Throughout all of my time at Utah State University, I have notice something that really bothers me. The school makes it practically impossible to go to school full time and work full time as well. It is really frustrating. Most of the SI sessions and study sessions for classes are during the evening, in addition to many of the upper level classes. At least that is how it is for my Biology Major. I think that the school board or whoever must think that everyone either works part time, on campus where you get off for all of your classes or just don't work.
I have a really good job that I love but it happens to have a set schedule from 2 to 10:30 PM from Monday through Friday. Try fitting 18 credits worth of upper level Biology classes in with that. Plus I think that most professors think that theirs is the only class that their students are taking thus assigning chapters of reading everyday. So every week I have 40 hours of work, 18 credits worth of school, hours of homework everyday, a husband to acknowledge, and family that is constantly complaining that they don't get to spend time with me...

In one of the classes that I am taking right now, Evolutionary Biology, we read an article this week about inbreeding in royal families. I knew that back before they knew about genetics and what inbreeding does to a community/family, royalty did this often to keep the 'rule' in the family. This eventually led to many of the dynasties dying out.



This is a family tree that the article was about, the Spanish Habsburg Dynasty.


But, something I didn't know was that inbreeding is still a common practice in many cultures today. Many societies in Asia, Africa, and India inbreed because that is the socio-cultural norm. There are other societies that inbreed because of their religion such as the Amish, the Hutterites, and the Mennonites.


To me and probably most of western civilization, this just seems rather...gross. Along with the taboo of it, I was shocked to hear that this happens now-a-day with the knowledge that we have of how inbreeding affects genes, which in turn affects physical traits. Some of the attributes of the people that are the results of inbreeding include reduced fertility, high child mortality rate, mental and physical retardation, slow learning, many rare diseases, and many more.

I have recently started on an adventure to join the Navy Reserves. I just wanted to say to all of those people who think th at it is easy to join the military, that they will take anyone, you really don't know what you are talking about.

The first thing that happens when you decide to join is you fill out paperwork about every little aspect of your life. Any and all tickets or run-ins with the law you have ever had, every single time you go to the emergency room or doctors office, every place you have ever lived and worked, all of your financial history, all of your relatives, and so much more.

After you spend about a week filling out that, you have to be approved from the commander that you are eligible to take the ASVAB. You spend the next week or two studying for this timed exam that covers in ten section everything under the sun. You fail the exam and you're out, pass it and the next day you have physicals to do.

After you get to MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Services) at 6 AM that next morning, you are herded like sheep from one station to the next where you get poked and pricked and have to give up every bodily fluid possible. This is when most people get booted out. Remember how I said that you had to fill out paperwork about every time you went to the hospital? Well if the doctors don't like what they see, your out.

If you successful finish all of this, you finally get a chance to pick out a job and be sworn in as a part of the military. And you know what? It's definately worth it.