Posted by Brian S.
... well not exactly. This year I've decided to switch from blogging to being a Twitterer (we're still unsure if this is a real word or not) for Hopkins Interactive. Follow me: http://twitter.com/JHU_Brian!
October 29, 2009
September 23, 2009
September 04, 2009
Week One: Check!
Posted by Brian S.
So since being back at Hopkins, I have been so incredibly busy. But really, that's what I love. Sure at times it seems stressful to have so many things to do. But I find it keeps me grounded, and keeps me on my toes, too.
Once I arrived last Tuesday, I immediately began training for my role as a Family Ambassador for the Class of 2013's Orientation. Friday the freshmen started showing up, and so did their families. We FAs swung into question-answering and concern-addressing mode until Sunday. Then Sunday all of my friends who didn't come back early for Orientation began showing up. My friend Keith and I must have moved in 6 or 7 of our friends that day and it was crazy. But it was so great to see all of them again. It was so much fun to feel like we were "picking up where we left off" in May.
(thanks for the photo, Daniel)
From Monday to Thursday of this week, we've been busy with interviews for the Student Admissions Advisory Board - the group that runs Hopkins Interactive. So many great applicants, I know it will be a tough decision in the end. And today, Friday, I spent about five hours at the Student Activities Fair, promoting another one of my groups, the Hopkins Organization for Programming. Oh and, P.S., in the midst of all this classes started as well. Wow.
I figure it's time for my classic run-down of my classes, so here it goes:
Ecology. This class is about the organisms and organization of life around us. I think I learned a lot of these ideas in Bio and AP Envi Sci, so that is good. Plus: field trip to Western Maryland, a place I'd probably never see otherwise.
Solid Waste Engineering and Management. This class focuses on the engineering and management aspects of dealing with solid waste (a.k.a. garbage) - so essentially how do you manage a landfill?, etc. I had the professor for my Intro to Environmental Engineering class, and he was really good. There's an interesting dynamic in the class because there's undergrads, new grad students, and professionals in the part-time program as well.
Statics. This class is about 100 people, and is essentially the physics of things that aren't moving, i.e. are static. We're looking at things like stress and strain on beams, etc. It looks like things get simpler when they aren't moving around, so that seems to be a plus.
Water Resource Development. This class is taught by Professor Wolman, whose father was essentially the father of sanitary engineerig. It focuses on how societies developed around rivers, and water's history as a natural resource. Very interesting. While I'm not enthused about the 25 to 35 page termpaper, I think it will be worth it.
(Note: Orgo and Microbio books are fortunately for the research I am doing, not the class)
So far I am really enjoying my classes and I think it's going to be a very good semester. I'm also working in my advisor lab once again this semester.
I'm hoping things do calm down a bit during this weekend, because I need to get some grocery shopping and Target time in as well.
September 02, 2009
September 01, 2009
Back to Baltimore
Posted by Rohit D.
Hi everyone, this is JHU_Rohit checking back in for sophomore year. In case you are wondering, I am back and ready to go for sophomore year. In fact, I am at the Digital Media Center right now working. Being away from JHU for a whole summer has been great, but I am ready to be back and going.
So what is different this year? Well, I am no longer living in AMR II! I have upgraded (in a sense) to McCoy. This means that I am a little closer to the DMC, my classes, and Mason Hall (where we have SAAB meetings). Translation: I will have to run a little less when we have SAAB meetings (or leave a little later).
I am also taking different courses (duh!). Mostly this means that I am done with introductory courses such as Physics 101/102 and Organic Chemistry. This semester, I am taking Molecules and Cells, Prob/Stat, Orgo Lab, Data Structures, and Expository Writing: International Politics.
So, all these classes are starting tomorrow and its been a good time catching up with friends. In fact, I have been so excited to see some people, I've been walking into poles because I will be walking without looking straight. People are back with a lot more experience and wisdom - I feel like we all used our summers in a productive manner.
In the past couple of days, I have said hi to at least 50 old friends, seen Slumdog Millionaire on the quad (with sprinklers going off at odd times), and hanging out catching up with people I haven't seen all summer. In the next couple of weeks, I am jumping headfirst into my sophomore year classes. I will also be taking lessons on the violin at Peabody this year. I'm excited!
Check back for an update on how its going. My next blog entry will be regarding my experience as a panel speaker at the 2009 World Diversity Leadership Summit at the IMF Headquarters in DC. I was chosen to be on the panel because I am on the Student Council for NSHSS, a national honor society that I was inducted into during high school. I can't wait, I think it'll be a lot of fun.
Until next time,
Rohit
August 06, 2009
August 03, 2009
Wedding Bells
Posted by Brian S.
Okay, so there weren't really any wedding bells. But there was a Mariachi band.
As I was thinking about what to write for this summer update entry, I figured I'd have to fib just a bit. In truth, right now, I'm up to my ears in Calc 3 for my summer class. But a few weeks ago, before class started, my family and I traveled to Mexico for the wedding of my Dad’s “little” brother Matt – my uncle. And that certainly was a lot more fun than vector calculus.
