Yesterday at GlobeMed's weekly chapter meeting, the ghU team led a discussion on the topic of Happiness. ghU members gave examples of the things in life that made them happy, then invited other GlobeMedders to fill out a poll answering three questions:
1. What makes you the happiest? 
2. What are the aspects of a happy life?
3. What change in your life would make you happier?
Since all of the participants were busy college students, it wasn't surprising to see answers such as "being stress-free" or "getting more sleep" being popular among the mix. Members were then asked in small groups the same questions, but in the context of 20 years from now. The answers were somewhat similar to what was seen in the poll. However, people also wanted a healthy lifestyle, a good job, family and company. 

Comparing the United States (#18) to other countries on the top of the Happiness chart, we noticed that the US is struggling with some unique problems, such as obesity, substance abuse, and depression. Jeffrey Sachs, a renowned Columbia University professor, said "America's subjective well-being is being systematically undermined by three interrelated epidemic diseases, notably obesity, substance abuse (especially opioid addiction), and depression." Apart from that, the demographic make-up of the US is relatively more diverse and heterogeneous, due to the complex history of the country.  

Lastly, GlobeMedders were invited to reflect on whether the nature of the American capitalist society had an influence on our perception of happiness. The definitive answer is yes, because while some people thrive in highly competitive environments, others may struggle. 

What about you? What makes you happy or unhappy? What factors shape your perception of well-being? We hope to see your opinions in the comment section below!  

This past Saturday (02/09), we discussed about the different dynamics of debates in day to day lives. We first started out by debating on a generic topic of Greek life. We split up into groups and discussed the pros and cons of Greek life and got everyone engaged in an active debate. After discussing the different perspectives on this matter for a bit, we reconvened to go over the possible logical fallacies that take place in day to day debates. We discussed the logical fallacies of Ad Hominem, Straw Man's Argument, and False Equivalency.
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We then debated for and against Animal testing in two different groups and generated more knowledge on the different stances taken on the topic. In the second round of debate, everyone was more prone to deviate from using logical fallacies and stayed on topic the entire time without coping out to different mechanisms of debate. The GhU discussion this week was centered around what makes a good debater and how one should act while engaged in a debate!

At this week's chapter meeting we discussed "PC Culture" - No PC is not Personal Computer, but Political Correctness. The content of our discussion was not related to the legality of free speech, as that had been covered in one previous ghU.

Being politically correct is defined as conforming to a belief that language and practices which could offend political sensibilities (as in matters of sex or race) should be eliminated. Indeed, the words we speak can have profound implications as we want to be respectful and inclusive with people around us. PC hits close to home as recently U of R restricted the use of the term "Freshman" to describe first-year students, replaced it with "First-year" instead. This change was to promote gender inclusiveness in our campus culture. According to some members, University staff could face disciplinary actions if they misused the term. However, in an anonymous survey, many GlobeMedders admitted to still using "Freshman" out of habit, despite agreeing that the change is necessary. 

Next, we looked at the PC culture in modern comedy. Some examples included works from the controversial Sacha Baron Cohen, such as Borat and The Dictator. Nowadays it is quite common for comedy to use culturally insensitive humor to appeal to the audience. Why is that the case? Media outlets reported that the PC movement has somewhat backfired and received much backlash recently. Is that the reason why we find non-PC humor so funny? Can politically correct comedy still be funny enough to attract popular audience? 

Do you find Borat funny too, but feel guilty for laughing at offensive comedy? Please tell comment below with your opinion! And don't forget to follow us on our Main Blog, Facebook, and Instagram to get the latest updates from GlobeMed at the University of Rochester!  ​  

Last Saturday (1/26/19), GHU presented a recently recurring event in Kentucky, where a group of catholic school students wearing MAGA hats were taunted by 3 men, and then one student, Nick Sandmann, came face to face with a Native American man, Nathan Phillips, in a tense situation of both sides trying to portray their message and identity. The extremely heart shattering video of Nick Sandmann looking down upon the Native American man, as he tried to diffuse the situation, caught the eyes of many citizens. Although, many twitter rants propagated people's views, and made them jump to conclusions regarding who was in the wrong, further discussion proved that the situation is more complex than just about pointing fingers. It's important to note that Nathan Phillips, when confronted on news media, lied about victimizing himself as a Vietnam Veteran, whereas Nick Sandmann, who is only a teenager, received death threats targeted to his family. In conclusion, it's crucial to realize that no one was in the wrong, rather the tension of the situation amplified aggregated feelings from both sides.

