Some of Their Parts

SOME OF THEIR PARTS is a YA coming-of-age / supernatural investigation novel about competitive academics and the stress of the American college application system. The full text will be about 60,000 words. For as long as she can remember, Vivi has been preparing for college. She studies. She volunteers. She finds tasteful extracurriculars. She knows what’s expected of her, but she’s never really felt it—until, in her junior year, her mother’s new professorship means Vivi gets sent off to a boarding school in southern Vermont. A school that mixes its human students with amalgams. Amalgams are people, same as Vivi—only instead of being born, they’ve been sewn together from carefully-chosen corpses and copper thread: children hand-crafted by their parents. When Vivi stumbles across a group of them practicing for an academic competition called scholars’ bowl, she finds herself tumbling into a world of deep rivalries, unsettling teenage swagger, and (perhaps, begrudgingly) the best friends she’s ever had. But Southridge Academy’s sco-bo team has seen better days. Their star player has vanished, and his disappearance has scattered the team’s veterans to the wind. One of the few who’s left seems to be haunting Vivi’s footsteps—delivering cryptic warnings before her practices and skulking about the campus at night. And someone in her dormitory seems to want Vivi gone, too, if the overtuned heater and constant rearrangements of her fridge magnets are any indication. If Vivi wants to get to the bottom of this, she needs time—and support. But the pressure is on for her to perform, she’s growing increasingly concerned that the one teammate she’s actually friends with is nursing an unwanted crush, and—most worryingly—every hour she’s thinking about ghosts and missing persons is an hour she isn’t preparing her college applications. SOME OF THEIR PARTS is a story about friendship, competition, and the stifled anguish of being a seventeen-year-old who wants to change the world. It may appeal to readers who enjoyed the investigative team dynamics of Trenton Lee Stewart’s The Mysterious Benedict Society or the quiet desperation of aspirational otherness in Charles Yu’s Interior Chinatown

Shining Lights: The Power of Students as Storytellers

Weall have stories waiting to be told, and this thesis intends to explore the ways in which we as educators can support children as innate storytellers and nurture a love of storytelling. Storytelling f irst emerges through imaginative play during early childhood, and lends itself to the development of literacy skills they can later use to tell their stories. The continuation of play-based learning for upper elementary students is necessary in maintaining their original voice and imagination alive in their storymaking. Along with oral and written stories, we have to embrace dramatic arts and visual storytelling as mediums for students to create stories and express themselves without barriers. In the writer\u27s workshop, teachers take on the role of story-supporter, where they provide scaffolding for the diverse range of storytellers and build a relationship where they feel wholly seen and heard by not just the teacher, but their peers as well. All of these ideas advocating for children\u27s stories to be honored in the classroom contribute to the bigger picture of fostering a sense of belonging and connectedness, as it is an empowering feeling they can carry with them for the rest of their lives

To Dance or Not to Dance? A Dancer\u27s Journey to Becoming a Movement Therapist

This thesis explores the impact of the word dance on people’s idea of what dance/movement therapy is. Dance/movement therapy was created by dancers who realized that dance had the ability to be therapeutic. In the 1940s in the United States, when dance/movement therapy was established, dance was not what it is today. Dance has expanded and is now seen in competitions, television/movies, and social media, which places a strong emphasis on the validation from others. The author aims to look at this shift in dance and how ideas present within dance do not align with the focus of dance/movement therapy. Through an exploration of personal experience, the history of dance and dance/movement therapy, and professional identity, the author looks to examine how dance fits into their own practice of dance/movement therapy

