The Societal Faults of a Concussion

Introduction:

For one athlete it is a game, and for a doctor, it is a nightmare. Everyday individuals are bombarded with information on specific healthcare issues. Concussions have become an epidemic to many athletes as the biochemical forces clash and create an onset of long term problems to someone’s memory, memorization skills, and logic. Throughout the last 10 years we have experienced an increase in concussions in extreme sports such as soccer, football, and hockey. Through time and effort, we have raised the question, as a worried mother or father, should we allow our son to play football at such an early age? Should we allow our daughter to partake in field hockey? With children and young adults partaking in such contact heavy sports, are we readily informed on concussions and their fatal blows. 

Historical Background:

People have engaged in sports for over a long period of time. Ever since a little after the creation of life, we have been heavily influenced by sports and their aftermaths, socially and physically. As sports are played, we have historically increased the risk of concussions being prominent within our society. The first olympic games were staged in Olympia, Greece in 776 BC. The end of the first set of games ran through 393 AD, as though the olympics were seen too brutal and vicious for the human to partake in. With this major sporting event to end and reup its popularity in 1896 in Athens Greece, we as humans knew very little unto what could have occurred to each athlete if their head would have been brutally banged and injured due to the intensity of competition. As William Paul Meehan III explains, Hippocrates himself, the father of medicine was the first ancient greek physician to diagnose this detrimental diagnoses of a concussion. As ancient writing goes way back into time, an intellect like Hippocrates explains the simple notions of a concussion, “In cerebral concussion, whatever the cause, the patient becomes speechless…falls down immediately, loses their speech” explains that very few of us have had very few insights on this brain injury. 

Claims and Evidence 

Throughout history, concussions have not been as fatal as society thought they were. Within minor and major leagues of all sport types that incorporate contact with a ball or person, such as soccer, football, baseball, etc, we have only yet to scrape the ice of how impactful a concussion is. As parents watch from the sidelines, their kids are risking and increasing their chances of a concussion if not educated properly on the manner. High school athletes have yet to understand the fatality and comprehension of how bad a concussion could ruin their high school career in sports, or even their lives. Theresa L. Miyashita and her colleagues published a study on High School athletes and their reality of concussions on November 4th, 2014. This cross sectional study embodied a total of 454 high school athletes, 212 females and 242 males. Their age ranged from 15-19 years old as they questioned about their history of having a concussion and their experience and knowledge on the matter. Miyashita reports that, “at least 297 athletes had 1 concussion”. The only thing that dictated their rest with a concussion was the importance of the game and the risks that were at stake if they were not to play in it. Kids that had a concussion were putting their bodies last as the sought to see that trophies and their ego were more important. In another article by Barry Petchesky, in A Timeline of Concussion Science and the NFL, the NFL had yet to release a proper medical handbook about concussion until 1933. Yet, this handbook for the major athletes stated that symptoms were “treated too lightly”, and “recommendation of supervision and rest was appointed if an athlete were to conceive a concussion”.  Although this was stated in the handbook, many professionals did not attend to these sets of historical rules. The Medical Advisor for the NFL, Elliot Pellman, was very pushy and was seen with controversy. Pellman states that, "Concussions are part of the profession, an occupational risk” and continues to provide reckless actions as a professional working with athletes. Pellman was more focused on the fame and glory of pushing for success, that he pushed himself farther way ethically and morally. With

both of these articles providing astounding evidence on how society and their perception on concussions was constant, we as a whole have neglected the research and avoidance of fatalities. As high schoolers knew the risks of hurting their bodies, they acted on the glorification and ego of pursuing their goals and aspirations. Athletes lack the understanding of severe and serious concussions. As a society, we need to inform formalized educators about the culture of sports and the severity of teaching proper care for our bodies. As well as professionals, major doctors and professionals still shy away from concussions and their fatal effect on players and their families. Professionals like Pellman knew about the risks of concussions back stated back in the 1930’s, yet failed to prevent them this entire time. As a society, we glorify winning on the field, rather than winning a battle to save our lives. 

