Eighth Week: Overdrive and Ice
Eighth week has arrived, and with it, the expected academic crunch. Two take-home finals—one reportedly warranting a full two weeks of work—an ODE lab, and an 80-hour Computational Mechanics project analyzing the dynamics of our tinkertoy siege engines all land alongside the standard Japanese and ODE coursework. Naturally, the sane response to this pile-up is to sign up for even harder classes.
My registration hopes are pinned on Partials, Electricity and Magnetism, and a not-yet-determined third course. Epistemology and Philosophy of Physics are both strong candidates, though their rosters fill quickly. The latter is particularly intriguing, as it tackles non-locality, causality, and the stranger aspects of quantum theory. With only a handful of spaces left, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Season Endings and New Beginnings
Broomball season has wrapped up, and our team, "Harmony on Ice," put in a solid performance. We powered through the playoffs, winning our first two matches 11-0 before succumbing to a 0-4 defeat in a hard-fought game later in the week. Over twelve games, the team really gelled, and I'm sorry to see the season end—it's easily the best winter sport there is.
Max and Sophie managed to talk me into joining them for the Book Across The Bay, a night-time cross-country ski race spanning a 10 km frozen lake. That meant learning the sport in a single week, then bussing up to Wisconsin to stand at the start of a vast, dark expanse of ice illuminated by a winding trail of candles set in carved ice blocks. Aid stations along the route offered cookies and hot chocolate, and as Max and I passed the five-kilometer mark, the lead skiers were already crossing the finish line, celebrated by a brilliant fireworks show. It was a memorable experience and one I'd gladly repeat next year.
