Becoming Sarah

Classes Winter 2012

2012-01-19T18:12:00.001-07:00

These are the classes I am taking this semester (now that the add/drop deadline officially passed):

Introduction to Art and Drawing
Tennis
Flexibility
Sensation and Perception
Intro to Bio-Organic Chemistry
Christian History

I am also playing on an intramural water polo team with my roommates and my friends from a study abroad in Jerusalem. None of us have played before, and it is still really fun.

2012-01-17T21:47:00.005-07:00

“Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been

given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible

is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”

- Muhammad Ali

2012-01-04T21:55:00.001-07:00

remember always that you not only have

the right to be an individual,

you have an obligation to be one

-Eleanor Roosevelt

A Very North Idaho Christmas Break

2012-01-04T13:38:00.001-07:00

I spent wonderful holiday season with my family in Sandpoint, Idaho. We played a lot of games - Ticket to Ride, Settlers of Catan, Risk, Hearts, etc. - and ate a lot of food. Indie and I also watched the super cheesy Hallmark movie Holiday in Handcuffs. It's tradition.

Christmas was magical. We switch names at Christmas, and my secret person Cody gave me a dream gift - .177 air pistol! And a remote control helicopter! Everyone was so happy! I loved it. I am also glad Christmas was on a Sunday this year because it was neat to be able to go to church. I spent all day with my fam (of course) playing games, eating and relaxing.

For part of break Uncle Tom, Aunt Suzy, Cody, McCall, and Indie went down to Boise for Tyler and Lauren's baby blessing! While I was sad not to see them and the baby, I was glad for the opportunity to spend more individual time with my other cousins Corinne, Christina, Annaka, and Camille! I also took care of all the animals with no major mishaps.

In Sandpoint, Idaho, there are not a whole lot of people my age, and most of them are boys. I spent a lot of time shooting, four-wheeling, sledding/snowboarding behind the four wheeler, and just hanging out talking. It was SO much fun!

On New Year's Eve (a black tie event) we shot guns at midnight. My favorite was the flare gun!

Casey and Alex

tubing

bruised legs four wheeling

Christmas!

.22 rifle

Matt and I

Batmouse, Me, Alex, Cody, Casey

Half the Sky

2011-12-30T22:30:00.000-07:00

"The tide of history is turning women from being beasts of burden and sexual playthings into full-fledged human beings. The economic advantages of empowering women are so vast as to persuade nations to move in that direction. Before long, we will consider sex slavery, honor killings, and acid attacks as unfathomable as foot-binding. The question is how long that transformation will take and how may girls will be kidnapped into brothels before it is complete--and whether each of us will be a part of the historical movement, or a bystander"

Read this book. Now.

Winter Wonderland

2011-12-24T12:46:00.000-07:00

The Barn

Baldy Mountain Road

It snowed! Thank you Santa.

"Therefore Do Not Lose Heart"

2011-12-11T16:18:00.001-07:00

A decade.

Weekend in NYC and New Haven

2011-12-01T11:51:00.001-07:00

Well, it wasn't really a weekend . . . I flew out of SLC at 11:00 p.m. and arrived at JFK at 5:00 a.m. Sunday morning . . and then went to New Haven, CT that night . . . went to Yale . . . then flew out of JFK again on Monday night.

It was an awesome whirlwind of a trip - it even had a fairytale ending with my Yale acceptance three days after my interview! I wrote a post about that a few weeks ago. I realized that I hadn't posted any pictures from the trip . . . ..

They are from my cell phone, and the Yale campus ones are from the internet. I didn't think it would be quite professional to be snapping pictures during my interview.

Freedom Tower

Jill, Cami, Ben and I

Ben's favorite view from Central Park

The ever-changing Amtrak schedule. Ha I was so scared I would miss it!

Sterling Hall of Medicine

also, I am filled with gratitude for

2011-11-25T16:04:00.001-07:00

The United States of America. Although this nation is not perfect, it is empowering. This motherland came to be because men and women were willing to sacrifice and fight for what they believed in. Now as citizens of this country, we have to be true to ourselves and fight for what we believe in. For if we lose our passion and our voice, and our individuality, than the revolution was in vain. Never be afraid to chase your dreams, to voice your opinion, and to live. Many around the world see America as the land of hope, and as citizens of this country we should never take it for granted.

filled with gratitude

2011-11-24T21:36:00.001-07:00

my family

I am grateful for my sister Morgan, and I love her so much. Right now she is serving in the Argentina, Salta Mission and I sure do miss her. We support each other and understand each other with out saying a word. I am grateful for all of my family, and the friendship and love we have. I love the diversity of experiences I have had with my many families love each and every one of my family members. I have great examples of selfless service, especially in all of my grandparents, who I feel would give all they have and more just to see me smile. Thank you for your great examples. I am grateful for the aunts and uncles who support me in my endeavors and love me.

I am grateful for a mom who was my best friend and who always believed in me. I am grateful for her legacy of kindness, compassion, and strength. For all the other moms I have - thanks for being my mom too! I am grateful for a dad who has learned to accept people as they are and still love them for it. I am grateful for my other dad who loved me as his own child and provided stability and steadiness in the life of a single mother with two young daughters. I am grateful for my Uncle Tom and Aunt Suzy, who opened their heart and home to Morgan and I. The safety and love I feel from them means more than the world to me.

I am also grateful for my many cousins/siblings and the camaraderie we have. I LOVE them! I am also grateful for those who aren't related by blood but who I love as my family.

my well-being

I am healthy, happy, and safe. I have many opportunities and am amazed that I, of all the people on this earth, have the privilege of obtaining an education.

my faith

My own take on John 20:13-16 -- I have joy because I know that Christ lives.

2011-11-14T12:57:00.000-07:00

“Your soul knows the geography of your destiny. Your soul alone has the map of your future, therefore you can trust this indirect, oblique side of yourself. If you do, it will take you where you need to go, but more important it will teach you a kindness of rhythm in your journey."

-John O’Donohue

Yale Interview Experience

2011-11-14T12:51:00.001-07:00

I interviewed at Yale last Monday.

I flew into JFK on Sunday - I had a red eye flight from SLC and got in around five in the morning. I found my way to Sacrament meeting in Manhattan, then met my friend Ben Myers. We had brunch with a couple of friends from high school at a diner. After, Ben gave me a walking tour of NYC! We went to central park, parts of NYU, the boardwalks, the financial district, some churches, and got close to the 9/11 memorial. It was the NY marathon the same day, so there were a lot a people at the memorial and we couldn't get in. Ben dropped me off at Penn Station and I rode the amtrak to New Haven, CT. Amy Gordon picked me up from the station and I spent the night at her house. It was lovely to catch up with her and to have a friendly place to spend the night.

The Interview:

I arrived at the PA office at 8:00 am (my friend Amy's roommate Becky gave me a ride there). There was a continental breakfast, it was really good. They had strawberries and muffins, which were my favorite, but they also had a lot of other things too. While we - the 16 interviewees - were eating, we were introduced to the program director, and the admissions director (Mr. David Brissette) and other people that teach or work in the office at the PA program.

We learned about the history of Yale PA program (6th oldest program in the nation) and about what its focus is. The program is 27 months long, with a 12 month classroom learning phase and the rest of the time doing clinical rotations and proposing a study. Yale is unique in that you have to think of and obtain approval for a study to be performed in humans.

Then a lady from the financial aid department came and told us to get ourselves into action and apply apply apply for scholarships and grants. I loved her - she was really nice. Yale's medical school alone has a 1.5 billion dollar endowment (good grief!!)

Then we answered a questionnaire, four questions long, that analyzed what we would do in certain situations. An example is: you have a patient who you have known for four years and he just tested HIV+. He refuses to tell his fiancee. What do you do? or What do you do if a former patient asks you on a date, whom you know deals with depression? Once we were done with that, we were split into two groups of eight people each. My group went on the campus tour first, led by a second year PA student.

Campus is beautiful! Some (but not all) of the buildings have that gothic architecture with the pillars and carvings on the sides of the building with latin inscribed over the doorways. The medical school library is amazing. There are circular rooms, and one room we went in was ceiling to floor bookshelves with wood paneling and ladders and old furniture. We also visited the anatomy lab, where we have our classes, and the hospital. The hospital is really nice! It is right on campus, literally across the street from the other buildings.

Then we sat in on a class to see what it was like.

By this time, it was noon, so we went back to the conference room where we had breakfast and such and ate lunch with current PA students. They really fed us well. There were sandwiches, salads, chips and pasta and drinks. It was neat to be able to talk to the PA students and see why the picked Yale and if they had a social life, etc. Then at one, it was my groups turn to interview, so we stayed in the conference room while the other group left on the tour. There is an half an hour interview with two alumni and one faculty, and then a fifteen minute interview with the director of admissions, David Brissette. I was lucky because I had my first interview right at one and then the fifteen minute one right after that at 1:30. So I didn't have to sit around and wait for everyone else in my group to be interviewed.

The group interview was with a women (who I had met earlier in the bathroom when I commented on how it was unique that they stored the water jugs under the sink . .. awkward) and with two male PA alums who were probably in their late 30s. My voice didn't shake as it did when I interviewed for Marquette, and it was fun. We talked about Nancy Drew, how I deal with stress, and they also asked me why I was so happy. (I was practically the only one not in a black pantsuit or just black in general, I was wearing my light blue button down long sleeve shirt, yellow cardigan and a gray pencil skirt).

Then I went into my single interview. We talked about cheating and what I would do if I caught someone cheating, how I overcome adversity. I feel like I really made an emotional connection because I talked about mom.