After a rough early morning flight to Cancun (not our choice – Continental canceled our original flight because of the Swine Flu), we found ourselves in a muggy Cancun Airport trying to figure out which of the supposed guides were the scam artists we had been warned about and which were legitimate. Honestly, I’m still not sure which were which. If you’ve ever been to Cancun you know what I’m talking about.
We quickly found the transfer van that was headed for our hotel, and got in. For the next two hours, we got to watch a DVD of “live” performances by artists that were way before my parents’ time. It was comical at least, and gave us something else to do other than concentrating on the dubious amount of cool air flowing from the air conditioning vents in the Mexican heat.
Looking out from the patio of our hotel room.
Soon we arrived at the hotel, which was on the beach in the Mayan Riviera. Everything was just so beautiful. We soon found my grandparents, and that evening at dinner we got to meet all of the other family members who we had never met! To explain, the only “representatives” from my Uncle’s side of the family were my grandparents, my parents, and myself. Tori, my uncle’s wife-to-be, had about thirty or more family and friends there! To top things off, I believe my parents and I were the only “non-Texans” in attendance! We totally fell in love with Tori’s family.
The wedding was on our second day there. It was what I’d imagine is quite a few brides’ dream – right on the beach, complete with waves lapping at the edge of the altar that had been setup, and the sun setting behind us.
I’ve posted a few photos – the ring bearer and flower girl were just so lovable! They proceeded to chase one another around the tables at the reception until they quite literally passed out on the floor.
We stayed in Mexico a few days longer after the wedding to enjoy the resort and beaches. We had a lot of fun getting to know our new family members during the days we shared in Mexico. We really can’t wait to come visit our “new” family in Galveston sometime!
Dad, Mom, Me, my Grandparents, and Matt & Tori!
I hope you all have enjoyed reading about part of my summer. I’ll be updating once more before we all head to Baltimore – look for some last minute packing tips in that entry!
Tori and Matt!
July 31, 2009
One Year Later
Posted by Rohit D.
So, I know that Brian wrote an entry titled "One Year Ago" back in April after receiving college acceptance letters, and my "One Year Later" entry seemed very appropriate for now. The main reason that I am inspired to write this entry now, is because I was looking over some of the entries written for this year's Blogging Contest, I am reminded of my experience a year ago.
Looking back, it's funny how little things, like a blog entry, can be important markers in your life. For me, the blogging contest entry is something that (accidentally) has become one of those milestones. When I wrote it, it had been enough time after graduation for me to start feeling like a HS grad (I was also working full time as a Software Development Intern), and Orientation was a little less than a month away, so I was going through the anxious and excited feelings I know most of you guys are now.
One year later, many changes have taken place. I am one year older, and a little bit more experience in what college means. I have gotten used to getting up for 9:00 classes (instead of 7:00), and am used to living on my own. In August 2008, however, much of what was going to happen in the upcoming year was uncertain. My family wanted to go to India (we hadn't gone back in four years), but it was unclear when that would be. Also, my brother, who was going to be rising senior in high school, had to decide where he wanted to apply for college. Thankfully, both of these situations worked out.
Since summers were usually busy (because my brother and I were involved in different activities), my parents decided to go to India during Winter Break & Intersession this year. It was such a great trip – I wrote a blog entry about it earlier this year. And regarding my brother? When we were moving in during Orientation, he decided he really liked the atmosphere and applied to Hopkins. He is a proud member of the Class of 2013 and is planning to major in Mechanical Engineering! It should be fun at Hopkins next year with the two Dasgupta brothers.
In August 2008, the farthest I was ever away from home was a period of 3 weeks. 3 WEEKS. That was for the Virginia Governor's School for the Spanish Language. In August 2009, I find that I have lived away from home now for almost a year!. So here's a little bit of reflection: I really wish I had taken more advantage of the last summer at home. The truth is, you're never really going to be living with your parents again, so do lots of fun family oriented activities. That chapter is going to end very soon, so make the last pages really worthwhile.
For my parents, my brother and I going to college means that the house will be much emptier than before. I am sure it will be hard to get adjusted to, but I (we) definitely plan to visit home as it's pretty easy to commute to Northern Virginia from Baltimore.
In August 2008, I was not very set on what my plans were after Hopkins. Now, I am still not a 100% sure, but I am more convinced that I want to become a doctor. As a BME major at Hopkins, I know I will be well prepared when I enter medical school.
Lastly, spending some time away from Hopkins has made me realize how much I miss the environment I found there and the friends I made. It is really a great place, and I can't wait for you guys to experience all the fun for yourselves.
I hope that you guys enjoy the last bits of summer, because once September comes, you'll be in Baltimore!! There's so much fun to be had here, especially if you are an incoming freshman. Good luck, and have a great rest of the summer. See you on campus. J
July 04, 2009
"Summertime and the livin's easy"
Posted by Peter C.
