Graduation Day
By Litong Deng
By Litong Deng
As the STEM Symposium came to an end, hordes of COSMOS students, all donning vibrant green shirts, began filing into the Multipurpose Room (MPR). Onstage, Prof. Shaowei Chen greeted us with a smile as we sat with our individual clusters and professors. It had been four eventful, unforgettable weeks, and it was time to celebrate our hard work.
Prof. Chen started with a short speech, thanking the students, RAs, instructors, and office staff for their collective efforts in bringing COSMOS back in person. He congratulated all of us and encouraged us to continue to work hard. Then, he gave us a few minutes of open mic. Students thanked the RAs, their individual clusters, as well as Antoine, one of our Community Resident Educators (CRE), who received a special shoutout.
It was then time to receive our certificates! Clusters were called up one by one to the stage as our professors and course assistants handed us a beautiful blue folder with our certificate of completion inside. As each cluster stood on the stage, they shouted their cluster chants one last time. Screams of “BUCKY! BALLS!”, “THICK SHEETS!”, “HATSUNE! BEEKU!” and many, many more echoed around the MPR as we officially transitioned from COSMOS students to COSMOS alumni.
After the graduation ceremony came to an end, we received our memory books outside the MPR. As we flipped through the pages, memories came rushing back. Signatures were exchanged, and we dashed off to dinner, in anticipation of the night’s dance.
Congratulations, UCSC COSMOS Class of 2022!
Prof. Chen started with a short speech, thanking the students, RAs, instructors, and office staff for their collective efforts in bringing COSMOS back in person. He congratulated all of us and encouraged us to continue to work hard. Then, he gave us a few minutes of open mic. Students thanked the RAs, their individual clusters, as well as Antoine, one of our Community Resident Educators (CRE), who received a special shoutout.
It was then time to receive our certificates! Clusters were called up one by one to the stage as our professors and course assistants handed us a beautiful blue folder with our certificate of completion inside. As each cluster stood on the stage, they shouted their cluster chants one last time. Screams of “BUCKY! BALLS!”, “THICK SHEETS!”, “HATSUNE! BEEKU!” and many, many more echoed around the MPR as we officially transitioned from COSMOS students to COSMOS alumni.
After the graduation ceremony came to an end, we received our memory books outside the MPR. As we flipped through the pages, memories came rushing back. Signatures were exchanged, and we dashed off to dinner, in anticipation of the night’s dance.
Congratulations, UCSC COSMOS Class of 2022!
It has been an amazing four weeks here at COSMOS. To end off the newsletter (sort of), the editors and web design team would like to say their goodbyes, as well as some statements for future attendees.
Dear Macrocosm 2022,
From late night meetings on the quad steps with editors, to yelling at everyone about deadlines, it’s certainly been quite a rollercoaster since the first week of COSMOS. We had our very first meeting in the esteemed Namaste Lounge with unfamiliar faces, yet similar goals: to create an enjoyable newsletter for our peers.
The first week was absolute chaos accompanied by the sheer amount of overwhelming pressure. The lines and pages of unceasing Arial text on my blinding screen under my sheets at 2 am probably gave me extreme astigmatism, and my phone app was just a list of victims who I had called numerous times in attempt to get submissions. However, I wouldn’t hesitate to repeat these four weeks again for this wonderful communtiy we have created with so many hardworking and talented members.
To start off, thank you to my fellow editor-in-chief. This role was unexpected and new for the both of us, however with you along my side, saving me whenever I was lacking and handling parts of the team I did not understand, I believe this newsletter really pulled through. Next, I would like to thank our outstanding editorial team who put the dedication and time into their role, not only making my role easier, but creating such a encouraging environment (Taylor Swift songs blasting in the background of our 9 P.M. meetings). Thank you to the web design team who have made such an appealing website to present our work and are always so reliable. I also want to thank the entirety of Macrocosm because all of you are such skilled people and it was an immense pleasure to work with all of you. Last but not least, thank you to Professor Shaowei Chen for overseeing the newsletter’s progress and giving me this opportunity to be a part of this community.
