Young Galileos

Today was another very long day. I woke up early enough to complete a lab survey and take a leisurely stroll to the breakfast dinning hall with some of my floor mates. I then walked back to my dorm to gather my learning tools and headed down to the Physics building with Alex and Brian.

Today's class was a little more lecture heavy, but honestly, I enjoy the lectures almost as much as the labs. Bill (not Dr. Berner, he insists) showed us the basics of video analyzing. He showed us the example of a traveling cart that shoots a ball up in the air and then catches it as it falls back down. Using Logger Pro, he was able to trace the trajectory of the ball through the air. With this technology, it was really easy to see the parabolic 'y' graph and the linear 'x' graph. The lecture got even more exciting when he started to explain how we would be using both video analysis and an accelerometer to collect data about the roller coasters are going to ride next Friday

After that lecture, Mary talked about Newton's Laws. Even though I have already learned about them in detail, she described them in such a way that I got a much deeper understanding of the concept. She also had some exciting demonstrations involving a 3kg weight on a bungee cord. The lab we did after her lecture was also a review of what we have done in class, only instead of using timers to try and estimate average velocity and then acceleration, we used motion detectors at the connections between force, mass, and acceleration were much clearer.

At lunch, I walked with my lab group to the dinning hall that serves lunch. Even after only two days, I've gotten to know all three of them quite well and they we are usually able to work constructively even during labs that might be confusing or frustrating at first (the four younger teachers as well as Bill who walk around during labs are very helpful so those moments are short).

After break, we worked more with lenses, specifically building telescopes (both Keplerian and Galilean. We started with just a table, two lenses, and a sheet of paper to find the focusing point and we were able to build a functional "telescope". We figured out how exactly to position them based on the lectures and labs we had done yesterday. It was pretty amazing getting a clear picture of the end of the long hallway.

Next we assembled a more typical telescope with PVC pipe. Using our make-shift telescope, we read a fortune cookie fortune that they had taped to the bottom of a 2-meter-long tube. We also fiddled around with creating different focal distances using different lengths and installing cross hairs to make focusing easier. By the end of the day, I had many charts of data and an sound knowledge of the workings of lenses in a telescope.

When I got back to my dorms, after I completed another lab survey, the rest of my day was spent getting to know my peers. I relaxed in my room for a while and chatted with my roommate about her Bio-med classes. She tells me that they spent a lot of time learning pipetting calibrations and technique. It sounded really interesting to me, as does every program offered for the summer courses (excepting, perhaps, the SAT enrichment class).

I also played a game of Frisbee, featuring some unique behind the back, through the legs, and spinning in circles throwing techniques. A few of them actually compete in Ultimate Frisbee at their high schools, so they could do some pretty cool tricks.

After dinner, we once again ended the day in the buildings lounge playing board games and sharing stories. Because we come from such totally different cultures, there is always something for us to talk about. For instance, today I met someone who was born in India, moved to Russia when he was three, and then to England where he lives now. Sadly, he says, he has forgotten all his Russian, and although he can understand Bengali, he can only speak it fluently when he is dreaming. Each person is so unique and exciting to get to know, it is extremely hard for all of us to go back to my room at the end of the night. Fortunately, we have a month of tomorrows to look forward to.

Bill Berner Teaches Physics...and Defies it...

Today was another excellent day. Our breakfast group was much smaller than yesterday because people are starting to flesh out their own unique schedules for waking up, getting meals, exercising, etc. It was only Brian, Fred, and I today, but we had an enjoyable meal nonetheless. Even though I only met Fred a few days ago, I feel like I have known him for much longer and we have become great friends already. Even though we are in different classes, we hang out every day. After a brief breakfast, Brian and I met Julia and the three of us walked to class.

