Reviving this blog…

It ain’t easy trying to find time to write and reflect these days.  Life has been non-stop since my last serious post about passing my quals.  Okay, Here we go for the “quick” recap for the past year and a half (and I can’t believe it’s been that long.  It seems so short…).  Here’s a list of things that happened:

1) Took a leave of absence from the PhD Program
2) Switched to a different lab
3) Rejoined the program right before Christmas 2012
4) Urbana 2012!!!
5) Passing the general knowledge portion of the quals
6) Writing the mock-proposal for the second part of the quals
7) Navajo Missions Trip
8) Finally getting a chance to TA a class
9) Passing the Second part of Quals
10) Trying to get something started for my thesis work
11) Getting active again throughout all of this.

 

Now that I have this written here, hopefully I can start to write a detailed recap of what happened for each of those 11 points.  

It would not be funny if I said that Rick Warren was the ‘Rick’ in ‘Rickshaw Rally’

Just a little something to think and mull over….

A Christian Thing

UPDATE: The contents of the following post concerned a post by Pastor Rick Warren that has been deleted on the afternoon of 24 September 2013. It also coincided with an apology on Sam Tsang’s blog, Engage the Pews, which Tsang has accepted and on which he has written further reflections. Following the examples of other bloggers such as Sam Tsang, Kathy Khang (More Than Serving Tea) and Wm. Darius Myers (Death Pastor), we will be leaving this post up in order to maintain the integrity of the public record. After all, contrary to the comment by L2 Foundation’s D.J. Chuang that appeared on all of our respective blogs that the post was ‘immediately and personally removed’ by Warren, we acknowledge that while the apology may have been personal and may indeed be encouraging for a catholic way forward, a response following two business days is not ‘immediate.’ Indeed…

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Wow…

A quick update since I’m finishing up my quals* (FINALLY).  It has definitely been a long time since I’ve updated this blog (or even logged in), but I have not completely forgotten about this place I have claimed as my little platform on the internet.  So much has happened in the one year and five months since I’ve last posted (yikes, has it really been this long? I guess it has).  I will do my best to update once I’ve passed my quals with a quick recap of each month starting since that last April 2012.

Wish me luck!

*quals = Qualification Exam

Qualification Exam

Noun

1) The exam that all aspiring PhD students must pass in order to achieve candidacy in receiving the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD).  While this exam will vary from field to field and department/program to department/program, there generally consists of (a) a general knowledge portion where the student demonstrates their breadth of knowledge in their field of study and (b) a mock research-grant portion where the student demonstrates their depth of knowledge in a specific subject/field

Alternate definitions from a graduate student:
2) The war battle that all aspiring PhD students must fight through at some point in order to continue their graduate careers.
3) The hell that all mad scientists must go through in order to begin their dreams of world domination changing the world.

Random updates

Okay, it’s been quite a while since I’ve posted on here.  There are many things that have been happening and floating through my mind these days, the two items that have been preoccupying my mind have been grad school and the “non-discrimination/all-comers” clause at Vanderbilt (my alma mater).

Grad School:

It’s been a tough year and I’m slowly figuring out how to proceed forward and hopefully move onto my third year and propose a thesis project.  However there have been some hard hits that I took over this past year.  I won’t get into the details, but it’s given me some serious things to think about.  Questions like “Is science is what I really want to be doing?” have gone through my head, and it’s terrifying to see these thoughts go through my mind.  I’ve had to search for the original spark that brought me to science deep within myself.  I can only hope that I not only find traces and hints of this spark, but find a shard that I can hold onto for future bouts of questioning.

Vandy Happenings:

This past year has been a source of worry on the back of my mind leeching hope and focus.  Here’s a brief run-down of the whole situation: Vanderbilt University has begun to enforce a recently edited non-discrimination clause on student organizations with the intent to allow all students to not only be involved with any group but also give all members involved the opportunity to run for leadership.  It sounds great, except that this interpretation is being used to bar groups with “discriminatory” language in their constitutions, the biggest example being multiple christian organizations (including the fellowship I was actively involved in).  It’s disheartening to see this change in events because I really do treasure my time at Vanderbilt, but I cannot give my support while this is happening.

For further reading, check out the following links:

Intervarsity at Vanderbilt – A series of posts by IVCF staff in the Nashville area addressing the whole situation.
Reverend Gomes and Religious Freedom – An editorial written that references a similar case where a “non-discrimination” clause was almost enforced in a discriminatory manner.
Staff’s View of Christian Group Backward –  The article referenced by the previous link.  Note, this is in regards to a situation in 2003 that took place at Harvard (a university that many other universities aspire to emulate).

Okay, time to get back to housework.  Hopefully I’ll have something positive to post the next time I get back.

What do we do now?

Vanderbilt, What Will We Wear Wednesday?

