Lets be honest, we can’t go a day without taking a picture of our outfit or our on fleek makeup. We HAVE to update our Instagram and Twitter feeds at all times and flood others’ phones with pictures of ourselves. We live in a society when it would be weird to NOT have any form of social media. The biggest deal with social media are selfies but I have always wondered could it boost one’s self esteem at all?

This is from Tom’s Guide and it is displaying a woman using a tool for the “perfect,” selfie…A selfie stick!

The null hypothesis will be that selfies do not boost self esteem and the regular hypothesis will be that selfies do boost one’s self esteem. I feel like that with most cases, when someone does post a selfie, he or she will most likely receive positive feedback.

In this journal article online it involves an experiment. Within the experiment they used 128 undergraduate students from the University of Southern Mississippi, it consisted of 109 females and 19 males from ages 18 to 43. There were different categories of selfies that each student posted. In the conclusion, there was a range of selfies posted by the students and “98.4% posted selfies.” They also had noticed that physical appearance selfies were correlated with narcissism but also helps with self confidence.

Some people try to debate if it is self confidence or self obsession. In this article online by LiveScience, it stated how people who took photos for others felt “more connected,”  and it helps with reducing one’s stress. There has not been a full explanation to why this does happen and there has not been a full on experiment to prove so. However, I do feel like with most people, selfie-taking could be beneficial at times rather than negative.

Sources Below:

Barry, C. T., Doucette, H., Loflin, D. C., Rivera-Hudson, N., & Herrington, L. L. (2015, June 29). “Let Me Take a Selfie”: Associations Between Self-Photography, Narcissism, and Self-Esteem. Psychology of Popular Media Culture. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000089

Blaszczak-Boxe, Agata. “Selfie-Esteem: Smartphone Pics Can Boost Spirits.” Live Science. N.p., 22 Sept. 2016. Web. 21 Oct. 2016. <http://www.livescience.com/56225-taking-selfies-boosts-spirits.html>

Here we begin with the discussion of tattoos. Yes, it is art on one’s skin and it consists of many shapes, colors, meanings, quotes, etc. Here we go…the now 18 year old adult asks his or her parents about whether he or she should get a tattoo. The 18 year old knows what he or she wants and the placement, but most of the time…it is all about the answer. For all of you concerned parents who are debating on saying “Yes,” or “No,” think about it. Tattoos are possibly good for your child’s health and it could boost his or her immune system! It looks awesome (depending on the tattoo) and makes the body feel awesome (after the painful experience of course)!

This (gif) was from rebloggy and shows how the immune system begins to repair the skin immediately during a tattoo.

Initially, the null hypothesis within this article will be that tattoos do not boost the immune system and the regular hypothesis is that tattoos do boost the immune system. This article online by Tech times discusses how getting “inked,” is the way to go. There was an experiment conducted at a tattoo shop by the University of Alabama and they asked for tatted students to participate within the experiment. They checked how many tattoos each student had and took saliva samples from each student to test “stress hormones” and and “Antibody immunoglobulin A.” After conducting the experiment and running the tests, the students with the most tattoos only had a slight drop in the  “Antibody immunoglobulin A,” unlike the students who only had 1 or 2 tattoos. Which means…their immune systems were stronger! 

According to this journal article online, it displays an experiment conducted with 24 women and 5 men between the ages of 18 to 47. The experimenters were testing immunoglobulin A and Cortisol in saliva and stated beforehand that the levels of both would be an inverse relationship if one had more tattoos. After the tests, they concluded that the individuals who have tattoos have a healthier immune system and tend to “heal” more. Which would make individuals want to achieve more tattoos on their bodies? In this article online, Anthropology Professor from UA, Dr Christopher Lynn stated, “Our bodies become stronger and every tattoo one receives, his or her body is under a lot of stress and his or her body will then adapt to it over time.” 

