Angelica Wang

So we have come to the end of summer. It’s been a wild one, and one that I’ve never thought I would experience almost completely through a screen.

 August 10, 2020

So we have come to the end of summer. It’s been a wild one, and one that I’ve never thought I would experience almost completely through a screen.

I guess it’s a little off-topic, but a dear friend of mine has recently recommended that I watch an action horror series about parasites, even though I was hardly a fan of television. And instead of finishing this blog post early, I was binging a series on bloodthirsty extraterrestrial entities. There were quite a few moments that made me reflect on my time spent as part of the brachiopoda origination group, my participation in my community across the years, and a lot of the events I have witnessed in the news. What is life, after all, if it is doomed to end, often in aiding the survival of some other life form? (I don’t generally use rhetorical questions, but 2020 seems like a fair time to get a little existential.)

Don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed learning about programming and analyzing trends, and one of my only regrets coming out of this program is that I couldn’t contribute as much as I think I could’ve. Gosh darn tech constraints. Perhaps it’s a little strange, but sometimes, I wish there was some way I could speak to any possible humanity of these organisms from so long ago. Sometimes, I wonder if lacking the necessary physiological components to develop a human-like consciousness was really worth the extra time the prehistoric organism could spend being in an “alive” state through its slowed metabolic rate. I sincerely believe that altruism serves some betterment for every species, whether it is as simple as passing on genes similar to oneself, or something far more illogical, beautiful, and ethereal that may result in the death of an individual, or an entire species. (But then again, if I open up the news and pick any headline, a solid 80% makes me question if the people being written about were any more intelligent than a brachiopod.)

Of course, this is all a ways beyond what my tired brain cell can comprehend, so I’ll leave the fever-dream thoughts at that. If I had any word to describe this year as a whole, I would say it’s pretty unforgettable, and all the wonderful people at SEYI made a good chunk of that a really cool thing. I’ll miss you all… keep in touch, luvs! I’ll see you later.

I have to say, and I have absolutely no qualms about this, that I have worked a lot harder in the past few months than I probably have in my entire freshman year.

July 10, 2020

I have to say, and I have absolutely no qualms about this, that I have worked a lot harder in the past few months than I probably have in my entire freshman year.

I suppose things are just, urm, different. With everything that is going on in the world, I sometimes question if I should really have the privilege to continue to enjoy learning with some of the nicest people I have ever met. I wonder if I should spend more time sewing masks, volunteering at a blood bank, or making face shields for our medical professionals who don’t get to avoid this problem. I also wonder why I have been met with such resistance for protesting our country’s lack of concern for human rights.
It’s all quite confusing really.

But I suppose some of these events puts other problems going on in our lives in a different perspective, and I hope that we may remember a few lessons, among others as we go about this year.

Number one: Science is an endeavor worth its cost, most of the time, and that is why we dedicate time, effort, and other resources into making really cool discoveries. (They may save people, the environment, and maybe even unlock the secrets of the entire universe. And it’s probably a good thing.)

Number two: Climate justice is for everyone.
Honestly, I could dedicate an entire blog to this (actually wait that’s a good idea I’ll note it), but for the sake of making a post that won’t be my spam of stats, reasoning, and articles, I’ll just say that science can’t discriminate. Or at least, we should all work to make the world a good place for everyone, and everyone is valuable in this discovery of this world! If I ever get to become a scientist, I know won’t forget this.

Number three: It’s good to ask for help.
I am actually terrible at coding. I think I’ve known this for a while since the coding workshops we’ve had in class back in elementary school. Where my peers flew past all of the problems as I still struggle to hold back the stress of being confused, forgetting, and/or not being able to catch up. I’ve spent lots of time improving though, and I’m glad that everyone here has had the patience and understanding for my slow learning, if any of you are reading this, you probably don’t know how much I appreciate you for being you. Thanks.

Hehe, anyways I’ll be curious to see if my thoughts change throughout the summer, but I sure will make sure it’s for the better. :3