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Talcum powder is back in the news following a May 2, 2016 verdict against Johnson & Johnson, in which it was ordered to pay $55 million to a woman who contracted ovarian cancer after years of her using Johnson’s Baby Powder for feminine hygiene. This verdict comes on the heels of a $72 million verdict this past February against Johnson & Johnson for the wrongful death of another woman who died of ovarian cancer. In both instances, the vast majority of these awards constituted punitive damages against Johnson & Johnson for promoting talcum powder as a feminine hygiene product without ever warning about the cancer risks for talcum powder that companies like Johnson & Johnson have known about for decades. As far back as 1971, British researchers found talc particles “deeply embedded’’ in ovarian tumors when examined microscopically. In 1982, a gynecologist and Harvard Medical School professor, Dr. Daniel Cramer, demonstrated a statistically significant link between ovarian cancer and talcum powder use for perineal dusting. In 2006, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified cosmetic, perineal talc application as possibly carcinogenic to humans. To date, approximately 20 epidemiological studies, including 16 case-controlled studies have found increased rates of ovarian cancer for women who reported using talc as a feminine hygiene product. And most recently, a new study has found a 33 percent higher rate of ovarian cancer among women who used talc for feminine hygiene. Unfortunately, Johnson & Johnson knew all about the risk of getting cancer from its Baby Powder and Shower To Shower products for decades. But armed with this knowledge, instead of doing the right thing and warning its customers, Johnson & Johnson actually increased its marketing efforts for these products, particularly to black and Hispanic women, who were among its most loyal consumers. One of the jury foreman, Krista Smith, commented after the first verdict that Johnson & Johnson’s internal documents provided the most incriminating evidence saying, “It was really clear they were hiding something.” I have written before about the potential harm from talcum powder from cross-contamination with asbestos fibers, which are often mined in close proximity from adjacent seams, as a result of companies sourcing talc from countries like China and Pakistan that have very few regulations to prevent cross-contamination. Interestingly, Johnson & Johnson’s biggest source of talc comes from the southern province of Guangxi, China. According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 22,280 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the United States alone, and approximately 14,240 will die, this year. About one woman in 70 will develop ovarian cancer this year, but studies show that regular talc use puts your odds at approximately one in 50. Prior to these recent verdicts, concerns about the risks of talc were practically unknown to the general public. But Johnson & Johnson knew. Nevertheless, it continued to promote its Baby and Shower to Shower powders as quintessentially wholesome products for people who wanted to “feel cool, smooth and dry.” To date, health advocates prior calls for warnings against using talc products for genital hygiene have gone unheeded. As far back as 1999 researchers were astutely pointing out that: “balanced against what are primarily aesthetic reasons for using talc in genital hygiene, the risk benefit decision is not complex. Appropriate warnings should be provided to women about the potential risks of regular use of talc in the genital area.” Unfortunately, Johnson & Johnson and other distributors chose to ignore and conceal the dangerous truth about their products. As a tragic result, tens of thousands of women are now likely to pay the price for these companies’ conscious disregard of these known safety hazards.  If you or a loved one believe you have developed ovarian cancer from using talcum powder, contact Bordas & Bordas for a free consultation.

When we marry, we hope it will be a fairy tale marriage lasting forever. Some marriages work out and unfortunately, a lot more don’t these days. I’ve been very blessed to still be madly in love with my husband. I’m not here to tell you that it has been easy, because it hasn’t always been.  The one thing that is really important to my husband and me is trying to never go to bed angry at one another.  We always try to kiss each other good night and in the morning when we wake up (that’s when he’s home and not out of town for work). We all have faced challenges in our marriages. Some problems are fixable and forgivable and a lot of times they are just too big to fix. Why should anyone have to live with or put up with some of the awful things that go on behind closed doors?  No one should have to deal with physical or verbal violence in a marriage.  That is not the way marriage should be. Every marriage that has children will, at one time or another, argue about them. It’s because one sees things one way and the other person sees things in a different way. That’s part of parenting. You will not agree on everything.  Fighting in any relationship will happen. How you handle the situation says a lot about the person you are.  Think about what you’re going to say before you say it. Sometimes words cut deeper than a knife and the scars that you leave behind will never heal. I’ve been very blessed to be married to a man for 31 years who still loves me for who I am and accepts all my faults. I wear my heart on my sleeve, I tell it like it is, and if I truly believe I’m right about something, I’ll fight till the end to show you why. But when I’m wrong, I will admit it.  The truth is that no two people always agree on everything, which is why they say opposites attract and you balance each other out. In any relationship, you will have good days, bad days and those days where you ask yourself, “What have I gotten myself into?”  But in the end, you’ll look back at what the two of you have accomplished together and you’ll know it was all worth every ounce of blood, sweat and tears that you put into keeping your marriage going. I’ve always said it’s  God, family, work and I’ve tried to live my life in that order. My mum always told us to make time for just the two of us whenever we can because in the end, your children will grow up and make a life for themselves and you will be back to where you started out. It will be just the two of you and you still need to like and love each other. Remember, marriage is a give and take. You’re not always right and you’re  not always wrong and the way you do things is not the way your partner might do them, but in the end you will come together and it will all work out. So from one old married person to a young person who is getting or has just gotten married, it is well worth everything you put into it, because what you get out of marriage is a lot more than you would ever expect.  Most of you will find the love of your life TTEOT which means “till the end of time” as my husband and I say to each other. Live, love and laugh. It’s well worth it!! Rock on, people.  Rock on!

