The past three semesters I have spent in the Earth, Life and Time scholars program have helped me better understand the connection between the physical world and its interaction with time. Coming into the program I assumed we would learn about each of these separate topics, but I did not realize the extent to which we would learn how interconnected they truly are. Obviously life as we know it would not exist without the earth, and time is a continuously present factor, but never before have I had a class that addressed these topics as such a complete entity. While the International Baccalaureate program I was a part of in high school did seek to establish a connection between all different fields of study, it was successful only to a point as the student participant base was highly uniform. The Earth, Life and Time program, however, has been able to help to further this connection by proving that everyone, regardless of their major, can find a connection both within the natural sciences and with various outside fields of study. Whereas the IB program showed connections between a set of predetermined classes that everyone in the program took, ELT has expanded my understanding of these connections by proving that they can be made between virtually any fields of study, and can be applicable to any major, whether it is biology, geology, anthropology, or business. Overall, my experience as an Earth, Life and Time scholar has helped me see connections in every aspect of life, allowing me to have a greater understanding of the science of nature and the nature of science, and how it is all affected when time is taken into account.
The most recent field trip I participated in, Local and Western Maryland Geology in Fall 2008, illustrated the connection between nature and time. At the first stop we made, Paint Branch Creek, we could witness geologic processes such as erosion taking place. I have visited the same area in the past, and can tell from first hand experience that the spot looked different. Aside from differences in the type of debris that was present and how flooded the stream was, I could see differences in the vegetation that was new or had disappeared, and areas in the cut bank that were now exposed due to various eroding factors. I was lucky to have previously visited the stream with a Geology class I took as a complement to ELT scholars during my first semester, Fall 2007. Though I did not realize it at first, the experiences I had in Geology100 and Geology110 especially helped me create a connection between the science topics we covered in ELT and Time, as evident by my return to the same stream a year later. Seeing the stream at two different times made me realize that nature generally changes over long periods of time, but certain factors can also cause it to change over a very short period of time. If I had not taken Geology110, in which we did a lab at the stream, I am not sure I would have been able to make the same observations, nor would I have had the chance to more deeply examine the connections between Earth, Life and Time that we examine in colloquiem.
Another activity that helped me understand the connection between Earth, Life and Time was the family history project we did during Spring 2008. Although I had a basic understanding of my family history prior to doing this project, the furthest I could definitively trace back was around 1800, just prior to most of my family immigrating to the United States, with some other theories as to where my motherÕs family may have been beforehand based on marriage registers in Ireland. Taking the information I gathered from my parents and grandparents, and subjecting it to Dr. MerckÕs web notes on immigration patterns and the historical events that affected them, I was able to develop a family history that could trace back to the first century AD. This activity was very useful when applied to Earth, Life and Time as it explored history in a more personal way that I had never had the opportunity to do before. By taking into account events such as war or disease and the time period and/or place they occurred I could create a timeline showing not only where my family came from but how long they were there and the likelihood I may still have some far removed family members there. When looked at in connection with History 110: The History of the Ancient World, which I took Fall 2007, I was able to consider alternate options regarding where my family may have come from before the first century AD. This history course addressed everything from early Greek civilization and AlexanderÕs conquests to the foundations of the Roman Empire. A departure from the natural science base that ELT tends to lean towards, this history class was successful in illustrating the effects of Time on Social and Political traditions, leading to an alteration of how Life itself functions.
The trip we took the Museum of Natural History in New York as a part of the Scholars in New York trip Spring 2008 was also helpful in observing and completely comprehending the physical world and its living components and their interaction with Time. On this trip we could see a number of different exhibits covering everything from dinosaurs to gemstones to artifacts from around the world. Each exhibit had some relation to the natural world and, as such, had a connection to Time and the change that occurs over time. While this is not something I had thought about while at the museum, looking back I can see that each exhibit was in some way relevant to the various topics we have covered during our three semesters in scholars and in each instance there is a strong connection each to Earth, Life and Time.
My participation in Earth, Life and Time as a living-learning community was also beneficial academically. Because Earth, Life and Time draws a more diverse student group as compared to some of the other programs, I was able to meet people not only from my own anthropology major, but from science, business, public health, and other majors as well. This diverse group provided an extensive support system in which you could easily find another ELT scholar in almost any class you were taking, regardless of whether it was an ELT supporting course or not. Because of this I could always find a study partner if I was having trouble, or have someone I knew I could work well with when working on a group project. As a living-learning community, ELT also introduced me to some people who have grown to become some of my best friends. What started out as an academic support system has grown to become a group that was supportive in other aspects of life as well. This has enhanced both my academic and daily life at the University of Maryland.
Within ELT colloquium I actively participate in group projects, giving my opinion and ensuring that everyone else has the opportunity to air their opinion as well. I also try to attend special events hosted by the scholars community, such as attending the pre-finals relaxation nights last year and the Arts scholars performances during Maryland Day. Although I was not able to participate last year, I hope to be a part of the ELT Softball Team this year in the charity tournament.
Although some participants may have encountered certain challenges during their time in Scholars, I cannot recall having experienced any major challenges myself. I generally try to be a flexible and accepting person, which could have contributed to the lack of challenges, as I tend not to argue if someone has a different opinion but rather try to understand and respect their viewpoint.
Overall, I am certain my experiences as an Earth, Life and Time scholar will stay with me through the rest of my college career and post-graduation plans. I particularly enjoy being able to draw connections between different fields of study and I feel having that ability enhances what you actually take away from each course. Applying this ability from ELT to the rest of my studies will help me academically as well as allow me to continue to reflect on the topics of Earth, Life and Time even if I no longer actively participate in the program. The topics we have learned will also be particularly helpful in my current field of study, Archaeology. As an Anthropology/Archaeology major it is important to have an understanding of life processes and the affect Time has on them. The understanding I have gained as a result of my time in ELT has and will continue to help me better understand the culture I am examining or the site I am excavating, granting me the knowledge I need to make educated assertions about the information I am gathering.