I really love my grandmother and I mean absolutely no disrespect. But if you have tasted and witnessed her cooking, you’d completely understand where I’m coming from. To be fair, my entire family would agree. I can recall numerous, maybe even hundreds of times my grandma’s cooking was so disgusting I almost hurled. But one stands out the most.

As an international student studying in Bulgaria, covid was destroying my routine. Travel plans and semester activities were never set in stone. Having to go back to Massachusetts was always a possibility. In 2020, during the fall semester of my sophomore year, it got bad again. I was frustrated and upset. I felt like my youth was being robbed. “Look at the bright side Madelyn, you’ll make it in time for Thanksgiving” assured my mother over the phone. We planned on not telling my grandparents about my arrival.

My grandmother’s house is white, American colonial style. Framed by orange, red, and yellow leaves warmed by the autumn sunlight. My mother goes inside the house. I stay inside the car. They think I am still across the world. While my mom is greeting my grandparents she facetimes me. A normal routine. I lie to them, “Covid is really bad here. I have nothing to do. Most of my friends are home.” They sympathize with me, tell me they miss me, tell me it’ll be ok. I say my goodbyes and hang up.

I immediately walk through their front door. They’re shocked. Endless hugs and kisses. Massachusetts is typically cold this time of year but their house is warm, filled with the purest kind of love. I give them gifts I got while traveling, explain my flight back, and show them pictures. But when I enter the kitchen it stinks, it looks like a bomb went off. Containers are open on the counter, meat is left out, and there is no seasoning in sight. I pick up a can of cranberry sauce. It is packaged so it is my best shot at consuming something half edible. I look, it expired in 2016. All hope is lost and I am ready to accept defeat.

The rest of my family comes in. They were aware of my plan. Tons of hugs. My aunt comes a few minutes later…carrying pasta salad and mashed potatoes accompanied by her two toddler boys. Finally, hope is restored.

We’re seated around a long wooden table, reserved for holidays. My grandma’s favorite plates and glasses line the table. A ghostly white unseasoned, undercooked turkey is in the middle of my brother and I. We lock eyes and look away fast so we don’t start laughing. We know what we’re in for.

I’m having a staring contest with the cranberry sauce that has a small white hair in it. I look at my baby cousin. He is three. The cranberry sauce expired a year before he was born. I mean come on, a can of cranberry sauce costs less than a dollar. It was even first created in Massachusetts, where my entire family was born and raised.

Unless you’re American, the idea of green bean casserole probably sounds absolutely disgusting. Trust me it is usually delicious. Except if my grandmother has touched it. Typically it’s made with condensed mushroom soup, milk, green beans, and fried crispy onions. But, I am 99% sure my grandmother used mayonnaise instead of mushroom soup. And stale greasy potato chips instead of fried onions.

Ok I am in survival hunger mode. My last hope is the bread. I pick up a roll and grab some butter. When I go to butter the bread a patch of dark green is revealed. Mold. Yuck.

I put the minimum amount of food on my plate. I don’t want to hurt my grandma’s feelings. There is a big political discussion going on. Feels similar to the 2016 presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. It is my chance. While nodding my head and keeping eye contact I rip off pieces of food and hold it under the table. My grandparent’s dog Maya takes the bait. I use a napkin to wipe dog saliva off my finger nails. I can’t feed her all of it. That would just be cruel.

“Maddy eat some more. Green bean casserole is your favorite” proclaims my beautiful grandmother. “Sorry Dee. I’m stuffed. They eat a lot less in Europe” I respond. My favorite excuse.

The rest of the meal my family is just talking and laughing. This is what Thanksgiving is about. Inside jokes back and forth. Life plans and goals. It is a beautiful holiday. Conversations with my grandparents have always been some of my favorite memories. They’re my guiding compass. Even if I need to consume moldy bread or mayonnaise drenched green beans, it is a fair trade to be at the same table as my admirable grandmother. My sunshine.