My son, Andrew, is nearly 38 years old and I can still remember all those days we spent at the Sistersville Park during baseball season. Eating hot dogs and sloppy joes for supper, late baths, washing baseball uniforms till midnight to be worn the next day…those were some busy days.  Before Andrew ever starting playing baseball, I used to feel sorry for all those parents sitting in lawn chairs for hours on end watching their child “play” ball.  But when your child starts playing, a strange sense of pride and joy swells within you and you love every minute of it.  To see your 4- or 5-year-old hit a ball and run to base – well, that’s not boring! He went on to play baseball for many summers and I loved every minute of it.  Now, as I watch my son coach his son, Coley, on the baseball field all those memories of days and long evenings spent at the ballpark come flooding back.  I’m so glad he wants to make time out of his busy work schedule to be there with his son – my grandson! Moms, dads, grandparents – take time for those kids.  Before you know it, they’ll be going off to college.  If I could turn back the clock 30 years and spend one night at the ballpark – how fun would that be!  So, parents of young children, slow down and enjoy every minute with your child.  Be involved.  Be a parent.  It’s a gift.

As May is National Physical Fitness Month, I’d be remiss if I didn't take the time to reflect on what being physically fit has brought to my life. The list goes on and on. I personally make sure that six days a week, I go to the gym to lift weights followed by some cardio. I decided nearly two years ago to make this a part of my daily life during my first year of college. My decision was based on health. As a type 1 diabetic, I want to make sure I’m doing all in my power to manage my disease, making myself the healthiest, and happiest, version of myself possible. By taking full control in the gym (and kitchen, too!), I found every aspect of my life to get better. First, my health improved significantly with the consistency of exercising, along with strict eating habits. This aspect alone has changed my life, as I can put more of my heart in everything that I do, rather than trying to constantly focus on feeling ill and remedying it. This doesn’t mean my health is perfect with fitness and diet, because it's not, as type 1 diabetes is a continuous battle that I fight daily. There are no breaks, but working out truly helps in the management of it. The next aspect in which I saw improvement was my relationships. Even today, this continues. I have met so many people in the gym setting. It’s been great to have others in my life that have the self-motivation to better themselves. This helps me stay in line, too, not forgetting my goals in the gym or losing focus. This has helped relationships in other ways also, as I find myself motivating my close friends and family to go to the gym with me. The results are positive all around. Acting as someone’s motivation is an extremely humbling feeling. And having close family and friends do the same for me is also great. Lastly, exercising has helped me with time management. It is imperative that I give at least an hour or two, six days a week to working out. By doing that, I have no choice but to make time. I still have to fulfill other responsibilities; this just adds one more responsibility, one that many others choose to not include in their lives. Although it is not easy at first, and saying “I just don't have time” is an acceptable excuse for most, getting in the habit of taking time to work on myself was one of the best decisions I've ever made. Regardless of how busy, I make the time. In addition to that, it is a huge stress reliever. As summer approaches, I see that many people scramble, trying to shed a few pounds. If that applies to anyone reading this, I would say the best way to go about it is slow steps. Be patient with yourself. Rome wasn't built in a day. Make a routine that works for YOU – it doesn't have to be based on anyone but you.. and most importantly, stick to it. That will make the greatest difference in the long run! Happy National Physical Fitness Month, and remember, everyone starts somewhere.

