet. The myna birds of the EMU will teach you that.
**Post originally written 3/27/2010. There is sadly very spotty internet in the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit, so it was not published at the time.
It is, in some ways, a relief to be literally glued to one spot for a time, at least for me-- at least for now. For all the discomforts of the wires, and the tedium, and the terrible food they bring me (or forget to bring me...), I can sort of make peace with being stuck here. I have to be here, for a predetermined length of time, for a predetermined reason, and that is that, There is no anguish on my part whatsoever over what I should be doing, and if it is the right thing to be doing at all. It is easier to stifle longing for various elsewheres when I cannot even walk across the hall. Of course I cannot be at Knox right now, I am glued here. I am glued here until Monday, and so why bother longing at all?
It is, of course, not so easy to settle into my surroundings when I am at home. There I am also trapped, in a lot of ways (some some of them literal, some of them less so), but for no good reason. When I am able-bodied and un-glued, I do not think I should be content to sit in Maryland, biding my time until somebody signs my permission slip. Just as the wild animal who knows he is injured will allow himself to be handled and caged, and the one who is well will bite and pace when he is restrained, so too do I, I suppose (Now I apologize for that metaphor, I really do, but it was apt, you see. You understand. Don't make fun).
All of this is not to say that I do not want to be at Knox right now, because of course I do.I just have momentarily sorted out "something I want" from "something I should have", and so the turmoil of being trapped has died down. It's nice. When you give up the struggle, it is quiet. The myna birds of the EMU will teach you that.
**Post originally written 3/27/2010. There is sadly very spotty internet in the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit, so it was not published at the time.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Ain't no tuition for having no ambition, and ain't no loans for sittin' at home
Listening to rap makes me write papers faster. Who knew?
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Bananas are the worms of the fruit kingdom
Ah, springtime. The air is warming, the breezes are slight and welcome, the cherry blossoms are emerging, the lawns are slowly greening, and the occasional rain is perking up the tired shrubberies and encouraging tiny crocuses to burst forth from the thawing soil.
Do you know what else the gentle, sweet-smelling rains of spring are doing?
FLOODING OUT THE MOTHERFUCKING WORMS.
Now, don't get me wrong, I totally dig the nature scene. What I lack in actual wilderness skills, I attempt to make up for in enthusiasm. I will watch (and enjoy) a two-hour PBS program about the world's largest crocodiles, killer bees, sloths, or the mating habits of invertebrates of the sea. In fact, a good portion of my winter break was spent learning about the snakehead fish, or Channidae (well, that and Freemasons...). My leisure reading currently includes "The Life of Prairies and Plains", and the stupidest excuse of a state I've ever lived in (Maryland) is only redeemed by its state parks and woodland creatures. I hang nineteenth century biological prints of beetles and snakes in my dorm room. I know what Michigan's state flower is (trillium), where to find it (low-lying, in shady to partial sun areas of woodlands), and why I shouldn't pick it (it's pretty rare 'n' stuff). My favorite books as a child were "The Root Children" and later "Where the Red Fern Grows". What I saying here, and I think you've picked up on it by now, is that I am by no means ANTI-nature.
Here's where the beetles an bugsies come in. I'm kind of...not totally okay with all of them, PARTICULARLY worms. Oh gosh, I shudder to think of them, actually. In the days when I walked the one and a half blocks to Willow Elementary, I came close to hyperventilating on many a rainy morning in April. Worms are just...icky. They're all squishy, and squiggly, and...ew. I'm grossing myself out here just thinking about it.
Actually, the real reason I'm grossing myself out is that the means by which I evaluate a bug's relative ickiness is by evaluating its hypothetical mouthfeel.
Now, I know what you're thinking. "Krissy. Um. So like, you imagine...so wait, WTF?"
And I know what you mean! But see, I don't actually ever EAT bugs. I don't WANT to. And I don't imagine how they would TASTE. I just, you know, contemplate their texture and chewiness. So, not actually weird at all. If a bug seems like it would be squishy or slimy (I don't like melted cheese, Portabello mushrooms, pudding, or bananas for a reason, people), then chances are I am either grossed out by or afraid of it. If a bug seems like it'd be crunchy or at least kind of firm, then no problem (I'm a fan of the exoskeleton, apparently)!
