2022 - SSP International https://summerscience.org "The educational experience of a lifetime"...since 1959 Sat, 30 Jul 2022 00:48:19 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.5 See you again – Nandini M. https://summerscience.org/see-you-again-nandini-m/ Sat, 30 Jul 2022 00:48:19 +0000 https://summerscience.org/?p=15328 I still remember the first day of SSP vividly. Walking to ABE half asleep at 7 am, messing with the […]

The post See you again – Nandini M. first appeared on SSP International.

]]>
I still remember the first day of SSP vividly. Walking to ABE half asleep at 7 am, messing with the chemostats for the first time, and also hurriedly writing the first blog post about 30 minutes before the deadline (sorry Sunita!). Back then I had no idea what to write, and funnily enough, 6 weeks later, I’m in the same position. Despite now having hundreds of pictures, quotes, and memories at my disposal – there is honestly no way I can encapsulate how amazing these 39 days have truly been within one blog post.

I don’t know how I would even begin to express the collective delusion that came with late night labs, the joy that came from karaoke-ing to the top of our lungs in the lecture hall, or the endless laughter that came with obsessing over webtoons and cows (nope, I will not be elaborating).

Of course there have been ups and downs throughout this program, but just like the antibiotic resistant bacteria we’ve been studying these past two months, I like to think that we adapted and rose past the obstacles that were thrown at us. In the end, we evolved past just being a group of 24 learners, but 24 friends that I know will be there for each other no matter what comes.

It’s amazing how in the short span of 6 weeks, I already feel like I’ve known these people for years. Saying goodbye was honestly one of the hardest things I’ve had to do, but I also know that this isn’t the end, and that we’re all going to go on to accomplish amazing things that I can’t wait to witness. In the wise words of our favorite karaoke song these past couple days – we’ll tell each other all about it when we see each other again 🙂

About me – Hi, I’m Nandini and I’m from Chandler, Arizona. When I’m not sobbing over SSP being over, you can find me doing speech and debate, reading, or playing Stardew Valley!

The post See you again – Nandini M. first appeared on SSP International.

]]>
Beginning of the Lasts https://summerscience.org/beginning-of-the-lasts/ Fri, 29 Jul 2022 02:28:44 +0000 https://summerscience.org/?p=15314 Today is the last Sunday of SSP. The beginning of the last week ( which isn’t even a full week). […]

The post Beginning of the Lasts first appeared on SSP International.

]]>
Today is the last Sunday of SSP. The beginning of the last week ( which isn’t even a full week). At this stage of SSP we are experiencing more lasts than firsts. Since it is unlikely that I will have any new experiences, I think it  is a great time to write about my SSP experience. Full disclaimer: Some of these may be one line, some may be a full paragraph, some are very serious and some are what I remember only because it was so silly. Sit back, relax and enjoy as I write what I will miss about SSP, combined with my favorite memories in no particular order.

What I will miss about SSP/ My favorite memories:

1.The collaborative environment.

Everyone works together, and no-one is behind. If you need help there is always someone there to offer. 

2. Getting kicked out of the computer lab at 12:00 AM. 

3. The constantly changing weather. 

It once rained when there were no clouds in the sky. 

4. Ms.Doyles Fundatory activities. 

Sand Volleyball, A trial, hide-and-seek to name a few. 

5. Mia getting upset at  Mat and thew. 

I believe there has already been an entire blog post dedicated to the very serious trial of Mia vs the Matthews, but basically the Matthews cause Mia very severe emotional distress. 

6. The rec center. 

I had two new experiences here. The first is rock-climbing which I am very proud to have accomplished because I am deeply scared of heights. The second new experience is ice-skating where I lost my balance many times and fell down on my face once. 

7. The fun experiments. 

Where to begin? There were  so many experiments and demonstrations done over the summer that I can’t possibly name each one. 

My favorites were:

And this:

8. Wunna by Gunna.

9. Hearing cheers when a problem is solved. 

10. Grace always being nearby when you have a problem/questions.

11. Sunday Movies – Particularly Kung Fury, which will be my go to suggestion when there is a movie night. 

12. Seeing a random deer by the window of the computer lab. 

* He wanted to talk to us about our cars extended warranty* 

13 . Late night truth or dare, paranoia and interrogations. 

