The quarter has gone by so quickly already, Alex beat me to posting. This quarter I’m taking my usual math and science for engineering, but I get a break with my ethics class. I’m taking an ethics in politics class with about 10 or so other students. I am really enjoying this class as it focuses on the development of our government and what it means to be a citizen. We have very engaging discussions, especially with the self proclaimed communist boy who is very...talkative. I am also taking a fellowships class. Its only once a week but its preparing us for how to apply to different jobs and fellowships. Next week we have faculty coming in from the theatre department to do a workshop on body language in relevance to interview techniques.
In addition to these classes, I am taking differential equations, bimolecular engineering and logic design. In the bio lab I am learning all about different techniques and how to do basic lab procedures in biology.
This is a gel we ran last week to analyze enzymes cutting into circular DNA.
Logic design is an electrical and computer engineering class. I am learning to build circuits, and design schematics on programs to then implement on breadboards.
This is the first circuit we built in lab. It was pretty simple, but I was quite proud that it performed how it was supposed to. It had two inputs, a switch and a motion sensor and two outputs, a light and an alarm, which went of with different combinations of the inputs. The class is interesting, but a bit over my head. I can barely understand anything the professor says, and I think she is assuming we all have a background in the subject or have at least dealt with the material previously. Which I have not. Because there are no prerequisites to the class. So that is going to be challenging.
As you might know, Margot is my big in my sorority. However, since she graduated, a junior, Abby, decided to adopt me into her family, and be my adoptive big. She lives off campus, and the first weekend back she cooked dinner for everyone in the family, which was 11 girls. It was so sweet and thoughtful of her, and really nice to get to know them all better. Below is a picture, starting with me and going clockwise, Me, Olivia, Chandler, Jenna, Alexa, Tara, Annie, Erin, Abby, Ellie, and my little Sara.
This past weekend Grace was in Berkeley to give her farewell speech at church. She is leaving in about two weeks to serve her mission in Sofia Bulgaria. She will be gone for about 18 months. While i can write her letters and occasionally email, I won't see her until just before I start my senior year. On saturday she came down to santa clara and we hung out and hiked the Stanford dish.
It was just after a lot of rain, and was stunningly beautiful. The couple mile walk is very relaxing, and it was so great to spend time with her.
On Sunday, I took the train to Berkeley to attend church with her family and listen to her talk. Mormon church is three hours. But very interesting and enjoyable. Im close with her family so it was nice to see them all and see Grace speak to her church.
This picture is us on the roof of her church. Its in a beautiful old mansion that looks just like a house on the outside. After church, the Newsom’s treated the family and all of grace’s friends to brunch at a little french cafe. Saying goodbye was difficult but I am so proud of her and excited for what she is about to do.
Midterms are starting this week. I have two on Friday, and the rest scattered out in the next couple weeks. We started our intramural games last week and have two wins already. I didn't realize how much I missed soccer until I started playing again. We have a really good team with a lot of players. Unfortunately we have been renamed Squid Squad. This is a huge downgrade from Falcon Wolf Alpha Squadron. I am disappointed.
In other news, My marathon is two and a half weeks away. I am in the midst of my training. Slight setback last week when my foot started hurting, but all is well again, and I plan to do my longest run, 22 miles, this weekend. I’m running with my friends Amy and Neesha, and we are spending the long weekend at amy’s house. I am very excited and terrified, I’m not sure anybody’d body was built to run this far. We’ll see how it goes.
Thats all for now, Ill try to work on updating more!
