Marion West

[Marion West @Marion_edu]

#MAPPP9@skasa_outreach Just to be sure I give a balanced picture about being obliged to tweet - if it had not been for M9, wild horses could not have dragged me into tweeting - so M9 has transformed my perspective...

[Marion West @Marion_edu]

#MAPPP9@skasa_outreach Another first: I'm tweeting because I *want* to, not so much because I am obliged to! M9 Cohort - you rock! What a thoroughly enjoyable evening of good company fun and laughter! Be strong: we will make it together!!

[Marion West @Marion_edu]

#MAPPP9@skasa_outreach This morning I had my first ever slice of French Toast - it was very nice! Today is also my first day after baselining for the M9 programme - it feels good to have got here (and congrats to all fellow team members too!!) - much gained, much yet to learn!

[Marion West @Marion_edu]

#MAPPP9@skasa_outreach After the tension leading up to our presentations and the excitement after, knowing we had at least acquitted ourselves well - it was down to the wire with the documents to be base-lined. This took longer than any of us had anticipated, but it is done!

[Marion West @Marion_edu]

#MAPPP9@skasa_outreach Tomorrow we set off for the Grahamstown Scifest, where we have opportunities to meet with many in the Science Engagement Sector and to attend sessions from which we will learn much.

[Marion West @Marion_edu]

#MAPPP9@skasa_outreach Well done to each of our M9 cohort for presenting in ways that were streets ahead of our practice runs on Saturday - I am proud to be a part of this group!

[Marion West @Marion_edu]

#MAPPP9@skasa_outreach Today the critical presentation - highly creative and right brain. Also the myriad of documents to be vetted - highly logical and left brain.

[Marion West @Marion_edu]

#MAPPP9@skasa_outreach Yesterday, a day to catch up. A milestone presentation to prepare and the required completion of the many documents for the project. Not quite a gap day, but a day to ensure we were up to speed.

[Marion West @Marion_edu]

Today the critical 3-minute presentations - creative, highly right brain; and the completion of the documents, logical, attention to detail; highly left brain. A tall order, but it would not have been asked of us if there had not been the belief that we could step up and deliver

[Marion West @Marion_edu]

Yesterday was a day to catch up - preparing for critical presentations and readying the many documents for the project - not quite a gap day, but a day to get up to speed with everything.

[Marion West @Marion_edu]

#MAPPP9@skasa_outreach Tonight (and tomorrow) each M9 team member will be working steadily on the many project documents to be completed for review on Monday afternoon. We will also be perfecting presentations for our first trial run before external parties on Monday morning :)

[Marion West @Marion_edu]

#MAPPP9@skasa_outreach M9ers launched on first "dry runs" of project presentations. We were nervous and apprehensive, but our coaches, Anja and Lory, were dedicated, insightful and persevering - calling us forward to matched dedication, perseverance and creativity!

[Marion West @Marion_edu]

#MAPPP9@skasa_outreach In session today the M9ers were coached on how to give presentations with flair, imagination and accuracy. We were strongly encouraged to practice, practice, practice and practice again. The grounds of the SAAO were inspirational for working through ideas

[Marion West @Marion_edu]

#MAPPP9@skasa_outreach Today the M9ers brainstormed ideas for titles to the 12 projects. At times we were despondent, at times we were brimming over with creative ideas, at times we wondered if we would ever complete the process! The end results were stunning - worth it all!

[Marion West @Marion_edu]

#MAPPP9@skasa_outreach While at the SAAO Visitor's Centre at Sutherland I also visited Saturn

[Marion West @Marion_edu]

#MAPPP9@skasa_outreach SAAO Visitor's Centre at Sutherland allows you to take a photo of yourself with an astronomical object of your choice - so I decided to visit the Orion Nebula, where new stars shine in visible light and unborn stars show up if the picture is in infrared

[Marion West @Marion_edu]

#MAPPP9@skasa_outreach The Visitor's Centre at Sutherland is truly impressive! I think that the exhibits have been really well thought out! I would gladly visit again.

[Marion West @Marion_edu]

#MAPPP9@skasa_outreach This is accelerated learning for sure - back-to-back tasks, yet each highly beneficial! The process keeps me focusing deeper and deeper on the final outcome.

[Marion West @Marion_edu]

#MAPPP9@skasa_outreach My first ever tweet in my entire life!! M9ers are half-way through our training - we have learnt a lot and feel that we are getting the hang of things - we look forward to the next two weeks of our training

[Puleng Tsie @pulengtsie]

Creative tools used to communicate multi-wavelength astronomy or maybe I just like comic books @SciEnzaCentre @skasa_outreach @Radio_Astronomy #scicomm #space #sciencetourism #MAPPP_9