Chem321:Discussion 1

THE SUSTAINABLE WORLD (Chemistry 321)
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Due to be completed by 11:59pm on Wednesday, July 10th.

This first session will simply involve introducing yourself to the class. Click on the "Edit" tab under your name, and please tell the class a little bit about yourself - your hobbies, background, or your reasons for an interest in sustainability. You don't need to post a lot of personal details - we just want to help "break the ice". End your comment with four tilde marks (~~~~) to add your signature and time stamp.

Also, you should provide some feedback - please post two responses to other people's threads, again by clicking on the "Edit" tab for their sections, typing your comments then signing.

NB: Discussion no. 2 will be held in "real time" and will cover points from Unit 1.

Martin Walker

I'm Prof. Martin A. Walker, and I'm teaching this class. I grew up in Newcastle Upon Tyne in northern England. I worked for 12 years in the chemical industry in the US and in the UK, and I saw both good and bad attitudes to the environment. This led to me developing a strong interest in green chemistry, which we will cover in a later unit. If you heard John Warner's presentation at the campus festival recently, you'll know what I'm talking about!

Angela Caracci

Hi everyone, my name is Angie. I am a senior at SUNY Potsdam majoring in biology with a minor in chemistry. I am president of Biology Club, and as of last semester a part of the biology and chemistry honor society. Once i graduate i hope to go into either a PharmD, or physician assistant program. I am from Las Vegas, Nevada, and I am actually back home right now (which means i am 3 hours behind New York). I am excited to take this class and see how we can makes changes that could further preserve our world.Angela.M.Caracci (talk) 02:36, 10 July 2013 (EDT)

Wow Las Vegas is far from Potsdam you must not get to go home much during the year I hope your enjoying your summer! I have been meaning to come to the biology meetings you meet in the commons in Stowell right?

Tom Fuchs

In May, I graduated from SUNY Binghamton with a degree in Integrative Neuroscience. I am now applying to medical schools and in this year to come, I will be serving in an Americorps/National Healthcorps program in Northern California, which is connected to a community health center which provides medical care and education to underserved populations. I love social dancing and playing piano.

My interest in sustainability has been developing over the course of my college career. My university offered a "Sustainable Engineering" minor to engineering students. My time speaking with students in this program sparked the growth of my interest, and living with one cemented in me a dedication to habits which reduce my wastefulness. The books which have made the largest impact on my perception of sustainability and human consumption are books by E.O. Wilson and Jonathan Safron Foer, titled "The Future of Life" and "Eating Animals". These experiences will undoubtedly inform the opinions I share with the class in discussions to come. Tom.fuchs (talk) 16:09, 9 July 2013 (EDT)

Hi Tom! I have debating on joining the Americorps, and I might after I finish my last year of undergrad. The books you mentioned sound interesting, maybe I will add them to my list of books to read! AbbyL (talk) 00:01, 10 July 2013 (EDT)

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Great to hear Abby: ) If you have any questions about Americorps or the application process, Please feel free to ask anytime.Tom.fuchs (talk) 00:12, 10 July 2013 (EDT)

I do know Beverly her and I joined at the same time actually! (Magenta (talk) 11:05, 10 July 2013 (EDT))

Abby Langdon

I am senior at SUNY Potsdam and I am a community health major. I am from a very small town northwest of Potsdam called Malone. I really enjoy playing volleyball, softball and snowboarding during the winter. I am taking this class mainly because I need the credits, but I chose it because I am interested in learning more about global warming and what it truly is. I also chose this class because I want to learn how to "sustain our world".

AbbyL (talk) 10:23, 9 July 2013 (EDT)

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Abby, it is a pleasure to meet you. I bet its pretty hard to play volleyball and softball in the snow. I'm sure you must be really skilled at both to be able to pull that off. In seriousness though - volleyball is one of my absolute favorite sports to play, though I never got any good at it. Tom.fuchs (talk) 16:18, 9 July 2013 (EDT)

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Welcome, Abby! Good to see someone from Community Health here - I think we'll appreciate your expertise in discussions, and I'll enjoy learning about the connections you make between community health and the environment. Martin A. Walker 21:36, 9 July 2013 (EDT)

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Hi Abby! i saw that you like to snowboard. Since moving up to New York i have not been. I used to do quarter pipes and fun things like that. where are the best places to go? If you ever need a snowboard buddy i am always down to go :DAngela.M.Caracci (talk) 02:57, 10 July 2013 (EDT)

Angie, that would be so fun! I am always looking for people to explore new mountains with me! There are plenty of places to snowboard around here. The closest mountain is in Cahsm falls which is about 45 mins from Potsdam. It's called Titus Mtn. Also being only 2 hours from Vermont we have a huge selection of mountains. There are 5 I can think of. We are also about 1.5 hours away from white face Mtn in lake placid, which is where they had once had the Winter Olympics! AbbyL (talk) 10:12, 10 July 2013 (EDT)

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Hey Abby! Feel free to come up and visit me on the lake sometime this summer. We can go kayaking, hang out on the beach, and of course do some chemistry! :P KatieLaVoie (talk) 16:51, 10 July 2013 (EDT)

Magenta Miller

I will be a senior at SUNY Potsdam in the fall and I am from Hamburg NY which is near Buffalo. I play on the rugby team and I am a Biology major. I am taking this class because I just added a Chemistry minor and I am interested in the new resources that are being invented to replace the non renewable resources we currently use. (Magenta (talk) 12:31, 9 July 2013 (EDT))

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Magenta - I happen to know a SUNY Potsdam student who was both a Biology major as well as a member of the rugby team. Her name is Beverly. Any chance you know her? Tom.fuchs (talk) 16:21, 9 July 2013 (EDT)

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I used to go to a traditional English boys school (now co-ed), and we did a lot of rugby. We even had the England rugby coach as our teacher, so our first team used to win every game! Despite that, I was completely hopeless as a player, though I did try; unlike my brother, who received this on his report card: "On his occasional appearance on the rugby field, his energy output is negligible." Anyway, it's good to meet you. Martin A. Walker 21:57, 9 July 2013 (EDT)

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Hello Magenta, another fellow biology major! If you are interested in biology club, we would love to have you come to our meetings next semester Thursdays at 5pm. I have never seen a rugby game, i would be interested in seeing you all play, do you have any big games this coming semester?Angela.M.Caracci (talk) 02:50, 10 July 2013 (EDT)

John Rogers

My name is John Rogers. I live in Potsdam, and I am a non-traditional Philosophy/Political Science major. I enjoy kayaking, fly fishing, Senet, and racquetball, and I will be enrolling in the Masters degree program in Environmental Law & Policy at Vermont Law School next fall. I am also an intern at Save the River, a local non-profit organization which serves as "riverkeeper" to the St. Lawrence river valley.

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Sounds like a good internship! Also, that area of Vermont you're going to is lovely. I used to teach in an Environmental Science department at Johnson State College in VT, and I once attended a conference at the Law School. It's a very beautiful state. Good luck with your plans! Martin A. Walker 21:42, 9 July 2013 (EDT)