The Fall of the Berlin Wall: Underground Techno Scene's Effect on the People

By: Kamryn Mansell

The collapses of communism, and subsequently, the Berlin Wall are icons of the political upheavals that mark the 20th century, but in reality, the roots of that upheaval were planted in a techno pop cultural desire for individual freedom.

Techno pop is a type of electronic stylized music that was rapidly growing in popularity around the world in the 70s and 80s and was already considered a subculture in Berlin. As the Berlin Wall was demolished... Read More

Self Defense = Self Awareness

By: Mckinley Howard

The first rule of self–defense, which is taught in martial arts, such as Taekwondo, is to avoid the need for self–defense. By learning common awareness and diffusion tactics, practitioners will find avoiding confrontation all the easier.

Self–defense should be treated like using tools in a woodshop; you would not use a saw to cut a piece of paper, and self–defense is not used until lives are on the line... Read More

Breaking Boundaries: The Growth of the Economic and Cultural Influence of South Korea

By: Kamryn Mansell

Just as the British Invasion molded the rock music culture through radio during the 1960s, social media is having the same impact on the world by allowing a focus on heretofore overlooked cultural phenomena. One such genre is K-pop. 

K-pop, or Korean Pop, has been the beneficiary of the resurrection of the Korean economy after the Asian Swoon of the late 1990s.  As the Pacific Rim countries experienced growing economies, through rapid industrialization, the disposable income of the general public helped to fuel the budding pop music genre.  K-pop began its growth in the early 1990s from influences of many...Read More

Gene Therapy: The Discovery of a Millennium

By: Melody Hansford

It was the early autumn of 1990. A young child named Ashanthi DeSilva was brought to the NIH Clinic in Maryland to undergo the world’s first gene therapy trial. She was diagnosed with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), a rare disorder that triggered the immune cells in her body to attack healthy cells. These patients have extremely fragile and weak immune systems as the body is on a constant rampage against its own cells. SCID patients are often recommended to spend their lives... Read More