Annual celebratory events such as Native American Heritage Month also help to promote awareness of Native American Culture. Native American Heritage Month is celebrated every November in the United States. Special public venues and events recognize Native Americans for their service in the nation’s armed forces and other contributions they have made to American society. These events showcase Native American culture, art, and food, and provide an opportunity to learn more about the tribes of different geographic areas. For more information, visit www.nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov.
Recognizing Native American cultures as a gateway to gaining further understanding of the environment around us, Jordan Perzik actively strives to learn more about how to preserve these cultures and use their traditional knowledge in present society. Jordan Perzik supports organizations such as the Living Desert, Friends of the Desert Mountains, and various cultural centers that promote recognition of the contributions Native Americans have made to the United States of America.
Annual celebratory events such as Native American Heritage Month also help to promote awareness of Native American Culture. Native American Heritage Month is celebrated every November in the United States. Special public venues and events recognize Native Americans for their service in the nation’s armed forces and other contributions they have made to American society. These events showcase Native American culture, art, and food, and provide an opportunity to learn more about the tribes of different geographic areas. For more information, visit www.nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov.
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Jordan Perzik, a psychology intern in California, spends much of his free time advocating for environmental preservation and awareness of local native cultures. Jordan Perzik works with the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum of the Cahillua Indians, the Malki Museum Press, and the cultural center of the Morongo Indian Reservation to promote understanding of these peoples and their history. To encourage increased knowledge of California's history and the contributions of its native peoples, governor Jerry Brown recently signed into law a bill that requires secondary schools to offer a course in Native American studies. The bill also mandates the development of a model curriculum, to be created with input from various tribes across the state. The author of the bill, California Assembly member Monique Limon, stresses the importance of Native peoples' contributions to the required curriculum. She notes that such a process will ensure a course of study that will give marginalized communities the chance to tell their stories and provide Native students with representation in public education. This is crucial in a state that has not only the largest percentage of Native American residents, but also the third-highest number of Native students in its public schools. A psychology intern working toward becoming a psychologist, Jordan Perzik also pursues a long-time interest in astronomy. Jordan Perzik has more than 100 hours on the Hale Telescope in Los Angeles, where he concentrated on the study of galaxies and other interstellar phenomena. In October of 2017, astronomers at the University of Hawaii spotted a fast-traveling interstellar object as it passed by the sun. Observers assessed the body as a comet but noted that it followed an unusual trajectory, as it was moving along an abnormal hyperbolic track in relation to the surrounding planets. This suggested that the body had come from outside of the solar system. Because science had not yet observed an interstellar comet, this potential discovery held a high level of interest. Researchers continued to observe the phenomena over the next week, during which time observer Karen Meech of the University of Hawaii noted that its shape was completely star-like and indicated its nature was that of an asteroid, not a comet. Now known as A/2017 U1, the asteroid nonetheless appears to be of interstellar origin. Researchers currently believe its origin to be in the direction of the constellation Lyra, near the star Vega. If it did in fact develop outside of the solar system, it is the first interstellar asteroid observed by astronomers on Earth. Jordan Perzik is a Southern California resident who is pursuing doctoral work in psychology at the Pacifica Graduate Institute. Among Jordan Perzik’s longstanding interests is astronomy and he enjoys attending lectures presented by the Los Angeles Astronomical Society. As reported in Nature, one of the most persistent puzzles of modern astronomy centers on fast radio bursts (FRBs), which were first detected in Australia in 2001 by the Parkes telescope. Brief radio bursts are regularly detected from rotating neutron stars called pulsars, which sweep the earth with radiation in the same way as a lighthouse’s beam does. What was detected in 2001 was a single burst that had an intensity far in excess than any known pulsar. Known as Lorimer bursts after their co-discoverer, these FRBs have become increasingly accepted by the astrophysics community as a common occurrence. Lasting a mere 5 milliseconds, the FRBs can only have a source that is compact and not more than a couple hundred miles across. At the same time, the energy emitted must be massive for it to be detected on Earth. This leaves a list of candidates that includes neutron stars, merging black holes, and magnetar flares. One enticing possibility is that FRBs travel “cosmological distances” and that their existence could be used to identify and research missing matter throughout the far reaches of the universe. With a background in community counseling, Jordan Perzik is a psychology intern and doctoral student in Southern California. Environmentally focused, Jordan Perzik has particular concerns about the increased impact that light pollution poses to both animal communities and stargazers. With approximately four-fifths of North Americans living in areas where the night sky is not visible due to light pollution, a number of Idaho community leaders are working to create America’s first-ever International Dark Sky Reserve. This involves the collaborative work of federal officials and municipal leaders in Sun Valley, Ketchum, and Stanley. These efforts are being facilitated by the International Dark-Sky Association, with the organization pointing to the “profound experience” of viewing unblemished night skies as one that has inspired generations. The work of creating an application for a 1,400-square-mile Dark Sky Reserve designation has been ongoing for several years. Already, Idaho resort communities have in place dark sky ordinances that include mandates that