Communication Students travel to Arizona

It's been a little over two years since Communication students were selected to fly out to Arizona for the Bio-Tech University seminar. For me, it was such a learning experience and I gained a lot of knowledge of how Biotechnology and Communications go hand-in-hand.

This adventure begins with my alarm going off at 3 a.m. and loading my bags into the car. Followed by a quick trip to WaWa for the largest coffee they sell and gas for my car. There's nothing like a cup of Joe to start the day. The drive to the airport went without a hitch. However, when it came to park my car in the designated location I found it to be a huge pain in the ass. I couldn't find any parking spots and on top of that the shuttle to the airport was running late.

Once I made it through airport security, I met up with a fellow classmate who was also going to Arizona. It was so nice to have someone I knew traveling with me. The flight to Chicago O'Hare went without a glitch. Did I mention I am terrified of flying! Talk about bad anxiety. However, I enjoyed some lunch in Chicago before catching my next flight.

Fun fact: It was 32 degree when I boarded my first flight in Philadelphia. It was raining when I boarded my next flight in Chicago, and it was in the 80's when I landed in Phoenix.

Upon landing in Arizona my fellow classmate and I caught an Uber! Our driver was quite interesting and very talkative. He gave us some good pointers about the area and suggested some places to visit.  Once we got to our hotel I was blown away by how nice it was. The room was huge! The Westin Hotel in downtown Phoenix is highly recommended if you plan on visiting Arizona State University or the downtown area.

The first evening us students met up and walked the streets of Phoenix. We enjoyed dinner at an Irish Pub . The food was decent and affordable. We had so much fun chatting and getting to know each other. 

The next day, taken on a tour of the Walter Cronkite school of Journalism on campus. I will say that was my favorite part of the trip. They have their own news station. 

Fun: Fact: The journalism program at ASU is highly respected! 

After the tour the girls and I went to enjoy some of the tourist attractions. We ended up at the Rosson House Museum. The Rosson House Museum is a fully-restored Queen Anne Victorian house.After the tour we walked around and enjoyed the hot weather without the humidity. 

That evening the Biotech sponsors treated us to dinner and we were able to mingle with other Communication students from around the country. 

The following day we got up early and headed to Tempe, for the day. Along the way we got to stop on an Indian Reservation and talk to a cotton farmer about the importance of growing cotton without GMO's. 

Fun Fact: Over 90% of cotton grown in the United States is genetically engineered. 

After stopping at the cotton farm, we loaded back on the bus and headed to our scheduled seminar. The speaker talked about how biotechnology and communications go together. For example, journalists become an important source for getting information to the public. So when a farm doesn't use GMO's people become intrigued and gets people talking. There are many scholarly journals on GMO's.  

One of the most interesting things I learned at the seminar is how the cure for Ebola was created. Yup, you read that correctly. The speaker, an older gentleman helped formulated the vaccine. After the seminar we were given a tour of the scientific lab where samples of different vaccines were being created and studied. 

Overall, my experience was interesting. I left with knowledge about bio-tech and the importance of non-GMO, in the food we consume. Along the way I had the opportunity to enjoy myself. 

Until Next Time

Samantha Monroe