WE Science Body: Flying With Friends

Meetings every Friday: I always see enthusiastic and hyperactive freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors -- ready to engage in another day's worth of activity. It especially sparks a small sentiment for the day when everyone engages with each other, which is exactly what we did last week.

Using paper airplanes, we examined the effects of adjustment to the plane's wing length and width, and the structure of the planes themselves. Instead of going to the physics behind it -- namely equations -- we decided to let them physically modify the airplanes to engage themselves in the relationships. By introducing basic fluid dynamics, we gave them the concepts needed to experiment with paper -- leading to an interactive experience rather than just a classroom lecture. Like Icarus and Daedalus, we experienced the limitations of our supplies and capability of the quality, trying to ascend through the skies, piercing the threshold of a fabric of boredom that oscillates much like that of the airplane, indulging ourselves in the excitement of the "longest air-time" or the "farthest distance" -- like children, ending with a faint chagrin most of the time.

That was last week! This week we had an ice-breaker to try to learn (or attempt to) everyone's name. We formed a circle, and played "I Love my Neighbors who..." -- person in middle says a phrase with an interest and/or similarity and people who have that quality will disperse to find a room in the circle and the last one to arrive at a spot will be the person in the middle. This didn't work out as well as intended as many people were reluctant to speak, which we all tried to push by "forcing" some newcomers to speak. We got through everyone, but it was very rushed at the end! Nonetheless, we all learned at least one new name! Collectively, as our group becomes more unified, we'll become a stronger and stronger entity of influence. E pluribus unum -- from many, one.