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By Skyy Sumlin x Leland Jones, STEMSEAS Students
Leland and I are students in the STEMSEAS program and we are also members of Divine 9. Leland is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and I’m (Skyy) a member of the Alpha Nu Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. We are also joined by Maynard Okereke, who is a Science Communicator, Engineer, Entrepreneur, Content Creator, and member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.
It’s been very pleasant getting to know Leland and Maynard. Since we met, and I became aware that Leland is a member of my brother organization, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., we have been getting along well. We bonded over still being neophytes, and I’ve taken the pleasure in beating Leland in chess, checkers, crazy 8, and any other game we’ve played! Of the multitude of games that we played I can happily say that Leland only won 3 :). Other than that, Leland is the epitome of a southern gentleman, who attends the prestigious Morehouse College.
I also enjoyed joining Maynard on his ship-to-ship broadcasts. He video chats to schools, telling them about the day-to-day operations onboard E/V Nautilus, while satisfying the science curiosity of young people. You can find more information about Maynard and his scope of work by visiting https://www.hiphopscienceshow.com/ . – Skyy S
Yesterday students aboard the E/V Nautilus had the opportunity to see the ROV “Hercules” in operation as it demonstrated how the arms work by picking up various objects off of the floor and stacking and maneuvering them. We also had an up-close look at the inner workings of this robotic vehicle. Earlier in the expedition, we had the chance to be the first group of STEMSEAS students to be able to join a live video-chat with another STEMSEAS vessel. We got to ask and answer plenty of questions ranging from the layout of our ship and our dining schedules, to what type of research our ships primarily perform and what we all have learned during our journey. – Leland J