And then I was done! I hung out in the conference room and talked to the other candidates and ate fruit. I had everyone laughing even. haha.

And then we had the closing statement and any last questions, and we were done at 3:30ish

Then Becky drove me to the airport, which was really nice because it took all my stress away from making my flight. Heavily Father really looked out for me because I was able to get to the airport from both my interviews with no problem.

And then I flew to SLC! I got in to Provo around one in the morning.

Then I was trying to catch up in my classes, study for my my exercise phys test and write my research paper.

On Thursday i was studying in the Clyde building when my phone rang. At first glance, I thought it was a 208 (it was 203) number. I answered! and said Hello and confirmed I was Sarah Wills. Then the person said, Hi this is David Brissette calling form Yale University. Then it dawned on me. He said that they had talked over my application and interviews and everything, and decided I was a top candidate, and was calling to add a personal touch to my invitation to join the class of 2014! I was so excited I could hardly keep it under control. I said yes, thank you so much! and that I was so excited. Then he said, go celebrate! and then I jumped up, told the people next to me that I had just gotten into grad school and literally ran out of the room! Then I just had to stand on the bench because I felt like I was on the top of the world and I should be as high up as possible! I wasn't supposed to find out until after Thanksgiving.

So, yay! It still seems unreal to me! It will be quite the adventure. I start fall 2012.

Acceptance

2011-11-10T20:54:00.001-07:00

Love Beirut.

2011-10-26T09:33:00.000-06:00

2011-10-25T22:49:00.005-06:00

Your dresses should be

tight enough

to show you're a woman

and

loose enough

to show you're a lady

-Edith Head

Day in the Life of Crazy Sarah

2011-10-25T22:48:00.000-06:00

It's been awhile since I've posted a real life update.

I have my first interview in less than a week! My wonderful roommates and Ali helped me pick out an outfit to wear and how to do my hair. Alisha is wonderful at matching colors and buttoning cardigans. Don't worry, I've been practicing answering questions too.

School! I have death midterm number two coming up in my infection and immunity class, and am working on a group project - an instruction manual on how to fly a kite. I am also writing a research paper in that class about the effects of barefoot vs. shod running in those with cerebral palsy. My survey of world religions class is awesome! And I am struggling to stay up on the readings for international political economy of women. My exercise phys class is fun and laid-back. Dr. Vehrs, the professor for the class, does not use any notes when he teaches. He is very knowledgeable when it comes to the human body and exercising. I can tell that he loves students and teaching so it is an awesome class.

Work has also picked up again. I have been busy training myself with a new set of definitions and coding sheets. I think we will start to go into the elementary schools to start observing next week!

I went to Mass last Saturday for my survey of world religions class and was able to have a meaningful conversation with another woman that attends the services there. I loved having the opportunity to learn about another's beliefs and see the influence of God in their lives.

Alisha, Aubri and I (Sadly Sheri was out of town) carved pumpkins on friday night. We used the left over scraps to make homemade pumpkin pie! it was very, very good. A silky dream. We also roasted the seeds :) Last night, we had Jerusalem FHE. It was wonderful to see everyone again. I am so grateful for the experiences I had and people I met there that have had such an impact on my life!

2011-10-24T06:31:00.000-06:00

Men occasionally stumble over the truth,

but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off

as if nothing had happened

Sir Winston Churchill

2011-10-19T09:53:00.000-06:00

women hold up half the sky

Chinese Proverb

Last of the SUMMER pictures!

2011-10-15T14:35:00.000-06:00

2011-10-11T16:57:00.003-06:00

The most common way people give up their power

is by thinking they don't have any.

- Alice Walker

good advice.

2011-10-10T08:25:00.003-06:00

2011-10-09T19:58:00.002-06:00

Those who stand for nothing
fall for anything

-Peter Marshall/Alexander Hamilton

Personal Revelation

2011-10-07T09:37:00.001-06:00

I love this address given by Sister Barbara Thompson at General Conference last weekend. I am so thankful for the guidance of righteous leaders.

I know that I need to seek the guidance and counsel of my Father in Heaven as I progress along my path in life. He will direct my paths, and through Him I can reach my utmost potential and find complete happiness. Sister Thompson reminds me to diligently keep the Lord's commandments as I prayerfully plead with the Lord to receive guidance. I know I will receive answers, although not always in the way I expect, if I simply place my faith in Him.

I love the Lord.

2011-09-23T09:09:00.002-06:00

God has more

grace and mercy

than you or I

have sins.

- St. Catherine (paraphrase)

The Girl Effect

2011-09-21T18:36:00.002-06:00

What do you want to be when you grow up, little Sarah?

At first I wanted to be an architect.

Then I wanted to go into medicine.

I changed my major five billion times.

I have always believed that I would have power to accomplish my dreams as long as I put forth my best effort and had faith in my Father in Heaven. I am blessed because I have an ability to choose.

I can choose who I date.

Who I marry.

What I eat for breakfast.

And yes, I do have food to eat.

I am recognized as an individual with capability, talent and emotions. I have opinions, likes and dislikes. I have support from my friends and families.

That's not true for millions of girls.

Girls who work endlessly for their families and are not educated because they will just be married off anyway. Married off to someone she doesn't know, in a community that is not her own. Who perhaps cannot do anything without permission of her husband, including seeing women her own age who could possibly offer her support. She is property, who cannot choose what she wants to do with her life other than survive.

Yet there is hope. The Girl Effect.

These are my sisters.

I have a responsibility to reach out, through the bonds of sisterhood, so each girl may realize the value of her life, and the ability she has to break this vicious cycle.

Picture of Us, the Roommates

2011-09-19T10:07:00.002-06:00

Sheri, Sarah, Alisha, Aubri

Pictures of My New Home

2011-09-18T11:27:00.001-06:00

Research Assistant

2011-09-07T21:27:00.001-06:00

I am blessed to be able to continue being a Research Assistant for Dr. Hansen. I loved working for him last year! Yay.

Speaking of work, I truly miss the residents at HearthStone Village. Although it was stressful work, it was very rewarding and I love the people that I cared for. I truly hope they are doing well. It was definitely the experience of a lifetime for me!

Mount Timpanogos

2011-09-05T14:23:00.000-06:00

On Saturday I went on an adventure. I hiked all the way up Mount Timpanogos and back! My friends Rachel and Curtis went with me and we had a really good time. We took our time, took lots of pictures, and enjoyed the majesty of the scenery around us.

The little white dot on the top (shown below zoomed in) is the end point of the hike. :)
This picture was taked from Emerald Lake.

The path after Emerald lake was more difficult!

Me, Curtis and Rachel

The GLACIER! Although you can't really tell, the top was a 90 degree angle for a while.

Emerald lake

the field of wildflowers

I was the first one to go down the glacier and it was a blast! Definitely the highlight of the hike. I would do it again in a heartbeat. Wahoo! I yelled "this is awesome" all the way down.

Thanks Rachel and Curtis - I had sooooo much fun.

Fall Classes

2011-09-02T22:07:00.003-06:00

International Political Economy of Women

Human Physiology and Lab

Survey of World Religions

Infection and Immunity

Technical Communication

I will have a fun semester. :)

2011-08-30T21:01:00.001-06:00

"I have been driven many times

upon my knees by the

overwhelming conviction

that I had no where else to go"

-Abraham Lincoln

"There are only two ways to live your life.

One is as though nothing is a miracle.

The other is as though everything is a miracle"

- Albert Einstein

New Place to Live

2011-08-27T21:00:00.000-06:00

Grandma and I have been busy for the past few days moving into my new apartment! I was especially grateful that Uncle Sam carried pretty much all of the heaviest items up four flights of stairs for me. I had a lot of fun hanging out with Grandma and Grandpa for the past few days, playing games, watching the news and listening to the "Rule of Three" (Where I get to pray on the days that are multiples of three and Grandpa prays on the odd days and Grandma on the even.) :)

This year, it is a little different because I am in a single room! It's kind of weird - I have almost always shared a room! It has two windows and I really like it. The lighting in the apartment is really great! I am glad to not live in a cave.

Tomorrow I will go to my new ward, and then the day after that, school starts! I am a little nervous. But then again, I always am!

Hermana Wills

2011-08-20T17:21:00.001-06:00

Morgan entered the MTC on August 17th. She is going to leave for Salta in two and a half weeks! I put her first letter up on her tumblr (link in sidebar) today.

I love her and will miss her!

Road Trip!

2011-08-19T20:21:00.000-06:00

My Granddad, Grammie, Aunt Suzy, Auntie Karen, Ali, Morgan, India, Corrine, Christina, Annaka, Camille and I took a looooooong road trip to Tulsa, Oklahoma and back to see Megan (my second cousin) get married! (And yes, Granddad did travel with eleven girls)

It was fun, for the most part. Sadly, I did't take too many pictures. For Kansas you would only have to look up a picture of a cornfield and then you'd be set! My favorite place we stopped was Moab, when we did a little rock climbing. We watched a lot of movies, I knitted a hat, and tried to finish John Adams. Before school starts, maybe? IN Auntie Karen's car we also payed fun flashcard games with landmarks, presidents and states. It went well with the American history kick I've been on lately.

Now i am here in Provo waiting for school to start! I'll miss you, beautiful Sandpoint, ID!

Indian's Paintbrush

my last day at city beach

2011-08-19T20:06:00.004-06:00

Here am I, getting a picture at City Beach. Then India was sneaky and took some more. I tried to stop her, and the results turned out hilarious.

Secondary Applications . .

2011-08-19T14:26:00.000-06:00

. . are in! YAY. Now the waiting begins.

