US News reports that “Research in the Journal of Clinical Psychology has found that only 64 percent of New Year’s resolutions are maintained after one month and, six months later, less than half still stand.” Alright, fess up.  How many of you have fallen off the wagon?  I’ll admit that I made quite a few New Years’ resolutions and none of them have lasted until now.

But there’s still hope! According to Linda Blair’s article in the guardian, “Summer resolutions stand a better chance of being fulfilled than New Year ones” for many reasons.  Primarily, it is because you are already halfway through the year, which means that you are much more likely to realize the mistakes you made in the beginning of the year and learn from them going forward.  In addition, your immune system is healthier thanks to the better summer weather and increased sun exposure (as opposed to the dreary winter months that follow New Years); dark and cold days don’t exactly motivate you to get out from under the covers and off the couch to go to the gym.

Regardless of your concrete summer plans (whether that’s an internship, summer job, travel, work or study abroad, catching up on credits by taking summer classes, etc) my guess is that you’ve made some resolutions for personal improvement.  For instance, this summer I would like to read a handful of various novels and New Yorker articles that have been accumulating on my desk, watch Ted Talks and Mad Men, work on my website and research careers, take time to relax and travel, and exercise.  The list seems like it is never ending.  Yet, these are all activities that I genuinely want to do but did not have time to do during the school year.  The best part about my goals is that I get to decide when to do all these things; no one is forcing a deadline on me (besides the obvious start of the fall term in September).  However, maybe this is the downfall.  Perhaps we don’t follow through on all of our resolutions (regardless of when we make them) just because it is dependent on our own discipline.

As far as this summer goes, I won’t be heartbroken if I don’t get to everything on my list of goals. I think what matters more than merely staying disciplined for the sake of it is that I utilize my time doing the things I wanted to do when I didn’t have the time to while I was in school.  But for those who are truly dedicated to their goals: do you need some tools to help you stay on track? The US News article that I referenced earlier suggests that being as specific as you can with your goals will make it easier to follow through with them, sharing your goals with other people will also help you stay committed, and breaking down your goals into smaller, more manageable chunks will reinforce your interest in your goals because your successes will be more frequent.

Have a great summer everyone!

By:  Rachel Blanzy

(Photo by merfam under a Creative Commons License)

As the saying goes, time flies when you’re having fun. This may be true, but I cannot seem to gauge how quickly four years has gone by. At the risk of sounding a little bit like my mother, it really does feel like it was just yesterday when I made the decision to come to the University of Michigan, before my college experience had even begun.

And now, somehow, I have to cope with the fact that it is all but done. I may even miss weeks like this, where I spend more time trying to find an empty seat at the UGLI than I do studying. (Ok, maybe that was a dramatic stretch, but you can see where I’m going…)

Even worse, every moment seems like it’s my last: the last time I’ll spend 48 straight hours writing a paper, the last time I’ll live in a house with five of my best girlfriends, the last time it will be socially acceptable to spend every single Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday of an entire year at the same bar (Scorekeepers<3), the last time I’ll sit in a three-hundred person lecture, the last email I’ll send to a professor, faking an unidentified illness in the hopes of receiving enough sympathy to garner an excused absence….

Though right now it is not in my immediate post-graduation plans, the idea of one day going to Graduate School is still something I’m considering. Nevertheless, I can’t help but feel scared that a huge portion of my academic life is over. While college is infamous for partying, making life-long friends, nights of binge-drinking, and sexual experimentation (remember when your parents told you that college was “the best times of their life”), it has also served me many other purposes: self-discovery, realizing that I can learn as much from my peers as I can from my professors, the importance of perspective, the complicated nature of history, and most of all, to not just learn and accept everything I’m told—but to question.

While this may seem completely predictable and cliché, I have to admit that I truly believe that my experience at the University of Michigan has equipped me with not just a diploma, but a skill set that has adequately prepared me for what is to come. While the prestige of attending a top-tier university may be what helps students to get jobs, it is the critical thinking, lengthy writing assignments, and analytical approaches that truly mark Michigan students as unique, well-rounded, and intellectual beings. And of course, a competitive football team and overly supportive alumni doesn’t hurt either.

In a post I recently read on the Ann Arbor News, the University of Michigan was “highlighted as an example of a college ‘doing it right’ and ‘challenging’ undergraduates” according to an episode on Comedy Central’s “Colbert Report” that aired last Tuesday where guest, Richard Hersh, “an education consultant and co-author of We’re Losing our Minds: Rethinking American Higher Education” was interviewed on the subject of “higher education and college standards.” According to the article:

The “University of Michigan as an undergraduate school does some wonderful work with students,” Hersh told Colbert.

