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Week 1
Week 1
Day 1 (Sunday): On July 9th, Cluster 8 students arrived on campus at Warren College and prepared for our check-in from 1:30pm to 3pm. Students and faculty were eagerly walking around campus, the crowds bustling with excitement. At check-in, we received our lanyards, lab coats, safety classes, and dorm key/meal passes. Additionally, if students had time, we also split up into various groups for a quick tour around select parts of the campus. Following the tour, we also had free time up until dinner in which we had their first encounter with COSMOS’s dining plan! After the amazing dinner, where our cluster students had the opportunity to mingle with other COSMOS students, our RA’s and Resident Deans gave a brief introduction and then the activities commenced. COSMOS University was a blast!
Day 2 (Monday): Cluster 8 students got up bright and early for breakfast—with some being at the Canyon Vista Marketplace as early as 7:30am—prior to their classes. Our amazing RA, Celeste, led the cluster for today and guided students to the Powell-Focht Bioengineering Hall where they have all of their classes. The classes began with a zoom Safety Training which entailed Laser Safety (led by Mr. Trung Le) and UCSD Laboratory Safety (led by Brain James, Environment Health and Safety). The online training was cut short as the lively Mr. Gurevitch, lab manager and a Research & Development Engineer, entered the auditorium to present a Laboratory Safety lecture specific to Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine. The very first TE-RM-related lecture was led by Dr. Gaetani, who introduced us to the concept of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine! In that lecture, if we weren’t already familiar with the topic previously, we got to learn a great number of the basics in order to get through the upcoming 4 weeks. After the lecture wrapped up with Dr. Gaetani, lunch began and then additional lectures followed—this time with Dr. Sah. Dr. Sah delved into the importance of cell/tissue culture pertaining to the subject of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative medicine and we were able to dive deeper into a subject we will be heavily adhering to during the rest of the program. Then, us students were introduced to the laboratory we will be working in and proceeded to set up appropriate software required for future experiments. In terms of classes, the day concluded, but the rest of the day was dedicated towards social programming.
The fun did not stop after 4pm, as we got to participate in residential life activities all afternoon! In Cluster 8 specifically, we began our planning for our much-anticipated Cosmolympics skit (as a brief sneak peek through random topics: The Voice, Kanye, Beyonce, Backstreet Boys). We had an entire hour to get our ideas out, and we can’t wait to see how our performance develops leading up to the Cosmolympics on Friday. The excitement continued after our skit practice, and our cluster was the first group escorted to one of the most popular spots on campus… Target!! Among other essentials, many Cluster 8 members purchased socks that covered our ankles, so that we are properly protected when we finally get into the lab tomorrow! We are looking forward to a great day 3!
Day 3 (Tuesday): The second day of classes kicked off with a Science Communication Class led by Cluster 8’s stellar Teacher Fellow, Rosina Garcia. We learned about the importance of communication in the science world and kept this in mind as we began to brainstorm topics for their ethics essay. After presenting various subjects that we were hoping to pursue, our cluster ultimately settled for “Socioeconomic Issues within Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine.” Our afternoon classes were fortunately more hands-on as we started and completed our first two labs! We were taught the basics of micropipetting and serological pipetting, then utilized our knowledge through application. We practiced serial and simple dilutions as well as the transferring of fluids! Class today was simple, but fun regardless.
In the afternoon, we participated in some more fun residential life activities! Just like Monday, we continued to work on our Cosmolympics skit, which we are all really looking forward to! (Another sneak peek: Taylor Swift and golden buzzers!!) After practicing our skit, the rest of the night was more calm, and most Cluster 8 students opted to go to Lo-fi Cafe to finish up classwork during our activity time, while others chose to go to Target or participate in sports.
