Summer Activities: Jin Ju

For most college students, summer vacation starts in May but I found myself only taking a week off before starting summer classes. Although I'd like to relax under the sun in my backyard, staying at NYU can never be a bore. Recently, Washington Square Park was opened to the public. With the fountain keeping everyone cool under the sun, there are so many interesting things going on in the park. The movie crew of "Step Up 3" was filming in the park, Robert Pattinson of "Twilight" was seen on the NYU campus, and there are always a bunch of bands playing great music. But all these couldn't top the single encounter I had with a small group with a camera. A friend and I were having lunch in the park when we were approached by a few people with a camera. We didn't know what was to expected. As the group approached us, we were asked to participate in an interview conducted by Scholastic. Since Scholastic is a widely known company, we happily agreed. However, the questions were entirely unexpected. The questions included:"What do you look for in a vampire?" and "How do you know a vampire is really into you?" I was astounded and amused when I heard these questions, but I was even more surprised when my friend answered these questions sincerely. It was only until after the interview that we found out that Scholastic was releasing a new book that was about vampires.
During this summer, I have also been working in a research lab at NYU. Experimenting on smaller projects has allowed me to gain new lab skills and knowledge. I recently completed lab safety and waste training. Although the training can be boring, the information was more than important. I can still remember a terrible incident that the instructor spoke about. This past year, a student at a university on the west coast was working on her research project. However, she failed to take the proper safety measurements for her chemicals, which then resulted in the student being severely burned and her ultimate death. Stories like these send chills down my spine, but it also emphasizes the importance of safety. Nevertheless, I will be continuing working on research in the lab. I hope to apply for a DURF grant and to assist the graduate student I am working with to write a paper for the fall.