My mom, my brother, and I are in the car leaving my grandparents. As we back out of her driveway we start our journey to the nearest McDonalds. “Can I please have a ten piece McNugget, a large fry, a strawberry milkshake, and oh yeah an apple pie ” I say to the drive thru employee. My brother looks at me “Jesus fat ass I thought they didn’t eat as much in Europe” my brother scoffs. The referee in the car, my mom, states “You should’ve eaten before we went.”

Madelyn Bourdeau is a fourth year student at American University in Bulgaria studying journalism and political science. She loves her grandmother.

Back to reality. An estimated 83% of Americans have at least one body piercing, according to Reference.com, an online encyclopedia. At the same time, a survey conducted by Salary.com shows that 76% of respondents felt that piercings and or tattoos will hurt the chance of someone getting a job. And a whopping 55% reported that visible body piercings are inappropriate within the work environment.

But why? Body piercings should not limit someone’s job opportunity. Some people may believe that body piercings are unprofessional within the workplace. However, they should consider that piercings can be cultural, a form of self expression, and that piercings are actually good for the economy.

Piercings are not a new thing. Having a nose piercing can be traced all the way back 4,000 years from the Middle East based on an article focused on the history of body piercings. Even in terms of Christianity, Genesis 24:22 mentions a golden nose ring that Rebekah (a religious figure) received as a gift.

To this day, Berber and Beja tribes most commonly in Northern Africa still wear nose rings. Within this culture, the size of the nose ring portrays wealth and stability. Typically, a husband gives the nose jewelry to his wife during their wedding.

In India, the left side of a woman’s nose is usually pierced. Based on ayurvedic (Indian alternative medicine) this piercing reduces childbirth and menstrual pain. Also, nose rings can be tied to religious practices. In Hinduism, nose piercings are a way to show respect to the Goddess of marriage, Parvathi.

Regardless of cultural and religious influence, piercings are a form of self expression. They allow people to decorate their bodies. Selecting the jewelry and the location of the piercing is a personal experience.

However, employers are able to enforce a no piercing policy. Unless you can prove your piercing is religious you may need to remove it. Nonetheless, employers should not stereotype people with piercings. They could be overlooking qualification and talent based on aimless stigma.

Piercing discrimination should not limit one’s freedom. Self expression through body modifications is not just because someone may find the jewelry beautiful. Piercings are often used to increase self confidence. In a study conducted by Christine Coleman and Helge Gillmeister 27.3% of respondents felt that their navel piercings made them more attractive.

Based on Psychology Today’s article self agency is a psychological term that relates to one’s ability to control their actions and the consequences they may experience. Piercings may be a way for someone to boost their self agency by having control over their body. In the previously cited study, roughly 12% of surveyed individuals claimed that their navel piercing was a way to seek control of their bodies.

If body piercings give someone a feeling of control over their body and self confidence, employers should not take this away.

In a country with less piercing tolerance the economy would take a hit; especially small businesses. According to industry research from IBISWorld, in the United States the market size of piercing shops in 2023 is $582.1 million. Also, the market size of piercing studios is expected to grow 5.5% by the end of 2023. If piercings become strongly disapproved of, piercing studios will suffer.

Based on the Association of Professional Piercers (APP), there are 323 registered piercing studios in the U.S. However, these studios are members of the APP, meaning this number is just a fraction of the amount of American studios.

While some people, mainly in the older generation see piercings as rebellious and unprofessional this should not stop someone from getting a piercing. Besides just expressing one’s self, piercings may be religiously or culturally important. Don’t forget to consider that the piercing industry is big and growing. Moral of the story: if getting piercings makes you feel good, do it.

Madelyn Bourdeau is a fourth year student at American University in Bulgaria studying journalism and politics. She admires body piercings and believes everyone is entitled to freedom of expression.

Based on her Facebook page, Clancy worked as a labor and delivery nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Following the birth of her youngest child, she was on medical leave to work on her mental health. It is believed that Clancy was suffering from postpartum psychosis. Many women who have experienced postpartum psychosis or postpartum depression are sympathizing with Clancy’s situation and sharing their experience online.

Her husband, Patrick Clancy is asking the public to forgive his wife. He has openly expressed the love Lindsay had for their family. He also included information about her condition and how it has gotten worse. But, what exactly is postpartum psychosis and why does it play such an important role in Lindsay Clancy’s case?

