The silence rages at the walls as, In the bowels of the science building, Thirty sweating, stifled faces stare Through the glass of flat-bottomed flasks To witness annihilation: acid and base Finding a measure of peace, as it were. In measuring and pouring caustic hell How bile overflows in a rush to quench The rising roil of acid in your gut, They replicate results nature produces Largely by accident, and so do they. Later they'll forge their reports With Vulcan's own creative gleam, But here, it's patient swirling, Steady hands, and holding breath - Excited, maybe tired, maybe terrified.
Lab courses take an hour of prep, three hours of experimentation, and two hours to write up a week. Getting only one measly credit hour for the experience is a travesty.