Mass Shootings, Part 2

*I have not been good about the blog, due to my hectic school schedule. I just finished my advanced math course and moved. Then, I started my photography course, which began with several projects. Sorry about that.*

Mental health is also a major component of mass shootings. Mentally ill people are not inherently violent. They are actually more likely to be victims of violence. In North Carolina, there is a special provision in the rape and sexual assault statutes that state that mentally ill individuals, by the legal definition of mentally ill, cannot legally give consent. Laws protect the mentally ill, yet society keeps blaming them. Why is that?

One problem is that a large percentage of the prison population is classified as having antisocial personality disorder, or psychopathy. This particular disorder is only one of the many listed in the Diagnostics and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (it is currently in its fifth addition).  Unfortunately, society seems to equate all mentally ill people to psychopaths or intellectually slow. With society's perception of mental illness, there is no middle ground. This attitude creates a stigma surrounding mental health. One cannot simply talk to a therapist to get feedback from a neutral, outside party on a situation; no, s/he is automatically crazy if s/he sees a therapist. If one has depression or anxiety, it is automatically assumed that the person is on medication when this is not always the case. Just because people on the autism scale can be socially awkward does not mean that they will pull a gun on classmates at school. The stigma surrounding mental health normalizes bullying toward the mentally ill. These bullies, people who are not labeled as mentally ill, can truly behave as sadistic psychopaths. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being in therapy or not being in therapy, taking medication or not taking medication, participating in studies or not participating in studies.

Another problem is that the mental health system in the U.S. sucks butt. It is outrageously expensive and typically not covered by health insurance companies. Even with the changes to the health care system that Obamacare has made, the extent of mental health coverage is decided by the states. Too minimize the amount of money the insurance companies have to pay, they do not usually cover mental health expenses other than typical prescription coverage. It is expensive because there are not enough therapists in all the different fields in which people need help, and each practice can only take so many patients. People who need these services cannot access the help they need due to money or lack of availability for the type of psychological help they need. The mental health system needs serious help in this country.

Mass Shootings, Part 1

Last Friday, there was yet another mass killing. An individual at UCSB decided that because he was still a virgin at 22, he would make women pay for refusing to have sex with him. He wrote a manifesto and created a YouTube video that has since been taken down. He killed six people and wounded 13 in a gun-knife rampage before killing himself.

"Guns don't kill people. People kill people." If only things were that simple. Many children die each year in accidental shootings that occur when kids find guns that have been improperly stored around the house. People who sleep with guns under their pillows have accidentally shot their partners because the gun that they wanted for protection went off while they were sleeping. Overzealous gun-toting citizens sometimes take "stand your ground" or "self-defense" a little too far and shoot other people they find "suspicious." Several shootings have occurred in major public areas like schools, malls, and movie theaters. Every single time one of these tragedies occurs, people pray for the victims and their families and say, "Oh, how sad. What kind of person would do such a thing?"Nothing substantial regarding gun control seems to happen. In fact, many states have made it even easier to buy guns and carry them into public places like bars and churches. But not government buildings. You cannot take a gun into a government building. It seems that legislators only wish to protect themselves as long as they can keep their jobs, but the citizens can shoot each other as much as they want. Yay for the second amendment! Right?

Wrong. The second amendment states:

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

Technically, it was the D.C. v. Heller Supreme Court case that changed the meaning of the second amendment. That is when guns became easier to get. Depending on the composition of the Supreme Court, the law can ultimately be interpreted in different ways. The Supreme Court, while we are taught that they are supposed to be impartial interpreters of the law, is not above party politics. The Court, as it is now, is about split four conservatives and four liberals with one swing vote. They are also ultimately subject to their own personal moral code and that of society. For example, when Jim Crow was all the rage, the Court ruled in favor of "separate but equal" in Plessy v. Ferguson.

The new definition of the Heller case opened the door for Congress to pass gun laws on the national scale and state legislatures to pass laws on the state level. Needless to say, lawmakers are not immune to campaign contributions from interest groups and PACs. These groups likely exchange money for votes on favorable legislation to their cause. It definitely is not limited to "bad" groups, but "good" groups too. All interest groups and PACs do it.

