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intersession: 2010 edition

So first and foremost, if any of you read my recent entry on the ethics board, I do want to say I'm sorry for the departure from my normal writing style and I can assure you it's no permanent change.  I just felt like for that topic, it was best to just stick with the relevant information and try to give a good picture of the board without making it too light--it can be in very serious situations and I always try to treat it accordingly.

Anyway, I just got back from NEW YORK CITY last week!  Quite honestly, it's amazing I even got on the bus back to Baltimore.  It was my first time to the city and I was such a tourist... I 

was constantly looking up and around at everything, trying to discreetly snap pictures on my phone, and occasionally (when the urge was overwhelming) pulling out my real camera to take a picture as quickly as possible.  But let me backtrack.  This was a three-day, two-nigtht trip as a capstone on my intersession class, International Development and Policy, or, as I like to think of it, Globalization 201.  It was a little bit more advanced than an introduction, but the coolest thing about it was that all of our speakers (and we had at least one every day for two weeks) were Hopkins alumni.

I think one of the most important things I learned (other than subtle reassurance from four lawyers that I will still be able to find a job when I graduate from law school) was that Hopkins alumni can really do amazing things.  We had such a broad range of people who were all doing things they loved and had come from so many different majors (a Biochemistry major--which no longer exists--now working in strategic marketing in finance, a BME working for Blackstone and teaching us about oil and natural resources and banking, etc., etc.).  Pretty mpressive, yes?

So, as I mentioned, we had two weeks of class and then we had our trip to NYC where we had three days packed with site visits, including HSBC, UNCTAD, International Rescue Committee,   Council on Foreign Relations, and several others.   We arrived in the city about 30 minutes before our first site visit, at 40th & 5th Avenue and had roughly 20 minutes of free time.  Naturally, on the bus ride up, I had already vetted the area and knew there was an H&M two blocks away, so as soon as we got there, I took off and scurried around the store, buying two dresses, which I then stuffed into my purse, trying to conceal my consumerism from our site visit.  Hey--I needed birthday dresses! I also had time to have lunch with Julia (read her recent alumni blog and archived blog!) and catch up with an old friend I hadn't seen from elementary school.  While it was an incredibly busy and tiring schedule, I had just enough time to fit in a couple of wonderful little things that made the trip perfect.

So now, on the eve of my 21st birthday and the start of the spring semester (whoa!), I'm so excited for everything that's coming these next few months!  This intersession class really sparked my interest in a couple of different groups and really kicked me into gear for applying for more internships, so I'm looking forward to all of that work these next couple of weeks.  I have a surprising class schedule that I'll tell you all about shortly (preview: an English requirement and an Econ class?!), and it's about time to start LSAT prep.  With that, I'm off to wonder where in the world the time goes.

undergraduate academic ethics board

I've been involved with the Ethics Board for two years now in several different capacities.  When someone finds out, they tend to be somewhat intrigued, so hopefully this entry will shed some light on the Board and my involvement.

The Undergraduate Academic Ethics Board is a very interesting group (or, technically, an independent committee of Student Council) in that we are all dedicated to our cause and work to promote it on campus and amongst our friends, yet most students are unfamiliar with us.

In some ways, I'd say that's a good thing, however the Ethics Board constitution is part of the student handbook, two things that are probably vastly under-read.  I think it's useful for students to have an understanding of how ethics, as a whole, is handled within their university.

So how does one actually get involved with the Ethics Board?  Sophomores, juniors, and seniors are eligible to serve a for one-year period, though you can reapply each year.  The application is available in the spring (so I applied as a second-semester freshman) and they are read by Student Council's Committee on Leadership Appointments (COLA), which makes the decisions.  The Board is comprised of 12 students, a Presiding Official and the Chair, and we are overseen/trained/supported, etc. by the Associate Dean of Student Life.  Several faculty members also sit on the panels, two at a time.

