Alberto Lubrano's Blog
Alberto's First Blog Entry
I was born in Genoa, Italy in 1987 and came to the United states in 1990; however, my family and I did not move just anywhere, we moved to Miami, Fla. Miami is a great city, full of diversity and I have great memories of living and growing up there. I was a swimmer and water polo player all throughout high school and by the end of my junior year at Miami Killian Senior High, I became a swimming instructor for a private swim club team and trained some of my fellow classmates to be competitive swimmers and water polo players.
One question that people often ask me is, "How did I end up in a small school like Hanover College?" My older brother graduated from Hanover in 2003 and as a result, I have been familiar with the College for more than eight years. I knew its academics and social dynamics very well. I also knew that coming to Hanover would be a major change from living in Miami but what really brought me here was opportunity.
My area of interest is cancer biology and medical oncology. After graduation, I would like to go to graduate and medical school, which will allow me to treat cancer patients and to participate in cancer biology research. Biology on the molecular level is a fascinating field for me and in cancer biology, I'll be able to apply the knowledge I've gained from previous classes, e.g., genetics, and apply them to a very real human disease.
Currently, cancer will have some kind of impact on one in every three people, either directly or indirectly. My studies in cancer biology don't simply focus on the molecular biology that causes cancer, I also study its human side. We so often focus on cancer as this disease that needs to be gotten rid of and we forget that it has a very real impact on the patient and all the people involved in that person's life. As an aspiring doctor, I think it crucial to remember that the person is a living, breathing, emotional human being with cancer and not just a body with an interesting disease.
This year, Dr. Jennifer Osterhage and I have created a course on cancer biology that Hanover doesn't traditionally offer. Dr. Osterhage was my genetics professor at the beginning of the year and when I asked her if she would help me created this directed study, she did not hesitate. She has truly been amazingly helpful and supportive of all my aspirations and I feel lucky that I have gotten to know her this year.
Dr. Walter Bruyninckx, my faculty advisor, has also supported me every step of the way and I don't think that I would have gotten this deeply engrained in my passions without his encouragement and advice. The relationships I have with my professors is truly unprecedented in my academic experience and I think that this is one of the most invaluable characteristics of Hanover College.
Alberto's Blog - March 31, 2008 Updated
Last weekend I was not able to get out a blog because my computer's hard drive crashed. It was Saturday night and as I was getting ready to go to sleep and all of a sudden the computer stopped working. Needless to say, because of that, my weekend became much more complicated. Luckily, my brother lives in Madison so I was able to take it to him and get it fixed. My brother is also a Hanover College graduate who had a major in physics, math and computer science, with a minor in philosophy.
But my Easter weekend was not just spent trying to fix the computer. That Sunday, my mom and dad came down from Lawrenceburg and we all had dinner with my brother, his wife, his wife's parents and a friend of his who coaches at Hanover – Coach Baudendistel. One of my roommates, Ross, also had Easter Dinner with our family and that day involved eating a lot of great food. Apparently, it was too much food for coach Baudendistel, but hey, not everyone can eat like my family does. Later that night came the bean feast. We had our friends come over to our pod with cakes, pies, cookies, soda, chips, or whatever else it is they wanted to bring. Then we sat down and ate for the length of two movies. I may have eaten way too much sugar that night but it was worth it and pretty much amazing anyway.
The rest of the week pretty much consisted of the usual goings of college, writing papers and giving presentations. What was interesting this week, though, was that I had an interview with an oncologist. As part of my cancer biology course, as you know, I will give a presentation on cancer. This interview allowed me to find out a doctor's perspective on how to treat patients medically and to discuss the kind of relationship that a doctor and a patient need to have in these kinds of situations. Also, I spoke to the nurses who work with Dr. Bates, the oncologist I interviewed, and asked them about patient care and the types of situations they encounter and how they treat all of their patients. Overall, it was great because of the scientific facts that I learned about patient treatment, but also because while in the office I saw someone in particular. Last year, I shadowed this doctor and saw many of his patients. When I went back this week, I was happy to see that some of the patients I had previously seen were alive and responding well to treatment.
Alberto's Blog - March 17, 2008
This past week has been crazy, busy and basically all over the place. The International Club (I-Club) banquet went perfectly, thanks to a select group of students. We had more than 12 different countries represented in the food and performances. One of the best performances of the night was an Irish clog dance; it was fun and it was very impressive and strong — overall it was pretty much amazing! What I really like about the I-Club banquet is that very rarely do you have an event that people want to go to solely because they get to interact with tons of international cultures.
I will give a presentation in April about cancer biology and the human side of cancer. I have an appointment this week to meet with Dr. McGarvey, who is a radiation oncologist that I have shadowed in the past. We'll discuss what treatment options are available to patients through the radiation oncology department and see what effects these treatments have on the patients both psychologically and physically.
Another exciting event this week is that my friend and I are planning a bean feast. Some of my good friends and I all gave up certain things for Lent like sweets and caffeine. So on Sunday, we plan to make up for lost time with these amazing food groups and have a bean feast. A bean feast is a reference to the original "Willy Wonka" movie, in which a bean feast is a party with all kinds of amazing sweets. I must admit though, that the title for this massive consumption of junk food and caffeine was actually the invention of my friend. Anyway, we will all meet up on Sunday night and just relax, watch movies, and eat like crazy so it should be fun and a nice break from the copious amounts of studying and work that happens at Hanover.
Alberto's Blog - March 10, 2008
This past weekend has been rather hectic! I am a member of the International Club and we are having our banquet next weekend. I am helping the club by assembling the menu for the night and I will run the kitchen when we are cooking for it as well. Needless to say, this weekend has involved a lot of planning for Friday and Saturday of next week. The purpose of the banquet is to raise awareness of all the different cultures that are out there in our world today.
We will have more than 11 main menu dishes from China, Vietnam, Italy, Nepal and many other countries. Along with the food, the students involved put on a show for the audience including a martial arts demonstration, a fashion show, singing and dancing. Besides all the work in the kitchen, I will also choreograph a salsa dance that I will perform with another student.
This Sunday was pretty much a day of dancing salsa because, not only did I coach couples for the banquet, I also coached a couple in the Ballroom Dance Association. The BDA will host an event on campus in April where we will dance a multitude of styles. I will dance a samba and the other two couples that I coach will dance a jazz piece and a salsa piece. Overall, I am really excited about both of these major events; they will be nights of fun and relaxation.
About Alberto
Year in school: Sophmore
Hometown: Genoa, Italy
Major: Biology - Focus on Cancer Biology
Wants to be: An Oncologist
Hobbies: Swimming, Water Polo, Cooking, Reading
Where I hope to travel: Greece, Italy, Japan, Egypt
Where I've traveled: Throughout the U.S. and Mexico
Favorite Movie: The Die Hard Series
Scariest Movie Ever: Saw IV
Pet: Basset Hounds, Fish, Parakeets, Turtles
Who would play me in the movies: Hugh Laurie or Danny DeVito
Favorite Hanover memory so far: Last year, the I-Club held its annual Banquet and more than 300 people came. This event has games, musical performances, dance shows, food, and decoration from all around the world. The two days of cooking in preparation for the banquet is a great memory because I had friends of mine help and it turned out to be fun and a great time of relaxation!
Facebook or MySpace: Facebook
Biggest hope or dream: To obtain a Ph. D. in Biology, with a focus in cancer biology, and an M.D. to become an Oncologist. With these degrees, I would like to work in a university that is affiliated with research hospital.
