Day 1: Think about Thinking

Today was my first day in class and I wasn't sure what to expect. My group and I sat in the class, set up our materials on the desk, and awaited the arrival of our professors.

By 9:00 AM, our professors, Michael Nairn and Andrew Lamas, walked into class and we started the class off with deep breathing exercises. The breathing exercises turned into a discussion about mind versus the body and how they affect each other. There were also three graduate students in the class who were there to help our professors.

Our class schedule is split in half. From 9 AM - 12 PM we have our first half of class, which is typically a lecture; from 12 PM - 2 PM it is our lunch time; and 2 PM - 4 PM is our second half of class, which is typically site visits or group work.

In our first half of class we had a class discussion. Professor Lamas would bring up topics and ideas and would ask us what our opinions were. We went over mind versus the body & the relationship between thinking and feeling. Professor Lamas put a big emphasis on thinking about thinking, which was what class was mainly about today.

Summer Discovery

We were then dismissed for lunch, where Hannah, a girl from class, and I all went to eat at the Houston Market. The Houston Market is the UPenn student lunch center. At 1:00 PM we began walking back to class, but ended up getting lost on the way. We found a map and figured out where our class was, and were able to get there on time.

For the second half of class, we were all split into groups to hold group discussions. I was split into a group with three boys and three girls, with Hannah as one of my group members. My group leader, Julia, asked us numerous questions in order to see how we thought and what our current opinions are. My group was very vocal and honest on their views and opinions, resulting in my lack of shyness to share my opinions as well. No one was scared about confronting an issue or an opinion. Talking to people who have such a deep interest in studying and creating social justice is very refreshing. After our group discussions we all gathered back in the classroom, were given our assignment, and then dismissed.

Tours

After class everyone met with their RC's and floormates to eat dinner together. Then everyone met at the Quad where we proceeded to another part of the campus to hold an activity. The activity was an icebreaker for all of the students of Summer Discovery to get to know each other. The ice breaker was speed friending, which is the same style as speed dating, but instead of dates we are looking for friends. After the activity, we were given a tour of UPenn by our RC's. It was less of a school tour and more of a "here is where you can and can't go" tour. Afterwards, I came back to my room to do my class reading.

Today has been a fun and stimulating day. I really enjoyed my class and I can't wait to see what we talk about tomorrow.