About me: I'm a senior Communication major at Hiram College with a focus in magazine journalism. I currently write for the Arts & Entertainment section of Hiram's newspaper, The Advance, as well as Buzzbin Magazine's website and music blog.

Career goals: After graduation, I would like to find an internship in the journalism field, and then eventually work for an underground music-based magazine interviewing and reviewing musicians.

Activities: Introduction to Field Biology introduced me to multiple protocols (ORAM, HHEI, WQI and QHEI) to assess the quality of wetlands, rivers and streams, as well as the overall health of surrounding communities. The class participated in many hands-on activities, such as going to the woods or wetlands and testing the above protocols ourselves. This allowed each student to personally experience different aspects of the cource rather than just being lectured.

Skills developed: When using different protocols, observation is a primary factor. Preperation and organization are also necessary when measuring several aspects at one location. Social learning was another emphasized component that made working with others not only obligatory but rather enjoyable. We developed relationships with our learning community members, which helped us negotiate with each other and accept responsibility of their actions as well as our own.