Gravitational Attraction

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when you combine physics demos, liquid nitrogen sorbet, and bingo… you’re probably in the Society of Physics Students.

At this year’s Texas section joint APS and AAPT conference, I had the absolute whirlwind pleasure of organizing our SPS Reception—an evening designed to bring students together in a fun, low-pressure setting before the conference begins. Think physics meets party planning. The event was called Gravitational Attraction: An SPS Spin on Socialization, and yes, I’m still proud of the pun.

We had it all:
🔬 Eye-catching physics demos
🍕 Free pizza (a scientific constant)
🍓 DIY liquid nitrogen sorbet that was colder than a TA’s stare during finals
🎉 Icebreaker bingo with real prizes

I designed the posters, handcrafted the bingo boards, and managed everything from setup to cleanup. Despite the prep and the planning, turnout was... sparse. Not going to lie, that part stung a bit.

But you know what? The people who came had a blast. There was real laughter, cool science, and a few new friendships sparked over frozen fruit and periodic table puns. And that’s what counts. I learned a lot about event planning (like maybe don’t compete with five other socials at the same time) and community-building even when the numbers are small.

So would I do it again? Absolutely. Maybe with more marketing, maybe with fewer leftover pizzas. But definitely again.