Sophia’s Senior Confessions

By Sophia Cooper

With graduation rapidly approaching (14 days, 22 hours and 1 min from writing this sentence, but who’s counting?), I have started reflecting back on my Baylor experience. What was my favorite memory? My biggest regret? My most successful moment? So, here they are: Sophia’s Senior Confessions!

  1. Morning classes are hard, and I had Physics 1 every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9:05 a.m. fall of my freshman year.  To counteract the sleepy monster that hit me mid-lecture, I snuck down to the Atrium Café during class and got coffee. At least twice a week…for the entire semester. (For the record, I got an A in that class!)
  2. My only major regret is not going to the OU football game my sophomore year (the 2011 season). I had a long week, tons of homework and knew we would just get blown out anyway. As I sat on the couch with my boyfriend David, we watched in awe as our Baylor football team made school history. Our discussion: “We could totally make it to Floyd Casey Stadium before the fourth quarter…” “I don’t know, there’ll be traffic…” “Nah, we’ll blow it…” “Let’s go…” “There’s traffic…” Back and forth, until we ended up just watching the TV as our fellow students stormed the field and rocked the Big 12. The worst part? My sister Katrin made it on ESPN.com.
  3. I am proud and embarrassed all at the same time to admit that I won the female division of the Gut Pak Run this spring. The Gut Pak Run is an event sponsored by the Freshman Class Council and the Baylor Triathlon Club to raise money for Mission Waco, a local charity. It consists of running one mile from campus to Vitek’s BBQ, eating a Gut Pak (I had a small) and then running back to campus.  I’m proud to say I won the race and embarrassed to say that I ate my Gut Pak faster than anyone else in my heat!
  4. I would never admit this to her face, but I loved having Katrin on campus with me. Having my sister here meant that no matter what happened, I had a friend.  While we didn’t hang out together as much as we should have, I loved having her study with me, running into her randomly around campus and taking pictures together at football games. We had two completely separate social circles and lives, but we always had each other. Spending my sophomore year Diadeloso with her was an absolute blast; even though it was her last one, she shared it with little me. Now that we’re growing up and moving out on our own, I realize how much of a blessing it was to have those extra 2.5 years of living near each other.
  5. I participated in events solely to get free food and T-shirts. You do what you gotta do in college!

These are only a few of the confessions I’m OK with my mom reading about (sorry Mom!), but the list of kooky memories I have goes on and on.  Tomorrow is my last day of class EVER, and then by 11 a.m. next Saturday, I am done with finals. I remember moving into Heritage House freshman year knowing no one but Katrin and desperately latching onto my roommate Lizzie in order to have one friend.  Now, we’re inseparable. These four years have gone by way too quickly, and now it’s time to be a big kid. God has provided me with more memories and experiences than I can put into one blog post, and I know that they have helped form me into the woman I am today. I am excited to announce I will be working as a Systems Engineer for Lockheed Martin’s Fleet Ballistic Missile program in Sunnyvale, California, post-graduation!  God has a big plan for me, and I know that my Baylor experience was part of His vision.  I wouldn’t trade a single moment of it for the world.  The memories and relationships I created over the past four years will last me a lifetime.

Crunch Time

By Sophia Cooper

There are only 74 more days until I walk across the Ferrell Center stage to get one of the most important (and expensive) pieces of paper of my life. Senior year has presented me with an interesting paradox; I am so ready to graduate and start making that engineering salary, but I am absolutely terrified to leave the place I have come to call home for the past four years. The people I have met at Baylor – friends, professors and bosses alike – have all come to influence me so deeply, and it’s hard for me to imagine not seeing them every day.

That being said, there is a ton I still have to do in those 74 days!  My main struggle this semester is senior design. As project manager of a seven-person team, I am overseeing the design of a passive shot put return system to be installed at our new track and field stadium. There are weekly meetings, 3D modeling and drawings, budgeting…it’s a full time job on top of my 15 hour course load! My team is dedicated and willing to put in the late nights necessary to complete everything; with our final design documents due this week, it’s crunch time!

Part of the specification of our design is that the shots don’t clang together, distracting the athletes during competition. My teammate Cody and I have designed a separating system, as pictured below.

