well I've finally arrived back in California after three long weeks. Along with the jet lag comes the lag of everything else. I no longer have to get up and study all day, and I also lose that independence that I had during my time at Cornell. The final was very challenging, but after this is all said and done, I am immensely happy to have had the chance to take this class. The opportunity that the district gave me in sending me back after coming home is more than I can ever thank them for. Charles, you and Madeline have given me something that I can never thank you enough for. You have given me a chance not only to better myself in the way of academia, but as a person in general. I was able to reconnect with friends from last year and last session, and make some new friends along the way. Some of my friends are planning on coming to California some time this month to visit, and some friends from last summer came to visit us this last weekend, which along with being a wonderful surprise was a good way to end my summer. Now that I' m home I plan on picking up where I left off with the parcel tax campaign, and beginning the planning of my father's celebration. Thank you again for all that you've done for me, and I'll try and have those pictures up as soon as possible.

Hello all,
well things here are winding down. This weekend i spent eleven hours strait on my final paper, and i am very proud of it. I havent been able to post any photos because I seemed to have lost the cord that connects my phone to my computer so I cant take the pictures off my phone, but i'll be sure to do it as soon as i get home. I have a final exam tomorrow, and I'm starting to stress over it. It's not that I'm scared, but I just don't know what to expect from it. This course has been an interesting one, but I was a little disappointed in my TA. She was inexperienced, and therefore wasn't able to assist us with the text very well. She tried to steer the discussion in her own way, and didn't let us actually argue over topics. Besides that though, I loved the professor. Professor Salvatore was an amazing teacher, and outside of class he was a great man to meet and get to know. He has roots in the Bay Area besides. He was a grad student at CAL for eight years, so we were able to connect on that subject. He gave us a lecture using music yesterday showing the descent that singers over the years have had with our government, and the way that they voiced it. I am both excited and apprehensive to come home, but i can deal with that on saturday.

Greetings All,
I'd just like to take some time to apologize again for the scarcity and vagueness of my blog posts. I have had to write and rewrite this paper and then to top it all off I've had to study for my midterm which was today. The second session has been fairly uneventful. The people here are mostly six week students, so they have for the most part set into the groove of things and found the friends that they will be hanging out with for the rest of the summer. The new three week students are pretty standoffish also. I have the benefit of having friends from last session, and also friends from last year. This program, along with giving me an amazing chance at advancing my education, has given the chance to make friends that i will have for the rest of my life.
The class I am currently taking is both challenging and interesting. We delve into the lesser known parts of American history, including the evangelical movement the Azusa Street revival; we study the readings of people such as Eugene Debs(our professor happens to be the world authority on him) Barry Goldwater, and go into the smaller more intricate workings of our democracy.
The day to day experiences are amazing. I've had chances to explore some of the more historic buildings and places on campus; Sage chapel and Andrew D. White Library are just two examples of historic locations on this campus. I have been able to forge and strengthen bonds with some of the best friends I've ever had, and have reconnected with some long lost friends from Ecuador(Ms. O'Brian knows who I'm talking about), and besides that I've been able to experience school in a different environment than I get on the west coast. I truly have fallen in love with this school.
More to come along with some pictures.
Jared

greetings all. The last few days have been very eventful, and buisy along with that. On friday about fourty of the students along with myself went to the mall to see the premier of Batman the Dark Night. On Saturday me and a group of friends I've met while I've been here went and got sushi down in college town which was delicious. Sunday was spent writing a paper about the labor movement in our country and what thinking went into it. The paper consumed the better part of my day. So much os that I had to order out for dinner instead of leaving to go to the dining hall. Monday I got out of class at 11:15 so I had the opportunity to get my homework finished early and relax and hang out the rest of the day which was a nice change in pace from the day filled with work. Today however, we had class from eight thirty to three thirty with an hour break for lunch. We went through the depression and the New Deal, and also had a presenter come in after lunch to talk to us about college applications to the school.
more to come,
Jared

Reflection - noitcelfeR

Time for my reflection on the Cornell trip....

In the beginning, I wasn't so sure on what was going to happen. I was going to be thousands of miles from home with only a few people I knew and, gee, let me tell you, the thought was pretty scary. But it turned out to be not that bad.

Once I was settled into my dorm room and social activities began, the kids I met and experiences I had were just like home. I began to feel like I've known the people there all my life, like we had years of memories within those three short weeks.

"Wow, three weeks. That's a long time." That was my mentality before I left. Then in the last few days it was "Nooooo!!!!! It was too short! I'm gonna miss everyone!!!" And then we were all shipped off to our own states and countries.

I've only been home for a week, yet I've told the stories of the fun times from the college probably a million times.