Based on the data and experiments tested, one can conclude that yes, tattoos do boost the immune system and the null hypothesis will be rejected. So when you really think about it…the more, the merrier. The more tattoos one gets, the more the body will get used to stressors and avoid a weak immune system. 

Sources Below: 

@TechTimes_News. “Getting Multiple Tattoos May Boost Your Immune System.” Tech Times RSS. N.p., 10 Mar. 2016. Web. 21 Oct. 2016. <http://www.techtimes.com/articles/139962/20160310/getting-multiple-tattoos-boosts-up-your-immune-system.htm>.

Http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/reporters/lea-surugue. “Tattoos Fight off Infections: How Body Art Boosts the Body’s Immune Response.” International Business Times RSS. N.p., 15 Mar. 2016. Web. 21 Oct. 2016. <http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/tattoos-fight-off-infections-how-body-art-boosts-bodys-immune-response-1549600>.

Lynn, Christopher D., Johanna T. Domingues, and Jason A. DeCaro. “Tattooing to “Toughen Up”: Tattoo Experience and Secretory Immunoglobulin A.” Http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com. N.p., 4 Mar. 2016. Web. 21 Oct. 2016. <http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajhb.22847/full>.

“Getting Multiple Tattoos May Boost Your Immune System, But There’s A Catch.” Indiatimes.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2016. <http://www.indiatimes.com/culture/who-we-are/getting-multiple-tattoos-may-boost-your-immune-system-but-there-s-a-catch-255033.html>.

Most people assume that young children learn right from wrong from their own parents or guardians. Many believe that babies are born with a blank slate and basically know nothing about good/evil or right/wrong until taught it. However, what if babies are born with morality? What if they already know good from bad?

This photo was taken from CNN and it displays one of the experiments conducted dealing with the puppet show.

The null hypothesis will be that babies are born with a blank slate with no morality and the regular hypothesis will be that babies are born with a sense of morality. In this article online by the American Phycological Association it gave examples of different experiments tested upon babies. For one experiment, they created different scenarios with two puppets. With one scenario, the puppet helped the other up a hill and with the other the puppet knocked the other down the hill. After showing the puppet show to the 3-month old baby, the baby was more fond of the helpful puppet rather than the mean one. The baby showed that by gazing more at the helpful puppet. They even explained that the older the baby gets, the more “motor skills” it will have. So instead of just gazing, the baby would use his or her hands to point at the “good guy.” 

I began to think okay, babies probably know the difference between the “good guy,” and the “bad guy,” however, do babies help in certain situations? This journal article online created by Felix Warneken and Michael Tomasello of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology used an experiment to display how young children can be very helpful. Within the experiment, they placed the 2-year olds and their parents in a room and a random adult that came into the room had dropped objects like highlighters and paperclips. They wanted to observe and see if the child would help the adult retrieve these objects. In most cases, the 2-year olds DID help the adults “on their own,” without the parents telling them to do so. *Also, the experimentors stated that there was no difference within the experiment if the parents were present during the experiment or not.* This comes to show that most children strive to offer helping hand to most people.

Okay so we understand the fact that infants are amazing and they will help you and they are very down to earth characters. They can determine the good from the bad in different scenarios. It only gets better. In this article online it displayed an experiment conducted by Kiley Hamlin, a psychologist at the University of British Columbia. There was an experiment done with 32 toddlers ranging from 19 to 23 months and they were required to watch a puppet show with two different scenarios. The puppet show showed both a character being nice and one being mean. At the end, the toddlers were allowed to choose which puppet would get a prize and which puppet should get punished. In most cases, the toddler chose the mean puppet to get punished. According to the article, “13/16 gave a treat to the nice puppet and 14/16 took the treat away from the mean puppet.” 

Based on the information and research, the regular hypothesis, “Babies are born with a sense of morality,” was proven true. This also deals with the nature vs. nurture subject. Nature is when one is born with the trait and nurture is when one is taught the trait or learned it from someone (most of the time a parent). Based on the information, this subject is more natural and babies are born with a sense a goodness rather than just a plain blank slate.

