This was the thrilling start to the Playfair event, the first recreational event of the first ever all-online COSMOS. Over 200 SIP and COSMOS participants came together that evening with low expectations. Initially, most of us had no idea what Playfair was, and many participants were also bracing themselves to sit silently in breakout rooms while pretending to answer icebreaker questions.
However, all notions of awkward Zoom clichés vanished from everyone’s minds as soon as the meeting started. We were greeted with lively music and our grinning host: Kevin. He prompted us to list 4 things we did this summer, and the chat flooded with Genshin Impact addicts and AP test survivors. Somehow, the conversation devolved into everyone making plans to rob a Costco then burn it down in a huge gender reveal party (whether or not it was a joke is subjective). Shortly after, chat was disabled.
Kevin then led us through a couple yes or no questions, including “Are you honest?” and “Have you ever peed in the shower?” After going through many questions, some of which were suspiciously similar to website security questions, we went through multiple rounds of breakout rooms. Luckily, there was minimal sitting-in-breakout-room-silenceTM since Kevin had given us very engaging questions to discuss and didn't make each breakout room last for too long. We discussed classic topics like favorite books, and also more original ones. One such notable round was where each person said “Sorry I’m late….” then made up an excuse as if they were in their favorite TV show/movie; for example, “Sorry I’m late, I was falling in love with a bee.”
The last breakout room activity was a round of ultimate rock paper scissors. First, everyone competed within their breakout rooms, then the breakout room champions competed with one another in the main room. Chat was enabled in the main room so that everyone could cheer for their breakout room champion, and it suddenly became very clear why it had been disabled earlier. Despite everything in chat being very wholesome, there were so many people typing that Zoom crashed multiple times. Maddy Park from Cluster 6 eventually emerged as the victor to hundreds of cheering fans in chat, and she gave a heartfelt 5-second speech thanking all her loyal supporters.
The unexpectedly thrilling night literally went out with a bang, with Kevin instructing us to open our mics at the same time and to make! some! noise! The ensuing noise was so loud that it temporarily deafened everyone and probably broke the sound barrier. Even through all the chaos, one sound still managed to shine through: the beginning drums of “Never Gonna Give You Up” by Rick Astley.
Despite the rick roll being a rick roll, it was a reminder that regardless of whether COSMOS is online or in person, teens will still be teens and COSMOS will still be a great academic and social experience. - Audrey Zeng
Trivia Night
On Thursday, July 8th, UC Santa Cruz’s 2021 COSMOS Program held its first virtual trivia night. The students were split into groups of six, and in each room one student led the trivia game. The questions were separated into categories: UCSC, Astronomy, Marine Science, Video Game Design, and Sciences.
Many of the questions were difficult, but the students had a fun time guessing the answers and getting the ones they knew right. A question that messed with many people was the 500 point Science question: “This is the powerhouse of the cell.” Many players knew the answer was the mitochondria and this allowed many students to pull ahead and score.
“Cathleen rigged my game and Andy won because of that question,” said Adam, a fellow trivia player.
Other students struggled: Sharis’s group was subtracting points for incorrect answers, and she ended up with -4900 points. At the end, all the groups reconvened in the main session room, and the winners of trivia in each room received a free USB fan. Though not everyone was a winner, it was a memorable and enjoyable experience for everyone. - Emily Dai
Alumni Mentors
The new faces of Cluster 9 peered nervously at their Zoom screens, anxiously waiting for their alumni mentors to join the meeting. Though Cluster 9’s focus had experienced a full 360 from Computer Science to Biological Science, the alumni’s presence was long awaited with excitement.
An alumnus is defined as a graduate or former student of an institution. But at COSMOS, an alumnus means so much more. COSMOS’ prestigious and highly competitive background makes it an unparalleled academic opportunity that is more than a summer program. Thus, their alumni are more than former students.
Without warning, three bright faces appeared in the Zoom. Their cavernous eyes scanned the room; welcoming, yet intimidating all at once. They introduced themselves eagerly. Alexis Huang, a rising college sophomore; Katherine Liu, a rising college freshman; and Ashok Devireddy, a rising high school senior. Though they were only slightly older, their poise was beyond admirable; so confident in themselves, and so sure in their paths. From the moment they began speaking, their brilliance radiated through the computer screens as they zealously shared their experience at COSMOS.
When asked about the program’s impact on their college life, they happily shared its countless benefits.
“COSMOS helped me confirm what I wanted to do in college,” Katherine explained. Already passionate in mathematics, COSMOS sparked an interest in Computer Science, which she later went on to double major in. Ashoke, though still in high school, resonated with Katherine. He shared that COSMOS built his confidence in AI and Machine Learning, inspiring him to pursue related projects long after completing the program.
Alexis differed in her answer, reassuring the stressed students that choosing a college major is not a final decision. She shared that she herself is still figuring out her major, but that COSMOS facilitated in refining her Computer Science interests. “It is a chance to explore different career fields,” she remarked.
When asked about their most memorable experiences, all three mentors spoke on meeting new people in the program. Ashoke reminisced about playing board games, and Katherine about playing frisbee with new friends. Alexis discussed her fascination with working on the newspaper and meeting people outside of her own cluster. The alumnus encouraged the new students of Cluster 9 to step outside of their comfort zones and to be open-minded to making new friends, despite the program’s online setting.
“Make the most out of it,” the mentors encouraged supportively. Their incandescent recollection of the program was inspiring, making it clear that COSMOS is a multitudinous opportunity unlike any other. - Annesha Dey