Resume Update

I would like to take this time to update my resume with what I have learned and the new skills I have acquired in my freshman year at The Ohio State University.

-Previous Employment-

I was an assistant manager at a Kumon early learning center for about a year, and worked as a volunteer lab assistant at the UT Health Science Center for four months. Additionally, I was a volunteer assistant at the Triplehorn Insect Collection for about eight weeks. For the whole of my freshman year I worked as a cook at the Union Market.

-Skills-

I am able to work well people, additionally I can teach. I know how to effectively use a pipette and have run MTT assays and Western Blot analysis. I am familiar with a lab setting. I can properly transfer insects and other specimens from one drawer to another and know how to make pins. I can clean a kitchen and grill and know how to safely prepare raw meet. I can cook burgers, chicken, quesadillas, turkey, and hotdogs. I am comfortable working in a kitchen, and know all the rules and safety regulations.

-My major-

I am studying physics at the Ohio State University and am a member of the honors and scholars program. I have completed physics 1250H and 1251H. I have a firm understanding of Newtonian Mechanics and Special Relativity. I am comfortable with introductory level Electricity and Magnetism, Quantum Mechanics, Particle Physics, and Thermodynamics.

A Year in Review

My freshman year has been a wild one, but now that it is drawling to a close I taking the (honors and scholars required) opportunity to look back on what these first two semesters of college have taught me and what I am thankful for.

In my first semester I was enrolled in 18 credit hours (two seminars, honors calculus one, honors physics 1, and introduction to art history) so needless to say I didn’t sleep for several weeks and while I got bye alright I definitely had my eyes open to how widely “the curve” can vary from class to class. For example, Art History which I finished with a 91 was marked down as an -A, to be expected, but physics which I finished with an 80 also went in as an -A! Which was definitely a learning experience for me, which lead me to the conclusion that grades in college are more or less for show and if you talk to the professor and they say you’ll be okay, than you’ll be okay. In my second semester I was enrolled in only seventeen credit hours (Honors Physics Two, Honors calculus two, Astronomy with Data analysis, and Introduction to Linguistics)  and despite the loss of an hour I didn’t find myself any less busy feeling, physics two was far more demanding in the concepts we were asked to learn (Quantum Mechanics, Thermodynamics, and Electromagnetic Waves) and calculus two (which was accelerated) quickly transitioned into multivariable calculus which required students to learn how to think in several dimensions at once. Than of course there was the whole COVID-19 thing.  Needless to say I have struggled this semester but I have maintained close contact with my professors and they say I’ll be okay so I suppose I’ll be okay. While an endless spring break was not how I pictured my freshman year ending I am not as distraught as some of my peers at having to leave campus, and online classes aren’t ideal but they work well enough.

Throughout both semesters I was fortunate enough to work at the Union Market, while I was first taken on as a cashier I was quickly moved to cook (which to be clear is different from chef, a chef is someone who actually went to culinary school a cook flips patties and puts stuff in the oven) and then promoted to lead. I usually work the closing shifts and have found great pleasure in getting to clean the grills at the end of the night (watching them gradually lighten in color from the greasy black to a dull stainless steal is pretty OCD satisfying). While the work was enjoyable and the pay was decent, what I really enjoyed was the people I got to work with. I made many close friends as a cook at the Union including chefs, and upper level employees who I never would’ve met without my position there. I even discovered an appreciation for grilling which I never thought I had, which has prompted me to cook more in my own time. I am very thankful for my time with the Union Market and look forward to serving (da dum tiss) with them again in the fall, or whenever all this mess clears up.