Sources Below: 

Weir, Kirsten. “Not-so Blank Slates.” Www.apa.org. N.p., Apr. 2014. Web. 20 Oct. 2016. <http://www.apa.org/monitor/2014/04/blank-slates.aspx>. 

Warneken, Felix, and Michael Tomasello. “Parental Presence and Encouragement Do Not Influence Helping in Young Children.” Wiley Library. N.p., 8 Mar. 2012. Web. 20 Oct. 2016. <http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1532-7078.2012.00120.x/full>.

And, Kristen A. Dunfield. “Kristen A. Dunfield.” Intention-Mediated Selective Helping in Infancy. N.p., 01 Apr. 2010. Web. 20 Oct. 2016 <http://pss.sagepub.com/content/21/4/523.abstract>.

Pappas, Stephanie. “Even Babies Think Crime Deserves Punishment.” Live Science. N.p., 28 Nov. 2011. Web. 20 Oct. 2016. <http://www.livescience.com/17204-babies-prefer-punishment.html>.

When my brother and I were children, my parents would always take us to the pond and we would feed ducks little pieces of bread. Even in my own backyard we would feed birds tiny pieces of bread as well. However, after scrolling through my Facebook feed and seeing a video about why ducks and certain birds should not have bread, I was really concerned about this. I never knew that this innocent act was affecting aquatic birds across the nation.

This was taken at the Santa Monica Pier in 2010 and was posted on this website 

The null hypothesis will be that the bread does not affect the waterfowl birds at all and the true/proven hypothesis is that feeding birds stale bread can be very harmful due to various reasons. This article online created by The Canal & River Trust of the UK stated that “20% drop in the number of people feeding the waterfowl birds,” and that waterways should be clear from any human foods. The Humane Society of the United States online states numerous reasons for why people should not be feeding waterfowl birds because it can cause death. It is extremely dangerous to give the birds certain foods because the bird can develop a condition called “Angel Wing.” Just observing the name of condition, one can predict that it could lead to a death, since when one thinks about an angel that person most likely thinks of heaven. To sum it up, when the bird develops the angel wing, the bird simply cannot fly. If the bird cannot fly, it affects its way of life. For example, the bird cannot fly south for winter, the bird cannot fly away from certain predators, or the bird cannot fly out of a situation it is in.  Therefore, the bird cannot reproduce as well.

When my brother and I would feed the birds we would throw the little stale pieces of bread on the ground and the birds would come and eat it. However, where you throw the bread could be where a bird had defected. There are numerous diseases a waterfowl bird can develop when being fed human foods. In this article created by the World Organisation for Animal Health, it displays the common infection only within ducks, geese and swans called Duck virus enteritis (DVE) which is a “contagious infection.” This disease causes the birds to weaken and the virus is seen within the liver, spleen or kidney tissue. In this article  created by USGS National Wildlife Center it explains another disease birds can develop called Avian botulism. The disease is caused by decomposing vegetation and warmth and this causes the birds to not be able to fly. 

Secondly, feeding the birds does not only causes certain diseases it can also causes aspects like overcrowding and different behavior in the birds. If there is overcrowding in certain parks, this can lead to unsanitary measures and of course feeding the waterfowl birds causes different behavior since it can make them lose their ability to even migrate. 

We can conclude that feeding waterfowl birds human foods can lead to a negative measures. This is a negative correlation because the more human food we give them, the less waterfowl birds there will be. If we try to stop the human race from feeding these waterfowl birds human foods, the natural cycle will continue and we will save more birds day by day! 

Sources Below: 

“It’s Not for the Birds!” RSS. Kind News Magazine, Mar. 2015. Web. 19 Oct. 2016. <http://www.humanesociety.org/news/magazines/kind_news/2015/02-03/feeding-ducks-and-geese-can-be-harmful.html>.

