Metabolic Enzyme Fueled Molecular Machinery of Memory. Successful Fish Weren't Always Evolutionary Standouts. What can Hunter-Gatherers Teach Us About Human Psychology. Every few months, my inbox is blessed with articles like these, reminding me of the uniqueness of Penn. While their subjects vary, running through these articles are common threads: new perspectives, the integration of outside information, and a commitment to pragmatic application. Over the past few years, these threads have served as guiding tenets, formed from a collection of moments where I explored something new. When it hit me that I could analyze betta fish aggression through the lense of music. When I pondered that maybe the minimum wage should be considered one in …show more content…
And just like Ben Franklin, I can use this knowledge to solve real world problems and improve the lives of others, going a step beyond the theoretical. After class, I will be learning from fellow Penn students at the Penn Microfinance Club, learning how I can do my part in expanding financial freedom to the less fortunate. Other organizations like the Undergraduate History Review and the WALK fashion magazine will further encourage me to explore my interests, learn from peers, and contribute to the community. While Penn is a great center of knowledge, its cultivation of community and fostering of activity is in no less impressive. Just as easily as i could walk the 15 minutes to the Singh Center I could take the train to Lea Elementary, where I could help 1st graders learn about nutrition or instill confidence in young readers. There, I could take the experience I gained working with campers at the South Fork Nature Center and the knowledge I have accumulated from my years of education and use it to make a tangible impact . And after a long week of learning, there is no better way to unwind then running onto the field as a Penn sousaphone player or throwing the disc as a member of Void Ultimate. Penn is more than a place of learning and activity, it is a place where history has been made and history will continue to be made. With this history comes a sense of tradition. From throwing toast onto the field to screaming before my first Econ test to
Psychology is an unavoidable aspect of life; we can observe it every day - from mental illness to the acquisition of language - everything we do, think, and feel is determined by our minds. What particularly interests me is the biological explanations behind human behaviour, and why certain neurological factors, such as biochemical abnormalities, can influence how an individual behaves. Through unravelling the complexities behind human behaviour, emotions, and thought, psychology attempts to solve many current problems we face today, such as the projected increase in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, through conducting life changing research. The opportunity to be involved in a field that so positively impacts people’s
Last May, I traveled with Alternative Breaks to New York for community service. During this service, I worked with Meals on Wheels who dedicate their time to provide food for the elderly of Manhattan. As I delivered the food to the seniors, I got a sense of fulfillment because I made them smile by providing them with food. Thus, I chose MDC’s Single Stop because I wanted to make a difference in my home campus by providing and assuring nourishment to those that do not have it just like I did in New York. As my first two years of college comes to an end, I wanted to leave a mark of my own here at home at Miami Dade College North Campus. During the month of September, I decided to partner up with a few of my peers to serve at MDC’s Single Stop.
Penn Charter provided me and my classmates the equal and outstanding opportunity to pursue higher education among the best universities in the country. It also offered an additional advantage. I was surrounded by a wide range of people different from myself, and we became friends, shared memories, and explored similar passions. In class, we worked together to succeed. We got to know each other’s strengths and personalities, both of which were not defined by our cultural backgrounds. By attending Penn Charter, I learned that all people are equally qualified to seek success.
| -The school that they went to now has a bad reputation attached to it- Want Penn State to be seen as a nice place -
For the past 17 years, Elk Mound has been my home. When most people drive through the village on highway 12, they glance ahead, not noticing the community around them. The people living, working, or attending school here are not only my friends, but in a way, my family. I have grown up with people who have more in common with my rather than just where we live. There are 66 young adults in my class today, and I have known everyone’s name since first grade. Attending a small high school has given me multiple opportunities to join a variety of clubs. If I am playing a basketball game, running in a meet, or participating at the State Academic Decathlon meet, I see familiar faces from my community. The support of a small community is personal. Since
I am currently involved in Chemox, Circle K, and Volunteer Oxford. Likewise, I continue to volunteer at the Oxford farm for my microeconomics class. Through these clubs and volunteer projects, I learn more about the current chemistry news, help out those in need, and help produce food for Oxford and Emory College. Currently, I plan to participate in Oxford College activities; such as the Human Rights Advocacy in New York lecture, and Religion, Big Questions, and Academics lecture. In these lectures, I plan to gain more information about the given topic. Through my involvement in these activities, I am connected to the legacy of Dean Bond Fleming because I am involved in the Oxford Community and trying to improve
Kicking off our summer of engagement was a serving learning project, where alumni facilitated a social media training. Students were then matched with a senior resident from West Hollywood Housing Corp. and interviewed them about their life. Shortly after, our students gathered for a BBQ and soccer game at Dockweiler Beach. Midway through summer, students participated in a hip-hop workshop, engaging hands on in lessons that broke down the 5 elements of hip hop. The highlight