To COSMOS: Hey everyone, COSMOS was an incredible era of our lives and now that its come to an end I hope its memories can live on through the newsletter. I hope you enjoyed reading the newsletter (or even just scrolling throught the pictures) and also remember to read the last edition soon after COSMOS ends! Goodbye! <3
It’s been a pleasure,
Rittrija Mandal (Cluster 12)
From late night meetings on the quad steps with editors, to yelling at everyone about deadlines, it’s certainly been quite a rollercoaster since the first week of COSMOS. We had our very first meeting in the esteemed Namaste Lounge with unfamiliar faces, yet similar goals: to create an enjoyable newsletter for our peers.
The first week was absolute chaos accompanied by the sheer amount of overwhelming pressure. The lines and pages of unceasing Arial text on my blinding screen under my sheets at 2 am probably gave me extreme astigmatism, and my phone app was just a list of victims who I had called numerous times in attempt to get submissions. However, I wouldn’t hesitate to repeat these four weeks again for this wonderful communtiy we have created with so many hardworking and talented members.
To start off, thank you to my fellow editor-in-chief. This role was unexpected and new for the both of us, however with you along my side, saving me whenever I was lacking and handling parts of the team I did not understand, I believe this newsletter really pulled through. Next, I would like to thank our outstanding editorial team who put the dedication and time into their role, not only making my role easier, but creating such a encouraging environment (Taylor Swift songs blasting in the background of our 9 P.M. meetings). Thank you to the web design team who have made such an appealing website to present our work and are always so reliable. I also want to thank the entirety of Macrocosm because all of you are such skilled people and it was an immense pleasure to work with all of you. Last but not least, thank you to Professor Shaowei Chen for overseeing the newsletter’s progress and giving me this opportunity to be a part of this community.
To COSMOS: Hey everyone, COSMOS was an incredible era of our lives and now that its come to an end I hope its memories can live on through the newsletter. I hope you enjoyed reading the newsletter (or even just scrolling throught the pictures) and also remember to read the last edition soon after COSMOS ends! Goodbye! <3
It’s been a pleasure,
Rittrija Mandal (Cluster 12)
Dear Macrocosm 2022,
When the role of editor in chief was given to me at the start of COSMOS, I never thought I would love this newsletter as much as I have come to.
Thank you first and foremost to the editorial team. Thank you to all the editors for coming together so quickly after the first meeting to work for 2+ hours on logistics, despite not knowing either of us. Thank you for always coming to the 9pm meetings that always end in Taylor Swift listening parties thanks to someone (you know who you are). I’ve probably told you all this ten times over, but I appreciate all of you so, so much, and I’ve made some of my favorite memories at COSMOS with you guys.
To the rest of the newsletter team, thank you for joining and trusting me to be your editor-in-chief. Even though I didn’t have the chance to get to know all 42 of you, having read through all your drafts in the past four weeks I can see how hard each and every one of you work every week. Thank you for contributing your writing, your artwork, your videography, and your photos to make Macrocosm 2022 the best it can be. To the web and graphic designers specifically, thank you for being so flexible every week, even when we send you final drafts 12 hours past the deadline. To Professor Shaowei Chen, thank you for supervising us and making sure the newsletter is always on track. (Thank you for the rice as well.)
And finally, to COSMOS: I hope you’ve enjoyed our weekly editions, even when they’re published late in the evenings. I hope you listen to the COSMOS playlist (and the professor playlist too!). And I hope you can look back at the newsletter in the future and remember your time at COSMOS fondly <3
Signing off for the last time,
Karina Han (Cluster 3)
When the role of editor in chief was given to me at the start of COSMOS, I never thought I would love this newsletter as much as I have come to.
Thank you first and foremost to the editorial team. Thank you to all the editors for coming together so quickly after the first meeting to work for 2+ hours on logistics, despite not knowing either of us. Thank you for always coming to the 9pm meetings that always end in Taylor Swift listening parties thanks to someone (you know who you are). I’ve probably told you all this ten times over, but I appreciate all of you so, so much, and I’ve made some of my favorite memories at COSMOS with you guys.
To the rest of the newsletter team, thank you for joining and trusting me to be your editor-in-chief. Even though I didn’t have the chance to get to know all 42 of you, having read through all your drafts in the past four weeks I can see how hard each and every one of you work every week. Thank you for contributing your writing, your artwork, your videography, and your photos to make Macrocosm 2022 the best it can be. To the web and graphic designers specifically, thank you for being so flexible every week, even when we send you final drafts 12 hours past the deadline. To Professor Shaowei Chen, thank you for supervising us and making sure the newsletter is always on track. (Thank you for the rice as well.)
