Cows, Code, and Comfort Zones – Kino’s Forum Experience
From being moo’d at to discussing AI with tertiary professors, Kino shares how he was pushed out of his comfort zone in a safe environment and how the Forum stretched his conception of science beyond the classroom.
Perhaps the main reason I was selected to come to the Forum is that over the years, I’ve grown accustomed to learning science in a classroom environment. This meant that my knowledge of science was largely disjointed from the vague dreams I think all of us here have about making the world a better place. For me, my ambitions in science and tech was going into Chemistry and helping the NZ economy diversify from mainly agriculture into a better mix of sustainable technologies.
As my baseline letter ran through my brain as I met up with Red group (the best group) for the first time, all the things I said about building a sustainable future for Aotearoa, not relying solely on cows and sheep, floated around. So you could say I was quite surprised when a complete stranger got down on their hands and knees and we mooed at each other!
As chaotic as that was, it did help to ease my nerves a bit. Coming into the Forum, I really didn’t know what to expect; all I knew was that it seemed so scary and formal in the leaflet we got! But instead, everyone was so nice and inclusive.
At every point at the Forum, I felt safe. Mumma Sophie and Papa Cove really made sure that underneath their funny nonchalant advisor personas they paid attention to how our group was doing. Elaine always said hello at lunch. My awesome red team members still cheered when I’m their greatest liability in volleyball.
However, note that I said I felt safe and not comfortable; I was pushed way out of my comfort zone every single day! You know, this is mentally, physically as well as socially. The whole experience of meeting a bunch of new people just felt like speed dating, except with friendships… Like seriously, I don’t even know the names of the people in rock band- Physical volleyball. Some of the modules flew right over my head, but still asked questions and dug deep. For example, the AI talk by Dr Mahsa – I’m sure we’ll be putting that into practice (maybe need robotics to help!). I was just talking tonight to Prof Emeritus Al Nielsen about how AI is currently revolutionising how we search for more efficient reaction pathways. That’s the thing – at the Forum we’ve been exposed to a plethora of subjects, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of the real world, not the tidy boxes at school.
But despite these challenges, they’re behind us now, and we reap the rewards. Over the time we’ve had here, a special bond has developed between all of us here, especially within our colour groups. We’ve been through so much together, and I am sure every single one of us will go on to do great things.
Let me end with this sentiment. With Dr. Singh-Bairns’ inspiring talk, we learnt to not be afraid to pursue the vocations you love and connect with the people you look up to. Forum 2024 has done this for me. I haven’t had my aha yet, but the future feels more immediate than ever, and I’ve met mentors and collaborators whose impact will stay with me a lifetime. I have heard your voices, and I’ve internalised your moos, and now I can confidently say that I was wrong and indeed the future of our countries lies in the hooves of you cows.
Forum has left me with no regrets. Thank you and Moowoo my forum siblings and parents!