Mind over psych
The psychology students explored the mind matters science exhibit.
Psychology students went to the Minnesota Science Museum
Going to the science museum may not seem like something high school students would enjoy very much, but that was not the case with our psychology class. Many of us felt nostalgia as we walked past the long Iguana statue named Iggy and through the museum doors. Like when we were kids, we walked by the lunch tables where we once ate our lunch from home. Our class went to the museum for the Mind Matters exhibit, and many of us found it very intriguing and educational. We got our own explore time as well, and it’s safe to assume that we put it to good use by racing each other and seeing how high our vertical was.
The first place we went to explore was the Mind Matters exhibit, which was a very humbling and enlightening experience. Focusing a lot on mental health, Mind Matters did its best to show the drastic effects of mental illnesses on those who suffer from them everyday. One section on the exhibit had two chairs facing each other with a table that had big cards with random questions on them in between. Behind the chairs were speakers that played loud, eerie voices, but the person in the chair has to answer the questions without getting distracted. Answering was very difficult for many of the people who did it, including myself. By seeing what it’s almost like to have voices in our heads gave me a lot of respect for those who have to lack focus because they suffer from illnesses like schizophrenia. Other parts of the exhibit had the same idea of incorporating the experience of other people, while other areas were more informative.
In the middle of the exhibit was a table that four participants could take a quiz on what they know about mental illnesses. Although Mr. Strauss, our teacher, had a few doubts on some of the answers to the questions, it still helped many people learn a new fact or two about something we probably looked past before. With the Worry Shredder that lets people see their fears get ripped up, a dance area that Mari Mendivil found quite entertaining, and many other alluring areas, the time seemed to fly by. Coming off of her dance high as we were about to explore on our own, Mendivil said, “My favorite part was where we wrote positive notes on the boards because I like uplifting people! Another part I enjoyed was the mirror that changed the way you look. It was to remember body image and that everyone is different. To me, that was a cool reminder that we can’t change our look, but we can change our perspective.”
Besides the Mind Matters exhibit, we were given free time to explore the other great things the science museum had to offer. The Sportsology exhibit seemed to be a favorite amongst the ranks because it was very entertaining to watch fellow classmates compete. With an entertaining race that, if we’re being honest, is probably meant for others a little younger than ourselves and a vertical jump test where you see what height of mounted basketballs you can touch , it’s easy to see how big competitions began. Jeremy Soine commented on his overall experience by saying, “The trip to the Science Museum of Minnesota was like a breath of fresh air. With something as simple as going to see displays, students had both a well deserved day of relaxation and had a fun, interactive way to get us involved with the exhibits and facilitators.”
After a fun time at the museum, everyone went to the coveted Cosetta restaurant to eat excessive amounts of food and gelato as we talked about our sad attempts at vertical jumping. Our day was one well spent according to the majority of the class, and the time spent looking at both the fun and serious aspects of our adventure gave us a lot to talk about. Even though we may have been judged by passing adults and children, we still know that the fun we had and our new experience was worth the possible embarrassment.
Paige Miest is a senior and an A&E editor for the lantern. She is in tennis along with track, and she also volunteers through NHS and Interact. Watching...