What is postpartum psychosis?

Dr. Giles Berrisford et al, defines postpartum psychosis as a serious mental illness that occurs soon after a mother gives birth. In general, psychosis is a condition that alters one’s mental state. This makes it challenging to differentiate what is actually happening and what is happening in one’s mind. Mothers who suffer from postpartum psychosis usually experience more confusion than normal and have serious intrusive thoughts. This decreases judgment skills and negatively affects a mother’s actions. Mood swings and paranoia are also common.

According to the American Journal of Psychiatry, postpartum psychosis in some cases can induce thoughts about homicide and self harm. Based on medical research, 4% of women with postpartum psychosis kill their infant within one year of delivery. Statistics from the American Journal of Psychiatry, show that following a postpartum psychosis episode, the mother has between a 50% to 80% chance of experiencing another episode of psychosis. This makes it very common for women to endure these episodes frequently. Between 20% to 50% of affected women only experience episodes of psychosis within this period. Meaning, 50% to 80% of women with postpartum psychosis will experience psychosis even after the postpartum (6 weeks following childbirth) period.

Who does it affect?

Based on information from the Royal College of Psychiatrists, postpartum psychosis affects women who have recently had a baby; usually, within the first two weeks following delivery. It can happen to any woman. However, it is rare and only affects about 1 in 1,000 women.

Veerle Bergink and other psychiatrists have found that bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and family history can make a new mother more likely to experience postpartum psychosis. A recent mother whose mother or sister had postpartum psychosis has a 3% chance of also having it. A greater indicator of potentially having postpartum psychosis deals with bipolar disorder and/or schizophrenia. Mothers who are experiencing their first pregnancy with no family history of postpartum psychosis but have bipolar disorder or are schizophrenic have a 20% chance of having it. Also, if a woman experienced postpartum psychosis in a previous pregnancy they are very likely to have it again. Roughly, one in two women who have previously had postpartum psychosis will develop it again in a future pregnancy. However, about 50% of women with postpartum psychosis will have a future episode; even without having more children. Meaning, proper treatment is crucial.

What is the difference between postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis?

Postpartum depression is more common than postpartum psychosis; affecting around 15% of recent mothers, according to the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Typically, within a month from childbirth postpartum depression can be diagnosed as a major depressive disorder. However, postpartum depression can start during pregnancy. According to the Cleveland Clinic, symptoms may include rapid mood changes, excessive crying, fatigue, guilt, anxiety, irritability, and difficulty caring for one’s self and the baby. Treatments usually include psychotherapy, antidepressants and/or talk therapy.

In contrast to postpartum psychosis, a less severe version of postpartum depression is called the baby blues. Baby blues are significantly more common than postpartum psychosis; affecting around 50% to 75% of mothers following delivery, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Symptoms last for roughly 10–14 days and include random crying, anxiety, and feelings of sadness. Professional treatment is not needed and symptoms reduce on their own.

What are intrusive thoughts?

According to Harvard Medical School, intrusive thoughts can be disturbing and involve violence or repeating fears. They are common but can also be a symptom of serious mental illness. That is, if the person is becoming obsessed with their intrusive thoughts and seriously contemplating acting upon them. The American Journal of Psychiatry’s findings show that 87% of women with prevalent mood disorders during the perinatal period experienced intrusive thoughts. In the perspective of women with major postpartum depression, 57% of them reported that they had thoughts regarding injuring their child. These women did not harm their baby but reported these thoughts to a psychology study.

What treatment options are available?

There are multiple potential treatments for postpartum psychosis. Cleveland Clinic explains possible treatment options ranging from hospitalization to some medications. Involuntary hospitalization usually occurs because the woman’s friends or family members become very concerned about the mother’s safety and the safety of her child. Most of the time it is involuntary because the mothers suffering from postpartum psychosis are usually embarrassed or unsure about whether they should seek help. Another treatment method that may be used are medications. These can include antipsychotic medications, lithium, mood stabilizers, and so on.

