ILC Yalies

Northwestern University

2009-10-11T15:42:00.000-07:00

“The sky is the limit.” Once I read this promising message inscribed on Northwestern’s Rock, I felt an immediate, unbreakable connection to the school. And when my two day stay in Evanston ended, several distinct factors helped me assuredly conclude Northwestern was something different—something mere rankings could not unveil.

Northwestern’s avant-garde traditions define its student body. The mischievous freshmen the school oversaw in the 1950s had daring motives. They layered the school’s frozen fountain—now known as the Rock—with distasteful messages and paid their expenses in toothbrush labor. But Northwestern guided those freshmen; it refined them into decorous seniors who returned to the Rock, and who ornamented it with a fresh series of encouraging words. Northwestern allowed this act to evolve into a tradition that has come to illustrate its students—and I love the school because of this sense of spirit and optimism it has instilled in its community. As a maturing young adult, I want a taste of energy and positivism, and Northwestern is the only school who can provide that for me.

I fell even more in love with the school when I saw the ground flyering. At Northwestern, I must “look down to see what’s up,” as many say. And while the advertisements are eventually washed away or removed, the tape remains to showcase the university’s novel feature. Such creativity mirrors the personality of the community—an innovative, imaginative, and animated family of scholars. At Northwestern, I’m courageous. I have no need to fear the possibility of being judged for my own outrageous ideas because the school instructs a diverse set of creative minds. At Northwestern, stereotypes do not exist; they are lost in the pot of diversity.

I appreciate Northwestern’s flexible schedule system as well as its devotion to undergraduate education. Through its policy of no core curriculum, I am given the freedom to choose my classes and am guaranteed the largest variety of courses possible. I admire that the school realizes how important it is for students to explore their options before making a commitment to a major; the school wants students to discover who they are and what they want to be before making a choice. I’ve been convinced to enter college with an undeclared major because of such emphasis on freedom and flexibility.

The flexible schedules that Northwestern provides are incomplete without proper teaching. Almost all of the classes are taught by professors, and the student to faculty ratio is a small seven-to-one. Northwestern also emphasizes the importance of undergraduate research and experience: while students work out of the textbook, a great deal of the learning is done by experience. The McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, for example, begins engineering classes immediately. Other schools do not have this feature. Similarly, the Medill School of Journalism sends its students into Chicago for interviews almost immediately after beginning the course. Seeing as I learn much better through experience rather than textbooks, I find that Northwestern’s focus on experience-based education fits me very well.

Northwestern’s environment is one other colleges should envy. Residing along the glorious Lake Michigan, the school features several garden-like paths, with trees, bushes, and flowers at every corner. Friendly squirrels may be found along these walkways as well as small birds and, on occasion, bunnies. These creatures and gardens sublimely complement Northwestern’s buildings and community.

When my two days came to an end, I already thought Northwestern was my home. I didn’t want to leave; I wanted to stay forever. I’m now applying to the institution using the Early Decision option—and I can only hope that Northwestern will accept my passion and commitment.

Other pictures:

Chicago deep-dish pizza!

Katie Kim - she spent two hours with me. Thanks to her, I was able to see some dorms and eat in the dining hall.

Medill's broadcasting room! Amazing!

Rotary International World Headquarters! I love Interact Club - this was a huge plus for me.

A Glimpse of Yale

2009-08-25T22:37:00.000-07:00

Forever Grateful

2009-08-12T21:39:00.000-07:00

Dear Mr. Ramsey, Ms. Kronenberg, Mr. Gosney, sponsors, supporters and members of the Ivy League Connection.

We would like to thank everyone for their hard work and for devoting valuable time into making this program a success. We are honored and grateful that our daughter Stephanie was chosen to go to Yale for the intense two-week program.

The Yale Ivy Scholars Program has made Stephanie more confident, mature and independent. We saw this confidence, this maturity, and this independence the moment she returned - and it's all thanks to the faith each and every one of the supporters, sponsors, professors, and instructors placed in our daughter.

After two avid weeks of following this blog, we've experienced what Stephanie, Jessica, Yohanna, and Matt have weathered: dorm life, cafeteria food, laundry and vigorous class demands. They have found and made many new friends from all around the world. They've created life-lasting memories with their classmates. Actually, it would be wrong to merely call these people "classmates." Stephanie, Jessica, Yohanna, and Matt have undoubtedly formed a family with their cohorts, instructors, and professors - a family which we're sure will last a lifetime.

One of the purposes of the Ivy League Connection is to have students give back to the community. As a start, we have scheduled a date for Stephanie to teach us all about etiquette! We have heard about Dr. Dr. Luong's etiquette session and have taken great interest in it. This is one of the many things our daughter will bring back to her community as a dawning leader.

We're so thankful that the Ivy League Connection exposes our students to the East Coast. Mr. Ramsey and Mrs. Kronenberg - the two kindhearted, dedicated people who began this program - have come to impact and forever change the lives of many, many WCCUSD students - changes that would have otherwise been near impossible. Because they believed our district could rise above adversity, plenty WCCUSD scholars have been exposed to Ivy League schools. Through the ILC, these students have applied and gotten into Ivy Leagues.

Once again, our thanks goes out to Mr. Ramsey, Mrs. Kronenberg, Mr. Gosney, sponsors, supporters, professors, instructors, and participants.

Congratulations to all. Your dedication and time have been well spent.

Forever grateful,

Eric Ny and Lien Chau

Grateful Reflection

2009-08-12T07:23:00.000-07:00

For us parents, it was also a pretty intense two weeks of anticipation coupled with reading blogs and e-mails. We can probably now handle Facebook or MySpace chatting. Actually the magnitude of the intensity is more on becoming aware that our daughter, Yohanna is growing as a person, maturing and on her way to seek out her purpose. It was a two-week crash course in being weaned from having her at home to that inevitable gone off to college far away. Parents want the best their child could be, and sometimes it requires letting go.

With such scholarly lectures Matt, Jessica, Yohanna and Stephanie experienced from erudite professors lead by Dr. Luong, these four chosen to be at Yale will never be the same again. The positive experience even whets their appetites for more knowledge and kindles their enthusiasm to pursue excellence.

Our heartfelt gratitude goes to the Ivy League Connection for giving this immense opportunity. We cannot think of any greater venture at Yohanna’s age of 16. This could not be possible if not because of the caring, unrelenting commitment of Charles Ramsey, the dedication of Madeleine Kronenberg, the support of the rest of the School Board, Principal Sue Kahn, Superintendent Bruce Harter and staff, the generous funding of the sponsors, and the indefatigable participation of Don Gosney.

As for Yohanna, she would not be what she is today if not for teachers like Mr. Nesmith, Ms. Lamons and Mr. Wilson doing their jobs more as a calling. They have inspired her so much so that the once shy girl is leading a 70 +member marching band as their drum major as well as co-charing the Pinole Valley High School debate team. Mr. Wilson engaging lectures piqued Yohanna’s interest in history and civilization that came in handy for Yale’s Brady-Johnson Program in Grand Strategy. The course culminated with Marshall Brief Presentations, which consisted of giving briefings to the USA President and Vice-president, etc. role-played by Yale professors.

The Ivy League Connection not only opens new windows for West County families but it also gives a sense of community. It makes available the best in education that paves the way to brighter futures. Every aspect is well thought out that there is a fitting chaperone for each group and Ms. Sue Kim assisting with the college application process. The participants get their feet at the door at these northeastern institutions that have a perception of only for the affluent. With people involved giving so generously of their time, knowledge and guidance, they are not so elusive anymore. We are deeply grateful and it is our hope for the Ivy League Connection to flourish and be blessed.

Eric and Youra Pepa

The Last Two Days of Ivy Scholars

2009-08-12T00:09:00.000-07:00

There is an uncountable number of things that I could talk about in great detail from Yale's Ivy Scholars Program. However, I shall focus on two events that truly represent the essence of this amazing experience, Marshall Brief presentations and graduation dinner.

Nearly every night of our fortnight spent at Yale consisted of working for many hours with the four other members of our Marshall Brief group. Earlier in the week, we had turned in the final copy of our written brief--12pages of a proposed U.S. policy that was simultaneously detailed and concise. Friday would be spent presenting our plan through a powerpoint and our newly-refined public speaking skills to our fellow peers and a "murder" board. The murder board would consist of 2-3 judges who role-played the positions of government officials who our brief would concern in real-life. Also, the president and vice president could each walk in on our presentations at any given moment. At Ivy Scholars, Prrofessor Luong was Barack Obama and Dean Coburn-Palo was Joe Biden.

Our presentations took place from 1pm until 8:45pm. Unfortunately, my group was scheduled for 6:30pm, the second to last time slot. Looking back, however, we were lucky to have the chance to observe groups that presented before us, but we had to wear our professional outfits and control our nerves for a longer period of time. Finally, 6:30 arrived and it was my group's turn to present our brief, Preventing Afghanistan from Becoming a Failed State. Our murder board consisted of a general played by YISP mentor Ben Elkins and the Undersecretary of State played by Professor Hennigan. We gave ourselves titles as well: our group was called "The Independent Commission to Review U.S. Policy in Afghanistan" and I was the Chief Intelligence Officer.

Our presentation began and I proceeded to elaborate on my sections: the overview, the definition of a failed state, and the implications of Afghanistan becoming a failed state. Needless to say, it was extremely nerve wrecking, especially since the vice president was in the audience and the general was constantly interrupting with questions. Additionally, in the middle of my section, the classroom door opened and President Obama walked in. Everyone in the room followed presidential etiquette and stood up until the president uttered the words "as you were". I explained to him where we were in the presentation and offered him a summary of what we had already covered, but our considerate president told me that he had read our brief thoroughly and that he wanted me to proceed with the presentation. I did, then soon after I handed it over to my fellow colleagues, who elaborated n security, government, economy, infrastructure, and education. The murder board, especially the general, grilled us with many questions, but my group handled most of them like true policy experts. Finally, after an hour of standing in front of a classroom full of dignitaries and colleagues, our presentation was finished. Handshakes, high-fives, and hugs were exchanged and at that moment I felt more relaxed than ever before.

The feeling of completing the hardest part of the intense program was only equaled the next day by the excitement of graduation. All sixty-nine of us were dressed up considerably more than our usual business-casual attire. We took a myriad of pictures, for posterity and for facebook. After that, we congregated in an elegant Yale building and were served mocktails and appetizers. Before Ivy Scholars, most of us teenagers would have been ravenous at the sight of food, however Professor Luong's lecture on etiquette had trained us too proceed with caution instead. Greasy food would ruin our ability to administer acceptable handshakes and carbonated drinks would incite burps during important conversations. Instead, we exercised our Keith Ferazzi-esque skills and took part in many conversations. Soon after, dinner began. My steak was delicious and the people at my table were wonderful and entertaining. However, I think the part of our dinner that was the epitome of Ivy Scholars' effect on all of us came from the spilling of drinks. Water and juice were both accidentally spilled on our tablecloth and all eight of us watched eagerly as the spills expanded towards each other. Instead of searching for napkins, we compared the "battle" in fro went of our eyes to the Cold War and words such as "detente" were mentioned. On a more serious note, however, we were presented our graduation certificates and awards. I was ecstatic when my Marshall Brief group received the award for best overall Marshall brief. We received signed copies of Professor Kennedy's book Parliament of Man and a feeling of immense satisfaction. Lastly, Dean Nick-Coburn Palo and Professor Luong shared some closing remarks with us.

I'll share videos of these speeches and pictures from these events as soon as I remove the malware or virus on my computer that is preventing me from doing so. Also, I'll make another post of my reflections of the entire program soon. I need to go to sleep right now, however, because I have Marching Band camp in a few hours. Thank you for reading this!

Many Thanks

2009-08-11T18:39:00.000-07:00

Dear Mr. Ramsey, Ms. Kronenberg, and Supporters of the Ivy League Connection:

When we heard that our son, Matt Arciniega, was chosen as one of the students to attend Yale University with the Ivy League Connection program, we couldn’t have been more thrilled… or so we thought.

From the very beginning, we could see that this was something very special and our son was in good hands. We enjoyed watching the students introduce themselves to the School Board, we enjoyed a delicious meal in San Francisco with Yale alumni and a brand new Eli from WCCUSD, Lauren Croda. We enjoyed listening to Matt as he came home from a dinner in Berkeley with the Director of the program at Yale, Dr. Luong, and said “I’m going to be at this program with kids from the best schools from all over the world. I’m going to have to step up my game!” We watched as Mr. Gosney toted Matt around the East Bay and also made a special trip to our house just to make sure our son had all of the proper equipment and software for his new laptop AND knew how to use it! Everything was so well thought out, so well planned and executed! Dinner arrangements, travel arrangements, computer lessons…even the books were all provided by the ILC!

Now I will confess that it was difficult to watch Matt spend every waking moment of our family vacation at Lake Tahoe buried behind one of the MANY books of required reading. OK, he took a break each night for family dinner and a game, but that’s it! While this was not my ideal family vacation, we were truly amazed and impressed with Matt’s dedication to fulfilling the requirements of this program. He was maturing before our very eyes! If you read his early “Mount Knowledge” blog written just as he returned from Tahoe, you could see how his intellectual curiosity and enthusiasm was unquenchable. He was ready for Yale!

Once in New Haven, our four WCCUSD students hit the ground running; working and studying from sun up to way past sundown each and every day for two weeks. They would write papers, prepare and deliver speeches, work in peer groups on matters of international importance, and even defend their ideas and opinions before an intimidating group called a “murder board.” They learned that they could push themselves beyond what they thought were their limits and see that they had even more to give. We are so, so very proud of all of you!

The fact that the ILC sent Ms. Larson as their chaperone is further evidence of a thoughtful, thorough, well-oiled machine which is the ILC. But the ILC didn’t just keep Matt safe and prepared for a fun trip to Yale. The ILC provided our son with an amazing, life-changing experience that we could not have provided him with in our wildest dreams! I think it’s now safe to say we couldn’t be more thrilled!

Our deepest thanks,

Jesús and Melissa Arciniega

Welcome Back

2009-08-10T20:44:00.000-07:00

Dear Yale Ivy Scholars students:

On behalf of all the parents I am sure we share the same sentiments. We are all so proud of what you have accomplished and experienced in this short two week program. Your strenuous academic performance and the repeatedly challenging classes you took is your guide to a more successful future. It gives you an insight of how college life should be, and will become for all of you very soon.

I understand many of your friends have had a different Ivy League Experience, and perhaps one that is not as intense. But believe me, the amount of work you put in will be equivalent to what you will reap in the future. Always remember that life will balance everything out in the end.

With desire, I have followed all your blogs, waited for more scenic pictures of the popular Ivy League school (the infamous Yale University), and immersed myself into your stories that reminded me of my own college life and the opportunities that opened up for me and the ones that did not. I am so glad that you all had this chance.

Thanks so much to the sponsors, Mr. Ramsey and Ms. Kronenberg, Ms. Sarah Larson (the chaperone) and West Contra Costa School District. This means so much to us parents and to the kids as well. This program does not only tell our kids “yes we can” but with your generosity you imbedded in their thoughts, to keep in mind that “there is always a way” in whatever challenges they face. Of which without your patronage this path will not be lighted. I am sure that with the two awards they brought home to the district, they bring home the honor to share with you all.

Believe me, that the success this program brings is not the end; but just the beginning.

My congratulations again to all participants of the Ivy League Connection and a job well done.

Best wishes for the future,
John and Kelly Ong

My Final Words

2009-08-10T12:42:00.000-07:00

The two weeks I have spent at Yale has greatly impacted my life and my future. From the many friends I have met to the tough times I endured every day and night – it was all worth it. I enrolled for this program because I thought it would benefit me. I can now say that it definitely did.

Before the program started, I only knew Matt, Stephanie, and Yohanna. However, that quickly changed. My shy and timid personality felt like it was overshadowed by a whole new me; one that was more outgoing towards others. As my other blogs and pictures have shown, I have met plenty of intellectual students from all over the world, including Vietnam, Bulgaria, England, and even Hong Kong. What made us even closer was our constant interaction with each other --from the bright and early morning to the dark hours of the night. What began as a group of strangers gradually changed to a group of friends, and as we left on Sunday, we were just one big family.

Meeting new friends was only one of the benefits of this program. Before attending the Ivy Scholars program, I didn’t know what I was capable of doing. This was my chance to challenge myself and show that I can achieve anything I put my mind to. Of course, I also wanted to improve my self-confidence. My unceasing doubts about how I would “look” in front of others always roamed around in my mind. I knew that being nervous in almost everything I did was not the way to live but I did not know how to change. At least…not until I was introduced to the Ivy Scholars program.

It is true that work was inevitable. Having to read 120 pages on the first night we arrived gave me quite a scare for what was to come. Yet as the days passed by, I actually got used to the schedule. Waking up at 6:00 AM, eating breakfast, attending a 2 ½ hour lecture from a professor, heading out to eat lunch, etc. – the day seemed to never end; and when I did not want it to, it ultimately did.

I have learned so much in such a short amount of time – not only from professors, but also from my fellow students. Their courage and confidence that shines from within them has given me more hope and strength. And as I have mentioned before, these students are very intelligent. Yet as I sat amongst a room of 70 students, I began to realize that each and every one of us were different. We all had a different talent, a different personality, a different weakness; but most importantly, we all had different strengths. We were all there because we had something to contribute.

As many of you know, during the graduation ceremony, several students won awards, including Yohanna and Matt; and I must say they deserved it. Yohanna’s group won a special award for their great work on their Marshall Brief, and Matt won the Walter Russell Mead Leadership Award for showing the best overall performance in the class. Not only will the four of us be coming back with more knowledge and sharing it with all of you, but we are also leaving a great impression about our district of public schools.

Yet even though only some students were recognized, I believe that we were all winners. We are all leaders, ready to face the world and guide others to success.

I conclude by saying thanks. Thank you to Mr. Ramsey, Ms. Kronenberg, Ms. O’Brian, Mr. Gosney, and the West Contra Costa School District for all of your support and for making the Ivy League Connection possible. In addition, thanks to all the sponsors and to Ms. Larson, our wonderful chaperone. I would also like to recognize Dr. Luong, who started the Ivy Scholars program, and the caring Ivy Scholars staff. Without each and every one of you, students from our district would not have been able to experience such a life-changing opportunity. You have not only transformed my life, but also those around me. I hope that the Ivy League Connection program will be able to continue to touch the lives of future generations; just like it has done for me.

Once and for all, thanks again for reading.

" Ummm... "

2009-08-10T01:53:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, it would be impossible to touch on everything that I have learned or experienced at Ivy Scholars. Therefore I’m just going to reflect on the overall effect it has had on my life so far.

Something I learned at Yale in these past two weeks was never to say the word “Um.” This advice was meant to be taken in terms of public speaking but I have found that it can be applied to more aspects of my life than just speech.

During our time, many people tried vigorously to implement this advice but those with less speaking experience, such as myself, had a difficult time to say the least.

However, the more I tried the more I began to think about whether this advice never to say “um” was valid or not. I started to think that, although it may sound unprofessional, taking time to say “um” allows you time to think. I thought about how it gives you a sort of short prep time that would ultimately allow you to better convey your message.

This idea made me begin to think that I may need to take some prep time from my own hectic schedule and step back to say “um.” However, as we continued further into the program and watched more and more people speak, I realized that the advice I had received before was indeed valid. I realized that those who said “um” too frequently lost valuable time that could have been spent conveying their message. More importantly, I realized that those who never said “um” were more confident, better respected and in the end, much more successful.

I know now that I can’t take a break to say “um.” I know that if I want to be successful in life and make the greatest impact on the world I have to be dynamic and keep moving.

Ivy Scholars has given me the motivation to carry on in an impossible effort to help all those in need. Through this opportunity to have conversations with extremely intelligent, successful, and genuine people, I have learned that I cannot waste any breath by saying “um.” It has shown me that if I want to be successful and have the greatest impact possible on the world, I need to be dynamic and always keep moving.

The staff has shown us many ways to accomplish this almost impossible task of always being dynamic and in motion. However, the best answer I found was to rely on other’s help. We learned numerous times about how difficult it is to be successful without a strong network of friends. However, the message was not that you could rely on these people to do your work for you. It was about understanding that you will never be able to do everything you want to do by yourself. We need to understand that even if you do the best you can do as an individual, you could always have done even better if other’s had invested in you.

I am extremely grateful and humbled to feel that the truly amazing people of the Ivy Scholars Staff and the Ivy League Connection have invested in me in some way.

At the end of the camp I was awarded the Walter Russell Mead Leadership Award for overall performance. After this was announced it was painfully obvious that I had an involuntary "um" moment. I couldn’t really walk, or talk, or think correctly. This award means to me something so much larger than I could ever express. I could not believe that some of the people I respect the most in this world had chosen to invest in me and allow me to receive this honor that I otherwise really would never have dreamed of obtaining. I still can’t believe it. However, instead of saying “um” and trying to figure out how and why I obtained this honor, I’ve decided to spend the rest of my life attempting to prove that I deserve it.

Now I’m going back to my hometown of Richmond California; a place where 85% of students belong to minorities; a place where 60% of kids receive free or reduced lunches; a place with a school district that was hit hard by the economic crisis; a place where the residents will have to make some extremely difficult decisions in the near future; but most importantly, a place where I know I can make a difference. It means so much to me that people at the highest level of education have believed in someone from this community. This has given me energy to keep going and to try to make a difference at all costs.

I could not have had this opportunity were it not for the gratuity of the WCCUSD Ivy League Connection program. This, combined with the generosity of the Ivy Scholars Staff, has shown me that anyone from a place like our district can achieve, all they have to do is try. It has shown me that anyone can create opportunity in their own community, no matter how economically disadvantaged, they simply have to support a program like the Ivy League Connection. Programs like these have the capability to change lives, like mine.

In the future we will have to rely on the generosity of amazing and intelligent people, such as the ones that have helped me these past two weeks, in order to change this world. However, for now I just want to thank these people for all their support by doing all that I can to become more like them and maybe one day, by contributing to that change that I know their going to bring.

As always, thanks for reading.

Last Days & Good-Byes

2009-08-09T03:27:00.000-07:00

Sunday August 9, 2009

Hey everyone! It's currently 6:27 am. I've decided not to sleep. Today I leave New Haven, Connecticut to return back home and I still have yet to process that fact. I've already bade several of my friends farewell. Before going into evaluation of the program, it's necessary to recount the events of the past few days.

Friday followed a schedule that was rather different from our usual one: it was Marshall Brief Presentation Day. Our day began with breakfast, a morning lecture, and lunch. At 1 pm each presenting group was to report to their respective room. Those not presenting could roam around to watch other presentations. My group was last, presenting [about education policy] at 7:45 pm-8:45 pm. We nervously waited through four other presentations before our own. We nervously watched four other successful presentations before our own.

My knees and hands began to shake as the fourth presentation concluded. And, for the first time in my life, I stood in front of an audience for an hour. I gave it my best shot, but I still stuttered and trembled--I hope it's my honest effort that mattered. I felt we were asked way more questions than previous briefs we saw (the first, second, and third in particular) but perhaps our brief was vague. We all tried our best to present well and sufficiently answer all of the asked questions.

