Hey all!
… I’m very puzzled as to how I got so busy all of a sudden. One day, I’m hanging out at Wellesley, doing homework in the Science Center and meandering my way to studying for my finals (I’m going to pass both my classes! You watch!) and then precipitously I reach: “Ahhh psets ahh Ruhlman Conference Ahhh!”
Which is exactly how it should be, though these occasions continue to amuse me. In previous years, I would block off weeks when I knew everything would be coming to a head. This semester, it’s a fresh surprise every time!
Thus, prepare yourself for another post when events and pictures are coming at you left and right. After this (I got to MIT at 8am this morning), I need to go to math class, go to my other math-y class, practice my presentation for Ruhlman Conference, go to math office hours, go to my other math-y office hours, and then hopefully return to Wellesley at 8pm? Hopefully? …Mondays and Tuesdays, man :). They remind me I’m alive.
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First of all, I have an announcement: I TURNED IN MY THESIS! I am so, so pleased to be finished with it. About a third of the seniors I talked to pulled an all-nighter before it was due, so the next day there was a huge collective sigh of happiness, relief, and “naptime!”
Hahahahahaha *neverending giddy laughter*
There are two remaining things to finish with regard to my thesis. I have my defense in two weeks, when I present and answer questions about my thesis to my committee members. And on Wednesday is Ruhlman Conference! Ruhlman is one of the two student conferences on campus. Tanner Conference is in the fall and focused on what Wellesley students’ experiences over the summer, and Ruhlman is in the spring and is focused on student research. We have the day off from classes to can attend a full day’s worth of talks about all of the activities students here are engaged in. These conferences are two of my favorite sets of lectures on campus—I can’t recommend them enough. You think you realize how interesting your peers are, and then you attend these talks, and their diversity and intensity blows you away.
And the Ruhlman poster is in my favorite colors this year! Best b-day ever. On Saturday some friends and I are going to get birthday dimsum in Chinatown– why have cake when you can have egg custard tarts?
I’m going to be presenting a 15-minute talk on part of my thesis work, and I’m delighted by vigorous well-wishes from the many friends and mentors who have promised to attend :). I love presenting my work to public audiences, and so it’s really the perfect day for my birthday, which is also this Wednesday!
Hmmm :). Around preparing for Ruhlman and working on some psets (problem sets), I’ve been emailing with the two prospective students I mentioned a few weeks ago. Wonderfully, they have decided on their schools—and they will both be joining the Wellesley Class of 2019! Congratulations to Kanika and Rebecca—we’re so excited to have you and your new peers here :). Wellesley’s a fantastic community with incredible opportunities—as my four-year-long love song through this blog expresses :).
One of the things that Rebecca emphasized when I asked her about her decision to attend Wellesley was the incredible community. My RA (resident advisor, the person who keeps dorm-life happening) set these out next to the bathroom a week ago :). My hallmates are such a tight group :).
… And I have to thank Wellesley one more time, because I have won Wellesley’s Horton-Hallowell fellowship for graduate study. I’ll be heading to the University of Cambridge next year to do a Masters in Experimental Psychology, and the committee for Wellesley Graduate Fellowships has awarded me an incredible gift to help. Thank you so much to the people who wrote me letters (Professor Conway, Professor Hildreth, Professor Wiest, Professor Keane), pushed me this far (Liz Mandeville, Professor A., many others), read and evaluated my essays (thank you to the committee!), and the many, many people who have listened to the ongoing saga that is Monica-And-Her-Research :).
I cannot believe I am going to Cambridge. And that my dorm is a twenty-minute walk from where I’m going to work. And that I can look this stuff up online. Life is amazing.
President Bottomly holds a reception in her home for fellowship winners every year :).
I’m also graduating soon. (As soon as I pass all my classes, yes.) (Can you tell I’m a bit worried?) (My friends are all laughing at me.) (Still can’t believe I’m almost done.)
I have four things to mention to finish up. First, one of my heroes at MIT, Professor Nancy Kanwisher (I took a class with her last semester) uploaded an awesome video about neuroanatomy. Second, my sister Leslie, who’s a first-year at Wellesley, had her first poster session! And we were talking about linear algebra yesterday, since we’re both taking it… both of these conversations let me see the start of a new dimension of our future adult-like interaction :). Third, Tiffany had her senior recitation two days ago! So proud of her :). And last, Saturday was Hoop Rolling, one of Wellesley’s most famous traditions. Essentially, seniors in their graduation gowns run down Tupelo Lane pushing wooden hoops, and the winner is promised to achieve whatever she defines as success, as well as be thrown in Lake Waban!
Yeah Leslie! Hanging out in the Science Center for the win.
Leslie’s first poster session :). Prof. A, Jean, Meba, Kendra, Jyoti, Katherine, Hope, and Leslie.
Tiffany defeating the Beethoven 🙂
🙂
And now: pics from Hoop Rolling! This is THE picture-taking time, and the weather was gorgeous. Here we all are, assembled at the start line!
Stealing photos off Facebook. Go Zoe! (Zoe, in the yellow, ran the marathon, too :)).
I was far too focused to acknowledge friends cheering, but Tiffany did!
And at the race’s end, milling around, waiting for the winner to appear :).
At the center of this picture is the 120th Hoop Rolling winner, Sophia Garcia, and President Bottomly!
Carrying Sophia to the lake!
I love that I captured this moment on camera. It’s not often that the winner is dropped :P.
But we carried on!
I was too far away to get a good “thrown into the water shot” especially since it was cold and nobody wanted to wade in to throw her properly :). But here are some of the requisite “after’ pictures :).
Orgo buddies, I believe 🙂
Swim and dive team from first year, reunited! (sans Kendra, since she was at a track meet)
I love this one. They both see so puzzled.
Zoe Sobel, a Wellesley graduate last year, is working for WBUR (Boston’s NPR station) and was interviewing Sophia! (Zoe was a track teammate when she was at Wellesley.)
Self-indulgent, but I love this one. Katherine’s in the photo, Audrey (her twin) is taking it.
A good week, and by Friday everything will have calmed down as usual :). I’m off to class, readers—best of luck with your college decisions, and happy spring!
Monica