Once in a while, I pass by
A white rose that reminds me of you. Just beyond
The wire mesh, it stands
Unflinching in the sunlight.
Name of Truth, you
Frighten me. How resilient you seem to be
In Aloneness. It pains me.
I grow deeper, not wiser.
Once in a while, you may regret it all–
I do not believe you would.
But maybe
You’ll look up in the sky at dawn
Under a warm breeze and remember
That there once was a morning star that
We bore witness to,
You and I.
If I had a car, I’d be eating good food instead of being sick from not taking in anything other than cereal all the time.
If I had a car, I’d be able to get patient contact experience every weekend for the summer at Sweetbrook where lies some of the nicest/kick-ass grandmas I have ever met.
If I had a car, I’d go to Rite-Aid and get some tylenol.
If I had a car– Ah, if I had a car…
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Am I too rigid if I won’t ever volunteer at North Adams hospital because they screwed up majorly with my friend’s life? Or am I, by principle, required to volunteer in hopes to improve the place a teensy tiny little bit?
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Book Report #2: Chapter 2
The chapter is entitled “Neural Plasticity: Nature’s Double-Edged Sword”. Healy spoke about how the brain’s ability to shift based on the inputs from external environments can be both good and bad for the developing minds. As much as the brain makes astonishing recoveries after heavy injuries, Healy notes that the mind quickly forms around negative stimuli and environments as well. I felt that this argument was quite interesting since researchers tend to look at exploiting the positives of neural plasticity. It is hard to research just exactly how this mechanism works in the “normal” children’s brain, since the adaptations of the brain are only visible after big shocks or injuries. Nevertheless, Healy makes a case for further research of the connection-making between the neurons in the growing brain.
Of course, this runs parallel to her argument that the average brain of the child has changed over the years, by implying that indeed different environments not only can but do change the physical structure of the brain. Neural plasticity of the human mind allows for sophisticated adaptations and complex neural connections as we grow older. I had no choice but to agree with Healy when she asserts that a child who has been exposed to verbal and listening experiences with TV will grow up with different connection schemes in the brain compared to a child who has been primarily exposed to human-to-human conversations. As much as I hate parents who overly dote on their children, providing a wealth of experiences and stimuli to a child of course creates a much differently wired brain. I do not know if this is the “better” way to develop the child, as Healy suggests, but nevertheless there is no doubt that it creates different neural connections in growing children.
Here came one of the scariest things I’ve read recently– Healy talked about how much of the neural connections are made in the fetal stage and how much of the neurons we have for life are already pruned out by the end of this time period. Before birth, 40-60% of the neurons do not find their niche and die off, she cites. There are also many toxins that harm the fetal neuron connections around expecting mothers, and psychologists believe that a surprising amount of children with brain problems caused by such toxins appear to be completely “normal” until they reach school age, when educators discover these deficiencies in the child’s ability to learn.
As a young woman, it was impossible not to think about such possibilities on a personal level. While I don’t plan to have children any time soon, there was always the idea that when I am at a position in life to have kids, I may consider becoming pregnant. The assumption, always, is that my baby/ies will turn out completely healthy and normal. The reality is that there are so many complications that can occur in pregnancies that many women suffer through the heartbreaks of miscarriage. Sometimes the embryo aborts without the women even noticing that she was pregnant at all.
The chapter progressed with Healy talking about the fetal neural connections, addressing the risks that the mother runs during her pregnancy if exposed to certain toxins. The “toxins” are really a lot of things that I personally would not even think to worry about. One specialist interviewed said that while she was aware of these risks and they made her scared, the best she could do was to really prepare to eliminate these toxins from her lifestyle (hours of careful label-browsing) and go through the nine months in the most relaxed state she could be in.
The section really made me think about what kinds of adjustments I would have to make in order to be an eligible carrier of life and how important my little actions can become to my potential children. As much as women like to complain about the physical and social handicaps of housing ovaries, I think it’s a sacred privilege we are given to nurture a life into being and that with this privilege comes responsibilities to keep our body healthy and toxin-free.
