Other

Asthma, a long-term disease that affects the lungs, is affecting more people each year. As a group, we decided to study the illness because of its impact on the lives of those close to us. We all had close friends or family who have or are currently dealing with asthma, and realized that it is an illness that is often disregarded in society as a prevalent issue, even though the statistics say otherwise. We wanted to research this topic in depth, and later in our studies, realized the disparity that exists between masculinity and asthma. We specifically studied the experiences of men with asthma and how their gender played a role in their experience. We talked to two male asthmatic college students about their daily experiences, their perceptions of asthma, and the difficulties that they face. Our podcast incorporated two interviews, and the rules were structured and easy to follow. We began the podcast with a brief introduction of asthma and then went into the background of our interviewees. Next, we structured the responses of our interviewees based on the topics we were covering in the podcast. We found this to be easier for the listener to follow but also logical for our argument. Our evidence was incorporated within the responses, as our interviewees relayed segments of their experiences that supported our primary topic of masculinity and asthma. We also incorporated statistics of asthma prevalence within our podcast and information about the established stigma of masculinity and illness.

Over the duration of this project, we explored the experience and impact that food allergies can have on college students, specifically students at the Georgia Institute of Technology. We chose to pursue this health condition for several reasons. For one, food  quite a common condition experienced by those recently exiting their adolescent years. Secondly, in a college atmosphere, the consequences of living with a food allergy can be further exacerbated during the transition period between one’s senior year in high school and their first year in college. Food allergies impact one’s life outside of necessary dietary restrictions. The focus of the podcast relates to the experience that Georgia Tech students with food allergies face during their initial months at Georgia Tech. Additionally, background information regarding Rachel Abraham’s experience growing up with a food allergy is included.

Our podcast’s focus is to show that living with IDD does not hinder one from growing academically, socially, or vocationally. The main point we emphasize is that students with IDD possess similar interests, passions and motivations as every other college student. Through talking with students from the Excel program, we noticed that Excel students do not let their disabilities define their success. This theory is also backed through the literature we have examined, as we took a critical look at post-secondary education for students with IDD. As a group, we feel the stakes of our podcast are important because there is an existing misconception that people with IDD are not capable of having successful careers through post-secondary education. In bringing awareness to this issue we wanted to help dispel these misconceptions.

Not every invention geared towards improving health produces its intended results. In fact, with inventions such as that of the e-cigarette, the product can become the cause of new illness and the targeting of novel populations. In the podcast, we discuss the vaping industry from its original intentions to the current explosion of the product into new vulnerable markets, causing not only an increased number of smokers but also entirely new health concerns. Due to its increasing prevalence among student populations and the recent need for legislation as vaping has caused negative health consequences, even death, we decided to narrow our focus from the entire vaping industry to specifically its evolution from a smoking alternative to a novel product marketed towards youth populations. In “The New Age of Nicotine” as part of a series called “Good Intentions” examining devastating results from originally well-intentioned inventions we discuss e-cigarettes, which began as an invention to reduce cigarette use and decrease lung cancer prevalence. Our podcast begins with a specific anecdote that illustrates the health risks associated with vaping through the near death experience of Alexander Mitchell, a twenty-year-old who was placed on two separate intensive life support systems due to vape use. The expertise of Dr. Holton and the personal experience given by students further convey the dangers of vaping along with the reasons for using the product before the final conclusions of the podcast are addressed. As asserted by Dr. Holton “we do not yet know all of the risks associated with vaping,” so even beyond the current health concerns it is important that these populations understand the risks associated with the product and the mechanisms through which they have been influenced to use this product.