In conclusion, I can't wait for it to be May.
Do you know what else the gentle, sweet-smelling rains of spring are doing?
FLOODING OUT THE MOTHERFUCKING WORMS.
Now, don't get me wrong, I totally dig the nature scene. What I lack in actual wilderness skills, I attempt to make up for in enthusiasm. I will watch (and enjoy) a two-hour PBS program about the world's largest crocodiles, killer bees, sloths, or the mating habits of invertebrates of the sea. In fact, a good portion of my winter break was spent learning about the snakehead fish, or Channidae (well, that and Freemasons...). My leisure reading currently includes "The Life of Prairies and Plains", and the stupidest excuse of a state I've ever lived in (Maryland) is only redeemed by its state parks and woodland creatures. I hang nineteenth century biological prints of beetles and snakes in my dorm room. I know what Michigan's state flower is (trillium), where to find it (low-lying, in shady to partial sun areas of woodlands), and why I shouldn't pick it (it's pretty rare 'n' stuff). My favorite books as a child were "The Root Children" and later "Where the Red Fern Grows". What I saying here, and I think you've picked up on it by now, is that I am by no means ANTI-nature.
Here's where the beetles an bugsies come in. I'm kind of...not totally okay with all of them, PARTICULARLY worms. Oh gosh, I shudder to think of them, actually. In the days when I walked the one and a half blocks to Willow Elementary, I came close to hyperventilating on many a rainy morning in April. Worms are just...icky. They're all squishy, and squiggly, and...ew. I'm grossing myself out here just thinking about it.
Actually, the real reason I'm grossing myself out is that the means by which I evaluate a bug's relative ickiness is by evaluating its hypothetical mouthfeel.
Now, I know what you're thinking. "Krissy. Um. So like, you imagine...so wait, WTF?"
And I know what you mean! But see, I don't actually ever EAT bugs. I don't WANT to. And I don't imagine how they would TASTE. I just, you know, contemplate their texture and chewiness. So, not actually weird at all. If a bug seems like it would be squishy or slimy (I don't like melted cheese, Portabello mushrooms, pudding, or bananas for a reason, people), then chances are I am either grossed out by or afraid of it. If a bug seems like it'd be crunchy or at least kind of firm, then no problem (I'm a fan of the exoskeleton, apparently)!
In conclusion, I can't wait for it to be May.
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Get to Know Your Serotonin Representatives
There comes a time in every girl's life when she asks herself: "How well do I really know my circulatory and nervous systems?"
This usually occurs after an episode of syncope, as it did for me, and it led me to physician after physician seeking answers. this is because, as it turned out, I didn't really know my circulatory or nervous systems at all. Here I had been, thinking that my fainting spells were "out of character" for them, when really it was them finally manifesting their underlying character. It had been there all along.
With every new pronouncement of pathology that gets filed away in my ever-expanding medical record, I get to experience that strange collision of frustration ,worry, fear, bafflement, optimism and doubt that is the moment of diagnosis.
And so, upon reflection, things really aren't so bad after all.
This usually occurs after an episode of syncope, as it did for me, and it led me to physician after physician seeking answers. this is because, as it turned out, I didn't really know my circulatory or nervous systems at all. Here I had been, thinking that my fainting spells were "out of character" for them, when really it was them finally manifesting their underlying character. It had been there all along.
With every new pronouncement of pathology that gets filed away in my ever-expanding medical record, I get to experience that strange collision of frustration ,worry, fear, bafflement, optimism and doubt that is the moment of diagnosis.
And so, upon reflection, things really aren't so bad after all.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
...But Sometimes They Ask About Other Things.
Other things being: Are you alive? Are you still in college? Have you told the folks about the convulsions, Krissy?
Monday, February 02, 2009
Unconventional Usage of SSRI-class Medications for Experimantal Treatment
I have not been unconscious in a while. The pills are keeping me upright but making me sad.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Operation CBC EBV
18 December 2008:
8:30 AM
I am asleep. An alarm is set for 9:30. This allows me precisely one half-hour to wake, dress, and eat before leaving for a physical therapy appointment. I have no plans of being awake until that time. In fact, I have no plans whatsoever. This is due to my being asleep.