The most obvious place to start is by respecting our bodies and not injecting harmful substances into ourselves. Not only are complications cause in infants by the mother’s drug or alcohol use an awful burden for the blameless child, but the mother can totally prevent these problems by not drinking or using the drugs in the first place. I had the chance to witness some horrifying moments of these prenatal damages at the NICU, where tiny babies are already screaming and fighting for their lives because of their addiction to drugs. I get angry at the mothers for ruining their children’s future, but then again, did these mothers really do drugs because they want to screw things up for their own flesh and blood? Maybe I just wish that before these women took their first hit, someone had reminded them of the sanctity of being able to carry a life.
So I borrowed some books! Eheheheheheh
“Endangered Minds” by Jane M. Healy and “Everyday Survival” by Laurence Gonzales should keep me pretty darn busy until their due dates.
Libraries are awesome… I’m working for the College this summer, so technically, for the next ten weeks, I’m being paid while getting access to free books. Aren’t libraries awesome?
Snippet from my Skype-versation with Andy&Dan
Andy: “I know what rhymes with liberry!”
Eunice: “You do?”
Andy: “*some indecipherable nonsence*”
Eunice: “Well, maybe “contrary”…”
Dan: “What? Bears?”
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Because I feel my memory, particularly of things I’ve read, slip away more and more, I thought of perhaps why the things I’ve read when I was little stuck with me while the books I read now are less clear in my mind. One might be that much of reading that I do now seems forced on by a professor, even if it is something I’m truly interested in. Another might be that I used to have to write book reports that summarized what went on and how I felt about it, rather than essays that focus on a specific aspect of the book.
So I write small reports for this book, “Endangered Minds”
The introduction revealed the motivation for Healy to write the book, originally, as well as notes on research that have supported her arguments since she had first published them. She emphasizes that while teaching quality is an important aspect of nurturing children with better brainpower, there also lies a burden on the parents and the students themselves that seems to be causing the decline in the mental powers of children.
She first focuses on reading and verbal skills, as these areas have taken big hits and are more easily quantified by exams. Healy threw in shocking statistics about the poor reading skills of modern people compared to their ancestors, which sought a skepticism from me rather than validating her point. For example, a teacher complains that while her past 8th grade class had been able to read and sympathize with Evangeline, Healy does not stop to acknowledge that to these students, the work was written in the colloquial. Of course many adults nowadays probably will avoid reading Evangeline– it is not even close to familiar language and it requires a lot of emotions and concepts that are alien to today’s society.
However, I could not help but agree with the idea that our culture does not incorporate complex literature, but rather tends to avoid books in general. Many individuals I know of read complex materials for pleasure– but just as many would rather watch the History Channel than study a history book. The author laments that test standards are going down but test scores remain the same. As a proof, she contrasted a 4th-grade level standard exam from the 1960’s to one from the 1990’s– and the change was noticeable. I consider myself to have been, at least up to high school, an “advanced” reader of my age group. However, I could easily see my eighth-grade self being challenged by the 4th grade material from the 60’s.
We also do not emphasize the importance of good language. While studying for the SAT’s, I had to learn grammar rules from scratch because no one had taught me such things in ESL. However, I found that many native English speakers, as well, do not receive grammar training at school anymore. How many times at the grocery store have we seen the words “10 items or less” and took it as the truth?
Healy suggests that we provide even less attention to the developing children as we learn that more attentive care leads to better brain development. I don’t quite know if this is always the case- I always considered myself to have had less time with my mother while growing up compared to my younger siblings, and yet developed the concept of “reading for pleasure” very early on. Maybe Healy’s next suggestion is a clue, along with possible varying degrees in speech capabilities between us due to gender– all of those distractions put on by TV, even those children’s shows that are supposed to stimulate the brain, may have a hand in this.