Being at the college was just like being in school over back here in Pinole. The course was just like an AP course (most like my AP US History class last year). All the elements were there: a great teacher, a rigorous syllabus, great friends/students, and even some kids that, well, were obviously not all there.

Nonetheless, it feels good to be home. I have forensics camp on Fridays and I start band camp in less than three weeks. I can't wait! (I get to play quads!)

It's good to be back.

'Til next time,
Chels

Now it's all clear!

For the last couple of days I have had the chance to reflect on the time I spent back at Cornell University. 

I started doing my own laundry for the third summer in a row, and I also had the opportunity to be in a "real" college class. Unlike at Brown, the class at Cornell was more intense and it showed me the real deal on classes in college. I got to see with my own eyes how intense and competitive students can get to succeed in every way possible, if it means staying up until like 3 in the morning, or distracting others, like a man at the orientation said. Cornellians try to distract others to get to the top. I was beginning to do the same. I guess my Cornellian attitude was starting to show after so much exposure to it. 

Also, I was privileged to compare two Ivy League schools such as Brown and Cornell. I can say that Brown was more towards community oriented and being more about socializing, while on the other hand, Cornell was more competitive and has much larger classes than Brown. I can see myself in either one. I like being in schools where I know I'm not going to get distracted(like Cornell), but I also like being very social and Brown is the perfect fit.  

As I continued with the class, I thought every single day of how I could apply what I learned back at Kennedy. I still reflect on it and meditate how to use it when I start attending school again. Since it's my last year at the 'K' I want to help in every way possible, and help my fellow students. I want to better my high school and better our students, and encourage every single one of them to consider college in their future lives. 

Even though at first I thought of this as something that took my time away, now I know it was something helpful for those who support us and who want to know us and the experiences we have lived for the years we have been with the ILC. 

I am currently working on my personal statement for college, and have begun researching schools I consider applying to. On August 2nd I will be attending a college workshop with a college counselor and it will help me very much in knowing more about colleges and what they look for in college applications and the requirements they have for college admission. 

Back to Cornell, I had a great time. As the other times, I will never forget such opportunity and will always know this was something that has helped me inmany ways. I have gained confidence, and have become more outgoing. I can might as well say these summer programs have shaped most of my personality. Without it I don't know how my persona would differ from what I am now. 

I want to thank the sponsors who read these blogs and stay interested in us. Those who believe we do get something out of these opportunities they make possible. My gratitude is extended to Mr. Charles Ramsey and Ms. Madeline Kronenberg. You have helped me so much and supported me in any way imaginable. Thanks!!!

These HAVE been LIFE-CHANGING experiences!

Best wishes, 

Ana Garibo

Kennedy High '09

The Individual in the Social World

Summer of '08

Hey everyone Jared checking in. The last couple of days have been pretty uneventful. I've been going to class and then studying all day afterwards. We have an average of 70 to 80 pages to read a night of the not so well known activists in American history. After check in last night I played Mafia for about an hour until i went to sleep and then i had to get up at 7 so that i could get to breakfast and then to class on time. More to follow.

Hi again, sorry for neglecting to write on this last night. I have a pinched nerve in my shoulder and it's very painful. :( Other than that my days have been fun. Yesterday during our afternoon lecture we got to see one of five copies of the Gettysburg address written by Abraham Lincoln himself. This is the most valuable artifact that Cornell has in their possession and it was an amazing thing to see.

Today's class was interesting and explored labor unions. After class I spent the rest of my day reading. We had over fifty pages to read. Tonight after night check we played Mafia with a large group of kids and RAs alike. 

More to follow.

Not quite the end

Hey everyone, its jared checking in. Sorry for the delay on this post my computer has been acting up. On saturday I began my journey back to cornell bright and early at 3 o'clock with charles and the the Brown students. When i arrived in philadelphia i ran into the other group of students who had just completed their three weeks at Cornell university. This wasn't planned in any way and was a very nice surprise. After discussing their experience over lunch at TGI Fridays, I continued on my way to Cornell. I arrived at ithaca airport at approximately 7 o'clock and caught a taxi back to cornell where i met Andre Miuken who assisted me in moving back into my room. I was then reunited with some of my friends who were here from the earlier session who were doing another class, along with those who were doing a six week course.  Later that day we went to college town bagels and i got a milkshake. On sunday afternoon i had to go to class orientation and it was pouring. I actually got soaked from head to toe. It was soooooo bad. Later i went to the mall to get some towels because for the second time in a row i forgot to pack towels. On monday morning I went to class at 8:30 which in my opinion is way too early in the morning. After that i went back to the dorms and finished my reading. which puts us approximately this time in the evening. More to follow.