My mother places a phone call to Pediatric Associates of Ellicott City, inquiring about test results to see if I have mono. Since I am eighteen, she is unsuccessful.
9:00 AM
My mother, believing the hours before eleven AM to be the most crucial, wakes me. She requests that I call the Pediatric Associates of Ellicott City myself to get the results that she could not. I decline.
9:05 AM
My mother attempts to wake me again, although I have not yet fallen back asleep. I am tired. This is due to my lack of plans to be awake. Too fatigued to yell downstairs, I place a call from my cell phone.
9:07 AM
The house phone rings. My mother answers. This exchange follows:
Krissy: Why, mother, WHY, did you think it was a good idea to wake me up half an hour before I NEEDED to be up to ask me to make a NON-ESSENTIAL phone call that could just as easily be made half an hour later?
Carmen: Well, I just thought...
Krissy: WHY?
I hang up.
9:10 AM
I am unable to fall back asleep. I go downstairs. I ask for the phone number to the Pediatric Associates of Ellicott City.
9:15
After calling the Pediatric Associates of Ellicott City, I am still on hold. I tire of listening to smooth jazz selections from the Nutcracker Suite. I abandon my mission and get ready t go to physical therapy instead.
9:30
Afraid of the Pediatric Associates of Ellicott City returning my phone call while I am out, and risking their refusal to leave my test results on the answering machine or with my sister, I hatch a plan.
Krissy: Kylie, I have a spy mission for you.
Kylie: ...
Krissy: If the doctor's office calls while I am out, TELL THEM YOU ARE ME. They will give you my test results. WRITE THESE DOWN. Okay?
Kylie: Okay.
11:00 AM
I return home from physical therapy.
Krissy: KYLIE! Come down here and give me your spy report!
Kylie: Oh, um, well, okay, so, I told them I was you, but, then they wanted to know what the test was for, but I didn't know...
Krissy: Did you crack?! GOD, Kylie, you ALWAYS crack! You are a TERRIBLE spy!
Kylie: I didn't! I didn't! I stuck to the plan! I told them the fax number of your cardiologist, but they still wanted to know what the test was for. So, I just said I needed to ask my mom...
Carmen: You did the right thing, Kylie. WE'll just have to call back...
Krissy: You failed your spy mission. The man from Uncle would NOT be proud.
Kylie: I was given faulty intelligence!!
Krissy: There are no excuses for failed spy missions. I am going back to bed.
2:00 PM
I wake from my nap. My mother has attempted to call the Pediatric Associates of Ellicott City twice more to get my results. The first attempt was unsuccessful. On the second try, the mission was a success.
I had mono.
8:30 AM
I am asleep. An alarm is set for 9:30. This allows me precisely one half-hour to wake, dress, and eat before leaving for a physical therapy appointment. I have no plans of being awake until that time. In fact, I have no plans whatsoever. This is due to my being asleep.
My mother places a phone call to Pediatric Associates of Ellicott City, inquiring about test results to see if I have mono. Since I am eighteen, she is unsuccessful.
9:00 AM
My mother, believing the hours before eleven AM to be the most crucial, wakes me. She requests that I call the Pediatric Associates of Ellicott City myself to get the results that she could not. I decline.
9:05 AM
My mother attempts to wake me again, although I have not yet fallen back asleep. I am tired. This is due to my lack of plans to be awake. Too fatigued to yell downstairs, I place a call from my cell phone.
9:07 AM
The house phone rings. My mother answers. This exchange follows:
Krissy: Why, mother, WHY, did you think it was a good idea to wake me up half an hour before I NEEDED to be up to ask me to make a NON-ESSENTIAL phone call that could just as easily be made half an hour later?
Carmen: Well, I just thought...
Krissy: WHY?
I hang up.
9:10 AM
I am unable to fall back asleep. I go downstairs. I ask for the phone number to the Pediatric Associates of Ellicott City.
9:15
After calling the Pediatric Associates of Ellicott City, I am still on hold. I tire of listening to smooth jazz selections from the Nutcracker Suite. I abandon my mission and get ready t go to physical therapy instead.