I grew up with cartoons on my TV at 4-6PM on weekdays and no other mindless children’s show to see beyond this time– my brothers spent their early childhood with many channels that provided cartoons on weekdays and weekends, some only showing children’s show for the entire day. As Willy Wonka suggests, take the TV away from the children and quietly fill their bookcases instead to show them how to vicariously experience all kinds of worlds. Many of top-tier college students were avid readers as children– and are less intimidated by more abstract concepts and ideas, making it even easier for their brain to absorb.
Perhaps her statistics are colorful and fragile, but Healy’s message is a time-proven one. Her focus on developing basic grammar skills, challenging young readers to synthesize and expand rather than just detect details, and giving children a wealth of experience to draw upon are so logical, they’re common sense. Yet, it is easy to see that modern parenting does not necessarily rely on these tenets and tries to use gimmicks like “hooked on phonics” and test prep courses. I felt that the first section of this book was enticing enough for me to read on and also provoked many memories and ideas to think upon.
So tired and already home sick… the kitchen and laundry room are a mile away from my floor and the ceiling is making really strange grumbly noises.
to watch FIFA World Cups 2010 match between S. Korea and Greece. I do not regret waking up early on a Saturday because I was greatly thrilled by the 2-0 win for the Reds. We’re in a tough, tough bracket this year and the darling team of Group B seems to be Argentina, with Messi playing and the legendary Maradona coaching. Statistically, the other two teams were also no easy matches. But the team, comprised of many newer players and some veterans from the famed 2002 national team, seemed to do better than their 2006 predecessors in terms of teamwork. The goalkeeper, Jung Sungryeong, did an especially commendable job on the field.
ARE HERE!!!!
It’s gonna be pretty awesome.
I didn’t realize before this week that all of the foods I like to eat are really tough and requires a lot of chewing. Managed to refrain from touching or swabbing my ears but it’s really hard to quit these habits when you’re not even aware of them. Time to time, I find myself leaning against a hand or reaching for a bubblegum and have to stop myself. Ah, well, they do not say “A habit made at three goes to eighty” in my country for no reason.
When Lady Gaga’s album came out, I listened to clips from all of the songs and had a feeling she might use Alejandro or Monster as her follow-up. They’re very “hooky”– catchy choruses and an easy-to-swallow beat equals a widely played hit. However, I sorely wished she wouldn’t because it just had horribly bland lyrics. Gaga is capable of great lyrics (Poker Face and Bad Romance had many moments of these) and I just didn’t know why she didn’t churn them out for the album. “Hot like Mexico, rejoice”??? She rhymed “Alejandro” with “Fernando” and “Roberto”. I think her NYU Tisch education can compel more than that.
Anyways, I watched the “epic music video” for this one and it was just not as entertaining as Telephone. It wasn’t quite “Gaga” enough. It was just a long, explicit tribute to Madonna and not quite the level of “music movie” that she’s been churning out lately. By the way, do the people accusing her of just copying Madonna not realize that the music video was a clear tribute, not creative plagiarism?
I don’t know, I expected Lady Gaga to be the megastar of my generation, not just the next Madonna. But I guess especially with this album, she doesn’t seem to be showing progress towards developing her own style, instead mashing together all of the sensational moves of divas past.
Paperwork: Success. Except now I really question what I did with my life during the past year since I have no volunteer experience/leadership position to write of.
Oh, yeah, trying to pass Williams was what I was doing all year.
Jaw resting: Not so much (I’m awful at this “not-putting-pressure-on-the-jaw” thing…), but I’ve successfully resisted 5 attempts at swabbing/scraping my ears this morning. Win?
There’s a great irony in this situation. In order for me to hear well and be a better singer, I have to not really do heavy-duty singing for the entire vacation. Also, in order for me to function as well as I used to, I have to stop doing a whole lot of things I used to do.
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Since the day Savage told us about the synthetic life development and A freaking out because she read about similar results in the Times a year ago or something, I’ve been keeping up as well as I could with this topic. My sources are very limited at home as I still do not know if/how to get the subscription to Nature or Science out of my school’s library.
