Time Flies When Your Having Fun

It seems as though it was only yesterday when our class listened to Dr. Clarkson give the orientation lecture for the program. Now, with a little over two weeks left in the semester, it is easy to see how the time has flown by. November proved to be as busy as ever, both in and out of the classroom. We started the month finishing up the cardiovascular (CV) module and moving straight into the renal and pulmonary module. The CV module showed me that I need to spend time over the holiday reviewing anticoagulants, antiplatelets, and thrombolytics. The renal and pulmonary module was perhaps my favorite of the semester. Before this program, I had little exposure to the kidneys and lungs and the courses gave me insight into some of the basic physiology and pathophysiology of the systems. When Dr. Katakam showed us an image detailing aspects of the kidney's structure I was convinced that it was not of this world. I spent hours watching videos about the different structures and functions of the kidney and was amazed at its complexity. Through it all, I gained an immense appreciation for the intricacies of the renal system and the myriad of drugs that interact with it to alleviate and prevent disease.

In the world of middle school debate coaching, a lot has happened in the last month. After the October debate tournament, we were given a new round of prompts to begin preparing for the November debate. The topics ranged from "is Amazon good for society" to "ban fracking." When I first read them, I wasn't sure how to break down the nuances of these topics. However, my students again exceeded my expectations. During practice, they were inquisitive, thought of lines of argument that I would have never thought of, and worked hard to learn about the topics on top of their school load. During the tournament, I was proud, watching them grow as debaters and public speakers. Several of my students told me they were scared of public speaking and with every round, they grew more confident and that fear grew smaller. This semester of debate has been the most challenging, but has been the most rewarding. I am excited to be working with these students next semester and continue helping them grow as debaters, students, and people.


Community Service Hours:
November Hours: 11
Total: 19

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