Tuesday and Thursday, June 17 and 19: PRISE social and science activities group meeting
Interesting evenings...to say the least. At last the ingenious craziness and wackiness of PRISE fellows are revealed in their unabashed splendor! During the social activities meeting, Greg prepped us with some information about proposing our own activities (funding limitations, safety, and other bureaucratic necessities). After the schpeel from the director, we were left alone (with our program assistants, of course) in a room conveniently called G-spot to brainstorm about activities that give our own spin on the PRISE social experience. Some interesting suggestions for social activities were a Six Flags trip, a visit to Tanglewood, a mystery cruise, a trip to see a Coldplay concert, cultural restaurant explorations (my brainchild :)), a talent show, a water balloon fight, and breaking the world record of the most hugs (1,000) by a person in one hour.
Due to our helplessly science-inclined nature however, I'd say it was during the science activities meeting that we showed our true colors. Swimming around in the room were suggestions for "flavor tripping" (with the miracle fruit that makes your taste buds go wacko), an egg-dropping contest, a liquid nitrogen ice cream bash, and a Tetris game simulation on Leverett Tower windows (check attempt by students from Brown University). But I must say, the most alluring suggestion of all was setting up the world's largest thermite reaction! This goal is infinitely superior than last year's goal of making the world's largest science volcano. Please, if we're to become immortalized into the Guinness World Records, we might as well do it with a blast!
Updates will follow, that is, if we're not blown to pieces first :)
Due to our helplessly science-inclined nature however, I'd say it was during the science activities meeting that we showed our true colors. Swimming around in the room were suggestions for "flavor tripping" (with the miracle fruit that makes your taste buds go wacko), an egg-dropping contest, a liquid nitrogen ice cream bash, and a Tetris game simulation on Leverett Tower windows (check attempt by students from Brown University). But I must say, the most alluring suggestion of all was setting up the world's largest thermite reaction! This goal is infinitely superior than last year's goal of making the world's largest science volcano. Please, if we're to become immortalized into the Guinness World Records, we might as well do it with a blast!
Updates will follow, that is, if we're not blown to pieces first :)
A PRISE Bonanza
PRISE has definitely kept us enjoyably busy! These past few days we have attended two concerts, finalized the list of the student-initiated social and science activities, attended a lecture by Prof. Erin O'Shea, and learned about fellowships and proposal writing during a seminar given by our own and only Greg Llacer. And this is only an initiation into the whirlwind of activities that PRISE has scheduled for us. Imagine including all the student suggested activities on top of these! No more will we wander aimlessly during the weekends wondering how in the world we're going to spend so much free time that seems almost nonexistent during the academic year. Instead, we'll have a hard time deciding how to best spend our free evenings and weekends with all the PRISE activities.
Anyway, this long blogging vacuum demands urgent updates. But before I delve into the great PRISE experiences I've had so far, I just wanted to kowtow to the PRISE organizers for giving me - actually all of us - such great (and spacious) singles to ensconce in during the summer. I have an amazing view of the courtyard of the Leverett Towers, and can glimpse glistening patches of the Charles River beyond the trees lining Memorial Drive. It's heavenly to wake up and see the refreshing morning sky right through the gargantuan window, which occupies almost the entire west side of my bedroom wall!
Besides the generous living arrangements, food at Dudley House has also been satisfying, though hot breakfasts would add to the gastronomic bliss. Speaking of food (and Dudley House), the opening dinner Monday (June 16th) night revealed how much faculty support PRISE enjoys, and more immediately relevant for some us, how pampered we are going to be in the coming weeks. The dinner was superbly catered, with a variety of breads to start with, followed by salad, then by a carefully seasoned chicken as an entree, and finally capped off by a dreamy chocolate/coffee cake of sorts that melted in our mouths.
During the dinner, we were graced with the presence of prominent Harvard faculty members, such as Howard Georgi and Ann Georgi, the Leverett Housemasters, Dean Evelynn Hammonds, and Professor Robert Leu.
During the dinner, we were graced with the presence of prominent Harvard faculty members, such as Howard Georgi and Ann Georgi, the Leverett Housemasters, Dean Evelynn Hammonds, and Professor Robert Leu.
Needless to say, we walked out of Dudley that day with high expectations of our upcoming PRISE experience!
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