It's the end of the world as we know it

Super volcanoes. Yellowstone.  Look it up.

Global warming, not climate change, global warming.  That’s right folks, THE WORLD IS GETTING HOTTER.

Carcinogens.  Just about everything will give you cancer now.

Giant oil tankers exploding.  Yup, Boston will be consumed if the oil tanker that comes into the bay on a regular basis combusts for any reason.

Over population.  Crowded now?  Give it 10 years.

Religious feuds.  Can’t we all just get along?

Nuclear war.  North Korea my bring it sooner than we think.

Ocean rising.  When all the glaciers melt the sea levels will rise 21 feet.  Where will Boston be then? UNDER WATER!

China takes over the world.  Only a matter of time.

Oil shortages.  Heard enough of that I believe.

Water shortages.  The cause of the next World War?

California falling off the map.  EARTHQUAKE!

Omnipotent disease.  Wipes the planet clean.

Voldemort.  Harry Potter fails.

Asteroids.  Knocks the planet into the sun.

Alien invasion.  When Mars attacks!

World famine.  Cannibalism anyone?

And people are worried about 2012!?!?! I think we’ve got some bigger issues….

Still feel fine?

An ode to my grandmother

(Except not really, because it takes too much effort to rhyme at 6:00 in the morning)

I usually write because I want to, because I can, because I have something to say.  I don’t always remember that people are going to be reading what I write, in fact, it commonly surprises me when someone reveals that they have read my blog.  And although I’ve known for quite sometime now that my grandma has been on my frequent reader lists, it still manages to slip my mind.  Which is why this piece is dedicated to her.

A month or so ago I wrote a bucket list, though I capped the deadline at 30 instead of when I die (that is presuming I don’t die before 30).  The first thing on that list is to learn how to play the guitar, however a slight complication arose in the fact that I don’t own a guitar.  A tremendous surprise awaited me when I arrived at my grandma’s house.  My mom’s old guitar, now mine, sat in the corner of my room.  I never thought that something would ever come out writing a blog, I guess it pays every once in awhile, in the most random yet wonderful of ways.

My first real break from school, Thanksgiving weekend, and I was lucky enough to be able to spend it with my grandma.  I flew in Tuesday afternoon, and after the drive to her house that lasted three hours and should only have lasted one, she fixed me dinner while we watched the evening news before heading to bed.  The moment I walk into my grandma’s house I know that I’m home; the familiar scent of the house, the stencils on the wall that used to fascinate me as a small child, the intricate and tasteful way the rooms are decorated, each with a different theme, yet all fitting perfectly together.

I have been doing fine at school, and while at times I have been stressed or tired, I didn’t really think I needed a break from school, I could pull on through till the semester ended.  However once I got away I realized how nice it was to take a break from school and just relax, and what a better place to do that than at my grandmother’s house?

Most children love going to Grandma’s House.  No homework, lots of neat things to look at, and free cookies!  However it’s more than just that.  It the presence of someone who truly cares, and is ready to do anything to keep you content.  It’s the selfless love, the warm countenance, and the sweet voice of someone who loves you, and will keep you safe no matter what. 

Thank you Grandma, for letting me come visit, for taking care of me, for always being there, for wonderful surprises, and yes, for reading my blog.

So now, as I sit in the airport awaiting my flight, I am thankful that my grandma got me up at 4:45, so that I could arrive at the gate two hours early, and have time to write this and express my thanks for everything she has done for me, in the hope that I can someday match her kindness and love as well.

The day after...

The dichotomy here is ironic.  On one hand we have Thanksgiving, where we are thankful, giving thanks.  The next morning we have a rush of just the opposite, with people running in every direction to get whatever it is on their lists first.

Now I don’t want to write another “We’ve lost the true meaning of Christmas” piece, or one about how “Christmas is becoming too commercialized.”  But seriously folks, where does this path end??  Since when is stress, anxiety, and worry something that should be associated with the holiday season.  A time when family should be the most important issue, with the expectations and hardships of life pushed to the back burner.

My favorite part of Christmas has always been the Christmas Eve service.  I love walking through the church doors at 11:00 pm, and one hour later, after music, scripture, and candles, walking out on Christmas day.  This epitomizes Christmas for me.  This is what Christmas is all about.  The celebration, the joy, and the hope it brings.  Christmas doesn’t end there.  It continues through Epiphany, and never really comes to an end.  Each day is a celebration of the life Jesus led until the moment he died on the cross and three days later was resurrected from the dead, a continuation of the celebration of his birth.

