Friends of the Earth

Friends of the Earth is an environmental activist group that works towards becoming a leader in environmental issues, such as climate change and global warming. Friends of the Earth strives to not only alert the public of the dangers of these global phenomenons, but also to create and alter policy that is in the best interest of the Earth. This organization uses various media sources to convey their messages, and aims to target a younger audience so as to educate not only members of academia, but also high schoolers and college age students.

On the Friends of the Earth website, there are many resources that can be used to assist secondary students in becoming active in the climate change movement. Users have the option to donate money or become a part of the solution. On the "Action Center" portion of the website, an individual may choose to participate in an event, either online or in person. If I was a teacher, I would break my class into groups and require each group to become involved in at least one of the events. Although it may look challenging, I believe that a group of dedicated and determined high school students could undertake the work that Friends of the Earth does, particularly regarding the environmental policy. A group of government students who are concerned about the Earth could access the policy information on the Friends of Earth website to learn how to proceed with doing such a things.

Although I had not previously heard about Friends of the Earth, I was quite impressed with their website. The website is very user friendly, and provides great information and resources for students and adults. Their approach is different from that of some other groups that are geared towards fighting climate change, for they separate the issues into "climate and energy," "food and technology," "oceans and forests," and "economics for the earth." To me, this is a great way to attract a wider audience, and may be easier for high school students to narrow their focus and truly make a defense in the global warming pandemic.

Click here to access the Friends of the Earth website.

How the "Stay at Home Mom" May Change the Future

Over the course of this class, many of us have probed "why" and "how?" Why are individuals not taking climate change and global warming more seriously, and how can each of us play a part in combatting this horrendous change that is taking place on Earth. Although I do not have the answers to these questions, I believe that, with the assistance of the "right group", climate change may soon become a known global challenge, to which we may be able to someday mend.


Yesterday, as we were strolling through the woods and adventuring around the lake, I was having a casual conversation with Jacob. Although I do not recall the exact context of the conversation, I do remember cracking a joke at the expense of stay at home moms. It was then that an idea sparked in my mind! "I will write about the stay at home mom profession!" I had struggled to target a profession before yesterday, because I am still a lost teenager who cannot even decide where she wants to spend the next four years of her life. Although I do not desire to be a stay at home mom on a long-term basis, I know that I will someday have a family, and I will stay at home with my children while they are growing up. To me, stay at home moms may be the solution to global warming wound.


Although this is not true in every case, stay at home moms are typically associated with wealth, and quite often are deemed "trophy wives;" at least where I am from. Many of the mothers who I now know that stay at home have grown children that they do not have to look after during the day. Many of these moms are married to doctors, lawyers, financial advisers, CEO's, professional athletes...all professions that allow for only one spouse to work, while providing quite a large cushion for "family adventures" on the side. Many stay at home moms have the luxury of being able to afford large gas guzzling automobiles, the finest cut of steak, and hundred dollar heels. They often join clubs such as Country Clubs, workout facilities, and more. Just think, though, of the power that these moms could have if they were to apply this wealth to combatting climate change. Instead of paying a monthly fee to West Hills indoor athletic club, the Beverly Hills mom could pay a monthly fee that would allow her to enjoy local foods and rock climb and bike outside, without the use of electricity.




Although it may be challenging for stay at home moms who have little kids to find time to dedicate their lives to climate change, I have many friends whose moms now say they have "nothing to do with their lives" now that their kids are in high school. These mothers could spend their days presenting at schools, attending conferences and forums, preparing healthy meals for their families and friends, and alerting the general public about the dangers of climate change. While researching "stay at home moms and climate change," I came across an article that discusses exactly that. Mothers vs. Climate Change describes the mechanisms that would allow mothers to become the next environmental activists. Because scientists and politicians have not seemed to convey the message, perhaps moms who shop, vote, care for their families, and network, may be able to do the trick. By making climate change an issue that concerns mothers and their children, we may be able to solve the problem. After all, stay at home moms quite often have a fountain of wealth and connections that may allow them to combat global warming once and for all.