Elder Cody Morris Miller

2011-08-04T21:33:00.003-06:00

i love this boy!

t-shirt quilt

2011-08-03T10:37:00.000-06:00

It is finished! I took all of my favorite t-shirts that I have saved (since elementary school!) and made them into a quilt. The front of the quilt is my t-shirts, and the back is a menagerie of fabric that I discovered in Aunt Suzy's supplies.

Thank you to everyone who made me a quilt before - I never realized quite how much work goes into them until now.

So Long, Ernest

2011-07-27T13:12:00.001-06:00

Ernest, I will miss you.

You were a wonderful first car and I will always hold a special place in my heart for you. Thank you for helping me learn about cars and everything adults have to do when they own them. My favorite memory of you is when we went to a ghost town with Morgan. I hope you have many more fun adventures with your new owners!

So long, Ernest.

Morgan & The Temple

2011-07-23T23:29:00.000-06:00

My sister Morgan is leaving on her mission soon (to read more about missions click here). She is going to Salta, Argentina! Today was a special day that she was able to go to the temple and covenant with the Lord, and receive blessings from Him. I am grateful that family and close friends were there as well!

Family outside the Spokane, Washington Temple

I will miss Morgan - we've hardly been apart ever - and she is my sister. However, I strongly support her decision to go on a mission and will write to her, pray for her and think of her for the eighteen months she is gone. She is a strong, beautiful individual with the power to do a lot of good in this world. I love her very much.

Primary Applications

2011-07-22T07:30:00.000-06:00

I have sent primary applications to:

1. Yale University
2. George Washington University
3. University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
4. Cornell University
5. Marietta College
6. DeSales University
7. Baylor College of Medicine
8. University of Utah
9. Marquette University

Onward to the secondaries!

Bishop's Hike

2011-07-15T14:16:00.000-06:00

The Bishop's Hike is a backpacking trip that I get to go on with the Young Women in my ward (to read more about the Church's youth program click here). I look forward to it every summer! I have been a leader for it for the past few years, and it is always a good time. It is always good to get away from the hum drum of ordinary life and have an adventure!

This year, we went up to Rock Lake. We hiked in, set up camp, hiked to Rock Lake, to an old mine, learned how to do a bear hang, tie knots, orienteer, and start fires. We played games, ate food and had a good time. I especially enjoyed listening to Scott Lovenbury tell us stories about his adventures while serving in the military and his life as a pilot.

The water was freezing cold (snow that fell into the water stayed in snow form for a while!!) and we had to cross it multiple times to get to our campsite and to other spots we hiked to. In some places, the bridge was totally washed away and we had to be creative to cross. We walked across fallen down logs, and sometimes straight through the water itself. Sam (our dog) was almost swept away once but Curtis helped him across. We all had moments that frightened us, but we all made it through safely.

brave Sam with his backpack

Employee of the Month!

2011-07-09T00:54:00.000-06:00

I am shocked!

I got a fifty dollar gift certificate to Walmart for being Employee of the Month at HearthStone Assisted Living. I thought that I wouldn't really be considered because I am only working there for the summer, but I guess I was!

HearthStone has been a definite learning experience for me. I have become really attached to the residents that live there. Some days I cry because it is hard to see the other people slowly fade. Sometimes I smile, like when a lady and I had a heart-to-heart but I really had no idea what we were talking about but it made sense to her and afterwards she gave me a big hug and kiss. Or absolutely hilarious, as when residents will purposefully spit out their vegetables, preferring only the meat.

I will keep working hard until I go back to school!

2011-07-07T12:01:00.000-06:00

To be good,

and to do good,

is all we have to do.

John Adams

Tandem Bike

2011-07-05T09:22:00.000-06:00

My grandparents (Beth + Morrie) bought this tandem bike in their younger years. They used to go on bike rides on it. Auntie Karen would be on the Tag-a-long on the back of the tandem and aunt Suzy and dad would ride their own bikes.

Now Aunt Suzy has it! Since there are mountain bike tires on it now we have been riding it all over the place. (Even Uncle Tom went on a ride with Aunt Suzy) :)

I love it. It's old school and yellow!

Summer?

2011-06-20T10:26:00.001-06:00

Rain . . . Rain . . . Rain

We haven't had a sunny day for weeks! I love storms, rain, and how green everything looks. The weather has been perfect for running. (I have been trying out barefoot running with Vibram Five Fingers)

I am grateful for the rain because it helps the garden grow. But the sun does too. I wouldn't mind a few sunny days thrown in the mix.

the beautiful Lake Pend Oreille a few minutes from my house

I am ready for summer!

22 to 10

2011-06-15T10:56:00.002-06:00

The narrowing down process continues . . .

1. University of Utah (UT)
2. George Washington University (DC)
3. Baylor College of Medicine (TX)
4. University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (NJ)
5. Philadelphia University (PA)
6. Yale University (CT)
7. Seton Hall University (NJ)
8. Cornell University (NY)
9. Marietta College (OH)
10. Marquette University (WI)

This time, it was on a more detailed examination of their prerequisites.

50 to 22

2011-06-14T22:36:00.000-06:00

This summer, I am applying to PA school! I read in Freakonomics that better doctors tend to come from better med schools, so I figured that better PAs come from better PA schools. I printed off a list of the hiearchy of PA schools and began the process of elimination. I crossed out schools on the basis of the number of clinical hours they required and on how organized their website is. (I mean, if I can't find the information that I am looking for why should I apply there?)

Today I took the top 50 PA schools in the nation and narrowed it down to 22.

1. University of Utah (UT)
2. George Washington University (DC)
3. Baylor College of Medicine (TX)
4. University of Medicine and Dentistry in New Jersey -- Newark (NJ)
5. University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center -- Dallas (TX)
6. University of Colorado -- Denver (CO)
7. Philadelphia University (PA)
8. Yale University (CT)
9. Drexel University (PA)
10. Shenandoah University (VA)
11. Eastern Virginia Medical School (VA)
12. Medical College of Georgia (GA)
13. Midwestern University (IL)
14. Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science (IL)
15. Seton Hall University (NJ)
16. University of Texas Medical Branch -- Galveston (TX)
17. University of Wisconsin --Madison (WI)
18. University of North Texas (TX)
19. Cornell University (NY)
20. Daemen College (NY)
21. Marietta College (OH)
22. Marquette University (WI)

Gold Hill

2011-06-13T09:46:00.001-06:00

the view

wet India and very wet Sam

Aunt Suzy, Lauren, India and I hiked Gold Hill on Saturday. It is a trail that I used to run in cross country. We had a blast! On the way back down it started raining so we ran. It was hilarious. We all made it back safe and sound. And wet. Especially Sam.

Saved by a Smile

2011-05-04T18:46:00.000-06:00

After being home for eleven days, I was able to obtain a job! Thank you to Brother Hunter and my grandparents who jumpstarted me into the process.

I am working as a caregiver at a local assisted living facility. As Grandpa Bud put it, I jumped right into the deep end. I came home yesterday wondering if I was capable of performing the duties associated with this new job, and a little distraught because a resident had left this world for that of another after battling cancer. Of course, the death was not my fault, but it was unexpected and it shook me up a little.

And then I have moments like today (which . . is only my second day) when I look beyond the reality of the infirmities of the residents to and realize that he or she is a son or daughter of Heavenly Father. Every once in a while, I would get a smile or a thank-you and everything would be alright. I forget my incompetence and fears and realize that I love being able to care for them. I love them.

So, it is one day at a time. One task at a time. One smile at a time.

My Adventures of Late

2011-03-28T20:53:00.003-06:00

1. Cooking is always an adventure! This one in particular defeated the myth that pyrex never breaks. It does. I hold nothing against pyrex and believe that somehow it was entirely my fault when it blew up in my oven a few weeks ago. Goodbye Jerusalem artichoke and chicken dish! Hello subway!

Lest you think that you will be eating broken shards of glass next time you eat something that I make, let me redeem myself by pictures of cauliflower cake and shaved asparagus pizza:

You may think that exploding pyrex is hardly redeemed by food with names such as "cauliflower cake", but trust me, they're good. The cauliflower cake is actually like a more bready quiche and the shaved asparagus pizza was divine. I got both recipes from smitten kitchen.

2. I am training to be and EMT-B. This class is VERY hands-on.

Some of my favorite memories include being strapped to a backboard and then being flipped over and shaken upside down to see if the straps were fixated properly, trying oral glucose and activated charcoal , practicing being a real EMT and being a victim for others to practice. And, of course, all of the wonderful people in the class with me.

Me being strapped to a KED.

Below are pictures of a practice mass casualty incident (MCI) the real EMTs on campus did for training. My class were their victims.

The MCI was a school shooting, so I had a gunshot sucking chest wound with no exit wound. I was also going into shock. I got compliments on my wonderful acting skills! I am wearing a bathing suit so they can practice cutting off clothes.

The scenario goes a little like this:

An EMT comes through and triages. I am tagged red (between yellow and black. black is dead.)

Then EMTs come to extricate the red patients. I am carried to the treatment tent where my clothes are cut off, rapid trauma assessment is done, my wound is taped on three sides and dressed and bandaged and I am put on oxygen.

But, sadly, the scene is no longer safe because the shooter has escaped. I am dragged by one EMT (he walked backwards holding me up under my armipts across my chest and literally dragged me to safety)

In the new treatment area, I am backboarded and prepared for transport to the hospital.

All the while, I am hyperventilating, going into shock, moaning, pretending I have a hemopneumothorax and an altered mental status. We did this in the catacombs of the library (the very very bottom where all the pipes and maintenance is) so it was dark and eerie too.

It's very high adrenaline and this all happened in less than 8 minutes, probably.

