After the class of 2008 graduates from high school, no one I ever shared the halls of Worthington Kilbourne High School with will be left. I can still remember the heady sensation of the last week of high school...oh wait, that was me getting my wisdom teeth taken out! But seriously, high school feels like yesterday because college has gone by so incredibly fast.

I'm also watching the class of 2008 prepare to graduate from OSU, including some of my friends. I can't help but think, "Wow, that's me in a year. Will I be ready?" I've come to realize, though, that undergrad is rarely the end of the line, even in terms of formal education. Many jobs require a master's or terminal degree, professional license, or other post-graduate schooling. Some fast-changing fields demand continuing education. Even if formal schooling ends with undergrad, I would hope that people continue to learn and adapt their skills on the job and in the "real world," if I may use that cliche.

I am now considering going to graduate school for public health, at the rather astute suggestion of my dad. Reading through some of the program descriptions at various schools around the country, it seems like something I would be interested and passionate about. Rather than treating illness on an individual basis, public health focuses on preventing health problems on a population scale, and this includes everything from research to education to advocacy. I've often thought that if I were to start college over, I'd probably pick a field like nutrition or dietetics. It's a different way of taking care of people than being a bona fide doctor, focusing on everyday quality of life rather than acute problems. I would still love to work with young people, though, so maybe I'll pursue both a M.Ed and MPH, since I'm no stranger to doubling majors, after all.

Posted by nice_genes at 9:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Winding up a lazy Memorial Day weekend and/or feeling the onset of senioritis a year in advance.

Got sick last Wednesday (on my birthday no less) and have been crashing out on cold medicine and consuming an inhuman amount of cough drops.

Threw a farewell party Saturday for our campus pastor who will be leaving for Indiana. Have started saying the first of many good-byes...always hate that part.

Discovered the hilarity that is Brotherhood 2.0.

Reverted to second grade by having a slumber party in my roommate's room, mostly to escape the corn-holing crowd in the courtyard outside my window. Woke up this morning and played with stuffed animals for an hour.

Walked ten blocks to Noodles & Co. for lunch and ten blocks back. Was hungry again by the time I got home.

Microbio lab final tomorrow, no biggie. Wrapping up English H590.04 tomorrow with multimedia project presentation. EEOB final this Friday. Two finals next week and then three-quarters done with college. (WHAT?!)

Have boycotted subject pronouns.

Posted by nice_genes at 4:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's impossible to keep up on all the amazing research that goes on at Ohio State, but this article caught my eye (no pun intended) this morning:

KIDS THINK EYEGLASSES MAKE OTHER KIDS LOOK SMART

PERSONAL ASIDE: While the article was interesting, I have to note that when I was a kid, looking/being smart because of my glasses was decidedly not an asset. (I suppose my weird clothes, social awkwardness, and the multiple times I threw up at school didn't help matters.) Just saying. Not that I'm bitter or anything.

The Denman Undergraduate Research Forum was a week ago, and though I did not get to attend, here are some of the samplings of projects that were presented:

• Proteomic Analysis of Whole Muscle Fingerprints from Yellow Perch, Perca flavescens, and Identification of Proteins Associated with Body Weight and Length
  
• Columbus Cares: A Benefit Dance Performance
  
• Role of IL-35 in Inflammation and Infection Caused by Leishmania major
  
• Sleep Patterns, School-Related Stress, and Pedestrian Traffic Injury among Middle School Students in Rural China
  
• Access To Excellence: Chicago School Desegregation and Its Impact on Latino Students
  
• The Effects of Weight Rack Height and Method of Weight Plate Transfer on Peak L5/S1 Moments and Erector spinae Muscle Recruitment.
  
• The Expanding Scope of Practice and Competency Assurance of Respiratory Therapists in Ohio Hospitals
  
• MicroRNA Signature of Tamoxifen Resistance in Breast Cancer
  
• Denied and Disparaged: Madisonian Federalism and the Original Meaning of the Ninth Amendment
  
• Elliptic Curve Based Primality Tests
  
• Impulsivity and Psychopathy in Adolescent Smokers and Nonsmokers
  

Posted by nice_genes at 12:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm about to hit the big 2-1 on Wednesday, and even though I don't drink on principle anyway, I was touched to receive this e-mail Friday morning (click through extended entry to see it). It made me sad to think that people believe they have to get completely trashed to have a good time. Normally I'm just irritated when there are noisy, drunk people carousing in our courtyard, but now I realize that their lives are in danger every time they do this. Sooner or later something bad will happen, much worse than tipped over trash cans or barf on the sidewalk. My heart goes out to Erica for her loss and I admire her for her strength to speak out.

Happy Birthday!

My name is Erica Upshaw and I am a recent graduate of The Ohio State University. I would like to wish you a wonderful 21st birthday!

What you read next might seem strange for a birthday wish, but it is an important message for your benefit.

Joey Upshaw, my brother and an OSU student, died while we were in school together. He was the most special person to me. I lost him to a decision he made to take drugs while he was intoxicated. I do not want you or your family to go through a similar tragedy. It can really happen if you are not careful!

