TEqb News
A word from the students and our Camp Counselor...
Alexander Munjal Jesse Grindstaff Avani Javer
Sasha Jones Andrew Griffin Katie Schiermeyer
Nicole Colgrove Chantalle Gilliam
Our extremely smart, funny, nice, good, vivacious, groovy, lovely, energetic, always early, and otherwise most awesomest person in the world, Our Camp Counselor and the Heroine of all our dreams;
Monday July 31
This past Friday we took a trip to the Oak Ridge National Laboratories. There we listened to lectures on many aspects of the workings of Oak Ridge to include the environmental effects of the Labs and what they are doing to monitor and combat negative effects. Also we learned about how they are using massive computer power to figure out how biological system work on a molecular level. We were lectured on how Oak Ridge was started for the enrichment of Plutonium through a huge Graphite Reactor. We sat in the room that founded Oak Ridge National Laboratories. Also one of our Comrades Andrew Griffin left his wallet at his dorm he only realized this when a picture I.D. was requested of him by a really big security guard. We were fortunate in that we made it to the Lab early, but Andrew made sure that time was not wasted as we sat for about fifteen minutes, waiting to be let into the Labs...
Tuesday July 25
This past weekend we took a trip to the Natural Tunnel where on Friday we took a Botany Hike. We were taught about the difference in many families of the Plant kingdom. We were taught the difference in Dicot and Monocot plants, Monocot plants have bilaterally symmetrical leaves with parallel veins with three or multiples of three petals and sepals on their flowers. Dicot plants can have bilaterally symmetrical leaves and have five or multiples of five petals and sepals on the flower. The veins of dicot plants are also quite different, they are very spread out and not parallel at all. Saturday we began the day with another Botany hike accompanied by one Dr. McDowell of ETSU. Later on Saturday we moved through and experienced the Natural tunnel First hand. The trip ended on Sunday with a snorkeling trip to the Clinch River. Here we learned about many different species of Darter and Shiner fish.
More Pictures from our trips:
Inside out of Natural Tunnel Hanging out at our Cabin Chester Lee Turtleton our Mascot
High above the Tunnel High above the Tunnel from in the Tunnel The Best Group Ever
Train Tracks Scare Me Botany Hike Dr. McDowell examining a Flower The Chickory Plant
The Butterfly Pea Plant Watch out for the Train
Monday July 17th
Last weekend was the best trip to a Aquarium ever. We learned all kinds very interesting stuff. We first came across a tank of Great African Lake Cichlids these we learned were a prime example of rapid speciation in a confined space. As we moved on we marveled at the river otters as they slept. Then on to the cool stuff the cold water exhibit had the best selection of animals in my opinion, first came seahorses that looked like seaweed, we learned that seahorses are part of a small group of animals that use male pregnancy in the reproductive cycle, the males will take the eggs into his abdomen instead of the female. On we went to the octopi and hermit crabs. After we had our fill of mollusk we moved to one of the big pictures the Beluga whales. As we continued to walk we were shown the Sea lions which we learned were most closely related to the dog as far as land mammals are concerned. Soon we encountered a group of quite playful penguins that loved performing for an audience. the penguins left us laughing, but we were about to be completely taken aback by the majesty and size of the next attraction. The largest windowed tank in the US was right before our eyes. The acrylic glass that shielded us from thousands upon thousands of water was over two feet thick. We marveled as we watched Whale sharks swim around with tiny yellow fish in front of them. This tank was also home to many different fish including small rays and Giant Grouper. the yellow fish swam in schools and it appeared as though when a lead fish turned they all turned. However there is no lead fish the schools movement is due to a set of instinctive rules that makes for a fluid movement of the school and keeps all fish together. Soon it was on to the petting zoo where we got to pet live shrimp and horseshoe crabs which we learned are not actually crabs but in fact are closer to spiders than crabs in relation. After we finished with the crabs we were released to go look at the fish for ourselves. Soon we were on our way home, and our very own Jesse Grindstaff informed us that jellyfish gave us certain hydro-skeletal anatomical features that greatly aide in reproduction. THANKS JESSE...
Some images from the trip:
Some of us (sorry not everyone fit) Great African Rift Lakes Cichlids
Beluga Whale An object with emerging properties: A School of Cubarra Snappers
Tuesday July 11th
Yesterday our summer bridge program started. We have heard stuff about probability and statistics.
Today the first soccer match took place near the CPA. A team made of TEQB students and Math majors undergraduates played another team also made of TEQB students and Math major undergraduates. One of them won 4:1. Please everyone jon us on Tuesdays 5 pm for soccer and Thursdays 5 pm for Ultimate Frisbee!
On Friday we will be visiting the Georgia Aquarium. There are still a couple of seats in the van, please join us if you want to.