According to researchers at Johns Hopkins, medical errors may actually be the third leading cause of death in this country. The study, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), calls attention to the inadequacies of death certificates in correctly identifying an individual’s cause of death due to medical errors; and recommends changes for measuring national vital statistics to facilitate better understanding of deaths due to medical care. This research is a welcome addition to the line of studies that follow the landmark publication, To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System issued in 1999 by the U.S. Institute of Medicine (IOM) that increased awareness of U.S. medical errors, which concluded that between 44,000 to 98,000 people die each year as a result of preventable medical errors.  As a result of that study, many states, including Pennsylvania, and the federal government passed legislation designed to reduce and eliminate medical errors by identifying problems and recommending solutions that promote patient safety and cost-effective quality health care.  Notwithstanding lawmakers’ efforts, it appears that much more needs to be done as the number of medical errors in this country continue to be at unacceptable levels.  For instance, in 2004, the Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research (AHQR), in the Medicare population, estimated that 575,000 deaths were caused by medical error between 2000 and 2002, which is about 195,000 deaths a year.  Similarly, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office of the Inspector General, examining the health records of hospital inpatients in 2008, reported 180,000 deaths due to medical error a year among Medicare beneficiaries alone.  Still others believe the number to be over 400,000 deaths a year, more than four times the IOM estimate. As noted above, the BMJ study highlights concerns regarding death certificates. The primary limitation with the death certificate is that “medical error” is not included on death certificates or in rankings of cause of death; therefore, deaths caused by human and system factors, are not captured. The authors of the study contend that because, the “science of safety has matured to describe how communication breakdowns, diagnostic errors, poor judgment, and inadequate skill can directly result in patient harm and death,” this data should be incorporated into the death certificates to promote better informed healthcare research and awareness priorities. To illustrate the problem, the study’s authors cite to the following case report: Case history: A young woman recovered well after a successful transplant operation. However, she was readmitted for non-specific complaints that were evaluated with extensive tests, some of which were unnecessary, including a pericardiocentesis. She was discharged but came back to the hospital days later with intraabdominal hemorrhage and cardiopulmonary arrest. An autopsy revealed that the needle inserted during the pericardiocentesis grazed the liver causing a pseudoaneurysm that resulted in subsequent rupture and death. The death certificate listed the cause of death as cardiovascular. In this instance, while the reported cause of death is correct, it does not shed any light as to the root cause of the cardiovascular issue.  As such, an opportunity is lost for the CDC, DHHS, AHQR, and other health care industry think tanks to evaluate the problem and develop recommendations that might reduce or eliminate this preventable medical error.  The authors of the study also describe the unfortunate reality of so called “peer review” process, which provides the health care industry with broad protection in disclosing information surrounding medical errors.  According to the authors, many preventable medical errors are not investigated and examined during the peer review process, and often times when it is done, the corrective action plans are insufficient or simply not implemented with the force they deserve.  Until the healthcare industry gets serious about transparency, families will continue to be left in the dark; errors will be repeated, others will die and the cost of healthcare will continue to rise.

