On October 19th 2017, a couple of friends and I decided to go the the “Hidden Treasures: Autumn Skies” event held at the OSU Planetarium. I went to the event hesitant on how interesting I would find it because I have never really held the fascination that so many people have had when staring at the night sky. However, when I arrived I was pleasantly surprised at how interesting the presentation was. The presenter was very knowledgeable and taught us more things about space than I thought I could learn in an hour. The talk began with a very interesting video showing the telescopes around the world that are used to observe the galaxy. The presenter than pulled up the starry night sky, and proceeded to show us how to identify the different constellations and the stories behind them. Once we exhausted the easily visible constellations, the presenter moved on to showing us more advanced astrological figures such as varying parts of the Andromeda galaxy in different wave lengths.

Although the event was focused on astrology, I learned a lot about different cultures, and how those cultures viewed the stars. The constellations were given names that held a significance to the cultures that named them. For example the constellation Pegasus is based off the winged horse the sprung from Medusa’s head in Greek mythology. These many different constellations are all shapes of different people and things that held significance to cultures ranging from thousands of years ago, to a modern microscope shaped constellation.

I am very content with the time I spent at the OSU Planetarium, and I can’t wait until they have another similar event that I can attend.

Automobile accidents have had a strong effect in my life. In 1965, one accident changed my grandfather’s life forever. He and his wife were struck by a drunk driver, killing my grandfather’s wife, and causing severe injuries to my grandfather, including a shattered leg. Although this fatal accident is what set in motion my entire existence, my grandfather experienced significant pain throughout his life as a result of the injuries he suffered in that accident. My passion for safe driving and improving auto safety for our society was spawned from this tale, and it was only fueled when I learned shortly after getting my driver’s license that five years after my grandfather’s accident, in 1970, my great-grandfather was killed in an accident also involving a drunk driver.

Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) technology really interests me because of the possibility of eliminating accidents like those that have so greatly influenced my life. I have started to take a crack at information that can be used to help integrate AGVs into a normal part of society. The Underwater Robotics team here at The Ohio State University combines my love for aquatics, and the skill set necessary for implementing autonomous systems in vehicular travel. As part of the coding team, I have been able to work with other students on code for the robot that competes against other colleges around the country. The experiences that I have gained, and will continue to gain will help me grow in my major and hopefully even into my career.