9:30
Afraid of the Pediatric Associates of Ellicott City returning my phone call while I am out, and risking their refusal to leave my test results on the answering machine or with my sister, I hatch a plan.
Krissy: Kylie, I have a spy mission for you.
Kylie: ...
Krissy: If the doctor's office calls while I am out, TELL THEM YOU ARE ME. They will give you my test results. WRITE THESE DOWN. Okay?
Kylie: Okay.
11:00 AM
I return home from physical therapy.
Krissy: KYLIE! Come down here and give me your spy report!
Kylie: Oh, um, well, okay, so, I told them I was you, but, then they wanted to know what the test was for, but I didn't know...
Krissy: Did you crack?! GOD, Kylie, you ALWAYS crack! You are a TERRIBLE spy!
Kylie: I didn't! I didn't! I stuck to the plan! I told them the fax number of your cardiologist, but they still wanted to know what the test was for. So, I just said I needed to ask my mom...
Carmen: You did the right thing, Kylie. WE'll just have to call back...
Krissy: You failed your spy mission. The man from Uncle would NOT be proud.
Kylie: I was given faulty intelligence!!
Krissy: There are no excuses for failed spy missions. I am going back to bed.
2:00 PM
I wake from my nap. My mother has attempted to call the Pediatric Associates of Ellicott City twice more to get my results. The first attempt was unsuccessful. On the second try, the mission was a success.
I had mono.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
I Got Rhythm
You (if there is a "you" anymore for this blog) will not likely be surprised to learn that I have returned to blogging only because I am stuck at home. You will also likely assume that I am stuck at home because of medical complications. As it happens, you are right.
Postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and neurally mediated hypotension (NMH) are at it again, those rascally disorders responsible for such hilarious hijinks as "In the ER Again" and "Passed Out on the Pavement"! They're back and better than ever, this time sending me home from college early with incompletes in all of my classes. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm used to this stuff! I was expelled from my high school because of this stuff. I spent a year not leaving my house because of this stuff. I went to community college for a year because of this stuff. This stuff didn't jump out from behind the shrubbery and surprise me one foggy evening.
Excluding the element of surprise, though, does not make POTS and NMH significantly more manageable. For whatever reason, no matter how many times I explain to the paramedic that I KNOW what's wrong with me, and I DON'T need to go to the hospital, they never seem to trust the trembling eighteen year-old that is lying on the floor of the classroom that they arrived to find unconscious and convulsing. Go figure.
What all of this means, and what I'm getting to, is that I'm back and at it again-- new medications! After altering the dosage of something I'm already on (Florinef), it has been determined that new and different classes of medications will be required to treat my symptoms. That's where Norpace comes in.
Norpace is an antiarrhythmic drug that works by blocking certain signals to the heart that may cause it to beat abnormally fast. It's kind of an intense drug, usually administered in hospitals to patients with life-threatening ventrical tachycardia. It is not recommended for minor conditions. It is not designed to treat the conditions that I posses. It can (rarely) cause congestive heart failure since it, you know, is messing with the heart and its beating. Naturally, I am totally excited to start this medication.
I mean it!I am! Even though new drugs often result in my inability to eat solid foods, sleep, and walk around the house, I am absolutely, legitimately excited to start messing with meds again. In a strange way, I really do enjoy seeing my doctors at Hopkins. Dr. Peter Rowe (my cardiologist) is very possibly the most brilliant and kind physician I have ever had the privilege of working with, not to mention his delightfully sharp wit. I end up feeling very honored to be seen by a doctor who spends his time researching, lecturing, and practicing on some of the most interesting and complicated medical cases in the country. It is even more exciting for me to be prescribed drugs whose effects on me may assist his research and understanding of medicine. I feel terribly important. And, as they always say, self-importance is the best medicine.
Kind of.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Seasonal Affective Disorder
It is quiet and muggy today, and being awake seems like more work than necessary. I've eaten, run an errand, and wasted away on the internet for hours. That's it. I'm resisting the urge (which I typically give in to) to take a nap, and to wake up at eight or so, when I can eat dinner and watch television and call it a day. I'm resisting for a number of reasons, one being that I spent approximately ALL of last week sleeping or near sleep, and in doing so destroyed any chance I had at a restful and effective sleep cycle.