Osteoporosis means "porous bones." Our bones are strongest at about age 30 then they begin to lose density. More than 10 million Americans have osteoporosis, which is significant bone loss that increases the risk of fracture. About half of women 50 and older will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime. While some factors are inevitable and uncontrollable, there are three main lifestyle changes WOMEN AT ANY AGE can implement and take control of their health to ensure healthy bones, which I will list below later. Ladies, I wish someone would have given me a heads up about this wonderful happening in my life when I was younger. It probably was mentioned, but I ignored it.  I do take calcium supplements twice a day and additional Vitamin D for absorption of the calcium.  I am due for a bone density test soon, which is a really easy test for osteoporosis. The results of a bone density test are as follows: If your T-score is -1 and above, your bone density is considered normal; a score between -1 and -2.5 is a sign of osteopenia, a condition in which bone density is below normal and may lead to osteoporosis; a score between -2.5 and below means that your bone density indicates you likely have osteoporosis.  Oh, and by the way, this test is painless, so don’t be afraid of this one. Now, let’s get into the three suggested lifestyle changes.  I hope these will help inform ALL WOMEN, young and “not so young” to protect their precious bones – read on: EAT A WELL-BALANCED DIET OF CALCIUM AND VITAMIN D: Foods that are rich in calcium and Vitamin D will nourish bones with the nutrients needed to remain strong and healthy. Among the most important foods are vegetables and fruit. Leafy greens pack a lot of calcium and vitamins. Additionally, canned fish, such as sardines and salmon with the bones, supply a healthy dose of calcium as well as other healthy nutrients. Lastly, low-fat dairy products can aid in providing calcium to the body. EXERCISE: Movement always does a body good, but two particular types of exercise are good for strong bones. Weight-bearing exercise is beneficial because it uses the body’s own weight to build muscles during exercises through high or low-impact activity. Examples of weight-bearing exercise are running, walking, dancing and stair climbing, to name a few. The second important type of exercise for healthy bones is muscle-strengthening exercises. These exercises require weights or resistance against gravity. Examples of muscle-strengthening exercises are: lifting weights, functional movements such as squatting and lunging, and yoga and pilates, which are great for building core strength. AVOID SMOKING & LIMIT ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION: Drinking alcohol heavily decreases calcium absorption, leading to weaker bones. Limit alcoholic beverages to fewer than three a day. Additionally, large amounts of caffeine can decrease absorption as well, so also limit coffee and sodas to a few servings a day. There are risk factors that you can't control.  Women who are thin and have a small frame are more likely to develop osteoporosis. Heredity plays a role and so does ethnicity. It is more common among people of Caucasian and Asian descent, though African Americans and Hispanics may still be at risk. Some conditions, such as type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and hormonal disorders are also linked to bone loss. Now that I am older and not exercising as much as I want to or used to exercise, I am looking into taking a YOGA or PILATES class soon.  I am not a big drinker of alcohol and I don’t smoke, but I do like my caffeine, so I need to work on curtailing that consumption and drink more WATER! So ladies, young and “not so young,” join me in attempting to follow the above suggestions to help protect us all from developing osteoporosis.

Weather in the Northern Panhandle is always a bit erratic. But this year’s weather has been so topsy-turvy that it’s downright maddening. In late December, there was a stretch of almost summerlike weather when I was tempted to pull out my shorts.  Then came the craziness.  Snow, followed by melting, freezing and more snow.  Then the warm weather returned, not just for a day, but for nearly a week.  Warm, sunny, and comfortable--just enough to fool you into thinking that the seasons might actually be changing.  But, no, it wasn’t really spring after all!  Before you knew it, there was more frigid weather right around the corner.  To make things worse, we’ve already had a bout of hail and a thunderstorm that came out of no where and overwhelmed the storm drains.  The result was flash flooding, mud slides and general mayhem on the highways. As an elder in my church, I do the welcome at the beginning of worship every month or so.  In December, I jokingly announced the coming of spring.  Every time I’ve stepped into the pulpit in 2016 it’s been warm and sunny enough for me to make the same announcement--spring is here!  But within a day or two, my rosy predictions have turned into buckets full of rain, snow, sleet or hail.  My friends at church are blaming me for all of this mixed up weather.  Recently, they’ve begun a Facebook campaign to prevent me from EVER announcing spring again!   I’m glad we can joke about it as we all slosh our way together through this so-called spring.  But I have to believe, sooner or later, spring--real, honest to goodness spring--will actually come!

In all the years I’ve been a paralegal, I am periodically reminded why I do it. It’s what drives me and it makes me want to find justice. My heart truly goes out to each person and family that I meet.  From a professional standpoint, this may not be a good thing or even a healthy attribute, but I wouldn’t change that part of me.  This isn’t about me.  It’s about injured people and their families. In most of the cases I work on, the client is the person who has been appointed as a personal representative of someone who has died as a result of someone else’s negligence.  It may be the result of medical malpractice, nursing home negligence, unsafe practices or product liability that lead to the catastrophic series of events resulting in someone’s wrongful death. Although attorneys stand in the courtroom and argue these cases, many times I have direct contact with these families from the moment they walk through our doors until the moment the case either settles or is finalized in a trial by a verdict. I must pay close attention to detail, so if I can assist in any manner at any given moment to ensure highest quality of representation for a successful resolution, I will do it. Each case is unique.  Each person and his or her family receive my fullest attention through their legal journey, whether it is resolved fairly quickly in an amicably settlement or has gone all the way through trial. When each case is over, it doesn’t stop there.  I have made new friends, new connections that are very different from what you would typically share.  I have shared the walk through a very personal tragedy and if there is the slightest chance that, in the end, I have helped find the answers they so desperately sought from the minute they walked through the law firm door, then I have accomplished something huge and I have impacted lives. It’s very fulfilling to aid in fighting for justice, but there are no words to describe what it is like when a client, who has been as strong as they possibly could be through the trenches of hell, cry and they thank you for all you have done.  As far as I’m concerned, thanks is not necessary. We went to war.  We witnessed the devastation of the war and we won.  We made a change.  We do this together for each client and the families that we serve. So when stress builds and I feel like I am being pulled in 10 different directions, that’s usually the day I get that special reminder from a past or current client that THIS IS WHY I DO IT! God Bless and stay safe.