My eyes lit up as a saw all of the different clubs and organizations offered. I loved Quiz Bowl, Book Club, Dance, and Chess Club in high school and I would love to continue these in my college life. Furthermore, at Rensselaer I can pursue my personal interest in sustainability with like-minded students through Vasudha. I could quickly see that many people at Rensselaer share similar interests with me. This idea was further supported after my subsequent tour around campus. Students were studying outside or milling about in groups, but what drew my eye was a group of students in vests and holding nerf guns. I watched as they prepared for battle and then took off after one another, and I had to stop myself from asking if I could join. The people I met and the students I talked to showed me the fun and encouraging side of a school that is known for its academics. Spending a couple hours on campus allowed me to see the fun, studious, and unique nature of Rensselaer and I felt right at
The AP World History course gave me exposure to different traditions and aspects of our history, making me question and speculate how certain parts of past and present society came to be. The same teacher of my my AP World class teaches a Philosophy class, which many of my close friends are in. We very often have philosophical conversations where we discuss religion, the universe, and existence itself. These discussions would frequently last until the early hours of the more and I find myself leaving the discussions with even more questions and theories. I would use my opportunities at Penn to find others, both fellow classmates and professors, to continue having these deep conversations, to learn about their opinions and thought processes so that I could expand my knowledge and curiosity about the reality that we live
Learning is a very important aspect of humans and creatures alike. Not only is it essential to the survival and adaption into this world but it also defines who we are as individuals (Schiller et al, 2010; Tronson & Taylor, 2007). Memories from past experiences shape the people that we are today. A crucial element to learning is memory, without it we would not be able to retain information. The process of memory is very distinct and consists of several different stages: acquisition of memory, consolidation, retrieval and then either reconsolidation or extinction (Debiec & Ledoux, 2004; Diergaarde, Schoffelmeer & De Vries, 2008). As memory is such a critical aspect of learning, it is no wonder that its distinct process has become the topic of much research in the neurobiological universe (Hupbach et al, 2007; Nader & Hardt, 2009).
Biological psychology is the study of how biology affects a number of psychological processes i.e. how the mind affects the body (Schacter, Gilbert, Wegner & Hood 2015). The study of the mind has had many influential figures throughout history that often use each other’s ideas as a stepping stone to further advance psychology, some of the first being Plato and Aristotle. Plato believed in nativism and theorised some skills and characteristics are innate and a person is born with them (Schacter et al, 2015). Aristotle, however, was in favour of philosophical empiricism i.e. that all knowledge is acquired through experience, yet current scientists do not consider that nativism and empiricism are entirely accurate (Schacter et al, 2015). Aristotle also believed that the brain existed to cool the blood, as during that time people were sceptical that an organ could be responsible for behaviour (Kolb, Whishaw & Teskey 2016). The next major advancement in biological psychology was the introduction of phrenology by Francis Gall, Gall’s theory suggested that all psychological capabilities had a specific place in the brain (Schacter et al, 2015). This theory later turned out to be correct, although was overshadowed by Gall’s insistence that he could state a person’s character dependant on the size of lumps and indentations on a person’s skull, which he thought would represent the size of that brain region beneath (Schacter et al, 2015). Due to this, in spite of a large following, phrenology was quickly discredited. Biologist Pierre Flourens, unhappy with Gall’s research, began removing localized areas of the brain in various animals to observe their behaviour (Schacter et al, 2015). Flourens then found that animal’s movements differed to those with intact brains. This mirrored a situation for surgeon Paul Broca with whom one of his patients had damage to the left side of
The University of Pennsylvania has one resource that no other establishment in the world can offer to me: the highest caliber of intellectuals in my field. Given that I intend on attending the Wharton School of Business and with the goal of becoming a financial manager, and then rising further along corporate ladder, I must be at the absolute forefront of the field and gain as many connections as I can along the way. Not to be used, people are not tools. But, I am NOT one who is content to let themself fall into the pit of mediocrity And I recognize that the success of one individual can inspire success in those around them. Thus, is researched the different groups that students have put together for the mutual benefit of both University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton School of Business and the multitude of opportunities they present myself: investment experience, interdisciplinary education, and furthering my understanding of the Chinese economy.
"I lost my keys again," my mother exclaimed at dinner a few nights ago, "I really am getting old." This use of old age as a justification for memory deficits is extremely common. Many people relate old age with loss of memory and other neurobiological functions. Why is it that aging seems to go hand in hand with losing and forgetting things? Is there a neurobiological explanation for this phenomenon?
~ As site coordinator of Phillips, I have managed a progressive and diverse program that optimized relationships with other community partners to broaden the capacity of our afterschool program. While maintaining an average daily attendance rating of 22 students, we were able to increase the number of
In my four years as a Fairfield Eagle, I have come to a new understanding of our school motto, ‘A Tradition of Excellence.’ Excellence in our school is something that we boast about regularly throughout our community. For example, what community can boast of a football program that, in the last decade, has been to more state championship games than any other school? What community can boast of a girls’ basketball program that held a 104-0 record with three back-to-back titles, and a total of four? My answer: Fairfield can. Therefore, nothing is a bigger source of pride or, more inspiring than being a part of a community that should never have achieved such a high level of success. Consequently, through ‘A Tradition of Excellence’, we commit ourselves to the path of becoming something better, and what better to take with us into the future than the desire to constantly push for the best that we can hope to be?