And finally, to COSMOS: I hope you’ve enjoyed our weekly editions, even when they’re published late in the evenings. I hope you listen to the COSMOS playlist (and the professor playlist too!). And I hope you can look back at the newsletter in the future and remember your time at COSMOS fondly <3
Signing off for the last time,
Karina Han (Cluster 3)
Looking Back
(WARNING: This is a full-circle ramble. Have fun making sense of the whirlwind of thoughts in my brain.)
We’re crying so many tears right now. God, these have been a whirlwind 4 weeks, no matter what activity I was doing. It’s really the understated parts of this experience that mattered the most to me - stuff like stealing Cheetos and rocking out to All Too Well at 9pm in the quad during editor meetings, yelling at writers for the nth time to just. get. their articles in, or desperately sifting through our brains to come up with Macroscopic Bits story ideas. I loved every bit of working on this newspaper - even the incredibly frustrating parts (which there weren’t many of anyway).
We had a really incredible editorial team this year, all bringing something to the table and meshing together really well. Thank you to the whole editor team. Karina, Rittrija, Litong, Julian, Chahak, Aidan, love you all. <3 Full frontal hugs for everyone!
Thanks to our amazing writers, photographers, cartoonists, video takers and video editors, and everyone else who I missed mentioning. I may have forgotten your role out of sleep deprivation, but I will never forget you. Thanks to Professor Shaowei Chen for setting this, and more importantly, thank you to Shaowei Chen’s Rice (affectionate). Thanks to Cluster 2 for picking me for this amazing camp that I’m going to hold dear in my memories for a really long time, and thanks to all the forces in the universe for possessing me to join this newsletter. I really wish this didn’t have to end.
Logging off now… I’m going to miss you all so much. Bye, guys.
Maya Sriram (Cluster 2)
(WARNING: This is a full-circle ramble. Have fun making sense of the whirlwind of thoughts in my brain.)
We’re crying so many tears right now. God, these have been a whirlwind 4 weeks, no matter what activity I was doing. It’s really the understated parts of this experience that mattered the most to me - stuff like stealing Cheetos and rocking out to All Too Well at 9pm in the quad during editor meetings, yelling at writers for the nth time to just. get. their articles in, or desperately sifting through our brains to come up with Macroscopic Bits story ideas. I loved every bit of working on this newspaper - even the incredibly frustrating parts (which there weren’t many of anyway).
We had a really incredible editorial team this year, all bringing something to the table and meshing together really well. Thank you to the whole editor team. Karina, Rittrija, Litong, Julian, Chahak, Aidan, love you all. <3 Full frontal hugs for everyone!
Thanks to our amazing writers, photographers, cartoonists, video takers and video editors, and everyone else who I missed mentioning. I may have forgotten your role out of sleep deprivation, but I will never forget you. Thanks to Professor Shaowei Chen for setting this, and more importantly, thank you to Shaowei Chen’s Rice (affectionate). Thanks to Cluster 2 for picking me for this amazing camp that I’m going to hold dear in my memories for a really long time, and thanks to all the forces in the universe for possessing me to join this newsletter. I really wish this didn’t have to end.
Logging off now… I’m going to miss you all so much. Bye, guys.
Maya Sriram (Cluster 2)
From: Julian Chen (Editor and Writer of Macrocosm)
To: COSMOS 2022, Macrocosm 2022
CC: Macrocosm 2023
To COSMOS 2022, you were perhaps the best group of people that I could’ve asked for. From those of you who showed up to our first chaotic meeting wide-eyed and eager to write to those who dreaded putting pencil to paper and writing the best articles I’ve seen, I am truly grateful. But enough with this cheesiness—I should take this moment to sit here, in the chilly lounge with squishy brown coaches, in retrospect. We’ve all spent nearly 10% of a year with complete strangers, and they’ve become our closest friends. When Shaowei said the bonds made at COSMOS are life-lasting, he was correct. I probably can’t even realize this now, but COSMOS was indeed something special. You won’t recognize the uniqueness of this program until you return to regular school. But when you return, don’t feel disappointed; feel honored, and feel grateful for having participated in this once-in-a-lifetime experience (really, you can’t do COSMOS again!)
