At the Transit

Author: Prisha S.

My day started out the best way possible: listening to Speak Now Taylor’s Version with Vivian in the PSET dungeon. Which led to a very fun conversation about Taylor Swift concerts (Gautam picked a great outfit for me) and jamming out to the new album while grinding out Python. As soon as the clock struck 12:05, 1/4 of SSP left the classroom to walk back to the dorms. And yes, Taylor Swift’s new re-recorded album was playing in the background.

A lovely Friday morning breakfast: From left to right, Dean, Frank, Atharva, Alex, Theodore, Lucas, Prisha, ¼ Sri

After a lovely breakfast the next morning, our last day of full class for week three began! Dr. Andersen told us we finished all the “mission critical content,” so we spent the lecture learning about Galilean Relativity. You know it’s going to be a good lecture when Dr. Andersen draws some hedgehogs on the board. Our second lecture of the day continued on with the Method of Gauss. I think Dr. R had a mini breakdown when he thought we had not learned about angular momentum yet. In reality, we just learned the concept under a different name. Crisis averted! Our breaks during lecture were filled with playing 4-square and deciding what SSP merch to buy (shoutout to Julia for helping me decide to get the pink hoodie!). 

Dr. “no one can stop me” Andersen with his angry hedgehog
Dr. R, mid floor lecture breakdown. Respect

After lectures and finishing up the Math/Physics PSET, we all made the walk back to the dorms to change into our dinner attire. During dinner, my table and I (Table 1) all left to go on a field trip. We went to try Tony’s orange juice and apple juice blend. It was DELICIOUS! Highly recommend everyone to get on this juice blend instantly. 

Table 1 on a field trip to get juice. Featuring Ashley (front), Arjun (left), Benji (right), and Tony (back)
Post dinner talks in the dorm! Going around clockwise: Velvet, Clarice, Julia, Prisha, Morgan, Rachel, Isbaah, and Ashley

Dinner ended, and after a third swing dancing lesson, we headed back to the classroom (more commonly referred to as the PSET dungeon). Somehow, late nights in the classroom are always filled with new stories and new memories. Today was filled with lots of doodling on the board, watching Josh speed walking in circles, screaming over the bugs, and spectating an intense game of chess. With it approaching midnight, my blog day is officially over. 

An intense chess match: Arjun (left) versus Benji (right)

Unaware of it when I was picking my day for the blog post, today is actually the halfway point of SSP! As cliche as it sounds, our first day at SSP feels like yesterday. We started off our SSP experience struggling to find our research teams, a puzzle to be solved based on our overall theme: mythical creatures. But truly, there is something mythical and supernatural about SSP. Because no matter how much science we do, there are many things about SSP that do not obey science. Case in point: How close the 36 of us got so quickly. 

We just reached the halfway point of SSP (or the transit, as some may like to say) and somehow, we all feel like a family already. Something magical forged bonds between all of us, in this little SSP bubble. Whether it’s the celebration after getting Python code to work, or going on hikes during field trips, every day is filled with new stories and laughter. We all reveal new facets of our personality daily, learning something new about one another. Today in class, Dr. R quoted, “there are more little things then there are big things.” This quote reflects SSP as a whole by showing the little things hold their own significance. Whether it’s a shared meal, a late-night conversation, or a break during PSETS, these seemingly insignificant moments I know will be memories and feelings we’ll remember. The connections and sense of community built through these little things are just strengthening this magical SSP family we have built. 

As we start the second half of this spectacular journey together, I anticipate the future stories we will make and we will tell. Just how mythical creatures all have their own magical powers, SSP has the magical power of bringing 36 strangers to have a bond similar to a chosen family. Our journey continues, a tale yet to unfold.

SSP is magical, and the experience is crazy enough (in a good way) that it feels like a myth 

PS: everybody stream Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)

PPS: Shout-out to Ms. Martinez for asking for more vegetarian options in the dining hall! 

About me:

Hi! My name is Prisha and I’m a rising senior in Livermore, California! During SSP, you can find me taking jogs in the morning, messing around with Python, or avoiding checking my AP scores. Outside of this magical land, I love reading, swimming, and listening to music. Additionally, I love to collect pins and vlogging. Stay tuned for a future YouTube video about SSP!