I blinked...

... and when I opened my eyes, FINALS was staring me in the face. This semester went so incredibly fast. I have had a seriously great time.  I am enjoying my classes and doing pretty good (except for YOU physics!). I have ten more class days before it's over, and then two days of finals after that. Then I will be (semi-) free until January. I'm taking physics 2 (or 1, depending on how things turn out this time around), organic chem 2, cell and molecular tech, and environmental toxicology. Oh, and I will be doing my senior research presentation too.
I've been working on my senior research project this semester with Dr. Motley. I have had a lot of fun learning how to carry out experiments with cells and viruses and tinctures. I'm researching the antiviral effects of licorice root on hsv1. So far it's been a big fat zero because we initially were using too low of a concentration of glycyrrhizic acid (that's the active antiviral component of licorice root), and it wasn't doing anything. Now, we've been fighting with contaminated cells for two weeks. I am hoping on Saturday when we repeat the experiment AGAIN, it will actually work this time.
I had mentioned in a previous post that I am planning to go to Tanzania on a study abroad trip next May. I did pick the priciest trip possible, I think, but it's with a couple of my favorite instructors, and it's AFRICA! So I have asked some family and friends to help me out with the trip expenses with the promise that I will bring them back a gorilla or maybe some flip-flops or something genuinely Africa-like (hopefully not some strange disease). So if any of my millions of readers would like to contribute to my Go to Tanzania fund, you can click this button:

Pretty nifty, huh? The trip costs $6,200, and I'm supposed to have a $2,000 deposit by December 4. I am applying for a grant, which will be $1,000, so that will bring the December deposit down to $1,000.  Then I will need to pay regular payments of $2,000 on January 18 and February 15. I am also applying for a scholarship, but that won't be given out until after all the payments have to be made. It can be between $500-1,000. This cost includes everything on the trip except for a couple of meals and spending money. So if donations add up to more than I need for the trip and any vaccinations and supplies and other miscellaneous trip-related stuff, I will donate the balance to the charity of my choice. :) Sound good?

If you'd like to find out more about the trip, you can go to Study Abroad page at Columbus State University and read all about it. Thanks so much!!

Ciao,

~Val