Dementia

Dementia is a brain disorder caused by other varying diseases and conditions, most commonly Alzheimer’s, that affects mental functions like thinking, memory, and reasoning. There are 5.3 million Americans living with the disease and every 70 seconds someone in America develops Alzheimer’s. Some cases of dementia, about 20%, are curable; in cases where the conditions are external like substance abuse or hormone imbalances. In 2010, the number of people aged 65 and older living with Dementia in Illinois was 210,000. Although there aren’t many medical preventative measures, most doctors agree that keeping your brain active helps to keep degenerative disorders at bay.

Image: A healthy brain and a brain affected by Alzheimer’s.

Gender Studies

What is a “woman,” really? Or a “man” for that matter? Would these social roles still exist if we didn’t have labels? Perplexing stuff. A gender studies major would be able to shed some light on the matter. Gender studies is a school of thought devoted to exploring the social, cultural, philosophical, and physiological differences between men and women. It strives to break down what we as a culture at large think about gender roles- blending concepts from feminism, gender identity and sexuality, race, ethnicity, and even geography. What began as a small program at San Diego State University in the 70’s has blossomed into an entire worldview. Many college programs now boast a Women and/or Gender Studies Department, with over 800 undergrad and graduate programs across the U.S.

Creole Folk Music

Picture this: a muggy summer porch, the sweet smells of the bayou, gumbo in the kitchen, and someone humming along to Aux Natchitoches. Welcome to Louisiana. Louisiana has had a rich cultural impact throughout America’s musical history. Creole folk music, also called black creole, dates back to 18th century. The most common way this music has been preserved? From generation to generation, most Creole music has been recorded, rather than turned into sheet music. These songs originated as dance melodies, sung in French patois by Creole people of French or African descent. The form still stands strong today.

The Original Creole Orchestra