Speaking of amplified feelings, protesting can have both positive and negative effects on the vocal minority. Although the intentions of protesting is to bring positive change, the dynamics of a group protest can demolish individual autonomy of thought. When one joins a group protest, it can unwillingly promote a mentality of "hive mind" or "mob rule", thus dismissing the ability to speculate both sides of the story. When media covers stories without the portrayal of both sides, it can lead to a bias for the audience, because they view the antagonists from strictly one viewpoint. When further discussed, the members of globemed apprehended the importance of protest when it came to authoritarian governments and dictatorship, that requires force to be overthrown. 

At Saturday's (12/9) chapter meeting we discussed the moral and ethical aspects of autonomy with respect to culture, health, and education. Should it be a universal human right? Is there a universal moral code that applies to all cultures? 

While some cases such as the perception of arranged marriages are different from culture to culture and autonomy becomes more of a grey area, other cases like slavery is an infringement on autonomy. Where does one draw the line when deciding whether the rights of the individual are sovereign and where the common good prevails?

What are your thoughts? Comment below! And don't forget to follow us on our Main Blog, Facebook, and Instagram to get the latest updates from GlobeMed at the University of Rochester!  ​

Last Saturday (12/1) at our chapter meeting, the ghU team led a discussion on the topic of Social Media as part of the "Relating to the Real World" unit. How should governments around the world respond to the divisive atmosphere of the Internet? What responsibilities do media companies hold in regulating the public content on their sites? To what extent should free speech be permitted? Our members attempted to answer these thought-provoking questions by putting them selves into the shoes of the policy makers, social network executives, and leaders of political movements.    

In a fictitious scenario, GlobeMedders were split up into 5 groups: Government, Facebook, a political group supporting a policy proposed by the government, a political group against the said policy, and a group wanting to further escalate the divisive political atmosphere. The ghU mediators then prompted a situation in which a video related to the aforementioned policy went viral. How should the political groups use Social Media to gain popularity and advance their agendas? What role does Facebook play in delivering the truth to its users? How should the government appropriately respond? 
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Tell us your opinion in the Comments below! And don't forget to follow us on our Main Blog, Facebook, and Instagram to get the latest updates from GlobeMed at the University of Rochester!  

GlobeMed at the University of Rochester is proud to announce that we are partnering with Foodlink, a community food resource center and a food bank associated with Feeding America. Foodlink serves Allegany, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne, Wyoming, and Yates counties. Their mission is to leverage the power of food to transform lives, end hunger and build healthier communities. 

As part of GlobeMed's initiative to engage in not only our campus community but also the Rochester community, our members have been volunteering at the Foodlink headquarter. Most recently, we have been helping at the warehouse and distribution center. The volunteers packed nutritious lunches and snacks to support underprivileged children who don't have school lunches on the weekends. Learn more about the BackPack Program. Another task was to sort through donated foods to send out to mobile pantries that travel to underserved areas in the 10 counties that Foodlink covers. Learn about Mobile Pantry.
(If you are a glob, you can also sign up for a shift here! If you are not, then sign up here!) 

Facts: 
The overall food-insecurity rate for Foodlink’s 10-county region is 11.7 percent (147,420 people), and the child food insecurity rate in that same region is 18.3% (48,960 children).​

Usually, just a vague mention of taxes already makes most of us twist our noses in despair, but today's ghU showed us that the concept is much more important than it seems at a first glance.

How should the tax burden be distributed? Should citizens with higher incomes contribute more, or is an equal tax rate to all income levels the ideal policy? Should major corporations contribute more than small businesses? What about non-citizens? What is the role of social justice in this debate?