Today’s class continued our discussions on mechanics and optics. These two topics are the theme of this week. Bill began today’s lecture with a very brief discussion on why we needed to see physics principles instead of just studying them. He used optics as an example by making a connection between his lecture on virtual images and how a mirror works. He stood on top of a table where he set up a waist-high mirror. He put one leg on each side of the mirror and explained that his “right leg” was a virtual image because it was just a reflection of his left leg, but it looked like it existed behind the mirror. He then defied physics by suspending himself above the ground…kind of. He picked up his left leg by grabbing his pant leg and it made it look like he was floating. Bill is very good at making class entertaining and making sure that we are aware of real world connections. He told us that this is why we do not get credit for this class. He wants us to do science, not play the game for a grade. He won’t be giving us tests because he feels that would change the dynamic of the class from something that should be a wonderful experience. It is rare to find people that are this devoted to education and I feel very fortunate that I have the opportunity to learn from such an individual. After his quick demonstration, Bill continued to lecture on mechanics. Today’s lecture started as more review because we went over Newton’s Laws of Motion and forces. Later in the day when we returned to optics, all the information was new again. Bill expanded upon his lecture involving lenses from yesterday by discussing telescopes and the different ways that different lenses can work together to produce an image. I’m finding the material confusing at first, but I am able to grasp it thanks to how thorough Bill’s lecturing is and thanks to help from my lab partners. That was basically what our lectures consisted of today.

After each of the lectures, we had labs. The first lab involved measuring the acceleration of a small platform with an adjustable cardboard sail across rails being propelled by a fan. The purpose was to notice trends in the data. Unfortunately, we had to work so fast that we did not have time for group data analysis. We will have to review it by ourselves and discern the meaning(s) of the data upon reflection later. The second lab had several parts to it. First, we had to construct a telescope using with two lenses and different pieces of tubes that we were given. The goal was to read a fortune cookie message at the end of a five foot long tube. Everybody in my group was able to see it except for me. Apparently this was expected because everybody has different strengths and weaknesses when it comes to their eyes. It also takes a different arrangement of lenses to make something visible for different people in a lot of cases. The other part of the lab involved creating an image on a screen using several different kinds of lenses. This part of the lab was relatively easy because all we had to do was arrange the lenses in the right order and at the right distance to get them to create an image. I thoroughly enjoy Bill’s labs.

After class, Brian and I returned to our dorm to drop off our things and hang out for about an hour. At 5:00, we went to dinner with Abheek and Fred so we would be back in time (5:45) for the sponsored “Kmart Run.” There were about fifty of us total. Four RC’s were in charge of the entire group while we were given free roam in the store to grab whatever items we needed. I bought several things, such as a flat of water, another pillow, and laundry detergent. Brian and I also purchased a couple of plastic lightsabers, just for fun. We clipped them to our belt loops and several people turned their heads or got some good laughs out of them, ourselves included. After we got back, Brian, Julia, Alison, Onur, Fred, Abheek, Richard, and I sat in the quad for a couple of hours just talking and having some fun. I find that these are the perfect ways to unwind after the day. Our friendships are all so new, but we all feel very close to each other. Spending group time together is quite the way to finish the day. I look forward to what new experiences await me tomorrow (other than watching 127 Hours).

UPENN ILC, Week 1

On behalf of our UPENN Chaperone Mario Miranda.

We arrived in Washington, D.C. on Thursday June 30, and after checking into the Holiday Inn in Georgetown, strolled up Wisconsin Avenue to where the Naval Observatory and Vice-President’s House are located (the VP has two official residences). The compound was closed to the public, but as random luck would have it Vice-President Biden and his motorcade entered the compound just when we walked by the main entrance, allowing us to get a quick photo of the Vice President’s drive-by.

On further thought, in metro Washington, D.C. encounters with politically powerful persons are not instances of random luck—they are frequent. Moreover, to Georgetown University students interactions with political leaders happen at regularly scheduled events. Thus, GU students are at an advantage in having access to internships related to international relations, public policy, government civil service, business or non-profit advocacy, environmental and/or social justice issues. Many prominent persons in these fields often give speeches, lecture and/or teach at GU. ILC scholars should understand this when deciding if Georgetown University is the right college for them.