The End of my Fencing Career (for now)

Due to the closing of campus I have not been able to continue meeting with the fencing club, and so have not developed much in the past few weeks as a fencer. However, the time I did get to work with them I found to be very enjoyable and it is my full intension to continue working with the fencing club in the future. It was my hope to began learning saber, which would be an entirely different beast from epée. In saber only the head and torso are target areas, as opposed to the whole body, additionally the whole of the blade can be used to score points, in epée only the tip is used. The largest difference is likely priority, which does not exist in epée but is a major part of fencing. Priority is a method of determining who gets the point if two players score a hit at the same time (in epée both players receive a point), in saber the referee or some other official will judge how the point went and determine who earned the point. For example, if the defending player “played their defense well” against a poorly constructed attack but both hit at the same time, the defender would get the point. Additionally, it is my understanding that saber has slightly “less fancy” blade work to it as the easiest way to score a point is simply to approach your opponent and bop them on the head. Despite these major differences I still find myself interested in learning saber and hope when we return to school in the fall (with any luck) that I will be able to continue fencing now that I will be in fewer credit hours and know the rhythms of college a little better.

Progress Report

I have now attended six total fencing club meetings, which amounts to a total of twelve hours invested in the sport. While I can’t say I’ve become a master I do feel I’ve made progress. I now have a low En Garde stance which burns my thighs to no end, and have grown more skilled with my blade placement. In particular I have developed my skill for keeping my épée pointed at my opponent’s chest. In regards to foot work I still have a long way to go. My advances and retreats still feel clunky and a little awkward as I need to think through the movement every time I do it (front foot out and placed on the heal then push off of my back leg and plant the front foot and the reverse for a retreat) as a result my double advances (two quick advances back to back) often fall short of graceful. Additionally my parry moves still lack the speed and precision of the coaches. While the blade should move in small tight circles I tend to make a much wider arc with my weapon, which allows my opponent to easily read my thoughts. Despite these issues I have won a few bouts, the first against a far more experienced opponent who was using his non-dominant hand (which in my opinion only counts for ~half a win)  and one against the second newest player (after myself). The bout went back and forth for a while before I slowly pushed my opponent to the back of the mat then launched into a flèche (a move where one player essentially charges the other) which made my opponent step out of bounds and so forfeit the point. Despite the win one of the certified coaches who works with the club reprimanded me for the more advanced move as I still hadn’t mastered my basics. A point I had to forfeit because he was correct.  While I have missed the past few practices (due to several midterms) I am hoping to return to the sport soon and continue my growth as a fencer.

The Beginnings of my Fencing Career

On Monday January 27 2020 I attended my first meeting of the OSU fencing club. I was more than a little intimidated at the prospect of meeting a new group of people who’s common interest I know next to nothing about. However I found the group to be very welcoming and when the topic finally rolled around to why I’d chosen to join fencing club, I explained my H&S spring project situation. The club’s leader seemed more happy to have another physics major in the group, then annoyed at the prospect of teaching footwork. But footwork I was taught beginning with the en guard stance (feet in an L shape about shoulder width apart), and then working on advances, retreats and lunges. After thirty minuets of footwork drills it was time for me to suit up. I greatly underestimated how much fencers wear, one half jacket (to protect the dominant side of the body), one full jacket with a less then comfortable strap between the legs, a body wire to register hits, a glove and a mask. Once I was suited up I was taught how to hold a blade, I chose to learn épée. One might expect that holding a sword would feel fairly natural but the handle of an épée is quite unique, if not a tad odd. Once my grip was correct, I began to learn basic steps first working on advancing and retreating again but this time while holding the blade at the proper level, then thrusts and lunges with the blade. After all that it was time to learn some “fancier” moves. I was drilled on three basic types of parry, parry six (turn your blade in a tight clockwise circle and push the opponents weapon aside then land a hit) , parry eight (turn your blade in a tight circle counter-clockwise and catch your opponents tip with your bell guard then thrust at an upward angle for a hit), and parry four (push your opponents tip aside with the mid region of your blade then thrust forward with your tip angled towards your opponents chest), as well as how to “beat” an opponents blade (knock their weapon aside with the mid region of yours and quickly land a hit). After my training montage was done I was ready to compete. I learned the rules of engaging an opponent and what the different calls of the referee meant, and then everyone wanted a turn whooping the new kid. I played several bouts, and while I didn’t expect to win any on my first day my goal was to score at least a point/bout which I was able to do. I have a fairly aggressive play style and was able to score three or four points in our five point bouts.