Well, let me just say that summer in college is a lot different from summer in high school. There are no requirements or anything, just a time to relax and enjoy yourself. Of course, I came into the summer with some plans: get a tan, read some books, work on some art, make money, live it up with my friends. Pretty much everything has fallen short. It's a bit depressing, but I mean, "the best laid plans of mice and men oft go awry."
Why have they gone wrong? It has rained pretty much everyday for the past month. Even if we get some sun, it will rain right after. So mainly I've gone to the beach twice (I went once a week last summer, since I live 15 min away), and this is devastating; I love the beach. As for reading books, mainly I don't know which books to read (I have a few, so this might change a bit, thankfully). I haven't had a ton of time to work on art, unfortunately. I have
been working, but they've been cutting everyone's hours (stupid economy). And lastly, some of my friends have just completely cut me out of their lives (I guess that just happens sometimes in college).
Of course, I have had a lot of fun this summer so far. I've been using my old 35mm film camera a lot, and I love the pictures I'm getting. It's
really nice and artistic. And I've been riding my bike a lot, which is nice. Also, some of my friends from Hopkins came up to visit, and we went to New Hampshire to visit my friend Bri (where I met the nicest baby calf ever). It was nice for them to actually see where I come from and see that they did have fun.
Anyway, I'm gonna cut this post short, since I got my wisdom teeth out a few days ago, so I'm kinda groggy, and I just got back from work, and there's another day tomorrow. So, hope all is well, and that everyone is enjoying their summer, make the best of it, you'll miss it soon enough! And Happy Fourth of July!
-Petah
July 01, 2009
Three Very Different Things
Posted by Brian S.
So, as promised, it's time for a mid-summer update on what I've been up to. Since leaving Hopkins, I've been involved with three main things, which have all been quite different. In this entry, I'm going to talk about our family vacation to Alaska.
1. Alaska
May 12th was my last final exam here at Hopkins. May 17th my family and I boarded a cruise ship in Alaska. It was a sheer whirlwind of packing up everything in my room, packing for the trip, and getting there. Getting there was no fun - a 6 hour flight to Seattle, a 2 hour layover, a 3 hour flight to Anchorage, another 2 hour wait, then a 2 hour drive to the ship. But it was certainly a really beautiful experience.
We boarded our ship, the Statendam, near Anchorage. We got aboard about 7PM - which, keep in mind, is like 11PM Eastern time. And we didn't sleep the night before, since our flight left at 3AM. On the next day we apparently went through College Fjord. It was announced that the most scenic moments would be at 6AM. We considered getting up at that time only briefly, but decided sleep was a better idea given the ordeal we went through the day before. Oops.
The next day was a cruising of Glacier Bay National Park. This was really cool because Park Rangers and a Native actually boarded the ship to explain what we were seeing. We got to see a number of the glacier up close, and see (and HEAR) the "calving" of the ice. One particularly cool moment was when one of the Rangers mentioned Johns Hopkins glacier, which we would be seeing later in the day. I went up and asked her about the history of the name after her talk, explaining that I was a current Hopkins student. She said that she too had been curious, since her own father was a Hopkins alum. Here's the story:
The explorer who found what is now known as Johns Hopkins Glacier was rapidly running out of money for his explorations. This was in the late 1800s, when our first president, Daniel Coit Gilman was at the helm (no pun intended). The explorer sent word back to Hopkins that he needed funds. Apparently he decided that by naming the glacier "Johns Hopkins Glacier" he could get more money from the school! He also decided to name the adjacent glacier Gilman Glacier, so he must have gotten quite a bit!
Sadly we were unable to see the Johns Hopkins Glacier, because the ice-pack was too dense for our ship to enter the aptly-named Johns Hopkins Inlet. But here is a picture of the Inlet:
Hopkins Glacier is off to the left and up the channel a ways.
From here we went on to port calls in Haines, Juneau, and Ketchikan. These cities were interesting, and we saw a lot about the fishing industry such as some canneries, etc. And lots of totem poles. We took a sky tram in one of the cities, where there was a nature preserve at the top of the mountain. They had a rescued eagle named Lady Baltimore (that's her at right)! Apparently the story ("You must be from Marlyand. Only people from there care about the story," said the guide) is that the bird had damaged one of its talons, so it looked like it had one "finger" out, like how Lord Baltimore would have a finger out when he drank from a cup.
Eventually the ship brought us to Vancouver, where one journey ended and the next began. We (for the second time in a row) had our luggage temporarily lost by the airlines. At least both times it's been on the way home (knock wood)...
While we certainly enjoy vacations to warmer places, it was a lot of fun overall. I am so glad to be able to say "seen it" about this wonderfully beautiful part of our nation.
Hopefully this wasn't too much of a "family vacation slideshow"! Stay tuned for my next update, about my Uncle's wedding in Mexico, my adventures taking Calc 3 over the summer, and some tips on packing for college! Best of luck with getting ready for Hopkins to all the incoming freshmen - hope you all got the classes you wanted this morning!
