by Monday, August 15, 2022
The day began with my 8:30am alarm going off on the night stand next to my bed. I got up, showered, prepared for the day and headed to breakfast. Being in downtown Seattle at 9am was a refreshing yet intriguing experience. Took a cool walk to the Public Market Center while observing the people of Seattle along the way. I stopped for breakfast at Lowell’s restaurant. They had great service, great views and the food was 10/10. After breakfast the real work began, well slightly.
Our group of 11 split up into 4 smaller groups to conduct field research. The goal of our experiment was to find the minimum and maximum values of atmospheric pressure,wind speed and temperature within the Seattle area using the pocket lab and a ananometer.
Photo of the anemometer measuring wind speed at Pier 52 in Seattle.
My team set out on our experiment. We had a Navy Veteran, a Marine Science student and myself, a Computer Science student. We took the same walk I took earlier for breakfast and headed to the Public Market. On our way to the Public Market we recorded a high wind speed of 6.8mph and a low atmospheric pressure of 101.1. Our journey continued mostly with us chatting, getting to know each other and stopping to take readings along the way. In our conversations I learnt a lot about Pier Safety Ratings from the Navy Veteran and heard about his interesting experiences serving this country. After successfully measuring the experiment we got lunch from the public market, then headed back to join the larger group. It was very exciting to hear the results of the other groups and the cool locations they checked for values. One group even saw a Rat Fish near the water which was the highlight of their day.
Later that day the entire group got loaded up into four cars and headed to our home for the next few days, R/V Sally Ride. As a post pandemic world would have it, we all had to swab our nostrils before boarding the ship. We met the captain briefly when he handed us a box of home covid tests. After testing, we all sat or stood outside the ship anxiously awaiting our test results. I took my focus off the test and turned my anxiety into awe by placing my attention on the exterior of the ships in port. Behind Sally Ride was by far the biggest cruise ship I’ve seen in my life – the Quantum of the Seas. This gigantic ship almost seemed like a floating apartment complex, but back to the main character.
Photo of the R/V Sally Ride at Pier 90, Seattle.
Eventually we got on the Sally Ride and the privilege of meeting the crew on board. The first room we saw was the ship’s lab which houses the Network/IT Engineer on board. His area has over 10 monitors that keep track of the ship’s speed, dynamics, cameras and most importantly track possible whale movements in the ocean. My little computer science heart was filled. I was intrigued to learn that there’s an IT guy on board, and I could possibly be in his shoes one day. After leaving the lab, we all went to our assigned rooms. I’ve got to say, I thought life at sea would be a little sufferable but the rooms exceeded my expectations. I stored my stuff and headed to dinner at 17:00, since ship time is on the 24 hour clock. The dinner was amazing. The food here is to die for, not literally but figuratively. It’s so good, you’d be content with it as your last meal. After dinner, we had a tour by an intern working on the ship for the summer. The ship is cool with small hallways, lots of amenities including a library, lounge, gym, and even a hot tub.
Beyond all of the amenities, technology, and beautiful scenery, what really resonated with me is the people I’ve met so far. After meeting my peers and the crew I was really amazed at the diversity. Everyone has their own personality, sense of style, passions, and ways of doing things. No two people I’ve met are the same and it was so important for me to see that. In my head and maybe yours too, there’s an image of what a scientist looks like and it’s probably not
someone who looks like you. The truth is a scientist looks just like me or you, just like anyone else would. I would have never imagined someone like myself would be here on the Sally Ride but here I am . You can become a scientist if you so desire but don’t let the lack of diversity discourage you. We are here doing the work to make a difference and you can too regardless of your race, gender, religion or any identity. You are welcome in the Sciences.
I’m glad I followed my heart – not society, not my family, not the defined path, but my own path. This is an ode to follow your own path, let your heart guide you and your passions lead the way. You never know to which ships or beautiful places it can take you.
– Keisha Jackson
