I ditched the first Climate Campaign and YSEC meetings. I felt like I had a real excuse to drop out of everything when I was planning on finishing my thesis this fall, but now I just feel like a lazy senior. :) The truth is, I am working hard, but nothing is going to stop me from procrastinating and I just have to allow time for that. I am involved with the UU group on campus, which has expanded through the awesomeness of Scott's recruiting to 15 people from 5. We're hiking to East Rock for a picinic tomorrow in celebration of the equinox, which actually isn't 'til Saturday, but whatever. Some of the freshmen are really hardcore. And in general, this freshman class is very attractive. I am often amazed when I venture onto Old Campus at the number of genuinely hot individuals. Then I remember they were born in 1988. ><
My schedule is finalized. I love Complex Societies - the Burger/McIntosh dynamic duo is formidable and fun. Plus, Chris Milan from San Jose de Moro is in the class, which is just plain surreal. There's still some kind of awkward chemistry between us, which I'm planning on ignoring entirely. He was totally watching me drawing in my notebook yesterday. "You're really into manga, aren't you?" he commented. "You could say that," I smiled. I'm glad Luis Jaime gave me the heads up that Chris would be at Yale, because otherwise I might have plain flipped out when I saw him.
Applying for NSF funding is kind of a pain. Fortunately, my suitemates are doing it too. Not that I wish pain upon them, but you get the idea. Reading the application guide threw me for a loop with its appeal to the world-saving crowd. In addition to "Intellectual Merit," the second criterion upon which awards are based is "Broader Impacts:"
The broader impacts criterion includes contributions that (1) effectively integrate research and education at all levels, infuse learning with the excitement of discovery, and assure that the findings and methods of research are communicated in a broad context and to a large audience; (2) encourage diversity, broaden opportunities, and enable the participation of all citizens-women and men, underrepresented minorities, and persons with disabilities-in science and research; (3) enhance scientific and technical understanding; and (4) benefit society. Applicants may provide characteristics of their background, including personal, professional, and educational experiences, to indicate their potential to fulfill the broader impacts criterion.
What exactly is that about? I'm just going to grad school, folks. Nothing more.
Finally, am I the only one who's actively missing the spinach?
