To begin with, I’d like to offer my readers an explanation as to why my blog last week was so short. As you may have read, I had my third test within the timespan of a week coming up, and I was trying to learn all about photosynthesis and the citric acid cycle and glycolysis regulation. I took a break to write my blog, but while typing, I accidentally hit a wrong button, therefore deleting all of my words except for those in my first paragraph. If you return to my previous blog and look at the comments, I’ve commented on my own blog and filled in some details.

Okay, now on to this week. Once again, I’ve miscounted the weeks until the end of school.  I thought we had four weeks of classes left. Oh, no – we have 2.5 weeks of classes left, and then a week of exams. (I don’t know how I always miscount.  I’m really not that terribly bad at counting…) Anyways, I feel like I still have a lot to do for school and otherwise. This past Friday, a few of my friends from the Biological Sciences Organization (BSO) and I went to the Science Center to celebrate DNA with Science Center visitors. Next week, on April 25, it will have been 60 years since Watson and Crick published their groundbreaking paper in the scientific journal “Nature” that described the structure of DNA. That determination has literally changed and affected all areas of biological sciences, ranging from cell biology to molecular biology to biochemistry to biotechnology to genetics. At the Science Center, we had a big DNA birthday card for visitors to sign, and we had spin-the-wheel trivia. We also had a fun craft activity that allowed visitors to make-and-take their own DNA strand, which they made using two different colors of pipe cleaners. (And boy, was I exhausted afterward. That night, when I was explaining to my mom what we had done, I said that we used “pipettes” to make DNA strands. True story.)

Next week, the BSO will be celebrating that monumental day in style with a party for biology majors on campus. Be sure to look for us, as we’ll be wearing our “DNA Is Life. Everything Else? Just Details.” shirts around campus. And the week after, BSO will have a very big Wednesday. We will be having our annual seniors’ graduation party in the morning and then going on an Owl Prowl in Forest Park that night. (Our new librarian, Mark Glenshaw, works in conjunction with Forest Park Forever and the World Bird Sanctuary, and he offered to take a few of us to Forest Park to show us owls’ nesting and habitat. We’re all really excited about it.)

So, for once, my social calendar is actually full. What about my school calendar, you may ask? Well, yes, my planner is chock full of due dates and the like. However, for the first time ever, I don’t feel like I’m completely panicking about finishing all of my work. Just give me a couple more days, though, and I’ll assure you that the panic will have begun…

~ With Carly and Kaniz at the BSO table at the Science Center! ~

Tomorrow, Monday, March 4, the Biological Sciences Organization will be hosting our semesterly bake sale. Usually, we donate a portion of the proceeds from our sales to animal adoptions. And, though we absolutely love animals and strongly support and promote saving their habitats, we have decided to break from tradition in order to support another worthy cause: breast cancer research.

On campus, a few students (including me) led by Dr. Thomason and Dr. Rayhel are currently working with the EMT6 breast cancer cell line and with mouse-derived macrophage cells. Dr. Thomasson originally published his research in the 1980s. Right now, we are trying to determine which new route we would like to take with this work.

So if you have any questions about the research we are performing on campus, or if you would like to support the cause and purchase a baked treat, stop by the BSO table tomorrow in the Ryan corridor between 11:30 and 1:30. We will have a variety of cupcakes, cookies, and other delicacies available for just $1 each, and every person who purchases a treat will receive a free handmade breast cancer ribbon of their choice in order to wear to show their support. We hope to see you tomorrow!!

A lot can happen in 48 hours.  Being overly interested in microbiology and bacteria, I can tell you that a visible colony of E. coli can grow on an agar plate in as little as 48 hours (although 72 hours would probably give you more to work with).  But anyways, as I said, 48 hours is a lot of time.

That being said, I had an extremely busy 48 hours, starting on Thursday and ending last night.  Those two days were the kind of days that make me so happy to be a biology major because I was able to partake in activities that relate to science without being all school- and homework-related.