Overall, although my group agrees that we did get "murdered" in a sense, it was the experience and the effort that made the Marshall Brief project memorable. We endured together, worked together, suffered together, and laughed together. I will never forget it.

After our Marshall Brief, we headed to the lecture hall to watch a college parliamentary debate. I've actually never seen a high school debate, let alone a college-level one. In this debate, government team "Nick N' Rick" went again opposition team "Yale A+" (Grant and Pam) on affirmative action. There are six parts to this debate; however, the names of each part has slipped my mind and my notes are already packed. I was completely engaged the entire time and in the end, team "Yale A+" won.

Monday August 10, 2009

Sorry for the late blog! I never finished my post and must finish this one before I begin my final evaluation and reflection of my past two weeks in New Haven.

Saturday was our last whole day at Yale University. The morning was kicked off by a lecture from Ambassador Charles Hill on "Where Are We Now," touching on topics from the recent release of the two arrested journalists in Korea, to the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia.

We were supposed to have our final brunch at Branford, but the dining hall was mysteriously closed. Instead, we were directed to go to Saybrook, which--I'm sure Dr. Dr. Luong will be very please with this!--had BACON! After so many mornings of Dr. Dr. Luong questioning us about bacon, we finally got some!

Next, I attended a final seminar by Dr. Dr. Luong on "The Future of Warfare Weapons of the 21st Century." Simply by listening and watching the professor, I could tell this was something he's very passionate about. Following this lecture with his explanation of various future weapons and aircrafts, he showed us a video/simulation. I found it interesting to see what warfare may be dominated by in the coming years.

The video had to stop halfway through so we could all begin our 19-page evaluation sheets. I had so much to say, but had to cut much of it short due to the 1-hour time period. I quickly walked back to the TD to get dressed for the graduation dinner. Everybody was rushing because we only had 30 minutes to get ready--a time one normally takes to get ready for class, not a formal event! Nevertheless, we all finished within the given time, if not earlier.

After a 5-10 minute walk, we arrived in front of the World War I memorial, where we spent a decent about of time taking pictures and complimenting each other. I must say that everybody looked well-groomed and well-dressed!

We entered the President's building, waiting outside the dining room as pre-mocktail drinks were served. After about half an hour of "mingling," we sat ourselves at tables. I actually sat with some scholars I had previously not chatted with: Jimmy, Van, Hannah D., Marissa M., Raychel, Yohanna, and Jessica. At one point, we had two liquid spills: one clear, and one red. As the liquids spread, Jimmy likened them to the Cold War and the spread of communism. We were all hilariously engaged in the action, making comments and gasping along the way.

After dessert, Professor Luong commenced the graduation ceremony with a speech. Then the staff proceeded to hand out certificates. The Bay Area group (me, Matt, Jessica, Yohanna) were the first to be called up, and I was caught by surprise because I was expecting to be called in alphabetical order. It wasn't until I returned to my seat that I realized I didn't shake anybody's hand!! I apologize to the Dean, Dr. Luong, Drew, and every one else whose hand I did not shake.

I'd like to congratulate our very own members for their accomplishments. Matt A. received an award for his overall leadership performance, and Yohanna and her group received an award for the overall best Marshall Brief presentation. These two honors are of the highest degree and I'm very proud of them for doing so well. This, again, shows that one need not be attending a private school or highly acclaimed public school to be part of the best of the best. Despite awards being given out to specific scholars, I know each and every one of us did our best and I know each and every one of us are the best of the best.

At 10 pm we began our "forced fun" night, with choices of either movies, poke tournaments, Monopoly tournaments, Risk tournaments, or bonding times at Blue State Coffee. I decided to watch two movies: Clueless and 10 Things I Hate About You.

I did not sleep that night because I knew I wouldn't be able to get up to say bye to others. Instead, I packed, finishing at 3:30 am or 4 am and stayed awake to bid my friends farewell. I did not cry for the first few good-byes, which I found odd for an emotional person like myself. Perhaps it was the effect of the caffeine. Perhaps it had not hit me yet--you know, that fact that I was leaving a place where I'd formed so many relationships; a place I'd come to love so much.

At 11:15 am, Mrs. Larson picked the four of us up to further explore the Yale campus. After half an hour of exploration, we had our final meal at Drew [Blue] State Coffee--yes, I came up with that awesome name! We poured our hearts out to Mrs. Larson about how much we'd miss Yale and how much we'd learned over the 2-week period.

Finally, it was time to bring down our luggage. I cleaned my room and my floor's bathroom (some people disgustingly didn't clean up after themselves and I felt obliged to clear their mess) and signed out. Saying good-bye to the instructors really did it for me--I began crying like a baby. From rising freshman Zoe Egelman to the impassioned Anthony Berryhill, I felt the impact each of them had had on me, be it a small favor like helping me with luggage or a larger favor like trying to improve my self-confidence. These people have played a huge role in shifting Yale to the top of my college list. I'm now stuck between applying to Yale through Early Action and applying to Northwestern through Early Decision. As I replay these past two weeks in my head, the latter decision is almost apparent.

I've learned so much throughout this program--a semester of college, to be exact. However, this is not all I learned. I was taught invaluable life lessons from experienced professors and well-informed students. Some of these students, though they appeared to be in their mid-20s and early 30s, were, in fact, only a few years older than we. While I was taught about legal philosophy, policy writing, and grand strategy, I also uncovered life's rules of thumb, from psychological maintenance to public speaking ability. These priceless lessons are what I'll bring back to my family, my school, and my community.

Before coming to Yale University, I lacked the qualities of a true leader. I was unorganized, extremely insecure, dependent, fearful. However, in a mere two weeks, I developed characteristics which take others a lifetime to gain. I rid myself of qualities which take others a lifetime to eliminate. I learned how to be time-efficient. I increased my confidence through public speaking and, as simple as it sounds, lectures. I learned how to take risks regardless of the potential failure: "The art of victory is learned in defeat," as Simón Bolívar once said. Above all, YISP has taught me the importance of creating relationships. I've formed friendships with the most unlikely persons. I've cried and suffered with them. And despite my whining, my PMSing, my crying, they've been there to support me, even though they'd only known me for X amount of time. They've offered their help to me, they've comforted me--all with HONEST endeavor, too.

I'm so blessed to have professors of the highest caliber believe I, a girl from a lower-middle/middle-class socioeconomic background, am capable of becoming a world leader one day. These professors have provided me with undying motivation to do even better in school, to become even more engaged in current domestic and international affairs, and to become an influential leader in my community. Their faith in me will be emulated in my future actions as my senior year in high school approaches.

With all said, I'd like to express my thanks to the WCCUSD. Without them, I would not have known of the YISP; I would not have applied to the YISP; I would not have been able to afford the YISP. They've shown me that risking failure pays off in the long run, and that even the poorest-performing communities can succeed. Thank you, in particular, to Mr. Ramsey and Mrs. Kronenberg, the initiators of the Ivy League Connection and the main people responsible for making this the most memorable summer of the 17 summers I've lived through. I'd also like to extend my gratitude to Dr. Dr. Luong, director of the YISP and the wonderful man who agreed to allow me (as well as Yohanna, Matt, and Jessica) into the program. Finally, thank you to the dedicated YISP staff. Each and every one of you have helped this year's (and every other year's) program succeed because you believed in us and you were willing to help us. All of you mentioned contributed to changing the lives of 70 people, and 70 emerging leaders.

It's now official. I've graduated from the 2009 Yale Ivy Scholars Program.

This is my final blog, and thank you all for reading.

Our Last Few Days at Yale

2009-08-08T04:17:00.000-07:00

Today is our last full day here at Yale. It is amazing to see how fast time flies by, especially when every day is another adventure. I am starting to wish I could stay here longer; not only because of the great atmosphere, but because of the people I have met. Both my new friends and new mentors have helped me succeed in this program, and without them, none of this would have been possible. For example, yesterday was our final presentation for our Marshall Briefs. I was terrified because our group was going last, so my nerves built up until 7:45 pm, which was when we presented. However, before our presentation, my group and I got a nice and calming pep talk from Zoe, our second mentor. She said that to do well, we had to be confident. We had to believe in our policy and do what we could to support it. They would be giving us a hard time by asking us lots of questions, but we had to stay strong and not let them "win".

I believe that our presentation went pretty well. Just like the time when I had to give my persuasive essay, I became serious and my nerves went away when the presentation started. Despite the difficult times our "judges" gave us, we pulled it through. It was an interesting simulation and definitely one that I will always remember. We even got a "visit" from our current president, who was played by Dr. Luong. Overall, my group went through a lot of tough times with this project but we stuck to it and worked as a team. When I was feeling down, I could count on all of them to cheer me up; and vice versa.

Tonight, we have a mocktail reception, where we will have to show our etiquette and social skills. We then have our graduation dinner at 6:30 and presentation of certificates at 7:30. I will take lots of pictures tonight and hope to add them soon. Other than that, here are some pictures from these past few days:

This is our residential college, Timothy Dwight (TD). The white door on the right hand side is the entrance to the boy's dorms. The small arch entryway is the exit/entrance to the college. The girl's dorm, is not shown in the picture but it is to the right of the boy's dorm.

This is a picture of me and my friend, Jean Park. She is very sweet and funny. When we had to give our persuasive essay speech, she was in my group. Ever since then, I have gotten to know her more each day.

From left to right: Me, Jessica Xiao, Hadley Chu, and Tiffany Tzeng. Both Jessica and Hadley had to leave the program a few days early, so I am really glad I got a chance to take a picture with them before they left. The three of them are very nice and I know that we will keep in touch somehow.

From left to right: Zoe, Huong, me, Stephanie, and Bryce. (Missing from our group: Sydney and Angie). We took this picture after we presented.

I am glad I took lots of pictures. These photos will bring great memories that I can share with my friends and family when I get back home. I will try to write again soon and update with more pictures! Thanks for reading!

Final Days at Yale

2009-08-07T13:27:00.000-07:00

The architect made sure that there is a "Y" engraved in every pane window in the residence halls. Very meticulous and detailed work!

Go Yale law!

Inside the Sterling Memorial Library- it looks more like a church

It is hard to believe that our time here at Yale is quickly coming to an end. It has been truly a great experience for me, as a counselor and the students' chaperone, to watch them from afar and see how much they have learned and grown in the past two weeks. As I have stated before, it has been a pleasure to be here with them at Yale and to watch them soak it all in. They have truly taken this program as their own and have put their heart and souls into their work and also in branching out and meeting new people. They have been quite self-sufficient which I think is part of this whole experience in preparing them to go off to college in only a year's time.

Additionally, I feel quite fortunate to have had the chance to visit a number of prestigious institutions in my stay here. Starting the very first weekend we arrived, we were able to see Connecticut College and Wesleyan. I was also able to visit Amherst College and Brown University and have the opportunity to sit down and speak with the admissions officers at these highly selective schools. From a counselor's standpoint, this has been instrumental in truly getting a feel for what it is these institutions are looking for in prospective students and also learning what I can do to relay this important information to interested and qualified students/parents. I feel much more knowledgeable as a professional and moving forward, feel better prepared and well-equipped to assist my students in the college application process.

I hope you have enjoyed our blogs and the information we have given you. Thank you for all your support in this process and despite the wonderful time we have had here in New Haven, we are looking forward to coming back to CA and getting ready for the upcoming school year. I know that Matt, Jessica, Yohanna and Stephanie will have a fantastic senior year and have many stories to tell!

My Yale Interview and My Encounter with a Cockroach

2009-08-06T04:03:00.000-07:00

Hello again! Here's my recap of my past two days here at Yale:

On Tuesday, I had my interview at 9:00 am. Though I did not have to go to the lecture (since it started at 9:00) I still woke up bright and early to think about what I would say and what questions I would ask. Of course, another thing I had to do was to look up how to get to the interview place from our residential college. Google Map came in great use for that.

When I arrived, there were many people all around the room. I realized that they were all waiting for a tour of the campus. When 9:00 came around, someone called my name. His name is Joshua Levin, a senior interviewer at Yale. We introduced ourselves as we went upstairs for the interview. Only after a few minutes of questions, the fire alarm began to ring and everyone in the building had to evacuate. He apologized many times but I was really fine with it. We talked outside for another 10 minutes or so before we were able to go back inside. The first question he asked me was to describe my high school. He was also curious to see what kinds of classes I had taken this past year. That did not last too long, but something that did was when I mentioned my involvement with Interact. I talked about my position in both ECHS's club and my new role in the District Council, and mentioned some activities that I was involved with. He assured me that Yale had many volunteer opportunities and that definitely sparked my interests. Of course, I also mentioned my hobbies, such as playing the piano, swimming, and crocheting. Overall, this interview went pretty well and I actually learned a lot from him in such a short amount of time.

The question I asked (and the only one I had time for because we were already over 30 minutes) was about what active extracurricular clubs were offered at Yale. He spoke really fast but I picked up a lot of information. It was also really helpful because I never got a chance to take a campus tour of Yale. He mentioned the many residential colleges and how they all had the same amount of students in specific majors. I found that quite interesting.

After the interview, I quickly went back to Rosenfeld Hall where we have our lectures. We then had around 4 hours to work on our Marshall Brief Presentation, and I am glad because we were way behind then.

I enjoyed the lecture we had from Dr. Luong that night because it was something that I could well relate to. It involved tips about recovering from setbacks, failures, and catastrophes. I am always afraid about failing and this lecture helped me realize that there are no guarantees in life, and if I do fail, there are many options that I can take to reassure myself. Other topics covered include being regretful. There are so many times where I feel that I regret not doing something else; but I have learned to move forward and learn from the lesson, rather than thinking about making a mistake.

That night, I found something in my room. Specifically, it was a cockroach. I was horrified and tried my best to get help from my friends. My roommates were not back yet, but I finally got help from one of the instructors/mentors. He bravely knocked the cockroach from the ceiling but then scared me when he said that he did not know where it went. Not wanting to enter the room, I told him that I had a flashlight right on my bed. I finally spotted the cockroach as it ran across my pillow. He saw it too and snatched it using a plastic sheet. (Luckily, I had extra pillow cases with me).

That day was full of excitement and terror; it was one that I will probably remember here at Yale. Yesterday (Wednesday), we had more lectures and at night, we had a "Town Hall Discussion and Debate" with Dean Nick Coburn-Palo. He lectured for half of the time, and for 45 minutes, some students were called on to defend their position on the Speluncean case. (The essay that we had to write about on Sunday about manslaughter). I was really scared because it was uncertain who he was going to call on, but luckily, it was not me. Though, it was really close because one of my friends/classmates was also named Jessica (Jessica Xiao) and she was called on. Whew.

It is 7:30 A.M. right now (Thursday). We still have much to do for our Marshall Policy and still behind. We have a mock presentation later on tonight and our final will be tomorrow. I will keep you updated when I have a chance. Thanks for reading!

The Peak of Stress

2009-08-05T21:14:00.000-07:00

I have not blogged in the longest time, and I apologize! So much to do, so little time.

I've become accustomed to the daily schedule--breakfast, lecture, lunch, lecture, lecture, dinner, lecture/Marshall Brief time--but I've also habituated to the sound of my alarm. As a result, I'm pretty much oblivious to all alarms. Over the past three days, I've slept through over 10 alarm sounds and 40 wake-up calls from Jessica and Yohanna. My roommates have to physically wake me up! Fortunately, I'm never late for lectures like others; in fact, I eat breakfast every morning.

There have been plenty of lectures/seminars since my few blogs, but I want to mention my two favorites: Psychological Maintenance and Self-Presentation with Anthony Berryhill and Rick Brundage, and Public Speaking for Women with Chelsea Goldstein.

The first seminar taught us about the importance of self-confidence--something that I'll admit I lack at times. The main step toward self-confidence is the process of reframing. Framing is essentially one's personal interpretation of a situation. Fears are usually framed in a negative way, and in order to build confidence, one must reframe this interpretation in a positive manner. Instead of thinking, "I can't do this," say "I WILL do this." This is something that has definitely helped me with my group's Marshall Brief presentation.

After this, we practiced physical confidence by reading out loud. This wasn't simply reading off a paper. We were to stand in front of the group, put on headphones, and read. Midway through our reading, Rick turned on extremely loud music, and we automatically raised our voices to speak over the music. It was amazing to see the difference between normal speaking levels and speaking levels while the music was turned on; these levels are supposed to be the levels at which we speak in front of audiences. Next, the group stood outside on a lawn, exposed to the public. We spread out and read a story as loud as we could--talk about awkward! Passersby humorously glanced at us, but at that moment I no longer cared about my image. It was an amazing feeling.

The next seminar, on public speaking for women, was hosted by Chelsea Goldstein. She went over the unfortunate truths about public speaking as women: higher voices, "ill-fitting" clothes, and two-sided qualities. For example, girls who are "cute" are accused of being weak and vulnerable, and girls who have confidence are accused of vanity. Overall I thought her session was very fun!

I almost forgot to mention Dr. Dr. Luong's excellent lecture on etiquette. He taught us about everything, from handshakes, to dining, to escape strategies. Personal experiences accompanied his lecture--it was hilarious!

Despite the stress of the Marshall Briefs, I'm sincerely enjoying my time here at Yale University. Dr. Dr. Luong, Dean Nick Coburn-Palo, and all of the other professors/speakers are so eager to teach us, making me eager to learn. This is something unseen in--or, perhaps, very well-hidden by--most of my teachers (I'm sorry!). Our instructors, too, are willing to help us with any problems we encounter. I've said this before and I'll say it again: I'm so grateful for having these people directing and helping out with the YISP.

Today I had my mock-interview with rising senior Scott Hillier. I was terrified at first, but I felt at ease as soon as I shook his hand. I had a casual conversation with him and basically gave him an outline of my life: music, Interact Club, school, etc. It was also interesting to learn a little about where he came from when it was time for me to ask him questions--particularly when I asked him "Why did you choose Yale over the other schools you were accepted into?" Scott came from Missouri and had to choose between Yale and the University of Missouri (a place where both his father [or was it mother?] and sister graduated from). I'm sure you know what he eventually chose as his school.

Marshall Brief presentations are this Friday. I have no idea if I'll be able to blog for the remainder of our trip, but I'll try!

Brown University

2009-08-05T17:57:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I had the opportunity to travel to Brown University this morning and meet with Liliana Ornelas, a northern California Admissions Officer. She is also a graduate of Brown and was very helpful in answering my questions. In contrast to Amherst College, Brown sits in the middle of Providence, R.I., which is a much bigger city than Amherst. It is surrounded by residential neighborhoods and is literally right in the hub of Providence. There are about 5600 undergraduate students from all over the continental United States as well as from overseas. Here is what I learned from Liliana in our meeting today:

Application:

The transcript is the most important item during the application process. Readers are looking for AP and Honors classes and what to see that students are challenging themselves throughout their high school career.

SAT/ACT - important but does not weigh heavily in comparison to the transcript, essay and the letter of recommendation.

Student essays - This is one of the most important items in the application process. As Yale and Amherst Admission Officers have also said, let yourselves shine in this essay. Be honest, open and use this opportunity to explain any fluctuation in your grades during your high school tenure.

Recommendations - Again, select teachers and counselors who have a strong relationship with you and can truly do a good job in writing about you and your qualities. This is key.

Interview - optional. This is not mandatory in the application process. Often times, a Brown alum will interview a prospective student. Students can choose to interview or not. Again, it is not mandatory and will not "make or break" you.

Extra curricular activities - Please note all activities. Even if that is babysitting, working, etc. It doesn't necessarily have to all be sports, music, theater, etc.

Brown Fun Facts:

Brown is proud of its diverse campus. 30% students of color. 3rd World Center Group- Established in 1976 to serve interests and needs of all students of color and help celebrate their diverse cultural backgrounds but also have an impact on he wider community on campus. The center raises awareness of issues of race and ethnicity that confront students of color at Brown and within the larger national and international society. It does so by sponsoring lectures, receptions and other community-building activities.
Academic advisor for all freshmen students
There is a variety of groups and clubs to join for all students interested.
Student to Prof ratio: 9-1
Most undergraduate students graduate in four years.
98% graduation rate
Some of the guest speakers who came to speak at Brown recently are: Spike Lee, Jack Nicholson, Martin Scorsese and John Edwards.
Open curriculum-students have the opportunity to explore widely across the disciplines and decide for themselves what they truly want to study.
One of the most important goals at Brown is "to develop active learners who take responsibility for their own education."
As my tour guide, Natasha, stated, "Brown is a great school where you will find happy people enjoying their time here."

Amherst College Continued...

2009-08-04T18:46:00.000-07:00

KEY FACTS ON AMHERST COLLEGE

CLASS OF 2011:
Applicants: 6,680
Percentage Admitted: 18%
Of those admitted, percentage enrolled: 28%
Male/Female: 46% / 54%
Students of Color: 37%
First generation college students: 16%
International students: 8%
Financial Aid Applicants: 70%

Amherst College's 1,000-acre campus is in Massachusetts, 90 miles west of Boston and 150 miles north of New York City.
With five colleges and 30,000 college students in the immediate vicinity, virtually all of the town's restaraunts, stores and entertainment venues cater to the needs of college students.
Amherst is one of five colleges. The other schools are Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, the University of Massachusetts, and Hampshire College.

Amherst College, Admissions Officer Interview

2009-08-04T17:36:00.001-07:00

Admissions Office, Amherst College

Amherst College, playing fields

Greetings everyone! I am back from a brief hiatus from blogging and I have some new information to share with you. I have had the opportunity to visit Amherst College in Massachusetts and I will be visiting Brown University tomorrow. I sat down with the Northern California Admissions representative, Ahmaad Brown, and he was very informative about some key facts about the application process. In addition to speaking with Ahmaad, I was able to listen to a rising senior speak about his experience at Amherst. Here is what I was able to find:

Admissions Process:

Transcript -- This is probably the most important item in the application process. The transcript readers want to see that students are taking the most rigorous classes they possibly can in their high school tenure. They also want to see that they are earning high marks and are excelling in all areas of curriculum.
College Essay -- This is also extremely important and must show who the student really is. Ahmaad reiterates that it is important that the student is true, honest and reveal why the student is a proper fit at Amherst College.
College Recommendations -- Select teachers/counselors who truly know you and can paint a picture of who you are as a student and why they think you would be a good fit for this particular school. Readers are looking for letters of recommendation that truly stand out above the rest. They are looking at over 8,000 applicants annually.
Standardized Testing -- SAT/ACT -- Not as important as the transcript, essay, and college recommendations. SAT (2) Subject Tests required.
No interviews

Lectures and Seminars: July 25 - August 3

2009-08-04T08:10:00.000-07:00

I uploaded all the notes I've taken from my lectures and seminars. You can download and view them at http://www.mediafire.com/yohannaatyale

Limited Preparation Speeches

2009-08-03T19:08:00.000-07:00

I wish I could blog more, but honestly these days here at Yale are the busiest I've ever experienced. I've described my day to my friends as "wake up, get ready, walk, eat, walk, lecture, walk, eat, walk, lecture, lecture, walk, eat, walk, lecture, work, work, work, sleep". An instructor here even admitted that the Ivy Scholars Program is more rigorous than college; it's like a whole semester crammed into two weeks. However, the intensity of this program is definitely producing results. I've become knowledgeable on topics such as demographic trends, General George Patton, the Nazi Empire, China in the status quo, etiquette, identity politics, the U.S. healthcare system and reforming it, leadership, and so much more. However, I would like to talk about something other than lectures today: limited preparation speeches.