I recently read this article and thought it may save a life. A group of imprisoned rapists and date rapists were interviewed on what they look for in a potential victim. Here are some actual facts: 1. The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle.  They are most likely to go after a woman with long hair, a ponytail, bun, braid or other hairstyle that can be easily grabbed.  Woman with short hair are not common targets. 2. The second thing men look for is clothing which is easy to remove quickly.  Many of them carry scissors around to cut clothing. 3. They also look for women using their cell phone, searching through their purse or doing other activities while walking because they are off guard and can be easily overpowered. 4. The number one place from which women are abducted/attacked is (1) grocery store parking lots; (2) office parking lots/garages; and (3) public restrooms.  They are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to an isolated location. 5. PUT UP A FIGHT.  They get discouraged because it will be time-consuming. 6. These men said they would not pick on women who are carrying umbrellas or other similar objects that can be used from a distance.  Keys are not a good deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. Points to remember: 1. If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands in front of you and yell STOP or STAY BACK!  Most of the rapists said they’d leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would not be afraid to fight back.  Again, they are looking for an easy target. 2. If you carry pepper spray (the instructor was a huge advocate of it), yell I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and hold it out in front.  It will be a deterrent. 3. If someone grabs you, you may not beat them with strength but you can outsmart them.  If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm between the elbow and armpit or in the upper inner thigh – HARD. 4. After the initial hit, always go for the groin.  If you slap a guy’s parts it is extremely painful.  You might think that you’ll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the instructor said they want a woman who will not cause a lot of trouble.  CAUSE TROUBLE! 5. When the guy puts his hands on you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as hard possible. 6. Always be aware of your surroundings. If you see odd behavior, don’t dismiss it. Go with your instincts.  You may feel a little silly at the time, but you’d feel much worse if the guy really was trouble. 7. The elbow is the strongest point on your body.  If you are close enough, USE IT. 8. If a robber asks for your purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM.  Toss it away from you.  Chances are he’s more interested in your wallet/purse than you and he will go for the wallet/purse.  RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION! 9. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out of the hole and start waiving like crazy.  The driver won’t see you but everybody else will. 10. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (checking their cell phone, sorting through their purse).  DON’T DO THIS!  The predator may be watching and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side.  LEAVE AS SOON AS YOU CLOSE THE DOORS. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot or garage: A. Be aware: Look around your car as someone may be hiding near the passenger side, peek into your car, check the passenger side floor and the backseat (DO THIS BEFORE RIDING A TAXI CAB, TOO). B. If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door.  Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars. C. Look at the car parked on the driver’s side of your vehicle and the passenger side.  If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back in the mall or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out.  BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. D. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs (stairwells are horrible places to be alone). E. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN!  The predator will only hit you (a running target) four in 100 times, and even then, most likely WILL NOT hit a vital organ.  RUN! F. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic.  STOP IT!  It may get you raped or killed.  Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good looking, well-educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women.  He walked with a cane or a limp and often asked for help into/with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.

The 17-year Cicadas have arrived. I don’t know if I was imagining this or not but I was out on my deck at lunch yesterday and I was hearing some sort of clicking or crackling sound.  I looked around and there about a foot from me perched on the railing was a Cicada—large wings and red eyes—just as I remembered.   I then found several of the shells lying about near my house and I saw one trying out its newly unfurled wings flying a little lopsided with no direction in mind.  Eeek!!! Like many of you, this is my fourth time putting up with these little (or big) demons.  My poor dog is now on his own.  Once they are out in full force and in all their glory, I am officially house-bound.  I will be running from my car to work daily dodging cars on National Road and carrying a rather large (fly) swatter.  However, I don’t intend to kill any because that gives me the heebie-jeebies.   And… I will not be eating any of them—they will not be on any dinner menu of mine.   In past years, I have seen birds fighting over them.  I have seen baby groundhogs climbing trees to get to them.  I have seen them squished everywhere you walk, and even people walking down the street with a Cicada catching a free ride.  If that will not drive you crazy, the noise will. My husband and two boys better get ready because they are doing all the grocery shopping, dog walking, flower watering…and whatever else requires you to be outside.  Okay, to all the entomologists in the world, Cicadas are amazing and all that and I am happy for you, but I am just a little creeped out—nothing personal.  Mid-July really sounds good right about now as they should be gone by then.  Halleluiah.

