diff --git a/activity_1.ipynb b/activity_1.ipynb
deleted file mode 100644
index 115bb60..0000000
--- a/activity_1.ipynb
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,282 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "cells": [
-    {
-      "cell_type": "markdown",
-      "metadata": {
-        "id": "view-in-github",
-        "colab_type": "text"
-      },
-      "source": [
-        "<a href=\"https://colab.research.google.com/github/zmuhls/ccny-data-science/blob/main/activity_1.ipynb\" target=\"_parent\"><img src=\"https://colab.research.google.com/assets/colab-badge.svg\" alt=\"Open In Colab\"/></a>"
-      ]
-    },
-    {
-      "cell_type": "markdown",
-      "id": "e06e8c55-6300-414a-b248-e610342edc6e",
-      "metadata": {
-        "id": "e06e8c55-6300-414a-b248-e610342edc6e"
-      },
-      "source": [
-        "# Activity 1"
-      ]
-    },
-    {
-      "cell_type": "markdown",
-      "id": "8f0211dc-fa5f-4237-93a7-75a3cf040895",
-      "metadata": {
-        "id": "8f0211dc-fa5f-4237-93a7-75a3cf040895"
-      },
-      "source": [
-        "For this activity, we will be familiarizing ourselves with creating Python variables and data types.\n",
-        "\n",
-        "Please make sure you open this file in Jupyter Notebook or Google Colab -- you will have to either open Jupyter Notebook first or upload the file to Google Colab before being able to edit the file. In turn, make sure that you **print your output** for every response in the activity.\n",
-        "\n",
-        "-----\n",
-        "## Submission Instructions\n",
-        "1. Upload the completed activity to the \"Activities\" and \"Reflections\" folders of your GitHub portfolio;\n",
-        "2. Ensure your submission consists of two files: (a) one reflection in markdown uploaded to \"Reflections\" (e.g. `a1_reflection.md`); and (b) one Jupyter notebook with completed responses for each step of the activity (e.g. `a1_building_blocks.ipynb`)."
-      ]
-    },
-    {
-      "cell_type": "markdown",
-      "id": "d00e1320-3c81-497c-9ab8-c09fe0a21e26",
-      "metadata": {
-        "id": "d00e1320-3c81-497c-9ab8-c09fe0a21e26"
-      },
-      "source": [
-        "## Please respond with your code in the cells."
-      ]
-    },
-    {
-      "cell_type": "markdown",
-      "id": "eda0bdc8-c7d3-4c61-abaf-1fbae7a35034",
-      "metadata": {
-        "id": "eda0bdc8-c7d3-4c61-abaf-1fbae7a35034"
-      },
-      "source": [
-        "1. Create a variable for your first name called ```first```."
-      ]
-    },
-    {
-      "cell_type": "code",
-      "execution_count": null,
-      "id": "5150dcfe-7018-4c89-bb50-4c432379924d",
-      "metadata": {
-        "id": "5150dcfe-7018-4c89-bb50-4c432379924d"
-      },
-      "outputs": [],
-      "source": []
-    },
-    {
-      "cell_type": "markdown",
-      "id": "c61ee004-5faf-4710-8ae6-4a752b2ad673",
-      "metadata": {
-        "id": "c61ee004-5faf-4710-8ae6-4a752b2ad673"
-      },
-      "source": [
-        "2. Create a variable for your last name called ```last```."
-      ]
-    },
-    {
-      "cell_type": "code",
-      "execution_count": null,
-      "id": "9143791d-5460-41c0-9e80-3bc59318b2ec",
-      "metadata": {
-        "id": "9143791d-5460-41c0-9e80-3bc59318b2ec"
-      },
-      "outputs": [],
-      "source": []
-    },
-    {
-      "cell_type": "markdown",
-      "id": "1a81a966-5a53-471e-a479-78085f26ad85",
-      "metadata": {
-        "id": "1a81a966-5a53-471e-a479-78085f26ad85"
-      },
-      "source": [
-        "3. Create a variable for your age called ```age```."
-      ]
-    },
-    {
-      "cell_type": "code",
-      "execution_count": null,
-      "id": "d50476c7-f82c-4f8e-a20d-18f6e36de9b2",
-      "metadata": {
-        "id": "d50476c7-f82c-4f8e-a20d-18f6e36de9b2"
-      },
-      "outputs": [],
-      "source": []
-    },
-    {
-      "cell_type": "markdown",
-      "id": "8b92dcfb-7784-41bc-b58d-0678d0a85258",
-      "metadata": {
-        "id": "8b92dcfb-7784-41bc-b58d-0678d0a85258"
-      },
-      "source": [
-        "4. Using the variables you have created, create a new variable ```name``` by joining your first and last names together."