So. No naps. This has meant internet for the majority of the afternoon. I'm bored, though, of siting in one place and being passive. I kind of want to make something. I want to set a table or assemble a salad or frost a cake.
Oh, mannn do I want to frost a cake! With really fluffy, thick, frosting. I want to rotate a cake stand and swirl a spatula and put some mint and berries on top...but the kitchen is kind of a mess. And I'm not really hungry. And were I hungry, I really don't need any cake. Hmmm.
So what to do? I think I'd like to play badminton, but that requires an opponent (How do only children ever get by?)...I don't know. I want to do eight million things but simultaneously have nothing to do.
It feels like summer...
So. No naps. This has meant internet for the majority of the afternoon. I'm bored, though, of siting in one place and being passive. I kind of want to make something. I want to set a table or assemble a salad or frost a cake.
Oh, mannn do I want to frost a cake! With really fluffy, thick, frosting. I want to rotate a cake stand and swirl a spatula and put some mint and berries on top...but the kitchen is kind of a mess. And I'm not really hungry. And were I hungry, I really don't need any cake. Hmmm.
So what to do? I think I'd like to play badminton, but that requires an opponent (How do only children ever get by?)...I don't know. I want to do eight million things but simultaneously have nothing to do.
It feels like summer...
Saturday, May 24, 2008
I'm basically a doctor
So. If you have a fever and a cool, damp cloth just isn't cutting it, I recommend slathering yourself in peppermint oil lotion. Then you will be cool and tingly.
BONUS! The scent of peppermint is good for nausea!
BONUS! The scent of peppermint is good for nausea!
Monday, April 07, 2008
IMPORTANT ISSUES
I am wearing pants today.
I just ate a Reuben sandwich.
I am desperately trying to think of IMPORTANT ISSUES that I can address on my blog instead of doing my homework. Because, you know, if they were IMPORTANT enough, it would justify it. Unfortunately, while me wearing pants is surprising (I have pretty much only worn dresses for the last six months) and Reuben sandwiches are pretty delicious (I think so, at least), I'm not sure they qualify as IMPORTANT ISSUES.
Now, you may have noticed my capitalization of IMPORTANT ISSUES. This is because the internet says that if you capitalize things, your statement has more impact. Thus, it is more important.
So I am going to try this again...
I AM WEARING PANTS TODAY.
I JUST ATE A REUBEN SANDWICH.
Now I feel okay about doing this instead of writing a philosophy paper.
I just ate a Reuben sandwich.
I am desperately trying to think of IMPORTANT ISSUES that I can address on my blog instead of doing my homework. Because, you know, if they were IMPORTANT enough, it would justify it. Unfortunately, while me wearing pants is surprising (I have pretty much only worn dresses for the last six months) and Reuben sandwiches are pretty delicious (I think so, at least), I'm not sure they qualify as IMPORTANT ISSUES.
Now, you may have noticed my capitalization of IMPORTANT ISSUES. This is because the internet says that if you capitalize things, your statement has more impact. Thus, it is more important.
So I am going to try this again...
I AM WEARING PANTS TODAY.
I JUST ATE A REUBEN SANDWICH.
Now I feel okay about doing this instead of writing a philosophy paper.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Ask me about 19th century American Locomotives!
I bought this scarf so people will think I'm a train enthusiast.
I'm wearing it today, and I hope people ask me about "George S. Griggs in 1854". That's my favorite train.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
You can't carouse in skinny jeans
I had sailor pants. Sailor jeans, actually, but they were still cool. They had wide legs and buttons, and I was all set for drunken carousing.
Somehow, they are now too big. I bought them 2 weeks ago. I've worn them once. This is the saddest tale of losing weight that I've ever heard, really.
WASTED SAILOR PANTS!
This is some tragic stuff.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Why Why Why Do I feel compelled to intellectually prove myself?