“Who knows what will happen tonight and in the months to come?  This post has just been an effort to say that, regardless of what happens, tonight is not the end.  We trust and worship Jesus Christ, and when the white shirts come off, he will not.  If the following months bring a victory for religious organizations on Vanderbilt’s campus, then we will be clothed in Christ and thank him and worship him for that victory.  If Vanderbilt decides that their policy is not changing, then we will still be clothed in Christ, putting on his love, compassion, and forgiveness, trusting that he knows best.  After all, Christ’s greatest victory came when he laid down his rights and gave himself up for us all (Philippians 2:5-8).  Perhaps his greatest victory through us will happen when we do the same.

When we wear white shirts tonight, it will make a statement.  If we put on Christ, he will make an impact, and one that we never could have imagined.”

 

Well said brother.  Well said.

Fall…again

Wow…has it really been a year since I’ve moved to St Louis? It both feels like an incredibly short time and a long time. And so many things have changed both where I am and with my family (new stage of life). So let’s break it down:

St. Louis

School:
If I haven’t told you yet, I’ve finally chosen my thesis lab. Here, we’re using drosophila to study adult stem cells, utilizing the genetic tools and techniques that are readily available in this model organism. It took some time getting used to culturing the little guys, but I think I’ve gotten into stride for that. Additionally, I’m starting to get my technique down for dissecting them. Yes, they’re small. No, it’s not incredibly difficult (though there are small nuances here and there for each developmental stage that must be factored in while dissecting). Hopefully I’ll be able to get some more data out. Been working late nights here, but then again that’s not unusual for fellow PhD students. Let the games and insanity begin….

Church life/Fellowship
Been sticking with the church I first went to when I arrived. It’s been a blessing to have this community here in St. Louis to both plug into and grow with. It’s gone through some changes with two families moving away from St. Louis and setting up for the upcoming fall with the return of the undergrads (and possibly new students as well). Additionally, there’s a brand new IVCF group that’s being designed for PhD students that I’ve both joined and am actively participating in. It’s called Faithful Scholars (http://faithfulscholars.org/wordpress/), and it’s “a community of Ph.D students and faculty investigating the integration of Christian faith and scholarship to serve the church and impact the academic world.” Pretty big goal and mission, but it’s not something that can be ignored. Praying to both grow in my faith and also to actively integrate and bridge the (perceived) divide between academia and faith.

Housing
Finally moved out of the dorm I lived in last year in May. Now I live in an apartment north of the med campus that’s a quick bus ride or a walk that’s about as long as walking across the Vanderbilt campus from opposite edges. I’m enjoying the freedom of having a kitchen and cupboard that I only share with my roommate. We’ve still yet to eat cuisines from our parent cultures (Chinese-American and Ghanaian), but I’m looking to rectify this lack of exchange of deliciousness. The main hurdle that both of us need to overcome is that we’re both PhD students and both of us are pressed for time, so we don’t have a chance to cook much (but we still do). Plus, we’ve been slowly setting our apartment up and getting ready to move to a larger double (as soon as the city approves of the renovations in the double we’ll move into).

Maryland (and now NY and PA)

Empty Nest…(Seasonally)
This is the biggest change for my family in MD. My little sister is starting her college career this fall and she’s the last child to leave home. It’s both the end of a period in my family and the beginning of a new one. Sure, we’ll be back whenever we can for the holidays, but it’s going to be different at home (and whenever we go home). I miss my family, but we’re usually in contact via various email threads. Still trying to explore various options of video conferencing between all members of my family…

Another Grad student? (I sure hope so)
We’ll see where this goes as the year progresses, but my little brother is applying for PhD programs in engineering. Muahahaha….let’s see if this two for two in academic graduate education. Who am I kidding? This is fairly likely given my brother’s drive and focus. Now to get him through the application process for grad school, which is much more variable in comparison to the application process for undergraduate programs….

I hope to expand more in various posts in the near future, but we’ll see if time allows since I’m working on my prelim (I guess that could be its own post…).

Anyways, till the next time that my fingers decide to dictate my thoughts on this forum!

This is rather irksome…

Okay, I watched this video last fall and I was bothered by it.  Let me post it and see what you all think.

Staying strong

I’ve been recently re-reading some of the passages from the new testament.  One particular passage about the Armor of God has been particularly resonant.  Here it is

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. (Ephesians 6:10-18, New International Version)

 

The christian faith is not something that is passive, but requires both preparation and activity.  How we are each approached and challenged will be unique to us.  But no matter what the challenges we face, there always is a way to either stand our ground or to escape so that we are not ensnared by our sinful natures.

Just some small and short thoughts.

W00t

Finally hit the 1hr mark of continuous rowing.  13.6km.  1104 Calories burned.  Let’s see if I can keep this up….

Okay back to posting about this

So I haven’t been posting much recently.  Been busy at lab and life.  Just a quick note about the challenge.  The terms have changed to either 30 min for 6 days a week or total 4 hours in a week of cardio.  Last week was 4 hours of biking (and then an extra hour of bball and a light jog afterwards).

 

Today: 35 min of rowing
Distance: 8km
(calculated 500m split is 2:11.3)

Haven’t improved my split time much, but I think I’m getting closer to the 2min/500m mark.