It's really over?

Wow, two days after our plane landed at SFO, and I'm still trying to take it all in.
This experience has been one of the best of my life, and I can honestly say that I'll be starting Pinole this year as a new person. I've grown in so many ways and learned so much not only about myself, but also about life itself.
I've learned what it's like to be in a real college class, to live on my own and do my own laundry. I've learned what it's like to meet and interact with different people, and how to take pride in where I come from and in what I can teach others who aren't as fortunate as I am to come from a place as interesting as the Bay Area. I've learned about the origins of western political thought, and how to apply them to the sometimes not as free, nor as just, nor as equal as we may like to think world today. And most importantly, I've learned that the world is so much bigger, and although frightening and stressful at times, is a place full of amazing opportunities and expereiences, much like this one, that I cannot wait to explore and become a part of.
I'll never forget Cornell, the people in it, my class, nor how fortunate I am to have been able to learn and experience so much.
Thank you so much for the opportunity.

-Theresa

No more Risley 336

Today was our last full day here at Cornell. I spent the beginning of my day in my lecture hall taking my Mind, Body, and Health final. Although I felt rushed towards the end of the hour and fifteen minutes, I believe I did a good job on my final. There was nothing I didn't know, which was a huge relief. After my final I was told that I received a B+ on my last essay and an A in class participation. All of the good news, let my day start off with excitement, not only did I do good on my assignments, but I finish the three weeks; and was finally going to see the family and friends I only had contact with through phone and email. We, (Joseph, Malcolm, Yoline and I) ending up in college town buying souvenirs for family and friends, and at the mall were we ate at Friendly's and saw the new Will Smith movie Hancock. After returning to Cornell, we all watched the talent show, were teens from summer college showed their talents in dance, piano, and song. The last part of my full day was spent at parties, which weren't to good, but we made the best of it. Joseph and I should them how teens from the Bay Area really dance!!! Right now I am finishing packing, getting ready for a long day of flying.
The reason why I decided to take Mind, Body and Health was because after taking chemistry and physics I was becoming turned off by science, and since science is a huge part in the medical field I was wondering if I still wanted to be a doctor. Although my parents friends who are physicians told me they didn't like physics while in school, this class would help me decide if I could be a pediatrician as a life long career even though I didn't like science. Along with my I-search project I did in honors English, this class is helping me decide what I am going to do with my life. I can say I LOVED my class. Learning about the medical history of diseases, the medical field, how it shaped American culture really interest me. There was no part that I was bored with, or not interested in. This class is pushing me to continue to be that pediatrician I always wanted to be.
Cornell was a wonderful experience, as usual. I know I will come back home with many of memories and stories to tell my family and friends for years to come. As college is quickly approaching my future in about a year, this experience will give me knowledge of what is to come when I do enter college as a freshman.
For now I will finish packing, and try not to be on facebook to long!
Jamaya Monroe

So long, Cornell...

Today (actually, looking at the time, yesterday) was my last day here in Cornell. It was all right weather wise, a little rain here and there, like when we first landed here. Did my final, and had the last lecture. That class was pretty intense, and I found out that we had the hardest class in the program. Lucky us. Although my grades may not seem to reflect it, I learned a lot in my course. All very interesting, to see why people do the things that they do. It helped revealed things about myself that I did not know. I definitely recommend this class to future students, but be warned that it requires some intense thinking.

Cornell overall was a very big experience. I learned a lot, about myself, and about others. Cornell is definitely one of the most beautiful places I have been too (and that's something, because we all know, California is just GORGEOUS all around). Although the usual city things that I am used to aren't around here, it made me appreciate nature (except for the bugs). One of my most favorite parts of Cornell is when I would walk to class in the morning. When passing a bridge that goes over this man-made waterfall type thing, and beyond it is this sparkling lake with the green-est of green trees. No wonder they sell so many postcards of different parts of Cornell here. The scenery is definitely something to show off.

The Ivy League Connection, of course, is the thing that has brought me here. And thanks to the Ivy League Connection, I have memories that are forever unforgettable. Two years at Brown, and this year at Cornell has brought me something that I never even dreamed of before. What are the chances of this type of experience happening to me? It is just....amazing. I am thankful for what I have learned, the most, about myself. As I have said in my previous blog, I have my own voice. And I could not have found it if it wasn't for this whole thing.

Thank You times a million

~Yoline Banerjee

My Reflections

We had our final today. It wasn't as hard as I expected it to be. My friend and I were on the phone past 2:30 organizing all the philosphers' views on justice and the role of government.

After the final, my friends and I just wandered around the campus.