Ultimately, gun control laws need to be passed. Better measures need to be taken by gun owners to store their guns as well. That is one step towards stopping the violence.

Why Doctor Who Is Better Than Scandal

**I've been neglecting the blog lately. I've had college finals, moving, and the start of summer classes. To anyone who reads the blog, I'm sorry about this. I'll do my best to be more consistent.**

Before the traditional school year ended, my roommate and I binge-watched different TV shows. I got my boyfriend into Doctor Who. We pretty much watched a season each weekend. My roommate watched Scandal whenever she felt like it. At first I was kind of intrigued but I also have a tendency to become hypnotized by a screen. I also felt obligated to keep up with the show because it moves at an extremely fast pace and sometimes my roommate would miss something and ask me what happened.

Doctor Who, as whacky as it is, is a blend between science fiction and fantasy. It features many aliens, including the Doctor himself, and various monsters.  It is not realistic, nor is it meant to be. It shows its viewers a fantastic escape from normal life. The writers utilize the Doctor's human companions beautifully to illustrate how many of us would react in the imaginative world of the Doctor. The companion is the character that the audience holds on to to view the world of the Doctor while simultaneously grasping the Doctor's hand to not get left behind. The series utilizes many writers who each give a unique argument about life and humanity, the most notorious of the writers being Steven Moffat. Part of the beauty of Doctor Who is that it can take each of these differing perspectives in stride because the Doctor travels through both time and space. Each of his experiences changes him in some way, as well as changing his companion. Though the Doctor describes much of time as "in flux," he himself is "in flux" throughout the series. The adventures and lessons of each Doctor shape the next regeneration. Ten was influenced by the lessons Nine learned from Rose and the love that she showed him. That is part of the reason he is quirky and passionate. Eleven is childlike due in part to many of the losses that Ten experienced. The show can also depict true beauty in humanity and can inspire much hope. It is a truly well done program. 

Scandal, unfortunately, is not as well constructed. It is a cynical show about a fixer who had an affair with the President of the United States. Olivia Pope is the main character of the show, going around with her team cleaning up messes in Washington D.C. They essentially cover up missteps of politicians and pull enough weight to change the outcomes of political races. It is also not very realistic, since it is so fast paced. Half of the things they do could not realistically take place in the time frame that the show suggests. Here is a link to a great SNL skit that parodies Scandal and pokes fun at its fast pace: http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/scandal/2755296. It is a show that provides entertainment through its political cynicalness. It implies that the power in democracy lies with those who have money and those who lie. It is contrary to the core principals of democracy that the power lies with the people and that government transparency is of utmost importance. While this may be an accurate depiction of democracy in the United States, people may be less likely to do something about it as a result. The show can fool people into thinking that no matter what they do, things will always remain the same. It also may cause social inertia because people will be conditioned to find entertainment in political scandal. If we are to evolve as a nation, we the people must effect change. No one will do it for us. Olivia Pope will not fix our government and provides little hope of change. 

I consider myself a realist. While I can be quite cynical about politics, I still have hope for change and I know that I can do something about it. The Doctor gives me hope for humanity, while Olivia Pope does not. I think the Doctor is a much better role model.

My Own Personal Hell

**I have been doing a crappy job of keeping up with the blog lately. Sorry about that. Life gets overwhelming sometimes. I will do my best to update every Tuesday. We'll see how that goes.**

Dorm life is not for me. I absolutely hate it. It drives me crazy. Some people love it, and that is wonderful. I just cannot do it. No way. Fortunately for me, I am moving to off-campus apartments this summer, so I will not have to deal with dorms ever again. My current roommate is also moving in with me. Here is my dorm horror story, but first some background information.

