Essay --

Over one billion people do not have access to clean water and less than 10% of the world’s population receive a treated water supply. I find this intriguing; as well as being essential to preserving life, water contributes to our lifestyle in so many ways, from the generation of steam for industrial use and electricity generation to the foods we eat. Today chemical engineers face the challenge of ensuring water is purified as well as finding solutions to the wasting of this precious resource. I am particularly interested in the process of water purification from subsurface aquifers and surface sources, such as lakes and rivers, to produce portable drinking water. The reason that this sector has sparked a significant interest is because I come from Somalia, a country where clean water is so difficult to obtain. Chemical engineering consolidates maths and chemistry, which is one of the main reasons I was first attracted to studying it. Mathematics has helped me approach problems in an analytical and rigorous way, formulating theories and applying them to solve problems. I particularly...

Walking Down Memory Lane Park

Salina Vang Narrative Description-FFD Mr. Henshaw APELC 8 June 2011 Walking Down Memory Lane Park Whenever I think of Projects Park it brings back many memories because it was in the neighborhood where I spent my childhood years. Even though it was just for a small portion of my life, for one of the longest times it was the place where I had the best memories of courageous acts. Project Park was where I experienced the feeling of always being around others my age and it where I met the coolest people and made the best friendships, some of whom I am still friends with today.It was the place where at that point in time I lived my life to the fullest. Projects Park was located in isolation on its own block at the very end of the road. During the daytime children from all over the neighborhood came to play with their family and friends, me included. However when the sun went down night crept in turning the sky an ominous shade of antiquity and along with it, it brought creatures of the n ight to roam among the site. One evening upon entrance to the park I remembered the story someone once told me, â€Å"one could see the glare of two floating red eyes following those who meandered around the park at night. Rejecting the thought, but still a bit superstitious I entered the park anyways. As the sun went down it created an illusion as if the shadows were waking up from their dark crevices. I was standing at the foot of a shadow from a tall tree towering over me. The sun setting turned those tree-branches into arms grazing along the cement seeming as if they wanted to grab me. At the further end of the block a tall street lamppost lit up a dim fire dull enough just to see the path of the park. Night had come and it was so quiet my eardrums hurt and ever step I took sent chills down my body.As I approached the swings I noticed the echoes of my footsteps had just suddenly started lasting longer than they should have. I took another step with my left foot, stopped, and th en heard the brisk echo of another step after that. Looking down at my left foot, it was exactly where I had left it, somehow, the long echoed steps had not stopped, but were now storming towards me faster and louder than ever like a violent beating thunderstorm. Immediately, I turned around and in that instant, it stopped, a split second of dead silence. Something was definitely wrong.I felt like a hole had been punched right through me sending waves of fear down my back making my hair stand at their ends. My sudden instincts told me to approach the swings for comfort. However I remembered that I had caught seeing a swing move on its own accord before; as if someone was riding on its seat. The feeling of terror, noticeably aroused in my appearance by now, made me want to run for the wide open field. The open field was the highly vivid field of wherein games were held because of its noticeable boundaries of where the green grass ended and the sharp concrete cement began.Now after da rk, it seemed to lay awaiting and full of hunger for something to step onto its surface so it could suck them into its dark ruptured depths. It, during the daytime acted as a virtuous grass field wherein competition took its place. It was the place in the park where cries of victories could be heard and where one could also seek for rivalry. Suddenly just filled with thoughts of competition I was overcome with memories and had forgotten about the dark surrounding me. One of the games always played was Kick the Can.This game’s boundary took up the whole neighborhood allowing for a lot of space. It was one of my favorite games because there was always one person â€Å"it†. Their goal was to spot every other player and try to get them out, at the same time, guarding the base containing the can. However with one person on one team and everyone else on the rivalry team it created several disadvantages. Players on the team with more people crouched between slits in the earth and hid within the shadows waiting for that intense moment when their rival finally looked away.At last with the opportunity they jumped out of their hiding places running as fast as their legs could carry them for the chance to â€Å"kick the can. † It was the only way to free all of their teammates from jail. Moreover for me personally the best part was being the person hiding from the rival. I loved the feeling of running from the enemy, acting like I was a ninja hiding against walls, climbing up trees, and maneuvering my way behind fences to escape the chance of being caught.At the time, I thought it was the perfect space for me to roam around freely and still feel comfortable and safe because most of the people living in the neighborhood were friendly and didn’t mind the company. Unfortunately, there were those who disliked it and I did my best to avoid them. One again acknowledging my surroundings, I built up the courage to keep walking along the path as if ever ything was normal. I recalled the best of times shared here in this park with my friends, where we had our best of times playing, talking and sharing our amazing made up stories of us coming together to be a complete family.It was also the place where we all learned how to ride our first bike and to ride our first roller blades after falling on our hands and knees countless times but getting up repeatedly to try all over again. Now walking along the path I remember the time when one of my best childhood friends, Michael Cheng, the cute little boy who secretly held a crush on me, chased me along the path while I ran for my life from the despair of being hugged and at risk of being contaminated with â€Å"boy cooties†, and it made me laugh. Sadly I regret that I no longer keep in contact with Michael.If I could go back to the day he moved away, I wouldn’t even think twice about asking him for a contact number. With the feelings of fear, courage, and sadness all mixed wit hin me, I felt crossed. Then looking back at the path I had just walked and up towards the now barely visible tree that seemed to be taunting me before, I had one last thought before I left the park that night. Standing under the dim light post, I remembered Michael, the boy who I had been running so horridly from; it had happened that he was the first boy who I had ever received my first hug from.With that flashback, it gave my stomach the faint distinct feeling of rapture evanesce that left me with a bright hint of a smile on my face as I walked away from memory lane park. Today, even though I no longer live in the neighborhood of Projects Park, whenever I visit the place, there is still a part of me that can connect to the park, making it feel like home. I’m thankful that I still keep in contact with a couple friends from the neighborhood and usually, whenever we get together, we can still go on for hours telling each other about our lives of growing up together in the pro jects.Sadly, I don’t keep in contact with most of my friends from the hood any longer. We have been separated by hundreds and thousands of miles far and wide, but, there is one thing I know we all still have in common, the family connection we had within Projects Park that will never be forgotten. In fact, to me, it feels just like yesterday that I was little kid, out freely roller skating, carelessly chasing friends, and enjoying my life to its fullest.

