Matt Dilworth

Matt Dilworth

Advances in Surgery

Advances in Surgery

, , Library Resources, Matt Dilworth
On December 25, 1809 surgery took a pioneering step forward.  In December of that year, forty-seven-year-old Jane Crawford of Motley Glenn, Kentucky seemed to be pregnant, although she thought she was too old to have more children.  Her stomach grew and grew – and kept growing, beyond nine months.  At the recommendation of her local doctors, she called upon a physician named Ephraim McDowell, who lived sixty miles away, in Danville.  He came – a two or three day journey by horse – and diagnosed her as having an ovarian tumor rather than a baby.  Realizing that if it were left to grow, she faced a certain, slow, and agonizing death, she asked for it to be removed, and was … Continued
Human Rights in an International World

Human Rights in an International World

, , Library Resources, Matt Dilworth
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was signed by United Nations members on December 10, 1948 (a day that is now celebrated as Human Rights Day).  Eleanor Roosevelt, the chairwoman of the UN committee that drafted the document, referred to it as humanity’s Magna Carta.  In the wake of the atrocities committed in World War II, there was a strong need to formally define rights in a manner that all nations would understand them in the same way.  The document was based around four core freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from fear, and freedom from want.  In 30 articles, the UDHR spells out individual rights and freedoms to dignity, liberty, and equality, including listing recommended remedies … Continued
Speaking Internationally

Speaking Internationally

, , Library Resources, Matt Dilworth
IU East offers many study abroad opportunities in countries all over the world.  These can vary in duration – some for as little as a week – and are an excellent opportunity for any student to broaden their cultural horizons.  Scholarships are also available to ensure anyone who wants such an experience can benefit from one.  Countries that have a study abroad opportunity within the next few semesters include Belize, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, England, Ghana, Italy, Japan, Morocco, Scotland, South Korea, and Spain. In many of these places, English is not the dominant language, and participants might wish to acquire some basic language skills before embarking.  Apart from academic language classes, IU East has a number of do-it-yourself … Continued
Election Preparation

Election Preparation

, Library Resources, Matt Dilworth
Election Day is November 8th in the United States, when a free people have the power to decide who serves in their government, at the federal, state, and local levels.  There are several useful tools that registered voters can use to prepare for their civic opportunity – some would say civic duty – to vote.  The Indiana State government offers a voting website that has tools to help citizens check their voting status if they don’t know it, register to vote (for later elections), and find their polling place.  Because this is the first election after the redistricting mandated by the results of the 2020 census, prospective voters should take care that they know where their polling location is (Indiana … Continued
Constitution Day

Constitution Day

, , Library Resources, Matt Dilworth
September 17 is Constitution Day, commemorating the day in 1787 that thirty-nine of the fifty-five delegates to the Federal Convention in a hot Philadelphia courthouse signed their great work.  Creating the Constitution for the United States, currently the oldest republic with power derived from the people, was an intricate work with very few historical precedents.  Not all of the delegates came in May of 1787 with the intention of building a new government (some hoped merely to reform the Articles of Confederation), but they came with remarkably little in the way of personal agendas or preconditions, remaining open to other arguments, in a manner almost inconceivable in today’s polarized environment.  They faced many divisions as severe as ours today, but … Continued