14 . Making memes.

15. Getting bobas courtesy of Peter because me, Ameera, Alison and Milenka are superior to him in bowling. 

Our TA Peter made a deal with the four of us that if two of our scores combined beat his overall score, he would buy all of us bobas. Let’s just say that Peter overestimated his bowling skills. Side discussion – I don’t like boba that much. The difference in temperature and textures makes drinking it unpleasant.

16. Talks with Mia. 

17. The observation deck . 

Being on the observation deck slewing the telescopes, taking the flats, and imaging distant galaxies and nebulae makes you feel like you’re a true scientist (which we are!).

18. Karaoke nights. 

19. Just dance.

Istanbul, Barbie Girl, Rasputin.  

20. The incessant college talks. 

I’ll have to be honest, before SSP I have thought about college applications or even what colleges I’m applying to. These conversations made me realize that I should get on that, and I have! 

Intercession

I  will now take a quick break from this list to move on to another short list made specifically for Mia. 

I present to you: 

*drumroll* 

Bad Astronomy Puns. 

Why did Hrishabh get a vegetarian beef patty? 

Because he’s not a meteor. 

What did Mattew Zb. educate us on? 

Asteroid Overdose. 

Credits to Will and Sasha for the next bad pun of the day. 

If we didn’t finish our OD report we would have a semi-major problem. 

Apologies Mia, and I hope you can forgive me. 

Now, Back to memories and things I will miss dearly . 

21. Listening to music with Michelle B. 

 On the day our OD reports were turned in, a  group of us hung out in the study room. Michelle was playing music and I suggested playing night changes by one direction because I felt that described the mood of the night. She put it on, and thoughts of how quickly this summer has passed rushed through my mind. We sat there reminiscing for the entire song, making one of my favorite memories during SSP. 

22. Constantly having stuff to do. 

At SSP there is always something to do, whether it is completing your OD code, or writing your blog post, you are never left without work to complete. When I return home for the rest of the summer, I don’t know how I will function without always having a task that needs to be done.  

23. Getting vanilla icecream with a cookie and an obscene amount of chocolate sauce syrup. (Highly Recommend) 

24. My first talk with Jessica. 

25. Counting off. 

     #6 !

26. Peter’s dinner table.

For dinner we have assigned tables, and one of my favorites to sit at is Peters. This is mostly because of the interesting conversations that occur there like – If we could travel back in time for one minute, where would we go? 

27. The leader of a raccoon gang terrorizing me. 

This is  just a story of a very mean raccoon and its raccoon friends hissing at me. 

28. Maggie and I getting lunch at 4:30 before dinner at 5:15. 

29. Chilling in Arnett hall. 

30. Tyler talking about how much he loves pianos. 

31. Eating Ramen after midnight. 

32. Late night tea talks with Peter. 

33. Identifying my asteroid for the first time. 

My thoughts: WOW! This is so amazing. I really got lucky!  My asteroid is  so bright and visible . It was not; I was looking at a star . Infact, I needed to get my asteroid detected for me, because it was so dim. 

34. Collecting flowers when we went on a dark sky trip. 

35. Dragos drinking insane amounts of peach juice. 

36. Sleeping wherever possible and even sleeping for 18 hours straight once. 

37. Being Sleep Deprived. 

38. My roommate Calista and I rarely sleeping before 2:30 AM. 

39. Waking up late and never getting breakfast.

BREAK TIME AGAIN

While we are on the topic of my terrible sleeping habits. I would like to point out that I am not the only one whose sleeping schedule is completely destroyed.  Enjoy this photo dump of the CUB Crew caught sleeping. (MAKE SURE TO GET PERMISSION FROM THESE PEOPLE BEFORE THIS IS POSTED!)

Beginning this list again. 

40. Dr.Domingue’s soothing voice. 

41. Dr. Dubson yelling to get our attention for announcements. 

42. Learning about my favorite astronomy topic – The big slurp. (Sorry Mia.)

43. Kenna’s terrible music taste. (Its growing on me though) 

44. Chilling in a random hallway by myself. 

 Sometimes I need some time by myself to just relax. Sue me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

45. “Stealing” gogurts on days that aren’t sundays. 

