"The Loud Silence of an Unwell Body"

This piece was created in response to a final project connecting the ideas of travel, space, and identity. It displays how the writer experiences the space of Vanderbilt's campus on her daily walk to class. Because of several chronic conditions, her daily experience differs from the expected "healthy" college student, and this video project displays those subtle differences while inviting the audience to consider their own positionality.

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Katie Carlsen, Class of 2020

Bio: I'm from Woodstock, Georgia and just graduated with a degree in Medicine, Health, and Society, along with a math minor. Currently, I am applying to master's programs in public health. After I earn an MPH, I plan to work for a year or two before earning a PhD in Medical Anthropology.

"Social Problems of Mass Incarceration"

This piece--developed for a group project--discusses certain social problems caused by mass incarceration, including extreme surveillance, unequal impacts on certain social groups and other collateral consequences. It also engages in some potential policy solutions for those problems. Authors' personal experiences and reflections are also involved.

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Xioliang Zhu, Class of 202

Bio: Xiaoliang is a student of the College of Arts and Sciences, Class of 2023, majoring in Mathematics. Through Professor Patterson’s writing seminar, he explored the U.S. justice system and examined how inequality and discrimination emerged in these programs. Sharing their ideas and own experiences in this podcast, he and his members discussed the social problems caused by the U.S. mass incarceration and sought for possible solutions.

Salma Abuhamda, Class of 2023

Bio: I am a rising sophomore at Vanderbilt on a Pre-Medical track. I am interested in social justice issues, and hope to brings awareness of these issues to the medical world as a doctor in the future!

Jalil Mitchell, Class of 2023

Bio: I am a rising sophomore pursuing medicine as my future career. This class and podcast have allowed me to explore a new topic that has greatly interested me: mass incarceration. As a result of this class, I have chosen social and behavioral sciences as my MHS major concentration. I believe it will allow me to see how other factors, such as race, sex, gender, and socioeconomic status, result in health disparities within communities. Overall, I hope to focus on health disparities within the African American community, and mass incarceration has shown to be just one of the many ways that the health of black individuals has been negatively affected in our society.

"The Use of Heterogeneity in Aaron McGruder's The Boondocks: Exploring Different Characterizations of the Black Community"

An exploration of the racial politics behind Aaron McGruder's choice of characters in The Boondocks. Elucidating modern intra-racial and inter-racial dynamics, this video analyzes the ways McGruder provides social commentary through characterization.

Watch "The Use of Heterogeneity in Aaron McGruder's The Boondocks: Exploring Different Characterizations of the Black Community"

Christian Crawford, Class of 2022

Bio: Christian Crawford writes both fiction and non-fiction and is pursuing a minor in AADS. He is a member of the executive board of Hidden Dores and is a musician.

"Funny Face: The Audrey Hepburn Way to Be Lovely"

This podcast uses the musical film Funny Face as a medium to explore Audrey Hepburn's female-oriented star image and its relation to her character in the film. It uses Hepburn's interviews and outside journals to discuss how she stood out in an era of sex symbols.

Listen to "Funny Face: The Audrey Hepburn Way to Be Lovely"

Angela Hua, Class of 2021

Bio: Angela is majoring in Computer Science and Cinema & Media Arts.  She is an events associate at Sarratt Student Center and hopes to pursue a career in the film industry when she graduates in 2021.