“Department of Environmental Conservation.” Stop Feeding Waterfowl. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2016. <http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7001.html>.

“Avian Botulism.” USGS National Wildlife Health Center –. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2016. <http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/avian_botulism/>.

“Keeping Our Ducks Healthy | Canal & River Trust.” Keeping Our Ducks Healthy | Canal & River Trust. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2016. <https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/our-campaigns/keeping-our-ducks-healthy>.

Now here I begin, I am in LOVE with chocolate. Chocolate bars, chocolate pudding, chocolate milk and chocolate ice cream. Throughout the years, my family teased me  stating that if I continued to consume that amount of chocolate, I will get pimples and break out. Unfortunately, that was not the first time I heard that statement. Therefore, I wondered if they were just trying to trick me and save their money or if they were actually right. I do not have major acne, however sometimes I do have miniature break outs and I wonder what factors cause that. Is it the chocolate causing this? 

Image from:
FutureDerm

We begin with the hypothesis, either the consumption of chocolate will or will not cause acne. I will use the hypothesis, The consumption of chocolate will NOT just cause acne because if you really think about it, numerous third variables are involved like genetics, sleep patterns, other foods, sweat, medications and stress.

I read a journal article  online from the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology and a single blind experiment was conducted including 54 college students. Within the two groups, one group consumed a 1.55 oz milk chocolate bar each and the other consumed 15 jelly beans each. The experiment displayed that within 48 hours, the more chocolate consumed the more acne occurrences there were. They claimed that, “the chocolate consumption caused more inflammation.” This one study however does not prove that chocolate causes acne since an experiment with a larger group would be more reliable. 

Another journal article online from The National Center for Biotechnology Information stated how they experimented on 14 men between the ages of 18 and 35 who do get acne and instead of eating a chocolate bar or candy, the men had to take capsules that contained “unsweetened 100-percent cocoa, hydrolyzed gelatin powder, or both.” At the end of the experiment, with the men who had a history of acne, it increased due to consumption of chocolate. However, at the end of the article it stated how there was no actual evidence that this proves chocolate affects the skin or not. 

People claimed that forms of chocolate caused acne since the 1930’s. However, CVS pharmacy online stated that people who are more prone to acne would “probably” get breakouts from certain diets than others. Yes, a certain diet can affect ones skin however there are ways to balance chocolate into a diet without getting acne (most dairy products are known for causing acne rather than chocolate). 

Throughout reading numerous articles one can understand that chocolate is not the biggest concern and the real concern is a poor diet or one’s hormone levels. This article online stated the real reason to why people get acne on their skin, “What causes acne is oily sebum which comes from one’s sebaceous glands, which is mainly used to lubricate the skin. If the sebum becomes attached to hair follicles especially during hormonal changes, it can cause pimples.” 

It really depends on the third variables involved that I stated in the beginning! The correlation relating to acne and pimples is that one will most likely receive acne from chocolate consumption if he or she is prone to getting acne rather than a person who has more clear skin! After reading the articles, it can be a positive or negative correlation it just depends on the person consuming the chocolate! Therefore, my beginning hypothesis, “The consumption of chocolate will NOT just cause acne,” was proven to be true.

Sources Below:

Delost, Gregory R., Maria E. Delost, and Jennifer Lloyd. “The Impact of Chocolate Consumption on Acne Vulgaris in College Students: A Randomized Crossover Study.” 75.1 (2016): 220-22. Http://www.jaad.org. JAAD. Web. 11 Oct. 2016. <http://www.jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(16)01395-5/pdf>.

Caperton, Caroline, Samantha Block, Martha Viera, Jonette Keri, and Brian Berman. “Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study Assessing the Effect of Chocolate Consumption in Subjects with a History of Acne Vulgaris.” The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology. Matrix Medical Communications, May 2014. Web. 12 Oct. 2016. <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4025515/>.