So what did I do?  Well, Thursday started off with my Plant Biology “Botany of Desire” presentation.  (Basically, we are supposed to read a chapter of Michael Pollan’s “Botany of Desire” and present on it.)  I chose to present on how to best clean an apple by preparing agar plates using microbial swabs of three different apples – one that had not been washed at all, one that had been washed with warm tap water, and one that had been washed with vinegar.   It turns out that all three plates grew bacteria (gross!), but I enjoyed doing my table-top activity in Ryan to show Fontbonne students, faculty, and staff the results of my mini-experiment.

Thursday night was Fall Festival.  The Biological Sciences Organization (BSO) sponsored an elephant toothpaste booth.  Students watched in amazement as we combined hydrogen peroxide, dishwashing soap, and baker’s yeast in pumpkin candle holders and allowed the product of this exothermic chemical reaction to ooze up and over the sides of the pumpkin.

And then yesterday, we took a Biotechnology field trip to Gallus, a research corporation near Lambert Airport.  We attended their poster session, which was a great way to meet scientists and see what they are currently working on.  After the field trip, I went straight to the Science Center and performed two shows at Center Stage.

As I said, a lot can happen in 48 hours.  Last night, I was really tired, but it was a good feeling.  I love being able to partake in science outside of the classroom, and I enjoy sharing what I’ve learned with the general public.  But that was enough fun for a while.  Now, I need to get back to the school- and homework-related science I previously talked about.

~ Making a Mess at Fall Festival! ~

As those of you who’ve read my previous blogs of this semester know, I am a St. Louis Sciene Center volunteer.  I absolutely love the Science Center, and I’ve been all excited about two of the newest limited engagements.  One of those is a traveling exhibit called “Wildlife Rescue,” which is an awesome, interactive exhibit about orphaned animals and conservation efforts that help save those animals.  The other is an Omnimax film called “Born to Be Wild,” which is, as of last Saturday when I first saw it, my favorite Omnimax film of all time.  (It took the place of “Everest,” which was my previous favorite Omnimax film of all time.)

Yesterday, some BSO members went to the Science Center to see the Wildlife Rescue exhibit.  It was a really fun time, especially since last week was full of tests, quizzes, and midterms.  It was also a great experience because the Wildlife Rescue exhibit really coincides with the BSO’s theme of this school year, which is “We are all connected in the great Circle of Life” (which is lovingly derived from that famous scene where Mufasa shows Simba what will one day become his kingdom in the epic movie “The Lion King”).

If you’re looking for a fun afternoon trip that’s only about ten minutes away from campus, I totally suggest that you go see both the film and the exhibit.  In fact, if you show your Fontbonne student ID, you’ll get a discount.  I think I can speak for all of the BSO members that were present in saying that we had a “roaring” good time.  If you go to the Science Center and see the movie and/or the exhibit, I can assure you that you will have a “roaring” good time, too.

~ Me, Mary, Steph, Amanda, and Kaniz at the Science Center ~

Check out the “Born to Be Wild” trailer!  But beware – you’ll fall in love with the adorable baby animals!

Hello, everyone, and welcome back to school! For those of you who remember me, I need no introduction. And for those of you who don’t know me, here’s a little background. My name is Courtney, and I’m a junior at Fontbonne. I’m majoring in biotechnology and physiology, and I’m minoring in chemistry and theatre. As usual, my schedule is chock full.  I’m enrolled in (let’s see if I can remember all of my classes!): Developmental Biology, Physics, Advanced Statistics, Biology Seminar, Biotechnology 1 and 4, and Plant Biology.  If I’m not working on one of my classes, I’m probably tutoring anatomy and physiology (which I took last year and absolutely loved), working on new ideas for the Biological Sciences Organization or the Commuter Advisory Board (for which I’m a Co-President and Vice President of Programming, respectively) or hanging out in the greenhouse or labs.

