The Five Stages of Senioritis
The Five Stages of Senioritis
Everyone has had a case of Senioritis at one time or another. Everyone at the University of Wisconsin was once a senior in high school. I am currently in the middle of my final semester at UW, and I have a bad strain of Senioritis.
How do you know when you have developed a case? I have developed a five stage model that you can use to help determine if you or a loved one has Senioritis and identify to which stage the Senioritis has progressed. The stages are presented in the order that they usually present, but there are a few cases that deviate from the norm.
*adapted from the Five Stages of Grief described by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, M.D.
Denial: This stage occurs at the beginning of the student’s senior year. Anxious to get the year started off right, the student chooses not to admit that in the spring, it is likely that he or she will be donning the cap and gown that symbolizes the right of passage into the working world. Ultimately, clinical manifestations of this stage do not differ much from when the student was a junior. They just continue to go on with their business as a student because, after all, they will be here for a while longer.
Anger: This stage can be an absolute ear-sore for those closest to the student that is affected. It is during this stage that the student begins to ask the question, “What is all of this for?” Angry outbursts about classes that they felt were a waste of time are common, and the student is never in a good mood after coming home from class. They develop a carefree attitude about schoolwork, saying it just does not matter anymore. After all, C’s get degrees, right? Or was it B’s? In any case, arguing with a student in this stage is futile and will result in hurt feelings and/or bruises. This stage typically lasts until around the end of the student’s first semester of their senior year.
Bargaining: After surviving the first semester, the student begins to see that mid-May graduation date in the distance. It is during this stage that alternatives to graduating begin to manifest in many clinical cases. A few examples of these include but are not limited to: joining the Peace Corps, deciding on graduate school, or taking a few more classes to pursue that elusive second major, “the victory lap.” Other symptoms the student may display include long conversations with his or her parents convincing them of the logic of their decision and the student incessantly changing their mind about what they will be doing next year. Bargaining typically lasts until about mid-second semester.
Depression: This phase is extremely variable for many students. For some, realizing that they might not see their friends on a daily basis, party until the early hours of the morning consistently, and interact with willing co-eds weekly is as bad as it gets. Others do not have the luxury to worry about such petty things. Students that pay their way through college see the mountain of debt that they have built. Those that aren’t fortunate enough to have a plan for the fall are forced to search for jobs, many of them not quite as illustrious as they had once imagined. The question of moving on to new places or staying put arises. This stage is typically accompanied by nervousness and intermittent stomach butterflies and typically lasts only a few weeks.
Acceptance: This is the final stage where the student realizes graduating may actually be a good thing for them. People in the working world do not get paid to party, and not everyone is capable of pulling off a “Van Wilder.” Moving on to new things, meeting new people, exploring, and self-discovery await. The apprehension that was felt by the student turns from a negative to a positive feeling. The student realizes that it is all right to be nervous about the future. Breaking out of a routine can be a scary but exhilarating experience. Should this stage present clinically, tell the student to savor this moment. He or she will not likely experience this feeling again until retirement, if they are lucky enough to retire.
Rx: Enjoy the company of friends, do things spontaneously, and take lots of pictures. Memories can be as valuable as the experience itself.
Duh Stupid, It's In Your Genes
“The Iceland Experiment – How a Tiny Island Nation Captured the Lead in the Genetic Revolution”
By Michael D. Lemonick
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1158968-1,00.html In Michael D. Lemonick’s “The Ice Experiment,” he examines the advantages a country such as Iceland possesses that facilitate genetic research. The advantages he cites include the fact that Iceland is an island, it was settled by a small number of individuals, there was relatively little immigration to the country, and incredibly detailed genealogies were kept. Each of these factors contributes to and validates the genetic homogeneity of Iceland making genetic research much easier.
Lemonick’s main purpose is to inform an audience about a new approach to genetic research. However, Lemonick subtly includes the element of persuasion in this piece as well. It seems that he incorporates certain details to persuade his audience that this kind of research is worthwhile. The United States has very strict laws regarding patient privacy, and by illuminating the efforts of Iceland’s population towards this research, he is trying to convince the United States populace to do the same. He cites the rise in deCODE’s stock, the localizing of numerous genes involved in the disease process, and the development of drugs from this data as evidence in support of genetic research.
Lemonick uses quotes to support the importance of the research being done in Iceland as well. These include quotations from Dr. Francis Collins, a member of the NIH and leader of the Human Genome Project, and Dr. Kari Stefansson who leads the research being done in Iceland. Both are respected in their field and both have the credentials to back up any testimony given. Also, Stefansson points to the development of a drug from their data by Hoffmann-La Roche which clearly enhances the authenticity of the story, a must given the recent scientific fabrications in the field of genetics.
One thing the article does not give enough attention to is the ethics surrounding the measures that deCODE has taken to obtain confidential health care data. Lemonick does mention a case that went to Iceland’s supreme court where this detail was brought to Iceland’s attention. However, deCODE’s solution was to offer an incentive to all who participate, free drugs. But while they offer free drugs to the participating population from Hoffman-La Roche for any drug that is created from their research, the fact remains that they are exploiting human beings for profit. The company seems to utilize any means possible to help achieve their goal.
Another ethical issue not touched upon is the ramifications of genetic research. Revealing predispositions to certain diseases raises many questions as to the access that insurance companies and employers will have to these records. Disease risk can affect whether or not a person will be insured and can affect the cost of that insurance. Likewise, employers may view those with a higher likelihood of contracting a disease a liability.
Genetic research and genetic engineering will continue to be hot topics for many coming decades. It is an issue that scientists and the medical and health care industries will have to closely examine to determine a policy that will be protective to the patient and beneficial to society. Lemonick focused on the benefits to society in his analysis, but failed to fully analyze the protection that should be afforded to the patient. Future analyses in support of genetic research should include this element.
March Madness: The Cure
March Madness: The Cure
Basketball’s most hallowed of months is almost here. The feeling basketball fans get can be likened to the anticipation of a child waiting for Christmas day. It is a time when grade school, high school, and college basketball players everywhere vie for a shot at the ultimate prize: a season championship. The game, untainted by the temptation of money and rewards, is in its finest form.
Perhaps the greatest aspect of March Madness is that anything is possible. 1985 - #8 seed Villanova upsets the overall #1 seed Georgetown in the NCAA title game. 1954 – The Milan Indians upset top-ranked Muncie Central in the Indiana State High School Championship (popularized by the film
Hoosiers). Numerous game winning shots dot the game’s history including the memorable and recent shots made by Christian Laettner in 1991 and Bryce Drew in 1998 that clinched the game for their respective teams, Duke and Valparaiso. Whatever the year, two things can be guaranteed. There will be suspense, and there will be drama.
Ask anyone why they like the game and dozens of answers will be given. The smell of the varnish on the wood floor after it has been repaired, the squeak of shoes while stopping and sliding, and the pounding and reverberation of the ball on the gym floor are a few that come to mind. It may be that one can completely lose track of time playing a pick-up game at the gym as a team or shooting alone. The game is indiscriminate in terms of who plays. It is a game that anyone can pick up and play, as equipment costs relatively little.
Tonight I will once again lace up my shoes and dust off my ball as my intramural team, the Bombers, will play our first game of the season. While it may seem insignificant to most, this is my only chance to play organized basketball in college. However, the desire to win and outperform my opponent is not lost. There are dozens of others like me though who are not tall enough or talented enough to play college basketball. Good luck to all this season, may the best team win.
Disclaimer
Picking the Steelers to win the Super Bowl by no means denotes who I am pulling for. I have and will always root for the underdog when the Packers aren't playing.
