University of Guelph Biochemistry Day 21: Serenity Amidst Crunch Time
It was only yesterday when I had the most delightful rest of this SSP program. But, being the wastrel night owl that I am, I stayed up incredibly late, sleeping past 2AM and rendering the “weekend rejuvenation boost” I had grown accustomed to useless. Ergo, it was no surprise when I had to claw myself out of bed, sleep-deprived and bed-craving at 7:30.
After brushing my teeth and changing, I walked to the UC for breakfast. Normally, I’d be able to shove some breakfast down within 5 minutes and still make it to the lab/lecture. However, starting this week, a very irksome measure was put in place for SSP students: we must eat all meals on the fifth floor. I’m fairly sure it was caused by all the summer programs and rugby athletes at UoGuelph. Regardless, it’s maddening to take an elevator to the 5th story for every meal, especially when WE were the OGs here. They had to put a leash on us because we had too much aura, sigh… Anyways, I ditched the normal speed-eating competition known as breakfast, and headed to Alexander Hall.
A squirrel I saw
Today’s lecture was on types of inhibitors, presented by Dr. Chan. It was a bit of a special lecture: the final one of our program!! As a challenge to get out of the norm, everyone sat in different spots, shuffling around. I was amazed by my ability to stay fully present during the lesson, as the microsleeps have been getting quite frequent recently. It could be that Dr. Chan and Henry’s game of musical chairs was so entertaining. But it’s probably because (and you better write this down guys, this is tech) I was too hungry to doze off. Bryan should keep up with the META, as he seemed particularly drowsy.
Bryan taking a nap during break
Following Dr. Chan’s lecture, Dr. Hebda did an Alpha Fold activity with us, and we sped through it until lunchtime. For lunch, I had a glorious Subway footlong. Mr. A was able to strike up a deal with the Guelph admins so that our meal cards worked at Subway, and it genuinely was a lifesaver. My Subway PSA: Honey Mustard + Sweet Onion + Hot Sauce / Sriracha (I’m putting y’all on trust).
After lunch, we prepared a standard curve using a sodium phosphate concentration assay. The lab work was very chill, especially as everyone is so accustomed to preparing dilutions at this point. While our solutions dyed in Biomol Green, we had free time, so everyone started drawing on the chalkboard and whiteboard. I don’t mean to brag…but I’m a bit of a Picasso myself. I even drew Elizabeth and Larkin. They both started off incredibly well, but Arnav turned Elizabeth into a werewolf. And Larkin..uhh…I don’t really know what happened?
Elizabeth
Larkin
Although our group had some questionable (?) results in the beginning, we eventually produced a reasonable standard curve and headed out.
A picture of our data.
Gracie in the lab.
After exiting the lab, we essentially had open classroom, so myself and others went to work on planning the next experiment. In theory, that is what we accomplished. In reality, or in vivo however, things don’t always go according to plan. I played GeoGuessr against Neel for quite a while. It was a hard fought, arduous and troublesome battle, but eventually I prevailed in a clash of wits.
Neel and Lauren paying respects to my GeoGuessr win
For dinner, everyone gathered in the UC. We sorted ourselves in all sorts of ways: some xsprawled on the couch, others chatting on the high table, and little gatherings of people twiddling their thumbs awaiting Mr. A’s usual head count. Myself and Neel played Brawl Stars. I find it intriguing that before SSP, I hadn’t touched the game in months. But I supposed we must come up with all sorts of ways to appease tension in this giant pressure cooker of a summer program. Dinner was upstairs on the fifth floor, in the UC Club room. Everything seemed much more posh and elegant, but there was an insidious vibe from the workers. They rationed the food as though we were in detainment, and weren’t all too helpful. Well, this is our life for the next week. At least we get more opportunities to stuff the elevators with students, in typical Biochemistry @ UoGuelph fashion.
After finishing our dinners, we headed for the Summerlee Science Complex. However, the lab wasn’t quite open yet, and we would need to wait for a TA or professor to open it for us. Thus, in the curious and inquisitive mindset that SSPers contain, the boys and I explored the building a bit. Today’s target was so near yet so far; a presence that we’ve all seen but never had the foggiest clue on how to reach: the greenhouse. Towering above the science complex, the greenery and lights always seemed so glorious to us. We ascended onerously, floor by floor to the top (we took the elevator). Yet despite our efforts, we were capped at the 4th floor, unable to proceed any further. Our only gain was getting to see the suspiciously locked double doors, presumably the key to the glorified garden. With saddened hearts, we returned down and got our laptops. At least we had Henry to cheer us up.
Henry selflessly dancing for us.
Eventually, our passionate work spirit petered out, so we headed back to the dorms. Full of athletic spirit, however, I convinced Arnav to go on a speedy run with me. Midway through our 4k, I downloaded Strava, expecting to take my running journey nice and slow. But back at the dorms again, the boys were talking bout sum “15km on Sunday.” It’s like climbing Mt. Everest after only scaling small hills. We’ll see how that plan holds out in the future…
Night run!!
Well, all in all, it wasn’t a bad day. It certainly has not been the most flashy day. But it’s these little memories and experiences, in amalgamations that form the deepest bonds to be cherished for a lifetime. End of day 21 at SSP!
＼(^-^)／ Photo of the day: Arnav and I.
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Noel E.
Participant
Hey everyone! I’m Noel, and I’m soon to be a senior in British Columbia, Canada. I am incredibly interested in chemistry and philosophy, but I also dabble in other things such as business comps, ModelUN conferences, and math contests. As hobbies, I immerse myself in Ultimate Frisbee, reading, and running. I hope to one day be able to solve many of this world’s problems through a chemical lens, understanding the science behind it all.