2014-02-28 03.38.18

Here’s the main gist of it: the first shot will roll down and stop at the far right wall; once stopped, the springs supporting its floor compress, lowering the floor and hitting a lever that rotates around a fulcrum (the small ball-looking thing), which then hits up a gate to stop the next shot from rolling down. This system continues on up the path until 10 shots have been stored. There is also a rail system and stands that bring the shots back from 70 feet out in the field, but I’m not on those subteams. Don’t worry, there will be pictures and updates as the semester progresses!

This week, our design documentation is due. That means we’ve been crunching out budgets, perfecting models and making design drawings up the wazoo!  We meet with the track and field coaches to show them our final design, so cross your fingers that they like it!  While this project has officially taken over my life, I know it is real-world experience that will help make me a better (and more organized) engineer in 74 days. It’s time to head back to the computer lab and boot up SolidWorks again!

The Finals Struggle is Real

By Sophia Cooper

As a senior, this is my second-to-last finals week EVER. I’ve survived six other rounds of college finals and eight rounds of high school finals. I should be an expert studier and be able to focus for hours.

Instead, I default to procrastination. Did you know that The Hunger Games can stream for free on my Kindle? Me neither…until last night.

Even though I have senioritis, I recognize the importance of finishing the semester strong. So I dragged myself out of bed, grabbed a cup of coffee from East Village Dining Commons and headed to Rogers Engineering & Computer Science building to study with friends. Moody and Jones libraries are pretty hopping during finals week, so I like to hide inside Rogers with my fellows nerds. My organization (Society of Women Engineers, SWE) sponsored study hours during dead days, opening the largest room in Rogers for study space. We provided hot chocolate, hot cider and Christmas cookies for students to stop by and grab on the go. It’s a little social break for everyone, but also a good motivator to get ourselves out of our rooms and focus on studying.

This simple activity is an example of one of my favorite aspects of Baylor: the unfailing, loving community. During dead days and finals week, it’s socially acceptable not to shower for a couple days and wear the same pair of sweat pants 24/7.  We want to just disappear inside our individual holes and sleep through winter, but instead we drag ourselves out and open up textbooks. SWE found a way to bring anti-social nerds together and add a bit of entertainment to a dreaded task. With a little bit of hot chocolate, we can do anything!  Good luck studying on your finals!

Breaking the Mold

By Sophia Cooper

Most people picture engineers as anti-social guys with thick glasses sliding down their noses, hunched shoulders and a slight glow from spending too many hours over a keyboard. They think all engineers do is play video games and eat Ramen noodles in their spare time.

Um, what?

Even though I’m a mechanical engineering (ME) major, I am very much the antithesis of this stereotype. It’s true I wear glasses, but my skin is a normal tone, and I have never owned a single video game consul. My entire senior ME class is a social group; the lab can get pretty hopping late at night! We tease each other like I would my family, help each other with homework and collaborate on group projects all the time. Our socialization goes outside of Rogers Engineering & Computer Science building, too. A group of senior engineers ran the Great Brazos Relay earlier this fall (their name was “The √(-1) of the Tiger”), 15 of us went to dinner and saw Thor: The Dark World on opening night and Teal Residential College sponsors game nights and social activities on a regular basis.

There are ways to get involved within the School of Engineering & Computer Science (ECS), as well. Student organizations cater to each major, including the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the Association of Computing Machinery, and the Association of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology. There are also non-major specific organizations; my personal favorite is the Society of Women Engineers (SWE)! You do not have to be an engineer or even be female to join SWE, just have an interest in science and technology. We have monthly meetings, outreach activities, study hours, socials and fundraisers on a regular basis. As SWE president, I admit a slight bias on how great of an organization it is. Our main service-based ECS organization is Engineers with a Mission. They do projects in Waco and mission trips around the world to bring technology to developing communities, all with an emphasis on Christian-servant leadership.

Wherever that stereotype of an engineer came from, it does not fit Baylor’s ECS population. We’re a loud, fun-loving group of people with dynamic interests and involvement. I have absolutely loved my experience here and wouldn’t change a thing about it!

Senior Year Shenanigans

By Sophia Cooper

I’ve had some great Homecoming experiences at Baylor!  My freshmen year was memorable because a thunderstorm struck Waco during the K-State football game, and we all got drenched!.

