Thursday, June 13, 2024
By:
Forgive me, but this is going to be a long post. I have a LOT to discuss with y’all.
In general, this week the interns spent their time playing “guno”, discussing in vivid detail what Charles should wear to the DC Pride Parade if he were to attend, and enjoying the scenery and good weather DC has to offer. Gizem was still in town until Thursday morning so the remaining amount of free time I had was spent trying to squeeze an entire year’s worth of stories into two nights. Light work for a seasoned yapper such as myself.
The Trimble Lecture took place Wednesday night at ACP Headquarters. Both Ruthie (another 2023 intern!) and Gizem were able to make it along with a few other AIP/SPS staff I hadn’t seen since last year. The lecture was amazing. Though, most of it went over my head which is to be expected when you’re a fresh graduate listening to the director of Goddard and a Nobel Prize winner discuss the future of space exploration. I appreciated that they were able to take the time to do this and stay and chat with us after. It is truly a great networking resource and I hope they continue to do this for the next few generations of summer interns!
The following night involved a hectic metro ride home from NIST hoping and praying that I wouldn’t be late to the AIP dinner cruise. For those of you that know me, I know you’re shaking your head going “Brynn, of course you were late. That is SO you.” BUT LET ME TELL YOU, it was not entirely my fault. Here’s my dilemma: I needed to leave the dorms by 5:10pm at the latest. In order to get home using the metro, we have to take a shuttle that leaves from NIST on the :05 and :35 of every hour. From there, you’re looking at about a 10-15 minute shuttle ride followed by about a 50-60 minute metro ride. Note that these times are all subject to change with factors such as the weather or the driver just not showing up. Being from Minnesota, I know how drastically weather can affect road conditions and travel times. HOWEVER, being from Minnesota, it is absolutely baffling to me how a little rain can cause a 40 MINUTE TRAFFIC DELAY. It’s like the rain washes people’s decades worth of driving experience and leaves them with the mindset similar to my 15 year old sister who just got her permit (sorry Grace with peace and love). Anyways, I was cleaning out the lab and couldn’t leave until 3:35. The rain hit as soon as I got on the shuttle and I knew I was in for it. I got to the metro station at about 4:05, sprinted to the redline, saw that it was delayed and immediately emailed Kayla and Mikayla absolutely freaking out. Somehow, the one time I actually was prepared to be late, the metro got me to the dorms by 4:50. I still cannot explain to you how this happened. I’m very glad it did, though, because the dinner cruise was one of the most fun nights I’ve had within the program. The views were gorgeous and the rain had cleared up most of the humidity. 10/10 time all around:)
Friday night was a blur. I was at work all day doing some cool stuff with my fellow intern Eva (ANOTHER 2023 intern thanks Brad this is so awesome) and by the time I got home I was simply exhausted. I decided I wasn’t ready to go sit in my room yet though so I called a friend and walked around for a bit. All of the sudden, I hear a woman go “Hello miss would you like a free dinner?”. Obviously I’m intrigued so I walk into the restaurant. It’s both classy and laid back, similar to restaurants you’d find in a hotel but with a much lighter color scheme. The wait approaches me with a menu and oh. my. goodness. I cannot begin to tell you how close to tears I was. The food was THAT delicious. I also ended up getting sat next to the general manager of the franchise which only added to the experience. He explained the entire brand, helped me select the best options on the menu, and gave me a free wine opener so that I would have to keep doing the lighter trick (iykyk). I left the place with money still in my wallet and a 16oz steak in my belly. Life is crazy. After that, a group of us went to karaoke where we learned that Reidyn can SING. I don’t think the world has heard a high note like that since Freddy Mercury himself.
Finally, Saturday was the Pride Parade. I know that this next paragraph may contain some controversial statements for my particular audience, so please skip to “Last quick update” if you think that might be you.
The DC Pride Parade is one of the most beautiful experiences that I have had in my life. Last year was the first time I went to any pride festivities in general and I am so lucky to get to be here again. One of the main reasons that the Pride parades/events are so special is because of the inclusivity. Everyone there has a reason to celebrate. Everyone there has an identity they wish to express. Speaking as someone who grew up in an environment that sought to stifle this expression, it was incredibly refreshing to see the happiness we all had for each other. Not just within our intern group, but with strangers on the street. The positivity was infectious. Pride is important for this reason. No one should ever feel like they are lesser in any way because of the colorful part of their identity. If you ever have the opportunity, even if it REALLY doesn’t seem like your scene, I encourage you to attend your local pride events. I promise there will be a place for you.
Last quick update on my project:
I’m working with Josh Pomeroy’s team in the Physical Measurement Laboratory at NIST. My job right now is to figure out how to mount a silicon chip onto a printed circuit board (PCB). They’ve been previously using a technique called wire-bonding to do this but it has limitations. Because the wire bonds are so small and typically made of aluminum, they are not built to withstand extreme temperatures such as ours (4K-300K). They need a different method of soldering, the process of joining metals together, that can function in sub-freezing conditions. I spent my time this week researching different soldering materials and techniques. Next week, I’ll hopefully be able to do some hands-on practicing in the soldering lab. I’ll keep you posted if/when I break something.
Until next time!
Brynn S
Brynn Schierenbeck