(Here is a link further going the investigation on the NFL and their denial ----> NFL)

Pushback and Current Evidence

To this day, we are slowly improving our awareness for concussions and its happenings. Beforehand, we were very affluent onto how we took care of individuals and their acute brain impairments that fostered within their synaptic structures. Society knew little unto which many new excessive amounts of information, such as Hippocrates,  on this degrading injury. As individuals grew ignorant among the matter, others fell short to understand why and how this causes such a strain on athletes and few non athletes. After reading two individuals that studied and researched those who took many aspects of their lives for granted, we can determine that society as a whole is still developing slowly with their stance on concussions. As we have read in the previous two articles regarding professionals and high school students, and viewing that they to a degree represent a part of the whole, we can generalize and understand that this information is not prioritized under prominent doctors and athletic professionals. Theresa L. Miyashita working with and understanding high schoolers and their need for an egocentric and injurious decisions, and Barry Petchesky reviewing and highlighting the NFL and their importance on the matter of concussions, as well as his review on Elliot Pellman helps us understand that many individuals within society do not have their priorities straight. 

Reference List/ Citations:

Mayo Clinic on Concussions 

DeadSpin- A Timeline of Concussion Science and NFL Denial 

The Book “Concussions” by William Paul Maheen III 

High School Perceptions on Concussions 

Engaging the Public with Science

Introduction
Partaking in a class that offers a learning experiences has major benefits not only to my learning experiences, but to my well being overall. As a first year in college, I have realized the many beneficial things that can come out of helping other peoples, communities, and organizations. 

My Experiences 
Youth Group Fundraiser
The first thing I did was partake in helping my church youth group and their upcoming annual youth bake and clothing giveaway. Being away in college has kind of opted me out of being in the youth group at my church. But then in return, gives me the opportunity to help out in ways that is so beneficial and rewarding not only for them, but myself. I helped organize and locate each section for each distinct age group and their program's givings. I was able to help divide and place each clothes in separate totes accordingly based on gender, size, and color. Doing this made each person looking for clothes less stressed out. I then helped lay out and bake cookies, brownies, cakes such as pound cakes, carrot cakes, red velvet cakes, and much more! As it came to a close and as each specific age group between K-8th successfully had a great bake sale and clothing giveaway, I helped pack things up and coordinate further actions for their youth leader.

Volunteering with Elementary Education 
My second learning experience was based in a classroom with my mother. My mother goes in every week, Monday through Wednesday to help volunteer with the Special Needs or "Inclusive Needs" program at Rural Hall Elementary in Rural Hall, North Carolina. In high school I attended the elementary school at least once a week with my mom, but since I am in college,  I try to attend once a month, sometimes every other month. What my mother and I would do, would be to go in and help the teacher and her assistant work with and test, take children on field trips, and regular day schedules between lunch, quiet time, and specials! I primarily assisted the children when it came to testing and specials. I would always play with the kids and make sure that they had attention as much as possible.

Archie Carnival
As my partner Sydney and I were able to partake in helping out with the spread of Archie the Aetosaur and publication of this amazing discovery, Sydney and I were allowed to undergo a min project. As children from elementary schools and middle schools were being introduced to this idea of prehistoric animals, we had to make the idea kid friendly and interesting. As Sydney and I were gathering ideas and plastering them together for our class project, we decided to create a game board that quizzed children on their cognitive ability to retain information within lecture and then apply wha they learned during the game. Kids loved it as much as Sydney and I loved making the game for the kids!

Library Public Display
As a class we were able to work at the Watauga Public Library to inform others about the other professors at Appalachian State University. As each individual worked on preparing an informative brochure to inform the library about these professors, we made a tripod to inform others about the many mountainous  regions and parks in North Carolina at the entrance of the library. We had a very fun time spreading around the word at the public library!


S-cientists and their Impacts
I feel as if science enthusiasts and scientists could help their community by allowing children and younger adults understand in a more fashionable way. Through fun educational lessons coming in to educate and see the kids, or between allowing kids and young adults listen to studies, I feel as if scientists can impact kids and young adults this way. Being hands on is such an important thing in a kids life because they more attentive to an activity rather than a lecture.

What I Took Away
What I took away from each expereince is that we should always help each other regardless if it is big or small. Any form of help is so great and humbling. I have taken away many lessons that I can enhance within my collegiate and professional careers. Being kind and helping others is something much needed within this world, and any individual can attend to others, either by guiding or physically helping.

Helping People Understand Science

Why Should People Understand Science? 