Established in 1789, GU is the oldest Catholic Jesuit college in the U.S. It regards itself as a medium-sized research college and has four undergraduate schools, perhaps the most notable being the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, which is the oldest and largest foreign service college in the U.S.

On Friday July 1 we met with Mr. Bruce Chamberlain of the Admissions Office who provided us a very thorough overview of GU, including financial aid information. We then attended a general information session followed by a campus tour.

Later that Friday afternoon we visited the Holocaust Memorial Museum, which was an unforgettable and disturbing experience. The HMM features, heart wrenching photographs, film clips, and videotaped testimonials from Holocaust survivors. The desk attendant (after learning I was a teacher) gave me a CD to augment my lesson plans on the Holocaust. In future I plan on using their web-site and other available media for classroom instruction.

We ended our Friday afternoon activities by touring Washington, D.C. in an open-top double-decker bus followed by dinner near M Street and Wisconsin Avenue—Georgetown’s vibrant center.

On Saturday July 2 we took Amtrak into Philadelphia and settled into the Sheraton Hotel near UPenn. The scheduled tour of the campus was (unbeknownst to us) cancelled because of the holiday weekend, so we explored the campus on our own and were delighted to find a pond-garden on campus. Later that evening we met Dr. June Y. Chu, and UPenn student, Margaret Wang, for dinner and had a great meal and conversation. Dr. Chu, who knew nothing of the pond-garden, was very supportive and said she would check up on the ILC scholars when she returned from vacation on July 18.

On Sunday July 3 we toured Philadelphia, our nation’s first capital. The colonial architecture laced in Greco-Roman motifs stretches for blocks in the Old City section where many restaurants, bars, and cafes attract throngs of tourists. At our dinner with Dr. Chu, she mentioned that the restaurant industry has become a major engine of Philadelphia’s economy. I believe that to be the case in major cities along the eastern shore board.

The Fourth of July was a busy day for the ILC scholars as they checked into their dorms and attended a dinner and orientation for all of the UPenn summer students.

Let the Classes Begin!

Today was the first official day of class. I woke up at 6:30 today so I could get an early start. I cleaned up, got my supplies, and headed to breakfast with Brian, Abheek (today I learned that his last name is Basu), and Fred. We also walked down with one of our other floormates, Richard Dong. We skipped the small-talk though and just discussed what we liked about Penn so far. One of our other floormates, Onur Soybir, joined us midway through breakfast. I met him last night and we got to know each other better today. Our group of six ate a quick breakfast and then returned to the quad so we could be escorted to class.

Thankfully the walk to class is fairly easy to remember. Once we leave the quad, all we have to do is make a left and keep heading down a straight road until we reach the end of the “home area”, which is the area that summer students are confined to. Once we reach that border, we just make another left and eventually we reach the David Rittenhouse Labs. This is where all of our classes will convene, starting at 9:00 every weekday morning. Our group entered the building together and we were introduced to our professor by the RC’s. Bill Burner is our professor and I can already tell I am going to enjoy his class. Bill has been teaching physics, at both the high school level and college level, for over forty years. Every day, Bill lectures us on the topic of the day for about an hour to an hour and a half and then we will break up into our lab groups to perform experiments based on the lecture. Following these experiments is lunch. We take a break for an hour and then come back. I believe that we will normally have another lecture followed by another lab, or we will have a guest lecturer. I am still a little fuzzy on how the class operates on a day-to-day basis though because we were not given any kind of syllabus. However, I’m pretty sure I’ll catch on quickly because Bill seems like the kind of professor that would prefer a class to be easily understood.

