With the introduction of the brand new 30-credit thesis course, 4B30, a number of students have capitalized by spending the year abroad. One such student is Anita Vacay, a fourth-year BHSc student spending the year in the Dominican Republic undertaking a complex and multi-faceted thesis investigation. Her studies will tackle the long-term effects of alcohol consumption on the liver; potentially damaging sun-beams and their effect on the skin; which seafood is tastiest; and whether cocaine is, in fact, the most fun drug (it was only once and her new friend Rebecca assured her that she’d make sure Vacay didn’t do any, “stupid sh*t”). Vacay has specifically expressed her gratitude to her thesis advisor, a 28-year old scuba instructor with dubious scientific credentials, who gave her this opportunity, “I wouldn’t have been able to undertake this project without the help of Fernandez. He’s been so helpful in getting me set up and training me for my project. And there was a lot of training. Sometimes we trained for hours at a time. I’ve really never been trained like that before. Let’s just say the lab was anything but dry.” When asked if she faced any difficulties in getting approval for her thesis, Vacay had this to say, “Ya the ethics forms were a bit hard, but you’d be surprised what you can get away with in the name of science.”
As of now, Vacay has made significant headway in her research and is grateful for the BHSc for providing her with the opportunity to commit fully to such an intriguing topic of study, free from distractions like electives, grades, and an inflexible national policy on drug trafficking.
Spiciness Rating:
The Procrastinator 