“And what does that mean?” Colbert asked. “What do you mean the wonderful work? Because there are some things that all students can appreciate when they go to college. You know, gaining 15 pounds and being in an a cappella group. Those are universal. What is like a specific thing that a college might do different?”

Hersh responded:

“That no matter which course they take, or at least for most courses, they’re being asked to actually engage in serious thought, lots of reading, lots of writing and getting a lot of assessment and feedback. And where in fact they are challenged all the time, rather than simply taking courses for credit hours and getting a diploma.”

To hear an expert resonate similar feelings I am having towards understanding all that college, and the University of Michigan, has done for me academically, socially, and professionally, I cannot help but feel forever indebted towards the chapter in my life called college. And to all of those lucky readers, who are still in the midst of this experience, enjoy and embrace it to the absolute fullest. Realize where you are and how lucky you are to be at not just a distinguished institution, but also a place that welcomes diverse thinking and all that may entail. As for the rest of my fellow graduates joining me in the University of Michigan class of 2012, goodbye and good luck. I hope to see all of you again in that vague, unfamiliar, foreign land called “the real world.”

By:  Samantha Tritsch

(Photo by Anthony Gattine under a Creative Commons License)

By: Tanya Rogovyk

Catch up on what’s been going on over the weekend.

• Yesterday marked the 100-year anniversary of the sinking of Titanic. Check out how the event was covered in the news in the year 1912.
• The rainy weather today was caused by a large storm that covered the midwest. Luckily, only one tornado out of the many caused any fatalities. The safety of the public during this weekend is credited to the well in advance warnings that were issued.  Check out the intimidating pictures of the storms here.
• President Obama calls for thorough investigation of Secret Service scandal.
• The US denies to have played any role in the failure of North Korea’s missile launch.
• No graduate of a Big Ten school has ever been President. Check out this great OpEd piece on the issue.

By: Tanya Rogovyk

(Photo by UMHealthSystem under a Creative Commons license)

1. In an editorial for the Washington Post, George Will asks, should hard drugs be legalized? He cites new research that found imprisoning someone for a $200 drug transaction can cost society $100,000 for a three-year sentence.

2. A new craze is sweeping across China: English tattoos. Though just like tattoos of incorrect Chinese characters here in the West, a lot of these tattoos get the English wrong.

3. A group of Duke University started an online campaign asking men and women, who needs feminism?

4. The Michigan Daily had a great piece this week on Michigan’s most exclusive club, Order of Angell.

5. For a few exciting days Gawker had a mole inside Fox News, providing some inside dirt on how Fox News operates. Oh, and a picture of Bill O’Reilley’s toilet stall. He’s now been outed.

6. A majority of Republicans now believe the war in Afghanistan was not worth fighting.

7. North Korea completed their rumored missile test, though it wasn’t particularly successful. What is China’s role in North Korea’s nuclear ambitions?

By: Mike Guisinger

(Photo Courtesy of sxc.hu)

I don’t know about everyone else, but I am ready to close the books and head for the hills.  My brain is fired and eager to experience what I’ve missed about the world over the past nine months.  It seems fitting to explore National Geographic’s Best Spring Trips of 2012.  I have pulled out a few of the picks that interested me the most.

National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C.

This year marks the 100^th anniversary of when Japan presented the US with 3,000 cherry trees.  Between the months of March and April, the cherry trees are in full bloom and prettier than ever.  During this time, there are daily events and special events that occur to celebrate the relationship between Japan and the US.  This would be a fascinating festival to experience.  I can just imagine all of the history that you could learn while in such a gorgeous setting.

Coast Path in Wales

Up for a hike and have two weeks of free time?  How about a walk around the country of Wales?  The longest continuous path around a country will be completed in May.  This path is 870 miles long and follows the coast along the beaches and cliff edges.  For those who are less excited about a two-week hike, there is a bus service that will tour along stretches of the path.  A trip like this would be incredible but not quite as relaxing as I would want after a stressful semester.

Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul is a city rich with ancient character and tradition.  In April, the city holds the International Tulip festival.  Every color of tulip is planted all across Istanbul, which makes for a beautiful scene.  The Istanbul Music Festival celebrates its 40^th anniversary in June of this year.  This is one of the city’s oldest festivals and it holds a high amount of prestige, hosting some of the most famous musicians and artists in the world.  To be able to listen to some of these musicians would be absolutely jaw dropping.