-      ]
-    },
-    {
-      "cell_type": "code",
-      "execution_count": null,
-      "id": "d21cd5ed-26aa-4ab4-a6e7-02f992bd0119",
-      "metadata": {
-        "id": "d21cd5ed-26aa-4ab4-a6e7-02f992bd0119"
-      },
-      "outputs": [],
-      "source": []
-    },
-    {
-      "cell_type": "markdown",
-      "id": "cf57471f-11a9-41d9-8342-a0b5ff28b8b0",
-      "metadata": {
-        "id": "cf57471f-11a9-41d9-8342-a0b5ff28b8b0"
-      },
-      "source": [
-        "5. Use string methods to convert the variable ```activity1 = \"  THIS IS MY FIRST PYTHON ACTIVITY!! \"``` to  lowercase and remove any leading or trailing white space, then print the output as a new variable: ```activity1_lower```."
-      ]
-    },
-    {
-      "cell_type": "code",
-      "execution_count": null,
-      "id": "19cf1155-0517-465f-aa6e-2b3bf0406d64",
-      "metadata": {
-        "id": "19cf1155-0517-465f-aa6e-2b3bf0406d64"
-      },
-      "outputs": [],
-      "source": [
-        "activity1 = \" WOOHOO! THIS IS MY FIRST PYTHON ACTIVITY!! \"\n"
-      ]
-    },
-    {
-      "cell_type": "markdown",
-      "id": "927c8101-95a3-4d1d-b6d9-d390b94b2ad9",
-      "metadata": {
-        "id": "927c8101-95a3-4d1d-b6d9-d390b94b2ad9"
-      },
-      "source": [
-        "6. What data type is the variable ```age```? Declare the value and print the data type."
-      ]
-    },
-    {
-      "cell_type": "code",
-      "execution_count": null,
-      "id": "02a0e871-653a-433d-bf31-8430c6c55a49",
-      "metadata": {
-        "id": "02a0e871-653a-433d-bf31-8430c6c55a49"
-      },
-      "outputs": [],
-      "source": []
-    },
-    {
-      "cell_type": "markdown",
-      "id": "006b4e55-9d77-4007-86a5-e03408b737f1",
-      "metadata": {
-        "id": "006b4e55-9d77-4007-86a5-e03408b737f1"
-      },
-      "source": [
-        "7. What happens when you add ```10``` to your ```name```? Please demonstrate it in the cell below and add an inline comment that provides a brief explanation of the result.  "
-      ]
-    },
-    {
-      "cell_type": "code",
-      "execution_count": null,
-      "id": "547478df-4528-4697-a480-80b383d6aa29",
-      "metadata": {
-        "id": "547478df-4528-4697-a480-80b383d6aa29"
-      },
-      "outputs": [],
-      "source": []
-    },
-    {
-      "cell_type": "markdown",
-      "source": [
-        "8. Declare a variable that asks for user input, then print the variable storing their response as the output"
-      ],
-      "metadata": {
-        "id": "VOnDoeLieoBW"
-      },
-      "id": "VOnDoeLieoBW"
-    },
-    {
-      "cell_type": "code",
-      "source": [],
-      "metadata": {
-        "id": "FVPp8yrZfueN"
-      },
-      "id": "FVPp8yrZfueN",
-      "execution_count": null,
-      "outputs": []
-    },
-    {
-      "cell_type": "markdown",
-      "id": "20bd577c-9c9c-4084-90c0-d1dc38f59da5",
-      "metadata": {
-        "id": "20bd577c-9c9c-4084-90c0-d1dc38f59da5"
-      },
-      "source": [
-        "-------"
-      ]
-    },
-    {
-      "cell_type": "markdown",
-      "id": "0f5f0cca-38e0-4ffd-8adf-e65469913076",
-      "metadata": {
-        "id": "0f5f0cca-38e0-4ffd-8adf-e65469913076"
-      },
-      "source": [
-        "## Side quest challenge\n",
-        "\n",
-        "This side quest is an extra credit challenge. You can still get full credit for this activity even if you do not complete this challenge."
-      ]
-    },
-    {
-      "cell_type": "markdown",
-      "id": "6837c438-eeba-498d-9cc5-08aadf1420dc",
-      "metadata": {
-        "id": "6837c438-eeba-498d-9cc5-08aadf1420dc"
-      },
-      "source": [
-        "Use ***f-string formatting*** to display your ```name``` and ```age``` in a sentence.   \n",
-        "\n",
-        "Check out Kyle Bradbury and Nick Eubank's [introduction to f-strings](https://nickeubank.github.io/practicaldatascience_book/notebooks/other/fstrings.html)."