46. “Stealing”  cereal in the middle of the night on days that also are not sundays.

47. Jackbox. 

48. Becoming a gentleminion. 

49. Betraying my roommate for the prisoner’s dilemma QOD. 

Forgive me – Calista. I didn’t know that you wouldn’t be able to get a point. 

50. Getting my eyes opened by Ariella and Gabriella about quantum mechanics, measurements, and estimations. 

51. Whatever this is. 

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Hey, My name is Jaile (pronounced :  Hi – Lee) . I am a rising senior at Saint Catherine Academy in Belize ( and  I like staying  and waking up late, doing fun/ potentially dangerous science  experiments, marvel, coding without the math part and watching movies and tv shows. 

The post Beginning of the Lasts first appeared on SSP International.

]]>
Funday Wednesday https://summerscience.org/funday-wednesday/ Fri, 29 Jul 2022 02:28:20 +0000 https://summerscience.org/?p=15316 The last day of SSP has finally arrived. No one wants to think about it, but the end is imminent. […]

The post Funday Wednesday first appeared on SSP International.

]]>
The last day of SSP has finally arrived. No one wants to think about it, but the end is imminent. While I usually don’t get breakfast from the C4C (out of laziness), today I had some yogurt with fruit chunks and granola. It felt nostalgic but also kind of melancholic to be eating breakfast at C4C for the last time. Next, we walked to the SBO for some exit surveys and cleaning. Like everyone else, I frantically backed up my 10 GB worth of Python programs and images onto Google Drive. We then had to split into groups to clean Arnett and SBO. My group helped Peter clean up the TA office and reinstall the door. However, you could sense everyone’s despair at spending their last moments at SBO. I took some breaks during cleaning to take some videos of our last moments at SBO. For lunch, Michelle and I went to the sushi place by the Walgreens by the university’s economics building. She got some dragonfruit lemonade at Starbucks for some reason. The sushi was very good and the poke bowl was even better. Then walked to the library by the rec center. It was very big and spacious. After that, we went back to the dorms to pack our bags, but I was very good at packing, so I had no issues. Then we took pictures with our formal clothes. We had a lot of fun. Everyone looked super sharp. Then my observation team had dinner with Dr. Domingue for the last time. We talked about physics and superheroes, and it was really cool. After that, we walked back to Arnett, but a dog bit Michelle because I failed to protect her. Then the superlatives happened. They were very cool and personal. The talent show was by far the highest point of the day. A lot of people played and instrument, some danced, but the Matthew gang sang Wunna by Gunna. We had an intermission during the talent show, which we used to celebrate Michelle’s birthday. It was a very good party because I was there. After the show, we said goodbye to Grace and tried out some new clothing. It turns out white Forces are very cool looking on me. We also ate snacks together on the ledge outside while gazing up at the stars. We later took a little trip to the soccer field to take a quick 5 minute nap. At around 3:30 am, I went biking around campus. We went to the engineering building and even saw a shooting star together (thank you God). After biking, we ate some snacks at Arnett and played ping-pong/foosball for the last time. We also went to see the sunrise by the basketball courts. Then we went to C4C for breakfast for the last time. Then I went to write the blog. Why am I still writing?

The End of CUB ‘22

_______________________________________________________________________________________

My name is Matthew V., and I love playing tennis. I do physics and programming sometimes. I’m from Portland, Oregon and I want to major in physics and computer science at MIT or Stanford.

The post Funday Wednesday first appeared on SSP International.

]]>
If Time Slow Down https://summerscience.org/if-time-slow-down/ Fri, 29 Jul 2022 02:08:49 +0000 https://summerscience.org/?p=15278 As SSP comes to a close, I can’t help but wish that SSP was longer and that I had more […]

The post If Time Slow Down first appeared on SSP International.

]]>
As SSP comes to a close, I can’t help but wish that SSP was longer and that I had more time with my newfound friends. When I first arrived, I didn’t think I would build such deep connections with my peers but a myriad of experiences has allowed me to build some unparalleled friendships.