In the Ivy Scholars Program, every student has to do either a persuasive speech or impromptu and extemporaneous speeches. If you choose to do the persuasive speech, you compose (and try to memorize) a short speech on any topic of your choosing. If you choose the latter option, impromptu and extemp speeches, you have limited time to prepare for each. The impromptu speech is one where you choose one out of three given topics, prepare for three minutes, then deliver a 5 minute speech. The extemp speech is one where you receive a statement about current event topic the night before, then present an evidence-based, 7 minute speech on the statement the next day. I do impromptu speech in Forensics, so I immediately signed up for the impromptu and extemp speeches.

On Sunday night, I did my first impromptu speech. The topic I selected out of my 3 choices was "George Washington". My thesis statement was "George Washington is someone who we must strive to be like not only because he was the first and one of the greatest American presidents, but because he embodied truthfulness, unity, and having a grand strategy." I think I did fairly well, and so did my group instructor, Bryce. He gave me useful feedback as well, such as that my gesticulation enhanced my oration and that I could walk more naturally when doing my pacing from one spot to another to emphasize my change in points.

Today, I gave my extemp speech. I was truly lucky, because the topic I was assigned was "Is victory against the Taliban possible in Afghanistan?" which is essentially my Marshall Brief topic, "How can we preven Afghanistan from becoming a failed state?". I started my speech by describing Afghanistan when under Taliban rule by asking, "Can you imagine a world without music, dancing, or movies? What about one where you can't fly a kite or shave your beard--if you're a guy...well...if you're a hairy woman as well..." The last part of that line was definitely more of a Freudian slip, but it garnered many laughs, which is nearly always a good sign in public speaking. The rest of my speech took on a serious tone, as I described the three not-so-simple steps that would make victory against the Taliban possible in Afghanistan. The first step was defeating them militarily. This would consist of having the US and NATO forces already stationed there training the Afghan National Army and the International Security Assistance Force training the Afghan National Police. Also, the Afghans would have to consolidate their military gains in order to force the Taliban to fight in the traditional way rather than with their guerilla tactics. The second step was legalizing the poppy/opium trade. Right now, it's illegal in Afghanistan despite the fact that Afghanistan is responsible for 93% of the world's supply and poppy farming is the biggest industry in the country. Legalizing it would bring the profits out of the hands of the Taliban and into the Afghanistan economy. It would be based on how Turkey legalized poppy/opium in the 1970s. The third part of the strategy was reforming the government. Right now, the "central" government doesn't control 60% of the country, and this is mostly due to lack of ties between the provincial and central government. In order to reform it, Afghanistan would have to strengthen ties between Kabul and the rest of the country. I explained that although victory over the Taliban now currently seems out of reach, but it isn't with these three strategies.

My final, least impressive speech was one based on a quote by Benjamin Franklin. The quote was, "There never was a good war or a bad peace". I talked about World War II, the Great Depression, and interacting with parents. Truly, by this point I was tired and tired of doing speeches, but I managed to effectively elaborate on each of my examples.

Now, with the writing assignments and speaking sessions finished, I feel very relieved. However, I still have to work a lot with my group on the power point and the presentation for our Marshall Brief. We have a four-hour work session tommorow, though, and hopefully we'll be productive and churn out an exemplary work of grand strategy.

P.S.
The four of us ate dinner with Ms. Jessie Rojas yesterday. We were able to catch up on what all of us were doing and talk about many other things such as her job as a social worker. I'm very grateful to her for taking the time to meet with us and for Professor Luong for organizing the get-together.

A busy week ahead!

2009-08-03T08:08:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone. It has been a few days from my previous blog and there have been so many things going on here! On Saturday, lectures covered most of our schedule, but one stood out the most. Dean Nick Coburn-Palo tried a different type of lesson, where we were more involved in the discussion. At some points, he even randomly pointed to people to reply to his questions. It was very intimidating and once again, I was able to see that the peers around me are very intelligent. Our discussion was about identity politics - how we identify ourselves and the difference we have in interpretation. The three subtopics were race, gender, and sexual orientation. We spent around 2 hours giving our opinion and listening to others. I was very amazed at how different our minds worked and it definitely opened up my mind to more than what I believe is true or correct.

On Sunday, everyone was excited because we actually had a "break" until 1:00 P.M. This was because some students had to go to church. For me, I still did not sleep in because I had two essays due (one by noon, and the other in the evening). Since I had not started any of them, I woke up at 5:00 A.M. to start. Luckily, on Saturday night, I was so tired that I went to bed at 11:00 P.M. (which is pretty early for me here...). I finished one essay (about a murder case where we had to declare the defendants as guilty or not guilty, using our knowledge of morality) and at 11:00 A.M, I decided to give myself a break. I met up with Stephanie and Yohanna on Broadway St., a block full of stores and restaurants and got a chance to get myself a Yale University sweatshirt! Best of all, it's in my favorite color: blue. Later on that night, I was able to finish my persuasive essay and at 8:30 P.M., we had to present our rough draft to a group of students and a staff member. I was the last person to present and if you ask anyone in that room, they will all say that I was so nervous and really red. My face was burning hot and my heart was pounding extremely fast. The students who went before me were pretty relaxed but as more went up to give their speeches, the more I was terrified.

The students in my group were very comforting. They tried to tell me to relax and even offered me water. When I started my speech (which was about my Marshall Brief Topic - Education), I stuttered a lot; but as I continued, I tried to focus and apparently, that was exactly what I did. Like always, I tend to get nervous for things that I do not have to be nervous about.

Today, we had more lectures, and tonight is our final speech. Two of the lectures really interested me today. One was about the Art of Psychological Maintenance and Self-Presentation and the other was Public Speaking for Women. I enjoyed the first one the most because we were told to "get out of our comfort zone." We did many activities such as putting headphones on and reading an article, then having loud music turned on. This would then make us read/speak louder because we cannot hear ourselves talk. Another thing we did was we went outside and walked forwards and backwards, visualizing the difference between being confident and having no courage. We had to picture that the more we walked forward, the more confident we were; and when we walked backwards, we were "supposed to be" feeling sad and well...miserable. In my opinion, it actually worked. To top it off, when we reached the "furthest point", our confidence was so high, that the sun came shining down on us. Seriously. (What a coincidence!)

I am currently trying to multitask between working on our Marshall Brief and blogging, but unfortunately, I must go now. I have lots to write still and will try to add pictures tomorrow. I hope that I will have time to blog tomorrow because I still have much to say. Thanks for reading!

A Taller Mount Knowledge?

2009-08-03T07:52:00.000-07:00

I have truly enjoyed these last couple of days at Ivy Scholars in Yale. I've always been a person that hated having nothing to do, and according to this criteria, Yale is my utopia.

To say the least, we have had plenty to do these last couple of days. This is why we haven't been able to get around to blogging as frequently. We apologize but think that things should get a little calmer after Tuesday when our Marshall Brief is over.

In these last few days we have written two essays. One was on the famous Harvard Law speluncean case, and the other was an analysis of Jesse Jackson's "David and Goliath" speech. The David and Goliath assignment was correlated to a lecture that we had that was focused on public speaking. We were given this lecture in order to prepare us for the speeches we gave tonight in front of a judge. There are two types of speeches that we can choose from, Persuasive and Impromptu. I chose the former and decided to write my speech on the issue of racial discrimination in America. It sounds unoriginal but I attempted to add a couple of arguments that will cause some controversy, including claiming that Barrack Obama was detrimental to the black community. I messed up the memorization the first time and felt that I had to read form the script the second time so it didn't quite have the affect I wanted but I think I still got my message across.

In addition to this "homework," we have had numerous seminars and lectures over these couple days. These lectures and seminars are unlike anything I've heard before. It's amazing to be able to listen to these amazingly successful or intelligent people talk about all the issues that we never get to hear much about in our everyday life, or explain a new side of the issues we see hear about all the time. There have been extremely practical lessons, such as Dr. Luong's lecture on etiquette, and seminars that have had a significant impact on my life and perspective, such as Professor Berryhill's seminar on civil rights, which inspired my speech. I'm extremely grateful for this opportunity to take part in these activities and want to thank both the Ivy Scholars Program at Yale for organizing them and the Ivy League Connection back home for supporting me and getting me here.

I have seen a side of the world that I never would have known existed. I know that my experience here has been a unique one. We have had this opportunity that virtually no other high schoolers have had. Honestly, who gets to hang out at Yale for two weeks, and experience the rigor and competition of one of their most interesting and innovative fields, Grand Strategy. The answer is the Ivy Scholars. I'm proud to be a part if this organization and will try to soak up as much as I can while I'm here. This program has given a sense that I'm on an even taller "Mount Knowledge" than before. I can only hope that I will be able to use my experience and feeling of enlightened to make a difference when I get back to our community in the Bay Area.

As always, Thanks for reading!

P.S. My blog is attached to this post if you are interested. I apologize but it's not in essay format, so don't mind the grammar.

http://www.mediafire.com/file/jilum4jzdcw/persuasive essay

Just copy and paste!

More Friends and...More Work!

2009-07-31T20:24:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! It is Friday, which means...it has been one week since we arrived! I am actually really surprised at how fast time flew by. The last Friday, we were exhausted from the plane ride and had no clue how to get around the campus. Well actually, due to the intensity, what I mean when I say "getting around the campus" only includes the locations we have to go to, such as Trumbull College or Branford College (the places where we eat breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner); WLH (William L Harkness Hall, where we meet our Marshall Policy Brief Groups); the Rosenfeld Hall, where our lectures are held; the Sterling Memorial Library (where we can do research) and of course the Timothy Dwight College (where our dorms are).

Anyway, today started at 5:00 A.M. Stephanie and I planned on doing laundry, but ran into a little mishap. The laundry room is located in the basement, which the both of us knew was on the lowest level of our TD (Timothy Dwight) building. When we got downstairs, however, there were three different doors and we had no clue which one to go to. Our failure sadly brought us back upstairs, awake at 5:00 A.M. for no reason. Yet since we were awake, we decided to go outside and read/prepare for our morning/evening lectures. Breakfast came soon after, and soon, it was lecture time!

Our first lecture was by Dr. Luong, about China and the prediction that China will be the dominant superpower of the 21st century. The presentation was very interesting and thorough; it definitely sparked questions about...what will actually happen in the future - the future that our generation will be an important part of.

After lunch, we had another lecture by Dr. Luong about Professional and Personal Etiquette and Social Skills. I loved this presentation the best, and I know that it will be of great use. One main part was about shaking a person's hand. He went over 10 handshakes to avoid and we were able to "practice" by shaking our neighbors' hands. Introductions were another important part, as well as socializing during business events. Lastly, he mentioned the proper manners when dining, such as not to slurp when drinking soup. What I realized during the lecture was the fact that most of the topics he touched on were mentioned in the book, Never Eat Alone! Of course, I also learned how to properly shake hands with someone during my computer Networking class at El Cerrito (from the IT Academy).

For dinner, Yohanna, Stephanie, and I went to a Pizza restaurant near the campus. It was our "break time" and I got a chance to call some of my relatives and friends back at home while waiting for the food. It was a great time to connect back with those at home.

Later that night, the rain came pouring down. Hard. Thunder boomed and the lightning flashed throughout the dark sky and luckily, we were all in a building, listening to another lecture. Some people were in a philosophy session, and others were in the Civil Rights session (like me). Anthony Berryhill was our speaker for Civil Rights and the Grand Strategy behind it.

Afterward, we worked with our groups on our Marshall Brief policy. Speaking of which, tomorrow, the rough draft is due! I must say, I still have much more to write and actually 2 essays due on Sunday. So I will start posting pictures and then be on my way.

By the way, as a compensation for not blogging yesterday, here are some pictures:

On the left: This is me with a new friend (again!). His name is Christopher "Chris" Smiles. He will be a rising Junior at St. Andrew's School in Boca Raton, Florida. Similar to Stephanie, I found out that Chris knows how to play the violin! Stephanie and I met Chris yesterday after we asked him to do us a favor and take a picture of us with the staff (refer to Stephanie's blog for the image). We were very thankful for his help and thus began a new friendship.

On the right is Bryce Adams. He is our "instructor" for the Marshall Brief Policy project. Bryce has been a great help to our project and his amazing knowledge in almost "everything" has surprised me. Bryce graduated Yale in 2008 and was a part of the Ivy Scholars program when he was our age. I hope to learn more about him and from him as we spend more time together in our groups!

This is Stephanie and I in front of the Sterling Memorial Library (this morning, before the rain came). Well, thanks for reading. Bye!

Beginning of Crunch Time

2009-07-31T19:17:00.000-07:00

A whole lot has been going on since my previous post. In terms of the Marshall Brief, it's moving along quite quickly. Each team's outline was due at precisely 11:59 pm last night. My group managed to turn it in at 11:50 pm or so. Our rough draft is due tomorrow at 11:59 pm. Additionally, I've got a persuasive speech as well as a writing assignment due on Sunday night. It is, as some have said, CRUNCH TIME.

Yesterday began with a lecture from Dr. Dr. Luong's very own wife, Professor Pauline Luong of Brown University, about the "myth of the resource curse." They brought their twins with them--a girl and a boy--and they're simply adorable!

Following this was lunch and two seminars. I signed up for "Critical Reading and Notetaking" as well as "Written Advocacy." The notetaking session, led by Chelsea Goldstein, taught me how to take quick, handwritten notes during lectures. Using shorthand and uncovering the professor's thesis were two things she greatly emphasized, and the two of which I found the most useful. To put our skills to the test, Chelsea read three articles to us and we took notes on them. After each article, we discussed what we had in our notes and she advised us on what we needed to work on. Candy was given as rewards! Considering my mediocre studying ability, I think Chelsea's workshop was invaluable.

The second seminar was on written advocacy, instructed by Jackie Saffir. Here we discussed the six basic steps to an excellent paper: (1) Draw the reader in, (2) make it relevant to the reader, (3) identify the problem, (4) give context, (5) present a solution, and (6) provide data/statistics/graphs. Following these guidelines, Jackie gave us 15 minutes to write on our Marshall Briefs. After this, we discussed George Orwell's piece, "Politics and the English Language." What I found most interesting was his claim that "modern English" is "of the worst sort." He follows his claim with a parody containing tons of unnecessary, complex language. I realized that I, early in my junior year, tried to ornament my writing with extra tidbits here and there. These days, I try to keep it simple and to the point.

It was through these seminars that I met three new friends (shown above in their respective order): Georgi Klissurski, Rafi Bildner, and Connor Theilmann. I can't remember how exactly I met them... but they're awesome! Jessica and I decided that on our every blog post, we'd introduce a member from the YISP. I think it would interest you readers to know how diverse this program is, and where all of these people are coming from. Anyway, allow me to tell you a little about these silly (and very intelligent) boys:

- Georgi Klissurski is from BULGARIA. Enough said. I feel terrible for saying this, but I didn't get to talk to him about himself. I WILL UPDATE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
- Rafi Bildner, a rising junior, hails from Montclair, New Jersey. He attends Montclair Kimberley Academy, and listen to this: he was an intern during the Obama campaign. Yes, he actually met President Barack Obama!
- Like Rafi, Connor Theilmann is a rising junior. He goes to St. Mark's School of Texas and he's an advanced scuba diver! I had never known a scuba diver prior to yesterday. :)

Oh yeah, Jessica and I got the chance to take a picture with some of the instructors (from left to right): Chelsea, Ben, Bryce (our great Marshall Brief mentor!), Drew, and Jackie. I'm truly thankful that these wonderful people are here to attend to our little problems and to ensure that we get the most out of our experience here at the YISP.

Today followed a similar schedule: a lecture, lunch, two lectures, dinner, and time with our Marshall Brief groups. As I'd previously said, we have a lot of work coming up. We've been here a week and we've got a week to go. Tomorrow morning I will have my first experience with the Yale laundry room. Wish me luck!

Yale Interview

2009-07-30T22:28:00.000-07:00

I had my interview with a senior Yale student on Wednesday at 1pm. I had asked my friends in the Ivy Scholars Program how their interviews went, because since it would be my first college interview, I was nervous. They told me not to worry; the interview was quite casual and conversational and the interviewers they had had not been intimidating. Still, while standing in the Yale Admissions Building Lobby, waiting for my name to be called, I was consumed with anxiety. However, that changed when I met my interviewer, Susan.

She bore a friendly smile and made me feel at ease as soon as I sat down in a chair across from her in her office. She asked me to tell her about myself, so I proceeded to explain my background, most especially about my involvement in band and speech and debate at school. From there, she asked me questions such as "What has being a drum major taught you?" and "Can you give me an example of an impromptu speech?". For the former, I elaborated on the valuable skills in leadership, communication, professionalism, and confidence I've gained as being leader of the marching band. For the latter, I gave a short persuasive speech about why Yale should install paper towel dispensers or air hand dryers in their bathrooms. When she was done asking me questions, she asked me what questions I had for her. I asked her "What do Yale students who are interested in attending graduate school for business typically major in? (Yale, like Stanford, doesn't offer an undergraduate major of business). She told me that many major in economics, but many others major in just about anything, like history or comparative science. The question I posted to her that garnered the most interesting response, however, was "What made you fall in love with Yale?". She talked about her experience as a whole, but for a specific answer she described an experience in her sophomore year. Despite being a comparative science major and having no experience in composition, Yale let her write a complete one act play. Not only did Yale let her do it, however. It encouraged her to do so; she gained much guidance while writing the piece and many talented Yale actors readily agreed to act in her play. I loved how this story of hers reflects how Yale is for people with eclectic interests, and besides satisfying your interests in many different fields, it encourages you to do the most that you can with them. I'm not entirely sure about if I did well enough in the interview to greatly increase my chances of acceptance into this wondrous school, but it was definitely a half-an-hour well spent

I Can Not Believe People Do This For a Living

2009-07-30T20:33:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: If you find yourself lost while reading this post, please reference my last post to find out what a Marshall Brief is. Otherwise this will not be a pleasant experience for you.

I'm finding it harder and harder to believe there are people out there that make policies as a profession. Writing this Marshall Brief may be one of the most frustrating/terrifying/confusing/eye-opening things I've ever done. I feel obliged to give an immense amount of respect for whoever has the courage, and the divine patience, to take on the job.

My group got together this morning at a quarter to eight to discuss the fact that our project was compromised, and how cool it was that we thought of a legitimate American foreign policy plan. We decided quickly that we were going to salvage the mega-hours of research that we had already done by proposing a plan to simply switch our plan around in order to incorporate a GMO that will fix the vast malnourishment in India, in lieu of the shortage of food. Of course, as soon as we decided on this strategy, we found out that India already approved a plan to implement Golden Rice when it becomes commercially available in 2011.

After that it seemed every time we thought of a strategy we later came across a piece of information which would render our plan illegitimate. We repeated this process until it got to the point when we agreed that India was doing everything that we could possibly think up for replenishing its food supply. This left only one question for us, "Why are people still starving?!"

What happened next turned out to be a bit of an an eye-opening experience for me. We went to a boardroom in order to meet with our mentor for an hour to discuss what we had so far. In this meeting we confessed that everything we were thinking of was being done already. He simply said "I'll tell you what everyone is told at some point while writing a dissertation, 'Just write it.' You already know plenty about the subject, so make a plan and start writing." What he meant was that we were never going to learn everything about food deficits in India, especially in four days. He advised us to stop researching and come up with a solid plan based on the knowledge we had and that that was all we could do.

I realized that this lesson coincides with the message of a lecture that we heard the other day. The speaker told us about a friend of his that was pulled out of bed in the middle of the nigh to give a briefing at the white house on an issue of national security. This man did not have anymore than a 10 minute car ride to prepare the brief. While he was an expert in the general field he obviously could not have learned all of the facts about the situation in these ten minutes and must have been grossly uninformed while giving a brief that would affect the lives of thousands of people. The speaker went on to explain that this is common practice.

This revelation that even the people creating foreign policies which generally affect millions, if not billions, of lives don't always have all the facts, speaks volumes to me about the potential instability of our world. However, it also instills in me a sense of hope and pride in the natural composition of humanity as a whole. I figure that since the system which creates our policies doesn't protect us from human error, then it must be true that natural human skills are responsible for the fact that we haven't blown ourselves up yet. As sad as it seems, this fact is very encouraging to a growing intellectual, such as myself, who has just listened to a man talk at length about all of the countries that have the capability of blowing the world a couple times each.

I apologize for the lack of information in this post. I thought it might be interesting to take you inside my inner monologue for the day.

Hope all is well on the outside.

Thanks for reading!

Just Another Day Making U.S. Foreign Policy

2009-07-29T23:45:00.000-07:00

Today something very interesting happened to my Marshall Briefing group. Right now most of you are probably thinking, "What the heck is a Marshall Briefing group?" I'll try to explain. However, I don't always get it myself so forgive me if it's confusing.

Before we left for the program, each student was supposed to get a list of 14 general policy topics pertaining to the American national politics. We were supposed to number these in order of how interested we were in each. However, seeing as I turned mine in only three days before the program began, I ended up with my 13 choice, "The Global Food Shortage." We found out our topics on the second day and were assigned 4 partners to work with. In our groups we were told to pick a very specific issue related to our field and think up a solution. After this we were to write up an 8-12 page paper explaining how, and why, the United States should implement our policy. This document would go to a panel of distinguished professors and experts in our field. Apparently, this group is commonly called the "Murder Board," because their questions are characteristically somewhat hostile. These individuals read and critique our paper carefully. Later, we give them a briefing on the subject using a short PowerPoint presentation. The Murder Board would ask us questions throughout the presentation as they saw fit.

This project is not as easy as it sounds. Many things can go wrong. Two days ago my group chose the to save the starving peoples of India. As of now, India is experiencing a massive drought due to its delayed monsoon season. After 50 cited and annotated resources were drawn, we felt confident that the best course of action was to give India money to invest in wheat and rice that is genetically modified to be drought resistant. This would increase food production and decrease food costs, which are chronically high at this point. Like everyone else we've spent mega hours of "free time" researching everything we could ever need to know about the different aspects of this policy and figuring out how we are going to apply them to India. We all agreed that we were working at a solid pace and would be able to give a good case to the Murder Board as to why they should accept this plan which we knew had some potential. However, our policy was apparently a bit too good. In fact, not only did it have potential, it had all the requirements to become official American foreign policy. Hours ago Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that upon her return from India the United States will take on a policy to "Strengthen {India's} agricultural yield and improve water/soil resources by supporting research on biotechnology an high-yielding crop varieties including wheat which is resistant to stem rust and rice which is resistant to drought and salinity." In other words the United States, as of today, are enacting the exact same policy that my Marshall Brief group came up with! While I am somewhat amused by this turn of events, I am also somewhat disgruntled that I am quite late right now trying to find a new topic because we have to go back to the drawing board! The briefings are required to be original and not coincide with the status quo of American policy. However, now our entire briefing is in obvious violation of this rule. The report is due on friday at 11:59pm and all I can say at this point is, "Anyone got any bright ideas?"