Essentially, when there has been an accusation of a violation of academic integrity and the involved parties (typically a student and professor) are unable to settle the matter or there are other circumstances, the case comes to the Ethics Board for a hearing.  At a hearing, three undergraduate and two faculty board members hear the case and vote, while the Presiding Official, as the name implies, presides and moderates over the hearing. 

The student members of the Ethics Board also meet a couple of times each semester to discuss new ideas and outreach projects.  From my own experience, the position has extended into more personal settings as well, meaning when friends or study partners have a question about properly citing sources, etc., I try to help them find the best resources.

During my involvement with the Ethics Board, I've been a regular board member (as a sophomore), the Presiding Official (last semester) and have just moved into the role as Chair.  It's been very interesting to work in the different capacities, especially since the Board has such a formal role and defined structure (as laid out by its constitution).  It can be very difficult to take on the responsibilities of being involved with the Ethics Board, but just knowing how important its role is to the university while keeping our own perspective as students in mind seems to be the best way to fulfill our duties and ensure that the process is fair and as low-stress as possible.

here's to the future

I had a blog entry drafted about how my semester didn't really turn out exactly as I'd hoped for it to, but in the spirit of new beginnings, I've scrapped it.  The short version: my grades were lower than I'd have liked, and after much reflection, I think it's because of taking on a lot of new responsibilities and counting on a curve that didn't happen.  Anyway, with the new year and new decade on the horizon, I thought it was entirely appropriate to look ahead with a new perspective.

2010 is going to bring a lot my way, assuming everything goes according to plan.  I'll take the LSAT, have an internship in Washington, take classes at the School of Public Health, apply for real-life jobs and law school and then graduate from college.  Yeah.  In one year's time, my life will be entirely different.  
 

And if you're reading this as a prospective (or just-admitted!) student, so will yours.  I'm sure you're already thinking about that, and will be on New Year's Eve.  It's hard to even imagine how your life is going to change--everything I thought mine would be turned out completely different, and I couldn't be happier.

In the interest of not scaring myself too much more, I'll focus on the more immediate future: January.  Intersession is one of the greatest things about Hopkins, hands down.  You can take a class or two, work, hang out with friends, or do nothing at all.  It's really just fantastic.  This time around, I'll be taking a class called International Development and Policy, in which we'll have speakers come in from different  organizations and talk to us about what they do.  Then, after two weeks of that, we take a three-day trip to New York City to visit more organizations and spend time in the city.  I'm super-excited, especially because I've never been to New York.  

January will also bring my 21st birthday, which falls on the first day of the spring semester.  More on that later on, as it's likely to be a month-long planning process.  

As for the spring semester, I have all kinds of big plans and lofty goals, but those will surely unfold more as we get closer to it.  However, I'm unwilling to miss out on anything, and I've got my priorities set…which likely means the sacrificed item will be a bit of sleep.  I've been meaning to become a morning person, anyway.

With that, I'm saying farewell to 2009, a difficult year and a particularly difficult semester.  More importantly, I'm excited about what's to come, as I'm getting wiser in my old age (ha!) and have learned a thing or two about this whole college thing.  Stay tuned for what promises to be a better semester, a better year, and an exciting new decade for us all.

five down, two to go

…semesters, that is. With two semesters left, I guess I'm kind of, sort of technically a senior … and I'm wondering if this means I'm entitled to senioritis? I'll keep you posted on that bit, as I'm sure some of my readers can relate to it.

It's becoming more real that college doesn't go on forever; the end is in sight--and soon…exactly one year. Especially with as fast as this semester went, I know that the next two will go just as quickly, if not more so. I thought as my last blog entry of the regular semester, I'd give you a highlight of the most important things I've learned over the past months. In no particular order:

-some of the most important lessons come outside the classroom. these include balance, cooking skills, knowing when to call it a day, and realizing it's okay to be a little ridiculous sometimes.
 
-never, ever start laundry at 1:00 AM.

-policy is the enormously complicated output of so many processes and considerations and compromises.

-being not-pre-med is a good life choice for me.