    Laying on the grass staring up at the stars, laughing about Jupiter; sitting under a tree whose leaves carve out a view of the Big Dipper; trying to do the lift from Dirty Dancing; running through the sprinklers showing up to observations drenched; sauntering on Pearl Street in the rain and vibing to Lumineer songs; working on PSets until we are kicked out of SBO to get some sleep; staying up late learning about everyone’s romance with astrophysics; looking at the ground while walking to avoid stepping in mounds of geese poop; making sand angles; wading in a pond full of algae; dancing in the rain just mere hours before observing with a completely clear sky full of stars; running 10 miles while watching the sun rise; playing volleyball in pitch dark; rolling across the turf as fast as you can; biking in the rain and freezing; playing “Hey There Delilah” so badly it’s unrecognizable to the audience; synchronously doing backflips off the diving boards; jumping and successfully catching a rock on a rock climb; hiking up the Flatirons so high that Denver was visible from the top; jamming to the “American Pie” under the dim red glow of the observatory; trying relentlessly for hours to figure out the uncertainty of the number of apples that could fit into the Earth; wearing trashbags for the fashion show; alternating saying “hi” with our eyes crossed; feeling accomplished after scoring five points in foosball; solving the “cornmaze” in two minutes; pretending to be 18 to ride the GoKarts; making a TikTok on the top of a parking garage.

    This montage of memories led me to start thinking one night, while in the mildewy grass, about the way we could slow the passage of time enabling us to spend more time at SSP:

    According to Einstein’s theory of relativity, by traveling at speeds close to those of light, our frame of reference would be slower compared to that of an observer. Although a nice idea to the problem of slowing down time, finding enough energy to accelerate 35 teenagers to the soles of light would be impossible.

Alternatively, I suppose since our campus is located in Colorado, next to JILA, the world’s official time-keeping institution, we could change the oscillations of JILA’s strontium clock slowing down time officially. Breaking into JILA, however, would require breaking quite a few doors, not to mention quite a few laws.

Well, there is always the suggestion of altering space-time itself and changing the properties of time, but I couldn’t begin to tell you how that would work.

In conclusion, there is unfortunately not a feasible way to slow time down. I’ll just have to treasure every moment I have spent with all my smaaaart peers. Thank you, Mr. sir ma’am sir, for making this summer unforgettable.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Anoushka C

I am a junior at Berkeley High School interested pursuing theoretical physics and engineering. I enjoy playing soccer and climbing trees in my free time!

The post If Time Slow Down first appeared on SSP International.

]]>
End of a story, beginning of many others – Shravani D. https://summerscience.org/end-of-a-story-beginning-of-many-others-shravani-d/ Thu, 28 Jul 2022 22:56:40 +0000 https://summerscience.org/?p=15310 Last full day of SSP!I have too many thoughts right now to write down but here is a scrambled mess […]

The post End of a story, beginning of many others – Shravani D. first appeared on SSP International.

]]>
Last full day of SSP!
I have too many thoughts right now to write down but here is a scrambled mess of bits and pieces of all
the emotions I felt today. I woke up all panicked this morning, wondering how long I have to get ready
and speed walk to ABE. We discussed how we can improve the experience for future SSP participants.
Eemah gave us an amazing lecture about her journey in research, which was also filled to the brim with
the cutest photos of her dog 🙂

We then proceeded to the last lunch at the Memorial Union. Bittersweet just like my coffee 🙂

As the after lunch drowsiness set in, we completed a few more surveys and made sure our laptops didn’t have any of that embarrassing history left. After that, wewalked back half crying and singing Photograph by Ed Sheeran to our dorms to change for the final moments.

After one last dinner at Wiley’s, we started our closing ceremony with a group photoshoot, posing with
the iconic “DO NOT COME”. And just like that it hit me that we were almost done- the 39 days just flew
by.

We decided on pulling an all nighter together and gathered in the Great Hall and enjoyed our last night
together- camping out in the rain, karaoke, late night volleyball and frisbee, and talking our hearts out.

I connected with these people in a way I didn’t know was possible. Girlies, I wish our paths cross
someday. I love you guys so much and I’m grateful I got to spend these 6 weeks with y’all.

I started out very confused and lost but here I am, on the flight back home- having a mini sob session
watching the video created by our TAs.