Though summer seems like forever-ago, I feel that it’s appropriate to give a brief description of my summer whereabouts.  As usual, I had a pretty busy summer.  I was lucky enough to go on two trips (one to Orlando and one to Minneapolis), and I saw all of the Muny shows in addition to “Mary Poppins” at the Peabody, “The Lion King” at The Fox, and “Roman Holiday” at the Guthrie (the famous theater in Minneapolis).  In addition to taking philosophy for general education credit, I also had my first professional internship.  I interned at the St. Louis Science Center in the Physical Sciences Gallery.  I was an Amazing Science Demonstrator, which means that I presented science shows for anywhere from ten to over one hundred people at a time.  This internship was absolutely perfect for me because it combined my two passions in life – science and theatre.  Actually, I loved the Science Center so much that I’m still there as a volunteer.  So if you ever want to come see a free, live science demonstration, be sure to stop on by!

Though I’ve been super busy with my classes this year, I’m all excited about this semester.  Most of my friends will be graduating this spring, so I’m trying to make every moment with them count.  There will surely be a lot of stress and questioning myself throughout the course of this semester, but I’m really excited about this semester and this school year in general.  It’ll definitely be one to remember.  And hey, I made it through organic chemistry, so it has to get easier from there, right?!

Here I am at the Science Center, getting ready to present my favorite show, “Cool – It’s Cryogenic”!

For those of you who’ve been following my weekly blogs this semester, you probably haven’t heard me talk about my kinesiology class with Dr. Rayhel a whole lot. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great class and I love Dr. Rayhel – organic chemistry just boasts some more explosive things to write about (no pun intended).

Anyways, this semester in kines., we have talked about the movements made possible by the interconnections between muscles and bones. During one class, we learned about the phases of movement, which are illustrated very well by baseball pitching.  There are five main phases of movement, which, in order, are: stance, preparation, movement, follow-through, and recovery. 

Yesterday at Spring Fest, the Biological Sciences Organization (BSO) brought back the dunk tank.  Last year, when I attempted to dunk Dr. Paine-Saunders, I literally threw the ball over the entire contraption and into a field somewhere beyond.  Now let me tell you, I’ve seen my fair share of Cardinals baseball games, so I know how pitching should work.  But thanks to cell and molecular biology last semester, I learned that I’m NOT at all a visual learner.  (Those cellular pictures sure threw me for a loop!)  Yesterday, however, I had words – not pictures – that guided me through the process of pitching the ball.  As it turns out, I dunked Brent Hickenbottom five, yes FIVE times, and I dunked a few other people as well.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to take another try at dunking Dr. Paine-Saunders due to the weather’s lack of cooperation, but I’ll be ready next time.

So what did I learn in kinesiology?  I learned how to do something that I should have learned and mastered at least ten years ago.  But as they say, ”It’s better late than never,” right?! 

Picture this. You’re in class in AB Hall, and your professor accidentally teaches for five minutes after the class is supposed to have ended. Your next class in all the way over in the Fine Arts building, and you don’t want to be late. You sprint down the hall and down the stairs. But before you run across that grassy triangular area between AB and the arcade connecting AB and Ryan Hall, guilt seeps in. Do you really want to cut across the grass that the fine people in the Physical Plant take such good care of?

Now, thanks to the work of the Biological Sciences Organization as well as many other Fontbonne student volunteers, you don’t have to worry about that.  This past Monday, in honor of Earth Day, the BSO put stepping stones in that triangular grassy area.  Working in the spirit of Dr. Seuss’s famous character The Lorax and proudly wearing tshirts boasting, “I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongue,” students planted ten trees around campus – most of which are in between AB Hall and Big Bend, and one of which is neatly-situated in the grassy area adjacent to the stepping stones.

So during the next few weeks of school as the road towards summer seems long and treacherous, just be glad that you now at least have a shorter route to your classes.

Last night in orgo lab while vacuum filtering our recrystallized products, I asked Carly if she wanted to play a game.  It had been featured on “The Big Bang Theory.”  Essentially, one person says the name of an element; for example, let’s say “magnesium.”  Then, the next person has to say an element that begins with the last letter of the first element.  So going along with the first example, you could say something like “mercury” or “manganese.”  The game continues until you run out of elements with the correct letters or until you or your opponent can’t think of an element.  Carly and I got into a pretty good competition, and this, along with the fact that we are both going to study our periodic tables before Round 2 during next week’s lab, pretty much proved that I am a nerd.

