Waking up in the winter, I look to our thermometers to see the temperature of our house at a comforting seventy two degrees but the outdoor temperature is below zero. Outside, a blanket of snow two feet thick coats the ground, changing the once green yard into a barren wasteland of snow. Discouraged, I bundle up in many layers and head downstairs to eat a quick breakfast. Next my dad calls for me to leave and I walk out into the cold, dark winter on Minnesota.
This routine has been normal for me for most of my life in the winter. Ever since I began grade school I have had to survive the harsh Minnesota winter. This season comes and engulfs us all like a dense fog, and although this season is draining, we all find a way out. But sometimes, reflecting on lessons I have learned throughout school, I wonder how much different was winter historically? What was this season like without the luxuries I have? What is it like waking up without a heated house or without warm clothes to put on? Through research in and out of school, I have learned that life during winter for those in northern climates has been far worse that what it is today.

Winters have been exploiting the strengths and weaknesses of settlers for centuries. In 1620, the year of "the first winter", some of the first settlers in the Americas, the Pilgrims, felt the cold grasp of this icy monster. The Pilgrims had come from England on the first Mayflower, guided by a crew, seeking religious asylum. The Pilgrims had been aiming to settle in Virginia, but storms threw them off course. By mistake, they arrived in modern day Provincetown Harbor, a northern city in which the reach of winter is prominent. The Pilgrims were not prepared for its arrival. The winter monster mischievously marched toward them and exploited all of their weaknesses. Scouting parties that went ashore to find food ended up perishing from the cold. People left aboard the ship suffered from contagious diseases like tuberculosis. Half of these Pilgrims died during that first harsh winter in the Americas. When the guides retreated away to England, their numbers were few and their ship was destroyed. They had learned that winter could reveal any weaknesses their expedition had.

The Pilgrims weren't alone in their winter struggles. In 1876, America faced another brutally cold winter. By now the country had been settled from coast to coast. This winter, however, mainly affected cattle and their farmers in the Midwest. Houses had been improved by this year and could withstand the winter well. Cattle lived outside the houses, in ranches. Their lack of shelter proved to be a weakness that the winter uncovered. The winter was so harsh that, when spring came around, many ranchers found no cattle, only frozen carcasses. Humans also struggled as they sometimes got lost outside during blizzards. On occasion, these people, sometimes within mere yards of their homes, froze to death. Other ranchers, who survived the winter, faced a different fate. Many were forced to sell their cattle, weakened by the winter, for far less than the regular price. Other ranchers were forced to give up cattle ranching and pursue other jobs.

Winters now seem like a normal season with a predictable routine. Advancements in medicine and construction, along with other areas, have restrained the monster that winter is. These new advancements, prompted and uncovered by this icy season, have proven valuable over time. Winter has, in the end, revealed the strengths against the cold that people had always possessed, but hadn't used.

Everyone was getting their equipment ready. Laser guns were taken off the wall and vests were getting put on. My friends and I were in the laser tag prep room at Grand Slam. We had arrived there after a long bus ride for our 7th grade field trip. Upon arrival, my group had rushed toward the laser tag hoping to get a spot. Now we are waiting, and I notice something peculiar. There is a purple glow in the room and all white or bright colored items are glowing. I wonder why this phenomenon occurs. What in this room causes this glow?
I had seen this glow before. At amusement parks, science museums, and Halloween displays, it is common. I have also seen “Invisible pens” in which a blank paper is revealed to have glowing text after a light is shone above it. After thinking about this mystery more, I began
to think, are these glows related? In sixth grade science, I found that the cause of this glow are UV lights, or black lights.

These lights are interesting because of the type of light they emit and the effects they have. UV light isn't visible because it has a frequency above the frequency of regular light. It is commonly found emanating from the sun, and in large quantities, it causes sunburn.
There is still one question remaining. Why does the light cause certain materials to glow? I came across an article by Tom Harris, who has a PhD. I found that certain materials that glow contain phosphors. A phosphor is a substance that emits light in response to radiation. In this case, the phosphors are being exposed to UV radiation and emitting a glow.

My curiosity was sparked. I wondered where phosphors were hidden. Using a black light, I walked around finding phosphors. The black light searched like a spy, quickly uncovering phosphors in many objects. I found my fingernails glowing unexpectedly under the light. My TV was also among the items glowing in the black light. Next, I tested fabrics, a glow-in-the-dark Frisbee, and a highlighter. All of these items contained phosphors. I found it unique how a light could reveal that something, which was once thought to be just a TV or a highlighter, could contain phosphors hidden from radiation.

Some of our possessions, such as the special ones containing phosphors, hide among the others. Until revealed by radiation, their special characteristics remain hidden. Many of the owners of these possessions are not much different. They learned lessons and revealed their characteristics of strength when exposed to the challenges of winter. These unique people tend to stand out and glow unlike the rest, much like their secretly-radiant possessions.

Works Cited
Achenbach, Joel. "The Power of Light." National Geographic. National Geographic. n.d.

Web. 26 Oct. 2013
Freundenrich, Craig. "How Light Works." How Stuff Works. n.d

Web. 25 Oct. 2013
Harris, Tom."How Black Lights Work." How Stuff Works. n.d

Web. 25 Oct. 2013
"How do Black Lights Work?"Physics.org. Institute of Physics, 27 Mar. 2011. Web. 26 Oct. 2013.