Happy New Year!
I hope that everyone had an amazing holiday season filled with delicious food and quality time spent with loved ones. Now that Christmas has come and gone, it’s time to ring in the new year with the same level of excitement! Your SASE family is here to wish you a very Happy New Year, and we’re thrilled to share the joy and festivities that filled the last two months of the year.
Pusheen Happy New Year.
Wabtec Event: Day in the Life of an Engineer
Our final corporate event of the semester featured Wabtec, an innovator in the locomotive industry that offers diverse opportunities in various engineering fields like mechanical, electrical, and computer science. The event provided an exclusive glimpse into the daily lives of Wabtec engineers, giving our members valuable insights.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to our fantastic speakers who shared their expertise: Akash Dave (Senior Manager of Software Engineering) who works with transport logistics software products; Noel Chen (Senior Computer Vision Engineer) who develops KinetiX Products, which focus on track inspection using computer vision; and Durai Perumal (Manager of Energy Storage packaging) who crafts next-generation battery packs for rail application.
And special appreciation for the one who organized it all – Max Huang (External Vice President). Kudos for carrying through with this insightful and engaging event! And thank you to Vincent Lam (Former Networking Chair) and Daniel Park (Secretary) for closing the event.
SASE x HEAL Adopt-A-Street Cleanup Event
With the sun shining bright, SASE and HEAL teamed up for a street cleanup on SW 43rd Street. Your efforts have made a real difference in improving our local environment, and we value your commitment to positive change. Stay tuned for more community events this coming semester! And a thank you to David Pham (Service Chair) for planning and executing this very successful and meaningful event!
SASE and HEAL members post-cleanup.
GBM #3: “SASEatouille”
For our foodie fitness enthusiasts, SASE board rolled out a special third GBM focused entirely on health! The icebreaker kicked things off aiming at mental health, where members shared positive affirmations with strangers, setting a positive tone before the stressful exam season.
Our speakers went on to share insights on creating healthy habits, choosing sleep-friendly foods, the power of napping, and the importance of exercise. Special thanks to Tiffany Vuu (Technical Chair) for introducing us to the concept of a caffeine nap – I had no idea that was a thing!
The energy continued with exciting athletic competitions, including a broad jump and push-up challenge. A round of applause goes to the push-up competition winner, Chuyang Zhang, who knocked out 30 push-ups in 30 seconds – seriously impressive stuff! Another highlight was the live sushi bake demo, expertly coordinated by Mei Li (Multimedia Chair). Kudos to her for bringing all the ingredients and sharing a recipe that I’m sure many attendees have tried by now.
Last but not least, a big thank you to Nick Brown (Customer Engineer at Google) for generously sharing his time with us and providing insights into both his professional journey and athletic background!
Good job GBM 3 leads for organizing and executing this fantastic event!
Members at the Paris Banh Mi aftersocial.
SASE Carnival Social
Our interns kicked off the semester with a bang, organizing a fantastic event that left everyone buzzing! The social featured a captivating icebreaker and a range of carnival games that brought members together in a fun and interactive way. Attendees not only enjoyed the games but also had the chance to try their hand at crafting adorable balloon animals, each one turning out exceptionally cute!
A big shoutout to our dedicated interns who organized this fantastic event, led by Max Huang (External Vice President). Special appreciation goes to Vincent Lin and Rachel Young, our Member Involvement Chairs, for ensuring a smooth and enjoyable experience for everyone. Thank you to this incredible team for making it all happen!
Left to right: Jessica Lu and Zoe Chu.
SASE x SPCB PC Build
For our engineers at SASE, we had a unique collaboration with the Society of PC Building (SPCB), where attendees got an up-close look at a live demonstration on building a PC from scratch and were allowed to piece together parts themselves. The event not only showcased the intricacies of PC assembly but also emphasized the key components involved in the process.
A big shoutout to SPCB for reaching out to SASE and organizing this very educational event. Our members thoroughly enjoyed the experience and gained valuable insights into the world of PC building. Thank you for making it happen!
PC building demonstration in small groups.
M&M Event: SASElock Holmes
On a dark and stormy night, our second interns-led event unfolded with a bang, centered around the intriguing murder mystery of Shark-rika. The atmosphere was charged with curiosity as mentor/mentee groups took on the role of detectives who were on a mission to uncover the true killer.
Through a series of riddles and puzzles, each more perplexing than the last, groups gradually got closer to unveiling the culprit. The event even took an unexpected twist as attendees were forced to venture outside to find clues cleverly hidden on the body itself.
However, the killer’s group surprisingly emerged victorious, with Max H. leading the way. Who would’ve guessed that the imposter was hidden among the groups all along??
Overall, though, kudos to Sharika Khondaker (Internal Vice President) for steering the interns and orchestrating this event. The puzzles were thoughtfully chosen, and every intern on the team did an amazing job making the event not just entertaining but also a bonding experience for my group. Appreciate you all for bringing mentees and their mentors closer together!
Top to bottom: Leann Tang, Fatima Shahid, Lan Anh Do, Enoch Wong, Alex Lou, Helen Zou, Yuvi Shendge, Vivian Lam, Kevin Tang, Sharika Khondaker.
Committee members not pictured: Amy Hoang.
AI Chatbot Web Workshop
Our next interns’ led event for the semester was an exciting website workshop focused on crafting your own AI chatbot. Kicking off with the background on frontend coding vs backend, interns dove into the basics of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, Flask, and APIs. The speakers then showcased their own website creation through a demonstration, guiding attendees on how to personalize their own chatbots. Overall, the event gathered excellent engagement, and numerous participants stuck around for one-on-one chats with the workshop speakers at the end, which I absolutely loved!