The Lakes and Volcanoes in Chile

In the center region of Chile, there are ten national parks with dozens of lakes and white-water rivers.  Oh and not to mention, ten volcanoes.  If white-water rafting isn’t your thing, try flying through the rainforest on their zip-lines.  The parks also offer tours through some of the cultural history of Chile, like bee-keeping and weaving.  Now what has me sold is taking a long soak in the natural hot springs.  Sounds like the perfect solution for my R & R craving.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee and North Carolina

Who says you have to leave the US to experience nature’s beauty marks?  If you are within a day’s drive for half of the US population, you couldn’t turn it down. The Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage is held in late April.  People from many different environment backgrounds, like botanists, entomologists, park rangers, and even storytellers are holding tours through the wooded wonderland of some of the Earth’s oldest mountains.  If you’re looking for a peaceful walk through the woods, this has your name written all over it.

Man, now I just wish I wasn’t taking summer classes.  Oh well.  I hope some of you can enjoy these wonderful places!

By:  Carali Van Otteren

(Photo by @heylovedc under a Creative Commons license)

So, you know how people say, “Don’t get a tattoo, you will regret it”? Well now, Nokia has created a whole new technology which will assist you in regretting it even more – a vibrating tattoo! That’s right, a tattoo that vibrates to alert you when your phone is ringing.

I can just picture Mean Girls of the Future:

Karen: It’s like I have ESPN or something. My tramp stamp can always tell when my phone’s going to ring.

Cady: Really? That’s amazing.

Karen: Well, it can tell when it’s ringing.

On a serious note, what are they thinking? One of the most prominent criticisms of our generation is the excessive reliability and obsession with technology, making our relationships and connections superficial and impersonal. Now, imagine what will happen if Nokia’s patent application is, in fact, accepted and becomes the new [eerie-sci-fi] trend. Imagine sitting in a movie with your new tat while your mom is calling to “check-in” or trying to fall asleep when your boyfriend won’t stop calling you in the middle of the night. Good luck paying attention in class or having a decent face-to-face conversation when your body is literally telling you to pick up your phone and again enter into the technological world, and out of reality.

Or perhaps virtual world has in fact become our reality if our culture is willing to inject a magnet in our skin to assure we never miss our boss’s calls. The only possible useful purpose I can think of for this absurd idea is for those who are hearing impaired.  However, I am certain that if this catches on, it will not be limited to those who cannot hear their phones otherwise. Maybe this idea has more useful qualities in which I am not aware, but I can’t help but ask how far are we willing to go to make ourselves available? Are we really prepared to make the full sacrifice to keep ourselves plugged-in and hooked-up 24/7? That seems frightening to me.

For those interested in the technical aspect of this revolutionary tattoo, this is the explanation Forbes offers:

“It suggests using a ferromagnetic ink, which includes compounds like iron or iron oxide, for the tattoo. Heat the ink to a high temperature before applying to the user’s skin to temporarily demagnetize it. Otherwise, ouch. Afterwards, remagnetize the tattoo simply by “repeatedly running a magnet over tattooed spot.”

Essentially, we are sinking our technology into our skin, just as we sink our iPhones into our laptops. Despite the fact that side effects are yet to be determined, the whole concept sounds dangerous and creepy. But then again, that’s just me. Some advice for those considering vibrating tattoo, make sure to get your number off the solicitors’ call list before doing so.

By: Lauren Opatowski

Signs dictate action. If we see a green traffic light, we know that means we can go. If we see a “please seat yourself” hanging board upon walking into a restaurant, we know that we don’t need to wait for the maitre d’ to assign us our table. Visual images, in this way, dictate the world in which we live, enabling us to derive an imagined meaning from a symbol.

Is this a good thing, or a bad thing? Of course, signs play an important role in regulating society to function in sync. It probably would not be safe for people to travel via car if there were no traffic lights directing them, allowing us to move in conjunction with one another. However, most visual images encompass not just rules, but manifested ideas and identities. Historically, basic signs were used to institutionalize racism in everyday life; reading the words “whites only” created a hegemonic discourse that was much more impactful than merely segregating people based on racial difference (though of course, it did this too). Rather, those two mere words placed in a communal space embodied an ideology, culture, society, and history that, as Americans, we are still faced with how such a sign enables us to understand each other and ourselves.

