I have always been interested in anything space related, so when I was accepted into the DREU, one of the first things that I did was see if UA had an observatory. Luckily, they have this 16-inch telescope on top of Gallalee Hall. We missed the Venus-Jupiter conjunction, but we did have a chance to see the moon. More information can be found about the astronomy here: astronomy.ua.edu

Special thanks to Professor Buta for the quick tour!

This place was very cool. It is an ancient settlement right on the Black Warrior River. If you are ever nearby, it is definitely worth a trip to visit. There was a beautiful trail through the woods that leads to the river. Luckily, the weather was fair today (high 80's), so it was very comfortable hiking.

See my pictures below!

The university has a pool available for students and guests. You just have to purchase a summer membership. So 2 weeks ago, we decided to visit it. It was really nice. There is a large slide, lazy river, and plenty of loungers to relax on. I would have posted about this sooner, but I received a very bad sunburn that day, so I tried to keep it out of my thoughts. 2 weeks later, I am still slightly red. So forewarning, use sunscreen!

Today, Valarie (my roommate and fellow REU participant) and I visited the Birmingham Zoo. It was only about an hour's drive from Tuscaloosa, so it made for a nice quick trip. The highlight for me was seeing the red pandas, which may be the cutest animals in existence, and the ocelots. If you play Minecraft, then you know exactly what they are! Below are pictures of the ocelot and red panda. Unfortunately, the little panda was being kind of shy. You can find more pictures on the Photos page.

I will be posting some of the fun things that we will be doing/have done here. In addition to being a rich educational experience, this REU is also an opportunity to learn about life in another part of the country, different cultures (I say buggy, you say shopping cart), and having a little fun while we're at it. Check back often for updates.