I live in a four-person suite style dorm room. It is much bigger than many of the other dorm rooms of my friends on campus. It is well-lit and has one window. There are two closets, two dressers, two desks, and two beds. My roommate and I have our own sides. I have an un-lofted bed with a mini-fridge underneath and a desk on the side. I have the dresser with the crappy drawers that do not open properly. I own the television, smart Blu-ray player, and sound system that is on top of my dresser. She has a lofted bed with the desk and dresser underneath it. She also brought a mini-fridge, coffee maker, microwave, and toaster. We have a good system here. We keep to our sides but we are also open to sharing appliances like the mini-fridges and microwave. Sometimes not all the groceries fit in one fridge. There is a shared bathroom with one stall, two sinks, and one shower. There is also a door that leads to our suite-mates' room. From outside our door, the hall has at least thirty dorm rooms on this side of the floor and two study lounges. Down the hallway, there is a communal kitchen and large study lounge where floor meetings are typically held. The residence hall itself is located on the far end of campus, almost as far south as the campus goes. It is at least a ten-minute walk to class uphill if you walk quickly or have long legs.

I love my roommate. She and I have had no problems this year. The only issue with the dorm room itself is the complete lack of privacy. We can both see each other from our beds. I can hear her stomach growl when she gets really hungry from my bed. This can be particularly annoying when I am trying to focus, which is really difficult for me to do anyway these days, and her music is loud enough for me to hear while she has headphones on. I appreciate a wide variety of music, but when I study, I typically listen to movie scores or nothing at all. I will sometimes listen to Disney music when I do not need to focus on the task, like when I do my easy biology homework. I can also hear her talk to relatives or friends on FaceTime or on the phone late at night when I am trying to go to sleep. I completely respect her habits. I think it is perfectly fine to do these things. I just wish we had separate rooms. She probably wishes this too, because I usually end up listening to her conversations and asking questions. She probably finds this annoying, but I really just cannot help it at this point. Lack of privacy also becomes an issue when it comes to significant others. We have a system that she has ignored several times in which we draw a fish on the white board on our door when we want privacy. She has nearly walked in on things several times. Having our own rooms would prevent that.

My suite-mates are nice people. One of them is a cheerleader for our university, and the other just rushed a sorority this semester. We all share this one bathroom, which meant we had to sign a suite-mate agreement at the beginning of the year. We agreed to knock on the door before entering the bathroom. I cannot tell you how many times they have walked in on me in the bathroom when I was about to get in the shower. The knocking rule was their idea too. They also suggested, and we all agreed, to clean the bathroom every week. I cannot tell you how many times I have cleaned the entire bathroom by myself. It was not fun. I also have supplied the toilet paper for most of the year. I do not have the time or the patience to keep doing this.

My floor-mates suck. I basically hate them all. They are loud and obnoxious at all hours of the night. Our RA told us about "quiet hours" from 10 pm-7 am. Quiet hours mean shut up, so people can get their sleep. I have had my ability to sleep interfered with due to their obnoxiousness too many times. Apparently, I have caused this room to have a reputation for lodging noise complaints. On several occasions, I have told my friends that I will lightsaber the obnoxious noise-makers next time it happens. My roommate has prevented me from fulfilling my dream for vengeance. Many nights, I am too tired and lack the energy to get up, open the door, and yell at them to be quiet. I have settled for writing the passive aggressive message, "You should have let me sleep! -Khan" on my door white board. They truly suck the life out of me. They have gotten down to the immature level of leaving an open condom on our door handle for revenge against my noise complaints. Despite all of my noise complaints, the RA does nothing. She is sweet but she is a senior and sometimes helps contribute to the noise. I cannot wait until I finally get to sleep in a quiet, dark room again on a comfy bed.

The crappy location of the residence hall causes me to take the bus on rainy and extremely cold days. There is a bus stop right in front of the residence hall, which is quite convenient. Unfortunately, everyone else takes the bus on rainy and cold days. I have been late to class because the bus I was supposed to take was too full and did not stop. I have been late to class because the transit authority only puts out extra buses on those days when they feel like it. They also will not tell you when the "trippers" are out, so if you walk away because the first bus blew past you, you may miss the tripper and be even later to class. It is really not the best system.

