SWOSU Day 26: From Squirrels to Science – One Wild Thursday 

Today started early. Around 7:55 AM, I was walking out and looked back-  and saw a big group of students slowly walking to class like a little army. There were only five minutes left before class, but somehow, all of us made it just in time, no one was scolded, and no one had to talk to Dr. Hubin. A miracle, honestly.

Fifteen minutes later, we were already in the lab. Both groups (mine and the other one) worked on crystallization using different chemicals. And oh wow- it was so long. I think it took around three hours. But when we turned on Spotify, the time went much faster. We talked, laughed, and had fun while working. It was actually really nice.

Then came lunch and let me say, I think it was the best one we’ve had so far. Seriously. We had crispy fried chicken with some delicious sauce, pasta with tomato and cheese, and for dessert – chocolate brownie pie with ice cream! My soul levitated. I was supposed to stay for 20 minutes. I stayed for 40. No regrets. 

Also, I had a fun conversation with Dr. Ellis, so I really enjoyed it.

After lunch, I had only 10 minutes before the next class. I ran to the coffee shop to get my favorite lemonade, and while I was running, I saw a squirrel! She was so cute, I had to stop and take a photo.

Then we had another lecture. It was three hours long. After that, we had dinner with professors and faculty. The food was great again, and we had a good time talking and joking about the upcoming talent show.

At the end of dinner, our site director reminded us: “Don’t walk alone! Always in groups of three!” So when we walked back to the dorms, we kept repeating that rule – joking with anyone who was walking alone:

“Noone walks alone!”

Every time we saw someone by themselves, we’d pull them into our squad. Felt like a very wholesome version of a secret agent team.

Later, we changed clothes and walked back to the academic center. We spent more time there, just talking, laughing, and enjoying the evening. It was a really great day.

And tomorrow is July 4th, and I’m so excited! We’re planning to paint our faces with American colors, dress up, and go to a baseball game. I seriously can’t wait-  it’s going to be a really cool day!

Ayaulym

Hi! I’m Ayaulym, a student from Kazakhstan spending my summer in the U.S. doing research, meeting amazing people, and trying not to burn anything in the lab. I love science, stories, and strawberry lemonade.