Type, By Course or. “FAQ Categories.” I Suffer from Acne, Is There Anything I Can Eat to Help Reduce It? N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2016. <http://www.nestle-family.com/nutrition-health/faq/english/i-suffer-from-acne-is-there-anything-i-can-eat-to-help-reduce-it_197617.aspx>.

“True or False: Eating Chocolate (or Other Fatty Foods) Causes Acne.” Symptoms Wellness 156967. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2016. <http://health.cvs.com/GetContent.aspx?token=f75979d3-9c7c-4b16-af56-3e122a3f19e3Z&chunkiid=156967>.

REKHA, By. “Printer Friendly Version.” Printer Friendly Version. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2016. <http://www.koko.gov.my/lkm/ploader.cfm?page=industry%2FArticleOC.cfm>.

I had this problem throughout high school and now it followed me into college. I do not wake up in time to eat breakfast at all or I am just simply not hungry. I have noticed that after this habit was happening, I shortly became used to it. I would wake up before school and not be hungry at all. My parents tell me it’s bad and its the “Most important meal of the day!” but i question if it actually is.

Photo Meme from http://www.memecenter.com/fun/1680763/breakfast

In this article, it claims that there are numerous studies on children who eat breakfast appear to be thinner and that hunger affects “1 in 7 households” in America.  In another article I read it claimed that children who did not eat a good enough breakfast would end up with “metabolic syndrome 27 years later,” (2014).

Either eating breakfast could be a benefit and balance out one’s hunger throughout the day or it can make someone crave more food. In this article, it states that “18% of males and 13% of females skip breakfast between the ages of 35 and 54,” (2011).

We live in a society when rushing is part of everyday life. Whether it is rushing to class, a job, an appointment, etc. Numerous people tend to skip breakfast or eat a “mini breakfast” like a granola bar or just drink a coffee to wake up. There were numerous claims that it is understandable if one cannot eat right when he or she wakes up because according to this article , “Many of us are not hungry until a couple hours after awakening.”

However, there are also claims that different breakfasts change one’s hunger later in the day. For example, that previous article also claimed that if one eats “highly processed carbohydrates,” they will crave more food later on.

Remember when we took the SAT or the ACT and they gave little advice saying “you can drink coffee” or “should eat something before testing.” According to the American Dietetic Association, teens who eat breakfast will have improved concentration as well as better test grades.

Yes, indeed eating something in the morning will start your day off but I surely believe that one can continue his or her day without eating breakfast at all or a “mini breakfast.” Maybe breakfast does help someone throughout the day and maybe it really doesn’t. We will surely find out in the future if it really does make a big impact!

Sources:

Carroll, Aaron E. “Sorry, There’s Nothing Magical About Breakfast.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 30 May 2016. Web. 16 Sept. 2016. <http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/24/upshot/sorry-theres-nothing-magical-about-breakfast.html?_r=0>.

Http://www.Facebook.com/DrRonaldHoffman. “Do You Really Need To Eat Breakfast?” Mindbodygreen. N.p., 05 Feb. 2014. Web. 16 Sept. 2016. <http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-12515/do-you-really-need-to-eat-breakfast.html>.

“4 Reasons Why You Should Never Skip Breakfast.” LiveScience. TechMedia Network, n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2016. <http://www.livescience.com/39598-reasons-never-skip-breakfast.html>.

       “I need going out clothes!”

                                “I need the Penn State Victoria’s Secret clothes!”

                                                                                          “I need tailgate attire!”

                                                                              “I NEED…”

Before arriving to Penn State I knew that I needed new clothes whether it was for parties, working out, football games, or anything. Downtown is right next to Penn State and it contains so many boutiques and stores…which is a downfall for me. I did not think I would have the shopping addiction because I would be busy with school work, a sorority and extra curricular activities, however after trying on that romper in Metro…I couldn’t resist. Over the summer, I learned how to manage my spending money while I had my job. Now seeing all these adorable stores downtown I cannot refrain and since I don’t have a job, this will be 100x harder. Why do I have shopaholic syndrome?