I took my written state exam today and passed! My practical is scheduled for April 9th.

3. I have been shadowing! I have really enjoyed shadowing PA's and getting a confirmation that I actually would like to do this in the future. I have learned a lot and gained a little self confidence along the way.

4. Cerebral Palsy learning experiences.

My lovely grandmother knows that it has been a challenge to get insurance to cover the surgery for my foot. I was becoming frustrated because I didn't know how to answer the doctor's questions because I just found out that I have cerebral palsy and I don't have an incredibly good memory anyway. After one I had on Friday, I left feeling extremely frustrated and dumb. I cried on my bike ride all the way home for no reason, really. My heart was sad. My selfish thoughts were something like this: "I wish this could have been prevented"

I was sad all weekend, and I finally told my roommates what was wrong and instead of sympathizing with me they told me to change my perspective and learn from it.

They are right. There is no need for a self-pity party, because it is not really a party in the first place.

I have been very blessed in my life, especially with wonderful family and friends. Even though I am a bit lacking in the parent side of things, I still have a family. And I love them.

Two days later, I went to see yet another doctor at the health center. When I walked into the examining room, the kind, older doctor told smiled and made me feel welcome. He knew that I had cerebral palsy already, so while he was looking at my feet he told me about his daughter that had cerebral palsy who was happily married and had a fourth child on the way. I smiled and told him that it was hopeful for me. Then he told me I was special and beautiful. He knew my needs from his experiences with his daughter, and made me feel loved and and like I would be cared for.

He went out of his way to leave a memo for BYU insurance to consider making an exception for me, because my cerebral palsy id sn underlying condition that I could do little to change. This doctor became, in that moment, my advocate.

This doctor had done something for me that I could not do for myself. In some small way, my mind was opened and I realized how Christ was an advocate for me in the same way. I cannot save myself. I am grateful for this trial if only for this realization, this experience, which taught me about advocacy and the need for Christ in my life.

BYU Honor Code. Worth it.

2011-03-02T19:45:00.001-07:00

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/post/_/id/6173649/could-live-byu-honor-code

Interesting publicity for BYU.

The Honor Code is something that I and every other student at BYU choose to live by when attending this institution. It is not secret; the law is laid down. I am grateful to be able to attend school in an environment that is uplifting, with individuals who are trying to live their life with integrity and self-control.

revival

2011-02-27T20:45:00.001-07:00

i'm back.

i needed a hiatus from blogging after digital civilization class.

I don't quite know what I will be blogging about . . . after all, each and every day is a new adventure!

Jerusalem Video Rough Draft

2010-12-24T20:45:00.000-07:00

My friend Michael Boren is making this video! Here's a rough draft for it:

Sister Survivors Back on the Grid

2010-12-14T18:07:00.000-07:00

Sister Survivors emailed me back! They asked if I would like to look at their website.

Of course, I said yes!

Now I just have to get finals out of the way . . .

Last Thougts, continued (Final Reflective Blog Post)

2010-12-14T17:12:00.006-07:00

This post will outline how I met class requirements as well as talk about what I loved and learned (continued after the page break). Please read about my experience in the class by reading my Last Thoughts post.

1. Historical Context

Overall, in this class, I really enjoy how we were able to cover a broad spectrum of topics and eras. I feel well-rounded in knowing key facts from the fourteenth century onward instead of just focusing on one particular area. The digestible pieces of information given to us to allow to let us make these connections with out losing sight of the big picture, which often happens when too much and/or too detailed information is given.

Allowing students to do their own self-directed learning also was beneficial. I find when I come to class we often talk about subjects that I did not research on my own time, leading to more learning and interesting connections. Also, I am not bored because class is more than a repeat of what I already learned in my own time.

In this class, I have met the requirement for incorporating historical context into my learning. Please see a few examples below:

1. Keynes and the Hoover Dam
2. The House of Un-American Activities and the Atomic Age
3. Pacemaker
4. Manifest Destiny
5. Who is Darwin?
6. Modernism

2. Computing Concepts and Digital Culture Learning about computing concepts is always new territory for me because I had absolutely no background in computer science or programming or computer anything. Thanks to this class, now I do. Some posts I have written about computing concepts (aside from digital literacy labs) are:

1. Timeline of Computers - The Origins of Computing

2. Artificial Intelligence and Uncomputable Problems

As far as digital culture goes, I have loved learning about open source. At first it was hard to imagine that people would let other people use their hard earned work for free but I am warming up to the idea. Especially because with collaboration we can keep creating new and better things than ever before! That is one of the main reasons that I support the public domain and open source. I also wrote a posts about Unconferences and included a flash mob you tube video.

3. Self-Directed Learning
Although I was slow to appreciate this aspect of the class at first, it is now one of my favorite parts. There is great value in being able to research the topics you are most interested in, or in the areas you feel you are the most lacking.

CONSUME:
I begin my reading for the class period by reading the class calendar and the selected works that go along with it. I always try to look up unfamiliar concepts and words to make them familiar, and see what my classmates are doing in the area. I then search about the subjects that are most interesting to me.

CREATE:
I have tried to be more varied in my blog posts as the semester has progressed as an attempt to keep my blog interesting. I have enjoyed writing a variety of posts (such as lists, reviews, timelines, stream-of-though etc.) because it keeps me on top of my work and steers me away from boredom as I try to think of what to do next.

As far as digital literacy labs go, I have tried to post about things that come up as I completed work in this class or about things that simply interested me. To see all of the digital literacy labs I have done, click on the "digiciv lab" link under labels in the left sidebar. I also did the coding for the menubar for our group's blog. I created all of the instructions under the "Menus and Gadgets" section of the menubar.

In the future (and right now) I will be grateful for how this class opened my mind to the variety of tools out there. It already makes my life easier.

CONNECT:
As far as class goes, I made a goal to read and comment on other people's blogs, which worked out fairly well. I added Intense Debate to make commenting more effective on my blog! I have also enjoyed teaching my friends and family about the topics that have interested me or that I thought they might be interested in.

The group projects were really useful in allowing students to connect with one another and with people in the community. I recently had an email from Sister Survivors saying that they would still appreciate my help. I would have never connected with them had it not been for this class and our group project.

I also tried to make connections to my personal life, where applicable, in my blog posts. A few examples are my pacemaker, triclinium experience, and the posts on book and play reviews. (Such as . . The Five Equations That Changed The World)

I also liked these posts, but didn't know where to fit them in:

1. Romanticism and the Gothic - I am not afraid to admit it - I love dark element in art and literature. It has a seductive power that draws me in. I had to include these posts just because I loved this time period so much! (Now, if only there were a Pride and Prejudice section . . .)
2. Innocent, "Yes" Rule and People should act generated good conversations that I loved.

Last Thoughts

2010-12-10T10:12:00.001-07:00

This semester is drawing to a close. This class will soon be a part of the past; a distant relic of Fall Semester 2010. It is easy to look back on my college experience and realize how much (or little) information has stuck with me as I have jumped through hoops to get my bachelor's. It saddens me to realize how much I have forgotten already! However, I do not believe that I will ever leave this class truly behind. While the faces and names may (and will) eventually blur together, I will always have look back on this class with love in my heart.

And that in and of itself is surprising! When I first walked into the class, I expected it to be a regular civilization class which I could take with my sister Morgan. (Who would make it infinitely more fun). After the first day, I was confused and wondering what I was getting myself into and would have probably dropped but decided to stick it through with her. But, I had already decided that this wasn't going to be my favorite class.

And it wasn't - at least not for the first few weeks or months. I felt like I was literally chained to my keyboard. I felt swamped and worried that I wasn't meeting the expectations of Professors Burton and Zappala. Wanting to do my best, it seemed that it would take forever to complete reading assignments and post about it. I felt that some assignments were assigned at the very last minute possible. Sometimes I wondered if anyone even cared (but then my lovely family would post and I would feel better!) I wanted to put a countdown on my blog so I could always keep track of how many more days of class I had left.

I do not think that I could put an exact date on when I actually started liking the class. It just happened. It wasn't even magical.

I started to enjoy the freedom I had in learning. How I could easily access thoughts and ideas through the blogs of my classmates. The new tools that I learned how to use. The entertaining lectures in class. The interactions between the professors and the students. I loved that the stress of not having hard tests and quizzes was eradicated. And I even started to like blogging (a little).

This class has stretched and pulled and forced me into new ways of learning and thinking, and for that I will forever be grateful.

My last thought is that it is important to remember to live life. A life where you can hear people breathing, yet stand breathless at the majestic beauty of world around us. A life where you get hurt. A life where you have experiences and you learn and grow. The digital revolution and technology can be the most beneficial to us when it enhances our life - our real life.

Finished!

2010-12-10T09:28:00.000-07:00

It it is done! As a class, we presented our projects last night and it went very well! I am so excited that the event was a success.

If you would like to learn more about the projects or the class in general, you can:

Go to justin.tv/DigiCiv and watch the archived video of the event
Visit my professors' blog: Digital Civilization
Visit the group websites - find a list of them here.
Visit any of my classmates' blogs in the sidebar of my blog

COME!

2010-12-08T18:11:00.000-07:00


Image Courtesy: Andrew DeWitt

On December 9, 2010, my classmates and I will be presenting our projects - a culmination of all the concepts and techniques we have learned in this class. Everyone is welcome to come and participate. It will be held in 3108 JKB (Jesse Knight Building at BYU) at 7:00. To learn more about visit our facebook group and my professor's blog.

Some Christmas Cheer

2010-12-07T14:58:00.000-07:00

Almost Done!