Discussion goes on as we think about the allocation of resources. How much of our taxpayer money should go to healthcare, or education? What about defense, or protection of the environment? How can our own opinions translate into our notions of the government's role in our lives?

Tell us what you think about it by leaving a comment below!

This was our last ghU discussion before summer, and we are excited about what the new academic year brings to GlobeMed. If you would like to learn more about topics like this, follow us on social media and go to our interest meetings in September!

sOur Community Building Committee has planned our first "GlobeMed Day of Service." This Saturday, each and and every GlobeMedder will volunteer in the Rochester community! We will be working on four different projects, which are described below: 

1. Urban Choice Charter School
Through this opportunity, we will get a chance to teach the kids about a variety of different subjects!

2. "Food not Bombs" Food Kitchen 
This is an opportunity to help serve those who cannot afford food. We will help prepare food with other volunteers from the Rochester community and then serve the food! 

3. Quadpalooza 
This is an opportunity to volunteer right on campus! We will help the Quad area council set up and clean up their event.

4. Dr. Walter Cooper Academy 
This is another opportunity to work with kids. We will be working with them on middle school level schoolwork!

In light of Earth Week, we hope you consider donating to GlobeMed to help us promote health equity and social justice in India! 

Our GlobeMed chapter is partnered with the Indian grassroots organization SOVA (Social Organization for Voluntary Action), located in rural Odisha. 

We support and fund SOVA's Healthcare Duty Assistant Training program, which aims to educate local youth through hands-on career training. This program takes place at the Srimula Public Health Center where 30 young trainees are given medical instruction over a 3-month period. As the assistants begin their work in the rural regions of Dhenkanal and Angul, the outcome of stable employment opportunities and increased quality health service for the region creates long-term benefits reaching far beyond the training process.

During the 2017-2018 academic year, GlobeMed at the University of Rochester aims to fundraise $9,000 for the continuation of the Medical Assistant Training Program. The funds raised will pay for the training instructors, class supplies for the assistants, and other incidentals for the training of health care workers. ​

Today we had an amazing ghU discussion on immigration, and all of the problems that surround it in the United States and the world.

What drives migrants to leave their home countries and face the risks of the unknown? Should the United States reform its immigration policies? How can we optimize the immigration process into the United States? 

When discussing topics like this, we need to be able to look at all sides of the problem -- the government, the economy, and the lives involved in the  immigration process.

Does this discussion sound interesting to you? Leave a comment below!

Also, come to our next chapter meeting on Saturday at 11 am in Genesee 325 for the opportunity to discuss similar topics with us! 

We are so proud to announce our incoming Co-Presidents for 2018-2019, Antoinette Nguyen and Payal Morari! We are looking forward to a new, exciting year in GlobeMed. And thanks to our former Co-President Vivek Viswanath. We wish you the best fortune in your future paths!

In our last meeting, we had an intriguing ghU about media sensationalism! In the modern era of immediate news, facts distortions and single stories have contributed to a culture of misinformation. Keeping that on mind, we discussed the applications of media sensationalism on gentrification, confederate monuments in the US, drone attacks on ISIS, and Greek Life. 

Would you like to participate in these discussions? Come to our next meeting on Saturday! Our meetings are always open. 

The World Day of Social Justice discussion event hosted by GlobeMed at UR served as a powerful reminder of the importance of empathy, unity, and collaboration in promoting social justice.

Our chapter partnered with several University of Rochester student groups to put on this event. The Student Association of Vegan and Vegetarian Youth (SAVVY), College Feminists, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), and the Minority Students Advisory Board (MSAB) each worked with one of our ghU coordinators, Bianca Hall, to hone in on one angle of this year’s theme for World Day of Social Justice, which was “Workers on the Move: the Quest for Social Justice.” What resulted was a multidimensional discussion that peeled back the complex layers of issues marring migrant workers in the United States and abroad today. 

MSAB discussed why migrants seek labor in the United States, specifically speaking about the American Dream. College Feminists brought in guests who work to combat the crippling cycle of abuse that female migrant workers and farmers face in Monroe County, where Rochester is located. Meanwhile, SDS discussed the disturbing use of Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees as reduced or free labor. SAVVY highlighted the effects of migrant labor on food costs—although food costs are low, migrant laborers are unjustly paid for the amount of work that goes into producing those low-costing foods. Finally, GlobeMed moderated the small-group discussions that was designed to reflect on and consider all four viewpoints in a larger context.