I encourage you to keep this in mind, remember why we’re celebrating, and how it affects our lives, each and every day.

Thankful 4

Seeing as today is Thanksgiving…

I am thankful for family.  For being able to fly down to Maryland and stay with my grandma; for spending the day with my aunt, uncle, and cousins; for phones that allow me to talk to my mom, brother, and dad who are so far away; for love that only grows stronger with distance.

I am thankful for friends.  For those who have been there since before I can remember, and still remain by my side; for those I can call in the middle of the night and know they will be there to listen; for those I can share all of my quirkyness with, and won’t think any less of me; for those who put up with my constant teasing, and yet always retain a smile; for those who answer their doors an average of 3 or 4 times a day when I’m hungry, and most of the time come with me to find food; and for those who after months of silence due to the busyness of life, will jump right back into conversation as if no time was spent apart in the first place.

I am thankful for faith.  For Jesus who died for my sins so that I may live; for God above to lead me and guide me; for the Holy Spirit who lives in me; for knowing that I am always loved and looked after; for knowing that my life has a purpose and a plan; for others who join me in fellowship and praise.

I am thankful for freedom.  For being able to speak my mind, share my religion, and write my thoughts; for living in a country where safety and security are not things I have to worry about constantly; for having the ability to make my own decisions.

I am thankful for food.  For the certainty that my plate will be full; for the abundance that is shared with others; for being able to eat my fill; for the delicious taste of home cooked meals; for pie.

I am thankful for fun.  For laughter shared around the table; for stories told; for memories reminisced; for good times to come; for the hope joy brings; for smiles.

I am thankful for knowledge, and the opportunity to go to college and learn.

I am thankful for technology, that keeps me connected with those I love.

I am thankful for books, and the untold mysteries they hold

I am thankful for music, for making my own, and listening to others’.

I am thankful for sports, that I am able to run and play.

I am thankful for pictures, that capture a moment so that it may be remembered.

I am thankful for the sun, that warms our earth and faces.

I am thankful for nature, the beauty and complexity of our world.

I am thankful that I am here today, alive and well, breathing and happy, surrounded by those I love in a warm house with enough to eat and I pray for those less fortunate than myself, that they may find comfort in these difficult times, and hope for the future.

10 Reasons I Love Boston (or at least this weekend)

1) HARRY POTTER!!!!!  This really has nothing to do with Boston specifically per say, however it did play a significant role in my weekend here IN Boston, so thus relates.  Thursday night I headed out with some friends at about 9:00.  Kinda early for a midnight release of only he most greatest book series ever??  No.  We got there and the line was already out the door down the street and around the corner.  It moved fast however, and the wait was made better on account of only the greatest game of all time*: Catch Phrase.  Upon finally making it inside the building we were only met with more waiting and more lines, though I must say the theater did a very good job of preparing for the madness that would no doubt ensue.  Between 10:30 and 11 (I can’t remember exactly) the doors to the theater were opened and a surge of college students pushed forward.  I cannot honestly believe that the first thing that popped into my mind was Schenck v. U.S.  You cannot “shout fire in a crowded theater.”  And now I understand why.  Upon securing seats we hunkered down for the next hour till show time.

2) HARRY POTTER!!!!! Yes, this gets two.  You see the first one merely talked about the experience of it, the actual film deserves it’s own shout out.  Although we’ve only seen Part 1, I must say I was impressed.  Perhaps it’s because I haven’t read the book in over a year, so I don’t remember all the details,** but I thought they did a fantastic job in sticking to the plot.  I am so excited for Part 2! It’s gonna be EPIC!

3) Volunteering.  I love volunteering, I really do.  And I’m happy to say that as I get to know people better and the organization more I’m becoming rather fond of Science Club for Girls.  Despite the 40-minute commute over a total of 3 miles into Cambridge, the Amigos School is a wonderful site and I love all the girls there and the mentors.

4) Andy Samberg.  Yup!  I spent my Friday evening with SNL star Andy Samberg.  A perk of going to Northeastern University and life in Boston.  Those people and groups who would NEVER in a million years journey up to Alaska can be found all to frequently in a place like this.

5) Heather.  Once again, not really Boston specifically, but she’s close enough to come and visit every once in awhile.  And this being her birthday weekend, I decided to make it a special one.  So the two of us went gallivanting off in the city Saturday night, SO MUCH FUN!  By the way, she now has a blog, you should check it out!

