2017 ISEF Newsletter #4
Michelle Xiong
Wednesday was the big day: project judging. We started the day bright and early with breakfast at 6am. After that we headed back to our rooms to take a quick nap, get in some last minute practice, and change into our professional attire. We walked over to the convention center a little before 8am. Once inside, everyone quickly made their way to their poster to be ready for the judges to come. There was a helpful schedule provided to us so we knew when to expect the grand award judges. Open slots were available for special award judges to stop by. Everyone had the opportunity to present their work to a range of experts throughout the day.
Time flew by and soon there was a break from judging at around noon. We met at Tom’s Urban in LA Live for lunch. Over burgers, salads, and fries, everyone reflected on their experience thus far and shared some memorable moments from the interviews. After lunch, we returned for the second session. At the conclusion of 7 hours of judging at 4pm everyone was tired but also very proud and satisfied to have been able to share and defend their research.
Our exciting day was not over yet. In the evening, we took a bus to Universal Studio. The park was open only to ISEF participants so it was a very unique experience. The group first visited the Harry Potter world where we went on a magical simulation of Hogwarts and enjoyed dinner at the Three Broomsticks. The short lines allowed us to try many of the fun rides including the ones from Jurassic Park, Transformers, and the Mummy. Overall, Wednesday was an action packed and unforgettable day.