Do you love to treat yourself? …Yes or No

Do you love buying an excessive amount of clothing even though you know for a fact you still have clothes with tags on them?…Yes or No

Do you feel the need to follow numerous new fashion trends even if they may be ridiculous?…Yes or No

*If you replied Yes to at least 2/3 you have shopaholic syndrome* (kidding)

This is a visual from http://www.saladandsequins.com/2013_07_01_archive.html Posted July 2013

 In this article, According to the American Journal of Psychiatry, “Averagely 6% of of the U.S. population are compulsive shoppers which is a conflict for BOTH genders,” (2006). Compulsive shoppers have difficulty controlling their actions and it can cause a lot of harm whether it is financial, educational, or having to do with family. 

I know when I go out and buy clothes, shoes, or even makeup I always feel better and it boosts my confidence. We live in a society where “looks” and “brands” actually matter. For example, I am a die hard Kanye West fan and I always support him and his music. However, his Yeezy clothing line is what confuses me. It is all about the BRAND. Half of the clothes within the Yeezy line have rips or are just plain and are way too expensive. People most likely only buy those clothes because it says “YEEZY” on the inside or because it is a company owned by Kanye himself.

Of course women are more prone to compulsive shopping than men. In this article Paco Underhill,  author of Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping, claimed that “86% of women check price tags and 72% of men do,” (2008). Today, online shopping has created a worse addiction to shopping. I have noticed that most of the internet tabs on my computer or even on my phone are stores or clothes that I have saved onto my wish list. 

Shopping is a way to relieve stress and anxiety. So people who have trouble with anxiety…WATCH OUT! 

Test: 

In this article, the Bergen Shopping Addiction Scale is used to identify one’s shopping addiction:

1. Shopping is always on your mind
2. You use shopping to heighten your mood
3. Shopping affects your daily life
4. You have urges to shop more
5. You want to control your shopping…but you CAN’T
6. You feel bad if you can’t shop
7. Shopping ruins your well-being

If you agree to at least 4…congrats you have the shopping addiction.

Sources:

“New Research about Shopping Addiction.” ScienceDaily. University of Bergen, 29 Sept. 2015. Web. 15 Sept. 2016. <https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/09/150929070419.htm>.

“The Truth About Shopaholics.” LiveScience. TechMedia Network, n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2016. <http://www.livescience.com/2338-truth-shopaholics.html>.

“Understanding The Science Of Shopping.” NPR. NPR, 12 Dec. 2008. Web. 15 Sept. 2016. <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=98184836>.

ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2016. <https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/09/150929070419.htm>.

Throughout many years, electronic music (dance music) has become a successful music genre since the 90’s. Numerous people of all ages attend music festivals like EDC New York, Moonrise Festival in Maryland, Ultra Miami, etc. I have always loved EDM music since middle school and I have attended many festivals and concerts as well. Every time I attended a festival, I always felt like I belonged or that it was a peaceful atmosphere. The peaceful atmosphere is caused by P.L.U.R (Peace, Love, Unity, Respect) which unites all the concert goers. I loved the fact that the bass sounded beautiful to my ears and I loved that the visuals amazed me. I thought to myself, what really encourages people to attend these festivals. Was it the atmosphere, the visuals, the people, or just the music itself?

Taken by Taylor Rodrigues at Oakdale Theater in Wallingford, CT

What makes one feel excited or feel a rush of adrenaline at these certain festivals? Is it that escape from reality that people crave? I began to research about the science behind EDM music and I read an article online about music therapy. According to the American Music Theory Association, musical therapy is a health profession. The beats of the music allow concert goers to feel a rush of excitement while creating relationships with others around them. Martin Seligman, known as the father of modern positive psychology, coined the term “PERMA” which stands for “Positive Emotion, Engagement, Positive Relationships, Meaning and Accomplishment.” Music is a way to abate anxiety. Most of the time, the media describes EDM in a negative manner giving it a bad connotation due to excessive drug use at festivals, however the atmosphere itself is a trance. EDM itself has a huge emotional range compared to other forms of music due to its abstractness.