Examining Rare Instances of Vexas Syndrome in Females

VEXAS (vacuoles, E1 enzyme, X-linked, autoinflammatory, somatic) syndrome is an adult-onset inflammatory condition. Initially thought to only affect males with a specific myeloid-lineage UBA1 somatic mutation, it was hypothesized that females with the same pathogenic mutation might have a milder form of the condition due to its X-linked inheritance. However, recent research has demonstrated that the genotypic and phenotypic profile of VEXAS patients is expanding, with a recent subset of female patients being identified. This literature review investigates the clinical features and UBA1 somatic mutations in females with VEXAS, aiming to understand how the condition presents in females compared to males. Notably, this review identified that although VEXAS syndrome presents at a lower frequency in females, the clinical features are similar. The most frequent symptoms among our literature-based cohort in both sexes were rheumatological symptoms. Gastrointestinal involvement and fatigue was exclusively reported in male patients with VEXAS, and the c.122T\u3eC, p.Met41Thr somatic mutation was the most common mutation identified in both sexes. Overall, the findings of this review indicate that female patients who meet the criteria for relapsing polychondritis and/or myelodysplastic syndrome, and have any of the following symptoms: macrocytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, arthritis, fever, chondritis, should undergo somatic UBA1 genetic testing. Further research with female patients is needed to expand the clinical picture of this disease, and to understand how VEXAS syndrome manifests in this population

Gifts from The Underground: Co-Creating Subaltern Zones of Liminality in Dance/Movement Psychotherapy

Utilizing Liberation Psychology’s assertion that mental health exists in a social and relational dimension as a critical frame, this paper examines how dance/movement psychotherapists can enter therapeutic work from the under as a means of accessing germinal material for creative restoration. Central to this process is the facilitation of liminal spaces in which narratives may be revised. This paper connects the notion of “liminality” found in underground spaces to the “potential” therapeutic space – the affectual in-between where new meaning is created. Vibrating yet unseen, The Underground honors the essence of the fugitive, the deviant, and the transgressive. Kinetic melodies such as movement, vibration, rhythm, and enactive co-creation are the building blocks for interaffective exchange and are present in both The Underground and the potential space. Given that interaffective exchange is where meaning is cultivated, psychotherapeutic work focused on un-relating from dominant cultural paradigms is strengthened through accessing this in-between space where relational components can be re-imagined. Doing so disrupts hierarchical, Western psychotherapeutic paradigms by tapping into shared resonant experience rather than imploring rigid prescriptive interventions. Thus, dance/movement psychotherapy provides a unique portal to the liminal, and the framework of The Underground may allow the dance/movement psychotherapist to access a critical embodiment – one that works relationally, resists pathology rooted in individual blame, and utilizes kinesthetic modalities to encourage neuronal plasticity

Exploring Diversity in Genetic Counseling: Experiences and Perspectives of BIPOC Faculty and Leadership

The underrepresentation of racial and ethnic minorities within faculty and leadership roles in genetic counseling programs highlights a critical gap in the field\u27s commitment to diversity and inclusion. This sequential explanatory mixed-methods study investigates the experiences, challenges, and perspectives of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) serving in these capacities. By examining responses from the faculty and leadership members across various genetic counseling programs, this research aimed to identify barriers to diversity and explore mechanisms for fostering a more inclusive environment. The findings revealed an underrepresented number of BIPOC individuals (n≤3) in leadership or faculty roles per genetic counseling training programs. Participants reported experiences of microaggressions, biases, and a lack of institutional support. Despite these challenges, the importance of mentorship and support networks emerged as a significant theme. This theme highlighted that mentorship and support enhanced professional growth and diversity within the field. This study underscored the need for genetic counseling training programs to implement targeted strategies for improving representation through inclusivity, early recruitment efforts, community engagement, and the development of formal mentorship programs. This investigation provides a foundation for understanding the experiences of faculty and leadership in genetic counseling programs

Rhythmically Rooted: Exploring the Role of Rhythmic Identity in Dance/Movement Therapy