Love you Helen, Sunita, Logan, and Emma! <3

About me:

I’m Shravani Dhawane from Nagpur, India and when I’m not busy procrastinating, you can find me
reading, cooking, or vibing to yet another playlist (if you’re reading this, please send some song recs
ASAP).

The post End of a story, beginning of many others – Shravani D. first appeared on SSP International.

]]>
(You’re) We’re Done – Neha C. https://summerscience.org/youre-were-done/ Thu, 28 Jul 2022 14:38:30 +0000 https://summerscience.org/?p=15303 It feels like a big weight on my shoulders to do this program justice through this penultimate blog post. As […]

The post (You’re) We’re Done – Neha C. first appeared on SSP International.

]]>
It feels like a big weight on my shoulders to do this program justice through this penultimate blog post. As the program of numerous firsts and lasts, this little bubble that we’ve created seems timeless up until these last moments of reality. I’m not sure how exactly we made it through but in an attempt to stay sane, here’s a little walkthrough of our final full day in the SSP Genomics program:

We started off our day at 8 am with a little feedback session with Dr. M. As the first participants of the Genomics program, it was important to provide honest feedback on the program this year. Given how sleep deprived we were, the only insight we were really providing was that they probably shouldn’t have had the important lectures at 8 am. 

After that we heard a lecture from one of our beloved TAs, Emma on everything from her dog to a robotic dragon.

This all culminated in our last day at the Agricultural and Biological Engineering building- the home of our labs, lectures, and karaoke sessions. We all filtered out slowly in the afternoon, taking time to write cards to staff, turn in our computers, and take in the empty spaces. 

We closed out the night with our closing ceremony replete with parting sentiments and applause. After that we all hung out as a group around the dysfunctional fountain outside the dorm buildings until 1 AM reminiscing on anything and everything. As I sit among my newly found friends I feel like I’ve known these people for years. I’ve been living in denial about leaving tomorrow but in acceptance of the fact that I may never forget these small moments. I’m not good with endings so I’ll just say good morning – since this blog post is technically late and it’s 3 AM.

About Me:

Hey, I’m Neha Chelamkuri and I’m from Frisco, Texas! On the off chance I’m not reading a book, you can find me devouring a bar of dark chocolate, at the gym, or learning more about mosquitoes and infectious diseases. Talk to me about anything but country music. 🙂

The post (You’re) We’re Done – Neha C. first appeared on SSP International.

]]>
Beginning the final countdown – Audrey A. https://summerscience.org/15293-2/ Thu, 28 Jul 2022 14:29:20 +0000 https://summerscience.org/?p=15293 It’s officially cram season at SSP, the time when the clacking of computer keys echo off the walls with no […]

The post Beginning the final countdown – Audrey A. first appeared on SSP International.

]]>
It’s officially cram season at SSP, the time when the clacking of computer keys echo off the walls with no sign of slowing down. That’s right, our final posters were sent out this afternoon for printing and our final manuscript is due tomorrow at 11:30 am. Our TA’s can testify to the chaos they witnessed in the Honors South lobby this morning; twenty teenagers sprawled across four sofas of varying sizes, spilling over the armrest and onto the carpeted floors. I woke up at 10:30 am, despite my 7:50, 7:53, 7:58, 8:02, and 8:08 alarms screaming in my face (I involuntarily become deaf some mornings I guess), to the realization that we had a poster to put together in two and half hours. I don’t remember what happened in the next 150 minute besides the fact that it was filled with a flurry of panic and frustration at Google Slides. 

Here’s our final poster though, so maybe it paid off

SNEAK PEAK FAST FORWARD IN TIME 🙂

When the figurative 1 pm clock tower chimed and we hit submit, an odd mix of confusion, elation, and silence after the chaos hit me like a truck. I honestly didn’t know if I was supposed to sob, cheer, or sit there just to take it all in. We just turned in our poster, the final result of 5 weeks here at SSP. These emotions swirled through my head while I ate Chinese takeout in the South lobby (thank you Purdue Biochem <3), and they only intensified on the walk to Target. Every week, our group recharged by singing pop songs on the walk to target before buying a cart full of snacks. Now, we were doing it for the last time. A day full of lasts feels odd, as if each experience is a flashback of all the previous ones. The last time we bought a new nail polish color, the last time we snatched the last box of raspberries, the last time we grabbed boba from the shop next door. 