The results of the study are still quite disappointing as I was one of those children who had outdated textbooks that proclaimed the world would be much different in 2010. Looking back from year 2010, a lot of things have changed, but humankind has yet to produce inventions in those textbooks (I’m still waiting for you, my shiny green solar-powered hover convertible!) and we’re still really far away from solving the genetic code puzzle.
It turns out that a team found a way, using two similar species of bacteria, to get the genetic code from one, empty out the other and force it to create DNA after transferring the code. (I’m sure it’s much more complex than that, but the best way for me to visualize it is to describe everything as “that thingie” and use generous amounts of substituting easy words with scientific jargon) Like many other scientific developments before this (GMO’s for example) this is hypothesized to be the big breakthrough in developmental biology.
Japan is already hopping on this wagon. A large contest is being held to recruit young biology teams (many from one of the super-science high schools in Japan) and challenge them to create best ways to further this development by creating synthetic organisms that produce substance that humans need for medical or commercial use. Bioterrorism is already a fear in discussion of synthetic life. Scientists and even merely interested bystanders are speculating left and right about the uses of this synthetic life and its further application to multi-cellular organisms.
However, like many scientific developments in this area, this is a significant but a small breakthrough- there is a great chance that the creation of synthetic organism will lead to very little during even my lifetime. It can also be argued that simply transferring one genetic code to a “shell” and synthesizing DNA out of this is still very far away from being able to synthesize a specific genetic code and create a lifeform unlike all existing organisms. To the less-scientific general population, this development is not as quite as exciting as the premises of life-simulator games such as Spore, where we seek to “play God”.
This doesn’t mean that there is no real interest in the consequences of such breakthroughs in genetics and developmental biology. The upcoming movie “Splice” portrays two scientists who create a hybrid organism using human DNA and find themselves unable to control their resulting specimen. Our culture’s obsession with “playing God” dates all the way back to the green-skinned nut-and-bolted image of Frankenstein that people glamorized when Mary Shelley only offered vague physical description to her ghastly progeny of human flaws.
A particularly disturbing film I recently had the displeasure of watching the trailer for was “Human Centipede” in which the villain stitches together three humans to create the “human centipede”. The director not only consulted a surgeon to make sure that the premise of the film was not too far-fetched but boasted that if such creature existed, it can be sustained for quite a long time using IV and current medical technology as a means to nourish and care. Not only is the premise too sickening to think about (particularly considering that it is also influenced by those infamous Nazi medical experiments during the Holocaust era) it is all very real, at least in this director’s mind.
As exciting as scientific developments and medical advances are, we need to realize the necessity of teaching moral and ethical guidelines to our future scientists. To the curious mind, it is hard to curb the enthusiasm and step back to dwell on the implications of such studies and experiments. Consequently, things that we can develop for the good of others are just as easily used to cause pain. It would be great if everyone researching nuclear power did it to harness the energy to fuel the world efficiently- we know that this is not always the case and the arms race still go on under the public view. The best we could do is teach our children well so that the superpowers of the future understand this when they wield their brains against these problems.
And also, we’ll fight plenty about these things on various science forums on the internet.
So, my ear is out because of stress basically. Apparently, I have really nasty habits that basically puts awful stress on my jaws which inflames the ear passage which causes me to touch my ear and swab it often which causes more irritation and blockage. It is not the high altitude of Williamstown causing my ear problems and surprisingly, my eardrums are in a fairly good state. It was just the high-stress lifestyle of being a first-year at Williams.
Cool.
I’m forbidden from touching my ear with cotton swabs (really, touching it at all) chewing hard food, resting my jaw on my hand, nestling a phone between my ear and shoulder, opening my mouth for too long, widely opening my jaws, and chewing on pens. They prescribed a few drops of some medicine to help the irritation go down in the meanwhile.
Why can’t I ever have fun medical stories?
But I guess this is the obnoxious complaint from the full-stomached…
I’m alive.
Going to ENT office on Monday. So exciting! I may finally find out what is wrong with my ears. Also, I have some weird-ass fascination with going to new doctors offices because I’ve only been to the physician and the dentist lately.
iamyoonis 