Mission SHO TIME complete!

Bravo to my fellow mentors, the team leaders, and especially Dan for pulling off the best SHO TIME ever! I can’t believe it’s over…

The day started off with Town and Gown, but in a format which we’ve never held it before. I actually liked this year’s format better because instead of using time to guess who each guest was, we could spend more time learning about what they did and how we could get involved. And it’s always nice to see familiar faces return to participate year after year.

I was beyond happy with how well the freshmen handled the diversity workshop, I can imagine that very few of them have ever really held honest conversations about some of the tough topics we covered in this exercise. I am very proud that my entire group participated fully in this activity. 🙂

My favorite part of the day, though, must be Late Night with the Dean. Every year the audience laughs til their sides hurt, laugh til they cry, and laugh so hard we have to catch our breaths. There were some more serious parts of the night, and President Barron’s interview I believe was very beneficial to the newest members of our Penn State and Schreyer family because they got to meet their president and learn about his views on Penn State in a smaller environment and before the rest of the Class of 2019.

All good things must unfortunately come to an end, and Final Bow was the perfect way to end SHO TIME with a bang.

These past three days have been some of the most incredible days of my Penn State experience, and I love each and every member on Team Phoenix. I am so proud of how much my freshies have grown and learned about themselves and each other in the past few days, and I cannot wait to see what their futures here at Penn State and in Schreyer hold for them.

For the final time *sob* – Houston, over and out.

Houston, we have lift-off!

WOW. That is all I can say about Day 2. I’m exhausted, but only because I had such an amazing, packed, exciting, busy, fun (you get the idea) day. My little freshies are truly awesome people, I am humbled and honored to be one of their mentors (shout-out to my co-mentor, Corinne!) during their SHO TIME. I can’t wait to see how we all grow and bond as a group on Day 3 and in the coming years.

Loooooong day for Day 2. I am so proud of my group, everyone was at every event and we even made it to breakfast on time! (Still half-asleep though haha). One of my favorite parts of the morning was the dance break between the two events in 100 Thomas, it was so much fun getting up and dancing around the room with my fellow mentors and a few brave freshmen. 🙂

Dinner was a fun time for all of us, my group really enjoyed going through the involvement fair, and I enjoyed watching them find clubs and activities I know they will love being a part of. And then the day culminated with the Brain Show. My group (and me too!) had an absolute BLAST at the Brain Show, I think just about every one of my freshmen went up to participate at least once. They were having such a good time all day, I think they were sad to see the day end. But Day 3 will be just as packed with fun activities, and I cannot wait to see what happens next!

Houston, over and out.

3…2…1…Blast off!

Wow, what a great first day of SHO TIME! It was so exciting to meet my group of freshmen for the first time, and I love them all already. 🙂 The day was a little nostalgic for me, I wish I was a freshman again so I could enjoy Penn State even longer. But I am so happy for all of the freshmen and can’t wait to get to know all of them better, this year’s class is really impressive and full of great people.

I think I speak for everyone (especially the freshmen) when I say how thankful and HAPPY we all were that the rain held out! We could not have asked for a more beautiful day to officially welcome the newest members of the Schreyer family to campus. Move-in went smoothly, tears were shed at Tears and Cheers, and new friendships were made that I know will stand the test of time. The first day was so amazing, I can’t wait to see what day 2 brings!

Houston, over and out.

I Am Malala
Between the two books, I enjoyed reading this one over The Honor Code. The way it was written, I felt as if I were looking through Malala’s eyes as everything was happening, experiencing it as if I were walking in her shoes.
All of the news coverage and articles that I have ever seen or read that have covered the area where Malala grew up have always been removed, devoid of emotion, and as I have learned from reading this book, lacking in facts and portraying an accurate image of what life is truly like for girls who are persecuted just for wanting something as simple as an education, which we take for granted.
I don’t know if I would have been brave enough, were I in Malala’s place, to stand up and fight against the Taliban.
Even with Malala’s recounts of some of her more frightening experiences, I really enjoyed this book, reading along and watching as she grew into the inspiring young lady the world knows today. I definitely recommend that everyone read it, it’s a great book!

The Honor Code
Duels, foot binding, slavery, women’s rights. Always considered as part of a culture or as a cultural movement. But I had never thought about these issues as being causes for revolutions. But after reading this book, I can see the monumental effort it took to change opinions, cultural views, and laws surrounding these influential areas. Does the term “revolutions” always have to do with wars? I think that this book showed that no, it doesn’t, and that some revolutionary movements can be just as peacefully carried out (in the case of foot binding) as others are more violent (*insert war of choice here*).
One thing that this book pointed out, which I thought was worth noting again, is that even though we (humanity) have come so far in our revolutions, there is still a ways to go, and these new revolutions will most likely not progress quickly (because they very rarely do – see this book and every history textbook ever).

“It’s a small world after all
It’s a small world after all
It’s a small world after all
It’s a small, small world”

The words of the iconic Disney song ring true for more than the fun ride at Disney World (Though let’s be honest, getting that song stuck in our heads is not exactly everyone’s definition of fun…). And while Disney certainly impacts children of all ages across the globe, it may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of “global perspective”. That’s okay, a Disney connection is not the first thing I think of, either.

