In the SGC Colloquium, we discussed the science methods, climate change, and ways to limit climate change. As a chemistry major planning on going into a field that promotes the health of the Earth, I connected most with the unit where we learned different ways to combat climate change. Techniques such as Marine Cloud Brightening, Atmospheric Sulfate Aerosols, and Biochar all fascinated me, even if they were not the best choice, because they all related to science, specifically, chemistry in an interesting way. For example, Atmospheric Sulfate Aerosols, although not the safest way to fight global temperature increase, uses the fundamental chemical properties of inorganic sulfates to create a reaction with the water vapor in the atmosphere and the light from the sun to create particles that reflect the light from the sun, effectively lowering the temperature of the planet. This is cool to me because of the chemistry behind it. The by-products of acid and the actual reaction make me realize how much I really like chemistry and how it is all around us and it can affect us greatly.

Classes like general chemistry and organic chemistry helped me understand how these different methods worked scientifically. For general chemistry knowing the chemical properties of sulfates, which includes understanding basic principles of electronegativity and dipole moments. From organic chemistry, topics of resonances and functional group properties. Learning these topics helped me have a greater understanding of how those elements worked and gave me a greater appreciation from chemistry itself and the field that I want to go into. One news related topic that I have come across relating to climate change is the fact that the earth’s climate is constantly changing. The argument was the fact that early in earth years the climate was extremely hot and then extremely cold, so therefore the earth is just following the constant cycle of extreme hot or cold environments. Previously, that argument would have stood with me because it is true that the climate of the earth has not always been a “nice” temperature; however, the rate of global temperature increase is not comparable to the increase previously in earth’s years. At least 17 of the Earth's hottest years have come since the year 2001 and that is not by earth’s cycle of warm and cold. SGC has enhanced my understanding of the Earth’s climate patterns and the patterns we are living through right now. It has made me critically engage in the fact that even though the Earth does have patterns in regards to its global temperature, the patterns we are experiencing now do not correlate directly to the patterns from before without incorporating aspects that increase global temperature caused directly from human activities. Burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and pollution are all examples of human activities that increase the temperature of the planet. These instances were not occurring during the times that the earth temperature would increase or decrease, and they account for the rapid rate of increase right now.

My learning experience in general improved by interacting with another SGC scholar. It helped immensely living with each other freshman year, because if you had a problem all you needed to do was walk a couple of feet outside your dorm and there someone was willing to help. Additionally, most people in SGC are a similar major to yourself, so most of us were taking the same introductory classes that I was taking myself. I built a lot of great social and educational relationships built off the foundation of studying with them for exams or helping each other with homework. Again, this was even more readily available because of the fact that we were living in the same building. Most people in SGC are really kind and smart, so it also accounts for building friendships. 2 out of 3 of my roommates that I am living with right now are either a part of SGC or were a part of it at some point.

Scholars, specifically SGC, does force you to be active in the class. Whether that be learning the content and discussing it with your peers, going on excursions, or participating in group projects. I think my participation was just about average. I think I was limited with my time because of the type of major I am and the demands that my classes have on me. I do appreciate the fact that scholar force students to be active because people in majors that are difficult and time consuming would probably not want to be as active as Professor Merck or Professor Hotlz demands of us. I think the best part of the being active are the excursions. With the vast diversity of types of excursions to go on there is really a field trip for everyone. If you go with your friends you get to have fun and learn at the same time. The New York field trip is the most fun obviously, but I think the LEAD Chesapeake Bay excursion was very interesting. I think for me personally the bulk of my participation came from going on excursions since I went on a lot of excursions and had fun doing so. I learn about LEAD buildings in general and what the Chesapeake Foundation is doing to better the environment around itself as well as going to the Smithsonian National Zoo in DC to learn about animals and captivity.

I do not think that scholars has brought me in contact with people or ideas that challenged my own. I think, for me, I brought light to ideas that I did not know about. Most of the people that I interact with are in the same boat as me, where the information they hear is new and not a contradiction. Additionally, the people that I interact with have similar opinions to mine. My beliefs on climate change have only increased from doing scholars. Learning about how science works and how the world works only backed the knowledge that I had coming into scholars. I think the most important takeaway from scholars that I will have is how I take information. Recently, we had a panel of scholar alumni that came to talk about their careers and how they are positive to the environment, whether that be political or more science. It was during this discussion the topic of social media that we talked about what to take from the internet. There are biases everywhere and they are displayed with what people share online. Learning how to navigate that was a big takeaway from scholars that I will apply not only in classes, but in general life.