2010-12-07T14:57:00.000-07:00

We are giving our presentation on Thursday! Anyone in the Provo area is welcome to come. It is to be held at 7:00 in 3108 JFSB.

For those who can't come, you can watch a live streaming of the event at justin.tv/DigiCiv!

I am really hoping for a spectacular night!

Group Project Prezi

2010-12-04T22:44:00.000-07:00

Our group project is almost done. We are just having a few problems with Prezi.

We are having problems getting out videos too start to play at the right time in autoplay and having trouble embedding music in the prezi. Does anyone know what to do?

Yet Another Update

2010-12-04T16:43:00.001-07:00

Well, our blog is completed!

I edited all of the posts and cleared up some minor formatting issues with the blog. I also wrote the much of the text under the "Information and Resources" Section.

Tonight, my group is meeting to finish up our prezi presentation.

Nominations

2010-12-01T19:07:00.003-07:00

Algorithms and Art by Madeline Kaye - Connect (Self-Directed Learning)

This post is an excellent example of taking concepts learned from the material (in this case, Alan Turing) and connecting it to something relevant in one's own life (Peter Everett's artwork). I love how refreshingly honest it and clean the presentation is.

Nicolas Negroponte by Kristen Nicole Cardon (Digital Culture)

I think this post is a good example of keeping up with what people are saying about/in the digital world. I also wanted to include a post of hers in general because I thought her blog was an awesome example of keeping the same theme all the way through.

McCarthyism by Brian Earley (Historcal Context - people)

When I read this post by Brian, I was truly interested in the history I learned about McCarthy. And I was went to the library and watched a movie about it - he did his research in an innovative way! He also did a great job of tying it back to what we had been learning in class.

CREATE!!! FLYERS by Jeffrey Chen (Lab)

Jeff laid it out. The instructions on who to use this website to make fliers are simple and easy-to-follow. He also included relevant graphics.

Group Project Coming Along

2010-11-30T23:09:00.001-07:00

With the final project due date looming nearer, our group's blog is beginning to shape up, Today, I posted on:

1. Creating A Drop Down Menubar

2. Adding A Menubar (The Easy Way)

3. Search Boxes

4. Bookmarking and Sharing

Digital Revolution Event: December 9, 2010

2010-11-30T09:03:00.002-07:00


Image Courtesy: Andrew DeWitt

Eradicate Blogger Toolbar

2010-11-29T22:17:00.003-07:00

To see how to get rid to the blogger toolbar:

A easy to way make your blog look more professional is to get rid of the seemingly mandatory toolbar at the top of your blog.

Simply insert this code:

#navbar-iframe {

display: none !important;

}

after the blog credits in the HTML code of your blog. (To find this, click on Design, and then Edit HTML)

Adding a Menubar

2010-11-29T22:13:00.001-07:00

To see how to add a menubar, please visit the post I made on the Creating a Support Group Blog!

This is what a menubar looks like:

Creating A Support Group Blog

2010-11-29T22:03:00.000-07:00

This post is to promote the my group project! To see what I have been doing, please visit the blog we have created here.

This is blog that will have simple solutions to create a professional looking blog. Although the topics of this blog can be implemented in many blogs, we will be specifically targeting support group blogs.

Annotated Notes of Web 2.0

2010-11-29T18:36:00.002-07:00

These are my notes from What is Web 2.0? Ideas, technologies and implications for education by Paul Anderson. (I inserted them below the page break)

While I was reading Web 2.0, I kept marveling at the connectedness of everything - it is so easy to learn! As we look back through history, we can see that through knowledge and having knowledge available to the common man has advanced civilization and humanity in general. I can hope that as information becomes easier and easier to find the same might happen with my generation.

Book Review: Five Equations That Changed the World by Michael Guillen

2010-11-29T08:05:00.000-07:00

During the twenty hours plus that I was in the car over this Thanksgiving break, I had the opportunity to start and finish The Five Equations That Changed the World by Micheal Guillen, Ph. D.

The book is divided into five sections, with each one representing an equation that has had a significant impact on humanity and the world as we know it today. Each section delves into the personal life of the mathematician behind the equation, the environment into which the equation was brought forth, and the ideals that the equation destroyed in doing so. For instance, Isaac Newton vanquished the Ancient Greeks view that heaven was in no way connected to earth in his famous equation F=G(M)(m)/d^2. The equations that Guillen believed to be most essential vanquished one of the five ancient elements - earth, water, fire, air and ether. They include:

Of course, these equations also have relevance to my Digital Civilization class in that without the inventions that these equations predicated computers and networking would be quite impossible today! This is especially true of Michael Faraday's equation of electromagnetic induction.

If you could add any equations to the list of what equations have made this class possible what would you add?

Group Project Update

2010-11-29T07:29:00.000-07:00

1. I finished my portion of the the leg work for our project! I wrote my summary and uploaded to our group project website.

2. Sister Survivors still has not emailed me back :( I still hope that they will, but I will start a blog that will exemplify our ideal site anyway so I have my bases covered.

Group Project Update

2010-11-22T12:41:00.000-07:00

1. I finished evaluating my chunk of the websites and hope to write a summary soon of my likes/dislikes as soon as my group members finish theirs.

2. Sadly, Sister Survivors has not emailed me back yet. I have still been learning about ways to implement chat features and a calendar in a blog though! Hopefully they will email me back soon!!

Digitial Civilization Wordles

2010-11-19T10:42:00.004-07:00

I made two wordles, one corresponding to the civilization part of class, and another for the digital part of class. I used text found in the core content of our class digital civilization website. You can see how to create your own wordle by reading my previous post. :)

Sister Survirors Emailed Me Back!

2010-11-17T12:07:00.001-07:00

Kara, from Sister Survivors, said that the doctor that founded the group is making a website, and that she (Kara) was working on the blog. I told her that we would be happy to help with both. Hopefully soon we can begin working with them to create a website/blog! :)

I am looking forward to contributing to a project that will have lasting value for people with breast cancer here in Utah County.

Two Media Theory Quotes

2010-11-17T10:53:00.002-07:00

To be articulate and discriminating about ordinary affairs and i

nformationis the mark of an educated man

- Marshall McLuhan

With future shock you stay in one place but

your own culture changes so rapidly that it has the

same disorienting effect as going to another culture.

- AlvinToffler

Media Theory Hits and Misses

2010-11-17T10:52:00.000-07:00

Media Theory, which looks at the content, history and effects of media, can actually be divided into three interrelated areas: how it looks and what it is, how it is produced, and how it is received. As I tried to learn more about media theory, I had a few hits and misses:

1. I found an interesting site on media theory but I was a little confused at what exactly they are trying to get across, or even what kind of organization they are. It makes me more determined to be able to create a viable blog/website for Sister Survivors.

2. I stumbled upon a document from a class that has quotes about media theory and theorists.

3. While the other two sites were interesting, I would suggest checking out this blog, which collection of ideas and articles relating to media theory. The main man for this blog is Nick Bowman, however; i beleive there are many contributors to the On Media Theory blog. I found their website and presentation of ideas much easier to navigate. Also, they linked other blogs relating to media theory on theirs!

4. I found another blog (by Adrian Chan) which listed the contents of three blogs. One of them is a blog on social media and the Web 2.0. If you scroll down, you can click on a topin that you are interested in and then read a blog post about it. I liked that, but it also might be nice to have a search function to narrow posts down to what you are interested in.

5. And to add some variety, here's an article called "Why I Don't Care About Media Theory These Days". It's interesting (but I would watch the language!) It is written by Whet Moser on a blog for the Chicago Reader, which seems to be much more liberal, if you will, than the Daily Universe.

Pacemaker

2010-11-15T18:15:00.001-07:00

One Wednesday in December I was wrapping Christmas presents with my Mom. We were in the master bedroom, and kneeling by the bed. My mom was on the phone with a nurse because my little sister Hannah was ill. And I was content to wrap the presents.

All of the sudden I did not feel so well. I didn't want to tell my mom because I didn't want to interrupt her while she was on the phone, so I tried to continue on with my wrapping. That didn't work. The world was going in and out of focus, and I was losing control . . . I tried to tell mom . . .

. . . and then I woke up. My step-dad Robert was holding me. He had sprinted into the room when he heard my mom screaming. Holding my rigid, blue-faced body, he shook me and called me by name until I started to revive.

As the nurse on the phone had dialed 911, some firemen came and then an ambulance because soon I was riding with my mom to the ER. I think my sister Morgan brought me my beloved bunny to take along the way. While in the ER, I proudly told my mom and step-dad that I knew what time it was even though all the hospital clocks were in military time. I watched them take blood. Then the doctor came in with the information from the halter monitor I had been wearing at the time of the episode.

I had passed out a few times (erratically) before in the past month or so, and because of this I was wearing a halter monitor for 24 hours. Only 24 hours! In that 24 hours, I managed to pass out and have a seizure. The halter monitor recorded the entire episode. Because of this, my doctors were able to determine that my heart had stopped for sixteen seconds.

Although they did not determine the exact reasons for my episodes (even though they did gazillions of neurological tests) I had a pacemaker implanted to keep my heart steadily beating in case I passed out again.

Both halter monitors and pacemakers are some of the great innovations that we have had in health technology over the past century or so. Of course, there are also other machines like electrocardiograms, electroencephalograms, CATs and MRIs (yes, I have had all of those .. .) that helped me as well, but I would like to focus on pacemakers because I had one implanted in my body.

A pacemaker is a device that monitors heart rhythms, correcting them when necessary by sending electrical impulses to the heart.

In the 1930's a man named Albert S. Hyman invented the first artificial pacemaker. It delivered ventricular stimuli, and revived fourteen out of the forty-two animals he tested it on.

