Hello World!

If you love chemistry as much as we do, you’re in the right place. If you don’t, you’re still in the right place. This blog is a pathway to learning something new, something fascinating. You can choose to take my word for it or not, but this is going to be an exciting journey. Yes, more exciting than that Twitter page, Flappy Bird, or YouTube puppet show you have open in the next tab.

Let me start by admitting that it’s a little late at night, and I can feel the strength of my grandmother’s fragrant chai dwindling as I tackle the pressure of filling the page. I’m stressed (as usual), but it’s okay. This is my life at Country Day. I can’t say I don’t love it. I mean I really do; I’ve even been feeling a little nostalgic as graduation draws closer. I’ll miss the friendly faces I see more than my own parents—their laughter and support most of all.

Country Day is a family filled with admiration and inspiration. As we launch her project, I want to share how much we all admire Mrs. Winter. She’s the spirited chemistry teacher, runner, and businesswoman with energy twice as great as that of her students combined. Not only does she really know chemistry, but more importantly she knows how to deal with the angsty teenagers we can all be. She created a project that clicked with us (and I don’t just mean by boosting our low grades). Most of us don’t know what’s coming next. A school day can be bumpy and confusing, just another hilly lap of a four-year cross-country track. But everyday we get to explore, and in that very idea rests the beauty of the “What’s UR Rxn?” project.

For this assignment, we weren’t asked to draw another mechanism or make an ester, but we were instead asked to write about anything, anything at all. It was a chance to talk about what we like, what’s important to us, and to use those one-liners we’ve been saving up. And yes, we all certainly needed a break from the exhausting frenzy of AP Physics, SAT’s, and college applications.

The first step was picking a topic that somehow related to chemistry. Some chose controversial topics, others something more lighthearted: “I chose Umami because I love to watch Food Network.” Rachel Ray, anyone?

Many of us then struggled to express a personal connection with something scientific. Some blog drafts were quite frankly boring—mine included. But we didn’t lose hope. As Jake from Cartoon Network’s “Adventure Time” would say, “Dude, suckin’ at something is the first step to being sorta good at something.” It took some time, but soon enough we found our muses. We’re soccer players, guitarists, pizza-lovers and sports fans. And this is our chance to share a part of ourselves with the world.

Finally, I got to use some creativity and help design the blog page. One of the best parts of this project, and of being a Country Day student, is working with my incredibly talented peers. Helena Chen, designer of our adorable DCDS Chemistry Bee, is one such individual. She is both an exceptional student and inspiring artist. We’re proud to be the Yellowjackets, and hope you like the bee as much as we do.  

As eager as I am to graduate, I still crave these simple opportunities to explore what I love and discover new interests before I find myself drowning as an undecided college freshman. I think that’s what sets us apart. We have a curiosity you can’t find just anywhere. We always want to know a little more—a little more about muscle growth, Gatorade, mosquitoes, and naked mole rats. If you’re as curious as we are, a little nerdy at heart, and want to see into the evolving minds of high school students, stay tuned.  

What's UR Rxn?

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I’m Neha, a senior at Detroit Country Day. I may be soft-spoken, but I have a lot to say. I’m still discovering my passions, but I know I love music, travelling, and of course, chemistry.