Stem cells . . . again

College is a chance to expand one's horizon and really open one's eyes to things that were once clouded by naivety, small town obliviousness, and the constant eyes over shoulder of the parents. Once these influences and possible barriers are removed, a college student is essentially, free to do whatever it is they please whether it be participating in a round of beer pong, studying religion, or being friends with all different ethnicities.

Fortunately at Michigan, they allow us, rather, encourage us, to do all of those things and more. There are over 1,000 clubs here to join that range from feeding local Ann Arbor squirrels to volunteering time to outreach to prison inmates.

Not only are there plenty of clubs to join, there are an unhealthy number of classes ranging in subjects and opinions. There's religion classes dedicated to the life of Christ and religion classes dedicated to the like of the Dalai Lama. There are math classes and there are math classes that relate strictly to science. There are English classes devoted to death and English classes devoted to technology in the 18th century. Look at the University of Michigan, and you will find, my friend, exactly what you were looking for. Or you may stumble up on something that you didn't know you were looking for.

In taking these classes of course, one must begin with the extremely boring and general intro level classes. These classes consist of an overload of information that is hardly necessary for the targeted specifics of the upper level classes. Yet every underclassmen is subjected unwillingly to these "wonderful" classes that help to narrow our choices and decisions and "weed out" those who aren't willing to put in the time. The other problem with intro classes is they teach you about the things you don't care to learn about. I admit there are things that I am curious about but there are things that I want nothing to do with, regardless of further knowledge of the subject would aid me in a heated argument.

For example, stem cells. This subject was brought up once in high school during a research paper class and I, along with the majority of the class, picked apart the presenter as he tried to support his thesis that stem cell research is actually not harmful or degrading to the human species and technological developments throughout all of these years.

False. At first, I was an uneducated, liberal arts student who thought stem cell was not that bad. Honestly, I do believe I voted to okay stem cell research and now I completely regret this. I mean, I highly doubt that my one vote was the swing vote in the actual poll/election (I am so uneducated about politics) but whatever.

Now I have learned of my passion for this subject. Taking something that had a given purpose before anyone else knew and forcing it into what WE want it to become is just a game of playing God, which should not be a game. It shouldn’t occur at all.

As we discussed in Biology yesterday, stem cell research is progressing at a rate that I don’t find particularly comforting. People in Japan are cloning their pets, scientists in the US are furthering their research in ways never thought plausible.

Perhaps I am still uneducated.

Good preachin' . . .

I went home this weekend for my beautiful sister's homecoming. She was on court for Queen so of course, I had to be there : )

Not only did I aid in her public nudity (changing into the dress behind Hillsdale Tool in their abandoned parking lot), but I also got to see her all dressed up (the way it should be . . . ).

I went to church today with my mom and sister where we had a guest preacher, the superintendent of the southern Michigan conference, Thomas Ramundo. Not only was he conveniently Italian (I wonder if he spoke it, I didn't stick around long enough to find out), but he was a fantastic speaker. He began by speaking about death and it's unavoidable appointment. He told how death is the best statistic in the book and that when it happens, that's it. There is no turning back to explain yourself, or to try and "redo" something over. When death strikes, you are left vulnerable and open for any judgement, and that you shall receive. On that note, he spoke from Luke 16 today and about a rich man who died the same day as Lazarus, the leper. The rich man who was powerful, loaded, and had everything he had ever wanted in his life, was doomed to Hell while Lazarus who had lived in poverty and disease, was blessed and sent to Heaven. The rich man saw Abraham with Lazarus beside him and he spoke to Abraham, asking if Lazarus would please simply touch his sore-covered fingers to cold water to simply cool the tongue of the rich man. Abraham replied saying that the rich man lived a life full of material things while Lazarus lived a life of despair and now that they had both died, Lazarus was to be blessed with an eternal life of comfort while the rich man lived an eternal life of agony and distress in Hell. He also said that there was a gap between Lazarus and the rich man and that no one could ever cross it.

At this, the rich man begged Abraham to tell his family back on earth to live a life unlike his own so that they could avoid the fiery depths of Hell and all of its anguish.

Pastor Ramundo stressed his importance and key thoughts for the message from this exact passage. He told us that the people of Hell are begging us to tell families and friends to do whatever they can to avoid Hell.

I have never thought of this . . . that the people burning in Hell do want to get out but that they are doomed to forever linger in its caves of fire and singeing lakes. And I never put together that they probably do beg and wish that they could actually warn others of its unforgiving rage and scorching eternity. It makes me so sad to think that there are people who will live in eternal discomfort and they are people who could have been saved and living a life next to Jesus Christ, our Saviour. So I have to believe that they really want us to "save" others.