At the end of the two hours I helped the club clean up their equipment, removed my 13 tonnes of gear (yes metric), and spoke with some of the members getting names and learning majors. The fencing club meets twice a week in the RPAC multipurpose room #3, each time for two hours, and this is how I will meet my ten hour minimum.

My Other Portfolio

For more information about my academic life and professional skills take a look at my handshake profile which is still under construction.

https://app.joinhandshake.com/users/19881995

Spring Project

I am enrolled in the Honors and Scholars program at the Ohio State University, as you dear reader may know. On top of this I am carrying sixteen, credit hours, an internship and a part time job. I am very busy, which is unfortunate because all of this leaves me little time to be a normal human with normal human interests. However, this Spring Project gives my an opportunity to explore new hobbies and learn a new skill.   

Throughout all of High School and Middle School I enjoyed playing tennis, and was fortunate enough to be the captain of my varsity team two years in a row. While I did love tennis I often wondered about a sport that would require an even greater reservoir of skill, and even faster reflexes. I was and still am a huge fan of Star Wars (this is related) and often as a kid would violently swing a blue lightsaber around breaking valuable things in the house. This project gives me the chance to marry these two loves into the competitive sport of fencing.

The sport has three types of play depending on which sword you use (foil, épée, or saber) and each type has different rules. While I am uncertain about the type of fencing I will take up I look forward to a return to competitive sports and to mastering my inner jedi.

Diversity at Ohio State University

Diversity is a word that is thrown around a lot in news, and popular media. While many people have a vague understanding of what it means when a setting or society is “diverse” very few people actually comprehend the larger value of diversity. I was fortunate enough to get to attend an event hosted by the Ohio State Office of Diversity and Inclusion. At the event I was invited to reflect on how even little things in day to day life can seem vastly different for people of different groups. (social, ethical, racial ect…). An activity, which I don’t often spend a lot of time on. Towards the end of the class the room was guided in accessing their privileges, and silence fell as people took a moment to note the little things one does not normally think about. The short group discussion that fallowed this activity lead to some answers common to the whole (fortunate to have functioning legs and arms, privileged to be attending a University, and live in a free country) but there were also things that I had never thought of. One student mentioned the privilege of never having to be afraid of a Law Enforcement Officer. Now I recognize that all Police Officers may not be pillars of virture (which is in no way meant to undermine the value and bravery of their work) but I would never think of being afraid of someone in uniform for no reason other then the pigmentation of my skin. However, in the seminar I realized that there are many good people who, quite reasonably, share a mistrust of Police Officers due to their skin alone. To be totally honest I almost felt stupid for having never realized that before. But then when I read stories about police brutality they are not as personal to me as they are to others. This idea which was completely new to me makes total sense, but is something I never would have thought of. Now do I feel that this realization is going to have stark effects on every moment of my day to day life from hence forth? No. But in realizing something I never have before I feel I have gained a deeper world view, and so grown a little because of it. This is the real value of diversity. I guarantee if the room was full of people like me (middle class straight white men) the idea of a relationship with the police that is less than ideal never would have come up. Through the inclusion of different groups I was able to learn something about the people around me and the world I live in. The value of diversity in a society can be seen in far more then just a genetic sense, the wealth of ideas that a group of people coming from different backgrounds can bring into a room is staggering, especially when compared to the ideas a group of people of one background may have.

Student Health Services

As you, my dear reader, may be aware I am from Helotes Texas. In Texas the typical length of all seasons that are not summer is about two weeks (total between the other three, I wish I was joking). Because I am in no way used to the cold, I have found myself quite unprepared for the pestilence borne of freezing winds.  I was even less prepared for these winds to persist longer then a week (again if you think I’m joking it was almost 90 degrees back home this week). Because of how unready I was it is no surprise that I contracted quite an illness. It started, as all things do, with a slight cough and a bit of a headache. I believed myself to just be a little under the weather and so put off any form of treatment. Much to my (unhappy) surprise my symptoms did not vanish in a week but rather grew. Now I had a constantly stuffy nose, none stop headaches and a cough that could only be described as indefatigable and moist. Accompanying these coughing fits was the hacking up of dun and sallow colored phlegm. All of these symptoms were unpleasant but no cause for concern to me. It was not until I began to consistently blow cherry red blood from my nose and into my tissues that I grew quite worried. Well a few more days of that went bye and my eyes began to burn and constantly experience a dull pressure. Finally a week ago from the day this post will be published I succumbed to my illness. And died.