Today I performed two experiments. We were put into groups of four. My groupmates are Sarah Hale, Greg Dadourian, and Ana Carolina-Miranda. I wasn’t able to get to know them very well because we had to work quickly, but I’m sure we will come to know each other well soon enough. Our first experiment involved mechanics, which basically consists of movement. We only dealt with time, distance, velocity, and acceleration today. We were not testing what made these principles work, but we were told to observe them in action using a motion sensor and computer graphing. We would have to move a certain distance in a certain amount of time according to the plot of the graph or the instructions we were given on how to make the graph. It was not as simple as it sounds. The distance that we were confined to was only three meters and we had to do most of these experiments within ten seconds. We had to use precision and accuracy to perform the tasks that we were given and it was quite a challenge, much to everyone’s surprise. The second set of labs involved lenses and light (optics, as Bill called this section). We had to do a series of experiments involving refraction of light, distances between real images and virtual images, and focus magnified images through a lens onto a screen. I had never done optics in my previous physics class, so this was all new territory for me. Nonetheless, it was fascinating and fun. Our class concluded with the optics experiment at 4:00.

We returned to the dorms and unloaded our things for the day. After class, we are basically free to do whatever we want to do. We can hang out with friends, do assignments, play sports, etc. Thankfully, the only homework my class is going to have consists of answering surveys and questions about the day’s lab online. This will give me time to explore the Penn campus, Philadelphia, go on day trips, and participate in any of the other exciting activities the staff has planned. There is never a dull moment here at Penn, and I plan to take advantage of as many opportunities as I can.

The evening was very calm, but still enjoyable. We took a campus tour after some icebreakers and we learned where exactly our boundaries are on campus. Following that, we hung out in groups for the rest of the night. I met a few more people including Julia’s roommate, Noor, and a friend of Fred’s and Abheek’s from their biomed class, Alison Liu. We had a lot of fun just getting to know each other and we even found a rec room on the fourth floor. We played music, shot some pool, and even played some board games. Like I said, there is never a dull moment at Penn.

It is only my second day and I already love it here. My class is exciting, the people are friendly, and the sense of community that you can find here at Penn all make for a really positive experience. I hope to have many more days like today.

Fiat Lux

Today was especially exciting as it was the first day of class for us in the Experimental Physics Academy. We walked over to the David Rittenhouse Labs as a group at 9:00 for our morning lecture. Once there, our professor, Bill Berner, showed us to our room and told us a little bit about what to expect. It was very clear that he knows what he is talking about, but also that he is the kind of teacher who listens to his students as much as possible and is absolutely willing to answer any questions we may have. He taught high school for 25 years before he joined the UPenn faculty and is in many ways the perfect person to teach the course (complete with the unkempt white hair and beard). We also met Mary Pandya and some of the assistant teachers there to help understand the lesson. The simultaneous casual atmosphere and sophisticated material made the first day of class both unique and enjoyable.

We covered some material that was review of simple mechanics because there are a good number of students who have never taken physics before, but we were able to cover about a months worth of curriculum in just over an hour. And afterwards we got to play around with the motion censors wile learning more about the nature of motion.

After that, Bill Berner covered some topics relating to light, lenses, mirrors and optics that was all new to me and very exiting. He talked about parabolic mirrors in practical use, such as cosmetic mirrors and rear-view mirrors on cars. He also discussed why objects appear closer when viewed from the bottom of a pool. During his lecture, he used physical demonstrations with lasers, mirrors and tennis balls with pupils drawn on them (to represent the eyes of the viewer) to help us understand what he was teaching us. These and the occasional joke slipped in made his lecture very engaging. What I liked most about his speaking though, was how much he stressed that sciences are not separate from each other or the outside world and how often he tried to highlight those connections for us.

We took break for lunch, where Alex, Brian and I discussed the appeal of American schools with a student from Istanbul, Turkey and after that, it was to the lab where we spent the rest of the day hands-on experimenting with light, lenses, focal points, and refractions. The equipment available to us, even on the first day made lab work more exciting than it has ever been for me. We had a huge lens set up where we could experiment with standing close to it and seeing people across the hall enlarged or standing back further than the focal point to see their image flipped on its head. We also had some high-powered lamps set up at the very end of the hall in order to experiment with "infinite" light sources. We spent three hours in the lab, all of it fully entertained collecting data that proved what we had learned in our earlier lecture. Because, as Bill Berner says, "just because the old man in the front of the class said it, doesn't make it true".