I understand the stereotype of a Christian . . . we're "obsessed with numbers" and want to do anything to save people, lead them to Christ, bring them through the gates of Heaven. But after reading this passage and hearing Pastor Ramundo speak on the subject, isn't that what any person who has a bit of heart want? Who would ever want to condemn people to this wretched eternity of constant pain, fire, and suffering? I do want to save people but I am not doing it for my own sake, not for the sake of other Christians and numbers and churches. I am doing it for their own good so that they can escape these chains that would bind them forever to the depths of Hell. I am doing it for Christ, the man who died for me, and you, and you and you and you, on the cross, to save US from plummeting to the deepest and most miserable depths of Hell. Is that not enough reason? Is that not any motivation?

my current playlist. . .

"here in your arms" - hellogoodbye

"the best thing" - relient k

"broken" - amy lee ft seether

"from where you are" - lifehouse

"when your heart stops beating" - +44

"with you" - sum 41

"hey there delilah" - plain white tees

"such great heights" - postal service

"fallin' for you" - colbie calliet

"i miss you" - incubus

"before it's too late" - goo goo dolls

""your arms feel like home" - 3 doors down

"come away with me" - norah jones

"only wanna be with you" - hootie and the blowfish

"your guardian angel" - red jumpsuit apparatus

"1, 2, 3, 4" - plain white tee's

smiles vs frowns

I don't think much can cap off this weekend, except perhaps next weekend. But this weekend . . . was bomb a.

Smiles to . . .

: ) MICHIGAN FREAKIN' FOOTBALL!

uhhh we only came back to BEAT notre dame, silly Irish, and jump back into national ranking. 38-34 baby . . . that is ALL I have to say about that one.

: ) CMU BEATING MSU

Do I honestly need to say more? Wait, yes I do. It was AT STATE.

: ) Friday festivities

nothing is more fun than getting all gussied up for nothing! : ) haha naw, but getting dressed up is fun, as well as spending a chill night with some good friends.

: ) Saturday nights in

after a football game, you can't really go out. and all the people that pre-game BEFORE the football game, well they're passed out halfway THROUGH the football game, so they are out of the question. And since about 80% of the campus pre-games (gives or take), not very many people go out on Saturday nights.

: ) coupons

This saved us on Saturday night for dinner . . . yesssss Hungry Howie's : DDD

: ) the arboretum

Not only is it lusciously huge, it is beautifully decorated, speckled with wildlife, and crawling with RUNNERS. It is by far the best place to run in all of its serenity, trails, and mosquitoes. Hey, I can deal.

: ) sisters

Chelsea came up to visit for the ND game . . . she picked the best game EVER to go to! Not only that, but I got to help her dress shop for her homecoming dress since she is on QUEEN'S COURT!! : DDD

: ) Friday being five days away : DD

: ) finishing homework early : DD

. . . which is reason for the next smile

: ) Thursday nights out

result of overachievement

: ) macbooks

once you go mac, you'll never go back. It's true.

: ) shopppping

Only the sale racks though . . . mostly.

: ) runner's high

I skipped yesterday, otherwise I've been running AT LEAST a half hour every day . . . 3+ miles on top of p90x. I just hope we are for sure going somewhere for spring break : P

: ) Francis Chan

Thanks to a friend, I bought his newest book and I am in absolute love with him. He spoke at a youth conference I attended four years ago and I have always been moved by what he has to say. I highly recommend him.

Frowns to . . .

: ( hoarse voices from the game

: ( homework

: ( 9 am classes

: ( Friday classes

: ( headaches

: ( Friday not coming soon enough. . .

: ( swine flu : \\

: ( STATS 350.

Hate it.

: ( the weekend ending

I am exhausted. . . that's a frown.

an ode to . . . U of M football.

The opening game on Saturday at 3:30 pm against Western was greeted with 109,019 fans who showed up to root on their team to victory . . . and that we did.

Of course, Football Saturday, a weekly holiday here on the Ann Arbor campus, is more than just football at the Big House. Game Day entails a straight four hours, at least, of boozing for students and occasionally parents. It also demands a well organized week so that all of this tailgating before the game can be accomplished correctly, as well as the time afterwards to recuperate from those ten or so beers one downed before the 00:00 for warm up strikes. And if that isn't enough for you, check out the seniors who come decked out in anything from their favorite superheroes sporting UM gear, or next to nothing with body paint as their only shield from things that should be kept between intimate lovers.