My Sust House (Climate Change Game)

I was absent on class Monday evening, so I did not choose a video game to research. As I was looking through the list of available games, I noticed "My Sust House" was not chosen. I decided to play the interactive online game, and I'm glad I did! "My Sust House" is a Scottish game that allows players to create their own town, environment, and house to live in. The goal of this game is to create a house and living situation that is as economically friendly as possible. Overall, this game is very informative. Before creating your own house, you must watch a short yet detailed introduction video. For each section (environment, town, and building) a short synopsis is given on the environmental dangers and causes of many different scenarios. 

The environmental section of "My Sust House" describes the importance of location and housing projects on the environment. The player must select appropriate settings for their house based on different locations. For each decision, a cost and benefit analysis is given, as well as the environmental impacts. The building section of this game gives the user a budget and an environmental impact sustainability meter. The player must make decisions regarding which resources to use to create a house. Like the environmental section, a cost and benefit analysis of using each resource is given. In the town section of "My Sust House," the same concepts as the environmental and building sections apply, however the user must play more than just one game. To create a sustainable environment, the player has to make decisions in different aspects of the town such as retail, agriculture, and transportation. At the end of the three sections, the player is given an overall sustainability score. The user may read about how to improve their sustainable everyday methods. 

This game seems to be appropriate for a middle school audience for the concepts are not extremely complex, however the information is also not appropriate for elementary school students. A teacher could use this game as a resource in a classroom that is learning about climate change and global warming. 

If you'd like to delve into the fun, go to http://www.mysusthouse.org/game.html!

Oryx and Crake

Oryx and Crake is a novel that details the life of a young man named Snowman and his ability to overcome life in a rather post-apocolyptic world. As a young boy, Jimmy, also known as Snowman, befriends a boy named Glenn. Glenn and Jimmy involve themselves in many adventurous acts, such as watching child pornography, smoking skunkweed, and playing outrageous video games. Throughout the story, Glenn is also referred to as Crake. After high school, Crake invents a species called the Crakers. He creates Oryx, a small, asian, Craker girl, who serves as a sort of sex slave or prostitute to him, and is a leader to the Crakers.

While at work, Crake develops a disease that becomes a global pandemic. As it turns out, only a few people are immune to this disease. Soon, only the Crakers and Snowman survive. Although I was not able to track the book extremely well, it appeared as if there was no true conclusion. The human race was modified, and then pushed to extinction. Perhaps this serves as an example of what will happen if our species does not attempt to combat climate change immediately. With rapidly decreasing resources comes a severe increase in competition amongst individuals, which drives people to take actions such as the ones in this book. Although I cannot see life on Earth going as it does in Oryx and Crake, there are some very powerful messages behind some of the events.

Oryx and Crake was by far my least favorite read of this entire class. Although I did not think I could bare to finish the book to conclusion, I did finally commit to reading it last night. Overall, I was very disturbed by some of the discussions in this book. All of the challenges that the main character Snowman faces stem from the implementation of genetically modified organisms in society. Although there will no doubt be problems that result if GMOs dominate society, I find it hard to believe that the events that occurred in this book could ever happen as they were presented in Oryx and Crake. For example,  the humans eat their own feces, there are specific breeding seasons, human organs are grown inside pigoons, or pig-like creatures, and there are many elements of child pornography that are discussed. I personally would not recommend this book to anyone, but there many be individuals looking for a disturbing, post-apocolyptic read. 

Flight Behavior

Flight Behavior

"Flight Behavior" by Barbara Kingsolver is an exploration of science, religion, and self-awareness. The author uses quite elevated and sophisticated vocabulary to detail the events in rural Appalachia. The main character, Dellarobia, is impregnated at the age of seventeen, which binds her to a life of rather challenging circumstances. Her somewhat uneventful marriage leaves her feeling lonely and bored throughout the first half of the book. Although she does not seem to enjoy many aspects of motherhood, there are many times throughout the first few chapters that expose Dellarobia's judgements and views on the ways in which other people raise their children. She lives in a small town, and is only exposed to a very narrow-minded view of life. It appears as if, throughout the book, Dellaboria is going to begin to challenging some of the ideas she is surrounded by, which may result in many complications.

