Sunday, June 11, 2023
By:
Time is going by so fast, and I can’t believe we are already done with two weeks of the program. But, if I were to describe this week in three words, it would be: spontaneous, studious, and full-of-caffeine.
This week, I really strived to understand the papers that my mentor had assigned me about the MUSE HUDF data release. For each paper, I focused on what each figure describes and the significance of the results. I curated all this information into a presentation and discussed it with Dr. Kumari during our meeting on Wednesday. Having this meeting helped me understand the big picture of spectral line properties and what our project will focus on.
I spent half my days this week doing internship and school work while sipping on some iced lattes at Tatte. There is just something about the ambience inside coffee shops that makes working so much more relaxing! On the rest of the days, I commuted with some other interns to ACP. On our way to the office, we would try our best to catch the rainbow pride train, or just snap pictures as it passed by. This Thursday was also the Wikipedia edit-a-thon! We had an absolutely stellar host (shoutout to MJ) and donuts. During this time, I got to learn all about Elmer Imes and his contributions to quantum physics as the second African-American to get a Phd.
I set a goal this week to get outside, be a little spontaneous, and have fun! Luckily, I missed most of the smoke when it was time to go out and explore. This Monday, I went to the National Mall for the first time with the other interns. Some interns were running around playing frisbee, while some of us sat on the grass with some relaxing music playing in the background. Seeing so much greenery always makes me so happy, and it was the perfect way to start the week. On Friday night, I went to a ballet show by the Washington Ballet at City Center DC with some other interns. We fawned over how beautiful the dances were and admired the versatility of dance styles. Saturday was by far one of my favorite days, as we had some brunch and went to the pride parade! So many memories and adventures were made this week, and I can’t wait to do even more next week!
See ya soon!
Tiffany Liou