Global perspective can come from more than just studying abroad or doing service trips in a third-world country. What I have found is that we can learn about the other 7 billion that share our home in some of the smallest, and often most surprising, places. For me, that was highlighted by two of my classes: PSYCH 212H (Developmental Psychology) and PSYCH 441 (Health Psychology).

“It’s a world of laughter, a world of tears
It’s a world of hopes and a world of fears
There’s so much that we share that it’s time we’re aware
It’s a small world after all”

We often identify ourselves from where we’re from, by the culture and traditions we follow, and the language we speak. Ask your friends sitting around you in class who they are, and (other than their name!) they’ll probably rattle off their heritage, hometown, and so on. In high school the answers probably weren’t very diverse. At Penn State if you asked the same question, one of the common identifiers someone will use is most likely either “I’m from the Philly area” or “I’m from the Pittsburgh area”. The same goes for Wawa versus Sheetz preferences, sports team loyalties, and dialect differences. What I’ve learned is that there are an infinite number of attributes people can say to identify themselves. But there are even more characteristics that also define who we are, and some can go unnoticed unless pointed out.

PSYCH 441 taught me that some things we consider simple, such as method of exercising and diet, can vary greatly even between communities, let alone across the world. Sickness rates, medical treatment methods and beliefs, and even child safety practices span a wide spectrum of possibilities. What we consider “modern medicine” here in the US and overall widely accept, is border-line shunned in some areas of the world. Similarly, Americans aren’t well known for being fond of a fried insect-on-a-stick, but in another part of the world that insect-on-a-stick is a delicacy. Some ethnicities are more susceptible to certain types of diseases over others, and while some cultures may be fitness-junkies, others play pride in leisure. So many different options, so many combinations, and so many outcomes! What PSYCH 441 showed me is that while health is a universal topic, there is no one “right way” to approach it. There is merit and problems with each method, with each having its own followers. Maybe the person next to you knows a better way to get rid of the unfortunate pimple that always seems to show up on picture day, and maybe you can share with your friends your fail-safe technique for getting rid of a nasty headache.

Everyone has their own different and unique perspective of the world around them, and by sharing them we can come to better understand this large green and blue ball in space we call home and the people with whom we share it.

“There is just one moon and one golden sun
And a smile means friendship to everyone
Though the mountains divide
And the oceans are wide
It’s a small world after all“

While some traits that define us differ vastly across the world, some of our most innate actions and tendencies can be universal. No matter where you go in this world, a smile is always seen as positive, and tears are always seen as negative. We greet people when we meet them, and we say goodbye when we leave. The method might vary slightly, but the principles and beliefs are very similar. The same can be said for childhood. PSYCH 212H focused on development up through the teenage years, and learning about how children around the globe are raised was truly-eye opening. Because cultures value different traits and personality types, the methods parents use to teach their children how to walk, talk, eat, and socialize may differ, but underneath it all are the united goals of wanting their children to succeed, to be healthy, and to be happy.

And at the end of the day, though we live in different places and speak in different ways, and some of the things about our lives are different than others’, we are all people just the same. We are all friends, children, loved ones, united in our journeys on this giant living planet we call Earth, and that really puts things into perspective. It may be a big planet, but it can feel small when you really think about what makes us different, and what makes us the same.

“It’s a small world after all
It’s a small world after all
It’s a small world after all
It’s a small, small world“

After two years and seven honors courses, how can I choose just ONE as my favorite?

Okay fine. If I had to choose, it would probably be…Developmental Psychology (PSYCH212H). The class centered on psychological and cognitive development and other related topics, focusing on development from conception through the teenage years. The structure of this class was not like most classes I have taken, because we had no exams (yay!) and every class session was largely discussion-based, instead of lecture-based. And although I was highly interested in the class because of my interest in going to medical school and perhaps working with kids one day, I thought this class also provided information applicable to everyday, real-life. Because this was an honors course, we not only covered the basic terms and concepts around childhood development and methods for boosting development at all ages. We also took a practical approach, applying what we learned in class to develop games geared towards boosting early childhood development (Because who doesn’t like spending an entire class period playing games and getting a grade for it?!), coordinate mock presentations to lawmakers to enact laws beneficial to the development of multiple age groups, and work in groups to analyze current social, behavioral, cognitive, and mental issues affecting development. I know this sounds like a lot of work, but the class was so much fun, and I really enjoyed going to class everyday because this was an area that I was interested in.

What I love about honors courses is that they come in all shapes and sizes. I am a double major in Biobehavioral Health and Psychology with a pre-med focus, and I have taken honors classes in Greek Mythology, Civil War history, Developmental Psychology, Biobehavioral Health, and so many more. And what’s great about honors courses (and honors credit requirements) is that they do not have to be in your major. They are a great way to take courses in areas you enjoy outside of your area of study. In fact, I think that most of mine have NOT been in my major! I love that honors classes are smaller (one of my classes only had 8 students!) and promote greater class interaction and participation, as well as allowing professors to get to know their students better. Also, I would not say that honors classes are more work, but that the work you do is just more in-depth or takes a different perspective than you would have had you taken the non-honors section. While I absolutely do NOT recommend scheduling only honors courses (1-2 per semester is typical), I do prefer honors courses because the smaller environment and increased ability to ask questions and interact and discuss topics with the professor and other classmates has really helped me to better understand what I am studying. And learning how to break down new information and maintain it has helped me to not only improve my study habits and how I approach new material, but also to be a better student in general.