While reading this book, many elements of Dellaboria's life strike me as being similar to that of my extended family. My parents are from Ohio and West Virginia, and they both grew up on farms in small cities. Although we do not have much remaining family in West Virginia, I have more than 200 relatives in Southern Ohio. A majority of these individuals live in a town named Camden, which has a population of around 2000. Although I adore most of my family, many of them have not been exposed to life outside of their small, predominately white, farming town. Camden seems to be similar to Feathertown, Tennessee, where Dellaboria resides. It has always been somewhat challenging for me to travel to Camden, for I have lived a life full of diversity, and some individuals in Southern Ohio are not as accepting as the people I have grown up around. Although I should not, I often find myself questioning and critiquing the mindset of many of my family members. Like Dellaboria's family members, my family in Camden holds strong religious, economic, and political views, some of which I am not entirely in agreement with.  I am looking forward to reading more of "Flight Behavior," because I feel that I will have a deep connection to Dellaboria and the life she is beginning to question even more than I already do.

As it turns out, this book is one individual's exploration and investigation of climate change and it's effect on Earth. As Dellaboria goes through her regular, monotonous routine, the weather patterns begin to shift dramatically and rain begins to cause mudslides, torrential downfall, and horrible storms. After the rain, Dellaboria's town gets a migration of monarch butterflies.At first, she, like the rest of her town, thinks these butterflies are a message from God. With further consideration and research, Dellaboria begins to believe the butterflies are actually a result of changing weather patterns, and an increase in temperature. She tries to convey her message to her town, however she is quickly shut down, because the people have not been educated on climate change and global warming.

This book is a great example of climate change denial, or at least lack of education surrounding these issues. Perhaps, with supplemental materials that detail climate change events, this book would be a great eye opener to expose the lack of knowledge that surrounds climate change. I would definitely recommend this book to everyone in our class. Although it is not my favorite book ever, I did enjoy the way in which Kingsolver wrote, and her message was very powerful. I also enjoyed the personal connection I felt with the characters, particularly Dellaboria. I felt as if I could relate to her because she was from a small, somewhat uneducated town, and she had to face many societal pressures.

Into the Wild

"Into the Wild" is the true story of a young man who spends years after college exploring and touring the US and Mexico. This man, Alex McCandless, leaves his educated, typical American life, in search of...something. Throughout the book, it is apparent that no one, not friends, family, or acquaintances, ever knew what McCandless was looking for. In some ways, it appears that this man lived a life of solitude, depression, and loneliness. However, many of the people who encountered McCandless stated that he seemed quite content living the life he loved, and he enjoyed spiriting around the world, desiring to find adventure wherever he went. There is a large amount of irony that exists in Alex McCandless's tragic tale, for his presumable cause of death was starvation, and before he went on his life-altering adventure, he donated his life's savings to a foundation that assisted starving children.
Although I had never read "Into the Wild," before reading the book, I had heard many individuals discussing the content of the book. I went into it thinking that I would find many similarities between Alex McCandless and "Catcher in the Rye's" Holden Caulfield.  Holden and Alex both appeared to view the world with unique and aspiring optics, however even though both of the young men desired to "be different," and lived life in confinement at times, McCandless was much more educated than Holden, and he seemed to have a skill set that was not seen in Caulfield. In addition, their social skills seemed to vary drastically. Holden had trouble communicating with others, while Alex enjoyed the company of others, and many individuals spoke quite highly of him. Many of the people who spoke of Alex in the book suggested that he was a very intelligent, handy, and hard-working man. All of which are traits that Holden did not possess.
McCandless was a firm believer in owning only what you could carry on your back. Through his writing and the stories from people who knew him, it appears that he did not enjoy carrying the burden of schlepping around extra baggage; be that clothing, friends, or food. I found his letter to Ronald Franz, a man he met on in South Dakota, to be quite revealing. McCandless prompted Franz to "make a radical change in his lifestyle," and "become accustomed to such a life" of traveling and adventure. In this letter, McCandless exposes his true feelings on life, and his motives for hitchhiking across American borders. He states that he sees no value in living life by "going right back to the same situation you see every day."

So far, I am only about one half of the way done with this book. I have been very intrigued by the story, and I can't wait to read more. This story is more captivating than the usual tale about the depressed American hitchhiker and bum who travels across the country, living off mere rations and assistance from kind-hearted soles, because Alex McCandless (aka Chris) is an educated, bright, hard-working individual, who does not ever seem to feel as if he is alone in the world. His outlook is very positive, and the actions he takes could possible serve as a lesson to many people. If I had to create a message from the first half of this book, it would be that a person should take time to truly explore and break their typical, daily habits. For if we don't, we will never truly find the true meaning or beauty of life.