-Justice Scalia writes very interesting dissents. they're actually fun to read sometimes.

-all of our food is probably contaminated.

-I will never, ever, no matter how hard I try, be able to wrap my brain around statistics. it does not make sense to me. at all.  

-there is no such thing as an easy class. if it seems easy from the start, there is invariably some sort of twist or turn. on that note, you get out what you put into it. a class is infinitely more useful if you are engaged and do the assigned readings.

-baked goods are a great way to make friends.

-time flies when you're having fun.

-no matter how hard you try, you cannot fit more hours into a day. work with what you've got.

My apologies for the lack of blogging lately. Finals kind of consumed me and I spent more time studying than sleeping, making all other priorities fall completely to the side. But I'm home as of a few hours ago! So I'm hoping I can manage to squeeze in some more blogging in between my naps, movies, and knitting. In the mean time, I'll leave you with this picture of my two dogs (one of them just shows up as a black blur) who were trying to win my attention while I was writing this. To be fair, I was sitting on the floor.


 

holiday spirit

This is my favorite time of year.  Holidays.  Shopping.  Festive coffees.  Finals.  Yes--all good.

Being away at school means the holiday time has changed.  In high school, it was this funny little three weeks, surrounded by two-week breaks (trimester break in November and winter break in December).  Because I was a cheerleader (go ahead and laugh), I was busy preparing for Homecoming and my holiday preparations consisted of listening to holiday music to and from school every day in the car.  There was always something delicious baked goods around my house, there was Mom's lovely tree to see each evening when I got home, and, basically, I could fully immerse myself in all things holiday-esque.

Nowadays, I'm instead immersed in papers to read, outlines to be expanded, and books to go back through;  the holiday season has been transformed to finals season.  But I still love it.  The air has a bite, the fraternity houses along North Charles Street are decorated with lights, as is much of Charles Commons (don't judge--it's the view from my apartment windows!).  Starbucks has wonderfully festive drinks that double in their holiday spirtedness and power to wake me up.  And instead of having my mom or grandmother's baked goods, I bake my own and spread the holiday cheer to my friends. 

And just like the old days, things will be settling down right when Homecoming has passed.  Instead of finishing with my cheerleading duties, I'll have finished yet another semester of college.  And instead of just having two weeks away from schoolwork, practice, and dress codes, I'll be home to visit my family, show off my favorite work of the semester (yes, I still do that), and ease off the caffeine.  Everything is pretty much entirely different since I've left home only two and a half years ago, but the continuity of certain traditions and the creation of other new ones has made it okay.  I still love the holiday season, even though it means finals.  In fact, I love finals period--I'm on my own schedule, summing up my entire semester's worth of knowledge, all while sipping on eggnog lattes and looking forward to seeing the big Raleigh acorn drop on New Year's Eve.  Perhaps I'll even be heading back to my old high school to see how the current cheerleaders are doing compared to my team.

Holiday time at Hopkins is certainly different from holidays at home.  It's easy to lose your holiday spirit when you've been in the library for some long period of time or you've got a two-page to-do list.  But trust me--no matter what time of night you're leaving the library, seeing the white holiday lights wrapped around the lampposts all over campus will instantly brighten any of the grumpiest of Grinches (even me, which can be quite a feat).  And there are so many fun things to do besides study (which can be a bit of a problem for those of us without serious amounts of self control) ranging from end-of-semester parties to music/dance performances to study breaks sponsored by different student groups.  Sure, we study hard, but there's plenty of holiday spirit and cheer to be spread around, too.

way too much thinking

So I'm leaving for the airport in about 45 minutes and am only about half-packed.  Of course, this seems to be a habit of mine. Not the point.  Anyway, up until very recently, I wouldn't have had an answer if you asked, "Mandy, what do you think about the health care reform currently under debate?" (because this is, of course, how you'd ask me).  I really didn't know what to think.  In fact, I think I was over-thinking, partly because I'm a public health major and am taking two policy classes.  (whew! that's a lot of thinking!)

