The Current | Vol. 31 Issue 25

March 9, 2021 | nsucurrent.nova.edu 4 Features Women’s History Month: Resources for women in STEM Historically, many STEM fields have been heavily male-dominated. With pushes for increased equity and roles for women in STEM, we have seen a rise in the number of women pursuing jobs in these fields, for which NSU has resources. According to Kate Gittleman, the director of STEM Initiatives and Outreach, “One of the organizations that [Dean Kevorkian] has put a lot of interest towards is the Anita Borg organization. She is one of the founding women in technology that really made strides in developing professional groups. That’s something that really encouraged us to promote women in STEM [to our students].” The Anita Borg organization provides resources and opportunities in STEM fields in addition to helping to promote women in technology. Gittleman says that NSU has made an effort to support representation in STEM fields for underserved students and provide opportunities for them. “Our whole job is around student success in STEM fields. A large part [of that], because we are a Hispanic serving and a minority majority [institution], is about making sure that we have all the resources. So, whether it be for undergraduate or graduate females that are struggling to find themselves in the culture of a certain STEM fields, whether or not it’s just the disparities in certain coursework or different things, all the supports that are needed,” said Melanie Kevorkian, associate provost of NSU That Time I.... Found my voice and dean of the College of Computing and Engineering. According to Gittleman and Kevorkian, there are many resources on campus to help and promote women in STEM fields. Due to COVID-19, many of these resources have moved to a virtual setting for students to have easier and safer access to them. For students that wish to visit the Cortex Labs Center of Opportunities in Research and Technology Emerging Experiences, the labs are located in the Mailman building. One of the upcoming events from the College of Computing and Engineering, is the UKG “Hack for Good” Hackathon in partnership with the Title V Grant from the Department of Education. An opening information session for this event will be held on March 11 at 12:30 p.m. via Zoom. Interested students can register at https://nova.joinhandshake. com/login?utm_campaign=uni_targeted_ emails&utm_content=764093&utm_ medium=email&utm_source=mass_mailer Aside from resources that are focused on STEM fields, Kevorkian also recommends that students take advantage of their access to the Writing and Communication Center on the fourth floor of the Alvin Sherman Public Library. The Writing and Communication Center is a great resource for students that need help writing, editing or proofreading any type of writing that they need to. Whether that is lab reports or technical write ups, you can get help at the Writing and Communication Center. Micah is a third-year general studies major studying in the fields of health science and psychology. He is also a published author and producer. As a young Black man growing up inAmerica, I can honestly say that there’s never been a time in my life where I’ve been allowed the privilege to be ignorant to the issue of racial inequality. Growing up with friends and family, I always found that we all had a general sense of understanding of how things work in this country. Not being allowed to wear my hoodie outsidewas always normal. Hearing racial slurs was normal. Being told I would need to work two or three times harder than other people just because of the color of my skin was just something I understood. I became normalized to the disadvantages I would face and continue to face in society, and I just decided to live my life quietly and try to deal with things as best I could. Eventually, there reached a point where I just got tired. I got tired of being stopped by the police orhavingthepolicecalledonmefornoreason.Igot tired of missing out on jobs because my hair was deemed “unprofessional.” I got tired of watching my people all across the country continue to fall victim to injustice. There reached a point where my feelings about racial inequality bubbled to the surface, and I couldn’t be silent any longer. I knew it was time for me to speak out. It was time for me to take a leap of faith. It was important for me to understand that, in finding my voice, I would need to recognize my strengths. I always had a knack for writing, so I decided to speak out through my writing. During the fall of 2018, I decided to start writing personal stories about my life as I dealt with “race and reckoning.” By the summer of 2020, the timing around the finalization of my book coincided with the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement, so I felt it was time to release my work to the world. On July 30, 2020, I published “Step Into My Shoes: Memoirs From the Other Side of America.” My original plan was actually to stop there, with just the publication of my book, but as the months passed, my book started to gain traction. I watched as people resonated and connected with my work, and as media outlets began to pick up on my work and reach out to me. I didn’t plan for my work to start taking off, but as it did, new opportunities to continue to speak out just kept on knocking at my door. Following the release of my book, I was able to produce an audio series based on my book, work with some of Hollywood’s most prestigious actors and actresses on social justice projects, give public speeches about my book and civil rights, work with mental health centers as far as in Europe to bring light to the mental effects of race-related trauma and so much more. With what started out as just an idea to reach and captivate perhaps 20 people -- if I was lucky -- I found that things had quickly changed. I became somewhat of a figure in the community, using my platform to bring about positive change in society. To quote the legendary civil rights leader John Lewis, “I was called by the spirit of history, to do my part in bringing a better, more just society. To help create a better world for everyone.” This is how I found my voice. How comfortable have we gotten during the pandemic? After spending nearly a year between lockdowns and quarantines, many cities and states have given up on restricting their citizens. At this point, some states have implemented an “at your own risk” mentality. While many places still strongly suggest the usage of masks, they do not require them, nor do they regulate the number of people entering a location or how close they get to others. This deregulation has forced people to live at their own discretion, having to determine whether an activity is safe for them. At NSU, we have rather strict mask requirements, no visitor rules and social distancing implemented in places like the dining hall and classrooms. However, even with rules like this on campus, students may still feel unsafe or uncomfortable. This feeling of discomfort also applies when students leave campus, whether to go grocery shopping or go out for coffee with a friend. Obviously, everyone feels differently about going out during the pandemic. Depending on certain factors, such as pre- existing conditions, cases in the area and how the location you’re looking to visit is handling COVID-19, you’ll have to make the decision to go out or not. NSU student Orion Good is one of many students who has to make this decision every day. “My friends and I go out almost every day. We’re not really the type that go out to clubs or anything like that, though. We mostly go to stores and coffee shops, and on occasion, we’ll go sit in a restaurant if occupancy allows,” said Good. “We always make sure to wear masks and try to stay as far away from others as possible. I also always have hand sanitizer somewhere close -- in my bag, in my car or even in my friend’s bag.” Good feels that masks, hygiene and physical distance are the biggest factors in preventing the transmission of COVID-19. “I’m rather comfortable with going out at this point. Of course, I’m always taking precautions, though. Sometimes, my friends and I will have plans to go to our favorite coffee shop, sit down with a drink and work on some homework, but once we arrive, we notice there are more people inside than we’re comfortable with. When this happens, we just get our coffee to-go and figure out what to do from there. It’s all about flexibility, to be honest, and my friends and I haven’t caught COVID-19 so far, so I guess we’re handling this safely,” said Good. In the end, it’s up to you. Some may feel safer staying home and ordering food and groceries to their door while others are comfortable going out to eat in restaurants. After nearly a year in this pandemic, many people have adopted new ways of life corresponding to how they feel safest. As long as you wear a mask when you do go out to avoid the possibility of spreading anything to other people, feel free to live however you’d like. By: Alexander Martinie Opinions Editor By: Micah Dawanyi Contributing Writer By: Evan Kelly Contributing Writer The cover of Step Into My Shoes by Micah Dawanyi; printed with permission from M. Dawanyi Photo by Fabrizio Conti on Unsplash