Abstract Historically, in psychology, identity has been defined in Eurocentric, individualist ways. Freud and Erickson’s ideas have influenced how the West views identity development. In recent years, there has been a significant shift in perspectives within psychology, sociology, and philosophy regarding identity development (Caldwell, 2016). Contemporary understandings emphasize identity\u27s dynamic, culturally embedded, and multifaceted nature. Building on the ideas expressed by Caldwell (2016) and the conceptualization of rhythm as an inherently embodied phenomenon, the exploration of identity through rhythm emerges as a means to incorporate the Self\u27s evolving experiences while reflecting the dynamic, culturally embedded, and multifaceted nature of identity. A unique identity is embodied and created by layering rhythmic experiences felt within and outside the body throughout the present lifetime and through memory. The systems of white supremacy have led to a dampening and disconnection of the body among those with marginalized identities (Leighton, 2018). The body is the primary location of dominance, as Black and brown bodies have been exploited and oppressed for hundreds of years. Viewing identity through a rhythmic lens underscores the dynamic interplay between agency and structure, acknowledging how societal systems and power dynamics shape individual experiences of rhythm. Dance emerges as a profound expression of rhythm, connecting individuals in unity and movement (Schott-Billman, 2015). Ultimately, the internal/external interplay of rhythm in a dance/movement therapy session mimics the internal/external interplay of rhythm in the body, connecting individuals and offering avenues for expression

Certain Logic

Certain Logic is a collection in which an unnamed narrator observes and experiences the world and relationships that surround her. This collection sets out to explore passivity and ambiguity. It is meant to blur the lines between reality and dreams, between the internal and external. While writing this collection, I was drawn to the idea of strangeness and alienation and how they manifest themselves through spaces and people. I mention Airbnbs, staying at a partner’s parent’s house, weddings, and trains. I also am preoccupied with transactional relationships and relationships that are frayed or ending. In all these spaces, whether they are physical or emotional, the narrator finds herself isolated and tries to make sense of everything happening around her. The collection is concerned with what it means to exist within a system that renders one, at times, powerless. Instead of actively choosing to resist, the narrator explores the idea of relinquishing control while maintaining perspective

Evaluation of Patient and Provider Satisfaction with a Point of Care Genetic Testing Model for Cancer Patients

The ever-increasing demand for cancer genetics services is driven by expanded patient eligibility criteria and the utility of hereditary cancer genetic testing (HCGT) in informing treatment plans and long-term risk management. This demand is currently unmet due to the limited supply of genetic counselors; therefore, alternative service delivery models are being explored to improve access to HCGT. This study used a mixed-methods approach to concurrently evaluate patient and provider satisfaction with a point-of care testing (POCT) model at NYU Langone Health. In this POCT model, cancer patients who were eligible for HCGT received pretest education from an educational video and handout before discussing and consenting to HCGT with their oncology provider. Genetic counselors provided post-test genetic counseling and risk assessment. Patient satisfaction was evaluated via post-test surveys for two study arms, POCT and Non-POCT. Chi-square analysis was used to evaluate differences in satisfaction survey responses between arms. Provider satisfaction was evaluated via a survey using a mixed-methods approach involving descriptive statistics and reflexive thematic analysis of free-text responses. In total, 116 patients (Non-POCT=63 and POCT=53) and 25 providers completed their respective satisfaction surveys between August 2023 and January 2024. There were no significant differences in patient satisfaction between POCT and Non-POCT arms in all survey categories. Similarly, there were no significant differences when comparing patient satisfaction between breast and non-breast cancer patients within the POCT arm. Providers reported high satisfaction and competency with the POCT model. Overall, 57% percent of providers found it easy to use, 71% felt comfortable identifying eligible patients, and 60% felt comfortable obtaining informed consent. Providers also perceived high patient satisfaction as 85% reported that patient satisfaction was either unchanged or significantly increased. Providers’ perceived benefits of POCT included expedited HCGT results while barriers included time and/or space constraints. Overall, the patient and provider responses observed in this study provide evidence for the successful implementation of a POCT model for cancer patients pursuing HCGT