A Day at SigmaCamp 2019
7:45 AM – 8:30 AM: Rise and Shine!
You’ll wake up in a beautiful natural setting, with a day of excitement before you. Get dressed, brush your teeth, and tidy up your bunk, then step outside and get an energy boost with the morning workout (optional but strongly encouraged). Do not forget to sign up for today’s workshops, and maybe the chess or ping pong tournaments!
8:30 AM – 9:00 AM: Breakfast
A hot breakfast is ready for you! You’ll eat amazing food. Really. Pancakes, eggs, sausage, and of course there is always cereal, juice, and milk so you can have all the energy you need for the exciting day ahead. Speaking of which, breakfast is also a good time to discuss the schedule for the day with your counselors and team members. Try not to miss the announcements about the Evening Clubs, too!
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM: Lecture (Listen, watch, learn, and ask questions!)
This is not just a lecture - this is an invitation to learn about and discuss a fascinating subject that may just change your perspective on science! You can choose to learn about the mathematics of shoe laces, embark on a journey from philosopher’s stone to modern science, travel inside the mitochondria, discover a world where straight lines are curved, learn about the inconceivable mystery of the Great Nothing, and more. You will be able to choose one out of 3-4 talks every day. A full list of Scientist’s Talks will be available by the end of May.
10.00 AM – 11:30 AM: SemiLab I
A semilab is a week-long exploration of a fascinating science topic through experiments and demonstrations (and the theory behind it, of course). It is your chance to work with a real scientist, and to feel like one. You can choose to explore fire chemistry, the art of cryptography, the study of genes, the brilliance of electromagnetism, and many other exciting topics.
11:30AM – 1:00 PM: SigmaBreak!
We are right near a gorgeous lake, so we’ll have time to take a swim, relax or make music with friends, play soccer or volleyball, or enjoy a game of chess, Settlers, or Blokus...
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM: Lunch
You will have several delicious meal options to choose from, carefully prepared by a chef. Lunch will also be a good time to ask your food-happy professors questions: you will save and cherish their thoughts and explanations - carefully scribbled on a napkin.
2.00 PM – 3:30 PM: SemiLab II
After the first SigmaCamp nearly every camper had complaints about Semilabs – why can I only choose one? SigmaStaff worked extremely hard to extend the day by introducing friction to the Earth’s axis, and their efforts paid off – there is now room for two different Semilabs in our schedule.
3:30 PM – 3:45 PM: Snack Time!
Apples, grapes, and oranges, as well as cheese, crackers and juice will be there for you to fill up your tank! You may need the extra fuel for the next event.
3:45 PM – 4:45 PM: Sigma Tournament
The Sigma tournament is our traditional team problem-solving tournament, which features problems from Math and Physics, Biology and Linguistics.
4:45 PM – 6:00 PM: Sport, Music and Art
Tired of all the science? This is a chance to take a break from it.You’ll have some time to run, or jump, or climb. You can enjoy playing sports or attend art, music or drama studios! This is also a great and easy way to pick up an instrument.
6:00 PM – 6:30 PM: Dinner
By now you are probably hungry again. Restore your energy, and enjoy the company of people as talented and motivated as yourself!
6:30 PM – 7:30 PM: Workshops
You may have picked two different topics for your semilabs. Do you want to learn something else? Or are you afraid that all of the scientific bits inside your head will reach a critical mass and explode? Here’s a great way to try something new! Short workshops are there for you to learn, see a demonstration, have a firsthand experience, and discuss something completely different! Providing an unparalleled variety, you can choose a different workshop every day.
8:00 PM – 9.30 PM: Evening Clubs and Fireside
Science is over for the day; you can contemplate all the new things you tried and heard! As the sun sets and Sigma Camp greets twilight, you become surrounded by art, poetry, discussions about literature, history, astronomy, and most excitingly – music and dancing. Be part of any or all of these! The day wraps up at our evening fireside – stories, songs, gazing at the flames, and reflections about the day.
9.30- 10:30 PM: Night Talks and Light Snacks Before Going to Sleep
The day leaves you tired and your brain pulsating with the excitement of stuff you learned today. Like a proper reactor, it needs a cool down, and so do you. Get back to your cabin, have some milk and cookies, and get ready for sleep. Before going to bed, you can talk amongst your fellow campers and the counselors about the day that is now over, and the day that is still ahead.
10:30 PM: Lights Out!