Individuality at a cellular level.

We as people sometimes doubt how special we are. We wonder what makes us special when there are 7 billion plus people on this planet. Well the truth of the matter is, YOU are special becuase you won the race the moment a diploid cell was made. Let me explain. In order for the process of human growth to start, we must start with two different types of cells. A mother carries the egg cell, while the father carries the fertalizing cell. Each cell type carries exactly 23 chromosomes which encode for traits from your mother and your father. These types of cells are called haploid cells because they contain only half the genetic data needed to make an embryo. The tricky part of this is that there are hundreds of cells all racing towards the female ovulate, and the cell that one is what made you. Each cell racing towards the other carries different alleles that encode for the same gene. To clarify, all cells encode for hair, eyes, skin pigment, and more, but the alleles are the specific details of those traits. Each person is special because they are the outcome of two diploid cells uniting into a haploid cell to make an embryo. It is truly fascinating to think that all of us developed from a miniscule cell, who in its most basic form still displayed complexity within its inner workings. People don't often think of themselves as "special", but the reality is, the moment you are born, you have already survived various hazards. So enjoy life, and be thankful of being who you are, for it may have not been you.

-Ivan

Sources:

http://www.visembryo.com/

Fake it 'till you break it?

A large part of being able to act is the ability to fake the emotions of the character that  is being depicted. One must be able to feel, see, and react as though they were actually the character they are going to portray. In the novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, a young girl named Sibyl Vane was a star actress in an otherwise shoddy venue. She even captured the love of Dorian with her ability to act, and in turn, fell in love him him  as well. With this new found love for Dorian, Sibyl was unable to fake the emotion for her productions because she knew that the words and emotions were not hers, and her acting suffered greatly for it. She states that she only knew the theater as her world, but with Dorian, she was freed from the lie of believing the hollow shadows to be real. She found her individuality in loving another but ironically lost the love of Dorian because of it.

-Chris M.

Picture: http://www.betadaily.com/2010/03/03/how-to-become-an-acting-coach/

Aesthetic Beauty

For centuries, society has been filled with individuals who own own or collect various items of personal importance. Some people have often had self portraits of themselves made in order to maintain an image of their aesthetic beauty. Actual paintings were used before the invention of the camera, but even since then,  people have photographed themselves to maintain an image that never ages. In the story of Dorian Gray, we see that Dorian realizes this idea of a never aging portrait, and wishes to put his soul into this painting, so that the he will no longer age. This idea of a painting or self portrait does not display a representation of a person themselves,  but rather it conveys a moment in the past that is never changing. People don't only do this to portraits, but also to objects that they own, not for their purpose, but rather for their beauty. One example is those mothers who collect porcelain china, but never use it because they are for display only. The irony of people having any such object is that they do not own it for its purpose, but rather a personal meaning, or attachment. The idea that beauty can be conserved is a silly idea, but everyone is entitled to their opinion.

-Ivan

Most prized possession

When it comes to my most valuable possession, I find myself having a hard time thinking about what I own that's so important to me that if I lose it, I would hate myself. For anyone else, it could be their most expensive prized possession or something simple that means a lot more than what it may look like. I for one, appreciate and am grateful for everything I have, which can be hard for me to think about what I truly value. So my most valuable possession? It would probably be all my pictures in my photo album. Memories are hard to get back and relive, and I can't get back those pictures if they were ever gone. I have some embarrassing photos that I wish were never captured on camera but it makes me smile every time I look at them and because "A picture is worth a thousand words."

-Cindy T.

That Guy...

In a world full of all sorts of fashion styles and name brands, it's pretty refreshing to see someone not following the status quo. Earlier today I saw a man walk out of a fast food restaurant wearing a suit jacket, swim shorts, sandals, and what looked like a sombrero. I don't think I have ever seen somebody walk out so calm and cool as he did, wearing such an outrageous style, but he proceeded to walk down the street as if it was a completely normal day. It seems unlikely I will ever meet or see that person again but never have I seen someone so unique since maybe Lady Gaga or something.

-Chris M.

Picture:http://www.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/s9kq5/98_of_the_clones_were_successful/

Taste in Music

As part of being an individual, we have each developed our own personal taste in music. The vast variety of genres that exist are numerous and still growing, from the classical compositions, to the new wave of electronic made possible by computers. Music helps different people achieve different things. Some use music as a therapeutic gateway of inspiration. Others simply enjoy the mash of sounds that create a singular work. Music has been the inspiration of many achievements. Music can be seen everywhere, including nature, as done by birds who sing sweet melodious tunes. Sadly, there still exist those who cannot enjoy the sound produced by various things. Amazingly, though they make lack the sense of hearing, they can adapt to sound through other means such as vibrations:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/11/011128035455.htm

One individual who continued to enjoy music regardless of this disability was Ludwig van Beethoven, who lost his hearing at the age of 26. It is even harder to imagine someone who not only was an music enthusiast, but also composed music, losing their sense of hearing. It is truly inspirational the things music allows us to do. 

-Ivan

Freedom of Speech

Everybody deserves to have an opinion. Being able to say what you want and expressing the way you feel about things allows people to see the way you see things. Respecting their opinion and thoughts can make people have more respect for you because you have such a strong opinion about things. Expressing your own ideas and concepts gives a person a better understanding. However, not many people express their feelings about things, they tend to keep it to themselves because they feel like they may be judged or insecure. Because people have such a strong opinion about things, they can be defensive easily offended. It is up to us to allow others to speak their minds so that we all have a better understanding of each other, allowing others to respect you and themselves.

-Cindy T.