After a long day at school and work, do you usually throw something quick into the microwave? With people’s lives as busy as they are today, this has become a common trend. What’s the problem with this? Nicholas D. Kristof informs us in his article. Breast cancer has become a disease that many women, Americans in particular have been fighting more so since 1975. The breast cancer rate has risen from 1% in 1975 to 12% today, as well as asthma and leukemia in children has increased over the years.
Since World War II 80,000 new chemicals have been created, and not all of these have been tested for toxicity. One theory was that ethnicity has something to do with this increase. But, this was proven wrong when a study done by Dr. Goldfarb showed that when the ethnic woman moved to the U.S. she encountered a higher risk of getting breast cancer. This shows that something in our environment is harming us.
Western women have gradually started their menstrual cycle earlier and earlier since the year 1800. The earlier you start your menstrual cycle, the more likely you are to get breast cancer because you have been opened up to pesticides. Other chemicals classified as endocrine disruptors have become a major concern. These chemicals are found in a number of plastics and even the makeup we wear. These endocrine disruptors can trigger hormonal changes. These disruptors are similar to estrogen therefore they trick the body into these hormonal changes.
A representative of the House, Louise Slaughter, wants to put a system into effect that will monitor these endocrine disruptors. Until this becomes a reality, you can try to prevent your chances of breast cancer by not microwaving things in plastic containers, and not putting plastic in the dishwasher. The more heat exposed to plastic containers, the more likely it is that chemicals will seep out, and get into your system.
Hogwarts for College Anyone?
When your parents applied to college, it wasn’t based off of whether the school was “hogwartsesque” enough. Times have definitely changed since then. Schools such as Dartmouth, Cornell, Harvard, and Boston College have quickly caught onto selling the Hogwarts look to their students. Dartmouth has a room that is known for its “Hogwarts feel.” Cornell was ranked in the top five colleges in America that resembles Hogwarts the most. This ranking obviously attracts Harry Potter fans from across the globe. At Harvard, a tour guide told his group that their intramural sports were very similar to the Hogwarts House Cup. All of these colleges sound great, right? Everyone dreams of going to Hogwarts after seeing the movies and reading the books.
The Problem: these schools are placing a fantasy world into reality, which takes the goal off of education. They’re trying too hard to attract students to their schools by making it more “hogwartsesque.” Schools such as Swarthmore and Williams focus on education, not the fantasy world.
When choosing your school, make sure to keep reality in check and your fantasy getaways remain a fantasy.
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