6) The T.  Yeah for public transportation!  We don’t really have this in Alaska; I mean it’s there, sorta, but not the most convenient way to get around.  I don’t know what I would do without it here.  So I jump on the Green Line to go pick up Heather, and it’s about as crowded as I had EVER seen it.  And let me tell you, that’s saying something.  The most hilarious thing was pulling into the Prudential station and seeing the looks on the faces in the crowd hoping to get ON the train, it wasn’t going to happen.

7) Mike’s Pastries.  I know there are probably hundreds more places to get wonderful desserts in the city, but I keep coming back here.  Click here for the full description.

8) Boston Common.  A huge park right in the middle of the city for those of you who don’t know.  It is absolutely amazing, tons of grass and trees, and a pond right in the middle.  Overlooked by the State House, The Boston Common is a beautiful place to spend the afternoon.

9) Random sandwich shop.  I don’t remember the name of this little café boarding Boston Common, but they get my vote for the best sandwiches on the planet.  Enough said.

10) Lights.  “Bright lights, big city, that’s the life for me***.”  One of the highlights of living in any city, the limitless lights represent limitless possibilities.  The excitement, the wonder, the energy…   GO BOSTON!

* I really love this game, and maybe no the greatest of ALL TIME, but certainly the greatest of all waiting in line games.

** I made the mistake of rereading the 5^th, 6^th, and 7^th RIGHT before the 6^th movie, so with the details still fresh in my mind, the movie didn’t stand a chance.

*** James and the Giant Peach – Yes I still love that movie

Of Life and Learning

I sent this letter to the school board in support of the charter school application for the Boreal Academy of Science and Art.  It is a school that places emphasis on place-based and service learning, and I feel would be an asset to the Matanuska-Susitna community.  If you share these feelings, I would encourage you to write a letter, make a phone call, or testify in person tomorrow Wednesday, November 16 at the School Board meeting at 6:00 PM.

To Whom It May Concern:

Born and raised in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, I attended Tanaina Elementary, Teeland Middle, and Wasilla High in my 19 years of life in Alaska.  I am now a freshman at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, having graduated from Wasilla High last spring.  I believe my schooling in the valley has adequately prepared me with a firm educational base for life in the post high school world.  Through a vast array of classes and extra-curricular activities, I was able to connect what I did in school to life.  However I did not make this connection until high school.  

I remember one day back in elementary school, walking into the kitchen to talk to my mom.  I was frustrated with the school system.  “It seems like one grade is just preparing us for the next.”  My complaint essentially consisted of no long-term goal.  The purpose of 3^rd grade is to prepare me for 4^th grade, the purpose of 4^th grade is to prepare me for 5^th grade, etc.  When I asked a teacher why we were learning something, the response was “Because you will need it next year, in the next grade.”  There was no final destination that I could see.  What’s the point?  My sense of efficacy was minimal.  

The goal of education is to prepare us for life.  However I failed to see how school was adequately preparing me for the world ahead.  We have seen this all too much in high school, particularly is seems, in math.  How many of you have ever heard the complaint “I’m never going to use this!”  Students fail to see how what they’re learning in math relates to their careers in the future.

Here at Northeastern for the first time in my life I am truly seeing how what I learn in the classroom will translate to the work place.  Northeastern puts a very strong emphasis on “experiential learning.”  They have developed a program that allows students to take time off from school, and apply what they have learned to life.  During my five years here, I will spend three, six-month periods working in a field relative to my major.  Besides highlighting the practical applications of knowledge, this also allows students to explore different careers and options.

While I can see the value of education and its necessity, some students fail to see its connection to life after school.  Instilling the meaning of education in children at a young age is monumental in maintaining an interest at the high school and college levels.  This is done through community connections and learning though real life experiences, not through a textbook, not through a test. Students need to be able to see that what they’re learning is applicable.

As more curriculum requirements are placed on teachers, it becomes more and more difficult to bring that experiential learning into the classroom.  The most memorable part of my elementary school experience was the 5^th grade Homer field trip.  There we took what we had been studying for weeks, and actually got to see it, touch it, smell it, even taste it.  It was experiences like these that kept me interested in school.  The real life applications and scenarios made it all worth it, because it made me understand that this is all for a reason, all for a purpose.

I hope you consider this in regards to the application for the Boreal Academy of Science and Art.  Such a school poses to bring great strides in education.  The place-based service learning featured at this school would be a huge benefit to the children in the valley, and it has my full support.