As always, thanks for reading!

Productive Days

2009-07-29T19:22:00.000-07:00

The past two days have definitely been a workout--physically and mentally. As you all know, we have lectures from 9 am-11:30 am, 1 pm-5 pm, and 6:30pm-9:30pm. Excluded are the times spent during breakfast and lunch working on our Marshall Brief presentations. Yes, every morning and afternoon, rather than thoroughly relaxing and enjoying meals, Ivy Scholars are found with laptops on their lunch tables, simultaneously munching on Yale's cafeteria cuisine. While we are all pressed for time, we manage to find some time for small talk (while we're walking to and from class) and I sincerely enjoy creating relationships with these new and intelligent students.

Yesterday began with breakfast and a morning presentation from admissions officer Liz Kinsley and another whose name has slipped my mind. They spoke of the characteristics one must have in order to gain entry into the world-class Yale University. I've only been here since last Friday, and I'm beginning to really love it--with the exception of New Haven security. The excitement the two presenters exuded makes me believe this attitude is emulated by all of the other students at Yale. I'm sure this belief is nothing but the truth.

After lunch, there were two seminars. The first seminar I attended was education policy with Bryce Adams, followed by environmental ethics with Bryce Adams and Benjamin Elkins. Education policy addressed several current issues, from No Child Left Behind, to standardized testing, to teacher certification. 1.2 million Americans fail to graduate each year, and with 60-75% of today's jobs requiring a college degree, problems have inevitably occurred. Environmental ethics was about moral consciousness of the surroundings. It was described in terms of philosophy--biocentrism, ecocentrism, ecological feminism, etc. I'm pressed for time so I won't go too into the two lectures, but those were the basic ideas.

We received a break from lecture after dinner--which, might I add, I had with Mrs. Larson, Yohanna, and Jessica (as shown in the picture)--and instead watched a movie about Robert McNamara, then listened in on the final lecture of the night: an introduction to persuasive speaking and advocacy by Bryce Adams and Chelsea Goldstein. I found the tips very helpful because, as I've repeatedly affirmed, I'm inexperienced in public speaking.

Today began with a speaker whose name shall remained disclosed. For the purpose of security, the content of his lecture will not be revealed either. Anyway, after his lecture we had lunch, then returned to the lecture hall, where Rick Brundage and Dr. Dr. Minh Luong elaborated on the Marshall Briefing essentials. By following the procedures they proposed and explained, all of us should be successful!

For dinner, Jessica, Matt, Mrs. Larson and I went to a restaurant near Drew's Blue State Coffee. There, Mrs. Larson briefly interviewed us--the video is viewable on Mrs. Larson's blog--and we ate a yummy meal.

The day drew to a close with Marshall Policy group meetings. For several hours, my group and I worked on modifying and correcting the gaping holes in our policy/goal. Bryce is a good mentor--he told us what errors we were making, listened to us, and answered our questions. At 9:40, we left to walk back to TD. There was rain, accompanied by thunder and lightning. As a result, Sydney, Jessica and I nearly sprinted--might I add that I was wearing heels and a dress?!--back to the dorms. What a rush!

Before I leave, allow me to introduce you to my new friend, Cason! He has been reading and following our blogs for who knows how long. As a 16-year-old rising Junior, he attends Choate Rosemary Hall, a boarding school in Connecticut (although he hails from Princeton, New Jersey). And a little fun fact: Cason has been tri-varsity since his freshman year! Anyway, I just thought I'd give a little shout out to him for following our blog!

It's fairly late and I've got to get to reading. Good night and I hope to blog soon.

Marshall Brief Lectures and Work Time

2009-07-29T19:18:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I am sorry I did not have a chance to blog yesterday. It was a busy day full of lectures (besides our food "breaks") and had assignments afterward. On the other hand, today was much more relaxed than I thought it would be. My day started at 6:30 am, which I extended from waking up at 6:00 am. My group mates and I met at 7:45 and walked to breakfast. By 9:00 am, we were at the lecture hall (Rosenfeld Hall) to listen to Edward "Ted" Wittenstein speak. (Due to his high status, I would recommend reading his biography online). It was definitely a pleasure having him take the time to speak to us and I learned a lot not only about him, but about what I should be thinking about for the future.

For lunch, Stephanie and I went with a few friends to a deli place called Gourmet Heaven. There, we bought sushi to go and went back to our dorm (Timothy Dwight) and ate. It was very fun because we found out that Ryan, the student whom first commented on our blog from another state, had never had sushi before. The hilarious part came when my friend dipped the sushi into soy sauce mixed with wasabi. (In my opinion, that was not a great way to try sushi for the first time!) After we finished eating, we went to the library to research more on for our Marshall Brief Policy project. It was semi-successful, and yet the day just kept getting better.

We had two lectures, after lunch, that were very important for our presentation. The first was spoken by Rick Brundage on Policy Brief Writing. His lecture is pretty self-explanatory: he gave us a step by step procedure on how to write our policy brief. These tips were very helpful; not only were we told to know our topics and resources, but I also learned that we should be very simple and organized (hence the word "brief" in the name of the project).

The second lecture was a discussion held by Professor Minh Luong about skills to help us during the presentation. These included tips about preparation, practicing, and speaking. I am actually glad that I had experience with PowerPoint at El Cerrito High, for our group decided to make one. I must say that I am much more confident with my technical skills than I would have imagined.

After the lectures, Yohanna, Stephanie and I planned on going out to dinner; however, plans changed after we ran into Ms. Larson. When we began walking to find a restaurant, it was only me, Ms. Larson, Matt, and Stephanie. Though we tried contacting Yohanna, we could not get a hold of her. This was when the video came into play that Ms. Larson posted. I found it very entertaining indeed. Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to take any pictures of us; but I do have pictures of more friends that I will post at the end of the blog!

The best part I enjoyed was the 3 hours we got to spend working on our Marshall Brief Project. It is really disappointing that we are missing a member, but I hope that Huong will be able to join us soon. Other than that, we accomplished much more than we have before tonight. Stephanie, Sydney, Angie, and I were very focused and tried to get our policy straight. By 9:30 pm, we were well on our way. Though a lot of the other groups are "ahead", I am sure that ours will be creative and interesting. (Our topic relates to creating a curriculum to interrelate math with science subjects. I will definitely go more into depth as we research more).

Well, I have lots of reading to do but I wanted to blog just in case I am busy tomorrow. Here are some pictures from today:

This picture to the left is Stephanie and our new friend, Cason Crane. He is from New Jersey and really fun to hang around. He goes to a boarding school here in Connecticut and will be a Junior in the fall.

To the right is Stephanie again with one of our group members: Angie Cho. Angie goes to school in New York and will be a Senior this year like us! Behind them is Cason again and John Grammer from NYC.

This picture is my favorite. It was actually taken with Stephanie's camera, by our other group member, Sydney. We were meeting for our Marshall Brief Policy presentation and were enjoying the night together. Something happened to be funny, and the four of us spent a while laughing until our stomachs hurt. We had a great time tonight even though we have a lot of reading to do now...

Everyday, I have met more and more students and staff. It is truly amazing.

Though I wish we would have more breaks available, I am glad that I have plenty of friends to support me here and that I can relate to. This course is definitely a challenge, but by building relationships, I am making my way once again towards a world full of companions and a path to success!

Thanks for reading!

Ivy Scholars Day 4

2009-07-29T15:43:00.000-07:00

Peabody Museum of Natural History
Rosenfeld Hall- this is where the Ivy Scholars have most of their lectures.

Sterling Memorial Library

Rare books in the Beineke library

Beineke Rare Book and Manuscript Library

It's been another great day on the Yale campus. I was fortunate enough to run into Stephanie, Jessica and Matt on my way back from the Peabody Museum and we had an hour to grab dinner. They seem to be in good spirits and are adapting to the rigor of their classes. So far, so good! We will keep you all posted!

Seminars

2009-07-28T22:11:00.000-07:00

Today we participated in two different seminars of our choosing. While I thought I was signed up for the "Time Management and Study Skills" and "Winston Churchill's Grand Strategy" seminars, I was actually signed up for "Time Management and Study Skills" and "Written Advocacy." While I was a bit frustrated that I did a lot of preparation reading, for Churchill's seminar, and did not get a whole lot of tangible profit from it, the frustration quickly melted away as I entered the Yale classroom and began to clear my mind and listen to the brilliant words of the instructor's.

My first seminar was on time management and study skills. However, we mostly learned about note taking. We learned how to "flow" an argument. This basically means writing down a fast-read argument extremely quickly using a combination of techniques such as the application of shorthand, symbols, and structure to your notes. We learned that we can use, and should, use this method not only for debating, but for every set of notes we take. This method seems like it is be extremely helpful to my note taking in the future.

The second seminar, although it did not discuss the demigod known as Winston Churchill, did have some good things to say on written advocacy. However, I had already learned what she was talking about from a teacher at El Cerrito! El Cerrito High School teaching the same methods as Yale? Score 1 for public education. The method was to be sure to avoid convoluting your essays with "meaningless words," as George Orwell would out it. The instructor asked us to read a George Orwell excerpt which condemned the disenfranchisement of the English language. He asserts that English rhetoric and literature has devolved into a convoluted mess used by politicians and writers alike. This convolution, Orwell asserts, is due to the surplus of meaningless words, usually adjectives, in the current use of the English language. he says that to illustrate your point more fully you have to show the reader that your argument is correct by techniques such as citing data or giving examples. This works much more effectively than simply telling someone your argument and backing it only with an adjective that solely represents your individual bias. For example, "The awesome Winston Churchill.. " does not prove anything about the awesomeness (yes, "awesomeness" somehow passes spellcheck as a legitimate word) of Churchill and the adjective "awesome" is a "meaningless word." However, if you say "Winston Churchill is awesome because he poses for pictures while holding Tommy guns and smoking cigars." you have illustrated your point using examples and given your argument more legitimacy. This is one of the most important rules of writing that I have leaned so far and I can not thank Mr. Jepson (AP Literature teacher at ECHS) enough for the valuable lesson.

We got a break tonight and got to watch a biography on Robert McNamara and study in our Marshall Briefing groups. However, I know you would disappointed if I told you we went through all this trouble to get me here and I have nothing to do at 2 o'clock in the morning. You guessed, I have to get back to studying and doing some "homework."

Thanks for reading!

Up Close with a Yale Admissions Officer

2009-07-28T16:04:00.000-07:00

Dinner with the girls at Temple Street Grill (Matt decided to stay and eat at the Dining Hall)

Greetings! Yesterday I had the opportunity to sit down with the Northern California Undergraduate Admissions Officer, Alex Richardson. He happens to be a graduate of Yale himself so I feel very fortunate to have been able to pick his brain about what Yale looks for in a prospective student. Alex was very amiable and quite engaging. We left the hustle and bustle of the quite crowded Admissions Office and retreated to a more quiet coffee shop close by. Here is what I gathered:

Financial Aid- Annual tuition is roughly $50,000 a year and that includes everything- room and board, books, classes, etc. The good news is that there is financial aid available. Families earning less than $60,000 annually will not make any contributions toward the cost of their child's education. Families earning $60,000 to $120,000 annually will typically contribute 1% to 10% of total family income. The contribution of aided families earning above $120,000 annually will average 10% of family income. 65% of the student population has some sort of financial aid.

What does Yale look for in prospective incoming freshmen? As in all top-notch Ivy League schools, Yale is looking at a number of components: strong SAT/ACT scores (average SAT score is at least 680 and higher says Alex), good grades, transcript (AP/Honors classes, challenging courses throughout high school career), and strong and personal letter of recommendation. Alex strongly recommends that students have teachers/counselors write letters of recommendation who truly know the student and it shows in the letter.

Student Essay- Alex really emphasized that students put a great deal of effort and their own personality in the college application essays. Not everyone will have a "challenging obstacle that they overcome that has made them who they are today" and that is okay. However, just be yourself and let it shine through in your essay. Why do YOU feel like you will be a good fit at Yale? What makes you stand apart from the rest of your peers? Be yourself! That is truly all they want.

Interview- Our Ivy Scholars are fortunate enough to practice their interview skills with Yale seniors this week and next and are really getting a feel for what the true interview would be like. Alex reiterated that while the interview is important, it is not everything they look at. He kept it simple: "Be yourself, be prepared, and give good eye contact." Really, these were some of the things he highlighted. Go into the interview knowing as much as you can about that particular school. It's like any job interview you'll have. You need to show the interviewer that you are prepared and are truly interested in them otherwise you are wasting their time. Have thoughtful questions to ask (questions that can't be answered on their website!!)

A few other important facts-

Yale will fly admitted students in who fall under the $0-$60,000 annual income in April after they are admitted for a brief orientation, welcome, etc.
Students must declare their major by the end of their sophomore year
Student to Professor ratio is 7-1
Students have the opportunity to "shop for classes" prior to making any final decisions on classes they want to take. They can try out classes and then decide what they want to take!
A few of the main attractions in New Haven to Yale students are the Shubert Center for the Performing Arts and Yale's Peabody Museum of Natural History. There is also the Yale Art Gallery and the Yale Center for British Art.
New York City is just 70 miles south and is 120 miles south of Boston giving students an opportunity to visit these major metropolitan cities.

Yale's ultimate goal is "the creation of a well-rounded freshman class, one that includes not only well-rounded individuals but also students whose achievements in one or several areas is extraordinary."

When I asked Alex if he had any final words of advice to our young, aspiring students he said, "Tell them to find their passion in life and be sure to maintain balance."

There it is, you guys. Find your passion. Who cares what Suzy Lou is doing who sits next to you in AP Lit. What do you love to do? What excites you? What could you do every day if you had the opportunity to do so?

I hope this has been helpful. I was able to have a meal and check-in with the girls tonight. Matt stayed behind at the dining hall. As you can see by the times they are posting their blogs, these guys are staying up LATE trying to get all of their work done. Their priorities are in the classes and assignments at hand and therefore they will be posting photos and blogs only when they have "spare time" to do so. We don't want this interfering with their coursework or stressing them out.

Matt, Jessica, Stephanie and Yohanna are doing quite well and are learning so much every day. I can honestly say that they are truly benefiting from this wonderful experience. Good night for now!

Late NIght

2009-07-28T00:29:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody. It is quite late right now and I just finished reading a 144 page compilation of works on the Grand Strategy of the British Empire and Winston Churchill. I still have some research to do so forgive me for making this post somewhat brief. I promise to catch you up later.

Before lunch today we did something other than attend a lecture! Unfortunately this activity was visiting a library. However, while I was a bit disappointed at first, my apprehension vanished when I found out that Yale's library happens to be the second biggest among American universities. We ended up with a Yale library card and a tour and it turned out to be an excellent experience.

After this tease of a fun and exciting activity, we got to attend another six and a half hours of lecture! I guess they decided that to much fun in one day would be a shock to our systems. However, yet again, Yale did not cease to amaze me in that I truly enjoyed every bit of the different lectures. They taught extremely practical lessons on topics such as morality and ethical philosophies, public policy making, and psychological persuasion. Everything that I've been taught here so far are things I can't wait to study more in college.

I'm trying to soak up as much as this as I can and despite the lack of sleep, or maybe due to its affects on my judgement, I have really been enjoying and just generally appreciating my opportunity at Yale.

Sorry again for the brevity of this post but I have to go to sleep at some point. I promise to make it up later.

Thanks for reading!

Picture time!

2009-07-27T22:17:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone! I hope you do not mind if I post pictures for today. It is currently 1:15 A.M. and like Stephanie mentioned, we have lots of work to do. Thus, I thought that instead, I could share pictures of these past couple days. I have not been able to get a full group picture of my roommates and my Marshall Brief Policy group but when I do, I will introduce all of them.

Today, we went to visit the library to get our library cards (which expires the day the program ends, on August 9th). While we were waiting, I took some pictures!It seems like Ms. Larson is enjoying her cup of coffee while advertising for Dunkin Donuts!
This is a recent friend of mine. Her name is Huong. She is from VIETNAM! I am very glad to have met her, and I am shocked at how much she knows about America and politics. Her English is also pretty fluent! Huong is actually part of my (and Stephanie's) Marshall Brief Policy group. She is very helpful and though she is currently sick, we can always count on her for advice and knowledge.
Of course, you cannot forget about Yohanna. Here she is in the library, trying to keep quiet but still having lots of fun!

After the five of us (Ms. Larson, Stephanie, Huong, Yohanna, and I) received our library cards, we went to tour the big library. Below is a picture of the Starr Main Reference Room. It was very beautiful and of course, very quiet.
The last 3 photos are of Stephanie and me. The other pictures I took with Yohanna and Matt in it were blurry, so I decided not to put them in. I hope to take better pictures soon. Enjoy!

(I am still working on how to take pictures so please stay with me when it comes to faces being cut off). The one on the top left is when we were still in the library. Of course, we were there to "study", and not take pictures...The one on the bottom right side is a location near the library, though the building the background is not it. Lastly, the photo on the bottom left is my best shot of the both of us with the library in the background. From what Ms. Larson told us, the library building was painted and designed to LOOK old. They even pretended to leave "statue marks" to portray the idea that the statues were "stolen" before. I found that very interesting!

Well, I hope you enjoyed viewing these pictures. I am sorry I did not get a chance to talk about what we did today, but Stephanie did a great job of summarizing our day. I hope that tomorrow I will have more time to blog and add more pictures. Thanks for "viewing"!

Social Contract Theory

2009-07-27T21:19:00.000-07:00

Today, we visited and gained access to the beautiful Sterling Library and had four more lectures. In one of these lectures, Dean Nick Coburn-Palo continued his lesson on An Overview to Studying Philosophy at Ivy Scholars by explaining the social contract theory and how it was interpreted by Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. A social contract is an agreement among people to form a government in order to protect claims available to them under natural law. Natural law is defined as God's law of the jungle, or how we ought to or do live. Two more definitions are necessary to understand a social contract. Natural rights are what individuals are inherently due as human beings because of natural law. The state of nature is the implicit comparison between a society with government or with no government.

Hobbes believes that the state of nature is barbarous, rather, it is a state of war. People are self-absorbed liars and are basically animals. The only natural right in this society is the right to be able to avoid one's own death. Therefore, an absolute government is necessary for this social contract to function. It would be ruled by a sovereign who had complete power. This kind of belief was acceptable (although it would be seen as extremely radical today) because it was written in a time of monarchies.

Locke, on the other hand, believes that people are basically good, but to become truly efficient we must unite as a functional society with a social contract. He believes in the natural rights of life, liberty, and property. The type of government is determined by the people because he believes in the consent of the governed. However, instead of ending there, he controversially explains that when the government infringes upon the natural rights of the people then the people have the obligation to revolt.

Rousseau believes that our state of nature was the ideal environment we now long for. However, we abandoned it when we abandoned our ability to share. Natural rights are the right to competition, which separates an individual's will from the general will of the people. He thinks that a legislature is ideal for the type of government, because a members of the legislature temporarily puts individual will on hold in order to push for general will. Dean Coburn-Palo pointed out that Rousseau would probably be horrified by our legislative system today, which bursts at the seams with lobbyists and such. He also explained that Marx believes exactly what Rousseau believes, except he disagrees about not being able to return to our original state of nature. He believes that socialism will wean us off capitalism to the point where we can achieve this primitive but ideal ability to share.

I'm sorry that I don't have time to share other things I learned today, but I really need to go to sleep. Thanks for reading this and goodnight!

Yale Library & Lecture

2009-07-27T21:03:00.000-07:00

Good evening, readers!

As I said yesterday, my blogs may be fairly short. It's already 12:11 am and I have over 100 pages of reading in addition to an abstract for my group's Marshall Brief project and a bibliography for it as well. We've pretty packed schedules, but I'm somehow enjoying myself as well. Fun!

Today we went to the Yale University Library. It's GORGEOUS and HUGE. We got our own temporary library card--one I'll keep forever. Next, Jessica, Sydney, Angie, Huong and I took a self-guided tour of the library. Unfortunately I did not bring my camera with me, but Jessica did. She will probably post some pictures later on. We explored the music library as well as the book stack rooms. The library is enormous and it's easy to get lost. There are thousands of books and tons of information waiting to be read. If only I could read them all!

We had four lectures today: The International State System and its Enemies by Dr. Ted Bromund, Introduction to Public Policy and Governance by Rick Brundage, Critical Thinking and Analytical Strategies by Dean Nick Coburn-Palo, and Psychology and Persuasion by Professor Anthony Berryhill. I found the second and fourth lectures to be of the most interest, but I'll blog about public policy.

Public policy, as defined by Brundage, is the government's "statement of objectives, incentives, and regulations intended to guide or constrain behavior to accomplish a particular goal." Government is justified to intervene in several circumstances in regards to public goods, externalities, economic stability, failure of competition, and redistribution. I have not the time to discuss each of these topics, so I'll touch on public commodities. There are two types of these: general public goods, which are non-exhaustible [the availability does not decrease with consumption], and common pool resources, which are exhaustible and are non-excludable [available to all]. Common pool resources, such as whales, may become under-supplied and over-consumed because of their non-excludability. Thus, the government must intervene by regulating the extraction of these resources [whales in this case].

Although there was much more to this lecture, I must get going now. Reading and homework await me. My apologies for the brevity!

P.S. Get well soon, Don! We all wish you a safe recovery.

Update from Yohanna

2009-07-27T12:05:00.000-07:00

Yale and the view from within the walls

2009-07-26T21:11:00.000-07:00

Stephanie, Jessica and Matt in between lectures

Yale Photos

Sterling Library

The "lucky foot" of Theodore Dwight Woolsey, elected President of Yale in 1846. He was a huge supporter of the crew team back then and pushed the team off to race with his foot. The team won every time he did this which is why they said he had a "lucky golden foot." Students to this day rub his golden foot for good luck. Mrs. Kronenberg, Mr. Ramsey and I all rubbed it while passing by.

The first dorm at Yale University

These past few days have been fantastic. The students, Mr. Ramsey, Mrs. Kronenberg and I have been making the most of our time since we arrived on Friday. As the students have expressed in their blogs, we began our day early on 7/24 arriving at ECHS before 4am. After a long and tiring journey east with a connecting flight in Chicago, we touched down in Hartford, CT with out driver awaiting us.

