July 30th, 2008

Oh man, nothing can take the place of field work.

We really had no idea what we were going to find today. My biochem class finally got out of the classroom and spent the past four hours up to our knees in the Wissahickon Creek (Or the “Wissy” as the bio-pros apparently call it) collecting samples of freshwater and macroinvertebrates and whatever else we could find. Then we went brought it all back to the lab and examined the samples beneath the microscope.

What exactly are we looking for? Well, I’m still trying to figure that one out. The assignment is for each of us to come up with a plausible scientific explanation for just how the Wissahickon Creek’s ecology works. The problem is that the ecology of the Wissahickon is all connected—and incredibly complex.

Here are just a few of the things our data examines: the weather, air temperature, water temperature, water velocity, sunlight levels, carbon dioxide levels and oxygen levels (which are connected to organisms in the creek), the Ph level (which is connected to carbon dioxide level), animal waste or the ammonia level, the levels of silt and sand on the creekbed. And then there are all the organisms we found there, too: mayflies, midges, algae, large crustaceans (big crayfish!), frogs, small minnows, baby sunfish, snails, leeches, flatworms, planera, blackfly larvae, roly-polys, dragonflies, and damselfly nymphs.

Now we just have to examine it, note the relationships between everything, and then try to come up with some sort of Unified Theory of the Wissahickon Ecosystem (And I’m not even a biochem major!).

To be honest, I have no idea what mine is yet—but I’m really looking forward to figuring it out, especially with stuff I collected with my own two hands.

Tagged As: classes, homework, local attractions, outdoors, science
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July 30th, 2008

Last semester, I was lucky enough to attend a concert at the Kimmel Center with several of my fellow musician friends of Chestnut Hill College. Sister Kathleen, the head of the music department at CHC, had gotten a hold of some tickets to see pianist Christian Zacharias perform in the Perelman Theater. When I heard that tickets were up for grabs for those of us involved with the music department, I jumped at the chance to go.

When concert night came, the group of us (all gussied up in our concert attire) loaded into two CHC vans and were on our way. If Christian Zacharias hadn’t been amazing, I would have said that just the ride to the Kimmel Center made my night. Picture a group of mostly music majors, plus other music obsessed students, and a fuzzy sounding radio station. Of course, the radio just wasn’t doing it for us so we improvised and made up our own soundtrack as we went along. I’m sure our driver thought we were an amusing bunch, as we were belting out everything from Disney songs to Queen to the Backstreet Boys.

Upon unloading at the Kimmel Center and settling down into our seats, we were exposed to some of the best piano playing I think I’ve ever heard. I know talent isn’t all about speed, but I was in awe at how Zacharias was even able to physically make his fingers move about the keys as fast as he was, while still making them sound musical at the same time. I play piano also, and I know that when I come across fast passages I tend to fudge the notes a little and just hope that I hit the majority of them. During Zacharias’ pieces though, I heard every single noted he played. As a whole, I thoroughly enjoyed myself and found it an experience to remember. I’ve even begun trying to break out of my bad practice methods to actually learn Prestissimo marked music passages down pat!

The Verizon Hall, not where we saw Zacharias, but another room at the Kimmel Center, for bigger performing groups.

My friend Mark and I studying our program while waiting for the music festivities to begin.

Tagged As: Concerts, local attractions, Music, Music Department, Philadelphia, trips
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July 17th, 2008

One of the great things about the city of Philadelphia, aside from cheesesteaks and underdog sports teams, is its location. New York City, Baltimore, all of New England, beautiful mountains and national parks, are all just a short car ride away. No matter your interests, you can find it in the city or surrounding areas. To me though, the best thing about this useful proximity, is being a hop and a skip from the Jersey shore.

The beaches of southern New Jersey are the ideal summer vacation spot. It’s a beach in your own backyard, what could be better? Each shore town has its own unique characteristics. Looking for a quiet place to relax? Sea Isle City is right for you. Crazy night life and wild times more your pace? Then the aptly name Wildwood is where you should head. Want the best of both worlds? Ocean City provides a nice balance. The other great thing about the shore is that it is quite easy to get from town to town, so you can easily try them all! I could go on and on, but the reality is a trip to the Jersey shore is something everyone should experience at least once. Whether for a week in the summer or at a break in the semester, or just for a weekend with the friends, some of the best and most memorable times I’ve had have been at the shore. I think that wonderfully murky Atlantic is calling me again. Bon voyage!

Tagged As: local attractions, Philadelphia, trips
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July 11th, 2008

Center City Philadelphia is known for its history, culture, and most importantly its art.  However, the Philadelphia Art Museum is not the only place in the city where you can witness some of the most unique and eccentric creations Philadelphia has to offer.

The first Friday of every month forty-two art galleries in Philadelphia open there doors, for free, to allow natives and tourists to see some of the city’s finest masterpieces.  First Friday caters to Philadelphia’s younger demographic and many of the featured artists are in there twenties and thirties.  The artistic style of most of the artists can be described as inventive, edgy, and contemporary.  Some friends and I were excited to hit the art scene on a cool Friday night, in the beginning of June, to check out what First Friday was all about.

One of the great things about the Philadelphia art scene is that art is not limited to a canvas.  As we walked the Philadelphia streets that night we observed young artist seated on the pavement with blankets laid out displaying jewelry and photography.  We also came across art displayed on clothing, such as tee-shirts, that were adorned with elaborate designs, and political statements.  As we made our way through the streets we noticed artists of a different kind.  Because of their talent the air was filled with sounds of drums, violins, guitars, and flutes that pleasantly guided us as we journeyed through the art world.

That night my friends and I wondered into many unique art exhibits, but there was one that I enjoyed the most, and that exhibit was called F.U.E.L.  I enjoyed this exhibit because it was all about finding ones sound.  In addition, it was an interactive exhibit so it provided the gallery visitors the opportunity to share in the art experience in an unconventional way.

F.U.E.L also was the exhibit that had one of my favorite art pieces.  This piece consisted of a huge white wall and written on the wall in bold lettering it said, “What is your sound?”  All over the wall people had written their sounds. The once white wall was covered with the unique sounds of people from different cultures, cities, ethnic backgrounds, genders, and beliefs.  It was compelling to observe how the different sounds of a diverse group of people could come together and create a unifying piece of art.

First Friday was a great experience and I highly recommend it.  It is rewarding to expose yourself to things that you are not familiar with.  The art world may be foreign to you, but once you allow yourself to taste its many flavors it is something that you will be eager to delight in again and again.

Tagged As: Art, Friends, local attractions, Philadelphia, photos, saving money
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