Interested in skiing or snowboarding? October 30, 2008
Posted by heatherhanley in : In the classroom , add a commentIn the spring 2009 semester, Stevenson University is offering a one credit physical education class where you learn how to ski or snowboard!! The course is made for all types of skiers and snowboarders..whether you’re a beginner or an expert! You are able to take lessons at three different ski resorts: Liberty, Roundtop or Whitetail. In order to pass the class and receive your one credit P.E. class you must attend 6 sessions with an instructor at any time that is convenient for you! That’s right, you go at your own leisure!
You must purchase a Night Club Card before beginning your lessons. You can purchase it for $214.00 if you have your own snowboard or set of ski’s but you must buy it before 11/6/08 to get the discount. If not then you must pay $239.00. If you do not have your own snowboard or ski’s then you can rent them for $249.00 before 11/6/08 or $274.00 after. All of these prices include your lessons and your lift pass.
My roommate and I were thinking about taking the class in the spring semester. We thought it would be so much fun to get a group of friends together every Friday night and go hit the slopes. If I were to register for this class (Physical Education 138-E1) then I would probably want to snowboard. I already know how to ski but would love to learn how to snowboard!
Who is your favorite professor? October 29, 2008
Posted by heatherhanley in : In the classroom , add a commentClick the picture to view the video!
What did you do today?
Posted by heatherhanley in : In the classroom , add a commentClick the picture to view the video!
Cromwell Valley Park October 12, 2008
Posted by heatherhanley in : In the classroom , add a commentOn Saturday I had to travel to Cromwell ValleyPark for my Bio115 lab. We met at the Greenspring Campus at 9am and drove to Cromwell Valley National Park to study biodiversity. We were testing the hypothesis that a habitat with an intermediate disturbance level will have the most biodiversity. We were testing three communities within each disturbance level. The three communities were soil microbe, plant and invertebrate. The three levels of disturbance were low, intermediate and high. We hiked a total of about 1.8 miles to each habitat. To measure plants a 50×50 meter zone was set up and every tree in that zone was identified and its circumference at breast height measured. To study the soil microbe community five random sites within the zone were chosen and a sample of soil from each site was placed in a bag. The pH, temperature and percent water of each site was also recorded. To study the invertebrate community, the same five sites where soil was taken, the leaf litter at the sites were also placed in a bag. On Wednesday we are to go into the lab and analyze all of the data collected to prove or disprove our hypothesis.
Learning Beyond! October 8, 2008
Posted by heatherhanley in : In the classroom , add a commentStevenson University offers a one credit add-on option to several courses called Learning Beyond. It encourages and takes students outside of the classroom to, hence, “learn beyond”. I am enrolled in Bio115- Ecology, and have opted to take the learning beyond one credit option. I figured it would be a great opportunity to build a closer relationship with my professor in the hopes of a great recommendation letter down the road ; ) as well as to explore biology outside of lectures and labs but to actually get in the field. On Sunday we had our first learning beyond adventure where we went to a protected environment in the Owings Mills area known as Soldiers Delight. It is one of the few serpentine (mineral rich) soil habitats in Maryland. A group of about 16 students met at 9am on Sunday and we were given a special project. We were given drills and herbicide and were assigned to a designated quadrant of Soldiers Delight and were instructed to drill holes in the trunks of invasive trees and vines, particularly the Tree of Heaven, and insect herbicide into the vascular tissue of these plants to kill them. This was done in an effort to eliminate these invasive species from this protected area that are taking the nutrients from the indigenous species. We finished up around 3pm. Although it was a long day, and yes I complained at times, when I left I felt as though I did my part to help the environment.
Below is a picture of Dr. Matanoski (professor of Bio115) walking up the dirt road in his full blown hiking gear to meet us..it was just so funny because the rest of the class drove to the site and it was just so very typical of Dr. M to come walking “out of the fog and through the woods” to meet us. It would be better understood if you met Dr. M 