In a couple of days, I'm hoping to post my opinion on the entire health care debate.  I don't expect it to be uncontroversial, as I tend to think of things in a weird way and I'm approaching it from my academic background, as well.

As a preview for what's to come, check out this part of CBS News' Face the Nation, featuring Senators Schumer (D-NY) and Kyl (R-AZ).  I watched this in my Politics of Health Policy class today.  If you'd like to see the entire discussion, click here.  But seriously in the YouTube clip, go to ~5:53, when Bob Schieffer (the host) asks if the plan will raise taxes.  The immediate response is kind of funny. 

not working

This is how I operate:  I have these periods of hyper-productivity, where I'm pretty much amazingly unstoppable.  It's great.  But a lot of the time, I'm on the other end of the spectrum, where I'm entirely incapable of being a functioning member of society.  I go to the library, and try as I may, it just doesn't happen.  In those times, I might try a little bit harder, and if I can't force myself into productivity mode, I leave.  You see, I'd rather be at home, relaxed and not productive than at the library, sitting in a cubicle, and not productive.  The second I catch myself wandering onto Facebook while I'm at the library, it's time to go, at least if I'm studying by myself.

It's a system with obvious flaws.  And it's not usually the kind of thing that works well on its own--I have to force myself to try to get into productivity mode, and only after serious (failed) effort do I give up.  So don't think I'm a crazy slacker or anything.  Because that's only sometimes.

Anyway, while I'm sure you're fascinated by my work habits, I thought I'd tell you about what I do when I'm in one of my off-periods and am entirely useless as it pertains to schoolwork.  Here's the general breakdown:

1. Bake.  Seriously, it's become somewhat of a problem.  So far, I've gone through 15 pounds of flour this semester, and opened up a new bag last week when I started baking muffins late Sunday evening before heading off to the library.  Then of course, Tuesday night was cupcake night, but this was for a friend's birthday, so I like to think that was a little bit more reasonable.  Chocolate chip cookies are another favorite.  All of this is from scratch, of course, as I've decided my new fallback plan is to open a pastry or truffle shop--I need my practice.

2. Watch movies.  I watched "Up" twice the whole way through this week, and I watched several bits of it during many of my quick/at-home meals.  Fabulous movie, highly recommended if you've not yet seen it!  Other times I'll watch tv shows, etc.  But being able to stare blankly at the screen and not think about anything is a very nice break.

3. Sleep.  Sometimes, I just decide to go to bed really, really early.  Like 11:00.  I'm not sure if I even went to bed that early in high school.  It's good though, unless I end up getting too much sleep and being groggy in the morning.

4. Cook. This is different from baking, but obviously you know that.  Every now and then, I'll feel inspired to make something really elaborate or different.  Not that it was elaborate, but as far as different goes, on Saturday during my non-productivity phase, I decided to try to make a butternut squash soup with all sorts of weird variations.  I'd tell you more, but it was kind of gross and I don't want you to judge me based on my failed experimentation.

I think that's the majority of my non-work activities.  I hesitate to call them forms of procrastination, because I know very well what I'm doing and at the time, I have no intention of moving on to work until significantly later.  Like I said, I've embraced my ridiculous work habits and as long as my hyper-productivity continues to come often enough, I'll continue perfecting my chocolate chip cookies, following along with ridiculous tv plots, and becoming a master chef.

P.S. In case you're wondering, blogging falls kind of in-between.  Sometimes it's on my to-do list, other times I do it for fun, other times it'd fit on the above list.  Tonight it's a transition.  I was super-productive at the library (for five hours, nonetheless), and came home to take a nice long break, and will shortly be resuming my work.  I have a feeling I'll be highly motivated these next few weeks...finals are JUST around the corner!

the academics: post-natural sciences

While I'm technically still a natural sciences student (I'm on the nat. sci. track in the Public Health major), my schedule of classes could lead you to believe otherwise--and I love it.  Sure, I am taking biostatistics, but compared to past semesters, I am mostly free from classes that involve any sort of numbers or reactions or brain structures, and after this semester, I'm hoping to never again need a calculator more sophisticated than the one on my phone.