Celebrate, but do not feel like you have to take 21 shots or drink so much that you might make a bad decision. You are a very special person to someone who never wants to lose you.

Some facts to remember:

- Death from alcohol poisoning can occur at a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of about .30 or higher.

- A 130-pound woman who drinks 21 shots over 4 hours will have a BAC greater than .60!

- A 160-pound male who drinks 21 shots over 4 hours will have a BAC greater than .40!

- Judgment is impaired at a BAC of .08 and severely impaired at a BAC of .15.

- A 130-pound woman who drinks 4 standard drinks over 4 hours will have a BAC of about .08.

- A 160-pound male who drinks 6 drinks over 4 hours will have a BAC of about .08.

For more information about BACs and effects, visit e-CHUG at https://interwork.sdsu.edu/echug2/?id=OSU&hfs=true

Please help me honor my brother by being careful on your 21st birthday.

Thank you.

Erica Upshaw

Brought to you by the friends and family of Joseph Upshaw

and The Ohio State University Student Wellness Center.

For more information, call 292-4527 or visit www.swc.osu.edu

Posted by nice_genes at 6:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I've been stuck in a bit of a study bubble (helped by the March-ish weather) this week so I haven't been out and about campus much, but I realized today, somewhat randomly, that I really don't like mixing school with the rest of my life. I was thinking about this as I passed a sign for EUGO's end-of-year cookout, EUGO being the undergraduate student organization of the English department. And I realized that I've never gone to any of their events, nor I have ever participated in the Molecular Genetics Club. My closest friends are from Chi Alpha and church, which are non-school related groups. I think I tend to feel as if I spend enough time in class already without devoting non-class hours to school-type activities. Not that there's anything wrong with being in EUGO or Mol Gen club, it just isn't my cup of tea. I wonder what other students think of that?

Posted by nice_genes at 4:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yesterday I was judge at Ohio Academy of Science's State Science Day held at St. John's Arena and the French Field House. My own science fair experience ended in elementary school, and my school never encouraged further participation in inquiry-based science, something I am more than a little miffed about now. I knew that all the students who were presenting yesterday had already passed local adjudication, so I wasn't expecting baking-soda volcanoes or anything, but I was not prepared for the caliber of some of the projects and students I saw.

I judged the Health and Medical Sciences division, and some of the experiments these students put together used the same methods and protocols you'd see in a university research lab. The last project I judged was about the effects of polyphenols in blueberries on short-term memory and this girl was able to carry on a full-blown discussion beyond the scope of her own project, which means she actually knows the science behind the methodology. The other projects I judged were less impressive, but were far more than I could have done in high school. For whatever reason, my school district did not encourage participation in events like this, which is really too bad, because I think science is best learned by doing. I didn't even know it was possible to do "real" experiments when I was in middle and high school, which may partly explain my erstwhile antipathy to it.

At any rate, the science fair was a lot of fun, albeit a reminder of just how old I am getting. A room packed with prepubescent kids who may be smarter than I am is not the greatest self-esteem booster in the world, but it does partially restore my faith in humanity's ability to think itself out of the problems of the future.

Posted by nice_genes at 7:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

My dad and I went to hear Al Gore speak at the Schottenstein Center yesterday. Despite his claims to the contrary, Mr. Gore is still a consummate politician who really knows how to work a crowd. And that's okay. I'm personally already convinced about global warming, but I thought he presented a compelling case for those who may not be, all without getting too politically punchy. I also think he handled the hecklers at the very end with grace and class, which probably comes (unfortunately) from ample experience. I don't mind if people disagree with each others' ideas as long as they do it respectfully and intelligently, not based on prejudice or just spoiling for a fight. I was glad to hear Columbus just signed on to the Kyoto protocol and am eager to see more efforts toward a green campus at Ohio State.

One thing I'm very concerned about is the amount of waste generated by the learning labs on campus: biomedical, chemical, engineering, whatever. We're throwing away literally tons of petri dishes and centrifuge tubes so that undergraduates can learn proper lab techniques. I admit that's important, but maybe everyone would be better off learning in a real research lab and (maybe) producing actual data as a result. of course, the sheer scale of OSU probably makes that impossible, but I am curious to know what happens to the waste generated by laboratory courses. Will try to do some investigative digging into this...

Posted by nice_genes at 11:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

(The bad pun is courtesy of my roommate.)

Yesterday I had lunch with Dr. Anita Hopper, chair of the molecular genetics department, sponsored by the Honors Collegium. (All the juniors got to do this.) It's always really neat to talk one on one with professors about their history, their current research and work, and their life in general. It's a reminder that they're ordinary people too even as they may be doing extraordinary things in their field. Dr. Hopper told me she had been planning on a career teaching high school, but the combination of a mulish education department and an encouraging science professor turned her toward research. I can't help but wonder if I'm making the right decision...I'm sure I'd be much better at lab research now that I actually know some of the science (and am not following a semi-terrifying researcher as I was my freshman summer) and I'd probably even enjoy it a little more now, but I still can't help feeling as though teaching is my true calling. On the other hand, if it doesn't work out, I can always try something else.

Posted by nice_genes at 8:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)