Matt, Jessica, Stephanie and Yohanna were the first of the Ivy Scholars to check-in to their residence halls and as they mentioned, realized immediately that they would be needing fans! The humidity hit us hard the moment we got out of the van! After the students checked in, we met Mrs. Kronenberg and Mr. Ramsey for dinner at Zinc's for a lovely dinner. By the end of the meal, we were all feeling the many hours of travel and lack of sleep wearing on us. We walked the students back to the dorms and headed back to the hotel for a much needed night's rest. That night, two things I noticed were the lightning storm out my window with the tapping of the rain along with the sound of sirens down below. That was another thing that stood out in our minds right away was the huge presence of the police force patrolling the Yale campus. The interesting thing was there really isn't a major divide or separation from the community or outside neighborhoods and the Yale campus. However, all of the residential buildings, lecture halls, libraries, etc. area ll completely enclosed and it is virtually impossible to get in unless you have access. How do we know this? Mrs. Kronenberg, Mr. Ramsey and I tried!

As the students mentioned, yesterday's tours of Connecticut College and Wesleyan were great and I believe they gained a lot from this. Wesleyan seemed to be the favorite of the two but for obvious reasons. It is a top tier school and it truly showed. I personally enjoyed the tour at Wesleyan more simply because there were students on campus and there was a lot going on while Connecticut College was a ghost town and the only people were caught a glimpse of were in a wedding party posing for pictures!

The students had their orientation last night after dinner where they were quite impressed after being introduced to their professors, classmates and the director of the Ivy Scholars, Professor Minh Luong. After speaking with them and reading their blogs from last night, the students all went to bed feeling excited and eager to begin this Yale experience after several weeks of anticipation. At the same time, they also realize that this is intense and is probably one of the most rigorous (if not the most) in the country. What a great experience for them!

Matt, Jessica, Stephanie and Yohanna began their day today bright and early with breakfast and their first lecture at 9am. Mrs. Kronenberg, Mr. Ramsey and I went on a tour of Yale this afternoon and then met up with the students for their 3:00 lecture with Professor Hennigan on Political Ideologies. The tour of campus was great (though hot and humid!) and we were taken aback at the mere beauty of these buildings and the architecture itself. One of the architects of Sterling Library actually poured acid on the outside of the building to make it appear older than it really was. He also purposely left space where a statue or figure could be placed so that it would appear that the building had been tampered with...again for the appearance that the building was old.

All of the buildings are completely closed off and are surrounded by walls, gates, locks ensuring safety for students and staff from the crime that hides in the shadows on the streets of New Haven. As Mr. Ramsey mentioned yesterday, Yale could be in the middle of the Iron Triangle, that is the feel this place has and it is surreal for such a prestigious, top notch university.

Some facts about Yale that stuck out the most were:

Yale was first called "The Collegiate School" before being called Yale

Yale means to cultivate mind, body and heart

The unofficial slogan for Yale is- "For God, for country and for Yale" Nathan Hale said this. He was America's first spy and was an undergraduate at Yale. He ended up being caught and hung in New York City in his twenties.

5,000 undergrads and 5,800 graduate students

There are over 12 million books spread out among the libraries at Yale.There are 4 million alone at Sterling Library!

The first night and the first full day at Yale

2009-07-26T20:21:00.000-07:00

My Ivy Scholars experience began with an orientation that, in true Ivy League fashion, went beyond just explaining the rules and expectations. Besides hearing Professor Luong and Dean Coburn-Palo give essay-long introductions for each other and extend warm welcomes to us students, they informed us of the reality of the rigor of the program. We would be given documents to read before each lecture, we would have Marshall Brief presentations, we would exercise our public speaking skills, and most intimidatingly, the all-star faculty (nearly all of them are national debate champions and experts of the program and grand strategy) would rank us students from 1-70 on the last day. This list would place students that performed exceptionally at the top and students that would be "black-listed" (meaning they exhibited awful behavior and their names would be passed on to other Ivy League schools as students that should not be accepted) would be on the very bottom. That announcement certainly elicited simultaneous gasps and looks of horror throughout the room. Definitely we would all be on our best behavior for the next two weeks. Yes, the Yale Ivy Scholars program will take hard work and discipline but will be the experience of a lifetime.

The rigor I experienced on Saturday night intensified today, our first full day at Yale. In the morning we were given a lecture by Professor Luong on two topics, Defining Grand Strategy and Developing Intellectual and Analytical Methodologies. In Defining Grand Strategy, he explained that there is no official definition for the term "grand strategy" because there are so many things it encompasses (one of the Yale professors that found the grand strategy program wrote a DEFINITION many pages long) and the founders of the concept cannot agree upon one. However, there is a concise working definition which is used as the unofficial definition of grand strategy, "The calculated relationship between means and large ends.” Next, Professor Luong explained specific terms in the definition in depth. The overall concept, he explained, is for leaders to possess the capability of seeing the big picture.

The next lecture, Developing Intellectual and Analytical Methodologies was equally as interesting. Professor Luong taught us to be "master learners" in Ivy Scholars by doing things such as understanding the goals of each lecture/seminar, forming correlations, and questiong assumptions. He also explained how grand strategy applies to nearly every subject, more concisely, it is interdisciplinary. For example, math gives us necessary quantitative skills and art gives us the imagination to innovate [ideas, strategies, etc.]. He went on to cover many other topics, but what I found especially useful (and hilarious) was his explanation of how to ask questions and how not to ask questions. We learned that we must make our questions necessary, concise, fair, and audible in order to avoid earning the less-than-sought-after titles of "sycophant" (flatterer), "shot gunner" (asks many unrelated questions), "peacock" (tries to prove that one is better than the speaker), or "wanderer" (rambler).

After lunch, we were give two more lectures from Professor Luong (this man has an incredible surplus of energy and intellect) and one from Professor Hennigan. Professor Luong's lecture, Principles of Leadership, taught us that we to be effective--so called "Level 5"--leaders, we must be full of integrity, courage, loyalty, compassion, and self control; know our goal, profession, self, and subordinates; and do things such as seek respect and work to the task not the clock. His next lecture, Sun Tzu and The Art of War: Lessons for Leadership, elaborated and reviewed concepts presented in The Art of War. I thoroughedly enjoyed this lecture as much as I enjoyed reading that ancient Chinese book of wisdom and victory. The following lecture of Professor Hennigan was titled Political Ideologies: The Wide World of "-isms". Although we only were able to cover liberalism, Marxism, the end of history thesis, and nationalism, I liked this lecture because it was mainly driven around student participation. Here, I witnessed the vast collective knowledge of my Ivy Scholar peers.

After dinner, we had a lecture by Dean Coburn-Palo called An Overview to Studying Philosophy at Ivy Scholars. I loved his light-hearted but deeply informative approach to philosophy. He taught us many things such as deontology (belief that actions are good or bad based on outcome) v. teleology (belief that actions are good or bad based on intent and process), social contract, positive rights v. negative rights, and comprehensive and accesible resources for philosophy. The dean also elaborated on Morality and Utilitarianism.

We concluded the night with establishing our Marshall Brief groups, which are groups composed of five members that would create a 8-12 page paper and prepare a presentation to combat a problem on specific topic (it reminds me of policy debate without a debate). We are expected to define a problem and devise a solution to it. We would be judged by true leaders in public policy. My group focuses on diplomacy and international conflict and we decided upon the topic, "How can we prevent Afghanistan from becoming a failed state?". We have assignments periodically due during the week. Tomorrow night we must have 4-5 resources each on our topic, so now I'm going to commence learning about Afghanistan demographics and NGOs (non-governmental organizations)!

P.S.
I'm posting all the notes I take from the lectures here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=854aa6706df3570600d27174b47c66570e64fc36b429ac8ec95965eaa7bc68bc

First Day at Yale

2009-07-26T19:34:00.000-07:00

Unbelievable.

My day began at 8:20 am today. Unfortunately, they do not serve breakfast on the weekends, so I skipped. On the bright side, I slept in for an hour.

Morning lecture began at 9 am this morning with Professor Luong. He started with the concept of grand strategy. Apparently, there is no universally accepted definition of the term. While Paul Kennedy has written pages and pages on the phrase's meaning, Dr. Dr. Luong summed grand strategy up in a single sentence: "the calculated relationship between means and large ends." This differs from the normal term "strategy" in various ways. It is a flexible, planned outcome connected through military capability, time, and financial means, and it also includes an implementation process.

Next we learned the principles of leadership. They are summarized in three words: Be, Know, Do. Leaders must be of great character, possessing integrity, courage, humility, loyalty, and compassion. They must know their goal, their profession, their subordinates, and, most importantly, themselves. Finally they must do things for the better of their people, seeking respect rather than popularity and encouraging initiative. I definitely have to agree with Mr. Luong's lecture, particularly the qualities one must have to be an effective leader. Most of these characteristics are found in Genghis Khan, the Mongol leader. He shows compassion and loyalty for those who return the favor. Not one of his commanders betrayed him; therefore, each of them were treated the same. They were showered in luxuries and much, much more. As for courage, Khan never showed fear, though he probably was afraid at some points throughout his reign. During these frightful times, however, he functioned and did what was needed to be done. In terms of integrity, Khan managed to follow his set of values--kill those who do not submit to defeat!

We took a brunch break and then it was back to the lecture room. Dr. Dr. Luong taught us about the important point in Sun Tzu, which need not be stated because I have spoken about it before. After a 20 minute break, Professor David Hennigan lectured on political ideologies. Everybody raised their hands to voice their opinion, but I had little or no knowledge on the discussed topics: welfare liberalism, classical liberalism, social democracy, and Marxism. I realized how well-educated these students are. I really tried to comprehend the discussion, but it was very difficult and new to me. Seeing as this is only the first official day of class, I'm sure I will adjust within a few days.

Next, seminar sign-ups were available. We all had to take our dinner time to sign up, which upset me because the dining hall is a 10-15 minute walk from the dorms. After signing up for seminars, Jessica and I walked to the dining hall, almost getting lost on the way. Yale is a rather large campus but exploration never hurts! We waited in a long line of students to get our food, ate in a quick 5-10 minutes, and walked as fast as we could to the lecture hall--we arrived just on time.

Dean Nick Coburn-Palo lectured this time about philosophy. We learned about utilitarianism and its several branches. Utilitarianism is philosophic view based off the outcome of a situation rather than the situation's initial intent or purpose. The three basic philosophers of utilitarianism include Jeremy Betham, James Mill, and John Stuart Mill. Jeremy Betham was the initial founder, who believed that pleasure is equivalent to morality. In other terms, as said by Dean Nick Coburn-Palo, when having to choose between a waving, hot celebrity and an old woman who had just fallen while walking across the street, the decisions are of equal worth (pleasure = morality). This lecture was probably my favorite of the day. By incorporating humor into his presentation, I was able to understand the concepts better and I was much more attentive. Also, the enthusiasm in the Dean's voice makes me ultra eager to learn!

Before the day was over, we were split into our Marshall Brief groups and sent to rooms. The Marshall Briefs are policies to be presented to top-notch officials in the United States. We are assigned to topics based off of our choice on the preference form. My topic is education, and I'm in a group with Jessica, Sydney, Angie, and Huong. In addition to this very intimidating, hardcore assignment, we're required to participate in one writing and two speech competitions. I'm terrified, but my fear was slightly alleviated when I was told we weren't going to receive a grade or anything. We're here for experience and improvement!

It looks like my schedule is going to be very packed--everyone's is. I may write shorter and shorter blogs if that's the case, and I'm sorry if I do. Thanks for reading and see you tomorrow!

Quadruple Lecture Day

2009-07-26T19:29:00.000-07:00

Sunday's word of the day at Yale University is "lectures." We had about eight and a half hours of lectures today. It is true that we got to take some time out for brunch and dinner, however, someone decided that breakfast was an unnecessary luxury. This I was actually glad for because we were up late doing readings for a lecture today. Despite the sheer amount of lecturing being a bit unfortunate the content was really very good.

The first lecture, which was given before lunch, was taught by Dr. Minh Luong and pertained to Grand Strategy's overall definition, or the lack thereof. Dr. Luong stated that even among its top professors Grand Strategy has no universally accepted definition. The best definition he could give us is that Grand Strategy teaches students to gain an education which allows them to run around and cover many different areas, like a fox, but also to be able to dive deeply into these different areas with the tenacity of a specialist, this trait is attributed to be like hedgehog. This definition is shown on the Grand Strategy logo which has a fox and a hedgehog looking outward. The lecture was compelling because it was all about all the qualities which any leader should have in order to lead effectively. He spoke about the level 5 leader. a level 5 leader is the best of the best and has the ability to do great things. This kind of leader, Dr. Luong explained, is humble in manner but tenacious inside and has a rock solid will. He argued that the humble leader will be able to focus more on his goal and less on himself, allowing him to focus on what needs to be done and not get distracted. I agree with this ideology to a certain extent but also believe that, in reality, reserved leaders are not always able to motivate as well as those who lead gallantly as examples through hard times, rather than staying behind the curtain.

The second lecture was a straightforward summary of the main ideas of the Art of War. We spent a lot of time on the first lecture so this one had to be more brief but I still immensely enjoyed the opportunity to have the ancient text unveiled to me by an expert in international studies and, consequently, conflict. For me, this really brought together the main ideas of the text and allowed me to understand its overall message much more fully.

The third lecture was on classical and welfare liberalism. We learned and discussed a ton about how these previous ideologies have affected ideologies proceeding it and which appear today in our different modern day societies. We decided that the classical liberals who heavily favored hands off government had influenced conservative America the most while its successor, welfare liberalism, preceded and most influenced modern day democrats. I was a bit confused on exactly where capitalists draw the line on government intervention. The question was, "Why do classical liberals see government involvement in 'criminal matters' as just but not government involvement in other issues of general interest such as curbing monopolies and stopping injustices and inequality in the economy?" It was something like that.

The last lecture was on basic philosophy. It would take me days to explain what this professor taught in a couple of hours but if it helps at all this is the surface glance at what we covered. The ideologies behind the philosophies of Teleology vs. Deontology, Positive rights vs. Negative rights, Normative Utilitarianism vs. Descriptive Utilitarianism, and Act vs. Rule. We then learned about the creators of three philosophies, namely Emmanuel Kant, James Mill, Jeremy Bentham, and John Stuart Mill. In our discussion we also learned how to better attack philosophy when it is assigned. Through both tricks of the trade and a couple helpful methodologies we learned how to break down theologies quickly and extract the main ideas. I loved this lecture. I'm astonished by how much I learned in such a short amount of time and am curious to see what it would be like if I get the chance to take this course for an entire semester!

So, in short, the answer is, "yes", the bark of the staff had some bite in their activities today. I'm excited to see how the rest of the week is going to pan out. I think we are holding up well and hopefully we will do fine in the rest of the program. I'll be back tomorrow with more information. Hopefully there will more physical activities to talk about. As always, thanks for reading!

P.S. Sorry I didn't have any photos yet again. I didn't go get my camera back until around 10:00 pm.

What A Way to Start!

2009-07-26T19:20:00.001-07:00

Wow. What a day. I began by waking up at 6:15, though classes didn't start until 9:00. Though today was only our first day of lectures and group meetings, we already had reading assigned to us last night. Since I could not finish the required 130 pages of reading last night, I woke up earlier. This did prove successful, and though it was tiring during lectures, I am glad I understood some of the topics involved.

The first lecture at 9:00 was delivered by Dr. Luong. He spoke about Grand Strategy, Leadership, and even discussed one book we had to read: Sun Tzu's The Art of War. In my opinion, Dr. Luong's lecture was very informative from beginning to end. Since it is really difficult to incorporate everything onto this blog (especially because we just started a group project today), I will point out what I thought was important.

He first starts out by defining what Grand Strategy is; though he does mention that there is no "universally accepted definition of Grand Strategy". An overall "compromise" for the definition is "the calculated relationship between means and large ends." He then goes over the definition of calculated, means, and large ends. "Calculated" is said to be planned/analyzed; "means" are the resources available, especially time; and "large ends" are the final result/outcomes. Dr. Luong then talks about how to become a Grand Strategist, including skills such as asking questions, finding relationships between ideas, and evaluating ideas.

Another important factor he stressed was the idea of having an intellectual mind. This means that you should accept the fact that you do not know everything. In addition, Dr. Luong taught us about the three "Essences of Leadership": BE, KNOW, and DO. (BE a leader; KNOW yourself/your subordinates/your goals; DO seek respect/lead by example, etc.)

There is so much information that Dr. Luong shared with us, and I am glad I had my laptop as well as a notebook to take notes. (My laptop eventually ran out of battery...). After a 2 1/2 hour lecture, we had Brunch (we didn't have breakfast...instead students were reading the 130 pages that were assigned or going out to buy breakfast). Brunch was 1 1/2 hours but time seemed to fly by really quickly during our "break". Next, we had two lectures, one from Dr. Luong again about the book, The Art of War (which he read when he was only 11!). He went over the main ideas and mentioned the Sage Commander's "Qualifications". The most important qualification was Wisdom. This not only includes knowledge, but also the ability to analyze what is going on around you, and being an expert about tactics.

A little after Dr. Luong presented, we heard from Professor David Hennigan, whom talked about Political Ideologies and "isms" (specifically Liberalism, Marxism, and a little about Nationalism). What I was very shocked about was the major participation made by the students. Unfortunately, this was where I lacked knowledge since I did not take AP Euro. Though I did pick up some information because I took AP U.S. History, I could not come up with questions to ask; not to mention, I was a little lost throughout the lecture. I did learn from many students though and realized how much they knew. Everywhere around the room, someone would raise their hand, either to contribute to the discussion or to ask a question. After this point, I definitely realized how engaged my fellow "classmates" were. I have not met so many enthusiastic students before, and I am really excited about what is to come next on our long list of lectures. I hope that by the end of the 2 weeks, I will be able to join them and ask questions too!

The next lesson was taught by Dean Nick Coburn-Palo, who spoke about Philosophy. He actually retired as a philosophy teacher at Yale, but we are lucky enough to have him speak to us as a part of the program. I found his lecture very interesting and received tips about reading philosophy and learned about many philosophers, including Kant, Hume, Bentham, and Mill. We went over many terms that defined different perspectives about morality. The last subject was the longest one we talked about and it was probably the most complex (in my opinion). Utilitarianism defines morality as whatever "brings the most pleasure and avoids the most pain". Though that might not sound that complicated, there are three types of Utilitarianism: Narrative vs. Descriptive, Act vs. Rule, and Egoistic vs. Universalistic. That was where I began to lose track so I will just continue on with what we did next.

After the long lecture, we went to another building and split up into groups. These groups are who we will be spending time with for most of our 2 weeks. At the end of the program, we will be presenting a Marshall Brief Policy to a few highly educated professors and scholars who will listen to our policy idea and test how much we know about our topic. My topic (which we were able to choose before attending) is Education in the Developing World. Our mentor's name is Bryce and he seems like a challenging mentor. I am definitely up for the challenge though I must say I am already quite shocked at how much work we have to do.

I will try to take a picture of all of us soon, but unfortunately, our topic is due tomorrow as well as 5 sources that I have not collected yet. Therefore, I must end my blog for now. I hope that I will get a chance to post pictures up soon, especially one with my Marshall Brief Policy group as well as my roommates (my roommates and myself are all working really hard right now so it's probably not the best time for a picture...). Not to mention, our program includes having to write speeches (both persuasive and extemporaneous) and present them to a group of students and staff members. I hope you all understand how much we have to do and unfortunately that will affect how much and how thorough my blogs will be. Anyways, thanks for reading!

It's gonna be intense

2009-07-25T21:00:00.000-07:00

Today we visited the beautiful campuses of Connecticut College and Wesleyan University. I'm sure Yohanna and Jessica will give great reviews of these schools in their blogs, seeing as they were the designated "secretaries" for the trip. Because they have notes and are planning to fill you in, I'll skip the details of the colleges and let you know that I thought they were both amazing places and will seriously consider applying to both in the fall. What I learned most from my visits to Wesleyan and connecticut was what I wanted at a school (and what I didn't want). Spending time with personal student tour guides was invaluable in that I was forced to think critically about what questions to ask. By the second school I had a solid idea of what I want to look for in the colleges I will be applying to. By allowing me to visit these heavyweight east coast schools, the Ivy League Connection has given me this opportunity to not only learn more about the individual schools we visited but to learn how to learn more about other schools by asking the right questions.

After our morning/afternoon tours we got a couple slices of pizza from the original Pepe's Pizza. Then, after consuming large amounts of the thin crusted goodness we met at Yale to go to dinner with the kids from the program. Seeing as we weren't particularly hungry we indulged vastly in the free ice cream that was provided.

However, despite the fact that were infinite amounts of ice cream at dinner, it was the orientation that was the real fun part of the day. We filed into the lecture hall and got introduced as an audience to a series of instructors who were overqualified to say the least. Seriously, it seemed like winning a national debate title was a pre-requisite. After the intimidating intros the professors and student instructors laid out how are week was going to be. They talked for a while but I can sum it up in one word, "intense." One ex-ivy scholar shared about her personal experience a couple years ago when she stayed up for 72 hours straight. This brought the obvious follow up question, "Is that possible?" Anyways, apart from the massive amounts of intimidation we could see that this is going to be a great opportunity and I 'm excited to take the challenge. I feel just as prepared as any of these individuals and am ready to go.

I appreciate the opportunity the Ivy League Connection has given me and I hope I can make the most of it. I can only promise to do my best.

We have a lot to read so I'm going to end it here. However, I'll be back tomorrow to let you know if all the bark has any bite to it. Sorry I didn't get the pictures up. I let Yohanna carry my camera and forgot to get it back (don't worry mom I'll get it tomorrow). Thanks for reading!

Connecticut College

2009-07-25T20:54:00.000-07:00

Connecticut College was founded in 1911 as a liberal arts college. Though it began as an all women's school, it is now co-educational, with an attendance of 40% males and 60% females. It is located in New London, Connecticut and very near the ocean. There are approximately 1900 students who attend from all over the world (though almost 75% are Caucasian).

The environment seems safe and quiet, and overall, pretty small compared to the UCs. Connecticut College has around 20 students per class, although the science classes can have up to 100 students. They have a student to teacher ratio of 9:1, where students are able to easily seek help from their instructors (there are no TA's!). Not to mention, the current President there, Leo Higdon, Jr., even lives on campus! In addition, the professors trust the students and know them well enough that there are no proctors during exams. (There are 3 time periods throughout the day that the student can choose from to take the test).

Overall, 99% of the students live on campus for all 4 years. 60% of students live in "doubles" and 40% live in "singles". Students can also choose to live in co-ed dorms or with the same gender.

Like I mentioned, Connecticut College is known for its studies in liberal arts. Dance was actually our tour guide's (Amy) major and is a big major offered there. (Amy also majored in Biochemistry). In general, there are 7 "areas" that must be fulfilled and take classes from: Physical Science, Mathematics, History, Visual Arts, Social Science, Philosophy, and Religious Studies. Besides the many students who major in Dance, approximately 25% of the students major in the science department. Though there is no pre-med program offered there, many students get on that track, and get to work with EMTs and find internships.

Athletically, Connecticut College is a Division III school, though their sailing is ranked as Division I. Almost 1/3 of the students participate in sports, though the "best teams" of them all are soccer, field hockey, and lacrosse. They even have a swimming pool open regular hours for those who like to swim.