Psychosis in general may be treated through electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) . Girish N. Babu and others have found that ECT has been effective and safe for women experiencing postpartum psychosis. The treatment involves minimal electric currents through the patient’s brain to target a specific area to induce a minimal brain seizure. This can help change brain activity in hopes of reducing or resolving the patient’s postpartum psychosis.

According to MSN, Lindsay Clancy is set to be held at the same hospital she has been at until she is cleared. Then she will be placed in a new facility. On May 2 she will attend an additional court hearing. Clancy’s defense attorney Kevin J. Reddington is using Clancy’s mental health to help defend her. Reddington will investigate the medications Clancy was previously prescribed to determine if Clancy was misdiagnosed.

Madelyn Bourdeau is a fourth year student at American University in Bulgaria studying journalism and politics. She is passionate about spreading awareness to issues that are not talked about enough.

His office has warm brown tones with direct sunlight. His black water bottle is on his desk and his backpack. He has brown eyes framed by glasses, thin brown hair, average height and build, and he is usually smiling. He greets me with a smile on his face “Hey! Come on in! How are you?”

We catch up. Graduation plans, masters programs, semester goals, and everything in between. Ronald Harvey has always been one of the professors students deeply admire. We share a common understanding because both of us are Americans who by chance ended up residing in Bulgaria.

Harvey conducts the kind of class students don’t want to miss. During his classes you’re not even tempted to look at your phone. He is constantly keeping everyone’s attention. Students are smiling and laughing while he displays his PowerPoint. Asking questions about defining love, romantic interests, memory, and so on. Everyone’s trying not to laugh; not at him but with him. There is never a question students refuse to answer because everyone is interested. Because of his psychology 101 class I found my love for psychology and declared it as my minor.

His passion for psychology is crystal clear. Last year during his psychology research methods class I vividly remember how he eased the class into the statistics unit.

“See this graph. Look at the outlier. The data is taken from exam scores. Not from any classes I taught” says Harvey. A student says, “Does the outlier say 33?” Harvey replies, “Yes, the 33 is the exam grade I got at university. I failed statistics. But don’t worry it’s not that bad.” Half the class looked horrified, the other half class were red, holding back smiles. “But hey, I made it” ensures Harvey.

Harvey started studying psychology in his 40s. He emphasized how, “The only degree that made sense was psychology because I love traveling, I love seeing the differences between people, I love seeing culture and so on.”

Deciding to continue his psychology education, he began his PhD in social psychology at the University of Illinois in Chicago. He had a difficult time there with statistics. However, this experience led him to studying community psychology at DePaul University in Chicago.

Throughout his education he did research on Oxford Houses. Basically, an Oxford House is a form of sober living that is formed to reduce relapse among addicts. The rules are simple. Decisions are formed democratically, rent and utilities are evenly split, and residents must be sober. There are no professionals living in these houses and residents can stay as long as they would like if they are following the rules.

“The reason I chose community psychology is because I knew I wanted to do international research. I wanted to do something that actually helped people that was applied. I have a family history of addiction so I knew I wanted something with addiction and all those things kinda converged together at Depaul because they’re doing research on Oxford Houses” explained Harvey.

One summer Harvey was going to travel to Eastern Europe; Bulgaria included. His campus advisor, Lenny Jason recommended that during Harvey’s trip he research how to implement Oxford Houses in Europe. When he started interviewing Bulgarians about Oxford Houses one said “We don’t have them here but we sure need them.”

During his studies, nearly every paper he wrote focused on implementing Oxford Houses in Bulgaria. He applied for a Fulbright grant. The Fulbright Program is an exchange program for international research and scholars. Harvey was able to receive some funding for his research on Oxford Houses in Bulgaria. During his third year of graduate school he lived in Bulgaria and conducted his research.

In 2016, he formed the first Oxford House in Bulgaria, the first in Continental Europe. While in Varna, Bulgaria, Harvey met a priest, Father Georgi. Father Georgi runs a treatment center but expressed concerns about where to send patients post treatment. Harvey was able to recruit four men who previously completed treatment.

