These topics kind of go hand in hand so I would definitely like to learn more about them. I feel like these topics would be very beneficial for us in order to have a better understanding of how we go on as a society and how we process information. As of right now I don’t really have a great grasp on these topics, but I’m looking forward to better my understanding as the semester progresses!

My name is Jarely, and I am a Sophomore currently undecided, but later transferring and changing to Interior Design. Interior design has always been something that I felt passionate about since late middle school. I hope to one day work hard enough and expand in order to own my own interior design firm! I also enjoy reading (especially Colleen Hoover’s books), watching shows like Rick and Morty, and weight training.

A big brand that has been exposed for testing their products on animals is MAC Cosmetics. Even though MAC claims they are cruelty free, their products being sold in China are still being tested on animals, making them not practice what they preach. 

This topic has changed/developed because a lot of brands in the United States have decided to change to cleaner and cruelty free companies. In some places, like China, it is still mandatory to test on animals, but in the U.S. it is starting to be less of a normality.

My research is important because a lot of people use facial and/or makeup products in their daily lives and if the product is cruelty free, then there are less toxins released into the atmosphere making these products sustainable. My research is important to me because when I was getting into makeup and facial products I would never read the label and, frankly, not care if the product had a cruelty free sticker But now as I’m starting to learn more about how animals are being treated, I’m choosing to only have clean and cruelty free products. 

I want to learn more about the economical benefits of using cruelty free products and what we can do to combat animal testing in the U.S.  

A question I have for my peers is: Do you make sure that the product you use is cruelty free?

Using the IL framework, I thought this information is part of a continuing conversation because we are starting to see more and more EV’s being made, and by 2030 electric vehicles are expected to take over. That is why it is so important for countries and car manufacturers to start producing greener car batteries, because what’s the point of using energy efficient cars, if at the end of the day these batteries are going to cause an insane amount of damage. 

Purpose: To inform the audience of the harmful tactics used when animals undergo testing and encourage them to move away from animal tested products

Potential Audiences Who Can Impact Change: Major brands that switch to clean products

Research Question: How much do animals suffer when going through cosmetic testing?

What My Audience Knows About This Topic: My audience knows how cruel animal testing really is and in spite of it all animal testing is not necessary and not that effective when it comes to seeing if the product is safe or not. 

What Questions I Have: When shopping for your products do you make sure that the product you buy is cruelty free or do you not check for the cruelty free symbol on your product? What are your thoughts on animal cruelty and how do you feel about big brands moving away from testing on animals? What are some ways you incorporate cruelty free products into your daily routine?

Key Words: The key words I used were “cosmetic” and “animal testing.”

Filters: The filters I used in my search were full text, peer reviewed journals, with the date published from 2016-2021. The language chosen was English and I chose “human” as the population. 

How I selected the sources I wanted to read: It was pretty easy for me to find what source I wanted to read because when applying the filters it led me to one article. Before reading I made sure that the article was relevant to my topic and it was.

Questions about searching?: The “ask a librarian” tool helped out a lot, so I don’t have any questions at the moment.

Difficulties about the Reading Process: Difficulties I faced about the reading process would definitely be the vocabulary used and the data tables provided. 

What helped?: In order to have a better understanding of the vocabulary used I reverted to a quick google search leading me to the definition of the word. As far as figuring out what the data tables were trying to show me I just reverted back to the text and pinpointed what term belonged to what. 

Questions about reading?: When it comes to selecting an article to read, is it okay if there is only one source to select from?

Counter narrative: The counter narrative of the topic would be that knowing animal testing is not morally humane, cosmetic companies and manufacturers need to implement a way that researchers can aid their research by testing cosmetics in a more human way.

How counter narrative can help solve the problem: My counter narrative can help solve the problem by helping researchers and companies find more human ways like vitro methods, silico models, and human volunteers to test the safety of cosmetic products without the use of animals.

Family, friends, and friendly strangers- On behalf of our family, we’d like to thank you for being here today to honor my mother, Karen Zandarski. I know my mother would have adored seeing everyone she loved all in one room, and the amount of attendees here tonight shows just how many lives she personally touched. 

Many would describe my mother as a generous, kind hearted, and strong woman. She was a light in this dark world. Her hugs and her love could make even the worst of days brighter. If there’s one thing my mother would have not wanted us to do is mourn her death and be in a state of grief. instead, she’d want us to remember her as the great person she was. She’d want us to take her situation and turn it into a lesson, one of the many attributes of being a professor. And so, as we leave here today, I want you all to remember one thing: Life is not guaranteed so make it worthwhile. Don’t hold onto silly grudges, be compassionate, take risks, and above all, repeat the words “I love you” frequently. 

Mom, you are my hero, my rock, and my best friend. you are in a better place filled with joy and laughter. I will see you again someday. I miss you, and I'll love you forever.