holiday lighting be turned off at night and exterior light fixtures have shields installed that prevents light from traveling upwards. Jordan Perzik received his master’s in clinical psychology from Antioch University Los Angeles. Now a PhD candidate at the Pacifica Graduate Institute, he is completing his clinical practicum at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Outside of his psychology practice, Jordan Perzik supports charitable organizations including the Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT). MDLT is committed to preserving and protecting the Mojave Desert’s scenic landscapes and cultural values. Since its founding, the organization has worked to ensure dark night skies, clean air and water, and a plentitude of native animals and plants in the area. In ensuring the continued abundance of endemic plants, MDLT maintains a native plant restoration nursery, which has several facilities spanning thousands of square feet and containing over 2,000 species of native plants. The nursery’s goal is to increase the availability of genetically appropriate plant material for a variety of uses, from home landscaping to habitat restoration. The nursery is one way in which MDLT works to restore damaged ecosystems and rebuild disrupted food chains. Working toward a PhD in clinical psychology at the Pacifica Graduate Institute, Jordan Perzik has undertaken internship work with the psychology and neurology departments at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Passionate about conservation and the environment, Jordan Perzik also has a longstanding interest in astronomy and events impacting the far reaches of the universe. A recent Astronomy Magazine article brought focus to the work of planetary scientists in recreating the atmospheric conditions on other planets in the solar system. The Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), a free-electron x-ray laser at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, was employed in creating extremely rapid x-ray pulses lasting only a million-billionths of a second. This enabled observation at the atomic levels of processes that occur on Neptune and Uranus. In the experiment, shock waves were induced in polystyrene, a plastic material containing the carbon and hydrogen abundant on both planets. Widely accepted theories held that methane within those planets’ atmospheres would transform into hydrocarbon chains under specific pressures and temperatures. The LCLS-aided findings bolster long-held assumptions that the atmosphere on these planets rains solid diamonds, rather than the liquid water experienced on Earth. Working toward a PhD in clinical psychology at the Pacifica Graduate Institute, Jordan Perzik’s professional affiliations include the California Psychological Association. Outside of his studies, Jordan Perzik has an abiding interest in conservation, as evidenced by his participation in the California State Parks Foundation. This nonprofit organization strives to preserve and improve the state’s 280 parks. On June 20, 2017, it held its 15th Park Advocacy Day at the state capitol in Sacramento. Some 100 members learned about issues facing the parks and met with lawmakers and staff about pending legislation. One main focus was a proposed bond issue for the November 2018 election. Bond funds would pay for the construction of necessary upgrades and maintenance for public amenities and access to parks. Making necessary repairs and enhancing visitor facilities would bring in new revenue for the system. Supplementing the bond issue would be $330 million in the regular budget. Foundation volunteers also urged legal protections for California’s six national monuments. Legislation would give the state the right of first refusal to land that the federal government wishes to sell. Additionally, park advocates supported the creation of new low-cost access points to the state’s beaches. They also approved of a plan to cut entrance fees by one half on Sept. 9, California’s Admission Day. A psychology intern and doctoral candidate in his professional life, Jordan Perzik is also interested in astronomy and environmental preservation. Jordan Perzik maintains membership in the International Dark Sky Association, which promotes the reduction of light pollution across the world. By definition, light pollution is excessive illumination that disturbs natural activity and ecosystems at night. It is most noticeable and pervasive in larger cities, but experts believe that it is possible to lessen the impact. This does not mean plunging cities and towns into darkness, but instead to improve the efficiency of lighting systems. Since light pollution occurs when artificial lighting brightens the sky, part of correcting light pollution involves changing the aim of artificial lighting. Even individual homeowners can aim outdoor lighting toward the ground and select motion-activated lighting, which turns off when no longer needed. Homeowners may also choose to replace their existing lighting with low-glare fixtures, which manufacturers design specifically to reduce light pollution. Similarly, full cutoff fixtures focus light directly onto the ground and away from both the night sky and neighbors' properties. In some cases, the homeowner can even remove driveway or walkway lighting and replace them with reflectors, so as not to introduce any new light into the surrounding sky. Jordan Perzik is a psychology intern based in the Los Angeles area. Beyond his work in the field of psychology, Jordan Perzik takes an interest in environmental issues and is a member of the Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT). The MDLT works to protect high-priority areas in the Mojave Desert and promote stewardship and awareness of the unique environment. To date, the trust has conserved more than 60,000 acres of desert ecosystem through its work with partners such as the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Among the organization’s opportunities for community members to get involved are its desert salvage teams. Those involved in cleanup efforts meet both during the week and on weekends, usually in the early mornings, to collect refuse from desert land that the trust is restoring. The refuse is then sorted, and usable items are sold during MDLT’s recurring Salvage Saturdays events. Examples of items sold include vintage trailer doors and automobile parts, railroad ties, mattress springs, barbed wire, and a variety of other rusted metal pieces. Proceeds from the sale of the salvaged items benefit the trust’s conservation efforts. |
AuthorA doctoral student in clinical psychology, Jordan Perzik has spent the last seven years furthering his counseling education while serving as a therapist in the Los Angeles area. Archives
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