Thinking about the end of COSMOS, I’ve been through practically every stage of denial, plugging my ears like a stubborn old man whenever someone mentioned any reminder of the end of the program. Everyone else seems fixated on stopping the inevitable end of the program as well; it has become a taboo subject in our Cluster (cluster 4!! THICK SHEETS). Even as I write this overly-verbose essay, we play Shake It Off, a stark juxtaposition to our sad faces, some hidden behind our masks, others clearly droopy from the disappointment of the end of COSMOS. Every month from now, I know I will remember a specific moment—perhaps that time we played frisbee on the beach, or we sang Moana’s How Far I’ll Go as loud as we could on the Monterey Bay—and smile like a fool in 4th-period Physics, or maybe I’ll shed a tiny tear. Who knows.
Now, to Macrocosm, you have been my happy place at the beginning of each week. Every time we met in the quad, or when we actually got our act together, in the flag-strewn Namaste Lounge, I would smile like a massive fool. Yes, I know, COSMOS is a STEM camp, and many students may look down on the Liberal Arts. OOHHHH, writing! We hate that! But you all stepped up, and I am so, so grateful. I think perfectly eloquent words would undermine the messy, raw emotions that I feel right now, so please excuse me for a bit—I think we’ve earned a break.
To all the beautiful editors: every 9 PM meeting in the chilly quad, the breeze nipping at our ears, would instantly make me forget about whatever happened in the day. And more times than not, I would forget my laptop, and so I would hunch in an Asian squat next to whoever had a laptop, pull up our Masterlist on my phone, and work. You are the people I can always talk to—even if we talk about newsletters most of the time. But really, that’s ok. Macrocosm is our baby together—one that we’ve seen through the best and worst of times. If I were to think back, twenty years from now, I would remember my memories with you all—my COSMOS journey is not the same without you.
To my beloved writers: I saw you every week, and some of you started out more enthusiastic than a kid in a candy store. That enthusiasm fed me, and when I would consider loosely skimming an article to “edit” it, I would think about the time, love, and passion that went into that article, and so, I would edit it with the same passion. Well, I tried, at least, and I hope you guys thought I did so. If you had the (mis)fortune to have me edit one of your articles, you would know that I like to write a personalized message at the end, and yes, they really are different for each person. This is because I value each and every one of you, and I want you all to know how much you mean to me. Without the writers, this would not be possible. That’s why, each and every week, I say “have fun”. When you ask “what should I write?”, I respond with “whatever makes you have fun.” And although this may not spoon feed you the answer you’re looking for, I want you to enjoy what you’re writing. That’s really the only way you’ll write the best. And in the end, if I can make even one person enjoy writing, I can leave Macrocosm in peace. So thank you, writers, for always turning in your articles on time, saving my sanity, and making me laugh at 11 PM as I read your jokes about dirty laundry, or Shaowei Chen’s undercooked rice. You all will stay in my loving memory for quite some time. I will always point to this group when I want to make an example of what a good group looks like. I will always look back to this group of editors and writers when I need motivation for a successful group. And if you’re still just skimming this—which, fair enough, this is very long—take this one thing away: Despite whatever you might think, behind closed doors, we think you guys are the best group we could’ve asked for. Thank you. If you ever see me somewhere in the Bay Area, I will buy any writer boba. You all deserve a thousand.
Lastly, to the Editors of 2023 COSMOS Macrocosm (or whatever your name is), have fun with this newsletter. Cry, laugh, and sing your hearts out every week, every day. You’re all here to have fun, so harness that fun and turn it into beautiful writing. Good luck, but I know you won’t need it!
Thanks for everything,
Julian Chen
To: COSMOS 2022, Macrocosm 2022
CC: Macrocosm 2023
To COSMOS 2022, you were perhaps the best group of people that I could’ve asked for. From those of you who showed up to our first chaotic meeting wide-eyed and eager to write to those who dreaded putting pencil to paper and writing the best articles I’ve seen, I am truly grateful. But enough with this cheesiness—I should take this moment to sit here, in the chilly lounge with squishy brown coaches, in retrospect. We’ve all spent nearly 10% of a year with complete strangers, and they’ve become our closest friends. When Shaowei said the bonds made at COSMOS are life-lasting, he was correct. I probably can’t even realize this now, but COSMOS was indeed something special. You won’t recognize the uniqueness of this program until you return to regular school. But when you return, don’t feel disappointed; feel honored, and feel grateful for having participated in this once-in-a-lifetime experience (really, you can’t do COSMOS again!)