Football Saturday can also be viewed as a pain in the ass for others. The locals are probably restricted to their homes since the streets of Ann Arbor flood with drunk students, tailgaters, and "Ohio is a State that Sucks" shirt booths. Ann Arbor has to deal with the many who flock to see their team be led to victory once again . . . hopefully now that what's his name is gone (who was our 1st string quarterback? I think his name was Threet . . . yes, that's how . . . sad he really was). They have to put up with the drivers who don't know the streets, the ones who turn down the one ways going the wrong way, or who are too busy gawking at passerby's to notice their light is green . . . or red.

But there are others who love to see the stupid tourists cram into the already crowded college town. They take full advantage of the loaded fams that pay $40 to park across the stadium where they are trapped an hour after the game is over. Or the silly people who will pay $5 to buy a water that is still warm, and possibly opened. Fans are ripped off by scalpers who are trying to get rid of their tickets, by popcorn vendors in the stadium, and occasionally by homeless people who I am sure love game day in every way, shape and form.

Football Saturday in Ann Arbor is a mad house, complete and utter chaos. Every restaurant is full, every M Den is bustling, every stomach is full to the brim with alcohol. But the spirit still radiates from each and every person's body and never fails to show up for at least the first half of the game, or until someone blacks out during the drum major's back bend.

Speaking of the drum major, yet another major factor in Game Day . . . "the half-time presentation of the Michigan Marching Band!" as announced weekly by our fantastic commentator. The band never fails to impress . . . and they march to impress too. Not only does the stadium get to witness the stellar performance, they actually get a say in what goes down on that turf during those twenty minutes of . . . well, marching. And I give them loads of props, kudos, marshmallows, whatever it is they want 'cause I know I couldn't sweat my body weight in those sexy band uniforms while sporting a feather in my hat and carrying a trombone . . . all white keeping in step and making any sort of racket with that instrument.

All I know is that Football Saturday, Game Day, Tailgate Day, whatever you want to call it, is one of the most sought after days here on campus. Everyone counts down to the day when we can all march to the stadium in our maize shirts to root for "the leaders, the best." And that fight song . . . it rings from east to west in this city every time one of those navy football jerseys crosses into the end-zone, football in tow. Ears ring after "Hail to the Victors" is sang, shouted, slurred, out of every fan in the stadium.

Can it get more exciting than that?

I think not . . .

wait, if we beat OSU : DDD

GO BLUE!!!

Pre-Med jitters . . .

I have wanted to become an optometrist my entire life. Those first pair of pink, saucer-sized glasses with Minnie Mouse on the side of the frames were the window to my dream. The glasses fulfilled their duty by making me look like a nerd and also aspire to be one. Little did I know that those glasses were about to direct the rest of my life . . . along with a University of Michigan cheerleading outfit that I pranced around in from when I could walk until I couldn't fit in it any longer (I'll have to post pictures of that one . . . I used to run around, pom-pom-ing it up yelling, "Go Michigan, beat (insert Duke or State here)!!!"

Ballerina shoes were the only thing that clouded my mind with nonsense while growing up . . . otherwise, it was straight up glasses and phoroptors that occupied my little, growing brain.

Now I am in college and I know more than ever that I want to be an ophthalmologist. I attended a fantastic Pre Med Club meeting (officially labeling me as a nerd) and they had residents there who discussed the everyday tasks of training surgeons. It just clicked in my head . . . this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.

Now, here I am at the University of Michigan, one of the best universities of the world (ahem, yes. We are cocky . . . and I am a part of the "we" now . . .) and I am working my nonexistent (but firm) butt off to make it with the big dogs. It's stressful as heck, lemme tell you. I haven't even begun my sophomore year officially, but just looking at my rigorous final exam schedule as well as the lovely classes I am obligated to take next semester (BOO ORGO!!!), I am really beginning to freak out.

This is all I have wanted to do for my entire life, well, my entire thinking life . . . my entire comprehendible and recallable life (aka: after I could tie my shoes and say the alphabet backwards and forwards). I don't have a backup . . . I mean I would love to go into fashion but I am not leaving the U to drop everything I have made for myself to go to Cali and join surfers and kids who are too rich for their own good.

I am not saying that I can't make it . . . 'cause I am positive I can. I just wish I could do it quicker, twelve years is a dannnng long time. I also wish I could just fast forward some parts of it, such as the MCAT and the entire admissions to med school process.

Speaking of that . . .

I have decided to get an internship next summer. The problem is their requirements.

A lot of this is extremely jumbled . . . partly because this is the third time, nope, fourth, explaining this and each time it gets more muffled and actually, less stressful.

I reassure myself each and every time I try to explain it.

I've gotten this far haven't I? I came from a ho-dunk high school where getting an A simply meant showing up to class with books and marking your test with what your neighbor had (excuse me, I was typically the neighbor). I came from a town where technology is a few years behind and we are still using cars that date before my parents were born. I made it into a fantastic university where I am exposed to things I never would have dreamed of. I have worked my way up to a place where anything is achievable, as long as I continue stomping on through.