I am one of those people who likes to have separate spaces for different functions. I like to have a space for eating, entertaining, studying, and sleeping. Unfortunately for me, these places are one and the same in the dorm room. I will eat dinner at my desk when I do not feel like being poisoned by the dinning hall. I will either study at my desk or on my bed. When my friends come over, they chill on my bed, at my desk, or in the chair we stole from the study lounge. I always sleep in my bed; although it is not always a restful, comfortable sleep. I would much rather have the living room that will be present in my apartment. The television would be in there instead of in my study and sleep space. I would have a comfortable couch and chair for my guests instead of my unmade bed and sketchy armchair from the lounge. There would be a kitchen and small dining area where we could pull even more chairs into the living room, if needed. We would have our own space for cooking, instead of the communal kitchen with the stove that makes weird noises. We would also finally have a full-size refrigerator again. We would have separate bedrooms and bathrooms where we can have private conversations and private time with our significant others. I would clean my own bathroom because I would not have to worry about whose turn it was to clean what.

Additionally, I hate being dropped in on by friends. I always like to plan to meet with friends. No surprises. It has always been that way for me because I used to babysit my sister at home. I always had to check with my schedule to make sure hanging out with a friend did not conflict with babysitting my sister or picking her up from school. It was advantageous because I would be able to better plan out my time. I would be sure to get homework done before hanging out or bring a specific subject with me if it was for a study group. I also value my me-time. I think it is very important to have me-time. You should always check in with yourself-- check your emotions, check your needs. If you need to take time away from being around people, you have every right to do that. I have been doing that a lot more lately due to my depression. Unfortunately, the dorm life lends itself to surprise visits. Any friend within walking distance can simply walk up right to your door and knock, expecting to be let in. No warning or anything. In fact, this one guy who is friends with my roommate and me would pop in unexpectedly late at night for no particular reason. He was not here to study, just to show us some video he saw on the Internet or whatever. My roommate would either be talking to her girlfriend or be trying to go to sleep. I have the tendency to do late-night studying. This habit of his was not healthy for any of us. My roommate had a chat with him about not coming over after 10 pm anymore on school nights. I think it took because he has not done it since then. Fortunately for me, the apartment will get rid of those surprise visits for good. It is far enough away from campus that a bus is needed to take people back and forth. I will certainly have my me-time back.

To sum up, dorm life is not healthy living for everyone. It is okay if it is not for you. Hopefully, your university will not require you to stay on campus for one year before being allowed to move off campus. If so, I feel your pain. Apartment living can be truly liberating and the healthy alternative for university living.

On Harriet Jones, Prime Minister

Recently, I have been able to get my boyfriend to watch Doctor Who. Naturally, we started with Nine, and he absolutely loves the show. We are currently on season 4 of NewWho, adventuring with the Tenth Doctor. Our favorite villains are the classic Daleks, with the silly way they scream-talk. My favorite Doctor is Ten, but I do not think that my boyfriend has made up his mind yet. After all, there is still Eleven and eventually Twelve. Perhaps he will like the War Doctor (8.5) the best. Who knows?

I love how each season kicks off with a Christmas special. I have never really been a big fan of Christmas, so I can appreciate alien invasions ruining the conventional Christmas traditions of Londoners. Maybe that makes me a terrible person, but who are you to judge? As Sirius Black from the Harry Potter series wisely tells Harry, "The world is not split into good people and Death Eaters." Everyone has good and bad things about them, but we are all mostly shades of grey. This principle naturally applies to Doctor Who and is clearly seen in Harriet Jones. Harriet Jones is first seen in "Aliens of London," where Nine and Rose first encounter the Slitheen. She aids Nine, Rose, and Mickey as they launch a missile at 10 Downing St. Harriet is then seen "The Christmas Invasion" as Prime Minister of Great Britain when the Sycorax invade. After Ten defeats the Sycorax leader in hand-to-hand combat, she uses Torchwood to fire an alien weapon that blows up the Sycorax space ship. The audience is presented with two sides of Harriet Jones, both seeking to protect Great Britain. 

While the rise and fall of Harriet Jones is interesting to see, the line that stuck out to me most in "The Christmas Invasion" was when she said, "There is an act of Parliament banning my autobiography." Obviously, she is referring to the previous incident with the Slitheen. I think that one can read into this on a much deeper level, though. The first side of Harriet Jones is a total badass. She snuck around the Prime Minister's house during an alien invasion and read classified information about what to do in an alien invasion. She brought a secretary coffee both as a bribe and just to be nice. The secretary had been working his butt off during the initial response to the alien crash landing and probably needed a pick-me-up. Harriet was an absolutely awesome character. 