 

Not really, I finally made the choice to contact Student Health Services (hence the title of the post). I, like many a man, HATE to talk on the phone but unfortunately found this obstacle unavoidable. I want to take a moment to note that you can in fact schedule appointments on the computer, but I had failed to fill out some paper work allowing me to do this. So I called Student Health Services. Now dear reader (who I assume at this point is only the person who grades these posts) I was not in the mood to have a chitchat on the phone. Luckily this is not what I found. I told them I wanted an appointment as soon as possible, and was quickly presented several options. I chose to attend a doctors visit first thing in the morning (8:00 am) the next day. I arrived for my appointment thirty minuets early as requested and was directed to a small kiosk where I completed some digital paper work. Once all of this was done I was went to my waiting area and began to settle in for the long haul. I don’t like to wait, and part of my distastes for doctor/dentist appointments is the act of waiting in an uncomfortable and unfamiliar room with other dying people. Fortunately, I was again surprised! The doctor called my back right at my appointment and after a short talk with the nurse I was seen and diagnosed. Two counts of pink eye and one pretty bad sinus infection (oh whatever will I get for the other ten days of Christmas?) The doctor than asked me ‘Why didn’t you come to see us sooner” and ladies and gentlemen if I had known how easy working was Student Health Services was I would have.

STEM Seminar

I genuinely enjoy my STEM seminar course, which I am not just saying because these posts are graded. The class is structured in such away so as to foster an open discourse about current issues in fields related to STEM (the validity of animal experimentation, weather or not research “as it is” needs to undergo a radical change, or the value of allowing the usage of performance enhancing drugs in professional sports to name a few) as well as a discussion of recent advancements in scientific fields of research. Each student is required to give a short (Two to five minute) speech on a research paper or article they read, and explain the questions they have, what they found interesting, and why the work is significant. The topics can very widely, from what city structure would limit tornado damage to the efficiency of hydrogen fuel cell technology. I intend to give my speech on the discovery of the three numbers, which when cubbed and added together give 42 as their sum. For example 3= (569,936,821,221,962,380,720)^3 + (-569,936,821,113,563,493,509)^3 +(-472,715,493,453,327,032)^3. Such a set exists for every number one to one-thousand except for 114, 390, 579, 627, 633, 732, 921 and 975 (such a set of cubes may not exist for these numbers or it may not yet be found). No spoilers for my speech but this type of number theory fascinates me and is part of what drew me to theoretical math as my second major. While I do enjoy the science themed discussions what I find most intriguing about the class are the discussions about philosophy and how it can apply to the scientific method and the role of scientists in society. Now I must offer a slight trigger warning, as we do have discussions that could dip into questions which may be considered offensive. On one such occasion we were talking about the passage of a law which reasoned “because it is illegal to beat your horse, it should be illegal to beat your wife as both are property”. When this idea was presented I posed a question to the effect of “is this law a moral good because it keeps people from beating their wife or a moral evil because it equates a wife to property?” My instructor’s reply was to consider the time at which the law was passed (circa 1600), then to consider a woman property was not a moral evil. This then prompted me to ask “isn’t considering a woman property ALWAYS a moral evil regardless of what time period you are in?” The reply surprised me but has really stuck with me; “No, you are too much like a physicists, you are looking for a universal truth. Like a Newtonian law, good and evil are not like that. They change with time.” This was an idea that had never before occurred to me, that when we weigh the actions of historical figures we must not use our current metric of good or bad but instead the scale of the time. This new revelation has caused me to re-analyze many of the philosophical views I hold and weigh my sense of morality not just against what is now acceptable but what maybe acceptable for years to come.