Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - May/June 2015 - (Page 34)

Devoted Awareness my Internship with Until There's a Cure by Anushka Das tOO many peOple tOday believe either that hiv/aids is nO lOnger an issue Or that it can never be cured. sOme believe it is a cOncern Only fOr hOmOsexuals, while Others even believe it is a gOvernment cOnspiracy. last summer, i wOrked with an OrganizatiOn dedicated tO stOpping the spread Of hiv by spreading the truth-and finding a cure. i n my sophomore year, I took a course that completely changed the way I think about disease. My school offers classes through Global Online Academy, a platform that brings together students from around the world, allowing for rich and vibrant discussions about a range of topics. I signed up for Global Health, a five-month introduction to the world's biggest health challenges, the social factors of disease, and the ways in which organizations can shape the course of disease prevention worldwide. I had always been interested in medicine and disease, but I had only approached these topics from a science perspective. I saw the Global Health class as an opportunity to gain insight into the interplay of sociopolitical forces and health. 34 imagine The class was as fascinating as I'd hoped it would be, involving lots of discussions on topics such as the ethics of certain medical practices and several group research projects on non-governmental organizations and social epidemiology. The course culminated in an extensive final project on HIV/AIDS, for which I had to discuss the disease's impacts on societies around the world, as well as societies' impacts on the disease around the world. I was enthralled-and unsettled by what I learned. Not only is there no cure or vaccine for HIV, but the stigma associated with the disease results in so much denial and prejudice that people often don't even seek treatment. What I learned in this course stuck with me. The next year, May/June 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - May/June 2015

Big Picture
In My Own Words Daniel Kammen, Professor of Energy, UC Berkeley
A Solar-Powered Solution to the Water Crisis Using the sun to purify water
The PolluCell Generating electricity using waste and pollution
More than a Race The Solar Car Challenge
Energy Agenda The power of teen research
Energized! A crash course in fuels of the future
Grease Is Good Helping the environment and the community with biofuel
Fueled by Algae Sara Volz and the powerful potential of pond scum
The Future of Energy Five careers in green power
My Sanskrit Yaatra Connecting with my culture through language
Devoted Awareness My internship with Until There’s a Cure
Selected Opportunities and Resources
Off the Shelf Review of Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man
Word Wise
Exploring Career Options Interview with green architect Andrew Thompson
One Step Ahead Six things incoming college students should know
Planning Ahead for College Developing your passions
Students Review: University of Pennsylvania
Creative Minds Imagine
Mark Your Calendar
Knossos Games

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - May/June 2015