Sincerely,

Emily Ripley

"Lost in Wonder, Love, and Praise"

Sometimes when we sing, we don’t really think about the lyrics, or at least I don’t anyway.  Then, that one time comes around when I actually do pay attention, and my mind is completely blown away. 

Be Thou My Vision.

My vision.

But what does that mean?  This reminded me of all those times in school and work I’ve either had to write or have read “Mission and Vision” statements.  The mission of the company, organization, or group is defined as the fundamental purpose.  It answers the “W” questions.  Why are we here?  What is the purpose?  Who will be affected?  When will we be done?  The vision on the other hand is the “how.”  How are we going to accomplish this?  It’s the future, the inspiration, the framework.  It’s the guidebook, the manual, the roadmap.  Call it whatever you like, but one thing remains the same, without the vision, the mission doesn’t stand a chance. 

Be Thou My Vision.

For my mission to succeed, I must have a vision.  And only one vision can support the mission of life.

So there I am.  Standing in church this morning singing that oh so familiar line, Be Thou My Vision, and that epiphany that I had been hoping for in Calculus hit me smack in the face in the form of God.  Thou my best thought, by day or by night, waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

In any situation, in any dilemma, in any joy, in any trouble, in any relationship, in any decision, in any anything and everything!  Be Thou My Vision.

Heart of my own heart, whatever befall… Still be my vision, O ruler of all.

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart

Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art

Thou my best thought, by day or by night

Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light

Be Thou my Wisdom and Thou my true Word

I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord

Thou my great Father, I Thy true son

Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one

Be Thou my battle-shield, sword for my fight

Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight

Thou my soul's shelter, Thou my high tower

Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power

Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise

Thou mine inheritance, now and always

Thou and Thou only, first in my heart

High King of heaven, my treasure Thou art.

High King of heaven, my victory won

May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heav'ns Son

Heart of my own heart whatever befall

Still be my vision, O ruler of all

Lord prepare me to be a sanctuary, pure and holy, tried and true, and with thanksgiving I’ll be a living sanctuary for you.

A series of events*

I actually began this list a few days ago, but life got in the way of finishing, so here’s a recap of the significant** events in my life over the past week.

Registering for classes

For those of you who have never done this, let me tell you, it is NOT something you should be looking forward to.  Essentially, you are given a time slot to register based off of (theoretically) the number of credits you already have.  So I, having more credits than a typical freshman yet less than an average sophomore, get to register right in between these two groups at 10:30 on Thursday morning.  Since I’m a declared biology major, and a freshmen, I’m already seeded into some of my classes, however because of AP credits some of those classes need to be dropped.  So at the beginning of the week I figure out what I want to take next semester, sort out my schedule, and decide where the rest of my life will go***.  However all those seniors and juniors and middlers**** and real sophomores and super crazy freshmen with even more AP credit than me***** get to register before I do.  So I spend the week watching the classes I want to get into slowly fill up, and I hope and pray that at least 1 slot stays open so that I don’t have to go through that entire process of making decisions all over again and fit them all into a week that can’t possibly have enough time in it.  Then the day comes when I actually get to register, albeit right in the middle of my chemistry class.  So there I am, fervently refreshing my browser every 10 seconds so I can get on at the EXACT second it will allow.  And finally it pops up and I can enter my changes to my schedule in and hit submit.  This is the scary part.  Because you don’t know if you made some itsy-bitsy error and messed the whole thing up, and you don’t know if in the time it took for you to enter in all the changes something filled up, so not only does it not let you into a class but it drops a different class you need and now you’re screwed out of chemistry altogether******.  So needless to say, I was a little nervous.  Of course I got the screen telling me I’d made a mistake, though thankfully I didn’t mess it up too bad.  I was able to fix it and eventually get into all but one of the classes I wanted.  My schedule for next year is as follows:

            General Chemistry 2

            Lab for General Chemistry 2

            Recitation for General Chemistry 2

            Honors Calculus and Differential Equations – Biology 2

            Genetics and Molecular Biology

            Honors Lab for Genetics and Molecular Biology

            Introduction to Experimental Learning

            Enhancing Honors – Science, Technology, and Human Values

            Financial Accounting*******

Barnacle enslaves crab

Yup you read that right.  That is the title of my biology project.  Now, without going into too much detail, essentially it’s about how barnacles of the genus Sacculina parasitize crabs by entering through the crab’s abdomen and laying eggs where the crab typically has her own egg sack.  The crab then cares for the barnacle’s eggs and becomes the life source for the barnacle.  This project however does not simply focus on the biology of what’s happening, no.  It focuses on the evolution of this behavior.  How many papers are out there on this topic??  NOT. MANY.  So we’re pretty much making it up and hypothesizing ourselves (which I think it actually another point of the project.)  Anywho, we have found a couple articles to help us out, so I set out to actually acquire them.  The first article was in some scientific journal in the library.  After much difficulty in learning how to use the call numbers and locate the book, and then realizing that in the 280 some volumes I wasn’t going to be able to find the 10 pages I needed very easily, I was saved by the fact that THE ENTIRE JOURNAL WAS IN GERMAN!  I was disappointed however.  A journal in German really doesn’t help me.  The other article I needed I requested to be sent electronically to me.  The next day I was surprised to see an email informing me that I should be able to access it.  Sure enough I could, however my excitement was deflated by the fact that EVERY OTHER PAGE WAS UPSIDE DOWN.  Ridiculous.

Surprises

Being sick really puts a damper on things.  I am now thankfully getting over that cold or whatever it was, but for a few days there it pretty much seemed like life sucked.  I was supposed to volunteer Friday, and even though I felt horrible I went anyway.  It turned out ok, but on the way home I really wasn’t feeling too great.  Then I remembered that I might have a package.  So I stopped by the post office and low-and-behold I had TWO packages.  This brightened my day considerably; apples and mangoes from my mom and gingersnap and no-bake cookies from my grandma.  Sounds about right!

Science Club for Girls

This is where I’m volunteering.  I love volunteering.  This however has not been the experience I had hoped for.  I signed up with the intent of being a “Science Mentor,” teaching girls in elementary schools about science and careers in the science field.  This is not my job.  I am an assistant site manager at the Amigos school and at the Northeastern site.  I help with set up and take down and organizational stuff.  This week both sites gave me all of the registration info of all the students there and had me enter the info into a computer database.  7 hours later… I emerged, significantly behind in studying/homework, and completely brain fried from mundane boredom.  This was made slightly better by the fact that we played with dry ice that week, and after the club Maureen and I went down to where they threw the left over out and brought it back up to the room to play with it.  Ah, some things never get old.

The rest of my week was devoted to either an essay or studying.  I finished the essay, (still haven’t gotten it back yet) took a math test (think I did ok on that one) and took a biology test (yikes…we’ll see).  Hopefully all turns out all right.  Today in biology we watched a movie.  “The Science of Sex.”  I’m just gonna leave it at that.

I counted today.  There are 15 days of actual school left.  On one hand: yeah! On the other: crap… 

And now consider yourself informed.

*Neither fortunate nor unfortunate.

**Sorta

***Not really, but with the amount of pressure associated with this I may as well be making those decisions.

****We’re on a 5-year program here at Northeaster, so that’s what they call that extra year.

*****I didn’t know that was even possible.  Kudos to them.

******You have to have a chemistry class, lab, and recitation all registered at the same time.  And if one of them doesn’t fit, it drops them all.  And getting back into an already overbooked class after you accidentally dropped it is just about darn near impossible.

*******This was the one thing that didn’t work out.  Instead of getting into the one section of this class for non-business majors, I am enrolled in the online class, which now that I’ve looked into it a little more, doesn’t look that bad and functions pretty much the same as a regular class.

Halloween Weekend

Skipton!

This is Skipton-Lou.  He is a beta fish and the left over of a biology lab, so I adopted him.  I think he likes his new home*, and he’s a good pet. 

Costumes! 

Halloween here is just an excuse to go out 4 nights of the week.  So naturally you need 4 costumes, one for each night.  Nope.  I was a pirate, and only dressed up on Saturday.  My costume consisted of an eye patch I got on Beyond Malibou summer before last (yes, I still had that in my backpack, and if you went on our Hatcher’s Pass adventure before Rachel left, you would know that there are an assortment of other random artifacts in there, yet no first aid kit), a hat made for a 4 year old, a pirate shirt, and my favorite: a sword made out of cardboard and purple duct tape.

Nametags…

We have nametags on our doors.  And I came out this Saturday morning to find two pieces of tape on my door and a crumpled orange ball down the hall… a very sad state of affairs.  Yet do not fear, my awesome RA made me a new one.  So now there is a blue Pac-man ghost with my name on it stuck to the door.  And all is well with the world.

And because I have an essay due soon, way too much reading for biology than thought possible, and an exorbitant amount of math homework, I will now enter into a self-induced coma of studying.  So long my friends.

*Actually I have no idea, he’s a fish…