It’s crazy to think that I, a seventeen year old girl from a small school in San Diego, California, am at Purdue University studying antibiotic resistance alongside a community I’ve grown to call my second family. The 24 of us have gone through everything together; from grabbing coffees from Starbucks to struggling through the weekly problem sets to belting our hearts out to to a pop song at the end of a long day to cramming our last revisions on our manuscripts (which we still had to do after our Target run), these people who were strangers just weeks ago have become some of my closest friends. There are times when I am astounded at how intelligent my peers are, yet they are all constantly willing to offer help to each other, whenever and wherever. The SSP community feels like home. That’s the only way I can put it. In the span of 5 weeks, we’ve created volumes of moments to look back on, and I can only hope the last week passes slower than the past couple. That’s all from me 🙂

About me:

Hi, my name is Audrey An and I’m from San Diego, California. Beyond STEM, my favorite things to do are debate, volleyball, and working out at a nearby gym.

The post Beginning the final countdown – Audrey A. first appeared on SSP International.

]]>
Hold On to the Memories… They Will Hold On to You https://summerscience.org/hold-on-to-the-memories-they-will-hold-on-to-you/ Thu, 28 Jul 2022 13:05:57 +0000 https://summerscience.org/?p=15286 It is 12:43 PM, and we have just finished our last lunch at PMU. As I lay here on the […]

The post Hold On to the Memories… They Will Hold On to You first appeared on SSP International.

]]>
It is 12:43 PM, and we have just finished our last lunch at PMU. As I lay here on the teal carpet of the CHAS fourth floor, feeling the familiar post-lunch drowsiness, I’m really not sure how to open this last blog. I’m not sure what the readers of this post are expecting, or how I should frame everything I am feeling and wish to say but have absolutely zero idea how to do justice to.

So I am just going to write. Because SSP was not what I expected, and because words can rarely capture all that they are expected to. Eric, this is called stream of consciousness, a defining technique of the Modernist movement. I like it because it lets me ramble. 🙃

Anyways. This morning, I woke up with the dim realization that this was our last full day of SSP. I then proceeded to sleep through my alarm (as usual) before somehow sensing that I should reawaken (as usual), and sort of gently falling sideways out of my very high bed to stumble to the bathroom (as usual). I had expected to wake up fully feeling the gravity of this Last Full Day, but even now I am surprised by how … normal … the day feels. Mayhaps evidence that we have really developed some sort of lived-in routine and rhythm to our days here at SSP.

Before CHAS, Della, Sehyun, Eric, and I went on our first last Leaps Coffee run. I tried chia seed pudding for the first time, and we just talked. All I could think about was how wonderfully normal and safe it felt, like we had been and could continue doing these coffee runs for weeks, maybe years. As someone who deeply treasures this feeling of long-term stability and these solid but understated friendships, that means a lot. In terms of actual events happening today, we actually have a lot of down time to finish some last surveys, wrap up report revisions and data records, and pack. For now though, everyone has been pretty mellow, likely all experiencing their own thoughts and feelings regarding today and reflecting on their own individual SSP experience. For me, this constant awareness that I am just one of 36 people, each of us with our own stories, experiences, perspectives, and ways of processing the world, has been the biggest takeaway and gift from SSP. It is what I will miss most, and it is also what I will remember most when I think back on this summer.

I will also remember parking garage shenanigans, late night talking, late night ramen (thank you Alina, Xuan, and Brian) and the impromptu Open House photoshoot. I will remember romanticizing report writing and studying in au bon pain, then walking with Shelby through the horticulture garden as we passionately agreed on how mid Starbucks strawberry acai refreshers are (sorry Sehyun <3). Armory lectures, MOEing MOEments ❤, late lab nights (spotlight on Assignment 2 and Dr. Wu’s organic chemistry lecture), and the best dinner conversations with Dr. Das. A heart-to-heart with Dr. Hall, jamming to the La La Land soundtrack with Jamilla at 10 PM in CHAS, teasing the Fearsome Four, “SOOOO TOUGH,” “THAT’S DIRRRRTY,” “THAT’S CRAAYYYZY” … dozing off on bus rides, Von’s, boba runs, Turkey Run hiking, that afternoon meal at Chinese BBQ … and of course the talent show, where I fulfilled my dual dreams of performing “You Belong With Me” and poetry in front of an actual audience (thank you, Nathan, for your ~beautiful~ poem, and for writing and performing with me).

