Six gingerbread men and six rectangular butter cookies lay in a checkered pattern. Each gingerbread man is decorated with the name of a Psyche Mission member, and their respective butter cookie is decorated with watercolor symbols to represent a lesson learned from them. The pairs are ordered by row: 1 - Marisol Arenas, Lindsay McLaurin; 2 - Tom Prettyman, Kristina Larson; 3 - Dr. Lindy Elkins-Tanton, Ravi Prakash.

A Psyche’s Dozen

Cameryn Laborte

JANUARY 15, 2021

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Genre/Medium: gingerbread and butter cookies with icing, food coloring gels, and powders

About the work: Inspired by the people of the Psyche mission, I created gingerbread molasses and butter cookies using icing and an edible watercolor technique to symbolize not only the person, but the lesson I took away from each of them. Marisol Arenas demonstrated the importance of continuous learning and growth, even against adversity. Lindsay McLaurin shared the importance of connecting with others, sharing the excitement of the mission, and feeding off of feedback. Tom Prettyman’s presentation showed that interplanetary comparisons of data connect what we learn from separate missions. Kristina Larson drilled the importance of communication between distinct, interlocking areas. Dr. Lindy Elkins-Tanton helped me realize the connections between the arts and sciences and how our exploration of space offers a greater understanding of ourselves. Ravi Prakash recalled his varying experiences, pointing out that every opportunity offers something to learn. While I’ve only decorated a handful of people involved, the people of the Psyche mission offer so much in their work and in what they can teach, and I wanted to honor that

Date Added: 01-15-2021
Credit: Cameryn Laborte

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