The chills and shivers one receives while listening to music or attending a festival is due to a release of dopamine within the brain. Dopamine is related to blood pressure and blood flow. It causes the emotional outburst and a pleasurable experience for concert goers.

Dr. Laurel Trainor, a director of McMaster Institute for Music and the Mind, conducted an experiment to test the electrical brain waves of 35 people using an EEG machine. Trainor produced both low and high pitched tunes and asked the men and women to tap along to the beat. When the beat dropped, most of the people were able to tap along to it. According to Dr. Laurel Trainor, our brain’s motor regions are activated when there is a musical beat, therefore, we are tempted to move along to it.

In conclusion, I learned why music is a necessity in every day life. It forms a genuine atmosphere around you and allows you to feel free!!

Sources:

Editorial Staff. “Music Therapy: The Science Behind the Life Changing Effects of EDM.” EDM Electronic Music EDM Music EDM Festivals EDM Events. That Drop, 16 Feb. 2015. Web. 13 Sept. 2016. <http://www.thatdrop.com/edm-music-therapy/>.

Gates, Sara. “Here’s Why People Love Deep Bass Sounds In Music.” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 14 Sept. 2016. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/02/deep-bass-sounds-music-rhythm_n_5548301.html>.

“This Is Your Brain on Music.” Neurotic Physiology. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Sept. 2016. <http://scicurious.scientopia.org/2011/01/31/this-is-your-brain-on-music/>.

“Authentic Happiness.” Profile of Dr. Martin Seligman. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Sept. 2016. <https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/faculty-profile/profile-dr-martin-seligman>.

Hello! My name is Taylor Rodrigues and I am from Monroe, CT. I am currently a freshman at University Park and I am studying Broadcast Journalism. Throughout high school, science was not my best subject but it definitely was not my worst. I favored subjects like Biology and Earth Science rather than more mathematical subjects like Physics or Chemistry. I actually signed up for SC 200 at my NSO because it went with my schedule. Initially I wanted to take a Biology class, however my advisor suggested not to take it unless i was Pre-med. Since I am aiming more of my classes towards the English field, and I needed a science General Education course, my advisor recommended this course especially when I told her science was not my best subject. This course is perfect for me because it allows you to think critically and actually develop a respect for science, even if you don’t like it.

When I first walked into this class I definitely liked how it was a big lecture hall because I work well with lectures and just listening to the professor. I also liked how Andrew allows us to ask or text any question we want since he stated how “No question is too stupid.” I also was fond of how he stated that we have to think and use our minds in this course and if we can’t do that why are we here. Andrew said that there are many students that wanted to take this class and they were not able to so definitely this class is worthwhile and I realized I was lucky to get a seat in this class. Even looking through the schedule for SC200, there are a lot of distinct and interesting topics to cover. For example, one topic that I definitely will be fond of is the zombie virus one since I used to watch a lot of The Walking Dead. I cannot wait to explore these new topics and actually think about each one.

One topic that I thought was pretty interesting for the longest time was genetics. I liked to learn about eye color, hair color and pretty much the basic stuff. I found an article on CNN that explains how a coffee habit can be genetic and since I work at a Dunkin Donuts back home, I thought this article would be definitely interesting. (Sometimes we get customers that come in at least 4 times a day just for coffee). I also feel like a lot of college students would want to know about this since many students have 8 or 9 AM classes and many students stay up all night studying for exams.

(I know I’m not a science major but this picture was pretty funny)

This class is a great opportunity for kids who don’t really excel in science to further their knowledge on everyday topics like “catching obesity” or “vaccines.” This world is filled with so much science and there are so many topics to discover, some are interesting and some are not. I believe that this class will help me respect the subject of science like how I respect the subject of English or Journalism.