Tomorrow I need to write a research paper to be presented at an undergraduate philosophy conference alongside seniors from such legitimate institutions as Johns Hopkins. Who are philosophy majors. And much smarter than me. Who didn't just sign up because their religion professor flattered them. Also: they may have done legitimate research/know what they are talking about. The official program of this conference, for which I am not even close to being prepared for, follows:
Villa Julie College
presents the
8th Annual Undergraduate Conference
Bodies Sacred and
Profane
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
St. Paul Companies Pavilion
Sponsored by the
Humanities & Public History Department
9:00 Registration and refreshments
9:15 Welcome, Dr. Paul Lack, Vice-President and Academic Dean of Villa Julie College
Introduction: Alex Hooke, Conference Chair
9:30-10:15 Session I: Sacrifice and Alienation
Moderator: Esther Horrocks, (Chair of Interdisciplinary Studies, Villa Julie College)
1. Salmah Y. Rizvi (Senior, Anthropology/International Relations
Johns Hopkins University)
“On Suicide Bombers”
2. Keith Burton (Senior, Philosophy,Towson University)
“Alienation”
3. Celsus Robert (Senior, Social Relations/Criminal Justice, Cheyney University)
“Should Juveniles Be Treated as Adults in Criminal Matters?”
10:15-11:00 Session II: Beauty
Moderator: (Christine Noya, 3.
1. Chipo Siantumba (Junior, Business Adm., Cheyney)
“The Human Body: A Canvas of Artistic Expressions”
2. Elizabeth Cucchiella (Junior, Interdisciplinary Studies, Villa Julie College)
“Grin and Bare It: The Face of the Exotic Dancer”
3. Stuart Knazik, (Sophomore, Philosophy/Religious Studies, Howard CC)
“Every Breath We Breathe is a Miracle: The Visionary Work of Alex Grey”
11:00-11:45 Session III: Affirmations and Violations
Moderator: Ann Arbaugh (Alumni, Accountant, Villa Julie College)
1. Jennifer Pecor (Junior, Philosophy, The College of Notre Dame)
“Environmental Existentialism and the Human Body”
2. Annmicha Blugh (Junior, English, Morgan State University)
“Sanctity and Violation of the Body in Christianity and Islam”
3. Virginia Petrucci (Junior, Interdisciplinary Studies/Film, Villa Julie),
“Friends as Meals”
11:45–12:15 BREAK Presentation of Certificates
Lunch provided for presenters and their guests
12:15–1:00 Session IV: Images and IDEAS
Moderator: Robert Chee-Mooke (Asst. Professor of Philosophy, Villa Julie)
1. Kia-Lillian Hayes, (First year graduate student, Masters of Professional Studies Program , Georgetown University)
”” Blatant Lies and Intentional Deception: Media and Moral Obligations”
2. Choshena Bhagwandin (Senior, Chemistry, Villa Julie) ”
“The Perfect Smile”
3. Kristen Carpenter (Sophomore, General Studies, Howard CC)
“Physicians and Friars; How Greek Science and Early Christianity Shaped the Medieval Woman”
1:00–1:40 SESSION V: Sexes/Objects/Toys/Cyborgs
A Goucher College Panel Discussion
1. Derek Ford, (Senior, Philosophy)
"Cyborgs in Exodus"
2. Rachel Wilkins, (Senior, Philosophy)
“The Historicity and Re-Writing of the Sexed Body, Sex Toys and Sexual
Agony”
3. Michelle Kurta, (Senior, Peace Studies)
“The Pregnant Body, The Docile Body, The Useful Body”
1:40-2:00 Session VI: Panel on Location and Space
Moderator: Richard C. Monk (Professor of Criminal Justice, Retired, Coppin)
1. Chioma Uqwveabulem (Junior, Communication/English, Cheyney)
“The Feminine Body in the Igbo’s Perspective”
2. Jeremy Mann (Junior, Mass Communication, Towson)
‘Homecoming: A Personal Inquiry Into Location, Space and Angst”
2:00–2:45 SESSION VI: Powers of The Gaze
1. Chidi Okpalaoquchi (Junior, CIS/Mathmatics, Cheyney)
“The Influence of the Eyes on Moral Perception and Inclination”
2. Jessica Rachid (Senior, Interdisciplinary Studies, Villa Julie)
‘I See Me”
3. Kyla Bender- Baird, (Master’s Candidate, Women’s Studies,Towson)
“Gender Anxiety and Abject Bodies”
3:00 KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Moderators; Manminder Singh, Kellie Smith (Seniors, Science, Co-Chairs of Philosophy Club, Villa Julie College)
Alphonso Lingis (Professor of Philosophy Emeritus, Pennsylvania State University)
“Love Junkies”
Woo! It's a good thing I am so experienced with failure...it will come in handy, I'm sure.
