AIChE SoCal Mixer 2016

Ice Breaker // "I Love My ChemE That . . ." // pc: Bicheng Xu Sam

Final Challenge // Straw Tower // pc: Bicheng Xu Sam

The Black Panther  // pc: Bicheng Xu Sam

UCSD! // pc: Bicheng Xu Sam

American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) organizes a Southern California Mixer every year and yet this is my first time participating :) I wasn't sure I wanted to join but I'm glad I did because it was fun! Why did I join this time? Well, because it was my last chance since I will be graduating this June so might as well try. And a lot of my friends were going to! Plus, it's in UC, Irvine and I have been wanting to go check other UC campuses so yeay. What is this Mixer thing? It was basically an event where Chem-Es from SoCal schools can get together and socialize (I think) haha and this year we had UCSD, UCLA, UCR, Calpoly Pomona, and of course UCI. 

I was very scared at first because I got separated from all my UCSD friends in the randomized superhero groups we were being divided to (because the theme was Avengers for this year). I was put in the Black Panther group. If you don't know there is a superhero called Black Panther, you're not the only one. In fact, I think all of my teammates also googled him after we knew we were placed into Black Panther :p. His movie will be out in the coming years, I believe. There were also Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, etc. 

As usual, it started with an ice-breakers where we played "I Love My ChemE That . . .". You just had to run to a new spot when you were included in the category that the person in the middle said. Then, we continued with Scavenger Hunt. Basically, we toured the school hahaha. UCI is shaped like a circle where there is a giant park in the middle. The games were so much like LDK in high school so it had been a while and quite nostalgic :') 

After lunch, we had workshops led by UCR and UCLA. UCR demonstrated non-Newtonian fluid using corn-starch and water whereas UCLA gave a yoga workshop. That was fun. Then, . . . the final challenges! haha Capture the Flag and Straw Tower. My team won Capture the Flag yay. It was intense and super tiring (and I did not even run that much) Last time I played Capture the Flag was during FFWE, which was years ago. Then we called it a day after final photo sessions. 

Highlight of the day? The dinner obv lol, but no, really. We were in Irvine so . . . Boiling Point! The last time I ate BP was a year ago in Seattle. It was hands down best food of the Seattle trip (maybe biased because I generally like soup, and it was raining and cold in Seattle so BP was perfect at that time). Skipped dessert (though I'd like to try some other day) at Class 302 (?) because I was so full. 

It was a memorable day for sure. Didn't regret going even though it left my body aching the next days.