It is important to understand science due to the alarming rate of false information currently plaguing our world everyday. Mark Twain once stated,“There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics." Thus meaning that lies are variation of falsehoods that hinder our society in forms of sentences and percentages. Statistics, yet, can represent relative and appropriate information if researched and the data that is being collected shows unbiased facts or opinions. For instance, Lipozene is a drug that helps deteriorate belly fat and reduce the increase in triglycerides forming, (Today's Health Digest). Statistically, individuals that use this pill can lose up to 60% of weight- if used properly and those that do not use their pill will lose less weight. But, stated by Today's Health Digest as well, individuals that did not use the pill effectively lost the same amount of weight if they nutritionally consumed healthy food. So, in hindsight, Today's Health Digest broke down Lipozene and its ineffective use and improper portrayal of percentages and facts that no matter what, Lipozene had no effect on the human body.
Resources from Article

Science Reaches Towards Audiences
Science is explained in many different ways. Through Youtube channels such as CrashCourse,  acapellascience and ASAPscience, Museums such as the Science Center of Greensboro and Durham, and games like Operation, many individuals of all ages can experience and explore different interpretation of science. Videos through youtube allow audience to explore and watch specific videos that explore vast concepts of science that can be shown in classrooms and lectures. Museums such as The Greensboro Science Museum in Greensboro, NC  allow hands on and physical activities to be acted upon by large groups of children and even adults. Being able to adventure through possible aquariums and terrariums allow students to see many different kinds of animals and environments that this amazing Earth holds! Not only can students get a first hand look at animals and environments, they get to talk to wildlife experts and scientists. Board games such as Operation and The Game of Earth allow students to look at bone structure and tectonic plates and landforms of the Earth.  All of these examples allow ways for individuals to learn and teach others about science!
Resources used in this paragraph
Greensboro Science Museum/Center
acapellascience 
ASAPscience 
CrashCourse

Description of Game for Science 
The game my partner Sydney and I made was about an aetosaur named Archie! At Appalachian State, a geologist found and studied the bone structure of this animal. Over time it was uncovered as an aetosaur. Department chairs and students are coming together to help explain and present Archie to individuals outside of Appalachians campus. Elementary, middle, and high school students,  including many adults are being informed about this amazing discovery. Sydney and I were allowed to be a few of the lucky individuals that were able to participate with this. To help out, Sydney and I made a board game that allow children to learn about Archie the Aetosaur and his origin! The objective of the game was to answer true or false questions that pertain to Archie's origin and characteristics. I truly feel like our overall project was very good and it displayed interesting aspects for 4-9 year olds. Although, we could have changed the card distribution and could have also made the cards a little more professional, but overall our game board was neat and well put together. I enjoyed working with Sydney, she was a great partner and person! 

Presentation of game board:

Brian Zimmer, Juggling Science and Talents!

Brian Zimmer is a very special Geologist here at Appalachian State University since 2008. Mr.Zimmer is a senior lecturer in the department of Geology and Environmental Sciences. His office is located in the museum of geology in the Rankin South. Zimmer teachers many courses that pertain to geology with mapping and hands on activities such as traveling to Iceland with one of the few classes that he teaches, Geology 1103. Zimmer specifically has focused on volcanology due to his interest in his asters program thesis on the geological platform in New Mexico. He studied various landscapes and pursued a volcano and its geological make up and its entitreity.

https://earth.appstate.edu/sites/earth.appstate.edu/files/styles/asu_profile_default/public/asu_profile_photo/geologyzimmer.jpg?itok=SPQ0rW0A

Brian Zimmer's interest in Appalachian State University started with an interested in not only tectonic plates shifting and colliding, but his own mountains being moved by a lovely lady of interest. As she went through graduate, he did too and sought out her interest in Appalachian State. Later being denied and Zimmer being accepted, he pursued Appalachian rather than pursuing her. He moved to Appalachian State and left his love interest behind and found a home here within himself. Seeking out true happiness within the love for education and teaching others about this amazing earth that we live on, and the many treacherous surprises that it holds, one could say not only was his world rocked, but as well as Appalachian State Universities students.

Brian Zimmer wrote an article about the ring dome complexity of a volcano. He did a case study for his research in Cerro Pinto, eastern of Mexico. We asked Zimmer what it was like to study near a very eruptive area, and he claimed it to be such an "exhilarating experience". Zimmer continued to talk about his article and how he thought that this location was one of the best locations to study eruptive geography due to its geographical state of rocks and volcanoes. Sydney and I were oblivious to much of this topic due to our minimal knowledge on geography and volcanoes, but for a fact, we knew that Zimmer was doing something extraordinary with observing rocks and the volcanoes that lay within the Earth's crevasses. 
 
