Sunshine, Smiles, and Service

Jessica Zuo, class of 2013

During my first year here at Harvard, I’ve fallen in love with Cambridge. However, one Saturday afternoon in particular, I couldn’t have been more excited to leave. Along with eight other students, I went on an Alternative Spring Break trip sponsored by the Harvard Pre-medical Society and the Phillips Brooks House Association, Harvard’s umbrella public service organization. Our destination: New Orleans!
On our first day there, we took advantage of the beautiful sunshine to explore New Orleans (and its amazing food). We also toured Tulane University’s medical simulation center, with its lifelike mannequins, and sat down with the dean of the medical school to learn more about health care delivery in the city after Hurricane Katrina.

For the rest of the week, we were assigned to shifts at various health clinics around the city, and I spent most of my time working with another Harvard volunteer at a pediatric clinic not far from our hostel. We shadowed two doctors, sitting in on their appointments and helping out with the children when needed. Through interactions with the patients and physicians, I began to see more clearly how crucial it is to ensure the overall well-being of young children and to make sure that they maintain healthy lifestyles.

One mother brought in her four children, and while the doctor did routine checkups one-by-one, we did our best to keep the others occupied. One of the little girls mimicked the doctor’s actions, tapping her brother’s legs. “Do you want to be a doctor when you grow up?” we asked her. She turned to us and nodded, a little grin on her face.

When I worked at an adult clinic a couple days later, I couldn’t help but recall the children’s playfulness in contrast to the patients I saw that morning. One gentleman in his late 50s told me about his love for sports when he was younger. Unfortunately, he hasn’t taken care of himself in other respects since then, and his body has turned against him. Now, even everyday movements give him trouble. Of course, it’s well known that certain lifestyle choices can greatly increase one’s risk for developing serious diseases like cancer or diabetes. But once upon a time, these patients were just as full of hope as the little girl, and I want so much for her—and all of the other kids we saw—to lead a healthy, fulfilling life.

I could learn so much about health care policy by reading a book or taking a course (and after my experience in New Orleans, I plan on exploring health policy opportunities at Harvard-- http://www.healthpolicy.fas.harvard.edu/undergraduate/index.html). Yet, working directly with the people who are most impacted definitely gave me more inspiration for what I want to do in the future.

This year, the Phillips Brooks House Alternative Spring Break trips included: Pre-Med Work in New Orleans, HIV/Aids Assistance in New York, Civil Rights and Social Justice Tour in Mississippi, Pets as Therapy in Massachusetts, and Harvard Hillel in New Orleans, just to name a few! To learn more, visit http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/~asb/Site/Welcome.html.

Into the Jungles of Costa Rica

Jeremy Hsu, Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, class of 2011

A loud, guttural noise echoed across the trees of the rainforest. Startled, our group looked around, but our guide waved his hands dismissively. “Just some Howler Monkeys,” he muttered, picking up his binoculars and scanning the canopy around us. “They’re over there; nothing to worry about.”

As we continued our slow but steady hike, our boots became increasingly wet and muddy, and our clothes grew damp with sweat in the hot, humid climate. However, nothing could dampen our spirits – around us the wilderness of the jungle enveloped our group, and every few minutes or so we would stop to admire the incredible wildlife around us.

Our class on herpetology – the study of reptiles and amphibians – was in Costa Rica for spring break. As an Organismic and Evolutionary Biology concentrator, I had jumped at the chance to learn more about the fascinating world of “herps,” and the field trip promised to be an exciting way to observe reptiles and amphibians out in the wild. Our class first stayed at Palo Verde Biological Research Station on the western coast of Costa Rica, and we were now on the eastern coast at La Selva, another research station.

As we marched deep through the rainforest, nature continued to display her incredible biodiversity. Leaf-cutter ants scurried beneath us, and we observed a sloth lazily climbing a tree above our heads. Capuchins and toucans peered down, and in the distance we observed a pack of peccaries and a pair of Great Curassows, perhaps the strangest birds I’ve seen. The eyes of giant spiders eerily reflected our lights at night, and small bats and nocturnal birds fluttered around in the darkness.

However, our class was most eager to observe the herpetological diversity, and both sites did not disappoint. At Palo Verde, large Ctenosaurs – distinct iguanids – roamed the grounds, scurrying away whenever one of us got too close. Crocodiles swam in the river, with their snouts a ubiquitous and ominous presence. We caught several species of anoles, examining the features we had discussed in class, before releasing them back in the wild. La Selva offered just as much diversity. Strawberry poison dart frogs were abundant, with their bright red coloration standing out. We observed (and caught) a caiman, a relative of the crocodile, and snakes – some venomous, some not – were in abundance. The beauty of a yellow eyelash viper wowed us, and we even saw a hog-nosed viper about to consume its prey! Besides vipers, we also saw vine snakes, a coral snake, and glimpses of the fer-de-lance, perhaps one of Costa Rica’s most notorious snakes. The ecological diversity was overwhelming, and our list of species observed grew every day.

The experience in Costa Rica was one that I’ll never forget, and I’ve learned so much from the world-class professors at Harvard and our field trip to Costa Rica. Whether exploring the evolution of vertebrates, learning more about the history of genetics, studying Roman culture in the Age of Augustus, or just watching in awe at a cask-headed lizard in Costa Rica, Harvard has provided so many opportunities.

Learn more about OEB 167: Herpetology, taught by Professor James Hanken and Professor Jonathan Losos, and other exciting courses and research opportunities in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at http://www.oeb.harvard.edu/.