Villa Julie College
presents the
8th Annual Undergraduate Conference
Bodies Sacred and
Profane
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
St. Paul Companies Pavilion
Sponsored by the
Humanities & Public History Department
9:00 Registration and refreshments
9:15 Welcome, Dr. Paul Lack, Vice-President and Academic Dean of Villa Julie College
Introduction: Alex Hooke, Conference Chair
9:30-10:15 Session I: Sacrifice and Alienation
Moderator: Esther Horrocks, (Chair of Interdisciplinary Studies, Villa Julie College)
1. Salmah Y. Rizvi (Senior, Anthropology/International Relations
Johns Hopkins University)
“On Suicide Bombers”
2. Keith Burton (Senior, Philosophy,Towson University)
“Alienation”
3. Celsus Robert (Senior, Social Relations/Criminal Justice, Cheyney University)
“Should Juveniles Be Treated as Adults in Criminal Matters?”
10:15-11:00 Session II: Beauty
Moderator: (Christine Noya, 3.
1. Chipo Siantumba (Junior, Business Adm., Cheyney)
“The Human Body: A Canvas of Artistic Expressions”
2. Elizabeth Cucchiella (Junior, Interdisciplinary Studies, Villa Julie College)
“Grin and Bare It: The Face of the Exotic Dancer”
3. Stuart Knazik, (Sophomore, Philosophy/Religious Studies, Howard CC)
“Every Breath We Breathe is a Miracle: The Visionary Work of Alex Grey”
11:00-11:45 Session III: Affirmations and Violations
Moderator: Ann Arbaugh (Alumni, Accountant, Villa Julie College)
1. Jennifer Pecor (Junior, Philosophy, The College of Notre Dame)
“Environmental Existentialism and the Human Body”
2. Annmicha Blugh (Junior, English, Morgan State University)
“Sanctity and Violation of the Body in Christianity and Islam”
3. Virginia Petrucci (Junior, Interdisciplinary Studies/Film, Villa Julie),
“Friends as Meals”
11:45–12:15 BREAK Presentation of Certificates
Lunch provided for presenters and their guests
12:15–1:00 Session IV: Images and IDEAS
Moderator: Robert Chee-Mooke (Asst. Professor of Philosophy, Villa Julie)
1. Kia-Lillian Hayes, (First year graduate student, Masters of Professional Studies Program , Georgetown University)
”” Blatant Lies and Intentional Deception: Media and Moral Obligations”
2. Choshena Bhagwandin (Senior, Chemistry, Villa Julie) ”
“The Perfect Smile”
3. Kristen Carpenter (Sophomore, General Studies, Howard CC)
“Physicians and Friars; How Greek Science and Early Christianity Shaped the Medieval Woman”
1:00–1:40 SESSION V: Sexes/Objects/Toys/Cyborgs
A Goucher College Panel Discussion
1. Derek Ford, (Senior, Philosophy)
"Cyborgs in Exodus"
2. Rachel Wilkins, (Senior, Philosophy)
“The Historicity and Re-Writing of the Sexed Body, Sex Toys and Sexual
Agony”
3. Michelle Kurta, (Senior, Peace Studies)
“The Pregnant Body, The Docile Body, The Useful Body”
1:40-2:00 Session VI: Panel on Location and Space
Moderator: Richard C. Monk (Professor of Criminal Justice, Retired, Coppin)
1. Chioma Uqwveabulem (Junior, Communication/English, Cheyney)
“The Feminine Body in the Igbo’s Perspective”
2. Jeremy Mann (Junior, Mass Communication, Towson)
‘Homecoming: A Personal Inquiry Into Location, Space and Angst”
2:00–2:45 SESSION VI: Powers of The Gaze
1. Chidi Okpalaoquchi (Junior, CIS/Mathmatics, Cheyney)
“The Influence of the Eyes on Moral Perception and Inclination”
2. Jessica Rachid (Senior, Interdisciplinary Studies, Villa Julie)
‘I See Me”
3. Kyla Bender- Baird, (Master’s Candidate, Women’s Studies,Towson)
“Gender Anxiety and Abject Bodies”
3:00 KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Moderators; Manminder Singh, Kellie Smith (Seniors, Science, Co-Chairs of Philosophy Club, Villa Julie College)
Alphonso Lingis (Professor of Philosophy Emeritus, Pennsylvania State University)
“Love Junkies”
Woo! It's a good thing I am so experienced with failure...it will come in handy, I'm sure.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Above the Store
Patty is my grandmother. The location is Quincy, Michigan, and this store is arguably one of the most influential places in my life. I grew up playing hide-and-seek in racks of wedding gowns and being babysat by employees, playing in dressing rooms. I can't possibly begin to explain how the store's physical qualities-- its rooms, staircases, wallpaper-- have influenced the aesthetics of my imagination.
