As a freshman I came into college with no intention of pursuing any kind of Science major. I forgot to chose which Scholars Programs I wanted to be in, and I guess I was randomly assigned to be in ELT. I’m glad I let fate take its course for ELT has been one of the best experiences of my college life. I expected boring lectures and they turned out wonderfully interesting and engaging.
Science is glorious! All forms of life are Intriguing! and Even that which does not possess life is interesting! I think that certain things that initially don’t appeal to us can open up when better understood and suddenly (or gradually ?) appear marvelous. I have Dr. Holtz and Dr. Merck to thank for showing me and my fellow ELTers’ the glory and the wonders of Science! The last two colloquiums summed up the spirit of ELT that the scientific way to thinking is not boring or restrictive but grand and liberating. Science is the method of reason, a method for understanding the world as it is unfiltered. All to often there are people who tamper with reason create their own brand or spurious thinking practice Pseudoscience. Either they don’t understand the scientific method or are concerned with putting forth a point a view but too lazy to check the facts. In the end we all seek to understand the world around us and when we do so with reason peace of mind prevails for we know we tried our best with all the checks and balances.
The colloquiums have dealt a variety of topics with a focus of the physical world especially its inhabitants in large and small scales of time. A supporting course for ELT that I took was geol100 and its lab geol110. This course was a great complement to the geology component of the ELT curriculum. It helped me gain better understanding the broader concepts discussed in colloquium. A group project I enjoyed was the Family History Project. It was fascinating to see that even though the origin of our species is one place, how spread out our ancestry can be. My personal case was not very diverse but there were people who had ancestors on several continents. I enjoyed all 3 field trips I went to. The first was Sideling Hill which a captivating rock exposure which resulted from a road cut. Going there was interesting since o got to see some of the geologic structures and processes I was learning about in Colloquium and Geol 100 first hand. It was really long ride but fun and interesting nonetheless. I decided to mention this field trip since it may be discontinued and I was amongst the last batch of ELTer’s went there.
I lived in Centreville a scholars dorm freshman year, and fall of my sophomore year. This was a good experience since being in the same program and living together helped me make friends quickly. During my first semester a large portion of my dorm-mates(fellow ELTer’s) were taking similar classes like Geol100, Univ100, Calculus, etc. This fostered friendships and connections that will last long?.
The professors are so enthusiastic, exuberant, and really help to motivate us. There is a real sense of ELT spirit. Activities like Service Day, The Metro Scavenger Hunt, and The Softball Tournament(there are more!) are a lot fun. I remember during the softball tournament I propelled ELT to victory by a rather spectacular catch. I guess im exaggerating since we didn’t win the tournament but did much better than expected, and the catch was spectacular but a fluke, ? but my main point is that it was great fun!
My experience with ELT has been life changing. I absolutely loved it, and am sad that it is coming to an end. I will never forget what I’ve learned here (well maybe some of the raw facts but not the essence!). Vistas of knowledge I never considered before have opened because I was inspired by these wonderful professors. I would like to end by saying a I thank you Dr. Holtz and Dr. Merck for inspiring me and teaching me what I might never have learned.