Chemistry Meeting

So Friday we had our department TA meeting where we get our assignments for the fall and get our annual safety training. Here's what I remember:

1. As usual our head of department was full of jokes at the beginning of the meeting. And as usual I laugh at his jokes. I appreciate his humor.

2. Some new grad student, in his introduction to the department, informed all of us he was single. With the girl/guy ratio in chemistry, not sure if his search will be sucessfull. Especially since many of the women are married/engaged.

3. Another new grad student who is Asian American told us in her introduction (with obvious-American-English) that she was from OKC, and that she was NOT an international student...so please stop asking.

4. I got the lab I wanted to teach, and a good time, too. My friend on the other hand gets the losing end every semester...if she gets a good lab, she gets an awful time to teach (eveningss or Fridays)...if she gets a good time, it's a not-fun lab (too much grading). Maybe she'll grow to love her teaching assingment this semester. Maybe.

5. My students' final is the Friday of finals week - the last possible day of the semester. Which means I for sure will be grading that Friday before break.

6. We watched some safety video about gas cylinders and how to handle them safely. I was hoping they would demonstrate in the video how they can become "rockets" - no such luck.

7. The day ended with another meeting about my lab and me running into an old friend from OC who is about to start his first grad year in the Biochem department. He looked maybe a little shell-shocked. He had a million things to do. Welcome to grad school.