Samuel Fogel woke up one day and his life was changed forever. Becoming a teenager is hard enough but when 11 year old Sam Fogel woke up in the middle of the night he had no idea he had just had his first seizure. Sam’s mother MaryBeth told the story from that night, “His older brother Andrew came downstairs and told me that Sam fell off the bed and wasn’t acting right.” Sam said that Andrew turned him on his side before he ran downstairs and he possibly saved his life. MaryBeth had worked in hospitals for many years and when she saw Sam she knew he was having a seizure and immediately called 911. She said, "I have seen it all before, but it rattled me because you never think it will by your child.” Sam had no recollection of the day before his seizure or the seizure its self. He went through many hospital visits after his grand mal seizure. The doctors found that his seizures were nocturnal and could be controlled on high doses of medicine. He spent several years in and out of the hospital and doctors office hindering his school work and his time of being a child. “He wanted to keep it private so no one treated him differently, but he was always in such good spirits,” said MaryBeth. When Samuel was fifteen he went to the Cleveland Clinic to have tests ran and possibly have brain surgery. While he was at the clinic they took him off his medicine for a span of two hours and he had anywhere from 3-5 major seizures. The Clinic was monitoring his brain activity and if they could pinpoint where the seizures were active they could do surgery to stop the activity. What the Clinic found was that there was a high chance that his seizures were child benign, only active in childhood. MaryBeth said this was a relief because he wouldn't have surgery but it also gave them hope that it would be over soon. The clinic also had to monitor Sam after they put him back on his medicine, they also gave him medicine for the pain he had after the seizures. “He was high as a kite. He called his brothers, was singing, and talking to everyone. When he had to go back employees recognized him from his video, it was the number one video they showed in the hospital, everyone loved it,” MaryBeth said. That same year Sam was part of the make a wish program and, like any fifteen year old boy, his wish involved sports. Sam went to the 2007 pro bowl in Hawaii. He got to spend a week in Hawaii, went to practices leading up to the pro bowl, went to a luau, and got to meet many of the players. “I told Payton Manning I thought he was the best quarterback and he laughed at me because I was in my Steelers jersey and told me I better not let Ben hear me say that,” said Sam. He said the experience was one of the best experiences he has ever had and that it made him respect some players more but it also made him lose respect for one player. Terell Owens walked right by all the make a wish kids and wouldn't even look at them. At the time he was one of Sam’s favorite players but after that Sam did not like him as a player or person anymore. Sam went on for the next few years in a daze because of his medicine but without any complications from the seizures. When he was 18, right before Sam’s graduation he had the final of three perfect EEGs, which proved the Cleveland Clinic to be right about his seizures being child benign. They took Sam off of medication at a fast pace starting in April and he was completely off medicine by June. Sam went on his senior trip and said he was not worried about just being off medicine, he just wanted to go to Florida. He had no complications on the trip and has been seizure free since that time. Sam is open about talking about his seizures and said that they were a crucial part of who he is as a person. He says he doesn't worry about having seizures at this time of his life. “I know that everything will work out, so I'm fine,” he said. Sam is an excellent student at Slippery Rock University and is on the inline hockey team and also participates in several intramural sports. He is happy with where his life is and thinks that he is a stronger person because of his past.
I chose to do this project on my friend Sam Fogel. When he was younger he suffered from seizures. He struggled with that disease for many years. He got to make a wish and went to the pro bowl in Hawaii with his family. The doctors got his seizures under control and he was able to participate in sports, go to school with out missing long periods of time, and he eventually got to go to college. He didn't let his seizures define him or stop him from living the life he wanted.
I have chosen the legalization of marijuana in the United States. This includes decriminalization, legalizing for medical use, and complete legalization. There are several states that are still criminalized as well. This is an on going debate in the United States, especial since Colorado and Washington legalized marijuana in 2012 for recreational use. California took the plunge in 1996 legalizing marijuana for medicinal use. This is something that can be mapped across the United States and can also be spanned from the beginning of the United States, hemp paper is what the Declaration of Independence was written on, up until now when two more states legalized marijuana for recreational use. This plant has been used for more than just getting high. This plant can be used for many positive things such as, paper, textiles, helping to slow cancer cells, and many more. So I plan to do a history of why it was criminalized and why now it is getting legalized. I will be choosing several states to focus on and reasons each one has for their marijuana laws. It will be mapped across the United States going from coast to coast and I have not decided on the time frame yet because it has deep roots in our country; however, it will at least be from 1996 until present.