Recently, I found myself reminded of an extremely important fact of life - unless you ask, the answer will always be 'no.' When I began the spring semester this year, I set a goal to reach a 4.0 GPA. I was determined to reach it. Throughout the entirety of the semester, I spent an appreciable amount of time writing papers and proofreading them weeks (sometimes months) before they were due. I honestly put in full effort. Most of my peers viewed me as 'crazy' for writing so early and preparing for finals that seemed so far away. However, I knew that by doing this, I could spend finals week somewhat more relaxed than the rest, and I could have more confidence in knowing I tried my very best. After finals week was over, I felt satisfied with my efforts and assumed I had my 4.0 in the bag. Unfortunately, on one of my many times checking my grade report online, I was surprised to see that I had received an A- in one class. All of the rest were A’s, as expected. This left me at a 3.93 GPA. Disappointed and carrying the knowledge that the grading system wouldn't be closed for another 48 hours, I contemplated my next move, whether it be acceptance of reaching out to my professor explaining why I felt I deserve an A, no minus. I wrestled with what I would do. So, I decided to ask my parents and a couple of close friends. The advice given to me by everyone I asked was unanimous. Everyone seemed to have the idea that a 3.93 was a GPA to take pride in and to try harder next time. I reluctantly accepted this, although it still did not sit well with me whatsoever. The next day, I started my second summer interning with Bordas & Bordas. I had a great first day back. I quit thinking about my semester of school that had just occurred, putting my disappointment aside, and I began setting my sights into the future, on next semester's classes, where I would end up going to law school, etc. During my busy, productive day back, I received an email from Jamie inviting all staff to attend an event after work at Undo's. I was eager to go and interact with coworkers I hadn't had a chance to reconnect with from months ago. At Undo's I had the chance to chat with Jim Bordas. I talked to him about my GPA and how I was not satisfied with it. He expressed the same type of feeling as I had previously. He gave me the advice I had been seeking all along, to reach out to my professor so that he might change it so I could get what I deserve. Later when I got time to myself the next morning, I composed a very direct, thoughtful email that clearly explained my thoughts and reasoning as to why I deserve an A. I was pleasantly surprised to get a response back within the hour, agreeing with my argument. My grade was changed, easy as that. I had earned my 4.0. I felt victorious. I take this as an important lesson to never take no as an answer, and be strong in every conviction held. Sometimes, it is not enough to try your complete best; an extra push is needed. Even if I would have been rejected, the answer would have been 'no' in the first place. This can definitely be applied in every aspect of life. I will always keep this in mind. "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." - Wayne Gretzky

I celebrated my birthday this year in Washington, D.C. with my favorite cousin who surprised me with a three-hour National Mall Segway tour. I have never been on a Segway before and was very excited to try it. This was a wonderful way to experience Washington, D.C., tour the monuments and learn new facts and stories about Washington, D.C. that I never knew. Some of the tour highlights included the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, the Capitol Building, the Washington Monument, Pennsylvania Avenue, the Smithsonian Castle, the National Galleries of Art, the Navy Memorial, WWII Memorial, National Archives, Old Executive Office Building, the National Mall and more. Since I was a “newbie” on the Segway, I was relieved to learn that the tour began with a short safety video followed by time to practice in the tour company’s training area with instruction from the guide and the group was small (about eight guests per guide). All this definitely made me feel more comfortable, confident and ready to start the adventure! We were on the Segway most of the time, however, the tour guides took the time to stop at the sites to fill us in on all the history, anecdotes and urban legends behind the city itself and the monuments. Those were also great photo opportunities and time to ask questions and interact with our group. And, it was a hot day, and it was nice of the tour company to provide water and a snack. Overall, a very enjoyable first time experience and a memorable way to celebrate my birthday.