My Field of Study

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Anyone who is attending or has finished college with some kind of science major knows how difficult the workload can get. For engineers, it's a couple of years of some of the most ridiculous mathematics ever concocted (by ridiculous math, I mean that there are no more numbers, only Greek letters; and if there are numbers, it's followed by the lovely "!" [Thanks, Newton!]), a few semesters of physics, and a little bit of chemistry for good measure. For chemists, general chemistry, organic chemistry, molecular and cellular chemistry, and probably, probably even "romantic" chemistry are all measured, pipetted, and weighed into the schedule. I am currently attending the College of Science within the University of Arizona, and I was well informed about how difficult the workload can get. Therefore, I thought, "If I am going to do all of that work, what would be the best for the long haul?"

For people in my major, biology, they go on to become biology technicians, conservation scientists, laboratory researchers, nutritionalists, agriculturalists, marine biologists, doctors--almost anything that involves life in the world. But even before they pursue their careers, each and every one of them, including me, learn the values of research, of careful observation, of creative thinking. We learn to value life and to preserve life at all costs, no matter how big, no matter how small. We constantly search for new ways to keep endangered species flourishing, to keep the environment safe and secure, and to keep mankind alive. Biologists, essentially, are the lifeguards of Mother Nature.

Without a doubt, I would say my love for biology is genetic--my father is a dentist, and my mother always dreamed about being a doctor. Immediately starting from childhood, I saw the wonders of medicine in dentistry, in pediatrics, and even in neurosurgery. I was and am fascinated about the way doctors can take almost any illness a person had and wipe it away. Even when I walk by a doctor, there is an aura of respect and knowledge that is almost palpable. Like my parents before me, I desire to be a part of their ranks, to know that I am among the best of the best like Dr. David Baltimore of CalTech, who received a Nobel Prize for his work in virology and HIV; Dr. Dennis Bray of Cambridge, who studied the computational abilities of nerve cells, revolutionizing the way we think about the nervous system; and Dr. Gerald M. Edelman, who earned a Nobel Prize for his study on how the immune system and the brain change over time.

I know I am not the only one with such a lofty dream. For those who are also curious about the world of biology and medicine, these are some of the best journals out there: JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association (published by the AMA in Chicago, Illinois), Science (published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington, D.C.), and Nature (published by Nature Publishing Group in London, England).

Do you want to keep the world alive and well? Then look no further, for the biologists are doing so.



Reflection: After reading Arrick's article on engineering and Michael's blog on physiology, I noticed great similarities among the science majors. For engineering, physiologists, and biologists, they all learn how to think and plan scientifically, how to be creative in solving problems, and how to make things that make the world a better place to live. Although most would think that it is most mechanical, engineers can also work with biologists and physiologists to create new technologies to help the environment or people. I realize that all three of us--Arrick for engineering, and Michael and I for medicine--contribute small things to the wider expanse of science. Our plans, though different in concept, are the same in purpose: we want to help people. Our jobs, though Arrick might make new machines, and Michael and I cure illnesses, are unique yet set on the principle that we are keeping the world alive. And through each of our works, we can do just that.

The Emo Connection: Emotions and Their Role in Public Discourse

On April 5, 2013, a person posted on quora.com a statistical estimation that an average adult makes about 35, 000 decisions a day, beginning from the moment he wakes up. For the 35, 000 decisions you make every day, reader, how many do you make based on feeling or emotion? After you ponder that, consider this: could you then easily believe that decisions in public debate or discourse can be and have been made based on emotion alone?

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If you read my post "With All Due Respect," you would know that I wrote about the commenters for an article by the Atlantic magazine about the Old Dominion University. I analyzed how some seemed logical and reasonable in their argumentation while others seemed to spew anger-infused gibberish in a weak attempt to defend their beliefs. Though in such scenarios the emotional outbursts appear childish, if used correctly, emotion-manipulating rhetoric could prove to be one of the most powerful weapons anyone can have.

Of course, implementing such rhetoric must be handled with caution. A research brief by the National Institute for Civil Discourse noted that emotions, especially anger and fear, are incredibly effective in swaying people to one side or the other. Thus, a line needs to be drawn to determine what is an acceptable use for emotions in rhetoric.

One may think that one solution is to completely eliminate emotions in decision-making, but the research brief proves otherwise. Research shows that politics and symbols play on emotions and that, in some situations, emotion-based arguments are stronger than intellect-based ones. How then do we use emotions properly in rhetoric? I believe the answer is this: use emotion as a buttress for logical reasoning rather than as a battering ram against the argument at hand. The research brief reveals that the mind does not create "a contrast between cognitive and affective evaluations," but rather "a contrast between affective only and cognitive plus affective evaluations" (http://nicd.arizona.edu/sites/default/files/research_briefs/NICD_research_brief4.pdf, 5). Thus, finding a way to combine emotion and intellect as one can be the optimal way to argue since it appeals to both personality and intelligence.

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Returning to the Atlantic article, I mentioned a commenter named Blogvader, who fueled his comments with anger and impudence. He received no praise for his belief, and the fact that he had very little evidence besides his own irate thoughts to support him degraded both his credibility and his argument.

On the other hand, the author laced her writing with indignant passion, yet she also presented reasons and logic and even conceded to other arguments as well. Instead of detracting from her rhetoric, her emotions added to her writing, giving personality to her evidence and more logical nuance. By balancing both logic and emotion, she made a case against misogyny and "rape culture" much stronger than Blogvader's and thus bolstered her own credibility, argument, and values for female respect.