I raise this point to address how it pertains to the tragic death of seventeen-year-old, Trayvon Martin, on February 26^th of this year. Shot in an act that was called self-defense by gunman George Zimmerman, Martin, a young African American boy was killed on his walk to his father’s in a gated community in Sanford, Florida. In this case, it is most apparent to understand how images have played an instrumental role in determining why such violence was ensued against something and someone so seemingly innocent.

Racial discrimination has been an undeniable consideration in this current event. However, other physical markers, beyond just the color of Trayvon’s skin, have become widely dependent to the public and media’s rampant investigation. Trayvon’s sweatshirt “hoodie” has been a frequent topic of conversation. The Skittles and Arizona iced tea Trayvon had in his hands as he was shot have been symbolic images used in the protests that have occurred to bring attention to this heinous crime. So what has to be taken from all of this is, what do clothing and candy have to do with a second-degree murder trial?

And it is not these objects in tangible form, but rather, what they mean to us as a society, that are used to make sense of this scenario, as Zimmerman describes it. The “hoodie” worn by Martin has allowed many to argue that perhaps Trayvon was considered dangerous for his attire can be associated with a gang-member or hood. Contrastingly, the fact that Martin had candy and a beverage in his hands, and not a gun, knife, or any other dangerous weapon, has led his supporters to defend his wholesome innocence and youthful persona. It supports the notion that this was entirely a hate crime, a product of racial tension and anxiety still lingering in the world.

Ultimately, as it goes in America, a jury will ultimately decide what happened on the night Trayvon Martin was found dead. They will piece together all the evidence provided and images, and put together a narrative that we can only hope, will act in the name of equality and justice. However, we, as an active society and community, must ask ourselves what all these signs and symbols really exhibit. Perhaps, it is time we read them and not just acted in their accordance, but also, took the time to consider what it is signs are telling us to do.

By: Samantha Tritsch

(Photo by Albertism under a Creative Commons license)

And as March Madness drifts away, the NHL Playoffs have fallen into our laps.  And how sweet it is.  There is nothing better than watching my Detroit Red Wings enter the playoffs for the 21st consecutive time.  Just saying…

Anything can happen in the playoffs.  That’s what makes them so wonderful.  However, at the end of the Nashville-Detroit game last night there was a horrific display of violence.  Defenseman and Nashville captain Shea Weber repeatedly slammed the head of Detroit’s Henrik Zetterberg into the glass near the end of the game.  This is not what we want to see, especially in a time where concussions are so prominent.  Look for Weber to get at least a game suspension, or at least he should.  And this is not just coming from a Red Wings fan.  Watch the hit, and Jeremy Roenick’s response to the brutal hit.

By:  Brandon Klein

The concept of an open science community is not a novel idea by any means. The concept of transparency is a tenet of good science and is traditionally the model needed for the most rigorous theories. It would be very hard to create a coherent theory of physics if one cannot access all the recent journals concerning the topic.

At the University of Michigan, you probably have noticed that we have no troubles getting access to a plethora of academically peer reviewed articles. However, not every individual or even university has this luxury. That is because knowledge comes with a huge price tag. For example, in order to access the archives of the journal Neuroscience, an individual unaffiliated with any organization must pay $988.  This high price tag exists because the price of conducting research and peer review is extremely high, and therefore the market for this information becomes small, but also definite. If you are a neuroscientist doing research, access to these journals is imperative.

However, people like David Dobbs are starting to consider the implications of creating an open and cost-free system for distributing papers. The crux of his argument is that the entire process of creating a journal (editing & review, publication & distribution, credit & reputation, and archiving) can all be split up from the current system, where it consists of a single publisher, and divides the tasks among a series of free services.

The possibilities of an open-standard for scientific research are plentiful. Imagine: a doctor is dealing with an unusual patient who presents a series of symptoms which aren’t commonly associated. That doctor then pulls up a couple of searches for the symptons and finds a list of every single journal about the topic, available for access free. Finding cures for diseases, trends for genetic disorders, and basic scientific knowledge would be made far easier and more affordable under an open standard.

A push for change from the previous schemes of scientific publishing has already begun: scientists have began to boycott the publishing giant Elsevier in an attempt to start this scientific spring. And though there will be several hurdles before the old system is redefined, enhanced, and made more affordable, I think we can all strive for more open standards.

By: Elton Li

(Photo by Dave Gray under a Creative Commons license)