-      ]
-    },
-    {
-      "cell_type": "code",
-      "execution_count": null,
-      "id": "5e88c0c0-288b-4f3b-82ff-8c8582855b1d",
-      "metadata": {
-        "id": "5e88c0c0-288b-4f3b-82ff-8c8582855b1d"
-      },
-      "outputs": [],
-      "source": []
-    }
-  ],
-  "metadata": {
-    "kernelspec": {
-      "display_name": "Python 3 (ipykernel)",
-      "language": "python",
-      "name": "python3"
-    },
-    "language_info": {
-      "codemirror_mode": {
-        "name": "ipython",
-        "version": 3
-      },
-      "file_extension": ".py",
-      "mimetype": "text/x-python",
-      "name": "python",
-      "nbconvert_exporter": "python",
-      "pygments_lexer": "ipython3",
-      "version": "3.11.5"
-    },
-    "colab": {
-      "provenance": [],
-      "include_colab_link": true
-    }
-  },
-  "nbformat": 4,
-  "nbformat_minor": 5
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/assets/activities/activity_1.ipynb b/assets/activities/activity_1.ipynb
index 7060abb..115bb60 100644
--- a/assets/activities/activity_1.ipynb
+++ b/assets/activities/activity_1.ipynb
@@ -2,25 +2,22 @@
   "cells": [
     {
       "cell_type": "markdown",
-<<<<<<< HEAD
-=======
       "metadata": {
         "id": "view-in-github",
         "colab_type": "text"
       },
       "source": [
-        "<a href=\"https://colab.research.google.com/github/zmuhls/ccny-data-science/blob/main/assets/activities/activity_1.ipynb\" target=\"_parent\"><img src=\"https://colab.research.google.com/assets/colab-badge.svg\" alt=\"Open In Colab\"/></a>"
+        "<a href=\"https://colab.research.google.com/github/zmuhls/ccny-data-science/blob/main/activity_1.ipynb\" target=\"_parent\"><img src=\"https://colab.research.google.com/assets/colab-badge.svg\" alt=\"Open In Colab\"/></a>"
       ]
     },
     {
       "cell_type": "markdown",
->>>>>>> 0e85e81b588b839e74dfce7278df6367b371e94e
       "id": "e06e8c55-6300-414a-b248-e610342edc6e",
       "metadata": {
         "id": "e06e8c55-6300-414a-b248-e610342edc6e"
       },
       "source": [
-        "# Programming Activity 1"
+        "# Activity 1"
       ]
     },
     {
@@ -159,11 +156,7 @@
         "id": "927c8101-95a3-4d1d-b6d9-d390b94b2ad9"
       },
       "source": [
-<<<<<<< HEAD
         "6. What data type is the variable ```age```? Declare the value and print the data type."
-=======
-        "6. What data type is the variable ```age```? Check the data type."
->>>>>>> 0e85e81b588b839e74dfce7278df6367b371e94e
       ]
     },
     {
@@ -183,11 +176,7 @@
         "id": "006b4e55-9d77-4007-86a5-e03408b737f1"
       },
       "source": [
-<<<<<<< HEAD
         "7. What happens when you add ```10``` to your ```name```? Please demonstrate it in the cell below and add an inline comment that provides a brief explanation of the result.  "
-=======
-        "7. What happens when you add ```10``` to your ```name```? Please demonstrate it in the cell below and provide a brief explanation for the result."
->>>>>>> 0e85e81b588b839e74dfce7278df6367b371e94e
       ]
     },
     {
@@ -202,27 +191,6 @@
     },
     {
       "cell_type": "markdown",
-<<<<<<< HEAD
-=======
-      "id": "68e0be42-6b1c-4133-ae1f-eac4e08de48d",
-      "metadata": {
-        "id": "68e0be42-6b1c-4133-ae1f-eac4e08de48d"
-      },
-      "source": [
-        "8. Explain the error below in your own words."
-      ]
-    },
-    {
-      "cell_type": "markdown",
-      "id": "d2b9ec67-9689-4220-b8ad-7de01fb6ca33",
-      "metadata": {
-        "id": "d2b9ec67-9689-4220-b8ad-7de01fb6ca33"
-      },
-      "source": []
-    },
-    {
-      "cell_type": "markdown",
->>>>>>> 0e85e81b588b839e74dfce7278df6367b371e94e
       "source": [
         "8. Declare a variable that asks for user input, then print the variable storing their response as the output"
       ],
@@ -305,12 +273,8 @@
       "version": "3.11.5"
     },
     "colab": {
-<<<<<<< HEAD
-      "provenance": []
-=======
       "provenance": [],
       "include_colab_link": true
->>>>>>> 0e85e81b588b839e74dfce7278df6367b371e94e
     }
   },
   "nbformat": 4,