58th Annual STS (1998–1999)
Finalists
Michael Yen Ming Lew

I would have to say that being here is quite exciting. The hotel is absolutely beautiful (the Renaissance-Mayflower, Washington D.C.), and I have been treated quite well by the finalists and the advisors. Intel and the Society for Science & the Public are both filled with saints. I spend most of  my time getting acquainted with the other 39 finalists, meeting reporters (which was especially fun at the Congressional Reception), and walking around the D.C. area. We spent one morning walking through the embassies, and although I could not identify most of the flags from all of the countries, it was still a very cultural experience. The Japanese and French embassies were particularly beautiful, although I can not claim to have seen enough of the others to know which are the most elaborate. As you enter this den of trivialities, I warn you that I don't really know how to make a website. At this point I would like to relate a few of my interests. Although I am obviously excited about science and biology, I have a life outside of the laboratory as well (or so I try to convince myself). This includes duties in the Associated Student Body of La Jolla High School, keeping busy with various clubs, and spending time with friends. Below is a picture of a few of my ASB friends and I counting bids for king and queen of the Homecoming dance.

I really love my high school. I think I am going to miss it a lot next year when I am at Yale. Perhaps I should talk a little bit about my project. I did research for 2 and a half years in a laboratory at UC San Diego. There I worked on discovering the function of a gene known as Pem. The Pem gene was found in mice and rats and I discovered that its function was transcriptional repression, which means that Pem protein stops other genes from working (or from creating mRNA). This holds many, many possibilities for developmental processes. Anyway, that's enough for me. We've been talking about our projects quite a bit of late, and I have undergone 8 hours over 2 days of pure project-explaining fun. Needless to say, I am tired (not tired of the project, but just tired overall).

I am in a program called Independent Studies back at La Jolla High and it's a really great opportunity to express interests in the humanities. The program is a 2-year study of English and History in which we sidetrack every now and then to do talent shows, original plays, etc. Below are photos of our 11th grade Constitutional Convention (I was George Mason, and dressing up as him was not the highlight of my life), a play that I co-wrote called "The Divine Clarence" (a musical parody on the Divine Comedy in which a nerd named Clarence is so annoying that he is kicked out of Heaven, of Purgatory, of Hell, and ultimately granted eternal life), and a Barber Shop Quartet scene from our 11th-grade talent show.

My two favorite places in the world are representative of my overall personality: a combination of both science and humanities. I love visiting both the San Diego Zoo and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. (See? Science, Humanities!) If you haven't been to the zoo, I happen to have a couple of photos.

So I guess that's all that there is about me (for now). I really am enjoying my experiences here and am glad to have participated in such a prestigious event. The people here are completely brilliant; far more brilliant than I; and I am happy to have met such interesting finalists. They are, "a really, really great group." If you are a prospective scientist, I implore you to go explore everything. Go learn and do science and do anything your over-achieving heart may desire. I conclude with a poem...just for fun...(no comments)

The Good Ship Walter

A boy set sail on Good Ship Walter.
In prowess and courage he never could falter.
With locks full of gold
and wisdom untold
he sailed the Good Ship Walter.
The Walter housed only one more:
a sailor who'd never seen shore.
With a cloak to hide him
and evil inside him
he sailed the Good Ship Walter.
The weather at sea: ever lonely.
And the boy had the evil one only.
With the heat ever-present
and conditions unpleasant,
they sailed the Good Ship Walter.
The sailor grew restless inside.
His face he no longer could hide.
With bones for a head
and a body long-dead
he sailed the Good Ship Walter.
The companions then fin'lly hit shore.
And the boy was left living no more.
With Hell all around him
and souls to surround him,
he'd died on the Good Ship Walter.

-Michael Lew (Mikeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee) Mar. 7, 1999

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