Thinking about the end of COSMOS, I’ve been through practically every stage of denial, plugging my ears like a stubborn old man whenever someone mentioned any reminder of the end of the program. Everyone else seems fixated on stopping the inevitable end of the program as well; it has become a taboo subject in our Cluster (cluster 4!! THICK SHEETS). Even as I write this overly-verbose essay, we play Shake It Off, a stark juxtaposition to our sad faces, some hidden behind our masks, others clearly droopy from the disappointment of the end of COSMOS. Every month from now, I know I will remember a specific moment—perhaps that time we played frisbee on the beach, or we sang Moana’s How Far I’ll Go as loud as we could on the Monterey Bay—and smile like a fool in 4th-period Physics, or maybe I’ll shed a tiny tear. Who knows.
Now, to Macrocosm, you have been my happy place at the beginning of each week. Every time we met in the quad, or when we actually got our act together, in the flag-strewn Namaste Lounge, I would smile like a massive fool. Yes, I know, COSMOS is a STEM camp, and many students may look down on the Liberal Arts. OOHHHH, writing! We hate that! But you all stepped up, and I am so, so grateful. I think perfectly eloquent words would undermine the messy, raw emotions that I feel right now, so please excuse me for a bit—I think we’ve earned a break.
To all the beautiful editors: every 9 PM meeting in the chilly quad, the breeze nipping at our ears, would instantly make me forget about whatever happened in the day. And more times than not, I would forget my laptop, and so I would hunch in an Asian squat next to whoever had a laptop, pull up our Masterlist on my phone, and work. You are the people I can always talk to—even if we talk about newsletters most of the time. But really, that’s ok. Macrocosm is our baby together—one that we’ve seen through the best and worst of times. If I were to think back, twenty years from now, I would remember my memories with you all—my COSMOS journey is not the same without you.
To my beloved writers: I saw you every week, and some of you started out more enthusiastic than a kid in a candy store. That enthusiasm fed me, and when I would consider loosely skimming an article to “edit” it, I would think about the time, love, and passion that went into that article, and so, I would edit it with the same passion. Well, I tried, at least, and I hope you guys thought I did so. If you had the (mis)fortune to have me edit one of your articles, you would know that I like to write a personalized message at the end, and yes, they really are different for each person. This is because I value each and every one of you, and I want you all to know how much you mean to me. Without the writers, this would not be possible. That’s why, each and every week, I say “have fun”. When you ask “what should I write?”, I respond with “whatever makes you have fun.” And although this may not spoon feed you the answer you’re looking for, I want you to enjoy what you’re writing. That’s really the only way you’ll write the best. And in the end, if I can make even one person enjoy writing, I can leave Macrocosm in peace. So thank you, writers, for always turning in your articles on time, saving my sanity, and making me laugh at 11 PM as I read your jokes about dirty laundry, or Shaowei Chen’s undercooked rice. You all will stay in my loving memory for quite some time. I will always point to this group when I want to make an example of what a good group looks like. I will always look back to this group of editors and writers when I need motivation for a successful group. And if you’re still just skimming this—which, fair enough, this is very long—take this one thing away: Despite whatever you might think, behind closed doors, we think you guys are the best group we could’ve asked for. Thank you. If you ever see me somewhere in the Bay Area, I will buy any writer boba. You all deserve a thousand.
Lastly, to the Editors of 2023 COSMOS Macrocosm (or whatever your name is), have fun with this newsletter. Cry, laugh, and sing your hearts out every week, every day. You’re all here to have fun, so harness that fun and turn it into beautiful writing. Good luck, but I know you won’t need it!
Thanks for everything,
Julian Chen
Dear Macrocosm 2022,
Yesterday at 11:30pm (oh no breach of stylebook don’t come for me Karina) I was rereading the past 3 weeks’ worth of articles. Not a good decision - way too emotional for a Wednesday evening. And hold up - today’s a Thursday!? The last Thursday!? I refuse to believe this, and just know that I would gladly write 4 more weeks with you guys. (Although we would’ve had to reuse story ideas)
To the editor team, thank you guys for all the 9pm meetings; they were some of my favorite memories of the entire program. Thank you for all the times we video called or texted in the editors channel. Thank you for the jokes and laughter that we shared. Also most importantly thank you Karina for listening to every other editor and giving us permission to ask Shaowei to cook rice for us.