So what exactly do I do as a natural science major who has lost all interest in the natural sciences?   Excellent question, and one I asked myself time and time again when I realized I was in such a position.

I figured I'd go a little more in-depth with describing my classes this semester, though not with straight description (see this previous entry for that approach), but more of what I'm actually learning and doing in them.  So, without further ado:

 How do policies get on the agenda?  How do you design them so that they'll get passed?  How do you make sure they're sustainable (and will last even if you're voted out in the next election)?  Why is it that, even when there's a beautifully simple solution, we end up with these extremely complex policies that no one can understand and are so far from the original project?  This, my friends, is Politics and Policy Design.  I've grown to be SO much more informed when it comes to all of this, but it's hard to keep the cynicism at bay, especially when the introduction to one of our books tells us that the underlying assumption is that the main motivation for members of Congress is re-election.  Not the good of their people, not the good of the country, not creating good policy, but their own re-election.  Of course, this is a generalization and assumption for the purpose of creating a political theory (that is very widely cited, mind you), but it's an example of why it can be difficult to remain non-cynical.

What are all of the aspects involved with the individual mandate for health insurance?  Who are the key stakeholders for and against the policy?  Describe the rationale, in terms of access, cost and quality of care and lay out a concise yet complete issue statement for this policy.  This is my current project in Politics of Health Policy.  We had a group project and are giving the presentation Tuesday, to be followed up by an individual paper.  Of course there's much more to the class than this project, but it provides an excellent example.

Remember the 2nd amendment?  No?  Well, I do, but only because I had to study the Constitution for a quiz.  Anyway, it's the whole "right to bear arms" thing.  (Which, by the way, always makes me think of a particular Family Guy episode, and if you don't know what I'm talking about, pretend I never said anything).  And perhaps you've heard about juveniles being sentenced to life without parole for non-capital offenses?  If you're really big on your random current events, you'll know the "birthers" are still trying to sue to have Obama's birth record unsealed.  All of this, and much more, is discussed at the beginning of every Constitutional Law class, for up to half an hour sometimes, before we get into the actual topic for the day.  It's amazing how prevalent Constitutional Law really is--I really expected to be memorizing old cases and a few more recent ones, but I never imagined to have such thorough current applications every single class.

Did you know that most foodborne illnesses are actually caused by keeping food at an improper temperature, rather than poor sanitation or low-quality of the ingredients? Or that over 95% of all waste is industrial waste, rather than municipal waste (municipal waste = yours and my garbage).  I learn a lot of really weird, random things in my Environment and Your Health class, and I think in a lot of ways it's actually helped me to live a healthier lifestyle.  Seriously!

You know all those headlines citing studies and their crazy amazing findings?  Like how people with a Facebook get lower grades? (an example from class last week).  Most of them are probably inaccurate, and I might even be able to tell you so if I could see the data--all thanks to Biostats.  I mean, it's not quite as interesting as my other classes, but it's definitely a valuable skill--and, most importantly, a major-required one!

So you have an idea of what I'm actually doing in my classes.  I am legitimately learning things and am VERY  much enjoying myself.  But I've come a long way from, say, spring freshman year.  Want proof?  Look at this little screen shot from ISIS, our online system that lets us register, see our grades, check our bill, etc.  Look at how different my courses were...and allow me to tell you how much happier I am now!

Anyway, I hope I was able to shed some light on the social science courses here--they're truly fantastic and cater to any interest imaginable.  Even if something doesn't seem interesting at first, chances are you'll learn a ton and come out having gained a lot more than you expected.  And, personally speaking, I'm getting a bit more sleep these days--not because the courses are systematically, across-the-board "easier," but because I'm doing what I'm best at and genuinely enjoy.

the critical juncture

This semester, I'm taking two courses that deal with policy--Politics and Policy Design and Politics of Health Policy.  The two overlap slightly in the principles, as you might expect, but I feel like I'm actually getting a very diverse education in policy-making and implementation, and how what seems like the logical solution is not usually the one used in practice, largely because of political concerns (i.e., re-election).

