Marco and Polo Say Goodbye... To The Biochem Dept

Marco and Polo here,
   We can officially see the light at the end of the tunnel, or maybe that's just the train?  In light of our feelings of impending doom... Er we mean ecstatic accomplishment, we take this time to say goodbye to the place and the people we have come to call home over the last four and a half years.  The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the arguably insane but undoubtedly brilliant faculty and staff residing there.

The window into the department conference room,
where the weekly meeting of the minds occurs
(if the world is destroyed or saved in the near
future the plotting will probably happen here)

It is impossible to accurately express how much of our lives has been spent learning, labing, laughing, crying, eating, sleeping, hyperventilating, studying, working, scheming, nerding, and generally surviving within these walls over the last four years.  You think we're kidding or over-exaggerating, we thought so too until a janitor recognized us in the parking lot as 'those girls who live in the Biochem department'.  That moment made us pause to re-examine our lives...  After brief consideration and little debate we agreed to change absolutely nothing, a decision we have yet to regret.  Our love and dedication to the department has less to do with the amazing instrumentation and demanding schedules and a lot more to do with the incredible faculty and staff who are there arguably as much as we are.

Our board to introduce the professors and provide their schedules
for those souls who do not haunt the halls

• Dr. Adamantium: The impossibly sweet and brilliant professor of inorganic and bioinorganic chemistry who had the misfortune of putting up with the shenanigans of Marco, Polo and the Kid during our ambitious and nearly manic research phase
• Alchemik: There is no one better to go to if you want to hear about how chemistry used to be done.  Trust us, if you are worried about BPA, GMOs, or carcinogens be glad you were never a chemist in Poland...  And if a story about the good-old-days doesn't cheer you up there is always his kitten slideshow as backup
• Beaker: The first professor to break ground in the Chem E program
• Mrs. Captain Von Trapp: A chem E professor who doubles as Dr. Mom's sidekick and partner in crime
• La Catedratica: The MVP of Marco and Polo's 'faculty therapy team'...  Let's face it she is a good part of the reason this blog is not brought to you from within an asylum or is it?
• Chief: The glue, rubber band, and duct tape that holds the department together and who has survived the creation of Marco and Polo and the madness that has ensued since
• The Count: A genius of a P-chem professor, who spends much of his time convincing students his math isn't really magic, that we really are getting smarter, and that P-chem is any self-respecting-chemists favorite class...  We aren't drinking that Kool-Aide (which is a generally safe practice in chemistry since it's usually not Kool-Aide)
• The Cultured One: One of the first Applied Biology professors.  Who caught on to the ridiculous-ness which is Marco and Polo much to fast for our liking and who gave us one (or several) final swift-kick-to-the-ass
• Inspector Gadget: Kilo's right-hand-man and general lab Guru, who earlier this term attempted to make himself bionic while playing at home improvement.  He also gets a little sassy after five
• Kilo: Our primary candy supplier and landlord of our future desk-fort/home (she also puts up with way more Marco and Polo than anyone should have to)
• Lord of the Benzene Ring (LotBR): An ingenious, or possibly just straight-up genius, Organic professor...  Let's just say we hope he never joins the dark side and always remember 'There's No Crying in Organic Chemistry'
• Dr. Mom: Marco and Polo's crazy aunt and psuedo-mom all wrapped up into one insane package...  She's the person to thank, or maybe blame, for bringing about the dynamic duo of Marco and Polo
• Speed Racer: Our very first chemistry professor who taught us the importance of things we didn't fully appreciate or understand until now, not to mention the really important things like how to sleep in class, chemistry is just mixing drinks, and the real difference between a PhD and an MD
• Waldo: The tallest ChemE professor to ever walk the halls, quite possibly the tallest professor period...  We have spent the last few years trying to figure out a way to get him to wear red stripes in order to play the ultimate game of Where's Waldo

We cannot express our thanks to all of our professors, those listed and not, who have helped us reach this point.  We can only hope that we can make you proud and use everything you've beaten into...  Er we mean taught us over the years.

   Though finals week is just around the corner and students and faculty are buckling down for the storm there is still time for a little holiday cheer with a nerdy flair (really did you expect it any other way around here?).

This is the department's chemistree (made by Chief)!
Yes those are round-bottom-flasks.

This is our NMR (just about the coolest instrument in the school)
it's all ready for Christmas.  One of the students has even re-written
'Oh Christmas Tree' as a tribute to this nerdy decoration

   It is with heavy hearts and souls that we will be saying our last goodbyes and leaving this place that's become home and these people we call family.

As Always Stay Nerdy,

Marco and Polo