Freshman Year

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sophomore year, I was able to share the experience with my family from California.

Sophomore Year with my sister Katrin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then last year, my best friend Eleanor came down from University of Michigan.

Junior Year with My Friend Eleanor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All of those great times pale in comparison to this past weekend of my senior year.

I was blessed to be chosen by the Society of Women Engineers as a Homecoming queen candidate. Taking a break from my normal “nerd-dom,” I curled my hair and wore a formal evening gown at the presentation of the nominees at Pigskin Revue and again during the Homecoming parade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Representing my organization was such an honor, and it was great to show the world that female engineers do exist!  One of my favorite mechanical engineering professors drove me in the parade in his convertible; I owe him big time for waking up at 6 a.m. on a Saturday!  As great of an experience it was to be a nominee, my favorite part of the weekend was being able to share it with my parents.  They flew out from California just to see their youngest daughter play dress up!

To top it all off, we destroyed Iowa State 71-7 in the final Homecoming in Floyd Casey Stadium.  I got to sit with my parents as we watched the scoreboard blow up, cheering loudly and doing Sic ‘Ems non-stop.  The weather stayed warm (despite the threat of thunderstorms and 40 degree nights), and it was the best senior Homecoming I could have asked for!  I can’t wait to come back next year as an alumna, although I will miss the free ticket to the football game!

Senior Year Homecoming Game

Fun Times at the State Fair

By Sophia Cooper

Fall is upon us!  That means pumpkin spice lattes, football season, cute scarves and the Texas State Fair.  On our extra day of Fall Break, my boyfriend David and I headed up to Dallas to participate in this great American tradition.

The first stop on our trip north: kolaches in West, Texas.  This Czech town is known nationally for the fertilizer plant explosion that happened this spring, but in Texas it’s most famous for the delicious food.  Only 20 minutes north of campus, West is a very popular destination among Baylor students. The Little Czech Stop is right next to I-35 and open 24 hours a day, making it a great impulse road trip late at night.  For really good kolaches, however, you have to go a block towards downtown and visit Gerik’s bakery.  This “mom and pop” shop has THE BEST kolaches I’ve ever tasted and six inch diameter cinnamon rolls for only $2!

After a delicious and nutritious breakfast, David and I hit the road and kept going all the way to the Cotton Bowl in southeast Dallas.  We visited Big Tex (the state fair legend), ate funnel cakes and corn dogs, looked at Texas-sized pick-up trucks and people watched all afternoon. My favorite part of the day was all the cute animals. The Children’s Hospital sponsored an animal room that included goats, giraffes, zebras, yaks and cows.  While zebras are my favorite animals, the baby goats were just too adorable!

Big TexAnimals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We finished off the day by riding a rickety roller coaster. A major problem with studying mechanical engineering: I couldn’t stop thinking about the forces, potential and kinetic energies, and vibrations involved!  All in all, it was a great and relaxing way to spend my last fall break.  We ran into tons of other Baylor students enjoying the day off and stuffing their faces with fried foods, too!

David and I

Home Away from Home (by Sophia Cooper)

Being from California, I don’t get to go home much. The Pacific Ocean and I get to spend time together during Christmas break, a couple weeks in the summer, and that’s about it. Since I don’t have any family in Texas, my friends at Baylor have become my surrogate family for long weekends and holidays.

My older sister Katrin and I have been fortunate enough to be able to drive up to Kansas every year to spend Thanksgiving with our Aunt Marie and Uncle Alan. Even though we always have plans, I have received offers every year from sweet friends willing to bring me home with them since I can’t go back to Saratoga. The same applies for Easter weekend. Since we get Good Friday and the Monday after Easter off from our great Baptist school, lots of students head home to spend that precious holiday with their families and their home churches. I have gone home with my boyfriend David for the past two Easters, but I truly appreciate the offers I get from all my friends to share in their family traditions.

There is nothing quite like mommy-cooked food, a warm bed in a real home, and relaxing with parents (even if they aren’t yours). Baylor is a tight-knit community, and that is exemplified in my friends including me in their family traditions and experiences during Fall Break, Easter, and Thanksgiving. Even if you are out of state and homesick (like me), you are never far from a family that loves you. That’s what friends are for.

