For the January issue of the Nexus Newsletter, we are collaborating with One Million Lights at ISM to raise awareness about the social and economic significance of affordable and sustainable lighting.

What does OML do? This remarkable organization aims to replace hazardous and costly kerosene lamps with more sustainable solar-powered lights. With the goal of distributing one million lights across the Philippines, they help to improve the lives of rural communities while caring deeply for the environment.

We hope you enjoy these articles based on the theme of Light! It’s intriguing to see the various interpretations and inspiring ideas from our writers with article topics ranging from sun dials to photonic chips and more.

Aarushi Kaushik, Editor-in-Chief

Niyanthri Arun, Managing Editor

Articles

Meet January's Writer of the Month: Chris!

The Writer of the month is chosen based on the following criteria:

i) frequency of active participation in monthly issues

ii) attendance in meetings (or letting us know of your absence beforehand)

iii) timely sharing of article ideas (or asking questions if you need help)

iv) timely submissions of the first draft, proper resolution of edits

v) overall writing style/quality 

We are ecstatic to announce that our Writer of the Month for January is Chris D'Arcy, a senior! Some Q&A:

What are your areas of interest?

I like STEM, but am also interested in History. I enjoy investigating how the two areas overlap, and think it's important to understand how we reached the mathematical and scientific concepts we have today. Seeing patterns behind past processes of scientific inquiry helps me better understand scientific concepts, and appreciate them more.

What are your favorite subjects in school?

Math and Physics. It's a nice feeling completing problems in those classes, like figuring out a puzzle or combining the clues in a case. I like History too, but personally prefer the more ancient stuff compared to the 20th century.

Why did you choose to write your article Sun Dials and Their Workings for this month’s theme?

I thought it would be a good way of combining my two passions, and have always been curious about how sundials function. Heard a lot about them from different people, but never really got an understanding of their workings. Thought this article would allow me to answer that question, and it aligned well with this month's theme.

What do you like about Nexus?

I like that it gives me an opportunity to research my interests every month, and that it pushes me to be creative with the monthly themes. The encouragement by the editors to ensure that some level of analysis is involved, so the article is not just restating of facts, is also greatly appreciated. It makes writing for Nexus more worthwhile, and a good way to build critical analysis.

What’s a fun fact about you?

I met Obama once (a wax figure of him, but it definitely counts).