Letter to the Editor Regarding “The Vigil of Medicine”

This letter to the editor is regarding “The Vigil of Medicine”, which is a reflection on the author’s personal experiences backpacking the John Muir Trail. In this piece, the author discusses not being afraid to look back, while seeing the campers behind her holding up a “string of headlights that snake up the mountain”. I agree with the author that this “string of headlights” resembles the journey of medical school. Every year, more students begin their journey into medicine, and as more senior medical students, we have a responsibility of leading our younger classmates behind us. In this letter, I draw on this importance of leadership integrated into medical school curricula (e.g., through student-led organizations) and discuss my time as a Peer Mentor (PM) while as a second-year medical student. As a PM, I was able to provide much support to my first-year classmates through ways such as bringing snacks each weekend, taking walks to a local ice cream store, and running tutoring sessions. When my time as a PM was over, many of my then first-year classmates graduated to become second-years, and gladly took over the program with gratitude as they embarked on leading their incoming freshmen classmates. This opportunity uniquely embodies the concept of the “string of headlights”, and this letter encourages senior medical students to continue leading their younger classmates so the path of headlights can continue to burn bright

Culturally responsive school leadership: Examining White male principals’ practices

K-12 principals must enact culturally responsive school leadership to close the opportunity gaps Black students and economically disadvantaged students experience. Critical race theory, the key model, and culturally responsive school leadership theory form the conceptual framework for this phenomenological study. The overarching research question for the study is as follows: How do Whiteness and masculinity influence the enactment of culturally responsive school leadership by White male K-12 principals in exurban school settings? Interviews, school handbook policy analysis, and examinations of participants’ professional social media posts provide data to critique the actions of four White male principals in Midwestern, exurban public schools. Four cross-cutting themes emerged as study results: personal to instructional critical reflection, social justice professional development, challenging an exclusionary school practice, using school based communication, and viewing White masculinity as privilege and a responsibility to support Black students and economically disadvantaged students. Conclusions suggest that participants acknowledge White heterosexual male privilege without deliberately using it to create humanizing school environments, unintentionally engage minoritized students and families, and implement superficial inclusive practices. Implications can inform pedagogical choices of university education leadership preparation programs and educational leaders’ and White male principals’ actions

Total Suspended Sediment And Phosphorus Transport In Response To Storm Events In An Agriculturally Dominated Watershed

Increased sediment introduction and transport in streams negatively impact water quality. Deleterious effects include reservoir filling, water pollution and ecological impairment. Sediment introduction and transport typically takes place during storm events. Phosphorus introduction, generally from loss of agricultural runoff and soil erosion also typically takes place during storm events. When phosphorus is applied for agricultural uses it is preferentially retained by smaller sediments. During storm events, these phosphorus rich sediments are more likely to enter the stream system. A small number of large storms can account for a large percentage of sediment and total phosphorus (TP) introduction, leading to elevated levels in waterways. Increased phosphorus introduction into waterways is a main driver of algal blooms and hypoxic conditions such as the dead zone that forms in Lake Erie. The goal of this study is to determine if turbidity (NTU), total suspended sediments (TSS) and TP exhibit similar transport behaviors in an agricultural watershed. Three years of data are available at the Six Mile Creek watershed located in McLean County Illinois. Analysis of TSS, NTU, and TP data show that both TSS and NTU display a correlation ranging from moderately to strongly positive with TP and an R-value ranging from 0.569 to 0.832. When broken down by phase TSS and particulate phosphorus (PP) and NTU and PP display a moderately positive correlation with an R-value of .606 and .718, respectively. However, TSS and dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) and NTU and DRP display a correlation ranging from weakly positive to moderately positive with an R value of .472 and .781, respectively. Ongoing hysteresis analysis is being conducted to elucidate the similarities in transport mechanisms between TSS, NTU and TP. Evaluation of hysteresis patterns allows for further breakdown on an annual, seasonal, or event-based scale. Farmers and agricultural managers may be able to better develop sustainable land management practices if there is a consideration of the correlations between NTU, TSS and TP. This could ultimately mitigate the excessive amount of TSS, and TP introduced into surface waters.https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/urs2021geo/1009/thumbnail.jp

Total Suspended Sediment and Phosphorus Transport in Response to Storm Events in an Agriculturally Dominated Watershed

Increased sediment introduction and transport in streams negatively impact water quality. Deleterious effects include reservoir filling, water pollution and ecological impairment. Sediment introduction and transport typically takes place during storm events. Phosphorus introduction, generally from loss of agricultural runoff and soil erosion also typically takes place during storm events. When phosphorus is applied for agricultural uses it is preferentially retained by smaller sediments. During storm events, these phosphorus rich sediments are more likely to enter the stream system. A small number of large storms can account for a large percentage of sediment and total phosphorus introduction, leading to elevated levels in waterways. Increased phosphorus introduction into waterways is a main driver of algal blooms and hypoxic conditions such as the dead zone that forms in Lake Erie.The goal of this study is to determine if turbidity, total suspended sediments, and total phosphorus exhibit similar transport behaviors in an agricultural watershed. Three years of data are available at the Six Mile Creek watershed located in McLean County Illinois. Analysis of total suspended sediments, turbidity, and total phosphorus data show that both total suspended sediments and turbidity display a correlation ranging from weakly to strongly positive with total phosphorus. Hysteresis analysis was conducted to elucidate the similarities in transport mechanisms between total suspended sediments, turbidity, and total phosphorus. Concentration discharge relationships observed in the hysteresis patterns were further described by calculating flushing index and hysteresis index values for these events. Evaluation of the hysteresis patterns, flushing index, and hysteresis index allows for further breakdown on an annual, seasonal, or event-based scale. It was discovered that the hysteresis patterns displayed, the flushing index, and hysteresis index was behaving similarly for both turbidity and total phosphorus on a seasonal, annual, and event-based basis in the Six Mile Creek Watershed. Farmers and agricultural managers may be able to better develop sustainable land management practices if there is a consideration of the correlations between turbidity, total suspended sediments and total phosphorus and the timing of their introduction. This could ultimately mitigate the excessive amount of TSS, and TP introduced into surface waters