Out of all the fantastic spaces in the store, upstairs is by far (in my mind) the best. Formerly apartments, interior walls have been torn down, windows boarded up (covered by the faux-stucco facade), and a place where families used to live their lives is now "storage". As depressing as that sounds, it's kind of fantastic. The following photos far from do the space justice, mostly owing to poor lighting and my incompetency, but it's something. I might steal some photos from Kylie, too, as she has a bit more skill with the camera...
**A note on this one: My mother, who "never did drugs" painted this "when she was a kid" Mmhmm...
Hole in the floor
Hole in the ceiling
Sunday, March 23, 2008
I am solving all of my problems
I hate the shoe cliche. If anybody ever gives me a novelty plaque that says "If the shoe fits...buy it in every color!" or a calendar with a different pair of 6-inch heels on it for every month, I'm going to be pretty pissed. This is a problem because I absolutely fit the shoe cliche, the shopping cliche, the "give me some peep-toe pumps and a piece of chocolate and I'll be happy" cliche. THERE ARE NOVELTY FIGURINES AND CROSS-STITCHES THAT APPLY TO MY LIFE.
This is unacceptable. I am WAY too pretentious to acknowledge that I may have something in common with the so-called fashionistas of mainstream middle America.
Naturally, I had to do something about this. Abandoning my shoe collection, or even ceasing to expand it, really wasn't an option for me. Instead, I bought these:
See? They are totally practical and almost ugly (I'll still wear them with dresses, though). Shoes bought entirely for their functionality.
They don't make motherfucking cross-stitches for that.
This is unacceptable. I am WAY too pretentious to acknowledge that I may have something in common with the so-called fashionistas of mainstream middle America.
Naturally, I had to do something about this. Abandoning my shoe collection, or even ceasing to expand it, really wasn't an option for me. Instead, I bought these:
See? They are totally practical and almost ugly (I'll still wear them with dresses, though). Shoes bought entirely for their functionality.
They don't make motherfucking cross-stitches for that.
Friday, March 07, 2008
Happy Philospher Death Day!
So, technically it is no longer March 7th, because it is 2:26 AM, BUT, this news is too exciting/essential to your life that I need to blog about it.
It is Philosopher Death Day!! The greatest holiday since Leif Erickson Day, clearly!
Both Aristotle AND Thomas Aquinas died on March seventh. And like, Thomas Aquinas was totally influenced by Aristotle. So. This is significant. People should be having parties and getting drunk and eating traditional foods on this day.
But seriously, do they know the actual date of Aristotle's death? Foreal?
It is Philosopher Death Day!! The greatest holiday since Leif Erickson Day, clearly!
Both Aristotle AND Thomas Aquinas died on March seventh. And like, Thomas Aquinas was totally influenced by Aristotle. So. This is significant. People should be having parties and getting drunk and eating traditional foods on this day.
But seriously, do they know the actual date of Aristotle's death? Foreal?
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Take it from me
Tip of the week:
If you are not interested in feeling like a horrible human being, don't watch The Last King of Scotland and then go to the mall.
If you are not interested in feeling like a horrible human being, don't watch The Last King of Scotland and then go to the mall.
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