What Exactly is the Higgs Particle?

In light of the recent discovery of the very likely "God particle" I refer you to an excellent write up explaining what it is in layman's terms. The piece is written by my friend, Michael Park, who is currently a graduate student studying theoretical particle physics at Rutgers University. Enjoy!

link: http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/12672054-what-is-the-higgs-particle