In ELT, over the past three semesters we have examined how the scientific understanding of the physical world and its living components is more completely comprehended when we take time into account. Being an Earth, Life & Time Scholar has enriched this understanding that I wouldn’t have received had I not been in ELT through several different ways. The lectures go into greater detail about how time plays an integral part in the changes that have happened to humans, other living creatures, and the Earth. A lot of the topics for lectures include information I have briefly touched on in other classes, but which we never covered in detail. For instance the lectures about science fiction novels, physical appearance and genetics, and rocks, are all lectures about things I have heard of but never really learned about in detail. Thanks to ELT, I was able to further my understanding of these concepts and become an even more well rounded scientist.
Here are three specific items from the past three semesters which have stuck out to me. The first is from the Spring ’05 lecture on physical attributes and how they are inherited depending upon the ancestral background of the person. I remember this lecture because of the interactive learning. Dr. Merck and Dr. Holtz would name a physical trait and people would sort out into different corners of the room. Some of the ones we discussed were hair color, eye color, dexterity, and eye creases. I learned that different characteristics depended upon where people’s ancestors were from and what other people they encountered to ultimately make the people in my class with their wide array of physical characteristics. This was a very interesting lecture that stuck with me because I learned a lot even about my own physical appearance and where it tends to come from depending upon people’s migrations over time.
The second would be the out of class project in which we had to research our family history last semester (Spring ’05). In this project, I had to speak to my grandparents to ask all about where their parents were from and who else we are related to. I learned a lot about myself and even grew closer to my family through this experience. This was one of my favorite projects because although it involved some time and research, the end result was even more interesting since I learned about all the migrations and intermingling that have brought me here today.
A third major item that affected me was the trip this fall semester of ’05 in which we went to the National Museum of Health and Medicine. There, many premed students were able to see several interesting exhibit. We learned all about the developmental stages of a fetus as well as wartime medicine. The human body exhibit contained real organs of people who had different types of problems. It was interesting to see how diseases and choices can affect one’s organs. This museum definitely had an impact on me and will stick with me. I’m glad that I went because I learned a lot from seeing actual body parts as supposed to just reading about them or learning about them in class with pictures and diagrams.
In my BSCI105 class (Spring ’05) we briefly touched on the system of naming organisms. In ELT, however there was an entire lecture devoted to the explanation of how organisms are named and what animals can be of the same genus but different species. We even had an activity working with the naming system. This is one example of how ELT has furthered my understanding of scientific terms that don’t get much attention in other classes. Another example of this is the discussion of creationism versus intelligent design in my ENGL101 (Spring ’05). In ELT, we discussed the ideas of evolution from a lower human being more in depth, whereas in English it was mentioned as an example of one of today’s controversial issues.
While all these lectures, group projects, quizzes, and field trips have taught me a lot, it has been my experience interacting with other people in the class that has made it even more fun. It has been beneficial to be with a group of individuals who also share a deep interest in science. Things like seeing Hooke’s original microscope, and using scientific terminology to joke about everyday life are things that only we would find fascinating or funny. I have made several close friends in this class and it has made the learning process even more of a worthwhile experience.
I think that my Scholars experience may inform my later undergraduate career because of all the extra facts I’ve learned about the world of science. I may come across some of these topics in my upper level classes and will have the advantage of already having some knowledge of the material. I think it is the same way in my post-undergraduate career. This class has offered me many learning opportunities I wouldn’t have had if I were solely taking the required science classes for my major.