Their Study Abroad program is also very unique. Their "special" program offered is known as SATA, or "Study Away, Teach Away". Students go with a professor to a country for 1 semester, and learn about subjects (depending on the departments offered). For example, this past year, some students went to China, Spain, and Vietnam.

For those who are interested in culture, there are international dorms available as well as clubs. The center for diversity is known as "Unity House" (I believe Ms. Larson posted a picture of it...). One club that has been on my mind is "IntoxicAsian" (not sure if that is how to spell it). Not only do they have a great name, but they happen to hold some main events and dances for the college; especially when it comes to Asian cultural dances. Even the Moon Festival was "celebrated" at Connecticut College because of the "IntoxicAsian" club!

Entertainment ranges from bands that play during weekends to having tents on the grassy area and places to "hangout". There are coffee shops and as mentioned earlier, the beach is pretty close by.

If this sounds like the college for you, here are the main things to know about admission: though SATs and ACTs might be an issue for many students, the officers at Connecticut College believe that there is more than just test scores. Yes, that means: the school is Test OPTIONAL. This has just started and I did get a little excited about that. However, it does have its consequences. The essays should be taken really personally and involvement in school also plays a big part. In addition, interviews are highly recommended and challenging yourselves in high school looks well on your transcripts. Overall, around 30% of all applicants get admitted.

Of course, then comes the tuition. How much are you willing to pay? Connecticut College costs around $51,115. However, they do provide need-based financial aid. The average grant received is $30,000. On the other hand, they do not have any athletic or academic scholarships.

Last but not least, 50% of students outside of the New England area are from California! Of course there are other regions as well such as Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, etc.

Connecticut College may not be for everyone, but for those who had interests in anything mentioned above, I would recommend applying to Connecticut College. By the way, the mascot of the school is a camel. As strange as it may sound, the mascot was chosen by the men's basketball coach who retired. Before he retired, he wanted a mascot and of all animals, he chose a camel!

The tour was very helpful and I got a lot of information about Connecticut College. Though I did not know anything about it before, I am very grateful that I took notes and can share this knowledge with you. Thanks again for reading!

Here is a picture of our tourguide (Amy) and myself:
We also got a chance to listen to adult singers practice for an upcoming event!

A banner!

I apologize for not taking more pictures of the campus, but hopefully the other students will have some photos to share. Good night for now!

Wesleyan University

2009-07-25T19:54:00.000-07:00

Today, in addition to visiting Connecticut College, we visited Wesleyan University which is located in Middletown, CT. I took notes during the campus tour on behalf of the ILC. Before visiting it, I had no idea how intense, opportunity-filled, and student-oriented Wesleyan is.

Despite being a research university, Wesleyan caters to the student. It does not have any teacher assistants (TAs), rather all students are taught directly by professors. ALL of these professors at Wesleyan happen to have Ph.Ds in their respective subject. What really amazed me, however, was their low student-to-teacher ratio of 9:1. Compare that to UCs and CSUs that have student-to-teacher ratios of three digits.

We arrived a tad late to the tour, but we caught up at Judd Hall, the psychology building. This facility was actually the first building on a college campus to be dedicated to the sciences. Nearby our tour guide, Jegadish, pointed out a building that houses a co-ed literary society. It actually used to be the 4th fraternity on campus. Wesleyan greek life is not quite a major focus of the school, however. It does not have any sororities (girls can apply to fraternities if they want to because of its non-discrimination policy) and only 8% of the student body are members of fraternities. What interested me more, however, were their so-called "anti-frat", which is less of a fraternity and more of a collection of students who are focused on music and the arts. Jegadish mentioned that there are many social activities to preocccupy students during the weekend in addition to watching performances. People sometimes leave the campus and go to the quaint and urban town of Middletown. Major attractions there include local theater and laser tag.

Next, we passed by the Olin Library. It was actually designed by Henry Bacon, who designed the Lincoln Memorial as well. In addition to this library, Wesleyan has a library focused on the arts and a library focused on science. They have a vast amount of resources at these three libraries (1.2 million volumes in total!), but if a student needs yet additional information it easy for him or her to do so. Wesleyan is a member of a library consortium with Trinity and Connecticut College. This means that one can order any book from any of those two schools and receive it within a week. The library is also a social place.

After this, we were led to the science center. It is used by students learning and/or majoring in subjects such as biology, chemistry, physics, math, astronomy, etc. Wesleyan actually has the highest amount of funding in the sciences in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC). This is due to the fact that as a research university, Wesleyan students and professors constantly publish journals, which in turn gains the school more funding. The most interesting elements of the Wesleyan science department, however, are their 4&1 and 3&2 programs. The 4&1 program allows students who have gotten a BA in science and psychology to attend Wesleyan for a 5th year for free and receive an MA upon completion. The 3&2 program allows engineering majors to attend college for three years on the Wesleyan campus, then to take two more years at either Caltech or Columbia University. Besides these amazing programs, Wesleyan students with a 3.5 GPA or higher have an 85% chance of getting into medical school.

We visited the athletics department afterwards. It looks visually appealing because it was recently renovated in 2004. Although Wesleyan is a division 3 school, it is competitive. 20% of the student body is involved in sports. They have 29 varsity teams and a competitive intramural league. The athletic facilities are free and open to all students and the building itself is composed of a gym, an indoor skating rink, a basketball court, and a pool.

My favorite part of Wesleyan would have to be their residential system, however. The college follows a principle of "progressive independence". This means that starting as a freshman, a student is given less dependent living situations until he or she is a senior. Specifically, freshmen stay in a freshmen dorm (we were able to go inside one, it's spacious and comfortable), usually with a roommate. Sophomores live in program houses. Program houses are basically houses that each have a theme that unites and motivates its residents. For example, our tour guide told us that he lived in La Maison Francais (The French House) his sophomore year. They would have hours in which they could only speak French and they would do French things such as eat cheese and pate. Next, juniors live in apartment complexes. Lastly, seniors relish in the luxury of living in 1-6 person beautiful houses. The downside (but slice of reality) is that they have to clean their own bathrooms and such. More facts about Wesleyan housing are that it is guaranteed for all four years and is all co-ed (except for 1 female floor and 1 male floor).

The most important class of the day is quite excellent at Wesleyan. Eating, that is. They serve gourmet food in their cafeteria and the system is based upon progressive independence as well. Freshmen start out with an all you can eat meal plan at the dining center. As students mature, however, they are given fewer meals, but simultaneously presented with more points. Points can be used at other, more fancy dining facilities. By the way, although one may gain weight by eating lots of the tasty Wesleyan food, it does not mean one is not eating healthy. The school is focused on giving its students a healthy diet by using organic and locally grown ingredients as much as possible.

Lastly, I learned many facts about Wesleyan that are important to the prospective student. It has a student body of which 1/3 are minorities. It is very welcolming to students from a myriad of economic backgrounds. For example, it hosts a Student of Color Weekend in April. It has a travel assistance program to help students with transportation to and from Wesleyan on long weekends. 9% of the student body is international. 50% of the students come from public high schools and 50% come from private institutions. The person in charge of the school's newspaper is actually an ex-editor in chief of The New York Times. One of the most useful facts I learned was that it accepts the Common Application without any supplements.

In conclusion, Wesleyan University is a school that any motivated student should be honored to get into. It possesses a variety of majors and clubs and opportunities. It has a beautiful campus and truly cares about the undergraduates as individuals. It is very competitive however: the median SAT score (by section) is 710-760. I never thought of applying to this school before today, but now I am considering adding it to my list of schools because it impressed me in many aspects.

Pre-Yale Adventures, Colleges, & Orientation

2009-07-25T19:49:00.000-07:00

Hello readers! I finally have some time to blog.

Yesterday at 3:15 AM, I left my house, never to see it again for two weeks. A little past 4:00 AM, Jessica, Matt, Yohanna and I bade our parents farewell. We watched their faces glow with pride and happiness as our chauffeur pulled out of El Cerrito High School and drove us toward the Oakland Airport.

I hadn't slept the night before, and when our flight departed, I decided to sleep. However, an hour into the flight, I woke up with my stomach cramping--it was terrible. For the remaining two or three hours I sat in my seat, waiting for the cramping to stop, but it didn't. I felt angry that I was placed in the middle seat rather than the window seat. The woman next to me didn't even glance outside. I wanted to observe the beauty of air flight, but unfortunately could not.

After arriving in Chicago, we stopped for pizza and hopped back on to the plane.

After 2-4 hours, we finally arrived in Hartford, Connecticut. I felt so accomplished when I arrived, although class had not even begun and we were not even in New Haven (let alone Yale). I know how proud my parents are of me and I appreciate them for providing me with their undivided attention and support.

Yet again, a chauffeur picked us up. He held a sign with our names on it. I've never seen that done in reality before--it was so exciting! Living in such excitement, I forgot to take a picture. Darn. We were all worn out during the hour-long drive to New Haven, but we noticed an interestingly large amount of school buses around. Three times we passed locations in which 50+ yellow school buses were parked. I suppose East Coast culture involves more bus-driving than carpooling in terms of transportation to school, but who knows. All of this reading has caused me to analyze every thing I find the least bit abnormal!

Finally, we arrived at the renowned Yale University. We received our keys, name tags, and room numbers, quickly changed into "smart, casual" clothing, and met Mr. Ramsey, Mrs. Kronenberg, and Mrs. Larson for dinner. On our walk there, I observed Yale's surroundings. I was in awe. I saw many unfriendly faces. Later I discovered that New Haven is not very safe--something I'm deeply taking into consideration after being mugged for the first time.

After dinner, at about 10:30 PM, Jessica, Matt, Yohanna and I all went to explore the area, hoping to encounter an open store that would provide us with living essentials--a fan in particular. My legs began to give out on me. They really hurt. When I ran it felt like needles were running through the backside of my legs. This continued for the remainder of our "adventure" and still continues at this moment (if I run, at least). If the problem persists, I plan on seeing the doctor or nurse. Anyway, we experienced New Haven's erratic weather. One second, it was humid and warm. The next, there was thunder, lightning, and rain pouring everywhere. While our clothes were soaked within minutes and I had to limp my way back to my dorm, I found the experience to be fun and thrilling. Spontaneous weather changes are more positive factors to add to Yale, although these do not counter the hazard of the area in my opinion.

Today, we left early for breakfast at the Omni (please excuse my spelling) Hotel, followed by a drive to Connecticut College. There, a female student provided us with a tour of the college.

What I found most appealing was the college's large dorms and small student-to-faculty ratio. I enjoy lots of space to myself and I also enjoy personal interaction with professors. Jessica will go more in depth with the school in her blog.

Next was Wesleyan University. This school really appealed to me, and after the tour of the campus, I'm considering applying to it this fall. Although my major is still undecided, I'm leaning toward English. Wesleyan's most popular and strongest major includes English, government, and economics. Its English--or was it journalism?--program is taught by the ex-editor-in-chief of the New York Times. Tell me that's not impressive!

Additionally, there's optional co-ed rooming and supposedly excellent food. Those were the main things that attracted me to the school. Yohanna will, like Jessica, provide more details about the school in her blog.

Following that tour was dinner at a delicious pizzeria and a drive back to Yale. There, we encountered all of the Ivy Scholars students. It was interesting to see many faces I'd previously only seen in the Facebook group page. I ate a brief ice cream dinner and took a break. Then it was time for orientation. We were introduced to several instructors, each with outstanding backgrounds. Most of them had won national debate titles! How did I feel after learning this? Let's just say that terrified and intimidated would be an understatement. I realize that I'm with the top of the top, the best of the best and I'm going to work very hard despite my inexperience. I'm so glad to have been chosen to participate in this program.

Chelsea and Drew, our two main helpers, described the importance of the program's rules. As Mr. Nick Coburn had earlier said, "No program babies!" There are also several boundaries to which we can explore. We cannot pass a series of approximately five streets because of the danger they hold. In addition, there is a strict curfew. By 10 pm, we must be within college gates. By 11 pm, we must be on our floors. By 12 am, we must be in our rooms. By 1 am, all must be quiet. Breaking any of these rules involves punishment. While I wish I could be out longer, I appreciate Yale's greater concern for scholars' security.

After orientation, we quickly shopped, again, for room essentials and succeeded: I bought a fan!

It feels nice to be in an environment with similarly diligently working students. All of them are passionate about their education and are up for a challenge as we are. I still fear what lies ahead. This program is about risk-taking and that's exactly what I will do!

Although class has yet to officially begin, we have been assigned to approximately 130 pages of reading to be finished by tomorrow. Intensity is what we asked for, and it's definitely what we're getting!

College Tours and First "day" of Ivy Scholars!

2009-07-25T19:35:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I am sorry I did not blog yesterday. After we got back from dinner, the four of us (Matt, Stephanie, Yohanna, and I) went for a walk...though it did start to rain. When we came back, I was exhausted and decided to take a rest before we met up with Mr. Ramsey, Ms. Kronenberg, and Ms. Larson today at 7:30 am. (Nevertheless, I am really glad that Ms. Larson got a chance to post pictures!)

After meeting with Mr. Ramsey, Ms. Kronenberg, and Ms. Larson, we all went to eat breakfast. Unfortunately, the place we intentionally meant to eat at (Marketplace) was closed so we went to eat at the Omni Hotel instead. Of course, the breakfast was delicious, however, time was running by quickly. We had to meet a tour guide at Connecticut College at 9:30 am, and to our best of luck, the GPS was not working. Using our relationship skills, Ms. Kronenberg, Ms. Larson, Stephanie and I pulled it off by contacting people we knew (including the concierge at the Omni Hotel) and asking them for directions! (Mr. Ramsey drove another car with Matt and Yohanna and they were depending on us for directions to get there). It was a great way to start off the day, and it definitely taught me a lot about what was mentioned in the book, Never Eat Alone: Relationships do help; not only for being successful, but in any situation, like when your GPS doesn't function.

When we finally arrived at Connecticut College, the real fun began. Our tour guide, Amy, was very nice; and though we did not have a whole lot of time for the tour, she did an amazing job. Her presence definitely strengthened my thoughts about going there for college. (I will actually write another post about Connecticut College after I discuss a little about the whole day in general).

We had to rush once more from Connecticut College to Wesleyan University. We were prepared by asking for directions earlier and finally made it in time to join a tour group. Though we missed some of it, we were well caught up. Not to mention, after the tour, we were able to visit the admissions office to get more information about the school.

After walking around two big campuses, we were finally able to eat pizza! (We ate one hour before dinner for the Ivy Scholars program began). It was a tiring day, but the Ivy Scholars program just began. When Mr. Ramsey, Ms. Kronenberg, and Ms. Larson dropped us off, we were already on our way to dinner. The four of us were so full that we only ate dessert. It was very great though because we got to meet people even though we did not eat for long. We met students from Korea, Vietnam, Long Island, Chicago, and many more. Since we ended dinner early, we were able to interact with the other students before the orientation began. It was a great way to socialize (since most students arrived earlier on the day).

The orientation went really well. I found out that there are 70 students attending this Ivy Scholars program and many staffs here to support us as well as mentor us. We were able to hear from Dr. Luong again and also from Dean Nick Coburn-Palo. Lastly, the orientation ended with an introduction to our two top instructors, Chelsea and Drew. Chelsea is a rising senior at Duke, and Drew is a current Yale student who owns a coffeeshop here in New Haven (he started his own business as an undergraduate!) They are very nice, and though the course is intense, I am sure that I can count on them as well as any of the staff and peers for support. Chelsea and Drew went over rules for the program, and discussed the areas that we could not go pass outside of our dorms. Afterwards, students got a chance to meet with them more in person after the orientation; though the four of us had other plans...we were determined to get a FAN!

I was really glad that some staff members were with us the whole way to the store. Some stopped to get water and others (like us) went to buy materials. We then met everyone else who came along at 9:30 to head back to our dorms.

The curfew goes as follows: by 10 P.M, all students had to be within the college gates. By 11 P.M, students had to be in the "hallway" (the level where our room is located). At 12 A.M, we have to be in our rooms; and lastly, lights out at 1 A.M.

Although tomorrow is our first day of lectures and meetings, today was a great start; not to mention, we already have papers to read (not including the pre-requisite books). I am so excited yet very nervous for what is to come. I hope that you enjoyed reading this blog, and hopefully get a good insight about Connecticut College (written on the next blog I am about to post). Thanks for reading!

Connecticut College & Wesleyan Tours

2009-07-25T15:19:00.000-07:00

Wesleyan- student center
Wesleyan

Wesleyan

Yohann, Stephanie, Amy (tour guide), Jessica & Matt

Connecticut College- Unity House

Connecticut College- dorms

Jessica, Yohanna, Stephanie & Matt in front of the theater at Connecticut College

I will write more later! I wanted to get these posted now. Thanks for your support! We are having a great time so far!!

Sarah

We made it to Yale

2009-07-24T19:36:00.000-07:00

Walking through the Yale campus on our way to dinner.

Mr. Ramsey, Ms. Kronenberg & Stephanie reconnect

Thunderclouds linger in the air

Matt, Jessica, Ms. Larson, Stephanie & Yohanna have finally arrived to Hartford, Connecticut!

Jessica, Stephanie, Yohanna & Matt

And the world will never be the same again...

2009-07-24T04:46:00.000-07:00

The skies were dark, the wind was slight and the fog was wet but our four Yalies, their chaperone Sarah Larson and their parents all met in front of El Cerrito High School this morning to board their shuttle taking them to San Francisco Airport where they will fly first to Chicago and then on to Yale University where they will represent us all in the prestigious Ivy Scholars Program taught be the eminent Dr. Minh Luong.

Our Yalies, Matt Arciniega and Jessica Ong from El Cerrito High School, Stephanie Ny from Hercules Middle High School and Yohanna Pepa from Pinole Valley High School were all selected by Dr. Luong to participate in this program. Only 60 students were selected from the many hundreds of applicants from around the world and four hail from the WCCUSD. What does that say about the quality of our Yalies?

At 4:12 in the AM the parents waved their sweet children off and by 4:13 they were all rushing back to the warm embrace of their own beds for a few more hours of sleep before rising to meet the demands of their own jobs.

Please, check back daily to read the blogs of our Yalies and feel free to post your own comments and send your support.

Ivy Scholars Reading: Update 3

2009-07-22T00:27:00.000-07:00

My apologies for not posting another blog sooner. I have been so busy these past two weeks from four vigorous days of drum major camp (where they teach drum majors--the leaders/conductors of marching bands--how to conduct, spin maces and military batons, and be effective leaders) in UC Santa Cruz to my piano recital (I played Fantasie Impromptu by Chopin) and everything else in between. During this time, I have completed Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford and The Peloponnesian War by Donald Kagan. I am also in the middle of reading On War and The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers.

Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World begins with an introduction which explains how Genghis Khan's people, the Mongols, are constantly associated with barbarism and defects in society ("Mongoloid"). I'll admit that before reading this book I shared this same flawed perception. However, this book has completely changed my view of Genghis Khan and the Mongols. Not only do I not see him as a bloodthirsty tyrant, but I also am inspired by his story. As a boy, he was part of an ostracized nomad family that struggled to survive, but he went on to become the founder and leader of the largest and most powerful and influential empire of pre-modern times. I was also amazed by how the Mongol empire was far beyond its time. With the leadership of Genghis Khan, it organized its military into manageable units, established a universal currency, and observed freedom of religion. America is considered a melting pot today, but it was really the Mongols whom began the whole concept. Although their empire eventually fell from power, their concotion of culture is truly what led to the modern world we know today. They had Chinese, Siberians, Middle Easterners, Europeans of a myriad of professions whom learned from each other. This resulted in art, architecture, mathematics, calendars, clothes, weaponry, etc. that were influenced from cultures all over the world. Really, it was the first step towards globalization. In addition to all of this, I can see how Genghis Khan factors into grand strategy. Genghis Khan never studied The Art of War, but as I read about his military tactics as he united the Mongols and a majority of the world I couldn't help but think that his tactics were nearly real-life applications of Sun Tzu's wise strategies. I am really looking forward to analyzing Genghis Khan and the Mongol empire during the Ivy Scholars program.

The Pelopennesian War is a modern retelling of the 27 year long war in the 5th century B.C. between the Athenians and the Spartans and their respective allies. It was a war full of vulgarities, coup d'etats, traitors, unsuccessful peace treaties, naval warfare, Persian influence, and misery. Some leaders and generals were highly skilled, such as Pericles, Phormio, and Thrasybulus. Their tactics definitely taught me valuable lessons of how to succeed in war. However, there were many more incompetent figures in the Pelopennesian War. Their failures and shortcomings taught me just as valuable lessons of what not to do in war. The Pelopennesian War made me remember how Sun Tzu is completely against lenghty wars, because they just lead to unnecessary death and destruction rather than victory. This war (along with Vietnam) is the perfect example of how devastating a prolonged war is. I think the war was so long and far from true victory because its leaders lacked a grand strategy. Pericles had one, but after he died it soon died along with him. I am eager to see how professors at Yale will expound on the Pelopennesian war in light of grand strategy.

I also want to add that the dinner at Uncle Chung's restaurant today was wonderful! Mr. Gosney's idea of having all four of us Yalies present at a dinner before our departure was truly a good one. Additionally, we were graced by the presence of Mr. Ramsey, Ms. Kronenberg, Ms. Kim, Ms. Larson, and Mr. Gosney himself. Thank you ILC for making it possible!

"Real Time Test"....The Joys of Summer Vacation

2009-07-21T21:38:00.000-07:00

The last week before our trip is/was full of great adventures and memories. On Sunday, to celebrate my birthday, I went to Great America with three of my close friends. It was very exciting and I had lots of fun. We went on almost every ride and most of them were rides I had never went on. I was so scared, but having them there was all I needed to make me go on a ride. It took a lot of convincing for them but I am glad that they did. This picture was taken on a ride called Invertigo. Before, when I went to the amusement park, I easily skipped the ride; but that was because no one made me. This picture was taken as "evidence" that I went on. It is very hard to tell, but the ride goes both forwards, then goes back in the opposite direction. People are facing each other when they sit as well as having someone beside you. As you may also notice, one of my friends is Jessica Tran, who got a chance to go to Colombia University and just came back on Saturday. She was lucky enough to join us on Sunday and she was also the person who sat in front of me...and both of us were facing each other. According to her, my expression was hilarious. She said that she has never seen my eyes grow as big as it was during the ride. Instead of hearing her screaming (like I happened to be doing), I saw her laughing the whole ride through. Not because of the ride - but because of me!

Today, before the four of us Yalies, met with Mr. Ramsey, Ms. Kronenberg, Mr. Gosney, Ms. Larson, and Ms. Kim at Uncle Chung's for dinner, I got a second chance to "hang out" with Stephanie. We spent around 7 to 8 hours at the Pacific East Mall (also known as Ranch 99...or 99 Ranch). Here is a small video clip dedicated to Don for our homework assignment.

The two of us were having lots of fun discussing about the books we have completed and in the midst of it all, we decided to make a video. However, things did not turn out so well as most of the video was full of my laughter. Enjoy!