Within the Geology Department, Zimmer teachers introductory courses that pertain to geology such as laboratories, lectures, and trips that create a more hands on environment for the students who take his course. Geology 1103 "Summer Course" allows students to travel to Iceland to undergo research with the geographical platforms in the area. Zimmer truly enjoys this trip because it allows students to adventure further past the books and pencils to see geography first hand.

                                                                      http://www.appstate.edu/~zimmerbw/index.html

Besides "rocking" around, Zimmer truly enjoys working with students and their extra circular activities. Zimmer enjoys juggling both his love for geography and his joy for juggling itself! He is an advisor for the Appalachian State Juggling Team, Slacking Club, and as well as an ASU all-male A Cappella Group, VoiceMale!

                                                                  http://www.appstate.edu/~zimmerbw/juggling/

Proper and Improper Examples of Data

Scientific Data or data alone can be represented in many different styles. Through representations using bar graphs, histograms, line graphs, and dot plots, many individuals can produce, study, and share these specific findings and data. Data itself though can be represented well or poorly. Through individuals own perspectives and interpretations, data and information can even be correct and poorly portrayed. In scientific findings, individuals creativity can either make or break data. With breaking down poorly created graphs, we as individuals need to be aware of how we read information and find exactly what we are looking for within a graph. Below are some examples of how poor data can be represented.

Unlabeled and Discontinued Axes 

Graph A

http://uk.businessinsider.com/how-many-concussions-in-the-nfl-2016-1

Using this bar graph, we can see this unlabeled axes can be rather confusing due to its vague to nothing representation of not knowing exactly what it is. Graphs A, like these can confuse readers into not allowing them into not knowing what the X and Y axes represent and what the individuals who made the graphs are wanting to portray to readers. 

Graph B

https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/rheological-model-of-force-transmission-through-2376-0281-1000132.php?aid=34315

Using Graph B to porttray this discontinued axes graph does not allow for us to see how and where the data points should end and begin. This is hard for individuals reading the data to fully comprehend and interpret the data with starting and ending points and said information.

Better example of a Labeled and Continued graph

Graph C

https://www.emaze.com/@AQCLTWRI/Concussions

Graph C  better identifies a proper labeling axes and continued graph with proper points. This is important due to portraying and interpreting information for viewers. Graph C projects a better interpretation of how the top five sports played by kids provide concussions.


In high school, I was taught how to properly find, retrieve, and weave out of false information. My AP Psychology teacher my sophomore year of high school did a whole unit on statistics and collecting and retrieving valid and refutable data. This allowed me to develop a tool to find proper information that I can use for my own benefit. Through my own experiences with graphs and data, I have not been lead to false information. Improper scaling, discontinued and unlabeled graphs can cause major confusion within not only presentations of information in the mass media, but as well as the interpretation in education and health related fields. 

Science and I

Science and I? More like science and we! Everyone and everything around us is impacted and impacts the way we as individuals and organisms live! Science has impacted my life unto which I have been able to grow and learn as a student in the classroom and as a conservative for our planet! Through simply understanding how recycling works to using less paper towels in the bathroom and kitchen, I have been able to change my lifestyle around to accommodate to what is best for my living conditions and the future!

On a regular basis, I think more about science than I actually know about. With an intricate mind like mine, I constantly think about the weather and what I should do to best prepare myself for my day. As to thinking about the weather, I also think about the food that I put into my body and the effects it has on my health. Thinking about food and weather seem to be very distinct subjects, but to scientists, it has more of a broadened and abstract ideology. Macromolecules such as proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids, and micro-molecules as your vitamin A.B,C,D,E, and K, and weather patterns as cold fronts and warm fronts, scientists predict and tell others about information through social media, forums, and the news! I currently do not follow any scientific outlets, but I do follow political forums that display sections of scientific data, facts, ideas, and theories. The Huffington Post is my main news forum where I obtain my information from for scientific news.

Science is something that we roughly touch on in my family. None of us truly focus on factual science, rather political science, so I guess you could say we touch on a variation of science! I truly never became interested in science until my freshman year of high school when one of my favorite biology teachers worked and helped me develop a broader understanding for science. Then onto sophomore year and my junior year when I took Chemistry and Zoology! I was able to develop a different understanding for this subject. Within the progress of taking these classes, my school was transitioning into  a health science program for the health sciences. I was able to be a catalyst for this program and help many other students transition into this program my senior year. I then truly found that between science and others, it was more than just a subject taught in school, but it was something that truly changes lives. I truly never hated or loved science, I just never understood it, and to this day it has always been something that I can say, that has changed my life.