11th Hour

The "11th Hour" is a documentary that is narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio. The film encompasses a variety of topics that center around the idea that we, as a species, are doomed to become extinct in the near future if we do not create sustainable methods that will allow all organisms on Earth to flourish. Many speakers are present throughout this film, ranging from Steven Hawking to neuroscientists, who are perceived as experts in their field. The speakers share their thoughts on the different ideas, and at the conclusion of the film, many of the speakers agree that extinction of the human race may not be a dramatic loss to life on Earth.
Throughout this film, viewers are able to not only learn about humans are spoiling Earth's environment, but they are also able to view live footage from events such as tornadoes, glacial ice breaking, floods, starvation, and more. The dramatic music that is played along with these events created a sense of urgency and severity that is not present when reading a book about climate change and destruction. The speakers also included a wide assortment of individuals, ranging from disabled, to Native American, to celebrities, which may allow some viewers to understand that climate change is not just an issue for scientists, but the general public.
To me, the most interesting aspect of the "11th Hour" was the concept of humans accepting that they are a part of nature. Many of the speakers suggested that humans view Earth as a place for nature, and a place for humans. In actuality, humans are a large part of nature, however we do not treat our counterparts as equals. As we have talked about in class, humans have a tendency to deplete resources rapidly, which has led to tremendous turmoil over the last century. Before the Industrial Revolution, our lives were based off of sunlight, rather than technology.

Sunlight was the driving force of plant growth, which in turn created food for livestock and the human race. Sunlight determined the circadian rhythm cycles of our species, and allowed other species to live peacefully at night. For many years, sunlight indirectly provided clothing, shelter, food, water, and more to the human race. Not long ago, some of the sun's power was replaced with that of coal, fossil fuels, and a shift in agriculture. We resorted to the Earth's resources, rather than the Sun's rays. As we have seen, this change prompted a series of unfortunate events.
We have become "environmental refugees" who rely on resources that are rapidly declining. We are simply "astronauts floating in space, in solidarity, who are dependent upon information that is sent to us from millions of miles away." In order to see a change, we must "bridge public policy with public opinion." As discussed many times throughout the "11th Hour," American's are governed by a Constitution that was created in a time when deforestation, global warming, and processed food were completely foreign. In order to thoroughly combat and overcome Earth's destruction, we must create a shift in culture. A shift that focuses on nature and human being part of the same body, rather than two separate and unequal entities. Without this union, the human race, as well as many other species, will soon come to a fatal end.

                                      

The Sixth Extinction

In the first chapter of "The Sixth Extinction," Kolbert focuses on the extinction of amphibians in Panama. She describes a species of frog, the golden frog, in the El Valle de Anton, that was extremely toxic. The frog was a symbol of the village's strength, and after it began to disappear, the village was in shambles. A research center in the Valle began to research the causes of the frog's extinction, and came to the conclusion that a fungus was poisoning the frogs. This particular case of extinction was categorized as one of the first "background extinctions," or a catastrophic depletion of species that is caused by events such as natural disasters.   

"The Sixth Extinction" by Elizabeth Kolbert is a novel that focuses on the mass extinction of species in the Anthropocene. Kolbert starts her novel by describing various aspects of the human race, and noting that, although humans are not particularly strong in terms of fertility, size, or strength, they are perhaps the most adaptable and intelligent species on the planet. Because of the human race's ability to form and articulate thoughts and communications, their actions have led to a large decrease in the biodiversity of many species on the planet.

Throughout the first half of the novel, the author gives many examples and statistics that reveal the shocking truth about the extinction of many species on Earth. She states that although natural selection and other natural factors will always cause species to go extinct, in this day and age, amphibians are going extinct 45,000 times faster than in the last million years. This rate is absolutely inconceivable. If these numbers continue to increase at a steady rate, the annihilation of species on Earth will be larger than that of the Cretaceous period; the largest known mass-extinction on Earth.

Because of the human race's desire to relocate species, destruct habitats, and burn fossil fuels, the world is beginning to see a dramatic decrease in biodiversity. Acidity is destroying the calcium-based shell animals of the ocean and completely destroying the marine ecosystem. A rise in temperature is creating environments that are not sustainable for land mammals. Deforestation is destroying the habitats of animals in many parts of the world. If humans do not become cognizant of their actions, coupled with creating mechanisms to stop species extinction, many of the organisms on Earth will soon disappear, including the human race.

Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets

According to the National Snow & Ice Data Center, ice sheets are defined as "glacial land masses that extend more than 50,000 kilometers." Today, there are only two ice sheets on Earth, Greenland and Antarctic. Over the course of millions of years, ice and snow accumulated, creating these masses. If these ice sheets were to melt, sea levels would rise, which would result in a global catastrophe. Melting of the Greenland ice sheet would raise the sea level by 6 meters, while the Antarctic ice sheet would raise the sea level to an outstanding 60 meters.

Over the last 50 years, both the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have been significantly impacted by global warming. Between 1979 and 2006, the Greenland ice sheet saw a 30% increase in ice loss per year. Scientific evidence has shown that because the surface temperature of Earth is rising, the glacial ice is melting at an astonishing rate. According to Bill McKibben, between 2003 and 2008, the West Antarctic ice sheet was melting 75% faster than previous decades. At Earth's present temperature, both ice sheets will be completely melted within the next one hundred to two hundred years. So, in order to retard or terminate ice sheet loss, Earth's surface temperature will have to be reduced by at least 1.3 degrees Celsius within the next few decades.
Glacial melt is not only having an effect on sea level rise, but it is acidifying the oceans, and pushing many species to the verge of extinction. The phytoplankton population, the ocean's main "staple" organism, is beginning to decrease. If the phytoplankton go extinct, the ocean's food web will be disrupted and severely harmed. In addition, many penguin, seal, and polar bear species are being starved out, due to a lack of sea ice, and a disturbed ocean food chain.
Over the course of the next fifty years, there is expected to be a three foot increase in sea level. More than 75 species are predicted to go extinct, and the world will continue to be destroyed. If we do not create an immediate solution to global warming, melting sea ice will certainly endanger the lives of many species, including humans, on Earth.

Rolling with the High Tide

As I was driving home on this frigid afternoon, listening to some long forgotten tune, I couldn't help but notice the price of gas at the station two miles from my house. I don't usually stop at this gas station, for their prices usually exceed that of the fuel I can buy in Kalamazoo. However, today was different. Today, I was shocked to see that gas was one dollar and forty six cents, a price that I haven't seen since....possibly ever? I kid you not, my first reaction was somewhat of a fear and disappointment. There were cars lined up, waiting to fill their tanks with the leftover remnants of fossils. These cars would go on to do whatever they do, producing emissions that will further contribute to the destruction of our Earth.


Destruction of Earth seems to be McKibben's topic of choice. In fact, he proposes so many negative outcomes in life, that I am beginning to doubt every action I take. While getting my hair cut, I spent half of the time discussing global warming with my hairdresser! The other half was spent talking about cancer. It's no wonder she gave me the number of a counselor, even if the number wasn't for me. The point is, global warming is taking our lives, faster than we can control. But I have decided that, like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, our aim should be to prevent outcomes from ever occurring, rather than try to find solutions to pick up and control what's left in the aftermath. Although a rise in temperature has already created irreversible damage to our world, there is still some fragment of hope, and I hope that in the near future, members of our society will be active creating a new, cleaner version of Earth.

While reading the second chapter, I found myself once again overwhelmed by facts and statistics. In fact, I became rather irritated, because there is only so much information a person can consume before they thoroughly understand a topic. Because of McKibben's statistics, I feel very aware of the dangers of global warming. I do not desire to read 200 pages of a man telling me that my fate is doomed, because I refuse to accept that. I believe that, in order to create change, in order to really change our world, rather than shock individuals with endless statistics, members of our government must propose and enforce solutions, such as severely limiting the amount of resources an individual consumes on a daily bases. Yes, this would create a public outcry, but it is the only way we are going to survive as a species. The graph to the left depicts the break down of the average American's emission of carbon dioxide, from the Union of Concerned Scientists. Can we begin to share rides, eat vegetables rather than microwaveable noodles, and use a blanket when we are cold, rather than crank up the heat?