In my small group, members of every organization reflected on how large a scale this problem has become in the United States and how the solution is not so simple. Just as one member pointed out the importance of legal rights and protection for migrant workers, another questioned how to protect migrant workers when they themselves ignore the lack of respect and rights they face in the workplace just to salvage any money they receive. However, as my group discussed these issues in the context of Rochester, New York, and somewhat the country at large, I questioned how countries could work together at an international level to solve the migrant worker problem. Workers often migrate to find better job or salary opportunities than ones granted by their home country and countries rarely protect migrants until they become citizens; thus, the simplified view would suggest countries should take better efforts to protect incoming migrants or de-incentivizing citizens from migrating altogether. As this discussion event proved though, the answer is not so easy, but with a multifaceted attack, the solution is far more attainable than with any singular effort.

Through numerous perspectives, whether formally from the four co-sponsoring organizations or informally from the many audience members in attendance, the underlying reasons behind migrant worker issues were slowly uncovered and solutions were proffered in response throughout this event. Despite the lack of solutions resulting from discussion, the event was a huge success in promoting awareness in the campus community about a prevalent social justice problem plaguing our world today. ​

​- Mahir Khan

Do you want to learn more about GlobeMed? Check out our new video!

Communications Committee members Khai Du, Larissa Daruge, and Selin Toprakkiran developed this amazing promotional video. Do you want to learn more? Come to our open meetings on Saturdays at 11 am. 

GlobeMed's 7th Annual Benefit Dinner at the University of Rochester was a huge success! We're grateful for everyone who came support us. All the proceeds from the event will go to our partner organization SOVA (Social Organization for Voluntary Action). Through our Annual Benefit Dinner, we are able to raise funds to provide medical education to young women in Odisha, India. 

We would like to recognize the Projects Committee and Directors Mahir Khan, Priyanka Srivastava, and Ashima Sharma for this accomplishment! We would also like to express our  gratitude for our Co-Presidents Vivek Viswanath and Payal Morari and for all GlobeMed members. Without your hard work and dedication, this event would not be possible.   

A special thank to our guest speaker, Jocie Kopfman, and to our performers in PASApella, Ma'frisah, the Bharata School of Indian Dance and Music. 

We just drew on the chalkboard in Wilson Commons to spread the word about GlobeMed's 7th Benefit Dinner this Friday (02/23). Buy your ticket today at the Common Market!

Event Information:
Friday, Feb. 23rd
6:15-9:30 pm
Douglass Ballroom at the University of Rochester

Ticket Information:
UR Students: $8 at the Common Market, $10 at the door
General Admission: $20

Commemorate the World Day of Social Justice though inspiring discussions on various social justice issues!

GlobeMed has partnered with SAVVY, SDS, MSAB, and College Feminists to organize this event. This year, the theme is "Workers on the Move: the Quest for Social Justice." During the first section of the event, each of these organizations will make presentations on different social justice issues. Afterwards, we'll facilitate group discussions on each topic! 

The focus of this event will be Respect. Respect for the basic dignity of self and others is essential to this community. Every person has the right to be treated with respect, regardless of the many differences that distinguish individuals and groups.

Participating Organizations:
SAVVY (Students Association of Vegan and Vegetarian Youths)
SDS (Students for a Democratic Society)
MSAB (Minority Student Advisory Board)
College Feminists

Event Information
Location: Havens Lounge
Time: 7-9 pm

This event is completely free!

In our last ghU discussion, we had an exciting guest speaker (and a former GlobeMedder!) come in from a local children's advocacy center! Lisle Coleman discussed hardships that children face in the Rochester community. 

We discussed laws and different perspectives when it comes to children consenting to their healthcare. We also highlighted the debate about who should be involved in decisions when it comes to minors and the concerns that come up when parents or children have control. 

Sounds interesting? Come to our next ghU discussion next Saturday at 11 am! Our meetings are always open.