-Kavian Milani, Founder of CHHR
SHAC student health advisory committee is a body that provides advice on FCPS system to the Fairfax county board of education. Items for this year will be recess, anxiety, performance pressure and suicidal ideation.
I was saddened reviewing data that suggests high suicidal ideation among Latina teenagers. That will be on our agenda for CHHR for the coming year.
healthline.com (How Losing Sleep Can Cause You to Pack on the Pounds)
It’s common knowledge that a lack of sleep disrupts your sleeping schedule and makes you more tired and sluggish throughout the day. What many people don’t know is that it actually affects more than just your ability to focus and get through the day without yawning every minute.
-Elizabeth Chinery, Junior Community Outreach Coordinator
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/14/upshot/gender-stereotypes-survey-girls-boys.html
NYTimes.com (Many Ways to Be a Girl, but One Way to Be a Boy: The New Gender Rules)
The issue of gender inequality starts with what we teach our children. We as a society need to start promoting inclusive mindsets. In this case, an inclusive mindset is one that promotes value in an individual regardless of gender and preserved “gender roles.” A female who dresses in a more relaxed fashion (no makeup, sweatpants, baggy clothes,, etc.) is no less beautiful than one that dresses in clothing such as blouses, skirts, high heels, etc. A male who is a stay-at-home dad isn’t less “manly” than one who is the breadwinner for his family. We as a society need to start taking labels (such as “being manly” or “acting/dressing like a lady”) out of our vocabulary. An individual (who is not harming anyone in anyway) should be able to love the way they look and behave without being bombarded by the rude and insulting commentary many receive for not conforming to their so called “gender role.”
Think about it:
Does how someone dresses on a day to day basis affect you in any significant way? No. Their outfit doesn’t destroy your plans for the day or ruin any part of your life whatsoever.
In the same sense, does someone who happens to prefer intimate relationships with the same gender cause you any problems? Does it really have any affect on your day to day life? No one is asking you to switch your sexuality. That is their preference and how they feel. You may not feel the same but what they feel has nothing to do with you.
This isn’t meant to attack anyone. It’s meant to get people thinking about what our society’s children are being taught and how it’s affecting everyone as a whole.
-Elizabeth Chinery, Junior Community Outreach Coordinator
https://www.instagram.com/p/BnmuTrsFiv5/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet (VCU’s CHHR Club’s First Meeting of the 2018-2019 School Year!)
“During our meeting on Monday [of last week], we started off with a couple ice breakers. First, we challenged our members (in groups) to come up with 5 things they all have in common with one another and to share with everyone else. Next, we had them discuss health and human rights issues that they would like to work on this semester and in the future of CHHR at VCU. We talked a lot of about Richmond’s food desert, water quality, and even lack of healthcare accessibility. We talked about how CHHR was founded and how our focus on campus is to serve underprivileged communities. We talked about the amazing projects we have coming up – health and hygiene presentations at Fairfield Elementary School, sports physicals at Peter Paul Development Center, and food preparation at Ronald McDonald House of Charities. Over 30 people showed up to our meeting and many of them stayed after to discuss some ideas and let us know how excited they are to become involved!”
– VCU’s CHHR
-Elizabeth Chinery, Junior Community Outreach Coordinator
theconversation.com (Minority job applicants with ‘strong racial identities’ may encounter less pay and lower odds of getting hired)
Racial discrimination is a topic that many people believe has been decreased due to laws and places such as colleges and even many business promoting the admission and hiring of a more diverse set of individuals. However, the truth is this is far from the truth.
The problem of perceived and presumed identities play a big part in this form of discrimination. Many people use what they see at first glance thus creating a singular identity for an individual. In fact, it is quite common to do this. It’s safe to say that many of us do this on a daily basis. However, letting this determine how you treat an individual is where there is a big problem. As the article states, “people have more than one identity, such as being a mom, a Muslim, an athlete, a scientist and so on.” Therefore, seeing someone for the first time, taking one look, and creating your own story for that person is something that should be avoided because in a way this strips the individual of their entire identity.
Unfortunately, this way of thinking is quite common in many businesses when choosing who to hire and how much to pay the individual. This blatant disregard for an individual’s, generally a minority individual’s, qualifications and experience simply due to the fact that they are a minority is where the employment process takes a racist turn.
This article goes into detail further. Please take a couple minutes to read it and maybe bring up the discussion of this topic with friends and family. Let it encourage you to actively advocate for change.
-Elizabeth Chinery, Junior Community Outreach Coordinator
LaTimes.com (Healthcare isn’t a game. The Texas ACA lawsuit could be catastrophic for public health)
“Since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law in 2010, America’s access to healthcare has improved dramatically. Roughly 20 million Americans have gained health insurance coverage. Medicare beneficiaries can now get free preventive care and pay less for prescription drugs. And no one can be denied coverage based on preexisting conditions.” Over $8 billion in funding from the ACA has gone into the Prevention and Public Health Fund, which has “supported efforts to immunize children, ensure our water is safe to drink, help people quit smoking and prevent drug addiction.”
But in February, “Texas and 19 other red filed the federal lawsuit, Texas vs. Azar,” threatening the protections provided by the ACA, the healthcare coverage of individuals (more than 17 million people) as well as jeopardizing the function of many public health programs. Their reasoning focuses on the political side of the ACA rather than the ethical/moral grounding in protecting the people of the United States.
First the attack on Obamacare now this…as the article states “healthcare isn’t a game. Millions of Americans have too much to lose.” We as residents, citizens, and nationals of this country need to step up and let our government representatives know that we won’t stand for this.
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