There are countless other moments I cannot remember yet, and just listing the ones above has made me realize how impossible it is to capture everything that is SSP. Yet it was Dr. Hall’s final lecture during the Evening Program, then my last glimpses of MOE when the inhibitor design competition winners were announced, that finally drove me to tears. I guess I hadn’t realized until then how much I would miss sitting through one of Dr. Hall’s lectures and how much I would miss this specific SSP project and all it has taught us.

SSP Friends Forever mural!

After the Evening Program concluded, you can guess where we went next … the parking garage. The déjà vu I felt as I climbed the stairs to the top almost made me tear up again; the Open House night parking garage photoshoot really does feel like both a long time ago and not that long ago. I wish I could be more poetic about this last parking garage trip, but honestly, all I felt as I stood there, snacking on strawberries and taking pictures and trying to commit this place and these people to my flimsy human memory, was an out-of-body surrealness—a prelude to Departure Day, as it turns out. But we aren’t quite there yet. Because SSP could not end before cricket with Dr. Das and our very last night together! Even though we could not pull an all-nighter, I am still grateful that we got to spend time together just walking around campus in the light rain, chatting and trying to soak in more and more “last” sights—of CHAS, the Armory, PMU, the Guest Lecture building, au bon pain, the fountain … Yes, it did feel sadly anticlimactic, but in hindsight, these smaller, seemingly duller moments—where we can all simply exist together and enjoy a shared experience—are the ones I will miss the most.

Left: Evening Program selfie; Middle: last night together; Right: cricket with Dr. Das in the Armory
Last parking garage photoshoot and trip :,)

***

I was only supposed to cover Tuesday, but I am finishing this post on Wednesday (Departure Day), and it feels like a continuation of the Last Full Day. I’ve cried more today than I thought was humanly possible. I really will miss all of you so much. I wish I could say more but this tangled mess of emotion I feel will take me at least 39 more days to process. So I finish this blog now at 10:31 PM, in a different time zone and back in my room …

Departure Day … SSP = Summer Sobbing Program 😭 + final airport meals and photos

In “Goodbye to All That,” Joan Didion writes, “It is easy to see the beginning of things, and harder to see the ends.” For different people, SSP was the beginning of some things and the ending of others. We all began SSP with expectations and hopes about what it would be like and what we would get out of it. We are all likely ending it in a less defined or clear-cut way, because the long-term impact of SSP and the people we’ve met here will continue to play out in the coming weeks, months, and years. For me, SSP felt like the beginning of me finally gaining concrete insight into the lives and perspectives of people beyond my sleepy suburb bubble, and finally being able to pinpoint why I love science. I know for others, SSP has led to culture shock and immediate impacts on college plans and career aspirations. They said that SSP never ends, it just expands. I’m not sure because the pain in my chest right now feels a lot like an “ending” signal, but I do plan to stay in touch with everyone I’ve met here. To SSP 2022 in Biochemistry at Purdue University … thank you. The memories we’ve made, pictures we’ve taken, tears we’ve cried, dumb things we’ve done, smart things we’ve done, and relationships we’ve formed are all real, even though right now it all feels like one big dream. I’m going to stop rambling now, and finally end this blog post with, of course … some Taylor Swift:

Hold on, to the memories, they will hold on to you.

Hold on, to the memories they will hold on to you … 

And I will hold on to you.

—“New Year’s Day”

(Left to Right) Top Row: Alexis, Sai, Kyra, Julia Z, Xuan, Sehyun, Brian, Nathan, William, Philip, Cam; Middle Row: Cory, Joseph, Eric, Payton, Grace, Diego, Ritvik, Kevin, Joe, Shelby, Dimitra, Gavin; Bottom Row: Daniel, Julia M, Victoria, Isabelle, Alina, Vanessa, Natalie, Maya, Della, Aniyah, Michelle, Konnor, Yuvan

– Aniyah

The post Hold On to the Memories… They Will Hold On to You first appeared on SSP International.

