Writing music is hard, and writing good music is even harder. These were the two main thoughts that ran through my mind while completing my Capstone. My original project idea was to write a full album, but as time went on and I evolved as an artist, I noticed not all of my music was inspired by the same ideas. There was no central theme between songs and I did not feel right about producing a bunch of music just to reach the count needed for a full album. So out of the 10 songs I have written, I took the 4 most recent and made them into an EP, and I cannot say how happy I am with my decision to do so.

I learned a lot in the process of making this EP. The main takeaways I gathered were that collaboration is key, time management is huge, and preparing for failure is a must. Throughout the school year I learned so much about who I wanted to be as an independent artist, but really I learned the most while actually recording my songs. After 2 failed attempts, I was finally able to record my music much later than I anticipated. Due to time constraints I was unable to perfect my vocal recordings as much as I would have liked to, but nonetheless I am proud of what I have done.

Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 350°

2. Spread cream cheese evenly into an ungreased, large baking dish.

3. Spread out chicken on top of the cream cheese.

4. Layer buffalo sauce and ranch dressing on top of the chicken.

5. Sprinkle monterey cheese on top.

6. Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes.

7. Serve with chips and/or baguette slices.

Ingredients

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 cup pre-cooked chicken breast

1/2 cup Buffalo sauce

1/2 cup ranch salad dressing

2 cups shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese

Chips, baguette slices, or tortilla chips

Analysis

Buffalo chicken dip has been a staple at my family gatherings and parties ever since my mother began making this dish. About one year ago she felt inspired to learn a recipe because my dad was the primary chef in the family, and she wanted to contribute to the kitchen. This dish is quick, easy, and works for any occasion.

Overall this appetizer is relatively good for you, but only in moderation. Approximately 2 tablespoons of the dip is just over 150 calories, has roughly 15 grams of fat, 1 gram of sugar, and 7 grams of protein. All of these components move through your body in different ways. For example the calories consumed from the dip can either be burned from exercise or turned into fat. The fat consumed is essentially just calories that will not be converted into another type of usable energy until they are exercised. The sugar consumed is put into the bloodstream and sent to the pancreas, releasing a hormone called insulin. It is then stored in the liver, muscles, and fat cells. And finally the protein consumed is broken down into amino acids in the stomach, that are sent into the bloodstream to go to other parts of the body.

According to a research published in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, if you have a kidney stone, riding a roller coaster can help dislodge it. Originally, not much thought had been put into this relationship until researchers at Michigan State University noticed a pattern. The majority of their kidney stone patients were riding roller coasters, and passing their stones soon after. This became particularly prevalent when one patient with 3 stones went on 3 different roller coasters, and after each ride the patient had passed a stone.

Researchers David Wartinger and Marc Mitchell conducted an experiment to test the theory that roller coasters can dislodge kidney stones, as this information was too much to ignore. Because neither of them actually had kidney stones, they were able to 3D print a life size replica of a kidney, and place 3 stones as well as human urine inside of it. Then they put the replica in a backpack at kidney height on a human, and brought it on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. It was here they found that after one ride, 17% of stones were passed in the front of the coaster, compared to 64% being passed in the back. Wartinger contributes these results to the vibration of roller coasters saying,

“This is just a very mechanical phenomenon. Basically, a kidney stone is a rock. And it is lodged in the physical passageways inside the kidney. It's simply about finding the right amount of shaking and rattling to get it through."

Unfortunately, this technique can only impact people with smaller kidney stones. Larger kidney stones that are bigger than 4 millimeters in size, are pretty painful to pass on their own and usually require surgery to remove. However, this approach mainly affects society in a positive manner as it is a way for some people to prevent kidney stones from getting larger and causing greater health problems. Some health professionals such as Dr. Elizabeth Kavaler, a urology specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, see the theoretical appeal, but not the idea of this being a realistic treatment. David Wartinger and Marc Mitchell on the other hand are comfortable enough to recommend “roller coaster therapy” to their patients.

Self

My thoughts on this issue are very much like Wartinger and Mitchell’s. I love roller coasters and would happily go on one if I had a kidney stone I needed to pass, but I don’t think this should happen unless I consulted with my urologist first. It is so important to always ask a doctor if a treatment method is a possibility before trying it, as there could be some serious side effects that come with it. For example, if people with stones larger than 4 millimeters go on a roller coaster, they could end up with severe pain and kidney irritability from moving them around. So my suggestion on this issue is for people to consult with a doctor and see what removal method is right for them. If a roller coaster ride is one of them, by all means go have fun and pass a kidney stone. One might even say, kill two birds with one stone.