Survival is a sort of human characteristic. A way of life that has been passed on through generations. If, thanks to an increase of temperature, diseases that have been nearly eradicated reemerge, our species will struggle to survive. In 7th grade, I was on a week long field trip on the east side of Tanzania.  One night, I woke up sweating and vomiting, with a terrible headache. These symptoms lasted all through the night and into the next three days. My teacher called my father to bring me home, because I had gotten malaria from a small, very dangerous creature. Although I made it out just fine, in the present time, I surely felt like I was struggling to survive. Yes, that is quite dramatic, because I had the medication and resources to live, however I would never wish a disease like malaria on anyone. To me, the most threatening aspect of global warming is disease. Disease is one of the most crippling aspects of society, and with an increase of temperature, disease is only going to get worse. After spending months in Africa, and going to a camp at the CDC last summer, I have developed somewhat of an irrational fear of tropical diseases spreading across the world, due to climate change. As more and more individuals choose to go unvaccinated, and our species continues to raise the temperature on Earth, we are creating a microcosm of infectious disease and death. The real question becomes, are we going to die because of chlorofluorocarbons depleting the ozone, or because of a small, itchy mosquito bite?

 Anopheles Mosquito 
Responsible for carrying and distributing malaria

The Troublesome Truth (Chapter 1)

Many events throughout history have altered the way in which various species thrive. From the Big Bang, to the extinction of the dinosaurs, to our present warming of the climate, it seems as if a species eradication is inevitable. Although it is almost for certain that humans will go extinct someday, it appears as if Earth cannot sustain our rapidly changing, greenhouse gas emitting lifestyle, and that our species may be in grave danger of extinction in the near future. Our Earth has seen more changes in the last four decades than it has seen over the course of the last million years.

While reading the first chapter in Eaarth, I found myself questioning some of the statistics Bill McKibben presented. Although I have done research on global warming in the past, it was hard for me to accept the fact that all of the information was accurate. I do believe, however, that most of what he said was true, and perhaps I felt a great sense of fear and apprehension because I hoped the facts weren't true; that we aren't digging ourselves a very deep grave.

Because McKibben presented so many details in the chapter, I found it challenging to retain some of the information. There were no real solutions presented in the first chapter, but rather, the devastating statistics and facts on global warming's detrimental effects on the environment. To me, the author's most memorable statement was "the attempt to make it right usually makes things worse" (p. 46). By saying this, it is apparent that the author believes there may not truly be a "cure" to this global crisis. I hope that moving forward, McKibben describes some actions the human race can take to reduce the pace in which the rise in temperature destroys our planet. In addition, I am interested to know, if global warming is truly going to drastically alter our planet over the next century, why are we not doing all we can to prevent it?

A Small Piece Of Me!

Who is Jessica? How does she spend her days? What are her likes and dislikes? 

Jessica is a girl who appears to be your average blonde haired, blue eyed, 5'6" female, but she is more, and less, than that. Jessica's life encompasses a variety of things, ranging from books to babysitting. 

I, Jessica, enjoy many things, but I am particularly fond of traveling, babysitting, biking, drinking grape water, learning about Biomedical Sciences, drawing marshmallow men, and playing with Play-doh. I am a still in high school but, fingers crossed, I will be graduating this spring. I attend Gull Lake High School and the Kalamazoo Area Math and Science Center (KAMSC). 

I cherish my time spent with my friends and family, particularly with my brother, Wade. I often joke that Wade and I are a force to be reckoned with. We have had a rather unusual upbringing, due to a number of events. We have been very fortunate to have gotten the opportunity to travel across many parts of the world. My father works at a Belgian NGO called APOPO in Morogoro, Tanzania. APOPO trains Large African Pouched Rats to detect landmines and tuberculosis. I have worked on research projects at APOPO, and I have also attended the Morogoro International School for a few months while my dad was working. Although I have been exposed to many people and cultures, Tanzania has been by far my favorite. The country has absolutely exquisite landscape, and the people live with open arms and kind hearts. Additionally, Tanzania's contribution to global warming is monumentally lesser than that of the United States'!  I can see myself living in Tanzania in the near future. There is a strong possibility that I may never truly return "home."

Due to my experiences and family, my friends vary in religious beliefs, skin color, socioeconomic status, and educational attainment. I grew up on a farm in Barry County, with two parents who came from very impoverished backgrounds. As a child, my father, who is quite literally a "hillbilly from the Hills" (West Virginia), did not even have indoor plumbing! Somehow though, both of my parents managed to do quite well, and we have lived a life full of adventure. I hope to bring a unique and diverse perspective to this class, and I cannot wait to see all it has in store! :)