For more information about Hyman's pacemaker, and to see more pictures, click here.

John Hopps, John Callaghan and Wilfred G. Bigelow developed the first electronic pacemaker in 1950, but it had some problems. In 1952, Paul M. Zoll created the first successful cardiac pacemaker, which was external and stimulated the heart through leads placed on the bare chest. Click here to read more about Zoll and his work. Earl Bakken and C. Walton Lillehei created a battery powered pacemaker in 1958. (Zoll's had to be plugged into a wall)

The electrodes also started to be implanted into the chest around this time period. However, the first totally internal pacemaker was invented in 1960 by William Greatback. Surgeon William Chardack implants it into patients who survive varying amounts of time. We still use internal pacemakers today!

Usually, pacemaker today have two leads that go into the cardiac muscle and are connected to a device as in the picture shown below:

It is so amazing to me that a pacemaker could go from a hand-cranked machine to a tiny implant that is hardly noticeable!

They used to implant pacemakers in people's backs but now they implant them in their chests. Mine used to be in my right upper chest because I am left-handed. :)

I will always be grateful for the halter monitor I was wearing at the time of my episode - with out it, no one would have known that my heart had stopped. It truly was miraculous!

More Resources:
Health Technologies of the 20th Century
Museum of Electricity and Magnetism - Pacemaker

Yay!

2010-11-13T12:56:00.001-07:00

Today I was working on our group project and it felt good to move forward. I got an email from Sister Survivors, which is a group interested in working with us to create a website! :) I am happy.

Google Forms

2010-11-11T23:28:00.004-07:00

I created a google form for the first time tonight.

1. Go to Google Docs and sign in using your user name and password.

2. Follow this screen cast I made! (Sorry about the watermark ... I didn't want to pay $100)

I created a form to put on our site to record our responses to different medical websites as part of the research process we have to do.

Here's a few pictures:

The creation of the form

The responses to my form on our website!

Midterm 2: Peer Evaluation

2010-11-11T21:47:00.001-07:00

In this post, I will peer review Kristi Koerner's blog.

1. Historical Context
As I perused Kristi's blog, I found a many examples of clear and detailed writing about the subjects presented in class. Although I do not have the time to read every post, the general sense I receive from this blog is her clear voice and diligence in keeping up with the class schedule.

In reading her posts, it is clear that she was able to draw on outside sources to compose them, however, I did not see links to other sites or resources where she gleaned her information for some of her posts. (perhaps maybe I am looking for them too explicitly). I did have the luxury of looking at our Diigo group to see the links that she posted there, but someone who stumbled across her blog would not have the same access. It would be nice to see these sources in case someone wanted to begin on some research of their own. (examples: 1 2 3) However, I did like the links in this blog post and this one.

I enjoyed how Kristi was able to draw on her past writings to create posts for this class (examples: 1 2) and able to clearly state her point of view from the topics presented in class. (examples: 1 2) I found her posts easy to digest and thought provoking!

2. Computing Concepts and Digital Culture
I found a few references to computing concepts and digital culture in her posts (example: 1 2). Perhaps there could be a few more connections to the computing concepts and digital culture that is assigned to the day's reading, or from what interests her from her self-directed learning. Perhaps she could write about how she could be more technology savvy as opposed to this. (last paragraph) I am sure that her readers out there experience the same feelings and even frustrations - and I am sure that they would love to be more tech savvy too! Kristi should increase her computer literacy and share it with the world on her blog, just as she shared her questions. I haven't found too many posts doing so, but I would say that Kristi has opened up quite nicely to the digital world.

3. Self-Directed Learning

CONSUME
It is clear by reading Kristi's blog that she is able to consume outside sources and and present ideas coherently in her blog. I made suggestions for improvement for this area under the first section of this post.
CREATE
Kristi is obviously an excellent creator - she got published! There are examples of her writing on her blog. However, I did not see very many posts pertaining to digital literacy, new tools and programs. Perhaps this can be an area for improvement.
CONNECT
Kristi really is excellent at asking questions to connect with people and draw them to comment on her blog. I feel that her open frame of mind and approachability also add to this aspect of people wanting to connect with her. Of course, I would suggest using Intense Debate to help keep track of comments!

Excellent work, Kristi! :)

Midterm 2: Reflective Blog Post

2010-11-11T16:35:00.001-07:00

This is to fulfill the reflective blog post requirement for the second midterm. :)
1. Historical Context

I have really enjoyed the historical context portion of this class as we have moved forward in to eras that are closer to the one that I call my own. It is refreshing to move past what seems like every history/civ class I have taken loves to talk about! (Note: I am not saying that I do not enjoy learning about the scientific method and the Renaissance, just that it can get a bit repetitious at times. When we talk about Keynes and the Atomic Age, my interest sparks simply because I haven't studied as much in that era). I find when I come to class we often talk about subjects that I did not research on my own time, leading to more learning and interesting connections.

When we study the history chronologically, I make connections! Although it may seem ridiculous, I did not realize that Romanticism was a reaction to rationalism and the enlightenment until this class. The digestible pieces of information given to us to allow to let us make these connections with out losing sight of the big picture, which often happens when too much/detailed information is given.

Here are some topics I have enjoyed learning about:
1. Romanticism and the Gothic - I am not afraid to admit it - I love dark element in art and literature. It has a seductive power that draws me in. I was grateful more more reading suggestions for this time period, such as Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.

2. Psychology - I am minoring in psychology. Although I am definitely not Freud's biggest fan (or really a fan at all), I like this subject because it reminds me of a class I took called LDS Perspectives in Psychology. I posted about this class and some psych books I actually enjoy here.

3. The House of Un-American Activities and the Atomic Age- I do not know a lot about the atomic age but have always wanted to. I used this opportunity to read about the HUAS and the Hollywood Ten, which I had heard of but didn't have my facts straight about it. It was good to learn about the not-so-distant past and the culture that existed then.

2. Computing Concepts and Digital Culture
Learning about computing concepts is always new territory for me because I had absolutely no background in computer science or programming or computer anything. Thanks to this class, now I do. Even if it is basic :)

As far as digital culture goes, I have loved learning about open source. At first it was hard to imagine that people would let other people use their hard earned work for free (and, to be honest, that is still something I struggle with) but I am warming up to the idea. Newton's First Law applies very well to me - I have inertia and am slow to change! I warmed up to the idea even more after a lecture I heard today that stated that Shakespeare was on public domain. This means that the producer can change a dew words here and there, as need provides, and not get hammered for it. As long as we can keep creating better than before, than I support the public domain and open source.

Here are some topics I have enjoyed learning about:
1.   Unsolvable Problems - Now, I do not think computers are magical, but I did not think that there was such thing as an unsolvable problem. I loved learning about them, even if it was a little bit hard to wrap my head around.

2. The Origins of Computing - I have always been around computers, and it was fascinating to learn of their invention. Innovations came quickly once the groundwork was laid! Here's my timeline of it.

3. Hackers - Like most of the general public, my definition of a hacker was someone who was malicious and mean, not someone who modifies software.

4. Unconferences - I like the idea behind these - who wants to waste their time being bored?!

3. Self-Directed Learning
Although I was slow to appreciate this aspect of the class at first, it is now one of my favorite parts. There is great value in being able to research the topics you are most interested in, or in the areas you feel you are the most lacking.

CONSUME:
I begin my reading for the class period by reading the class calendar and the selected works that go along with it. I always try to look up unfamiliar concepts and words to make them familiar, and see what my classmates are doing in the area. I then search about the subjects that are most interesting to me. I try to remember to link the pages to Diigo, but I honestly sometimes forget. Room for improvement there!

CREATE:
I have tried to be more varied in my blog posts as the semester has progressed as an attempt to keep my blog interesting. I have enjoyed writing a variety of posts (such as lists, reviews, timelines, stream-of-though etc.) because it keeps me on top of my work and steers me away from boredom as I try to think of what to do next.

As far as digital literacy labs go, I have tried to post about things that come up that myself or other people wonder about. For example, I create the indexing post after we did an Indexing FHE and many people had questions about it. Soon, I would like to post something about screen casting (and maybe even use a screen cast to do it!)

CONNECT:
I have been trying to be more proactive in posting on other's blogs. I made a goal to read two blogs every few days morning and post a comment when applicable. Perhaps I should switch this goal to doing in every morning. I added Intense Debate to make commenting more effective on my blog! I like to tell and teach my grandparents about the things that I learn. I also made a goal to learn more about Twitter and possibly get an account. I have been working on making my LinkedIn profile more professional as well.

The group projects this semester have been really useful in allowing students to connect with one another. I am excited for the end-of-the-year group project because I believe it will really allow me to connect with individuals in the community. It will be neat to apply and share my knowledge with them.

Midterm Flashcards

2010-11-11T10:19:00.000-07:00

I made flashcards for the second midterm on Quizlet! You can find out more about Quizlet and how to use it by reading my post about it.

Here are the links for the flashcards:
Historical Content
Computing Concepts

Revamp

2010-11-11T09:14:00.002-07:00

After doing some initial research, we are modifying our group project to evaluating different medical sites and support groups on the web and analyzing which elements on the page are the most useful to those who use it. We will present these ideas for our class presentation on Thursday, using a breast cancer website as a working model of our research.

I am excited for this new direction and feel that our group can really contribute something valuable! Please visit our website to see more about what we are doing. :)

The House of Un-American Activities

2010-11-11T08:04:00.000-07:00

Although I probably have a movie like idea of what the House of Un-American Activities actually did, I have read a bit about it in preparation for this blog post.