And to the writers, the videographers, and everyone else, thank you for your hard work. I’m so sorry for pestering y’all about the deadlines. And to Cluster 1 people specifically - thank you for bearing with all the times I knocked on your doors.
To web design, thank you for being so on top of it. I know so many of you guys worked until 1 or 2 in the morning because the final drafts came so late. You guys are the glue that held Macrocosm together, keeping us sane while the editors slowly descended into despair. I couldn’t have asked for a more united web design team.
Lastly, thank you for listening to my endless Taylor Swift songs. Sorry not sorry <3
So grateful for these 4 weeks. Thank you. I’ll remember this all too well.
Litong Deng
To Macrocosm 2023,
Heyo!!!!! I’m so excited that you’re on Macrocosm’s team this year. You’re going to do great.
If you’re a writer, videographer, or cartoonist, make sure you stick to the deadlines that you’re given! It’ll make it easier for everybody. Be yourself when you write — be informal and fun.
To editors/heads, 2022 had a group of editors, and 2021 had heads for writers, editors, web designers, etc. It’s up to you guys what structure you want to maintain. As the leaders, you guys need to make sure to work together. Expect to work overtime and at odd hours. Suggestion: the 9pm-10pm study hall time is great for some discussions. Try snagging the little lounge near the dorms if you want to work indoors. You’re definitely gonna run into awkward situations, late writers, and grammar that could use some improvement. Stick together — you will build such strong bonds.
To the EIC(s), I know I wasn’t one, but here are some words of advice. Delegate your work. Trust your editors/heads. Use spreadsheets. And most importantly, don’t stress too much. Get some sleep!
I know you guys will do fabulously. Value each day at COSMOS, because it’ll be over before you know it. Have a fabulous time.
Best of luck!
Litong Deng
P.S. I will be stalking Macrocosm 2023. If there is a grammar mistake or a typo, I will catch it. And I will use the contact the team button on your website (if you add one) to yell at you to fix the mistake.
Yesterday at 11:30pm (oh no breach of stylebook don’t come for me Karina) I was rereading the past 3 weeks’ worth of articles. Not a good decision - way too emotional for a Wednesday evening. And hold up - today’s a Thursday!? The last Thursday!? I refuse to believe this, and just know that I would gladly write 4 more weeks with you guys. (Although we would’ve had to reuse story ideas)
To the editor team, thank you guys for all the 9pm meetings; they were some of my favorite memories of the entire program. Thank you for all the times we video called or texted in the editors channel. Thank you for the jokes and laughter that we shared. Also most importantly thank you Karina for listening to every other editor and giving us permission to ask Shaowei to cook rice for us.
And to the writers, the videographers, and everyone else, thank you for your hard work. I’m so sorry for pestering y’all about the deadlines. And to Cluster 1 people specifically - thank you for bearing with all the times I knocked on your doors.
To web design, thank you for being so on top of it. I know so many of you guys worked until 1 or 2 in the morning because the final drafts came so late. You guys are the glue that held Macrocosm together, keeping us sane while the editors slowly descended into despair. I couldn’t have asked for a more united web design team.
Lastly, thank you for listening to my endless Taylor Swift songs. Sorry not sorry <3
So grateful for these 4 weeks. Thank you. I’ll remember this all too well.
Litong Deng
To Macrocosm 2023,
Heyo!!!!! I’m so excited that you’re on Macrocosm’s team this year. You’re going to do great.
If you’re a writer, videographer, or cartoonist, make sure you stick to the deadlines that you’re given! It’ll make it easier for everybody. Be yourself when you write — be informal and fun.
To editors/heads, 2022 had a group of editors, and 2021 had heads for writers, editors, web designers, etc. It’s up to you guys what structure you want to maintain. As the leaders, you guys need to make sure to work together. Expect to work overtime and at odd hours. Suggestion: the 9pm-10pm study hall time is great for some discussions. Try snagging the little lounge near the dorms if you want to work indoors. You’re definitely gonna run into awkward situations, late writers, and grammar that could use some improvement. Stick together — you will build such strong bonds.