The Oxford House lasted for seven months before it was closed. Someone relapsed on heroin and it was nearly impossible to fill the vacancy. For just 140 BGN a month including utilities a former addict would have a warm place to live. However, cultural differences between the U.S. and Bulgaria restricted people’s willingness to move in with strangers.

“Nice thing about community psychology, this is true about most things, you learn almost as much or even more from failures than you do from successes” said Harvey.

Despite the challenges Harvey experienced, one of the former residents of the Bulgarian Oxford House became sober again. He reached out to Harvey and apologized and asked if there was anything he could do to make it up to him. Harvey insisted that there was nothing to be sorry about and that these things happen. Nonetheless, he kept insisting. Harvey told him, “Make another Oxford House.” And that is exactly what he did. It opened in 2019 and is still running to this day.

But where did this all begin? Before his interest in psychology and time in Bulgaria Harvey lived a completely different life. Originally, he is from Joliet, Illinois but lived in Chicago for about 25 years. He’s the youngest of eight boys.

Prior to psychology, he worked in the tech field. Specifically, investment banking from 1991–2001. “Working in the investment banking field, I did it for 10 years. It was by far the most meritocratic place I have ever worked in my entire life. Far more than academia. Please print that…Filled with smart and effective managers and that is where I learned how to deal with people in a very straight forward upfront way. We celebrate good ideas and move onto the next idea if it is bad…My managers there were the best managers I had in my entire life.”

Not to mention, that in Chicago in the 90s he was in a band named “Plume.” He played guitar, sang background vocals, and even wrote some songs. To add to this, his former girlfriend was the lead singer. Currently, he still practices on his acoustic. He started at 16.

While in the music scene, he was introduced to improv comedy. He went to some shows at a theater known as “Olympic” in Chicago. Fast forward 20 years later and he was performing.

“Doing a PhD is a lonely experience. I was miserable. But everyone is miserable doing their PhD. I Needed to find something fun to do…I remember sitting on a bus in Chicago and looking up and seeing these advertisements for improv classes and I thought ‘oh my god!’ Went to classes and fell in love with it.” Through his improv classes and performances, Harvey formed a supportive friend group and community. They provided some assistance and moral support which helped him complete his PhD.

Currently, you can sometimes find Harvey at Shizzy Improv Club in Sofia. Also, he conducts an improv group at AUBG for students on Wednesdays. He has attended improv festivals all over the world. From Russia, the U.S., Finland, Spain, you name it he’s probably done improv there.

Harvey’s next adventure will take him to Vietnam. He will be teaching psychology at an Australian university in Hanoi. He wants to try and implement an Oxford House in Asia. Many of his students are sad and will miss him very much, myself included. However, this is an amazing opportunity.

Georgia Waterhouse, a current student in Harvey’s Introduction to Psychology course stated, “Harvey is the best professor and person I have ever met. I was thrilled that I could take a class with him this semester. He just knows how to make all of the information so interesting and fun. Because I’m a freshman, I was looking forward to taking more and more classes with him, but unfortunately he is done with the AUBG chapter in his life. I was really upset, I’m not going to lie. He is amazing, and I hope that he has a great time when he leaves AUBG!”

Madelyn Bourdeau is a fourth-year student at American University in Bulgaria. She loves people, conversation, and illustrating beautiful life stories to inspire readers.

Spencer Collins enters the ELI building at 1:40 and goes into his office. He turns on the lights and logs onto the computer. Before conducting his Zoom English class, he reviews the course material. He opens the Oxford Discovery English teaching guide and examines the unit he will present to his class. He joins the Zoom call at 2:00 and welcomes his first group of students. He teaches the same material to two different classes. Each class consists of about 10–15 students. The classes take place between 2:00 and 5:30. They start in October and go through the end of May.

Spencer’s students are around 10 years old and they attend class twice a week. Spencer works alongside his Bulgarian colleague Zlatka. Zlatka teaches on Tuesdays and focuses on the more technical and grammatical aspects of English. Whereas Spencer focuses on conversation, vocab, and pronunciation. He likes focusing on the conversational aspect of English because he thinks it is more fun to teach.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Bulgaria has suspended most in-person classes. Spencer has been teaching his classes online over Zoom. He misses having a live class but he is grateful to still be able to teach.

