The second day of the program once again started with a bioengineering workshop, this time conducted by the undergraduate honors society for bioengineering. Kevin Godines was our host, and his interest was in the anatomy of biological organisms. I think the students had the most fun with his activity: he had us examine our hands as tools used to grasp objects, and then, providing us with nothing but some string, straws and tape, challenged us to build something that would be capable of grabbing a paper ball and depositing it into the trash can. We could do anything we wanted with the materials provided, so it was really interesting to see what the students came up with. There were those who went with very complex designs that they hoped would give a firm grip, and there were those who went for simplicity, but that also meant that the paper ball was held quite precariously and a good sense of balance was a prerequisite to completing the challenge.
I knew this was a very engaging activity when I saw the accompanying teachers taking part as well. In fact, the simplest design which used just two straws (something simulating our hand would require at least 4 straws) was done by Ms. Michelle Koh, who was the teacher-in-charge for this group of students. Here’s her award-winning design in action:
Through this hands-on activity, the students got a better appreciation for the design of our body, as they realized that even just to do something as simple as pick up a paper ball, there is a lot going on in our hands, and that our hands themselves are a marvel of design, with many more intricate moving parts than they had previously realized.
After the workshop and giving the students to fill their tanks during the lunch break, we headed over to Telegraph Avenue. Telegraph Avenue is one of the main roads leading to the university campus, and is one of the most popular spots for students. There are a number of eating places to be found here, and several stores which sell all the gear that a UC Berkeley student would need for their academic studies. But of course, these same stores also carry a lot of university-branded merchandise, and these made wonderful souvenirs for the students to bring home with them to remind them of their time at Berkeley.
After gathering everyone back from the shops, we embarked on another student tradition: hiking up the Big C. The Big C is a concrete letter C that is built into the hills overlooking the Berkeley campus. During the week leading up to the big football game with UC Berkeley’s rival, Stanford, students from the university are tasked with protecting it and ensuring that it doesn’t get vandalized, mostly by Stanford students seeking to paint over its yellow paint (Berkeley’s school colors) with red (Stanford’s school colors). This was a great chance for the students to get up close and personal with the nature that is literally in the university’s backyard:
Right at the top of the hill, we found the swing that was previously lower down the hill. Some enterprising student had moved it up to a higher vantage point and even reinforced it. Typical of students from one of the top engineering schools in the world. Although it looked sturdy enough, the swing would swing you out over a sheer slope, so not everyone was brave enough to venture a go on it:
But one thing that everyone did enjoy was the fantastic view of the East Bay, the university campus and the city of San Francisco. After this rather tiring hike, it was an easy stroll back down and on towards dinner!