True to its name, the House of Un-American Activities was created to investigate supposedly disloyal citizens and companies that had alleged communist ties. It was created in 1938 and eradicated in 1975, with a pretty continual decline of importance through the years.

The House of Un-American Activities was known to be vague in their accusations, make sweeping generalizations, pressure to name people who are disloyal to America and of believing people to be guilty by association. The committee was relentless in their interrogation and investigative techniques. They would mark people as "Red" (a horrible insult to any democracy and capitalism loving individual, living surrounded by their white picket fence in lovely America)if they would not were not helpful to their cause. I think today that it may be more Un-American to ridicule someone because of their differences - after all, we are the giant melting pot. What do you think?

When people refused to comply with the Committee, they were held in contempt of Congress. A famous example of this include the Hollywood 10, who were blacklisted and imprisoned for their refusal to testify during Committee hearings in 1947, stating that it was their right under the first amendment to remain silent.

Here's a short you tube video about it:

You can read more about the individuals compromising the Hollywood 10 in my last link under resources.

Resources:
http://www.nps.gov/archive/elro/glossary/huac.htm
http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A0824313.html
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAhollywood10.htm
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/blacklist.html

Biological Warfare

2010-11-11T07:34:00.000-07:00

During the time of the red scare, did people think that it could possibly get any worse? Atomic bombs are more than nightmarish in their capabilities to destroy and annihilate. And that is an understatement.

In my microbiology class, we talked a little bit about biological warfare and the capabilities that they have. Sadam Hussein had six warheads with Bacillus Anthracis laced on the tip, and according to my microbiology teacher, only three have been found. (I'll have to do more research on it!) Antrax has three forms, two of which are usually deadly - inhalational (the most deadly) and intestinal (also very deadly). People usually recover from cutaneous infections. I could not imagine how horrific it would be . .. no set cure, the disease spreading exponentially . . . . I feel that I do not know an incredible amount about this subject, but the more I would know the more scared I would feel. I do know that there is a vaccine for anthrax but it is very painful, requires a few injections and boosters, and it is not readily available for public use. One has to have a legitimate reason to get it.

Some Social Psychology

2010-11-10T12:21:00.002-07:00

With all the talk about game theory in class today, I thought of some theories that I learned in my Social Psychology class last fall semester. In this blog post, I will talk about the TRAGEDY OF THE COMMONS, the PRISONER'S DILEMMA, and the BYSTANDER EFFECT.

The Tragedy of the Commons:

In the Tragedy of the Commons, there is a resource that is open and can be used for the common good. Tragedy strikes when people start to exploit this and use more than their fair share of the resource and then deplete/destroy the resource for everybody. In the end, no one benefits - not even the person who started exploiting it in the first place.

Here are some definitions for it I found doing a define google search - I marked the ones I particulary liked:

The tragedy of the commons refers to a dilemma described in an influential article by that name written by Garrett Hardin and first published in the journal Science in 1968.Garrett Hardin, , Science, Vol. 162, No. 3859 (December 13, 1968), pp. 1243-1248. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy_of_the_commons
The tendency of a publicly available resource to be overused, because individual users do not bear the full cost of their use, which is instead shared by everybody. This is particularly a problem when a resource, such as an ocean fishery, is not in the jurisdiction of a single government. ...
www-personal.umich.edu/~alandear/glossary/t.html
a term coined by Garrett Hardin describing the inexorable process of degradation of communal resources due to selfish self-interest of "free riders" who use or destroy more than their fair share of common property.
www.pbs.org/strangedays/glossary/T.html
Thought experiment in which demonstrates that any ethics is mistaken if it allows a growing population to steadily increase its exploitation of the ecosystem which supports it. An Abstract of "A General Statement of Hardin's Tragedy of the Commons"
www.thegreenfuse.org/glossary.htm
A concept derived from "the case of a communal pasture area where all individuals are free to graze their livestock. The `tragedy' arises because these `commons' were typically heavily over grazed." (http://coe.mse.ac.in/glossdisp.asp?id=t). ...
www.csa.com/discoveryguides/envecon/gloss.php
The idea that where there is no clear ownership of rights to a natural resource, the users of the resource are likely to overexploit it. This becomes an argument either for strong government intervention or for privatization of rights to the resource. ...
symposia.cbc.amnh.org/archives/seascapes/glossary.html
An idea (set forth primarily by Garrett Hardin) that unregulated use of a common, public resource for private, personal gain will result in overexploitation and destruction of the resource.
www.sinauer.com/groom/article.php
With a widely shared resource there is little incentive for an individual to curb activities to benefit others. ...
www.on.ec.gc.ca/wildlife/factsheets/fs_wetlands-e.htm

Resources:
Social Psychology 350 (Psych 350)
define google search

The Prisoner's Dilemma

This dilemma is based around a problem in game theory, in which people can choose different actions in an attempt to maximize their returns. This is what Professor Zappala demonstrated in class on Tuesday.
Say two people commit a heinous crime, but the prosecutors don't have enough evidence to convict them. This is what they do:

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2006

This dilemma demonstrates why two people might not cooperate with each other even if it is in their best interest to do so. If one person rats out the other person, he will go scotch free while the other person sits for ten years in jail. So, if they pretend to cooperate each other and then both rat each other out, they will each get five years in prison instead of one person getting ten and the other getting none. However, they could have each only spent one year in jail if they had simply cooperated with each other and not ratted each other out.

I guess the moral of the story is that your partner in crime should be someone you really trust! (haha)

Resources:
Social Psychology 350 (Psych 350)
Wiki for the Prisoner's Dilemma
Game of Strategy in Social Science. Prisoner dilemma: a study in conflict and cooperation.

The Bystander Effect/Diffusion of Responsibility

This is an effect illustrates that when a greater number of people are present each individual is less likely to help someone in distress.

For example that you and one other person are the only two people for miles around. When the other person has a seizure, you would immediately go to help, as you are the only one their to help them (anything would be better than nothing). If there were a ton of people around you might wait and see if someone else helps, thinking that they might be better qualified then you. The end result is that everyone thinks that everyone else will help and the person in need does not get helped at all.

A real example of the bystander effect is the famous case of Kitty Genovese, who was stabbed to death in New York City. Her death perhaps could have been prevented by the neighbors that heard her pleas for help. You can read more about it by clicking on the last link under resources. I picked a resource that seemed to weed out some of the exaggerations and inaccuracies that the other sites have. (It's a blog post with a lot of good information - yay!)

Resources:
Social Psychology (Psych 350)
http://psychology.about.com/od/socialpsychology/a/bystandereffect.htm
http://riverdaughter.wordpress.com/2009/08/02/a-fascinating-intersection-of-true-crime-psychology-and-media-misinformation/

Sharing

2010-11-08T20:37:00.000-07:00

I re-read the post on Digital Economies written by Professor Burton.

A thought that struck me is that I really enjoyed reading about the economies that focused on sharing, whether it by sharing talent and time (crowd sourcing), information (the commons), or even the Sharing economy in and of itself.

Now, I am not a student of economics or anything like that, but I think it would be a wonderful thing if we could share what we learn and what we know so we can all move forward together, indtead of just a few individuals at a time.

Keynes and the Hoover Dam

2010-11-08T20:21:00.000-07:00

John Maynard Keynes believed that a thriving economy is dependent on governmental intervention. In times of recess, the government should increase expenditure and and create jobs for people. I drove through an example of this principle applied as I went through Las Vegas on my way to go backpacking in Havasupai this summer. Any guesses? It's the Hoover Dam!

In the 1930's, President Hoover wanted to stimulate the economy and provide jobs for the Civilian Conservation Core. You can watch a really neat documentary about the Hoover Dam presented by PBS. I wouldn't find the code to embed it in my blog, but you can click here to watch it. The Hoover Dam is an excellent example of how the government provided jobs and stimulated the economy in a time of recession.

I thought it was interesting that in the Commanding Heights article it noted that Keynes' most influential work, The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money, was published in 1936. This was the year that the Hoover Dam was opened, as President Roosevelt dedicated it on September 30, 1935. It seems that Keynes idea was being put into action even as it was being formulated!

Is Anyone Out There?

2010-11-05T14:25:00.002-06:00

Today I made phone calls and left (a lot) of messages explaining to people who might be interested what exactly our group project is. I also searched through some blogs and sent some emails. Hopefully we will get a good response so we can see exactly where our project needs to go :)

The Beginning

2010-11-04T12:58:00.004-06:00

For the group project, Autumn, Katherine, Jackie and I will be working together to create a site where those suffering from breast cancer can find out about events, support groups, clinics and doctors in the Utah Country area. We would also like to create an area where people can connect and chat with one another.

Although the project is just in its beginning stages, (here's the website https://sites.google.com/site/digicivgroupproject/) we have hopes that this will fill a need for those with breast cancer in Utah County.

Our first step is to contact people, doctors, clinics and hospitals to see what people would like on this website, and to see if there is a real need for it. We will do that this weekend.

We will move forward from there!

Artificial Intelligence and Uncomputable Problems

2010-11-03T14:18:00.004-06:00

I thought it was interesting to realize that people realized that there were some problems that computer absolutely could not solve even before computers were invented!

I do not know if this is exactly related, but then I started to wonder about artificial intelligence. For class, professors Burton and Zappala have defined artificial intelligence to be "a field of computer science that studies the ability of computers to posses human-like intelligence". Instead of being told explicitly what to do via algorithms and such, could a computer ever solve a problem creatively? (Like Joe in the short story reading - A Logic Named Joe) If a computer could think for itself, would the whole problem of uncomputable problems slowly diminish?

