By Anisa Singh, Orrin, Isabelle, and Violet
Saturday, oh Saturday, how I love you so… (hopefully)
We all woke up this morning with bright plans in mind, as today was set to be a chill day. Many of us had stayed up late watching movies and playing cards—some even played games until the wee hours of the morning. So, when a few of us slept through our alarms, it was hardly a surprise. A groggy start eventually gave way to a calm morning, followed by some productive project work and a trip to survey data on pigeon guillemots at the Friday Harbor Dock.
Six of us joined this outing, eager to dive deeper into behavioral science and explore how field scientists collect data. One of our goals was to gather information for our upcoming poster projects. For others, it was a chance to see whether a project about pigeon guillemots was the right fit for them.
After a couple of hours of research and work, it was time for lunch. We packed into the van and headed to Deadman’s Beach, where we enjoyed our meals with a stunning ocean view. Afterward, we went tidepooling and discovered all sorts of marine wonders—giant nudibranchs, huge chitons, colorful sea stars, countless crabs, and many other breathtaking organisms.
On the way back, the next thing on the schedule was something mysteriously titled “Structured Recreational Time.” This, understandably, raised many questions and even a little apprehension, which were voiced repeatedly to our van driver, Maya. Upon returning, we learned what it really meant. Though some of us expected an afternoon wandering through a sculpture park–which didn’t exactly spark a ton of exitement–we were happily surprised to find out we were going back to Roche Harbor (the same place we visited earlier for kayaking).
There, many of us grabbed ice cream, wandered through the harbor shops, and enjoyed the lively energy of the area—including a very loud live band playing for passing pedestrians.
After exploring for about an hour, we returned to the dorms to check in, prep dinner, and enjoy some free time. Soon, we were seated around the dinner table with plates of fried rice, joined by Dr. Anna Shcherbina, an immunologist who is now focused on molecular biology.
After dinner, we dove into a learning session focused on the intersection between marine biology and immunology while discussing how different scientific fields can play very different yet vital roles in various aspects of biology.
With our heads full of new knowledge and inspiration, we split off for nighttime activities—some continued card games, others watched movies (like Maze Runner), and a few people crushed their friends in intense chess matches. Excited for the next day, we eventually wound down and drifted off to sleep.