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-Jack Griffiths | Friday, March 31, 2023
My knees feel tired, I think I’ll sit for a moment. But wait … everyone else around me is kneeling. Am I doing the wrong thing? No, that’s ridiculous, everyone has their own means of prayer. Let’s not worry about it. But … I guess I could be kneeling. That’ll help me focus. I can
Jack Griffiths | Wednesday, March 8, 2023
All right, I’m looking into his eyes. Good. Now he knows I’m paying attention … Wait, it’s been 10 seconds. What if he thinks I’m staring at him? Maybe I should just look at something else for a split second so I don’t stare. Good! There’s a tree over there. Let’s look at the tree.
Jack Griffiths | Thursday, March 2, 2023
For today’s column, I wanted to finally place ADHD at the forefront. For me, the main difficulty with writing a full article about ADHD was general nervousness about misrepresenting or misunderstanding aspects of others’ experiences. Eventually, I determined that I could alleviate this concern by interviewing one of my friends from the Liturgical Choir who
Jack Griffiths | Thursday, February 16, 2023
Autistic people are often incorrectly thought of as passionless. One might meet an autistic person who seems anxious or reserved and misinterpret her demeanor as a sign that she’s simply not someone who feels very strongly about anything. This could not be further from the truth. Autistic people are still invested in the topics and
Jack Griffiths | Friday, February 3, 2023
In 2009, I wrote a 10-step list on ways to calm down during times of stress. I wanted to revisit each of the steps, reflecting on each one’s value and relevance as a college student. Take 3 deep breaths. Obviously, deep breathing has positive effects on the body, lowering one’s heart rate and thus alleviating
Jack Griffiths | Friday, January 20, 2023
Welcome to the second semester of NeuroDivergent! While I know that my final column last semester may have given the impression that I was done as a columnist, I still have the desire to do more deep dives and tell more stories. So, to kick things off in a new year, here’s a (hopefully well-structured
Jack Griffiths | Friday, December 2, 2022
Head spectrum is the cognitive carnival. Your neurons have soared off the rails. So hold on to your everything, ladies and gentlemen. Behold the hidden wonder of the world and watch as thoughts bounce on all the cranium walls. Getting the opportunity to (metaphorically) spill ink about my personal experiences and about neurodivergence more broadly
Jack Griffiths | Friday, November 11, 2022
Being a white man, I fit within the general population’s preconceived idea of what an autistic person looks like. When asked to picture an autistic person, many people will automatically conjure images of young white boys playing with trains. This conception overshadows the perspectives of those who do not fit this expected mold; in an
Jack Griffiths | Friday, October 28, 2022
This week, I’m attending a conference in Vancouver to represent Notre Dame’s Writing Center alongside some of my fellow tutors. All of us will give short presentations pertaining to a common theme: promoting inclusivity in writing center environments. While my peers will be covering topics such as multilingual writers, discouraged writers and writers who respond
Jack Griffiths | Friday, October 7, 2022
In my columns, I’ve primarily focused on my own experiences to provide insight into neurodivergence. However, while I’ve enjoyed sharing my thoughts and personal history, there are obvious limitations to this approach. Neurodivergence can manifest itself differently from person to person, and one’s other identity factors can also contribute to unique experiences. Hence, this week