One Book, Five Days

2009-07-20T19:35:00.000-07:00

Friday is approaching, and I have one more book to read in addition to online sources. I'd almost completely forgotten about them! If the worst comes, I'll print out anything I have left (those U.S. National Security Strategy Policy Documents seems pretty lengthy) and read them on the flight(s).

A few days ago, I received an exciting text message from Jessica and a similarly exciting e-mail from Mr. Gosney: a fellow Yalie had found his way to our blog and posted a comment! Thrilled, I hopped onto the computer and read his short comment. Jessica and I found him on Facebook--don't you just love the internet and social networking?--and added him. There, we found ourselves invited to a group consisting of accepted Yalies. There are about 37 members as of now. I found scholars from Korea, China, Germany & from the other end of the country--diverse, yes? Looks like we'll be learning about culture, too, which is definitely interesting. All of these students are very bright; most of them are well-experienced debaters and have a passion for politics, economics, or both. It's difficult not to feel the least bit intimidated and, even, scared. Having virtually no experience in and little exposure to debate, I fear I will lag behind every one else. However, I am now further motivated to try and study harder!

Late last night I finally finished reading The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers by Paul Kennedy. It was much easier to read than On War, but there were some slow parts. Because the reading list notes to only read the interesting chapters, I skipped most of the boring portions of the book. Kennedy provides a chronological analysis of the "Rise and Fall of the Great Powers," beginning at "the preindustrial world" (such as Ming China and the Habsburgs) and ending at the modern world.

One idea is present throughout the entire book: there is a complementary relationship between economy and war. An unhealthy economy leads to unfunded troops and lack of supplies, therefore leading to a failure of the military and a potential loss at war. On the other hand, a prolonged, unsuccessful war leads to the drainage of money and the skyrocketing of national deficit. This is seen in the United States's current state of war. While war is not the only factor which has led us to our recession, it plays a big part in it. Hundreds of billions of dollars have been spent annually to support troops on the War on Terrorism. This war, which continues to drag on, has exhausted our economy and troops. This idea of finance complementing military prowess is also exampled in WWI, as quoted by Kennedy: "It is... important to ask where the wartime economies of the various combatants showed weaknesses, since it was most likely that this would lead to collapse, unless aid came from the better-endowed allies." The United States's entry into WWI also greatly shifted the balance of power at a time in which defeat for the Allied Powers appeared certain. "In terms of economic power... the entry of the United States into the war quite transformed balances, and more than compensated for the collapse of Russia at this time." Economically superior, the United States provided the Allies with "small-arms munitions," and "millions of fresh, confident, well-fed troops," turning the tide in their favor.

What makes The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers very convincing is the amount of statistics available: charts, tables, and maps. Ideas are never left without accompanying evidence, providing few points for readers to disagree with.

Tuesday, I will be meeting up with Jessica to analyze Paul Kennedy's book. From there, Mr. Gosney will pick us up to go to dinner at Uncle Chung's with Yohanna, Matt, Mr. Ramsey, Ms. Larson, and Mrs. Kronenberg. There we will discuss our packing lists and other things about our upcoming journey while enjoying Chinese cuisine. Now, back to reading Democracy in America!

Back From Mount Knowledge

2009-07-18T15:08:00.000-07:00

It would be an understatement to say that, during my trp to Tahoe last week, I took Mr. Gosney's advice to "...just sit and read to occupy [my] time." As soon as we arrived at our cabin for our 5 day trip my little brother, Joe, came down with asthmatic bronchitis. While asthmatic bronchitis is not a serious illness it did the job of bringing on the doctor's orders for Joe, and consequently my entire family, to "stay inactive for about 5 days." As strange, and possibly sadistic as it sounds, my brother's illness was a tremendous blessing for me in that it allowed me to accomplish my reading goals for the week. For five days of our trip I left not the cabin only three times. Needless to say that this inactivity gave me ample time for reading. In fact I probably spent about 10 hours everyday reading. This past week I finished The Peloppenesian War, The Art of War, Genghis Khan and Democracy in America. Now it is possible that whatever illness my brother had has rubbed off on me and impaired my judgement but as dreadful as this "vacation" sounds, I have probably enjoyed this week more than most any other that comes to mind. I was so immersed in these truly amazing and insightful texts that I can feel that my perspective of the world changed indefinately along with my view of what the future will bring. In my isolated cabin I felt almost like a monk gone to meditate and study on some secluded mountaintop. Now, on my return from this mountain of knowledge, I feel extremely different about almost everything I look at. Its like being an athlete that is in the "zone." Because I was not distracted whatsoever, these books spoke to me in ways that the others had not. I was even able to finish books in one sitting which truly gives you the full affect of a work. I have learned life lessons from these readings that I probably never would have learned if I had not taken this break from daily life.

For example, during my reading of The Peloppenesian War, I was appalled by the amount of battles each side lost due to insignificant and petty matters such as pride or selfishness. This pettiness is shown in the battle for Sicily when the leading Athenian general, Nicias, did not retreat from the supposedly inferior Syracusans in a battle which he had obviously lost. Instead of retreating and gaining strength to fight his main enemies, the Spartans, Nicias asked for a redoubling of forces to fight for the Syracusan lost cause. This error lost the Athenians about one tenth of their overall military power and eventually spelled defeat for their empire. One can see that this arrogant strategy has been repeated throughout history in battles such as those for Afghanistan by the Soviets and for Vietnam by the Americans. I learned through this text that one should always keep their eye on their ultimate goal and not let petty feelings such as pride get in their way of achieving them.

In contrast to Nicias' tactics, the tactics emphasized in The Art of War and Genghis Khan were those that compelled being dynamic in conflict. This enlightened strategy compels its user to be dynamic and assess every situation thoroughly in order to find the best course of action. It also emphasizes that one must do whatever it takes to acheive victory. This startegy is enlightened because it recognizes that in some cases the best battle strategy is to retreat. These two books, The Art of War and Genghis Khan, coincide on many aspects. In many cases I would see something what was suggested in The Art of War being executed by Genghis Khan and his followers. Both emphasized this dynamic startegy and convinced me that this tactic, along with innovative skills, is a combination for succes in any battle wether it be military based or an everyday conflict with another individual. While learning these strategies I began to wonder wether the Athenians, if they had access to these Taoist texts, would have been able to succeed in their efforts to defeat the Peloppenesians. And similarly if the Americans or the Soviets, had they acknowledged these teachings, would have been able to avoid the disasters at Vietnam and Afghanistan.

Next, I learned why the United States was able to push through its disaster at Vietnam and become the hegemonic state it is today, as opposed to the Soviets who now cease to exist. The answer lies in the superiority of democracy in America. During my reading of the book, Democracy in America, I learned from an nineteenth century outsider, Alexis de Tocqueville, what the pros and cons of the young democratic United States were. However, it is erroneous to use the word "were" when in fact so many of his observations remain applicable today. It seems that during my reading of each of his 765 pages (including the epic intro) I found myself nodding my head and saying to myself, "Wow, I've noticed that." He illustrates in depth that the United States is able to prosper through turmoil, such a great military disasters, becuase of the will of its people and the equal mindset they have in subjects such as "self interest well understood." This mindset is one where its followers understand that it is in their own self interest to see their peers and their nation succeed. Thus, they work hard to increase not only their own prosperity, but that of their neighbor, their state, and their nation as well. This, along with a strong governmental and administrative sysytem, has carried the United States spirit and prosperity through troubles as glaring as terrorist attacks, great depressions, and both civil and world wars. I believe this sentiment of servitude through hard work and collaboration absolutely necessary for us to prosper through the hardships we face today. Fortunately, it is easy to see evidence that this sentiment has lived on. I can see this evidence just in our school district in the many people that put countless hours into programs such as the Ivy League Connection and the Youth Comission, both from which I myself have benefitted greatly, that work to see others succeed and prosper. It is because of evidence as concrete as this that I am confident that our nation can stay on the track its been on for over 200 hundred years and push through the hardships at hand.

I learned an immense amount from all four of these books. I learned that they do not only belong only in the private libraries of seasoned warhawks and government leaders, but can be used as insightful handbooks on how to lead a person's everyday life. Whether in an argument that one should simply retreat from, in a place where you realize you are going to need some humililty and innovation in order to succeed, or just conlicting with your owb thoughts on how to best live your life as a regular American, the pricipals taught through these books can apply to the inevitable and very real conflicts that we encounter every day. I hope to one day be able to apply these pricipals fully in my own decision and conflicts and to have a positive influence on others with my enlightened actions.

Whew! Sorry for the length of that post. I read a lot in this last week and had no computer to vent my ideas until now. Thanks to all of you who stuck with me and read this whole post out of your own curiousity, and sorry to those who were compelled to complete the task. I hope it was at least partially enjoyable.

As I said before I feel like an athlete in the zone and I think I am about as ready as I can be for New Haven. I am extremely excited and want to thank everyone who worked hard to put us on our way.

Thanks again. Hope everyone is doing well.

Less Than a Week Left!

2009-07-18T10:02:00.000-07:00

Wow. How time flies by! We have less than one week before leaving and for me, only ONE more book to go. (Though I should mention that my last book, Democracy in America by Alexis De Tocqueville, is the longest of them all).

I am starting to transfer the photos from my camera onto a CD so that I can delete those on the chip. That way, I have full memory for the tons of pictures I will be taking in Connecticut! I also have almost all of my supplies ready and borrowed a luggage from my cousin. In addition, my dad helped me buy a new battery for my laptop since the one I had only lasted for an hour or so. (I actually plan to bring both so that if one runs out, I have another for backup). I am so glad that I have the laptop security cable with me. I know that it will be of good use, especially with all of the supplies we need to bring. It does seem really early to pack, but that is how excited I am! Though I must say, I am also very nervous...

The book I just completed was The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers, by Paul Kennedy. Just like On War, the title says it all: the book is about the "Great Powers" of the world and their strengths and weaknesses throughout the years. Kennedy provides a great analysis of these powers, focusing mostly on its economy and the strategies they use (especially during war). The beginning of the book starts off with the "power centers" that thrived during the 1500s. These include "Ming China, the Ottoman Empire, the Mogul Empire, Tokugawa Japan, and...states in west-central Europe" and several more. As I continued to read the book, time also went with it. Kennedy began with the 16th century but ended with the end of the 20th century. It was amazing to see how the power shifted to 5 "Great Powers": the United States, the USSR, China, Japan, and the EEC (the European Economic Community).

I also enjoyed reading the Introduction and Epilogue. Before one gets into the book, Kennedy also describes his book and his main messages. Then at the end, he once again states his reasons and concludes with a quote by Bismarck: "all of these Powers are traveling on 'the stream of Time,' which they can 'neither create nor direct,' but upon which they can 'steer with more or less skill and experience'." Besides his wonderful analysis of powers between the past five centuries, Kennedy also emphasizes the fact that "the international system is subject to constant changes" because "of the uneven rate of growth among different societies and of...breakthroughs which bring a greater advantage to one society than to another."

Of course, maps and charts were also interesting to look at throughout the book. They proved to be graphics that were not only "cool" to see but also provided great details and support for his points.

The last page of the entire book is a section called About the Author. I am glad I read it because I realized that Kennedy has "a history" with Yale University. "In 1983, Kennedy moved to Yale to become the J. Richardson Dilworth Professor of History, with a focus on modern strategic and international affairs". I also remember reading that he will be one of the guest speakers during the program!

History is not my best subject in school, but after reading this book, I found myself connecting many facts from the book with what I learned in World History and AP U.S. History at school. I was very amazed at how much I already knew from school! I can definitely tell that our public schools are making a difference and are just as good as any private school.

I cannot wait until Tuesday night, where we will be able to show how much we have learned from these ten books and already share our knowledge with others even before leaving to Yale! This program is definitely one that I hope future students will be able to experience. It is a huge challenge to read ten books over summer and it takes a lot of dedication to finish them. At first I thought I would not be able to make it on time, but with only one more book left, I have already gained more confidence in myself.

There is still one week before we leave and I am already learning so much -- not only about war and strategy, but about time management, commitment, and building relationships. What can I say? I have already made three great friends (Matt, Yohanna, and Stephanie) and I cannot believe that there will be more to meet at Yale!

A Pleasant Day with Stephanie and A Short Summary about "On War"

2009-07-14T20:51:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! Today was a very successful day. Not only was I able to complete another book (On War by Carl Von Clausewitz), but I also was able to meet up with Stephanie at Barnes and Nobles. Since Matt was out of town and Yohanna just got back from New York, the two of us decided to get together, especially after our struggles with reading the book (explained below).

Our time at Barnes and Noble was well spent. We first concentrated on securing our laptops using the handy security cable supplied by the wonderful Mr. Gosney. It was fun getting a chance to examine our new "gadget". At first, we struggled with them, and got scared because Stephanie's cable took come fidgeting before it finally came out; but in less than fifteen minutes, we were both confident that our computers would be safe and secured.

Then, Stephanie and I discussed a little about the book we both had just completed, On War. We agreed that this book was by far the hardest to grasp. Not only were the words really complex, but the sentences were also very long. That became a huge problem for me (as much as pronouncing foreign names). Many sentences were full of commas and dashes that I eventually lost track about what it was saying and would have to re-read it in a slower pace. Besides those difficulties, as the title clearly states, Clausewitz's book was about War. He first starts by his own definition of War, which I thought was very interesting: "War...is an act of violence intended to compel our opponent to fulfil our will" (by the way, fulfill was actually spelled like that). He states that the "true object of combat" is to destroy the enemy and his force. In addition, he believes that the strength of forces come physically and morally; and "whoever at the close has the greatest amount of both left is the conqueror." Part of the book also had to do with the art of warfare (also said to be the "Conduct of War"). One sentence that resembled Sun Tzu's writing was that there are ways to conquer the enemy in War without having to fight. Finally, at the end of the book, there is a small conclusion about Clausewitz's writing. Here it says that Clausewitz has showed us that states should not go to war without a reason to do so. His "greatest achievement" from this book was "in having made people aware of the way war can be used as an arm of national policy."

After reading On War, I was certain that we would be hearing about it a lot at Yale. I am glad that Stephanie and I had the time to meet up and hope that next time, the four of us will be able to discuss all of the books. My next book is The Rise and Fall of Great Powers, by Paul Kennedy. I will blog once more when I have completed it. Bye for now!

Eighth Book Tackled

2009-07-14T19:14:00.000-07:00

Good evening! 10 MORE DAYS. Today I met up with Jessica at Barnes & Noble. Knowing of Matt's absence and of Yohanna's recent return from New York, we decided to meet up on our own. We briefly discussed the intricacy of the book we'd just finished (On War, which is summarized below) and then went over the security of our laptops. We had some issues at first--yes, I'm a complete amateur when it comes to these things--but worked through them. After our meeting, we're sure our laptops will not be stolen!

Late last night, I finished reading On War by Carl von Clausewitz. This book has clearly been the most difficult read thus far. Clausewitz's language, in my opinion, is very complex--much like most philosophy is--so I often found myself re-reading sentences while chewing my poor fingernails in absolute concentration.

On War's purpose is self-explanatory: to write on war. Everything about war is explained, from its nature, to its strategy, its plan. While war is, by definition, "an act of violence intended to compel our opponent to fulfill our will," its nature lies within "instinctive hostility and hostile intention." This hostility is the foundation of war's strategy, "the employment of the battle as the means towards the attainment of the object of the War." Stratagem is characterized primarily by intention because "it is dangerous to detach large forces for any length of time merely for a trick." For this reason, purpose and intention are much better utilized than chicanery. The final paragraph of the book concisely mounts and unites all ideas into one: "War is an instrument of policy;... the conduct of War... is therefore policy itself, which takes up the sword in place of the pen, but does not on that account cease to think according to its own laws.

I could not find any especially striking similarities between On War and the other seven books I've read except for its concept of stratagem. Sparta, Athens, and their allies, as once mentioned, frequently betrayed each other. It was because of this that the war lingered on not for a few years, but decades. Genghis Khan, on the other hand, had both intention and tricks up his sleeve; he had the intention of creating a universally Mongol Empire, and he had the military tricks of secrecy, rapidity, and surprise. For this reason I do not think Clausewitz's view applies to Genghis Khan's stratagem.

While I found it very helpful to have Jessica to help me decode some of Clausewitz's elaborate concepts and writing, there are still some parts that I do not understand--mainly because of his language. I hope to go more in depth with this particular book in order to thoroughly grasp its concepts.

Tomorrow I begin The Rise and Fall of Great Powers. My mother has brought out the suitcase, reminding me of how near the adventure is. I can't wait.

A Little "light" Summer Reading

2009-07-12T20:54:00.000-07:00

This past week I attended a high school summer camp in the Santa Cruz Mountains which I've attended for the past couple of years. You may not believe me, but this camp was focused purely on enjoyment and not on academics! YES, I actually attended a camp for the sole purpose of satisfaction (crazy I know). In the midst of my relaxing week I decided that I might like to sit down with some light summer reading. Unfortunately, I picked up The Rise and Fall of Great Powers, which in no way satisfied my desire for "light reading".

The Rise and Fall of Great Powers was a cool dose of reality in my otherwise tranquil week. It reminded me much of my European history textbook, except it may have been a little bit longer. Despite it's epic length this was a solid book that taught me a lot about how the world has worked for the past 500 years. It kept true to its title and explained in depth the rise and fall of every great power from the Hapsburg Empire to the Soviet Union. This book made me think more critically about the fact that every superpower in history has fallen. While this idea may sound obvious to some, it resonates with me because it means that America is destined to fall and, as is explained in The Return of History and The Post American World, this event might occur sooner rather than later. While contemplating this enormous issue I find myself thinking about questions such as "What can we do to continue our success?" while wondering whether it might be better to accept our mortality and use this enlightened position to help shape our future world which will, more than likely, in fact almost definitely, lack a hegemonic United States. However, the biggest question this book brought up for me is one that I believe Dr. Dr. Luong most desires that we contemplate; "Where do I fit into the future and what should I be doing to shape it?"

I am fairly deep into The Peloponnesian War right now and am finding it fascinating. I think learning about the innovative and farsighted skill of great leaders such as Pericles and Archidamus is going to help me lead more innovatively in my everyday life and hopefully influence my ideas on the critical questions I asked in the paragraph above.

My apologies for the tardiness of my post. My relaxing summer camp, by definition, had no internet access. However, it is nice to see through the tens of friendly email reminders that both my voice and my silence are noticed and that people care about what I do.

I hope all of you are doing well and I want to take this time to note that I will be out of town next week as well. However, I will I will do my best to find a computer and get another post out. I will be leaving for Tahoe and will be staying at a cabin where I plan on reading almost constantly throughout the week. I realize it is time to buckle down as the 25 approaches. For me, the added challenge of finishing this reading makes the countdown all the more exciting.

Thanks for reading. Hope it was enjoyable.

Sparta Prevails!...Or Does It?

2009-07-10T22:41:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone. It is time for a short analysis on the book that I have just completed, The Peloponnesian War, by Donald Kagan. Once again agreeing with Stephanie, I was more interested in reading Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford. For one, the list of Greek names throughout the book kept on expanding, as many generals died and others took their place. As more were introduced, it was a hassle keeping track of the names and especially hard to pronounce them!

As Stephanie has mentioned, this book was written with the help of Thucydides, a great Greek historian who lived during the Peloponnesian War. His quotes are located everywhere in the book which shows exactly how much knowledge he has provided us about the war.
The introduction provides us a little information about Thucydides as well as the overall impact of the Peloponnesian War. To the "fifth-century (B.C.) Greeks" the war was "perceived as a world war, causing enormous destruction of life and property,...and dividing the Greek states internally and destabilizing their relationship to one another."

As the chapters begin, the differences between Sparta and Athens were discussed, such as having a democratic (Athenians) or oligarchic (Spartans) rule in the territories. In addition, though the Spartans were known having "the best army in the Greek world", the Athenians had a navy that was said to be "by far the biggest and best Greek fleet ever known". Many battles were fought and victories went back and forth between the two powers. Eventually, a plague hit Athens, sending devastation to many people. Blockades and the lack of money made the situation even worse for the Athenians, but they kept pushing for victory. Peace treaties were made between them but they were later broken, and when Athens finally began gaining back strength, Sparta looked to Persia for help. Finally, after about 27 years of constant fighting, the battle came to an end. The Spartans had won the war, concluding with the Battle of Aegospotami.

However, how long did the Spartan victory last? During the conclusion, Kagan mentions that though the Spartans "dominated the Greek world", within one year the Athenians won back their full democracy. In addition, "within a decade they had recovered their fleet, walls, and independence, and Athens became a central member of a coalition of states dedicated to preventing Sparta from interfering in the affairs of the rest of Greece." Interesting enough, in less than thirty years after the war, the Thebans won against Sparta during a battle, forever destroying Sparta's power in the Greek world...

The next book I plan to read is On War, by Carl Von Clausewitz. I believe that Stephanie and Yohanna are also reading this book. I cannot wait to see what they have to say about the book while I read it myself. Bye for now!

Short Update: The Peloponnesian War

2009-07-09T22:05:00.000-07:00

Two weeks and a day until we leave. Today I finished reading The Peloponnesian War by Donald Kagan. As I stated in Tuesday's blog, it was a relatively slow read in comparison to Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World, lacking the action and surprise that I'd previously enjoyed. Nevertheless, it was very informative and interesting.

Kagan recounts the events of the Peloponnesian War in full detail, using Greek historian Thucydides as his primary source. For those unfamiliar with the war, the two great powers of the time (431-404 B.C.) are Sparta and Athens--two Greek "empires" who soon wage a war of nearly thirty years. While the Spartans are often seen as a tough, militarily superior people, many do not know of their deep anti-war sentiment. Yes, the Spartans, though trained from birth to fight for and defend their city, dislike the idea of actually going to war.

To keep it simple and brief, the war begins with an almost certain Athenian win, only to have the tables turned by their failed invasion of Sicily. Helped by the Persians, the Spartans destroy Athens' military, forcing them to surrender.

Two traits I frequently found present in Sparta, Athens, and their allies were disloyalty and lack of integrity--the reverse of the qualities portrayed by Genghis Khan's commanders and followers. Like The Art of War says,--and I mentioned this in my previous blog as well--"Success depends on the troops' loyalty." Because the Spartans, Athenians, and their allies lacked this, they are often seen struggling for support and power, unlike the successful Genghis Khan.

Kagan also provides analyses for the choices that many leaders made, answering several questions that readers may ask: Why were these choices made, and at what cost? However, Kagan also leaves some choices unanalyzed, and some questions unanswered. In doing so, readers are compelled to think like military strategists and historians--something I found fun (and difficult) to do.

Tomorrow I will be on to my 8th book, On War. I'm planning to finish this by Monday or Tuesday night. Adios until then.

Ivy Scholars Reading: Update 2/A (future) Yalie in New York

2009-07-09T12:31:00.000-07:00

I definitely should have made a blog update sooner, but things such as my return flight from NY trip (which I'll talk about later) being delayed by two hours and drum major duties unfortunately focused my attention elsewhere. I'm really sorry, but I'll try to fill it with lots of content. Since the last time I've blogged I've finished (and enjoyed) two more books, Robert Kagan's The Return of History and the End of Dreams and Fareed Zakaria's The Post-American World.

