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

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

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

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

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

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!

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"

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!