“Covid-19 has made things more difficult, but at least I can still conduct my class online. Sometimes when I am around Blagoevgrad I see my students and they get really excited,” states Spencer.

During his freshman year, Spencer took a Bulgarian language introduction course. He bonded very well with his professor Sabina Wien. She is the director at ELI and offered him the teaching position. He has been working there since October 2020.

Spencer says, “When I came to AUBG I did not plan to teach. However, I am really happy I was given this opportunity. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

Spencer studies Political Science and International Relations. He is debating adding a second major, Journalism and Mass Communication. Spencer is from the United States, he has lived in multiple states such as California, Ohio, Virginia, and his family is currently in the process of moving to Florida. Spencer chose to study at AUBG because of how diverse it is. He loves to travel and learn about other cultures.

While studying at AUBG, Spencer has become part of the club known as More Honors. More Honors is a club that focuses on the funny aspects of university life. They entertain AUBG with parties and parody videos of campus. “I have so much fun being a part of More Honors. It feels like we’re a big family,” says Spencer.

Spencer gushes, “Between my academics, teaching, and being a part of More Honors I am very busy. But it’s a good kind of busy and I truly enjoy what I do.”

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Madelyn Bourdeau is a sophomore student at American University in Bulgaria majoring in Journalism and Political Science. Madelyn is very good friends with Spencer and has always been curious about his experience teaching; interviewing him has given her a deeper insight into his work.

The English Teacher | Spencer Collins was originally published in SDS Stories — Group 1 on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Middle Eastern country Iran has scored 173 out of 180 for its 2020 ranking on the World Press Freedom Index (WPFI) created by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an international non-governmental non-profit organization that seeks to protect the rights of free media. This score represents how journalists experience very limited journalistic freedoms in Iran. Over the last five years Iran’s score has reflected extreme restrictions on journalism with little improvement.

Since the start of 2021 two journalists have already been killed in Iran and currently 278 journalists, 116 citizens journalists, and 12 media assistants are imprisoned, according to WFPI.

Freedom House (FH), an American non profit NGO published a report titled Freedom in the World (FITW). FITW evaluates countries based on civil liberties and political freedoms. Out of 100 Iran only scored 17 and was labeled as “not free.” Iran’s FITW report shows that there is no free and independent media.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a nonprofit independent organization formed to defend journalists reported that in 2018 several journalists were imprisoned and publicly whipped over their coverage of a protest in Iran. Journalists who were covering the Gonabadi Dervish protests, a religious dispute between the Iranian government and Sufi Muslims were penalized with “Prison terms of between seven and 26 years, and ordered them to be flogged publicly and forced into exile and banned from political and social media activities on their eventual releases,” reported CPJ.

Iranians do not have access to independent media within their borders, they are also not allowed to interpret outside media. Based on the FITW report, many outside news outlets and media sources are heavily sifted through. It is illegal for people to own satellite dishes in Iran and it is strongly enforced.

“Iranian authorities have pressured journalists working for Persian-language media outside the country by summoning and threatening their families in Iran,” reported FH. Journalists and their families in Iran face a lot of pressure and danger, they are threatened to frame and sculpt their work according to strict governmental guidelines.

The Iranian government has also been censoring news amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as claimed by CPJ. Freedom of the press does not exist in Iran as it is. Censoring news about the spread of COVID-19 is threatening the health of Iranians. The government decided to manipulate the death toll in order to maintain voter turnout for the 2020 election.

The restrictions journalists in Iran are facing about COVID-19 does not only impact the citizens of Iran but also people and journalists abroad. As stated by CPJ, “For the time being, journalists reporting on coronavirus on Iran from abroad will have to continue relying on a combination of questionable official state statistics, anecdotal evidence, and social media.”

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Madelyn Bourdeau is studying Political Science and Journalism at the American University in Bulgaria. She is very interested in learning about various cultures and promoting civil rights.

Iran was originally published in Media Freedom in the World on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.