I think we should all try our best to live like there is an act of Parliament banning our autobiographies. I think that to live like that really means to be nice and respectful to others and to not be afraid to take risks that could potentially lead to trouble. Do what is morally right, not what is easy (unless doing the morally right thing is easy for you, then good for you). Live so the Doctor would be proud of you.

The Caring and Keeping of You: Advice for College Students

Health can sometimes go out the window (or at least take a backseat) in college. It is really important to keep in touch with your body and establish healthy habits as a college student. These habits often extend through early adulthood. I may only be a first year student, but I have learned quite a bit so far. Here is my two cents:

1. Figure out where your campus health building is. 
It is really important to figure out where this building is and what services it provides. The student health building on my campus has practically everything, and even if it did not, there is a major hospital right on campus. We are quite lucky. Despite all of the on-campus resources, they have a great referral program as well. I was able to find a cognitive behavioral therapist close to campus and on a bus line because of their referral specialists.

2. Locate the recreation centers and gyms. 
Campus recreation centers have tons of workout equipment and open floor spaces. These open floor spaces are for fitness classes like Zumba, yoga and Pilates, and tabata. Even if you do not know how to use some of the equipment, there are employees there who can show you. Any mandatory physical education classes you have to take to complete your general education requirements will probably be in the gymnasiums rather than the recreation centers. Gyms may also hold some sporting events for intermurals or the main sports teams. You may not end up using some of these resources, but it is certainly good to know.

3. Explore the surrounding restaurants and delivery places. 
The dining hall is a great resource for food; however, the selection can get boring. Sometimes, the food is not all that great. It is important to have balanced meals that you actually want to eat and enjoy eating. You need to have plenty of options for nutrition. Additionally, there may be nights when you do not have enough time to go out. Maybe you have a big test to study for, a lab report to write, or both. Delivery companies can come in really handy on those nights.

4. Go get a medical massage. 
I am talking about a medical massage, not the ones you get at the spa. Due to all of that studying, paper-writing, and sleeping in an uncomfortable bed, you probably have lots of tight muscles. A medical massage will work out all the tension and give you new insight about your body. I had a massage today and learned that I have pelvic tilt that tilts backward and really tight hip flexors. Now I know what areas to focus on when I stretch and work out. The pain is worth the knowledge, I promise.

5. Get plenty of sleep.
Sleep is extremely important. It allows your body to recharge and process information. If people on your hall are obnoxious, then just tell them to be quiet. Dorms have quiet hours and courtesy hours. You are supposed to have an environment conducive to study and sleep. Make it so. Get a sleep mask and earplugs if necessary. Establish rules with your roommate like no TVs, phones, or computers after midnight. Get your sleep because you need to function in order to do your best.

On Awareness

Last week was National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, and last month was Black History Month. It seems as though each week and month has a national meaning. How many people are actually aware of these meanings? Before college, I had never heard of some of these awareness weeks. We only knew about the special months like Black History Month, Hispanic History Month, and Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Even if we knew about them, we did not necessarily do anything particularly special.

In college, a lot of people want to be activists. They want to change the world and make an impact. They embrace these weeks of awareness as recruitment opportunities. Unfortunately from what I have observed, the people who go up to the tables and ask for more information are the people already interested in the cause and want to learn more or are involved in the cause in some other way. Not many new people make an effort to get involved. As much advertising as there was for National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, few people stopped by the booths in the main pedestrian traffic area on campus. It can be a bit disheartening to the student activists when not much attention is paid to their cause.

To the student activists out there, keep caring and keep spreading information. You can make a difference, even if it is only for one person. But it is enough to make an impact on one person because that impact can spread like in the movie, Pay It Forward.

To the college students out there, try to take a minute or two to talk to the activists at those tables. You are at college to learn new things and to be exposed to new ideas. You may uncover a passion you never knew you had.