To the EIC(s), I know I wasn’t one, but here are some words of advice. Delegate your work. Trust your editors/heads. Use spreadsheets. And most importantly, don’t stress too much. Get some sleep!
I know you guys will do fabulously. Value each day at COSMOS, because it’ll be over before you know it. Have a fabulous time.
Best of luck!
Litong Deng
P.S. I will be stalking Macrocosm 2023. If there is a grammar mistake or a typo, I will catch it. And I will use the contact the team button on your website (if you add one) to yell at you to fix the mistake.
Top tips for Web Design team:
2023 e-Newsletter team!! I know for sure you guys are going to have so much fun! The amount of times I’ve cried laughing at the webpage group’s inside jokes TT. From naming our representative slug Max and hiding Easter eggs on the site (which y’all should find), I’ve made unforgettable memories! I can only speak as a webpage designer, but creating the e-newsletter has been an amazing and bond creating experience! It helped so much to meet new friends when everyone was still awkward and I can guarantee you guys will have so much fun!!
- Esther K
Hello my dear reader(s)! Working on the newsletter has been a great experience, even if there was a difficulty creating a weebly account in the beginning. The web design team this year worked well together to create a webpage that was different from last years since Weebly allows room for such creativity.
- Claire Lin
Dear Macrocosm team(past & present),
To the previous Macrocosm years, Thank you for setting a great example for us to follow. It was comforting to look back and previous years and know that others went through the same process that we did. I hope our publications are up to your standards and beyond. To the e-newsletter team of 2023 specifically, thank you. Thank you for the community, for the late night stress, for all the hard work and for funny moments. Despite not having any prior experience on a newsletter it was f*n to try something new! To the web design team, thank you so much. This year was hard and we had barely any time between events to work but I’m very proud of the website we’ve created.
- Sammy Lesner
Thank you everyone for creating an amazing experience at COSMOS and good luck on your future endeavors!
- Maxwell Chen
Thank you for making COSMOS such a memorable experience. I've had so much fun getting to know everyone in e-newsletter, and working on the Macrocosm website with our web designers. Good luck next year and I'll miss you all! :)
- Natalie Hsia
- Don’t make a square account if you plan to use weebly
- Index your domain using google search console
- Remind the photographers to convert to jpg or png before they submit TT. ALSO make sure it’s less than 10 mb.
- Constantly asking people for pictures of events ;-;
- Take photos
- Divide up the work & communicate!
- Have fun + add secrets (you are not paid enough to be stressed lol)
- Be creative! Weebly is probably one of the most customizable web builders, try to play around with its features. Cool features = more visitors.
- If using Weebly, use spacers to make images smaller. If you use the “resize image” tool it compresses it and causes the photo to lose quality.
- Add dedicated pages for large events. These are the highlights of the program and it’s important to have clear documentation on it.
2023 e-Newsletter team!! I know for sure you guys are going to have so much fun! The amount of times I’ve cried laughing at the webpage group’s inside jokes TT. From naming our representative slug Max and hiding Easter eggs on the site (which y’all should find), I’ve made unforgettable memories! I can only speak as a webpage designer, but creating the e-newsletter has been an amazing and bond creating experience! It helped so much to meet new friends when everyone was still awkward and I can guarantee you guys will have so much fun!!
- Esther K
Hello my dear reader(s)! Working on the newsletter has been a great experience, even if there was a difficulty creating a weebly account in the beginning. The web design team this year worked well together to create a webpage that was different from last years since Weebly allows room for such creativity.
- Claire Lin
Dear Macrocosm team(past & present),
To the previous Macrocosm years, Thank you for setting a great example for us to follow. It was comforting to look back and previous years and know that others went through the same process that we did. I hope our publications are up to your standards and beyond. To the e-newsletter team of 2023 specifically, thank you. Thank you for the community, for the late night stress, for all the hard work and for funny moments. Despite not having any prior experience on a newsletter it was f*n to try something new! To the web design team, thank you so much. This year was hard and we had barely any time between events to work but I’m very proud of the website we’ve created.
- Sammy Lesner
Thank you everyone for creating an amazing experience at COSMOS and good luck on your future endeavors!
- Maxwell Chen
Thank you for making COSMOS such a memorable experience. I've had so much fun getting to know everyone in e-newsletter, and working on the Macrocosm website with our web designers. Good luck next year and I'll miss you all! :)
- Natalie Hsia