Even so, I absolutely love being a biology major.  We are given so many great opportunities.  Last week, you may have seen my blog about the First Annual Intercollegiate Science Poster Day that Fontbonne hosted.  The day was great.  Students, faculty, and friends came to the third floor of AB Hall to view research posters from four Fontbonne students alongside students from Maryville and Lindenwood.  All in all, it was a great experience.  I really enjoyed sharing the research that I’ve been doing, and it was great to be able to see what students from other nearby universities are working on.

I’m also very excited about this coming Sunday and Monday.  Sunday is Earth Day (although, in my opinion, “Everyday Is Earth Day”).  And on Monday, the Biological Sciences Organization (BSO) will be sponsoring a Tree Planting Day on campus.  We will be planting four new trees along Big Bend, and we will be putting in a tree and natural-rock stepping stones in the triangular grassy area between AB and the sidewalk connecting to the arcade between Ryan Hall and AB.  Please come out and help us anytime between 10:00 and 2:30.  There will be free treats and prizes for all who volunteer!

When all of these stories and activities of mine are coupled with the fact that I used to think Shirley Temple was singing “amino acids in my soup” instead of “animal crackers in my soup” (a true story that Dr. Bookstaver found infinitely hilarious), I think it’s safe to say that I’m a nerd.  But I’m definitely happy to be one!

Andre, Dillon, Me, and Mike at Science Poster Day

The other night I finally had the opportunity to use one of my awesome new cookbooks I got for Christmas (counting the one I got for my birthday a few weeks after the holidays, I got a total of six, I believe, and they tempt me every time I go home). Yes, I decided to bake carrot cake cupcakes the night before my second organic test of the semester for the BSO bake sale the next morning instead of studying a bunch of reactions, that, quite honestly, I was tired of reviewing anyway. While my brother and I had to modify the recipe a bit (he grated the carrots and converted the amount of carrots I needed into cups), I think it’s safe to say that they were pretty successful. Maybe not as flavorful as I was hoping, due to the aforementioned modifications, but the heavenly mascarpone and cream cheese frosting all but made up for any “missing flavor.” Apparently one of the biology teachers took all of the leftovers home!

I ended up not making it back to school that night until about midnight, and I had to hold my eyelids open the next morning while taking my test, but it was totally worth it. I’m so excited to make them again for Easter (this time going by the exact recipe!), and I’m also planning on making either homemade brownies (which I’ve been craving since I found a recipe for them on this gorgeous natural food blog) or chocolate espresso cupcakes with crème fraîche. Food is such a beautiful thing.

Have a great weekend everyone!

-Carly

“Brothers” by Tanlines

It’s hard to believe that this semester is all but over.  It seems like just yesterday that I was trading in my sunblock and swimsuit for a monstrous organic chemistry book.  But here we are, at the gateway to Christmas break.

Yesterday, I was talking about the semester with my friend and fellow blogger, Carly.  We agreed that this semester has definitely changed us.  This semester has challenged us in ways that we never saw coming.  As for me personally, I definitely learned a lot more about my personal strengths and weaknesses, and I think I definitely realized what my true passions in biology are.

Even though this week has been stressful with lab practicals and classes winding down, I still have a lot to look forward to.  Tonight, I’m going skating at Steinberg in Forest Park with Fontbonne, which should be hilarious because I haven’t ice skated since I was in the second grade with Girl Scouts.  And tomorrow, I’m going to see Mustard Seed Theatre’s production of “Godspell” with two of my closest friends.  Next week is CAB’s scooter races event and the biology department’s Christmas party. 

So as the semester winds down, it’s time to wrap up all of the projects and studies that I still need to complete.  Which reminds me, I also need to wrap up some Christmas presents that I have yet to buy…just go ahead and add that to my to-do list.