 

 

 

The Madness has Begun (by Sophia Cooper)

It’s time to map out your brackets, compulsively check ESPN.com, and cheer for the Lady Bears!

Our girls are heading out to defend their national championship, and I think they can do it. With such a strong team and intense coaching, our Lady Bears are favored to win the title.

Brittney Griner has broken so many records, it has been such a great opportunity to get to watch her play. Odyssey Sims has phenomenal leadership on and off the court. Other key players to keep your eye on throughout the tournament include Brooklyn Pope, Alexis Prince, and Destiny Williams.

A major part of why our Lady Bears have been so successful would be the great coaching of Kim Mulkey. She is intense! When Coach Mulkey tells the crowd to get up, you jump to your feet and cheer. I can only imagine how tough it would be to play for her! Her dedication and determination to making our program top-ranked and competitive has really paid off. She is composed on and off the court, representing Baylor University athletics in the national light. Her interviews with ESPN always emphasize the team winning games, not just individual players. Her sportsmanship is ideal in my eyes.

As a campus tour guide, I often get questions about whether I’m friends with Griner, how often do I see Sims, and if Robert Griffin III is in my classes. While I’m not privileged to even be acquaintances with Griner or Sims, and RG3 already graduated, I do get to see the girls every once in a while. Sims even lived a floor above me freshman year! In the next few weeks, they’ll be getting more high fives from random students than ever before, and Baylor Basketball t-shirts will be seen all around campus.

All-University Sing (by Sophia Cooper)

Baylor is full of unique traditions, starting off the year with Homecoming and ending with Dia Del Oso in April. Right now, we are wrapping up the 66th anniversary of All-University Sing. Organized by the Student Productions committee, any student organization has the opportunity to put on a 7-minute act of singing and dancing as part of the competition.

The costumes are outrageous and intricate, the themes develop well thought out, and the atmosphere is electric. Groups practice for hours every night from the start of second semester, perfecting their dances and vocals completely. Waco Hall stage is filled with hundreds of students for two February weekends, and tickets get sold out within days of opening.

Two of my roommates are in Alpha Delta Pi, one of the competing sororities. I have watched as sequins explode all over our living room on multiple occasions as Caroline fixed up her costume. Stephanie has spent hours teasing and hair spraying her hair into the perfect bun on top of her head as part of the theme for ADPi. Based off of the TLC show “Toddlers and Tiaras,” ADPi took the stage dressed as pageant queens, talent stars, and overprotective pageant moms. It was absolutely hilarious, and I am so proud of all the hard work they’ve put into their performance!

Want to read some reviews of Sing acts? Check our student newspaper’s reviews here!

“The Fellas” (by Sophia Cooper)

My mom has a group of college friends known as “The Fellas.” I am on first-name basis with these guys (a big accomplishment in a household of “Mister” and “Missus”). I’ve grown up with their children, having play dates and goofing off at big family dinners. Looking at pictures of Mom with a 1970s perm, surrounded by these great nerdy guys, I wanted the same kind of college friendships. That’s when I realized it: the people I spend time with now will be my own group of “The Fellas” in 30 years.

I’ve known quite a few of my friends since Welcome Week. My friends Ryan, Sean, and I banded together to face Chapel and got lunch every Monday and Wednesday all of freshman year. Tannah and I have had multiple classes together every semester, becoming good friends and perfect study buddies. Kayla, Serge and I had every class together last spring and fall, and we decided to name ourselves “The Best Friends Club.” Lizzie, Erica and I were roommates on campus for two years, have classes together, and try to set aside time to get together just to chat and catch up. I spend a ridiculous amount of time with my current roommates Lydia, Stephanie, and Caroline, just laughing in our living room and making roomie dinner once a week. My boyfriend David and I have been friends since the beginning of freshman year, and he’s always the first person I turn to for everything.

These are just some of the people I hope to still be in touch with for the rest of my life. College is the time for late night study parties, too many hours in the lab, and so much laughter. My friendships from the past two and a half years have proved to be strong and true, helping me through many obstacles and celebrating many accomplishments. I am so excited to see what God has in store for my friends and myself as we work through our last year and a half together, and even more excited for what will come after graduation!

David and I

Lizzie and I

 

Tannah, Kalya, and I