More from the home front.

It have been a busy few weeks, but I apologize for not updating our blog. 

Britney is working right now, while I am avoiding studying for a Biochemistry test I have tomorrow morning. She seems to be enjoying the other managers at her store, if not necessarily the work itself. One of the things that seems to bother her the most is the way that the customers treat her. Most of the customers are older women; some of them need a walker. I suspect that because Britney is so young, they don't see her as an assistant manager. They see her as help, and some of them treat her so. Britney has told me about a few women who come in and treat her rudely (they argue with her about something they don't know) or they treat her like an errand girl. One woman came in and apparently kept asking Britney to bring her thing to try on, while she was standing in the door of the dressing room in her underwear. One of the reasons that I appreciate not having to work at Red Robin right now is the way people sometimes treat employees; like an incompetent monkey, in stead of another adult human being.

Anyways. I have a test tomorrow in Biochem (the one I am not studying for right not), as well as a test this next thursday in Oncology. The oncology test is going to be a pain. Besides that it covers a month of material and each lecture was on a completely different topic taught by a different person,  the test is going to take around two hours. Not looking forward to it. 

Besides tests, classes have been going well. I am finding out more and more just how well Olivet Biology prepared me for graduate school. Last wednesday I presented in a department student seminar. Afterwards, Dr. Leong (the director of the department) made a few comments about where I could improve, but she said that over all she was very impressed. She said that I seemed to be much more prepared and knowledgeable of the topic than most first semester students. Cool. 

I have not yet started lab rotations, but I think I am going to start in two weeks with Dr. Wetzler. Last week I spoke with Dr. Smith, co-head of the prostate cancer division, about working in his lab. He was very encouraging and willing to let me do a small project for him. I think I am going to work in his lab next semester so that I have more time there. I was also approached by Dr. McCann in the epidemiology department, who told me that if I wanted to do a rotation in her lab, she would be glad to have me. Now all I need to do is figure out what I want to do. One thing that will help me with that: the AACR (American Association of Cancer Research) is having a conference (1.5 days) at Roswell. The head of the epidemiology department is funding 20 students to go, and I was awarded one of the spots. That means that I get to sit for a day and a half and listen to some of the most current, up-to-date information on cancer research in the country. It should be a fun experience, as well as a way to broaden my knowledge of what might be available to do.

Well, I will try to update more frequently, and less lengthily. 

-Jon