Sources

Willingham, A. (2016, September 28). Little kidney stone? Ride a roller coaster, says study. Retrieved November 01, 2016, from http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/28/health/kidney-stone-roller-coaster-study-trnd/index.html

Biel, L. (2016, October 31). Riding roller coasters might help dislodge kidney stones. Retrieved November 01, 2016, from https://www.sciencenews.org/article/riding-roller-coasters-might-help-dislodge-kidney-stones?tgt=nr

Yin, S. (2016, October 03). A Roller Coaster Remedy for Kidney Stones? Retrieved November 01, 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/04/science/roller-coaster-kidney-stones.html

Harper Lee’s famous novel To Kill A Mockingbird is simply iconic. It is known for its ability to portray innocence interpreting the depths of racism. It is also known for its theme of appearance vs. reality. With a 9 year old narrator living in the 1930’s in a small southern town, readers would think this would be a fairly easy read. However, the amount of symbolism and imagery in this story makes the reader take a second look into the life of the small town. The symbolism in To Kill A Mockingbird helps the reader understand the naivety of the narrator, and also helps them realize that they must look from a different perspective to fully grasp the idea of symbols. This is important to the experience of the reader because it shows them how to see multiple outlooks of various characters in the story.

Symbolism is used everyday in all media.  It is the use of a relatable or popular topic, comparing it to what a story is trying to portray, and letting a subject or audience interpret it. It appears on almost every page in To Kill A Mockingbird, because the narrator, Scout, is 9 years old and cannot comprehend some of the racist attitudes going around in her town. The reader becomes immersed in her mind because they see through her eyes. Atticus, her father, is the main source of symbolism for her in the story. He explains much of what she does not understand to her and gives her many life lessons she can use throughout the book. One lesson he gives her is, “It’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” When she did not understand this she asked her neighbor what it meant. Her neighbor explained, “Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." Anyone would interpret this as do not kill a certain type of bird with a slingshot, but it is a key example of symbolism in the book. As the reader begins to see certain racially biased events unfold in the town, they understand that innocent people are being harmed and wronged. They slowly make the realization, with the help of Scout, that these innocent people are “mockingbirds” and that to be a mockingbird means that someone does no harm to anyone but it punished anyway. In order to grasp this ideal, they must look from a different perspective.

The naivety of Scout helps the reader to step outside of their own minds, and jump into a younger one. However it can hinder their ability to decipher what some symbolic effects really stand for. Thomas DiPiero, an English professor at the University of Rochester stated, “The challenge in reading this great American novel is not to be beguiled by its form. Remember that it’s precisely when you think you’ve understood others’ perspectives that you must recall you are not in their skin.” DiPiero is expressing that once the reader thinks they understand something in the story, they need to take a step back and look at it from another character's point of view. They must think, “Is this really what I think it is, or am I just not seeing the big picture?” The “big picture” includes all of the characters in To Kill A Mockingbird. Many readers find themselves just looking at Scout’s small corner. They must take a step back, analyze the situation, and look from every character’s experience and perspective in it.

One example of symbolism within the story is explained in this small passage, “Mr. Underwood simply figured it was a sin to kill cripples, be they standing, sitting, or escaping. He likened Tom's death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children.” This example shows one perspective from a character explaining another’s death. Mr. Underwood likened the murder of a cripple to the killing of a mockingbird. Again, the reader must look from his perspective, as well as others. They must ask themselves why was the cripple was murdered? Did they do something wrong? And even if they did they were defenseless and could not protect themselves. They need to measure the situation not just from Underwood’s description, but from their own as well.

One example of perceptiveness is how Scout interprets this passage. Scout was listening to her brother describe someone he had never seen before. “Jem gave a reasonable description of Boo: Boo was about six-and-a-half feet tall, judging from his tracks; he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch, that's why his hands were bloodstained—if you ate an animal raw, you could never wash the blood off. There was a long jagged scar that ran across his face; what teeth he had were yellow and rotten; his eyes popped, and he drooled most of the time.” The reader can interpret this in two different ways. Jem is being completely serious, or he is messing with his sister. This is also an example of symbolism as Jem has never met Boo. Jem is judging Boo when he could just be another innocent mockingbird. However many people make assumptions based on the fact that Boo is never seen outside. This is another situation where the reader must think about the entire setting and where certain characters stand in it.

Overall To Kill A Mockingbird is all about perspective. The perspective of the reader, narrator, and all characters in the story. When the reader is interpreting a passage that involves symbolism they must look at the entirety to decipher it. The symbolism in To Kill A Mockingbird helps the reader realize that they must look from a different perspective to fully grasp the idea of symbols.

Welcome back to my third blog! For those of you who have not read my first and second blogs, click here for the first and here for the second. For those of you who have read them, thank you so much for sticking with me! Again, my name is Cacy Thomas and I am making these blogs because of my 9th grade English project called You and the World. In this project I am creating 3 blogs talking about an issue in the world I am passionate about. This issue is concussions in young athletes. As stated in my first blog I have had a few concussions in the past that have ended my athletic career before it even started. Anyhow, this piece I am writing at the moment is about what I have done to spread awareness and try to change this. But first I will tell you what has been done, and what is going on right now.