Once our classes ended, our day was nowhere near over. We still had ultimate Frisbee to play (say hello to the MVP on the wining team), dinner to eat and a campus to tour, all three of which involved meeting more new and interesting people than I would have ever thought imaginable. The campus tour felt more like a stroll around the city. We passed clothing stores and movie theaters and angry taxi drivers. For some, it may have seemed a little overwhelming, but I found it to be thrilling and very enriching.

After the tour, we had some time to relax, and get some of our course work done. I took the opportunity to familiarize myself with our programs website where we will be posting the mandatory surveys about our labs. One great thing about our class is that there are no grades or credits so the motivation for completing work is purely based in investigation and comprehension. Likewise, the system for completing assignments is more oriented towards helping everyone understand the material than giving individuals credit (hence the online surveys viewed by question not student).

At 10:00 we had a pizza party and played some pool, ping-pong and card games in the dorm''s lounge. It was a good way to unwind at the end of our first day and I got to know some of the people on my floor much better because of it. I can't believe this is only my second day in the program. I have already learned so much.

Moved In and Ready to Go!

Moving day has finally arrived! I was excited to start my day this morning because I knew that later I would be meeting my new community, my new peers, and my soon-to-be close friends. Needless to say, I could not wait to check out of the hotel, which we would later do around 11:30. But before that, we had our last group breakfast with Mr. Miranda at Cosi. I ordered my very first squagel (square bagel)…it’s not as exciting as it sounds…but it was good! After breakfast we headed back to the hotel to finish re-packing and then we made our way to the Freshman Quadrangle after checkout.

We walked down to the quad and checked in fairly quickly. I’m glad we arrived early because as it got later there was a flood of new students, many more than were there when we first arrived. At check-in, we were given our ID’s, maps, important guidelines and regulations, and our keys to the dorm buildings and our individual rooms. I reached my room, room 302 in the NY Alumni building. I hadn’t even thought to ask if Brian and I had been given the same room, so when we reached the third floor and stopped at the same door we had a pretty good laugh. We began unpacking in our surprisingly spacious dorm immediately. For some reason I get a feeling of satisfaction when I unpack something completely and settle into a certain space. I definitely felt that way when I finished unloading my suitcase today. I’ve personalized my desk, my wardrobe is filled with my clothes and other miscellaneous items, and my bed is made. It nice to feel like this dorm is a familiar place that I can return to at the end of the day and reflect or work.

After we unpacked (and had a rather frustrating bout with the school’s wifi) we met back with Mr. Miranda and Julia for lunch. Today we experienced our first real philly cheesesteaks. Thanks to our tour guide from yesterday I was able to order like a local. When you order a philly cheesesteak in Philadelphia all you’re supposed to ask for is the kind of cheese and say whether or not you want onions. For example, today I ordered as follows: “I’d like an American with,” (“American” being the cheese and “with” meaning I wanted onions). It is certainly interesting. After lunch we took the subway and trolley back to campus.

We were to be led to the dining hall at 5:00 and then attend an orientation. We got back to campus around 4:00 so we had some down time. Brian and I decided to try logging into the wifi again…to no avail… We wound up wasting the entire hour trying to connect, but only getting frustrated. Brian and I headed down to the quad to wait for our group and we decided to socialize with a couple of our peers who are also on our floor. We introduced ourselves to Fred Kwon and Abeek (who’s last name I have unfortunately forgotten for the moment). Fred is from Alabama, but was born in Korea and has his citizenship in Canada. Abeek is from London, attends a single-sex school, and participates in a lot of sports at school, one of which is squash. Both of them are enrolled in Penn’s Biomed Program. We ate dinner together and got to know more about each other. The four of us have become fast friends and I look forward to spending more time with them in the next month.