I said it tonight, and it's one of the greatest phrases I have ever heard in my life . . .

"If it were easy, everyone would do it."

Fulfillment

I have now attended New Life twice since I've returned to aa and I am already on my church high and looking forward to NEXT Sunday.

I love going to that church and I am really disappointed in myself that I did not go to church . . . at all . . . this summer. It's something that is really close to my heart, especially my home church, and I feel like I let myself and those in my church down by shying away from it.

Honestly, I think it is simply attachment issues. I have written about having a double life in college and I believe church is a part of that double life. I got so accustomed with New Life's way of doing things th

at I felt uncomfortable in what was my original church setting. It is not at all that I am ashamed or bored at my original church home, just . . . not used to its ways. I have been exposed to another way of doing things and I was exposed long enough to become comfortable in it.

There are, of course, other aspects that I like about New Life that my old church is lacking, but one can find that anywhere when comparing two churches, or two of anything rather. It's not entirely uncommon to find pros and cons . . .

On the subject of churches though, our pastor at New Life today preached an excellent sermon on finding "the High Life" (and used the picture of Miller High Life but altered a few things . . . clever? yes.) as a college student. "Taking Back the High Life" as he wittily titled it, talked about how one may fall short of God but that He is merciful and compassionate no matter what we do and that He will always love us just the same. In saying that, we should not take advantage of what He offers to us: His unconditional love.

Wow. What an awesome god we serve.

One of the great points Pastor Hayes pointed out was an illustration with God as our "spouse." I remember this one specifically because he called all of the "ladies" out, saying something like . . .

Say Mr. Right strolls in and you begin dating . . . blah blah blah. He finds out your deepest, darkest secrets, the things no one knows about, the things that would surely make him leave you. You push him to the very last straw and he simply looks at you and says, "I don't care about your past, or what you've done, or anything. Because I have this compassionate, everlasting, faithful love to you and regardless of what you do, say, or act upon, I will never stop loving you any less, only more as time goes on.

Now first, if I can find a man to be anywhere NEAR close to that, I expect to be hitched ASAP.

Second, I have already found one . . . He died on the cross just to prove how much he really does love me. He loved me before I was even brought into existence.

Whattttta guy?!?!

One other things relating to God and church . . .

I have decided . . . vowed . . . promised myself . . . that I will be studying my Bible just as I study my books, except in a more effective, productive, and exciting way. That being said, I need some suggestions for studying in an effective, productive, and exciting way because as far as I know, there is no way to exists to mankind. Studying and fun just do NOT go together.

SO . . . anyone who has found some creative and exciting methods, I am open to suggestion.

oh yeah, did anyone catch that UMich vs WMU game? What was the score again? 31-7? I think that's what I heard . . .

oh waaaaaait, I was AT THAT GAME.

Yeah. 31-7.

Whatcha gon' do?

GO BLUE!

UMich - Sophomore Status

One down, eleven to go. I'm pretty sure that's how the "End of the Freshman Year" blog went . . . or something similar to that statement.

As of right now, I am still going to do the whole she-bang and go for Med school. We were talking about it earlier and one of my girlfriends made a comment about her degree and what she would do with it if she didn't get into med school. It startled me a bit since not getting into med school has never even crossed my mind. Then I decided if that happened I would go into fashion . . . yeeeah I don't know what I would do.

Well . . . I am going to write the list of things to do this year at UMich. I did this last year and fulfilled most everything on the list. This year will be a bit difficult though since I am only 20 so I am limited as to what I am allowed to do or not do . . . but we will see where it takes us : )

UMich Sophomore Status

LIST

- steal a dining hall tray for sledding

- go to Canada

- have a futon fit into my room

-find an apt or something for next year

-get more involved in clubs . . . like Pre Med Club, Unite for Sight, etc

-RUN MORE

-get some sort of freelance writing job

-possibly get another tattoo? AND THEN BE DONE.

-visit friends at college.

-find a friend with a car . . . sounds low but it never hurts.

- use up as much of my meal plan as I am physically able to . . . such a rip off.

-UP THAT GPA!!!!!

-hockey//football games : DDD

-meet MORE people.

-get more involved in New Life

-pepper spray someone . . . but not in the face of danger. I guess the only time you would pepper spray someone would be in the face of danger. and I don't ever want to be in the face of danger . . . but I want to use my pepper spray. So if there's a situation for that, I would like for it to occur this year, please.

-go to a REAL club

-p90x it out ALL YEAR.

okay I am exhausted from the night before still . . . oh no. So if I think of more, I will be editing