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82.1 - February 2009
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> February 2009 > From the editor

Learning For A Lifetime
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By Jennifer K Lin

Sometime last month, I entered the dining hall to find that the lady swiping ID cards wasn't browsing the comics or the newspaper ads during downtime; she was reading the Yale Scientific Magazine. Without telling her of my involvement, I asked what she thought of the publication.

"It's interesting," she mused. "I like to keep up on what's going on around campus, and this way I also get to learn about things like lasers and new animals that people just didn't know about when I went to school."

This encounter exemplified a philosophy that I believe all of us would do well to adopt: Try to learn something new every day. As of now, the public education system is in sad disarray, with many children struggling to learn how to read and do simple math, never mind analyzing poetry or solving equations.

Consequently, a lot of learning takes place outside the classroom. We are fortunate to be at an institution that strongly supports investment in research, as seen in the availability of generous fellowships (p. 9) and the recent purchase of the former Bayer Complex (p. 13). We also have many resources such as the Peabody Museum, departmental clubs, and our excellent professors.

However, it is just as important to note that Yalies don't take this for granted – we feel the need to give back as much as we have been given. This could be performing a demonstration for first graders or coaching a middle school science fair project, as exemplified by Yale's many science outreach programs (p. 24). In volunteering, students mentor the next generation, fostering their interest in science while teaching them how to find and analyze information, crucial skills for everyone to have.

As adults, we may not have as much time to watch fun demos or take field trips, but education never ends. The natural curiosity and drive that have brought us this far (and brought you to read this magazine) will, I hope, continue to grow throughout life, always pushing us to seek what lies beyond our understanding.

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