The rest of the night was essentially spent in orientation and having a floor meeting. In orientation they went over basic expectations and rules, as well as places and people we could go to for assistance with anything. We also met to go over floor rules and expectations later in our floor meeting. I really like Carlos, our RC (resident counselor). He seems pretty laid back but expressed a lot of concern about our safety and was thorough in making sure we understood the rules. We also introduced ourselves to the rest of our floormates in the meeting. There are thirteen of us total (including Carlos) so we are considering calling ourselves the Baker’s Dozen, but I think the culinary class already claimed that name. We’re still thinking. I look forward to getting to know the rest of the people on my floor.

It is only my first day as an official student at Penn and I am already loving it. My dorm is great, I’m meeting new people, and I cannot wait to start my class tomorrow morning. I know it is going to be a great month.

Independance Day

We started off the day this morning at the reasonable hour of 9:30 with a freshly baked squagel (square bagel) from Cosi. It was both tasty and fun to order: "I'll have a toasted squagel with cream cheese". After breakfast, we packed up our stuff, checked out, and walked up the block to the UPenn campus.

We received our Penn cards, keys, information, and a free T-shirt and then it was up to our dorms to un-pack. The first thing I noticed about my room was that it was air-conditioned (thank goodness). Once I knew that, nothing else mattered, it was good enough for me. Still, we have a pretty nice set up. The rooms are definitely large enough for two, there's plenty of storage space, and our windows overlook the beautiful quad area.

After we were all unpacked and settled in, the ILCers set out via SEPTA to the center of the city for lunch. We decided it was time to try a famous Philly Cheesesteak so we popped into the fist Cheesesteak shop we saw and, after waiting in a long line our tourists, sat down. While we waited we got to look over the counter and see the sandwiches being prepared. One got the feeling the guys who were making them had been doing it for a while, they had a system down. It was kind of amazing. With its nationwide reputation, I was expecting the Philly Cheesesteak to be at least a little but over-rated, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that they truly truly earn their fame. The bread was soft and fluffy, the cheese melted to perfection and the meat and onions were very flavorful. It was really very delicious. I look forward to eating more (of course we have to determine the best in the city for ourselves).

When we returned to campus, we said farewell to Mr. Miranda for the night and returned to our dorms. I met my roommate. She is quite remarkable. her name is Noor and she is from Indiana (specifically, "the cornfields," she says) but goes to boarding school in India. Her descriptions of the natural beauty there made me jealous. She also told me that there are monkeys everywhere that will steal your stuff and pull your hair if you're not careful. Our first conversation was probably one of the most interesting ones I've ever had. And she told me I was lucky to live in the Bay Area! I am so excited to hear more from her and get to know about her experiences as the month unfolds. I feel very lucky to have such a friendly and interesting roommate.

In reality, it's not luck at all. Almost every person I have met here has been extremely nice and interested in getting to know one another. The people me and my roommate sat with at dinner were from Manhattan, New York here for the creative non-fiction writing class. The two of them were friends who went to the same high school and they were a very entertaining duo. I met a New Zealander at orientation named Juao "like the sound a light-saber makes," he told me. It's a completely energizing environment to be in meeting so many people from all over the world who are all interested in learning all that they can both from the classes and from one another.

After orientation, we split up to have meetings with our individual floors. I met our floors RA, a gradeschool teacher from LA who is very sweet but will clearly stand for no shenanigans, We sat out on the grass with the fireflies and the fireworks, went over the rules, and got to know each other a little bit. There is a girl from Texas who plays French horn, a girl form Germany who wants to be a dentist, a girl who was born in Michigan but lives in Jordan and the list goes on! Getting to know these girls is going to be quite the experience.

After our meeting, we signed in with the office (as we will be doing every night), ate some milk and cookies and then it was off to bed to get a good nights sleep for tomorrow's classes. I couldn't be more excited. This is going to be incredible.