An essay/column about the power of alcohol to ravage inhibitions and ruin the quality of life. This is not a research paper. Rather, it is a commentary on the anguish this substance can bring to the lives of people when abused. I also discuss what role the media plays in getting people to feed their addictions and propel the cycle of unhealthy decision-making.

In this essay/column, I discuss the differences between an anxious person and an anxiety-driven person. I argue that while anxiety can take a toll on one physically and mentally, it is also what drives people to work harder and excel. In a way, anxiety can be a good thing for people because it gives them an extra push.

In this column, I explore what I believe to be the benefits of a hearty laugh. Inspired by a Satuday Night Live sketch gone awry when all of the cast members fell apart with uncontrollable laughter, I started thinking about whether laughter can be scientifically proven to have a positive impact on us. I found out that indeed, it can, and make the conclusion that laughter really is the best medicine.

I'm a 24 year old woman with Cerebral Palsy. This story draws on my personal experiences of living and coping with a disability. In this story I talk directly to those living with a disability, their caretakers and family members. I take the reader through my experiences and offer advice on how to get through a similar situation. Against all odds also draws on the experiences of others and how they cope.

HIV/AIDS become a biggest threat to human survival in the last 700 yrs, people living with HIV/AIDS have consistently reported being the target of stigma and discrimination. We know the media power today; media can play a vital role to make a violence and discrimination free environment.

This is an article I published in the Hawk, the St. Joseph's University campus newspaper in November '05.  It covers the bad habit of overeating at the holidays with a humorous bent.

A LOOK AT DATING FROM A FUNNY PERSPECTIVE

This article reflects current problems in every part of America and in other countries.  I interviewed as many people as possible to write the best article I could to help impact readers.

One part of a special section called Busted!, which originally appeared in a 2004 issue of my former high school paper, The Villager. Possibly the most quote-heavy article I have ever written, but with good reason. In this in-depth conversation with the Bristol County, MA sherrif, he talks about new drunk driving laws and the physical/emotional consequences of getting behind the wheel while intoxicated.

This is a cover story I wrote for the October 2003 issue of POZ (www.poz.com), the national monthly AIDS magazine. It explores the dilemma of people with multi-drug resistant HIV who are desperately looking for a drug regimen that will save them. Two of the four people I profile here, Michael Barry and renowned poet Tory Dent, have since died. This story had a lot of meaning for me. I am very proud of it.

This piece of writing is a feature story on weight loss in college and all the different options students have to try to lose the dreaded Freshman 15.

In this first-person feature, I explore the remarkable bond between humans and animals. I share my experiences as a pet therapist and talk about the nursing homes I visited, the people I met, the relationships I forged, and the amazing effects I saw pet therapy have on people near the end of their lives. Includes definitions of pet therapy and colorful examples from my research.

When most people hear the word anorexia they image a skinny, almost malnourished, adolescent girl who is staving herself in order to achieve a thin physique.

I wrote this at a time when people at my school were looking at  Livestrong bracelets as more of a fashion statement than a survival statement. The popular yellow bracelets were designed to support cancer research, and are on sale from the Lance Armstrong Foundation, named for Tour-de-France winner and cancer survivor, Lance Armstrong.

This article focuses on a presentation about walking away from peer pressures, delivered by Becky Bowman, a Roger Williams University student who survived a car accident that killed both her mother and best friend. The car she was in was struck by a drunk driver. Bowman's presentation was seen by many students, who were cautioned to say no to drugs, alcohol, and the temptation to 'follow the crowd.'

I originally wrote this paper as a speech.  Through my efforts of presenting it at countless speech competitions throughout the academic school year, it gained national recognition at two collegiate-level national tournaments.  The speech itself is about the harmful effects of vaccinating children and why we, as a society, don't question the effectiveness of vaccines.  I hope this paper causes you to question the safety of vaccines and reconsider the role of vaccines in your future.