Using lower on the indexed column will cause MS SQL to not use your index. That could cause a significant performance hit in a table of your size. You should make sure the UID is always lower case when you insert it, or can try this: lower function on indexed column.
In your case, you are searching against an email field, which is most of the time full of lower case characters than uppercase. So converting to lower case can (tests will tell you) speed up things.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.