Everything I have written so far essentially boils down to this: emotions are important for argumentation and for decisions. No decision has been made without some emotion laced into it, whether it be fear or angst or happiness or sadness. Should we then learn how to properly handle emotional manipulation not to exploit, but to support our own thoughts and beliefs so that others may use their own emotions and intellect to form their own decisions? Think about it...with some emotion and intellect tied together.

Decay or Not Decay: The Dental Sealant Controversy

http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/05/04/11524617-decay-dilemma-do-kids-need-dental-sealants?lite

This particular article, which was found in nbcnews.com (Decay dilemma: Do kids need dental sealants?), deals with the subject of dental sealants, which are used to close cavities in teeth, for children and analyzes whether it is better to get the sealants to stop the cavities and risk obtaining side effects from it or to leave the cavities alone. This topic interests me in a personal level since I have lived with a dentist for my entire life (my father) and since I am trying to discover what kind of doctor I want to be.

With All Due Respect...: Comments and Media

Every person in the world has his own opinion in almost anything possible, and many of them love to defend their beliefs either through speech or writing. Especially in this era of social networking, people have rallied to express their agreement or disagreement, most infamously within the comments section. Yes, some may glance at the comments and continue with their lives, but even those few cannot deny the surprising power of comments.

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Recently I read an article in the Atlantic discussing the issue of "rape culture" after freshmen from a fraternity in the Old Dominion University made banners suggesting very promiscuous acts against young women (http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/08/about-those-stupid-banners/402331/). The author of the article took a firm stand against the boys' actions and stated that it was an unfortunate result of the "rape culture" that needed to be addressed, even if it seems trivial.

I agreed with the author--such "jokes" are not in good taste, they disrespect women, and they could very well be indications that today's culture, our culture, is in sore need of revision. I then took a peek at the comment section to see everyone else's opinions on the matter. What followed was a flood of statements that agreed with my opinion and those that did not, both of which were presented respectfully and (for some) vulgarly.

The commenters primarily focused on their peers, with whom they debated whether this act demands attention or not. Some have expressed their concern and central fear that this article is a distraction from potentially larger international matters; others claimed that misogyny is an international matter. A few believed that the article is an overreaction to typical fraternity mischief; another person stated that the fraternity committed a Title IX violation.

Although it sounds as if the whole comments section was filled with screaming, rude know-it-alls, amongst the commenters were a certain number of people who did present themselves in good fashion. They gave credence to other commenters and revealed their own beliefs with some solid reasoning. For instance, one commenter named "gapaul" shared her concern over the issue by supporting it with her position as a woman, writing that women were tired with misogyny and discrimination and did not want their children to be doomed to the same fate. Others, like "Blogvader," seemed very stand-offish, making claims without any evidence or support, giving themselves an untrustworthy aura.

Although I myself was not affected by the comments, I could see it in the commenters. I could see some were conceding to what others told them. And this does not happen exclusively in the Atlantic. It happens in YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and even regular conversations. It was even reported that the views and perspectives of news readers can change by the commenters themselves (http://cjr.org/behind_the_news/comments_color_news_perception.php). Therefore, in conclusion, I would like to pose a question: If comments are truly this powerful, can we use it to make where we live a better place? Who knows? Maybe even comments here could do something great!

All the Same: The Oft-Unnoticed Relationship between Concept and Words (Post 1! Yay!)

Today was a big day for me--the first day of college. I always wondered how my first day would begin. Now I know--and I'm already learning more than I ever imagined.

My first class today was ENG 109H with Dr. Mary Bell, who actually reminded me of an English teacher I had in high school. The first ten to twenty minutes of the class was standard university protocol, punctuated with policies and scheduling. But once those were all out of the way, she gave the class a group activity. She told us to take three slips of paper and write five descriptive words that we would write to an employer, a date, and a roommate. Afterwards, the class was to assemble in groups of four or five and sort out each slip of paper by determining whether it was the employer, the date, or the roommate that was being addressed. Through this, we learned that there were particular audiences and rhetorical situations of which every piece of writing takes into account for maximum effectiveness and appropriateness. 

I did this type of activity before in AP English Language and Composition, but I always find it  interesting to see a nearly unified trend on how each of the three audiences is defined. We think that employers, very influential authorities in people's lives, look at strong character and responsibility. Therefore, we say those words like "diligent, responsible, and hard-working." We see dates in a romantic light and thus write words like "loving, caring, and intimate." We see roommates as friends and will then describe ourselves as "friendly and funny." Because each of us had those concepts already embedded into our minds, it was easy for us to figure out who was who.

Such principles can also be applied in arguments, as well. I recall a time when my friends and I were debating about stem cells. I had presented some information previously about their potential to help and to hurt humans to the entire class for a project, and it caused quite a commotion. Most always thought that using stem cells were acts of cruelty and had no redeeming value whatsoever. As I further explained my point of view to my classmates, that stem cells can help people and that there were other ways of obtaining stems cells besides embryo farming, many of their previous beliefs were dashed. They began to see the overwhelming number of benefits that stem cells have instead of their detriments, and I was able to lead them to my way of thinking.

Before, I never realized that the principle I learned in ENG 109H was applied to such a thing in my life, and I learned this on day one! Now, as the class progresses, I hope to learn more about the applications of English in everyday living.