If I understand the reading correctly .. they wouldn't. Any computer using any language could not solve an uncomputable problem. But that is without artificial intelligence. But if humans could solve the problems the computers couldn't, and then the computer gains artificial intelligence, could the computers then solve the problems too? Hmmmm . ..

Short Story: A Logic Named Joe

2010-11-03T13:59:00.001-06:00

Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the short story reading:

The only thing it won't do is tell you exactly what your wife meant when she said, "Oh, you think so, do you?" in that peculiar kinda voice. Logics don't work good on women. Only on things that make sense.

All this while Joe goes on buzzin' happy to himself, showin' the Korlanovitch kids the animated funnies with one circuit while with the others he remote-controls the tank so that all the other logics can give people what they ask for and thereby raise merry hell.

My wife calls me at Maintenance and hollers. She is fit to be tied. She says I got to do something. She was gonna make a call to the butcher shop. Instead of the butcher or even the "If you want to do something" flash, she got a new one. The screen says, "Service question: What is your name?" She is kinda puzzled, but she punches it. The screen sputters an' then says: "Secretarial Service Demonstration! You—" It reels off her name, address, age, sex, coloring, the amounts of all her charge accounts in all the stores, my name as her husband, how much I get a week, the fact that I've been pinched three times—twice was traffic stuff, and once for a argument I got in with a guy—and the interestin' item that once when she was mad with me she left me for three weeks an' had her address changed to her folks' home. Then it says, brisk: "Logics Service will hereafter keep your personal accounts, take messages, and locate persons you may wish to get in touch with. This demonstration is to introduce the service." Then it connects her with the butcher.
But she don't want meat, then. She wants blood. She calls me.
"If it'll tell me all about myself," she says, fairly boilin', "it'll tell anybody else who punches my name! You've got to stop it!"
"Now, now, honey!" I says. "I didn't know about all this! It's new! But they musta fixed the tank so it won't give out information except to the logic where a person lives!"
"Nothing of the kind!" she tells me, furious. "I tried! And you know that Blossom woman who lives next door! She's been married three times and she's forty-two years old and she says she's only thirty! And Mrs. Hudson's had her husband arrested four times for nonsupport and once for beating her up. And—"
"Hey!" I says. "You mean the logic told you this?"
"Yes!" she wails. "It will tell anybody anything! You've got to stop it! How long will it take?"
"I'll call up the tank," I says. "It can't take long."
"Hurry!" she says, desperate, "before somebody punches my name! I'm going to see what it says about that hussy across the street."
She snaps off to gather what she can before it's stopped.

All we have to have is logics. Anything we want to know or see or hear, or anybody we want to talk to, we punch keys on a logic. Shut off logics and everything goes skiddoo.

Psychology

2010-11-02T23:09:00.000-06:00

I am minoring in Psychology. I actually didn't like the classes for a while, because it seemed to take agency out of the picture. Then . . one semester I took a class - LDS Perspectives in Psychology, with Dr. Edwin E. Gantt - and it changed my life. I LOVED it.

There are a lot of readings for that class (which I highly suggest that everyone take), and a lot of them come out of a book called Turning Freud Upside Down, edited by Aaron P. Jackson and Lane Fischer with Doris R. Dant. This book explores some of the fundamental problems in psychoptherapy and explores how the issue should be addressed instead. It defines concepts of truth, and of agency, and of the way we think about things. It is hard to explain this class in a nutshell. Will it suffice to say that I recorded and saved all the lectures and all the readings for future reference? That is how much I loved this class.

The only other book that I have truly enjoyed from my psychology classes is called Opening Skinner's Box by Lauren Slater. I enjoyed her witty and realistic writing style as she explored the great psychological experiments of the twentieth century. In every chapter she goes over a new experiment, giving interesting background information about the experiment and the experimentors so it isn't boring. She brings the stories to life!

So, if I were going to read two books from the field of psychology it would would be those two. The textbooks would have a happy flight sailing out my window. :)

Modernism

2010-10-30T21:17:00.002-06:00

Isn't any work "modern" the as soon as it is created? And if the age of modern art is over, then why do people still use the phrase of "modern art" today?

If one (or two) words were to describe modernism they would be "self-consciousness" It revolts against realism, feeling that all the traditional methods of creating and building were outdated and boring. However, in this, they did not turn to religion, they simply questioned the truths that had been propagated during the realistic age. And this came in many forms, not just art. Although, when I think of modernism I often think of art, and the questions that I typed at the beginning of this blog post.

My roommate Alisha was able to tell me a little about art today. She stated that when we use the phrase "modern art" we really are referring to contemporary art although they do not yet have a name for this period in art history. And between this period and modernism there was actually a post-modernism period.

Souces:
http://witcombe.sbc.edu/modernism/roots.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modernism

And just for fun, here's

Hans Hofmann's painting 'The Gate', 1959–60 (a work of art from the modern period)


Drift Wall by Brian Knep (an example of contemporary art)

Unconferences

2010-10-28T10:29:00.000-06:00

Unconferences reminded me of a concept we went over in class. which I illustrated for you!

Unconferences are a way for meetings and mandatory in-services to actually be useful. Instead of a teacher only transmitting information to students, the teacher and the students all take part in the learning process. That way, teachers can truly help the students in what they need to improve upon, and students can have more say in the subjects they are interested in.

This is the article I read about it for my digital civilization class:
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20091201/welcome-to-the-unconference.html

And here are some articles that I found about it:
http://www.unconference.net/
http://www.openspaceworld.org/cgi/wiki.cgi?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unconference
http://money.cnn.com/2006/06/05/technology/business2_unconference0606/index.htm

Microbiology Presentation

2010-10-26T21:14:00.001-06:00

Here is a brochure that I designed for my microbiology class! I really like the way it turned out.

Happy (Early) Halloween!

2010-10-26T11:34:00.001-06:00

love, Albert the Pumpkin

Blue Links Problem

2010-10-25T23:33:00.001-06:00

Today I was horrified to realize that all of my links had changed color to a really bright blue and purple that hurt my eyes to look at. While I didn't know why they had changed, I tried to change it back to normal by going to the template designer in the layout section of your blog. I tried everything, to no avail. And then I turned to google.

I was lucky to come across this lifesaver of a blog post: http://www.blogbulk.com/2009/03/blue-links-problem-in-blogger.html

Here, this marvelous person explained that when someone copies and pastes text from Microsoft Word into their post, the HTML formatting also copies and overruns the original blogger settings. Who knew?

A few simple steps later, my blog was back to normal! (Thank you sooooo much helpful blog post!)

Word to the wise: don't copy and paste text from Microsoft Word! Use a text edit or note pad progam instead!

Review: Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute)

2010-10-25T15:46:00.003-06:00

Die Zauberflöte, or the Magic Flute, is a beloved opera composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It was a popular diversion in the 19th century and it still remains a viable force today – it is the eighth most frequently performed opera in the United States! I had the opportunity to experience this opera when Brigham Young University’s School of Music presented it at the de Jong Concert Hall.
Some background information:
The opera premiered in Vienna, Austria to wild acclaim near the end of September 1791. During Mozart’s remaining months alive, as he passed away in December of 1971, it seemed that the opera continued to grow in popularity. After his death, Die Zauberflöte was published by Nikolaus Simrock.
Die Zauberflöte is a Singspiel, which is a particular genre of opera that includes both speaking and singing parts. Although many Singspiels contained comedic elements, they could also have more serious themes. As the Singspiel originated in Germany, many of the first of this genre were written in German. The Singspiel became well-known in the eighteenth century, and Mozart composed three other Singspiels before the culmination of Die Zauberflöte. Die Zauberflöte, of course, has its comedic elements through Papageno and its serious elements through Tamino, Pamina, Sorastro, and the Queen of the Night.
Both Mozart and Emanuel Schikaneder, the man who wrote the libretto for the opera, were Free Masons at the time of the creation of Die Zauberflöte. Thus, Masonic themes can be seen throughout the opera as Tamino and Papageno pass through their trials, and Pamina through hers. This ties into another theme of gaining enlightenment through trial and error. The stage set also often incorporates Masonic symbols.

The Actual Performance:
I enjoyed the performance of Die Zauberflöte I attended. I would say that the opera was very well casted, not one voice was unpleasant to listen to. I enjoyed the costumes and the make-up as well.
In this version of the opera, the speaking lines were given in English while the songs were kept in their original German. Gratefully, subtitles would appear on screens to the right and left of the stage when translation would needed. I believe the LDS nature of the audience influenced the creation of the subtitles to imply connections of Die Zauberflöte and Masonry to LDS culture. For instance, as Tamino and Papageno make their way through their trials at the temple, the words initiatory and endowment were often used. This has obvious reference to the Initiatory and Endowment sessions performed inside LDS temples. Also, at the end, Tamino and Pamina were married to obtain their ultimate happiness.
There is also symbolism of light and reason versus darkness and confusion, and of making a choice to follow one or another. Pamina is presented with a choice like this after her mother, the Queen of the Night, wishes for Pamina to kill Sarastro or forever be disowned and performs the famous aria: Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen (Hell's vengeance boileth in mine heart). In LDS culture, we have to make choices between right and wrong, light and darkness. Although there are many points on which the opera relates to LDS culture, due to its Masonic elements, it is still important to remember that there are differences between the two.
If I had the opportinity, I would love to see Die Zauberflöte performed again. I feel that as I am familiar with the basic story line now, seeing the opera a second time would allow me to explore the details I missed before. I would also recommend, if one was ever to go to this opera, to read about it beforehand. Knowing the historical context and inspirations for the opera could be very beneficial knowledge as Die Zauberflöte unfolds. Die Zauberflöte is a masterpiece that wouls recommend for every individual to experience.