A Guide to Caring for Bess Beetles

Bess beetles  are among the easiest arthropods to keep in captivity, and make excellent pets for young insect enthusiasts. As with any pet, its good to learn as much as you can about their habits and needs before you commit to keeping them. This guide to caring for bess beetles (also known as bessbugs)  should tell you everything you need to know about keeping them as pets. In North America, whether you purchase bess beetles from a supplier or collect your own, you will almost certainly be dealing with the species Odontotaenius disjunctis. The information provided here may not apply to other species, particularly tropical bess beetles. Things You Should Know Before Keeping Bess Beetles as Pets Although they are quite large and have powerful mandibles, bess beetles (family Passalidae) dont usually bite unless theyre being mishandled. They have thick, protective exoskeletons, and dont tend to cling to your fingers with their feet (like many scarab beetles do), so even small children can handle them with supervision. Bess beetles are easygoing, although they do squeak in protest when disturbed. Thats what makes them so much fun to keep as pets – they talk! Bess beetles often burrow and hide during the day. Flip on the light switch at night, however, and youll probably find your bess beetles perched on top of their log or exploring their terrarium. If youre looking for classroom pets that will be active during school hours, bess beetles might not be the best choice. They do, however, cooperate if you wake them from their naps for a science activity. If youre looking for low maintenance insects, you cant do better than bess beetles. They eat their own poop as part of their diet, so you dont have to clean out their habitat. The only thing they need from you is a piece of rotting wood and a regular misting of water. No need to chop vegetables or keep crickets to feed them. Bess beetles rarely reproduce in captivity, so you dont have to worry about a population explosion in your terrarium. The unlikeliness of breeding also means they arent a good choice for classroom life cycle studies. Housing Your Bess Beetles To keep 6-12 adult bess beetles, youll need a terrarium or aquarium that holds at least 2 gallons. An old 10-gallon aquarium works well, fitted with a mesh screen cover. Bess beetles wont scale the sides of the container like roaches or stick insects do, but you should still keep their habitat covered securely. Put 2-3 inches of organic soil or peat moss in the bottom of the habitat to give the bess beetles a place to burrow. Sphagnum moss will hold moisture and help keep the habitat at a comfortable humidity level for your bess beetles, but its not necessary as long as you mist them regularly.    Place the habitat in an area out of direct sunlight and dont put it too close to a heat source. Bess beetles do well at room temperature, and dont need special heaters or lights. In fact, they prefer a dark environment, so you can tuck them away in a corner of the room where there isnt much light. Caring for Your Bess Beetles Food: Bess beetles are decomposers of fallen trees, and feed on rotting wood. The North American species Odontotaenius disjunctis prefers oak, maple, and hickory wood, but will also feed on most other hardwoods. Find a fallen log that is already decomposed enough to break with your hands. Healthy bess beetles will break a log down in short order, so youll need a regular supply of rotting wood to feed them. You can also purchase rotting wood from most science supply companies that sell bess beetles, but whats better than taking a walk in the woods? If youre keeping bess beetles in the classroom, ask your students to collect wood and bring it to school to replenish the habitat. Water: Mist the habitat once per day, or as needed, to keep the substrate and wood moist (but not soaking wet). If youre using chlorinated tap water, youll need to dechlorinate it before misting the beetles. Just let the water sit for 48 hours to allow the chlorine to dissipate before using it. Theres no need to purchase a dechlorinating agent. Maintenance: Bess beetles recycle their own waste (in other words, eat their own feces) to replenish the population of microorganisms in their digestive tracts regularly. These gut symbionts enable them to digest tough wood fibers. Cleaning their habitat would eliminate these important microorganisms, and possibly kill your bess beetles. So theres no need to do anything other than give your bess beetles enough wood and water to live. Other than that, leave them be, and they will do the rest. Where to Get Bess Beetles Many science supply companies sell live bess beetles via mail order, and thats probably your best bet to obtain some healthy specimens to keep as pets. You can usually get a dozen bess beetles for under $50, and in captivity, they can live up to 5 years. If you want to try collecting live bess beetles on your own, turn over rotting logs in hardwood forests. Keep in mind that bess beetles live in family units and both parents raise their young together, so there may be larvae living with the adults you find.