A Reflection of Break to a Preview of Spring

Spring semester has already kicked off to an exciting start!  After a winter break packed with traveling, trying new foods and meeting old friends and family, I can’t wait to see what the next couple of months have in store.

Back in December, I headed back to New Jersey to spend time with my family and enjoy a white Christmas.  Although, the weather was definitely colder than remembered, I felt nice and cozy while shopping around the city and enjoying some of my favorite holiday activities like ice skating in the park and drinking hot cocoa and warm apple cider across a roaring fire place.

Snow!

As New Years came around I was lucky enough to go to Taipei and Hong Kong for more food, adventures, and nostalgia for places I haven’t been to since I was in middle school.  From the 101 firework displays and hiking through the mountains in Taiwan to the Victoria Bay scenery and shops in Hong Kong, I was out and about in the cities discovering new hidden places to visit.

The excitement continued even after heading back to school for this past weekend was the first AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers) retreat at Riverside.  Bonding with other Chemical Engineers and seeing how each school’s president runs their chapter, the program was a lot of fun.  Similarly, new events lie ahead for Neon Tommy (the online University newspaper) which along with the writers will be entering the  Society of Professional Journalists Awards.

At the SoCal AIChE mixer with @AIChE_USC eboard! #viterbilife #ViterbiOrg pic.twitter.com/UBLtDsFt1G

— Sarah Bass (@SarahEBass) January 18, 2014

As for classes, I’m getting to learn more about the technical skills involved in chemical engineering by taking CHE 350: Separations and what chemical engineers can do after graduation in BUAD 301: Technical Entrepreneurship. On the other hand I’m also taking a class on cross-cultural urban gangs where we’ll be having inactive gang members as guest speakers provide a honest exclusive persepective on their experiences and what the media fails to cover.