Day 4 (Wednesday): Beginning with a lecture, we learned about HistoPathology of MultiScale Biology which included learning about various terms in regards to anatomy, morphology, and physiology. Then, to get to know each other more personally, all of us (including our Teacher Fellow and Cluster Assistants) gave “About Me” presentations that were quite fun! Then, going back to the lab we completed yesterday, our different groups reported their data and post lab reflections. Following lunch, we embarked on yet another lab that required us to learn sterile techniques used in the Biosafety Cabinets! Such techniques included sterilizing our work surface, gloves, materials, etc and it ultimately taught us valuable habits that we will use in the lab. After our brief lab and first experience with a BSC, Dr. Gaetani presented a wonderful lecture on Cell and Tissue Characterization.
Day 5 (Thursday): This morning was once again dedicated to our ethics essay. We joined a zoom meeting with two wonderful UCSD librarians and were taught how to utilize the resources provided by the school. Once that meeting concluded, Dr. Gaetani entered the room and we resumed the lecture from yesterday regarding Cell and Tissue Characterization. Then, we proceeded with post-lab question share outs! After our student share outs, we went to lunch and then came back to talk about our lab. Today, since we already had practice using sterile techniques in the BSC, we used those skills to create media with DMEM (Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle Medium) and FCS (Fetal Calf Serum) in addition to a small pH lab.
Our day ended in the best possible way… with a much-awaited, much-needed, and much-appreciated STARBUCKS RUN!! This afternoon was all smiles for Cluster 8 :)
Day 6 (Friday): Today, Cluster 8 visited Nuvasive—a biotech company that specializes in medical devices utilized in spinal procedures. We got a brief presentation on the company and its goals, then had the opportunity to take a tour around the Nuvasive campus. We got to visit the machine shop (where prototypes are developed), 3D printing lab (where different parts for spinal transplants are created from titanium alloys), cadaver lab (AKA the surgeon experience center), and the biomechanics lab (to test out various prototypes and devices)! Then, we got to ask a few questions in a short Q&A session before wrapping up and heading back to UCSD. After lunch, we had three hours worth of lectures!
Res life was a blast today as all of our hard work paid off in the Cosmolympics! Our cluster won the musical chairs (towels) game and brought back medals for our victory. And although our skit did not win, we had a great time putting it together and performing. Here’s the link to the skit: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IXTvpRAj0-k1ZJThOv2i6Tk-DgOZofJk/view?usp=drivesdk .
Day 7 (Saturday): Saturday was so exciting because we got to go on a trip to La Jolla Shores! Whether we were shopping, hanging on the grass, or spending some time in the waves, everyone in Cluster 8 had a fantastic time. The evening followed with programs like usual, including a movie night, karaoke, basketball, and a fun time for everyone!!
Cluster 8's Cozy Food Corner
Cluster 8's Cozy Food Corner
Open to new experiences, cluster 8 bravely started their conquer of the new dining hall and its food. Emery Domingo, Neil Jauffret, Christopher Kim, Krish Walia, and Aaron Dumas began to rate the different types of food at the dining hall. Here's what they tried and their average rating from 1-10 (1 being not edible and 10 being Michelin Star food) :
Breakfast
Pancakes: 6.5/10
Triton Blend: 8/10
Hash brown: 9/10
Basil Toast: 5/10
Eggs: 5/10
Croissant: 3/10
Lunch (Fushion Grill)
Carne asada fries: 7/10
Burger: 4.5/10
Tostadas and enchiladas: 8/10
Moco Loco: 7/10
Grilled Cheese: 10/10
Chicken Tender: 7/10
Dinner (360 Grill)
Steak: 5.5/10
Green Bean Salad: 5/10
Shrimp: 7/10
Spring Rolls: 8/10
Mixed Vegetables: 5/10
Mashed Potatoes: 8/10
Dessert
Blue Ribbon Ice Cream: 4/10
Lime Ice Cream: 4/10
Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream: 9.5/10
Cluster 8 Newsletter Team!
Cluster 8 Newsletter Team!
Res Life Writer: Louiza Zughbaba
Res Life Photographer: Emery Domingo
Cluster Photographer: Autumn Cho, Aaron Dumas
Cluster Writer: Sophie Boeun
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