A big round of applause goes to the interns who made this event a smashing success, and a special shoutout to their committee lead Gurleen Dhillon (Webmaster).
Intern Hugo Liu (in white) helping Loki Velugu Boreddi.
Field Day
Our interns once again nailed it with a day of fun in the sun during Field Day, attracting an amazing turnout of members. The games took inspiration from the beloved and nostalgic Cool Math Games (I miss those). The morning kicked off with a lively RPS (Rock Paper Scissors) Relay Race – the goal of which is for a player from one line to make it to the start of the opposite team’s line – and then went on to other activities such as the reverse 3-legged relay race, capture the flag, and even a fun pool noodle fight at the end.
Teams made sure the fun continued through the breaks! For those that were still very energetic, frisbee, soccer, and volleyball were options, while others laid on the ground cracking jokes. I believe that the most memorable part, however, will definitely be the pyramid stacking of team members (shoutout to those that were at the bottom). Finally, thank you to Bryan Park (Sports Coordinator) and Albert Yang (Social Chair) for leading their team of interns in creating such a fun event! It was definitely one to remember.
Group photo of SASE members at Flavet Field.
GBM #4: “The Last SASEbender”
Our largest interns-led event of the semester was also marked as our final GBM of the semester. Embracing the spirit of unity, SASE members from each of the four nations (Fire, Air, Earth, and Water) came together for an entertaining icebreaker, channeling their creativity into inventing their own unique form of bending.
The journey then continued as teams embarked on a quest to locate the cabbage man’s elusive cabbages, navigating through challenges that represented various nations. The Earth Kingdom task involved “Rebuilding Ba Sing Se” (a.k.a. cup stacking), while the Air Nomads presented the entertaining “Aang’s Air Scooter Adventure,” where participants walked with a balloon between their knees, aiming to pop it by sitting on it at the end. After conquering these challenges, the cabbages were successfully retrieved, and a special – drum roll, please… – prize was awarded to the FIRE NATION!
Following the excitement, members gained valuable insights from our alumni spotlight, Allyson Zamora (Cybersecurity Analyst at NextEra Energy). Allyson, an Information Systems major with a minor in Sociology, shared her journey and wisdom from her involvement in SASE, where she held positions as the Public Relations Officer, Service Chair, and even External Vice President. SASE greatly appreciates Allyson for the time that she shared with us.Finally, a round of applause goes to the interns and their four committee leads who brought this GBM to life: Emely Chhu (President), Rachel Young (Member Involvement Chair), Vincent Lin (Member Involvement Chair), and Francesca Chalfoun (Public Relations Officer).
Interns and their committee leads for GBM 4.
Evening with Professors
Providing students with a unique opportunity to engage with their professors in a relaxed setting, SASE hosted UF faculty members for a catered dinner. Through this, attendees were provided an opportunity to engage in conversations about research, internships, career paths, and more.
A sincere thank you to our respected professors who generously shared their time with us that evening: Arthriya Subgranon (Civil and Coastal Engineering), Ed Phelps (Biomedical Engineering), Amanpreet Kapoor (Computer Science and Engineering Education), Jeremiah Blanchard (Computer Science and Engineering Education), Lauren Douma (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology), Saeed Moghaddam (Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering), and Ghatu Subhash (Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering).
I genuinely hope everyone who attended built meaningful connections with these professors and found the answers to their questions. Finally, a special thanks to Gayatri Baskaran (Advancement Chair) for tirelessly reaching out to professors while organizing the event – your efforts undoubtedly contributed to the success of the dinner!
Group photo of attendees and professors.
Winter Banquet: Crazy Rich SASE-ians
Last but certainly not least, we finished off the fall-winter season with our banquet, a celebration of everyone successfully navigating through the semester. The event featured delicious food, with thoughtful accommodations for various diets (a big thank you on behalf of the vegetarians!), and a lineup of highly entertaining performances. While it’s tough to choose a favorite, I must say BTSase’s “Perfect Night” concert stole my heart! And, of course, let’s not forget the members nominated for superlatives.
- Best SASE-thlete: Angie Li and Alan Wang
- SASE-ermodel: Emmy Larrew and James Hu
- Best SASE-chef: Hugo Liu
- Duo that Can’t be SASE-parated: Reyna Simpson and Jessica Lu
- Most Likely to be SASEcretly Rich: Kevin Tang
- ObseSASEd with Boba: Brian Chen
- SASE Squatter: Alex Lou
- Deepest SASE Sleeper: Andy Tran
Congratulations to everyone!
A special shoutout goes to our former Networking Chair, Vincent Lam, who we bid farewell to at this event. Vincent, you will be genuinely missed by the entire board and your SASE family. We wish you the best of luck with your co-op this semester and in all your future endeavors!
And a heartfelt thanks to everyone who worked diligently on their committees and to the one who kept everyone on task: Sharika Khondaker (Internal Vice President). Your collective efforts made this event a fantastic way to close out the year!
Left to right: Christian Knuth, Brian Chen, Taise Miyazumi, Bree Ocampo, Aubrey Walters, Sydney Slycord, Jagger Liguori, and Amrith Kancharla.
Conclusion
The fall semester concluded on a high note for all of us here at SASE. Our interns did an outstanding job planning and hosting their events, thanks to the support of Vincent Lin (Member Involvement Chair) and Rachel Young (Member Involvement Chair).
Now, with the start of the new year and semester, I wish everyone the best of luck with their classes. Even if your schedules may not be the most ideal (like mine), I hope that everything works out. Lastly, looking forward, I hope to see all of you at our events this month, starting with the Southeast Regional Conference (SERC), which is happening right here at UF this year!
Your Webmaster,
Gurleen Dhillon
ʕっᴖᴥᴖʔっ