BESA Meeting Minutes (9/18/09)

All BESA officers were present, in addition to a few others (thanks Laura, Mike, Donald, and Phil for attending).  BESA gathered for its first meeting in 2202 since construction began in the 3rd floor lounge.

Major discussion points included:

1) BESA Budget – Total funds for the year were laid out and money was tentatively allotted for each quarter.

2) Orientation – Officers discussed there roles in the orientation for the new first year students, including describing their position and introducing “their event” for the year.

3) Welcome BBQ – Budget and plans we discussed for this years Welcome BBQ (September 30 and Putah Creek Lodge).

4) Community service/outreach – Jen and Justin updated the group on their recent work and upcoming events (see Events Page for more info)

5) Track Specific Discussion – BESA officers were assigned to lead each track discussion and progress towards identifying labs with open positions was discussed.

To read the full meeting minutes please click below:

Meeting Minutes (8/21/09)

All BESA officers, in addition to some undergraduate representatives from BMES, Dr. Kent Leach, Christal Wintersmith (and baby!) were present for the meeting. 

Details of the upcoming Student/Faculty Lunch were discussed as well as a detailed annual schedule for all Fall, Winter, and Spring events.   Be sure to check out the Upcoming Events section for full details!

Incoming first years will soon be arriving and there are plans for orientation as well as the Fall Welcome BBQ.  Other big BESA plans include increasing our community service by enhancing the relatively new outreach program and proving to local students that engineering is actually fun!

For full meeting minutes please click below:

Meeting Minutes (7/22/09)

ASSISTANCE

New officers were introduced and assigned the responsibilities of their position.

The budget for social events as well as planning of the events was discussed.  A general outline of the events for the upcomming year was discussed, and dates were picked for a few events which will take place early in the school year. 

Salt Point state park camping trip – July 11th weekend

We had a huge turnout (24 people) for the Salt Point state park camping trip and it was definitely one of the most enjoyable BESA events during the last year. Carpools were arranged in advance, and most people were there by early afternoon. The drive to Salt Point was really scenic with the highway overlooking the ocean, though it got a little foggy at times. We initially had 2 camp sites, but we decided to get another one to accommodate everybody more comfortably. After lunch, some people decided to go hiking, some went to Gerstle cove which was about a mile away from the camp site and some others drove down to Fort Ross. The pictures on the photos section of the website have been collected from folks that went to Gerstle cove and Fort Ross. We relaxed for a bit after getting back to the camp site, and volunteers started making pasta for everyone (special mention should be made of Iwan Schie!) We also got a nice fire going and everybody sat around the fire as it got cooler and cooler. Conversation, fun and games went on late into the night on Saturday. We had bagels for breakfast on Sunday and we had to vacate the site by 12 in the afternoon, so we started packing up at around 11. Some people decided to meet and have lunch together in a nearby town and the rest decided to head back to Davis. All in all, it was a great experience! Thanks for organizing the event Erica!

Check out the pictures on the photos section of the website!

Combined BME + CHMS BBQ – June 13th

The combined spring BBQ with the chemical and material science (CHMS) engineering department was a success, with around 30-35 people showing up at West Manor Park. The number of faculty present could have been higher, though poor faculty showing was probably because of the timing of the BBQ. BESA could plan the spring BBQ next time for a weekend before finals week, and more people would be able to fit it into their schedules. Moreover, the CHMS department could have been contacted a few months in advance, and they could have encouraged their faculty and students to try and make it to the event.

The weather on the 13th was great, though it was a little windy. Some students and faculty brought their families along, and it was great to see everybody having a good time. Dr. Tonya Kuhl brought some wiffleball gear along and encouraged people to participate in a BME vs CHMS game. The game was pretty exciting with BME leading until the last innings, when CHMS overtook BME and won! No worries, we’ll get ‘em next time!

Trampoline event (5/11/09)

BESA recently sponsored a trip to Sky High Sports in Sacramento. Carpools were organized and about 15 members showed up to bounce around for an hour in rooms with walls and floors made of trampolines! Laughs were shared, memories were made, and stress was relieved with some friendly competition. Some quotes overheard at the event include: “…The best thing I’ve ever done in my life…”, “…wow, it’s been an hour already?”, and “…I never knew bouncing on a trampoline and throwing things at people could be so much fun”. So check out the pictures of our awesome social event (photos page) and remember to keep them in mind when BESA plans its next trip to Sky High Sports.
http://www.jumpskyhigh.com/

Camping Trip – May 2nd weekend

BESA kicked spring off with our first camping trip of the year. Sunny, Matt S, Rachel, Beth, Sherrod, Matt A, Hiro, Jennifer and Emily P checked out the Sonoma Coast State Park campground at Bodega Bay. Memorable moments include: rock crabs, tortellini, “waterbeds” and fabulous hot chocolate & potato pancakes at Mr. Mom’s Diner.  Thanks to all the organizers, tent constructors, drivers and campers!  Mr. Mom, we’ll be back in July

Please check out the photos from the camping trip on the photos page.