COSMOSIS
Shosei’s Top 5 from COSMOS Week 1
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5:
When I initially set foot on the UCI campus, I was disappointed. With a rating of “A” for campus food on Niche, I expected more. On my first day, I was met with square pizzas like the ones I’d been served in middle school. But as the days passed, the food got better and better. The meals were very culturally diverse; food ranged from spaghetti to kimchi fried rice. Additionally, there is a wide variety of drink options that I usually do not get to try at home such as the Watermelon Strawberry and Mango Lemonade. Heading into week 2, I am excited to see what UCI continues cooking up (Get it?)
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4:
The educational section of COSMOS ends at around 4 o’clock each day. Students are given plenty of time to rewind and engage in exciting events, however. My favorite from this week was the Scavenger Hunt. Participants were given a list of objects and a time limit. Whoever found the most objects by the end of the time slot would be crowned, earning their hall points. While everyone else searched for points, my group used the Scavenger Hunt as an excuse to explore the campus. The views and vibes were unmatched because the Scavenger Hunt was held at night. It was the best way to start off my first full day at COSMOS!
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3:
I’ve had a lot of fun at COSMOS already in my first week because of the various events and people but at the end of the day, COSMOS is still an academic enrichment program. I would be doing COSMOS injustice if I didn’t mention the academics. As someone interested in physics (a subject the typical student hates), it was awesome being in a nerdy environment, filled with individuals all fascinated by the same subject as I was. Particularly, I would like to shout out the TAs. As our cluster professor was setting up for our first lab, one of our TAs Anne-Katherine began lecturing a group about the daunting sub-branch of quantum physics. Her clear passion for the subject makes me interested for the upcoming weeks in COSMOS!
2:
Before coming to COSMOS, I would try to get games of volleyball set up with my friends. Each time, I was met with failure as someone would have a last-minute plan. As I began to prepare for COSMOS, I was ready to throw myself into this academic environment. However, when I arrived I was met with not only one volleyball player on my floor, but two. And even more surprisingly, one of them had brought a net. Immediately after class ended on the first day, we got to play. People from all over COSMOS came to play and it has been a great way to de-stress after the classes!
1:
Honestly, it’s a little mind-boggling to see how everyone interacts with each other after only one week! When looked at from an outsider’s perspective, it appears almost as if everyone has known each other for months. Katie Decker is to be credited for this. Her success rate in pairing up roommates and floormates is unparalleled. I was placed with a group of people who could have easily been my friends had we gone to the same schools. We are only one week in but already our dorm is characterized by loud, passionate singing in the showers!
COSMOS Through the Art of Poesy
By: Fiona Pauli
COSMOS Acrostic
Cockroaches don’t make good roommates
Once in a lifetime experience
Show off your smarts with pride
Many different meals at Brandywine
Only three more weeks to go
See what you are interested in
Beach Field Trip (Tanka)
Sand is scorching hot
Tons of people everywhere
Cool waves are crashing
The burning sun makes you tan
Pigeons swarm leftover food
Brandywine Mealtime (Cinquain)
Cafeteria
Yummy, Noisy
Eating, Talking, Choosing
The food is okay
Brandywine
Wilderness Play at Irvine’s Barclay Theater (Diamante)
Love
Crazy, Exciting
Waiting, Kissing, Fighting,
Connection, Family, Revenge, Betrayal
Lying, Crying, Dying
Dramatic, Sad
Tragedy
Residence Hall Life (Haiku)
The bathroom is small
Common room is full of life
Roommates make great friends
The COSMOS Alphabet
Amazingly brilliant
COSMOS days excite
fellow go-getters,
hurling into journeys kept.
Learning most necessary
operations plus
questioning, reasoning, seeking.
Tales unfold
various wanderings;
xenial yokefellow zealousness.
What Songs Do COSMOS Students Like?
Music is a part of all of us. At UCI COSMOS, music is often played during study sessions, meals, and gatherings. After hearing a diverse array of music, I decided to ask COSMOS students what their favorite songs were and why. Here are the answers:
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All Too Well by Taylor Swift
I like the story and her songwriting!
August by Taylor Swift
It's Relatable
You Weren't Meant to See That by The Rare Occasions
Because of the unique melody and rhythm and everything. Second, there’s a huge jump in the vocals, a pretty amazing feat in my opinion. Third, a build of emotions, a chaos that cannot be described. Fourth, the lyrics are cool and the music video too, please check it out!
Mrs. Robinson by Simon & Garfunkel
I like playing it while I'm driving because I pretend I'm in the car chase in “The Graduate".
Linger by The Cranberries
It's my favorite song
Mockingbird by Eminem
I love how real he keeps it and it's just catchy in general
Good Luck, Babe by Chappel Roan
The bridge is unmatched and her voice is beautiful
Such Great Heights by the Postal Service
It’s gorgeous both lyrically and instrumentally and it reminds me of when I was young.
Brandywine: The Eggsistencial Crisis
Us cosmos students love food, Brandywine tends to offer a variety of meals and the chefs are always open to custom-making anything according to our dietary needs…however we have concluded that their variety always goes around the same thing, eggs and chicken.
This first week I suppose we’ve all learned to love and hate eggs. They are tasty, however, they make up 50% of a regular breakfast, it is starting to feel like déjà vu…
By the time noon rolls around, students anxiously wait for the main dish, chicken. Grilled chicken, baked chicken, chicken in random sauces such as barbecue… I guess the dining staff is on a mission to get us those gains which I mean, I’m all for it to be honest.
Hey after all, protein has many health benefits but It’s not all bad since we know what awaits us, the sheer excitement of walking into Brandywine knowing exactly what there is to eat. No surprises, no disappointments, just the same reliable eggs and chicken.
Now let’s see what a few of our fellow cosmos students have to say on this topic:
“Honestly I don't like the fact the food will always be the same eggs, sausage, and potatoes but I don't think it’s that bad, the food is pretty good I can’t lie, most of the foods are a hit or miss. 8/10”
-Anonymous
“I’m kinda tired of having the same thing every day but I could get used to it, it’s lowkey pretty good, I really miss that pesto pasta it was so good”
-Anonymous
“I agree with the fact it’s a hit or miss sometimes it’s really good or mid or dookie.”
-Anonymous
“Yeahhh like it depends on the day for sure but usually the food isn’t too bad”
-Anonymous
“The foods they do consistently (pizza, eggs, burgers, etc.) are actually good, they just get boring after a while, the food that they make occasionally like the tacos, curry, kimchi, and whatnot, THAT'S truly hit or miss. It can either be the most amazing thing like the Mac & cheese & chicken thing, or it can be that sad attempt at a taco”
-Anonymous