]]>
July 25th https://summerscience.org/july-25th/ Thu, 28 Jul 2022 00:17:20 +0000 https://summerscience.org/?p=15282 Today was the last Monday of SSP. Yesterday, we began our final group project, orbital integration with the SouthWest Research […]

The post July 25th first appeared on SSP International.

]]>
Today was the last Monday of SSP. Yesterday, we began our final group project, orbital integration with the SouthWest Research Institute. Using an initial condition for our asteroid we found using our orbital determination code and an initial condition for the major planets in the solar system, we were able to simulate the change in our asteroid’s orbit across 50 million years using many nearly identical initial conditions. After letting the simulation run overnight, we compiled the data from our group’s simulation, such as the chance of a collision with the Earth or Sun, into our final group presentation. After the presentations were over we did a scavenger hunt, much like we did on our very first day here. We ran around campus racing to be the first to take a picture with everything on the list. Unlike the scavenger hunt on the first day, we already knew where the locations were, and most groups were able to finish with time to spare. 

For nearly a week, I have been avoiding the fact that SSP is coming to an end, that I will have to pack up and leave what has come to be my new home, and that I’ll have to say goodbye to all the close friends I’ve made. I’ll miss most of the stupid things we’ve done, like burying people in the sand vollyball court, running through the sprinklers after a long day of psets and lectures, running to the C4C to get breakfast 8 minutes before lecture, or eating 7 bannanas in one day. Most of all, I’ll miss the people here, who are all so passionate about their interests and have always been eager to share their knowledge and experience with others. 

Sasha and Tyler buried in sand

________________________________________________________________________________________

Hello! My name is Evan, and I am a rising senior at Prairie City Monroe High School in Monroe, Iowa. I love FTC robotics. I also enjoy climbing and soccer.

The post July 25th first appeared on SSP International.

]]>
Infiltrating federal laboratory https://summerscience.org/infiltrating-federal-laboratory/ Thu, 28 Jul 2022 00:09:47 +0000 https://summerscience.org/?p=15280 Only 3 more days left for SSP to complete. However, I cannot believe I am in the final week of […]

The post Infiltrating federal laboratory first appeared on SSP International.

]]>
Only 3 more days left for SSP to complete. However, I cannot believe I am in the final week of this program. The time flew relatively quick after receiving the “CONGRATULATIONS” email and then doing further steps. It was an incredible experience for me at SSP, especially coding and challenging problems. The program has made a deep impact on me in terms of influencing my major selection. It made it evident that I can do programming and I find it to be more demanding than other subjects. 

Saturday morning started with me waking up early morning. It was the final target run, so I had to get ready for it. I went in a group of 3 with Ethan and Matthew. We drove to World Market, where I purchased a few chocolates and chips. As it was a very warm day, we agreed to eat lunch at a local shop. It was my first time eating pancakes and it was delicious and delightful. Matthew used his toy gun to eat pancakes which made us laugh the whole time. We had many interesting conversations about how SSP is so different from other science programs. At the Target shop, I took more things for my extremely long flight. We waited for a long time before we were picked by Ms. Doyle.

In the afternoon we attended a Wizard show by Dr. Dubson. where he talked about many different topics of physics, some of them being waves and phenomena of IR and UV rays. We went to the the 10th floor of the Physics building where we could see the whole area and it was quite amazing.

 Dr. Dubson then gave us a tour of the Jila research centre, which had a lot of research equipment. Fun fact: 3 Nobel prizes have come from this research center. Finally, we got to know about our TA Peter’s research topic in Optics. He explained about Quantum mechanics and physics behind the experiment that he did during his research. The day ended with challenge problems and me playing table tennis.

SSP is indeed an experience of a lifetime. The academic part of SSP is quite rigorous and I had a nice time with people here at SSP. Most importantly, I learnt to live in a residential dorm and away from my family. The food was amazing during my stay at CUB campus. The staff interacted incredibly well when I discussed my doubts with them.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Hi! I am Hrishabh, and I am a rising senior at Nalanda Academy, India. I like to do Physics, Math and Astronomy. While I am not doing Physics or Math, you can find me playing Badminton or making new dishes. 

The post Infiltrating federal laboratory first appeared on SSP International.

]]>