Anyway, an important principle discussed in both classes is the "critical juncture," or, roughly, a turning point.  This also plays into the concept of "path dependence," where current options are limited by past decisions.  Basically (and I mean VERY basically--a quick google search shows that this can be an extremely complicated topic), as it was explained in one of my classes, critical junctures are the point when big decisions are possible, and the rest of the time, you're limited by path dependence set in place by the critical junctures.

In simpler terms?  The decisions you make now set you on a specific path, where some later options can be drastically changed depending on the current decision.  I guess you could kind of think of it like the "butterfly effect," if you want to skip the middle part, and think about the impact a current decision will have on your available options twenty years from now.  But it's not really about endpoints (as in, right now and twenty years from now), at least as I see it.  It's  about the entire path--now, tomorrow, the entire time between now and twenty-years-from-now.

I see it like this:  as college students, we're at a critical juncture, RIGHT NOW. (no pressure, right?).  We have the ability to make relatively big decisions that set a whole particular path before us.  That's not so scary though, because I don't think political science is completely translatable to peoples' lives on an individual level (despite this blog entry's attempts at that?)...as in, just because we're setting our paths, doesn't mean we're going to be entirely limited by it.  I think path dependence works a little better with policies than with people, but it still applies.

I don't know if you necessarily have to call out just one critical juncture for all of college or this age period, but to choose one, I think mine is when I settled on my public health major and realized I'm not doctor-material.  Choosing not to continue pre-med studies is rather path-dependent, at least in the short term.  (Luckily, nowadays, there's post-bac programs for people who decide after graduating that they actually do want to go to med school, but that's not me.  Just throwing it out there).  Anyway, I set myself a new path when I had that critical juncture and made that decision, and now each successive decision relevant to my life goals (undefined though they may be) are putting me further along on that path--I hope.  That is, if political science works.  I think I believe in it.

I hope this doesn't get construed as alarming--it's not like you make one decision and you're stuck for life, as it can be with policies.  I think that's the beauty of our generation; we have so many options and fallbacks and the ability to redo things, all at much later points than previous generations. 

So now, here's your quiz to see if you've been paying attention.  Here I am, having passed my critical juncture in which I chose to pursue law school, and am currently faced with the following path-dependent decision: spring internship in DC or LSAT course?  I might need a few more weeks of policy classes to figure this one out.  Or maybe just a few more days in the week next semester.  I'm wondering what the politically feasible option would be in the long run...okay, I can't even think of any more ways to stretch this.

(By the way, I'm choosing the LSAT course, sadly).

and we're back

Happy November!  I can hardly believe it's already November (and we're more than halfway through the semester), but October was a crazy month and I'm kind of glad to have it behind me in some ways. 

Just to demonstrate, here's my October calendar, fresh off the wall.  The highlighted items are exams.

But this isn't a blog about how busy I've been, because that's all behind me.  Today, I woke up, cleaned and organized my entire apartment, and will soon venture out to Eddie's Market with my grocery list.  You see, I'm trying to get back into being a productive, orderly, healthy person.  I kind of let all of those priorities fall aside when I got busy, and I'm definitely feeling it now.  So I'm giving myself one day to catch up, clean up, wake up, etc., and then I'm going to get back into doing homework the day before it's due (instead of the early hours the morning of), eating actual meals (instead of snack food and coffee) and other things that I think normal people do.

Until then, I'm enjoying the extra hour of sleep (which couldn't have come at a a better time), am taking the day to lull around, and will leave you with one picture from my Halloween celebrations.  I was a pop-punk something-or-other, inspired by Avril Lavigne. I promise to get back to my usual blogging very soon, just as soon as I get back to my usual life.