For my first official post, I thought it would be a nice idea if you got to know the person behind the screen. After all, a faceless voice coming from the depths of cyberspace is a little impersonal, don’t you think?

As I mentioned previously, my name is Margaret Sport, and I am currently a freshman at Colorado College in Colorado Springs. I am originally from a small town in north-central New Jersey. Ever since I was a small child, I have been fascinated with the sky and the secrets it holds. As a toddler, my parents would take me outside at night so I could lift my hand and say hello to the moon. I would eagerly anticipate our family camping trips so I would be able to gaze at the stars without the unrelenting purple haze emitted by New York City crowding out all other light. As I have grown older, my enchantment with all things celestial has matured as well. I now find myself a reader of Carl Sagan, an avid watcher of NOVA, and an aspiring astrophysicist. That being said, picking a course as incredible as Life in the Universe for my freshman seminar was a no-brainer for me.

Of course, my interests are not solely otherworldly. During high school, I attended a career academy aimed at molding the health professionals of tomorrow. There, instead of drawing and painting, I took medical school courses along with my normal coursework. I am still very interested in becoming a physician and currently volunteer as an Emergency Medical Technician in my hometown. I play a variety of sports, from softball to horseback riding, and enjoy debate and playing classical piano. In college, I hope to study a multitude of subjects, such as Spanish, music, ethics, and biology (and, of course, astronomy and physics).

During these next two months of my life (CC operates on a unique “block” system where one immerses oneself in only one subject for a month at a time; LITU is a two-block class) I hope to gain knowledge in all subjects the class touches upon, particularly in geology, astronomy, and large scale physics. I hope to learn more about the origin of life in the universe and the possibility for other forms out there, as well as bond with those who share this interest with me.

Some subjects that particularly interest me are the overarching structure of the universe, which expands from solar systems and galaxies to supercluster complexes, or galaxy filaments, and the ongoing fight between matter and antimatter and the puzzles they pose in the universe.

I hope you will journey with me as I explore these and other topics. Till next time!