The Return of History and the End of Dreams disproves the belief that the end of ideological disputes on an international level. This belief, which is known as the "new world order", is not present today. Instead, what exists is a world order of "one superpower [the United States], many great powers [Russia, China, Japan, India, Iran]". Kagan provides a detailed analysis of how each modern great power rose and what each great power's motives are today. "The great fallacy of our era has been the belief that a liberal international order rests on the triumph of ideas and on the natural unfolding of human progress," is a quote from the book that truly captures the book's main idea. The future does not guarantee that all nations will eventually turn to liberalism, thus producing a world of free countries free of international conflicts. What we face today is a world composed of democratic and autocratic powers. If we want an international order of liberalism, democracies must work towards it, because it is not--contrary to the belief of Enlightenment thinkers--guaranteed. This book opened my eyes to viewing international issues in the status quo. Now, I can see how those powerful countries use certain grand strategies in trying to accomplish their ambition--for example, Russia wishes to reestablish its position as Eurasian hegemon and it is doing things such as preventing Georgia and Ukraine from joining NATO or the EU--and how the United States will need a formidable grand strategy to maintain peace in this world of conflicting interests.

I am glad that I read The Post-American World immediately after finishing The Return of History and the End of Dreams, because these books, which both address the rise and current state of great powers today and how United States factors into all of this, are very closely related. I even noticed that Zakaria quotes Kagan a few times in his book. The Post-American World explains how "the rise of the rest" is taking place, from capitalism becoming a worldwide phenomenon to the development of new industries. It explains how although the growth of many countries expands the pie of wealth and power, thus yielding more for everyone, it still has an inverse relationship of percents. This means that although the United States is still expanding economically and politically, its relative position with respect to the rest of the world is diminishing. Zakaria explains the situation much more clearly with, "As other countries grow faster, America's relative economic weight will fall". He summarizes the reason with, "...the United States succeeded in its great and historic mission--it globalized the world. But along the way...it forgot to globalize itself." Then, he devotes a chapter to China, which is modernizing and expanding its power every day through capitalism. He calls it "the challenger" because although China now believes in a free economy, it still doesn't follow the American ideal of having a free government. He then devotes a chapter to India, which, like China, is developing rapidly through capitalism, but is called "the ally" instead, because of its democratic government. I really appreciated reading these two chapters, because not only did they give me lots of information about two countries that are affecting our world greatly today, but also because I can incorporate this new knowledge into my life as a policy debater (Policy debate constantly consists of arguments involving many countries such as nuclear proliferation and probable nuclear war). The next two chapters focused on America's power and purpose today. Zakaria covers the many advantages and many disadvantages of the United States today in this global playing field. He concludes with six steps that we as a nation must do to remain successful in the future. We must especially stay true to our liberal ideal of being an open, welcoming country that embodies diversity an determination. I think that we must also try to retain those qualities as individuals.

(I'll add the NY section in a little bit.)

Unrestrained Excitement

2009-07-07T21:00:00.000-07:00

Please excuse my late blog! I would have updated sooner, but my seventeenth birthday was yesterday (thanks for the birthday wish, Mr. Gosney!) and I finally gave myself a day off from reading. Just to let everyone know, Jessica’s birthday is this Saturday—mark the date!

My apologies go out to Mr. Gosney. After all you’ve done for the ILC—take pictures, chauffeur, and for me, one special favor which I may not name—I forgot to mention you in my previous blog! Here’s a special thanks from me: THANK YOU MR. GOSNEY!! And if I haven’t said it yet, thank you Mr. Ramsey, Ms. Kronenberg, my parents… everyone!

With my increasing excitement comes increasing anxiety. There are only 2 ½ weeks left before the awe-inspiring experience begins, and I simply cannot contain my enthusiasm and, at the same time, fear. I yearn for independence and opportunity, but I’m simultaneously afraid. Will I be overwhelmed by the workload? Can I survive 3,000 miles away from my family and closest friends?

I’ve finished two books since my previous blog: The Art of War and The Post-American World. The Art of War has twice been encapsulated in earlier blogs by Yohanna and Jessica. Like Jessica, I’d like to note that Genghis Khan possessed the qualities that Sun Tzu echoed in his book; I repeatedly found myself thinking about Genghis Khan while reading it. According to Sun Tzu, for example, “Living off the enemy brings one closer to victory.” This is displayed through Genghis Khan’s looting tactic; after attacking every city, his army steals its goods, providing food and luxuries for all to enjoy. The Art of War also stresses the importance of loyalty to victory: “Success depends on the troops’ utter loyalty.” Throughout Khan’s reign, not one of his commanders betrayed him—one of the reasons for his military and economic supremacy. After reading this book, my respect for Genghis Khan increased even more. Perhaps he knew about Sun Tzu’s lessons and put them to use!

The Post-American World, written by Fareed Zakaria, argues that America’s piece of pie in the global economy is diminishing, albeit its power has not decreased. Developing countries, particularly China and India, are on the rise, surpassing the U.S. in myriad ways—the largest plane, the tallest building, the largest movie industry, and the list goes on. While America’s economic and military hegemony remains unmatched, the modernization of China’s and India’s economies has increased their global power potentials—hence a post-American world and, as Zakaria puts it, “the rise of the rest.” He also presents an optimistic attitude toward the future, believing that international violence is at its lowest point, standards of living are rising, and America will continue to thrive along developing countries.

I’m currently working on The Peloponnesian War. It lacks the suspense and excitement present in Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World, but hopefully it will pick up speed later on. I’ll have another update when I finish reading it!

The Countdown Begins...

2009-07-03T21:21:00.000-07:00

Wow, how time flies by. I really cannot believe that we are only 20 days away from leaving to Yale. It has been a pleasure reading the blogs from Colombia, Brown, and Cornell University as well as viewing the pictures that people have posted. I am well determined to put many pictures of us and the Yale campus once we arrive. (I aim to bring two blank memory cards with me on our trip, and hope to upload pictures often). I am also eager to see Connecticut College AND Wesleyan College before we arrive at Yale. Our two weeks in Connecticut will change our lives and open us to the many opportunities calling for us in the East Coast. This is our chance to shine for the WCCUSD and I am sure that the four of us (Matt, Stephanie, Yohanna, and myself) will make a good impression at Yale…especially because of how we are managing to finish the list of books!

I am currently on my sixth book (out of 10), and I must say that I did not think I would be so interested in the material. As a quick recap, the last time I blogged, I had just finished my third book, The Prince, by Machiavelli. The next book that I chose to read was the smallest book of all, The Return of History and the End of Dreams, by Robert Kagan, who went “back in time” to evaluate the post-Cold War Era. Throughout the book, Kagan reviews each of the great powers of the world, such as the United States, Russia, Japan, Iran, India, and Europe. His overall emphasis is the competition between these great powers and the race between the rising ideologies of liberalism and autocracy.

Next, I captured the essence of Genghis Khan, in the descriptive book, Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World, by Jack Weatherford. Similar to Stephanie’s impression of the book, I too enjoyed the storytelling and amazing facts (however some stories were very violent, with gruesome descriptions that I would never have imagined anyone would have done). Weatherford starts off with a historical introduction about the young Genghis Khan and his impact on the Mongol empire, and in actual, summarizes most of his “findings” in the introduction. This book was actually written after Weatherford and a group of others went to the childhood places of Genghis Khan, where they set off on their mission “to understand Genghis Khan and his impact on world history”. Throughout this book, I found that Genghis Khan resembled the Sage Commander mentioned in The Art of War. His actions, especially during combat, showed courage, great tactics, and the use of advantages to lead to victory. I realized that besides highlighting main ideas, I was also writing down which specific sentences related to the previous books. For instance, Never Eat Alone made several appearances, such as the need to work together and build connections. As the author personally states, “No single scholar could complete the task [of decoding an important source of information, known as the Secret History], but working together with a team from different backgrounds, we could begin to find the answers." This book was magnificent in all these ways, and I loved it from beginning to the end (though the ending was sort of slow).

The current book I am reading is called The Post-American War, by Fareed Zakaria. Its main message is the fact that we are currently living in a world where power is shifting from America to those of other countries. He has tagged the name “the rise of the rest”, where countries have been experiencing tremendous rates of economic growth. He goes around the world, talking about many countries (especially China and India) and their amazing development in the modern era. Looking at the published date, this book is pretty recent (2008), though much has already occurred during the New Year. I am actually very curious about his views considering today’s news on the war in Iraq, our new president, and the economy. What I realized was that some of his information came from Paul Kennedy, the author of The Rise and Fall of Great Powers, a book I still have to read.

I hope this post has served its purpose and is informational and enjoyable to read. Once again, the countdown begins with only 20 more days left! P.S. Mr. Gosney, thank you for your valuable e-mails, about how to post blogs. They have definitely helped me, and I have already began taking your advice. Well, that's all for now. Thanks for reading, everyone!

Ivy Scholars Reading: Update 1

2009-06-29T20:26:00.000-07:00

I apologize for not posting sooner, but I've been having a pretty crazy summer, which will undoubtedly be even more interesting with my summer program at Yale.

So far, I have finished three books--Never Eat Alone, The Prince, and The Art of War--and I'm working on two more (The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers and The Return of History and the End of Dreams).

Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferazzi is an inspirational and autobiographical guide to networking and simultaneously achieving success. It taught me many valuable lessons in setting and achieving goals, interacting with others, and making every moment count. Ferazzi is a Yale and Harvard graduate and a successful business man who grew up as a small-town boy with hardworking (but not rich) parents. His story is especially valuable to me because I am [just] a small-town girl of a hardworking middle-class family, and I have big dreams of attending a prestigious school and attaining success in business. I like the fact, however, that although Ferazzi has "made it", he stresses in Never Eat Alone that you must never forget where you came from and that you must acknowledge the people whom helped you along the way. I hope to incorporate my knowledge from this book during the Ivy Scholars program and in my day-to-day affairs as well. I'm glad that Mr. Ramsey recommended this book to everyone in the ILC, because it makes one realize the important role forming lasting relationships plays in achieving one's dreams in this interdependent world we live in today.

The Prince, though also presenting the secrets to success, has a completely different set of goals and morals. Machiavelli explains to a prince [Lorenzo di Medici] how to acquire a state, how to maintain a state, and everything else in between. Surely I will not follow some Machiavellian ideas, such as acquiring a state and then murdering everyone whom helped stage my coup d'etat, but The Prince also contains less grotesque ideas that I have learned much from. These include relying on virtue rather than fortune. After reading it, I now understand why The Prince is considered "the most famous book on politics ever written". Machiavelli presents extremely well thought-out philosophies in a blunt and logical manner. When I first started reading it, I understood what I was reading, but I soon realized that I was not quite retaining all the information Machiavelli threw at me. In order to grasp it all and retain it better, I summarized every single paragraph of the text. I wrote it in a notebook, but I will type it up soon and post it on the blog. My summaries aren't as profound as Machiavelli's prose, but they capture the essence of his ideas and have helped me truly understand and easily remember what I've read.

The Art of War, though thousands of years old, presents an outlook on life that is as fresh and insightful today as it was in the 6th century B.C. It transcends boundaries such as culture and military use as well. Although it was created in China, its advice is just as useful in the Western world. Additionally, despite being primarily associated with the military, its insight is applicable to just about anything. When I first read the title, "The Art of War", I thought that I would be learning about things that cannot be applied to my daily life. However, now after having finished the book, the maxim of "taking whole"--valuing victory over battle--is just as applicable in high school drama and academic success as it is on the battlefield. I especially love the diction of the Sun Tzu--it's a cross between prose and poetry. I am glad that the translators did their best to capture the same feel in English. One of my favorite passages is Knowing the other and knowing oneself,

In one hundred battles no danger.
Not knowing the other and knowing oneself,
One victory for one loss.
Not knowing the other and not knowing oneself,
In every battle certain defeat.

I can clearly see why this ancient work, with its advocacy of approaching conflict with knowledge and situation-specific strategy, is still very relevant today.

I am eager to see how these three books will factor into our lessons in grand strategy at Yale. While reading them, I was already making many AP U.S. History-related correlations in my head, such as the bombing of Hiroshima, whch was a speedy way to end WWII, is justified by a line from Sun Tzu that says "there has never been a military prolonging that has brought advantage to the state".

Now, I just have to finish seven more books before we're off to Yale! I will definitely make progress because I will be going to New York City for a week. I will have two six-hour long plane rides and many subway rides in which I can read the books.

Three more weeks!

My thoughts so far

2009-06-29T13:49:00.000-07:00

On June 6 I returned from the Summer Leaders Seminar program at West Point Academy and just this past Saturday I returned from Boys' State program at Sacramento State University. While these programs were excellent in their own right I couldn't help but wonder if they might fail in comparison to the rigorous Ivy Scholars Program at Yale.

About 1000 participants were chosen from around the nation to attend each of the first two programs mentioned. These individuals were among the most talented kids I've ever met. That being said, I'm almost afraid to think of what the talent will be like at a program where only 60 individuals are chosen from around the globe! I can't express how honored I was, and am, to be accepted into an elite group of individuals such as the ones who will be attending the Ivy Scholars Program. Already, through the intensive reading, it has become apparent to me that we are gaining an enlightened view of the world which few are exposed to at our age. While I am thrilled by the opportunity to participate in a program of this stature, I am also sobered by its prestige. I realize that I will have to buckle down and focus in order to be able to deliver among elite individuals such as the ones attending this program. This is an opportunity very few are afforded in high school and I plan to take advantage of it as much as possible.

As for the reading list, I have finished 3 out of the 10 books assigned to us and all I can say is, "wow". The books I've completed so far are Never Eat Alone, The Prince, and The Return of History (all of which have been previously summarized in this blog). These books have changed my perspective of the world in ways I could only explain to you in person. I am working on The Post-American World and hope to finish it by tomorow. With the exception of The Prince, I have tried to first read the books which are about modern society. Once I complete these readings, I will begin to digest the other books which are more about ancient philosophy and history. This will allow me to create my own ideas about how these philosophies and historic events have shaped our modern world. My father, a political science major, is reading the books along with me both for his own pleasure (because they are truly amazing reads), and in order to help me digest the concepts and explore my ideas more thoroughly.

I am astounded that, at only the beginning of our journey, the Ivy Scholars Program has been able to affect me in such a significant way. I look forward to whatever is in store and hope that I will be ready to grasp it fully.

Thanks for reading.

Matt Arciniega

An Impending Adventure

2009-06-28T23:30:00.000-07:00

Before any of my words, I'd like to thank Mrs. Kronenberg for cordially beginning our blog. The banner looks great! :)

I'm truly blessed to have been chosen to participate in this program. From the sponsors, to the school board, to my very own peers--they have all provided us Ivy Leaguers with an overwhelming amount of support. Words cannot even begin to express my appreciation and gratitude. With the ongoing encouragement from these people, it is my firm belief that the Ivy League Connection will continue to grow and succeed at an exponential rate.

My experience at Yale is bound to be a life-changing one, and I'm happy to say I'll be sharing this experience with three outstanding scholars: Jessica Ong, Matt Arciniega, and Yohanna Pepa. I hope others will enjoy the adventure with us by following our blogs and pictures; I promise we'll bring the action to life!

With less than a month before our adventure begins, there's no doubt I've been devoting hours a day to reading the ten required books for the Yale Ivy Scholars Program. As of today, I've finished four of the books: Never Eat Alone, The Prince, The Return of History and the End of Dreams, & Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World. Below are short analyses of what I've read:

Never Eat Alone - This book, written by Keith Ferrazzi, explains how relationships are the foundations of success. Whether a loose acquaintance or a personal, close friend, all relationships benefit individuals in countless ways. Most of all, success emerges from helping others succeed. The era of self-sufficiency and individualism has concluded; by working in isolation, one is bound to fail. Indeed, I can think of one clear example of the necessity of relationships to success: the Ivy League Connection.
The Prince - Written by Machiavelli, The Prince strongly emphasizes the essentiality of balance in a prince's qualities. He must be loved yet feared, generous yet frugal. However, hatred must be avoided at all cost, for this only stations the possibility for revolt and conspiracy.
The Return of History and the End of Dreams - Robert Kagan analyzes the post-Cold War era, attacking the popular, optimistic belief that history has ended, that ideological conflicts have ceased, that cultural issues have been destroyed. Liberal democracy and capitalism has seemingly prevailed over communism, allowing "commerce... to lead toward peace." Kragen refutes any such claims, embodying the natural state of competition in humans and indicating the apparent re-emergence of autocracy and competition.
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World - Wow. This book is great--descriptive, graphic, suspenseful, exciting, and many more adjectives. I am surprised by how much I like this book. Jack Weatherford chronicles the rise of the Mongol Empire under Genghis Khan and its survival for over a century. The book begins with Genghis Khan's birth under the name Temujin--a boy rises as a military leader, and later, the ruler of an entire empire. Temujin begins a ruthless journey of conquest and destruction, taking over any city he encounters. He shows no mercy to those who refuse to surrender upon request. Weatherford embraces Genghis Khan's military creativity, which is responsible for Mongol unification as well as cultural success. Not only does Khan create an almost invincible, mobile army; he establishes an extremely integrated, culturally diverse society as well. Never failing to recognize advantageous talents in foreigners, Khan also spoils the Mongol Empire with fabrics, spices, and every merchandise then imagineable. Khubilai Khan, his grandson, proves to be the most knowledgeable of his descendants. Although lacking military prowess, Khubilai Khan shapes the Mongol Empire into a nonviolent, commercially successful state--a state on which the modern world is built, with printing, gunpowder, and other things. Before reading this book, I thought the Mongols were nothing but cruel and violent. Now, I admire Genghis Khan and Khubilai Khan for their leadership qualities and for their ability to unify their people through religious tolerance and trade.

Wow, that last bullet was quite lengthy; I tried to condense it as much as possible. My apologies!

I'm really excited and nervous for Yale University, one of the most prestigious colleges in the United States. I crave the new knowledge, new opportunities, and new friends that await me, and my thirst will remain unquenched until then.

My First Post! Yale, here we come!

2009-06-19T12:03:00.000-07:00

Wow, I am actually not quite sure how to use this yet. (Thanks to Ms. Kronenberg for doing such a wonderful job on our site and for helping me with my first post!)
So, as of today, there are 35 days left before we leave for Yale! I am very thankful for this amazing opportunity and I cannot wait to learn more about leadership, Grand Strategy, and also more about myself. I am really glad to have already met the three other talented students from our district who are also going to Yale. In addition, I cannot wait to visit colleges before we arrive at Yale! We will be touring the campus of two great colleges in Connecticut: Wesleyan College and Connecticut College. What I admire the most is that though we will be very busy throughout the two weeks at Yale, Mr. Ramsey and Ms. Kronenberg still made sure that we had time to visit other colleges there. How great is that? In fact, Mr. Ramsey put a whole "itenerary" up for us, and we got to put in our opinions about specific arees we would like to visit. For example, at Wesleyan College, some have recommended us to visit the new Center for the Arts as well as the East Asian Studies Center, where they have their own Japanese Tea Room (according to Sue Kim, who as also been very helpful).

Being a part of the Ivy League Connection is very special, and I am thankful for all that Mr. Ramsey, Ms. Kronenberg, Ms. O'Brian, Mr. Gosney, and everyone else who contributed have done for us students. The intense course at Yale will be memorable and I cannot wait to start blogging more about my experiences and what we are learning.
Though it is approximately still a month away, I can honestly say that I already feel the Yale spirit within me. Not only have we been able to meet Dr. Dr. Luong, who is in charge of this Ivy Scholars program, but we also had ANOTHER dinner where we met Yale Alums who shared their experiences there with us. Last but not least, the Yale program is always in my mind especially because of the pre-requisite books that we need to read! Here is a little information about what I have read so far:

Never Eat Alone, by Keith Ferrazzi. This book is truly inspiring and discusses the fact that success is built upon relationships and the connections that we have. After reading this book first, I became more dedicated in showing the people at Yale how much potential our school district and students have. As I have mentioned to Mr. Ramsey before, the Ivy League Connection is helping us "connect" with other students from all around the world, and this book has informed me that guiding us towards connections will lead us to success. Hooray for ILC!
The Art of War: Sun Tzu. Translated by the Denma Translation Group. This second book discusses the idea that victory can be attained without fighting. With the correct mindset, as shown by the Sage Commander (the main "character"), one may be victorious. It was actually very surprising how I found relationships between these two books. The Sage Commander definitely showed the characteristics that Mr. Ferrazzi described in a successful person.
The Prince, by Niccolo Machiavelli. Translated by Harvey C. Mansfield. This book is dedicated to and written for Lorenzo de Medici, the "future" prince of Italy. It was well written/translated, and provided some great opinions about how principalities are aquired and maintained, as well as how they are lost. Machiavelli also talks about how being feared is better than being loved. He definitely has a great political mind.

So far, these are the 3 books I have completed. There are approximately 7 more books to go, as well as some online sources that I need to read. As one can see, I feel like I am already in college, though Dr. Dr. Luong has mentioned that his courses he teaches there require much more reading in a week than we have to do this summer. (Crazy, indeed).
This is only the first of many blogs that I will put up; and I am looking forward to the next one that I do! (I think I'll put my expectations up next time and some more information about the other texts I [will] have completed). As for now, thanks for reading!

YALE -- IVY SCHOLARS PROGRAM

2009-06-14T17:32:00.000-07:00

This blog is for the West Contra Costa Unified School District students from the San Francisco Bay Area who will be participating in the Yale Ivy Scholars Program in Summer 2009 under the auspices of the District's Ivy League Connection Program.

Our four students will be attending Yale from July 25 to August 9 as participants in the Ivy Scholars Program. The following information, explaining the program, is taken from the Ivy Scholars website (www.yale.edu/ivyscholars).

ABOUT THE IVY SCHOLARS PROGRAM

The Ivy Scholars Program is a college-level leadership development initiative for outstanding high school leaders sponsored by International Security Studies at Yale University and is an outreach program of the Brady-Johnson Program in Grand Strategy, ISS's strategic leadership education initiative dedicated to developing global leaders in government, business, and public service sector for the 21st century.

The Program is designed for exceptional high school student leaders, regardless of previous training in public speaking or debate, who aim to become senior leaders in their home countries whether they be future presidents, prime ministers, CEOs, corporate directors, public service or civic leaders. The goal of the Program is to study and apply the lessons of the world's greatest strategists and leaders spanning over 2,500 years to contemporary and future issues of the 21st century.

This Program is open to highly qualified rising juniors and seniors in high school (the two grades prior to entrance to university level study) and includes lectures by Yale faculty and distinguished scholars from other Ivy League universities, seminars on Grand Strategy, mentoring sessions with distinguished alumni and rising professionals, and intensive workshops dedicated to developing skills essential for leadership such as public speaking, specialized writing formats, networking, social and professional etiquette, study skills, time management and more.

The Ivy Scholars Program attracts the most talented high school leaders from across the United States and around the world. Our 2008 class included high school leaders from the United States, Canada, European Union, Asia, and Southeast Asia.