Native Americans are one of the strongest, most proud cultures in the United States and Thursday the Three Rivers American Indian Center celebrate their culture at Slippery Rock University. Native American day is not a well known holiday in the United States but has been recognized in many of the states, especially in the west where the Native American population is greater and more concentrated. The day is not a set date, it varies by state and year. The Three Rivers American Indian Center performs from 9:30am until 4:00pm in the Robert Smith Student Center ballroom. Thirty-four Native Americans perform, speak, and demonstrate traditional and contemporary Native American existence in Western, PA. The participants are indigenous tribal people from the greater Pittsburgh area who have won awards in traditional dances, drummers, and singers in their tribal traditions. They have many activities going on for the students such as, make your own dream catcher and participation in the tribal dances. They have hand made jewelry, paintings, and other artifacts for sale as well. The Three Rivers American Indian Center was established in 1969 to provide the opportunity for Native Americans to share their culture and values and to provided education to improve the quality of life and to elevate their economic status. They go to different schools and perform for the students so that they can see how different their culture is compared to the american culture. This event happens every year at Slippery Rock University and other schools attend this event as well. It is open to everyone and everyone there was in awe at the performances. There is a mutual respect between the Native Americans and the students attending. Several activities that the Native Americans did were open for anyone to join. They encouraged others to join them in dancing. They also had crafts for those attending to create and make themselves. There are people there who would talk about how to make traditional cloths and the meanings of the feathers, which is very important in the Native American culture. They talked about the repression of their people and how they bear no ill will to those who slaughtered their ancestors. They also talked about their POW-WOW a little. The POW-WOW is a meeting the Three Rivers Native American Center holds every year between the tribes in the greater Pittsburgh area. It is a two day event that happens late September every year. It is much like what they brought to Slippery Rock University but on a much larger scale. They have competitions and prizes and more ways to get involved. Celebrating our differences and similarities is one of the fundamental rights of being and American. Unity and celebrating culture of this nation is what Native American Day is all about.
The logo for the Three Rivers Native American Center.
Ron Miller sitting with his table of merchandise.
Slippery Rock students making their own dream catchers.
Samuel Fogel woke up one day and his life was changed forever. Becoming a teenager is hard enough but when 11 year old Sam Fogel woke up in the middle of the night he had no idea he had just had his first seizure. Sam’s mother MaryBeth told the story from that night, “His older brother Andrew came downstairs and told me that Sam fell off the bed and wasn’t acting right.” Sam said that Andrew turned him on his side before he ran downstairs and he possibly saved his life. MaryBeth had worked in hospitals for many years and when she saw Sam she knew he was having a seizure and immediately called 911. She said, "I have seen it all before, but it rattled me because you never think it will by your child.” Sam had no recollection of the day before his seizure or the seizure its self. He went through many hospital visits after his grand mal seizure. The doctors found that his seizures were nocturnal and could be controlled on high doses of medicine. He spent several years in and out of the hospital and doctors office hindering his school work and his time of being a child. “He wanted to keep it private so no one treated him differently, but he was always in such good spirits,” said MaryBeth. When Samuel was fifteen he went to the Cleveland Clinic to have tests ran and possibly have brain surgery. While he was at the clinic they took him off his medicine for a span of two hours and he had anywhere from 3-5 major seizures. The Clinic was monitoring his brain activity and if they could pinpoint where the seizures were active they could do surgery to stop the activity. What the Clinic found was that there was a high chance that his seizures were child benign, only active in childhood. MaryBeth said this was a relief because he wouldn't have surgery but it also gave them hope that it would be over soon. The clinic also had to monitor Sam after they put him back on his medicine, they also gave him medicine for the pain he had after the seizures. “He was high as a kite. He called his brothers, was singing, and talking to everyone. When he had to go back employees recognized him from his video, it was the number one video they showed in the hospital, everyone loved it,” MaryBeth said. 
That same year Sam was part of the make a wish program and, like any fifteen year old boy, his wish involved sports. Sam went to the 2007 pro bowl in Hawaii. He got to spend a week in Hawaii, went to practices leading up to the pro bowl, went to a luau, and got to meet many of the players. “I told Payton Manning I thought he was the best quarterback and he laughed at me because I was in my Steelers jersey and told me I better not let Ben hear me say that,” said Sam. He said the experience was one of the best experiences he has ever had and that it made him respect some players more but it also made him lose respect for one player. Terell Owens walked right by all the make a wish kids and wouldn't even look at them. At the time he was one of Sam’s favorite players but after that Sam did not like him as a player or person anymore. Sam went on for the next few years in a daze because of his medicine but without any complications from the seizures. When he was 18, right before Sam’s graduation he had the final of three perfect EEGs, which proved the Cleveland Clinic to be right about his seizures being child benign. They took Sam off of medication at a fast pace starting in April and he was completely off medicine by June. Sam went on his senior trip and said he was not worried about just being off medicine, he just wanted to go to Florida. He had no complications on the trip and has been seizure free since that time. Sam is open about talking about his seizures and said that they were a crucial part of who he is as a person. He says he doesn't worry about having seizures at this time of his life. “I know that everything will work out, so I'm fine,” he said. Sam is an excellent student at Slippery Rock University and is on the inline hockey team and also participates in several intramural sports. He is happy with where his life is and thinks that he is a stronger person because of his past.