The ThinkTaylor foundation is run by a former professional soccer player named Taylor Twellman. I learned about this organization because I was asked to speak with him at a concussion symposium in 2012. You can visit his website here and see the symposium details here. As I was sitting next to him listening to him talk about his experiences, I noticed something. I was not alone in this. There were so many other people going through the same thing as I was. After talking about his story, he asked me to talk about what was going on with me. When I was finished I realized I wanted to help people like he is doing. Now I finally had the chance. I knew I couldn’t do anything huge like him, but I finally got the chance to do something. Because of this project I was able to present concussion facts, information, and my own story to my advisory. While I was presenting I could tell my classmates weren’t very interested in the statistics or facts. When I began to tell my story in depth that was what really got their attention. I noticed that this was the same in the concussion symposium. People reacted more emotionally to my story than certain facts. I was proud to be able to spread awareness of concussions through my experiences.

A picture of my presentation during advisory

A picture of my classmates playing “Concussion Jeopardy”, a game I put together for the presentation.

A picture of myself explaining an answer in “Concussion Jeopardy”

Everything that is being done to support concussions in young athletes is amazing. It is preventing kids from becoming seriously injured and also letting them play the sport they love. I feel like the best way to make people aware of what is going on is speaking from experience. This way to change this issue is amazing. It makes people know the hardships others have been through because of concussions. It moves people to do something about it because now they know how terrible what’s going on is. This is the only way an audience can truly feel what happens to those who have suffered concussions.

Doing this project made me feel great. It finally gave me the chance to be like Taylor Twellman and inspire people to do something. I’ve made about 30-35 kids aware of the effects of concussions in young athletes. I know it isn’t much but it’s a start. And I learned that people react much more to personal experiences than statistics and facts. I feel like I could have done better by telling even more of my story in my presentation. I left out some things just because I forgot, however every detail  contributes and makes my story come even more alive. There is still a lot to do in the world of concussions. People don’t pay attention to facts they are told. They only pay attention when they or someone they are close to have experienced this. As Mario Manningham said,

“It’s part of the game… Until it’s you.”

Hello! Welcome to my second blog! My name is Cacy Thomas and if you have not read my first blog you can click here to do so. If you have, thanks for coming back! I’m just going to do a quick recap of my last post because I know it’s been a while.

• My blogs are especially for my You and the World english project

• My You and the World project for english class is Awareness and Prevention of Concussions in Young Athletes.

• I have chosen this topic because I have had 3 concussions at the age of 12. These head injuries ended my athletic career in contact sports and forced me to go through 2 years of emotional and physical rehabilitation.

• It is imperative to spread this information out so that kids are not experiencing the same things I did.

To continue my childhood concussion adventure, I did some research and am still pursuing to do more. I received a link from my English teacher, Alexa Dunn, on concussions and helmets from cbsnews.com. I was really interested in the experiment shown on the web page as well as the results. This was helpful in enhancing my knowledge on the subject because even though I knew helmets did not do much to protect people from concussions, I did not know which helmets had the best results. I also did not know how helpful they would actually be in providing support for the brain. In my own personal journey I made a survey concerning concussion awareness. If you would like to help further my research you can take it here. I am also currently trying to set up interviews to collect more information. However if you would like some more information about head injury awareness in soccer, please click this link to read a summary of a concussion symposium I spoke at as well as 16 year-old Kim Zeffert, former Philadelphia Flyers captain Keith Primeau, and former professional soccer player Taylor Twellman.

The results of my survey were a little bit surprising. I asked what symptoms were caused by concussions with the choices, Headaches, Dizziness, Hallucinations, Fatigue, Possible death while sleeping the same day as the injury was received, Nausea, Extreme Hunger, and Sensitivity to light or noise. The majority of people who took it said that extreme hunger, hallucinations, and possible death caused by sleeping were symptoms. This just shows how uninformed a lot of people are about concussion side effects. Also many survey takers were confused about the definition of this injury. The most accurate response was,

“A bruise to the brain, often caused by impact.”

Others said things anywhere from, “head trauma,” to, “when your head or skull is badly damaged.” Likewise I was amazed just at the fact that just about half of the answerers said that concussions become less serious as you get older. No matter how you look at it a concussion is brain damage at any age and obviously brain damage is extremely serious. This research added to my understanding of this subject because it made me realize how much people are actually informed, and not many are informed at all. I am wondering how we can prevent concussions and what will have the biggest impact to really drive people to spread awareness.

The final part of my 9th grade You and the World project is being an agent of change. This means we go out somewhere into the world and help either informing others about our issue, or doing volunteer work to help solve it. For being an agent of change I am planning to make a presentation about information regarding childhood concussions along with my story and struggles. I will present this to my school community at Science Leadership Academy.

Hello, my name is Cacy Thomas and I am a 9th grader enrolled in Science Leadership Academy. In my English class we were told to write 3 blogs about an issue that we are passionate about and would like to spread to the world. This is my first blog post and my issue is concussion awareness and research in young athletes. I have cared about this subject since October 2nd, 2011 when I received my third concussion following my first and second concussions on June 6th, 2011 and July 17th, 2011. All within a five month period my life was completely turned upside down.

Before I received my head injuries I had many instances where I had no idea what was going on or even what a concussion was. So just to clear the air and make sure you know what I am talking about, a concussion as described by Centers for Disease Control is,

"A type of traumatic brain injury, or TBI, caused by a bump,

blow or jolt to the head that can change the way your brain normally works.”

Click here to see a short video explaining more in depth of the definition of a concussion.