After dinner, Chelsey, our new friend Laurence, and I walked around the art quad. We reflected on what happened these past 3 weeks and they began crying because they were going to miss Cornell and this summer college experience so much. (unfortunately, I was unable to shed any tears).

Overall, this summer college experience was great. It was more than just earning that A in class. We learned responsiblity, leadership, and we made lifelong friends. I'm definitely sure that we'll keep in touch for a long time via facebook/phone.

These past 3 weeks have passed by too quickly. If it weren't for the photos I took or the notes I wrote from lecture these past 3 weeks, I would never have believed that time passed so quickly. I don't regret making the decision about going to Cornell summer college at all. It's an unforgettable and incomparable experience.

Well, it's time to pack my luggage and return to my home, the bay area.

-Jeannie

Reflections

Life is all about relationships. For the past three weeks, I have created relationships with friends and professors that can be carried on with me throughout my life. The relationships I created reflects my success without having my grade do all the talking. I have learned that one can’t succeed in life if one works alone. You must have relationship with people to guide you through problems that can only be solved as a group.

Today was the easiest day of the 3 weeks. Our final group report was due today but we finish yesterday. Our group effectively managed time and as a result we finish a day before the project was due. After we turn in our group report we did an evaluation of the class and then got dismissed to say our final good-bye to the “hotelies” who weren’t staying for graduation.

Cornell Final Reflections

Today was the last academic day here at Cornell. We took our finals for Body, Mind, and Health. The final was a little bit difficult, as there was an allotted time in which we were allowed to take the final. I think I did decent but not great. After the finals were over, we recieved our second essays and I got a B on mine. Its not the greatest but Im not really too disaapointed. Im glad I finished solid. After exams were over, we were free. We went to college town and we also went to the mall and the movies. My day of fun is not over yet as we're planning to go bowling and partying later. Overall it has been a very wonderful, engaging, though sometimes difficult, time here at Cornell. I am very thankful that I was able to enjoy this experience at Cornell this year and my enitre experience during the Ivy League Connection.

Sincerely,
Malcolm

Late Night Reflections

It's almost two in the morning here, and tomorrow is our final exam. Right now, I'm trying to make a chart connecting Marx's theory of human nature to his theory of Alienation of the species versus Alienation of Man, and I'm completely lost (and asking about it only made things worse today in class.) Although it's past my bedtime, I know that if I were to try to go to sleep, I wouldn't be able to get much accomplished. The amount of stress that I've experienced here, on both an academic and personal level, has drained me, yet opened my eyes even wider to the harsh realities of the real world. The course is a real college course, and is extremely difficult and time consuming; the people are real people, and just like Plato says in regards to the "common man," they have a natural inclination to put themselves before others. I'm still trying to digest the entire experience, and as of right now, I'm just not sure about where I stand. While the program itself may be ending tomorrow, my journey certainly will not. I know that I'm going home a different person and with a different perspective of life and those around me - I just need to sit down and try to figure out what exactly it is.

-Theresa

Ready To go

I Got a 9 out fo 10 on my paper that I turned in . I'm pretty happy about that. I'm ready to go home, I started to pack yesterday and I'm almost finished. I'm going to study for my final today with Ana and Yoline, On friday after the Our TA's our going to show us a film but I don't know on what. Then I'm going to Buttermilk falls with my Mentor Jenny Martinez and the rest of my mentor's group and some friends maybe form ILC. Later on I'll pack even more and enjoy my last night here. On saturdau I will be watching the rest of the ILC students' graduation, since I don't have one. Our professor doesn't have a ceremony prepared for us since our class is more like a college class rather than some type of learning program. I don't know his othrr reasons. Overall I'm very happy to be gong home and not be here anymore . I need sometime to cool down. Not do ANY work and just enjoy my summer. Later on I will pick up on my summer assignments and other work I have. Since is seems like I have now break i'm going to make one for myself and set other thinbgs aside because I deserve to. I also need to sit back and take in all that I learned here. I might eventually share that information, when I feel that , that is feasible for me.


WENDY ESPINOZA

My Last Tuesday Here at Cornell

This Blog is to share my experience at Cornell. My thoughts about what is happening here.

I came to Cornell to learn a lot of things. Things like how to deal with an actual college class. Learning how to adjust to a rural environment. Dealing with super smart people, who come from high class private schools. Learning how to deal with my money, so I don't spend it all in the one store around the corner. Learning how to keep my room neat, dealing with my laundry, knowing that I really should throw out the trash. Not being afraid to ask my professor questions, putting my own opinions into discussions. Living independently. Another thing that I also learned: how to deal with issues when they came.

I know a lot of people out there may end up viewing teenagers, well, as teenagers. "Kids" who let themselves be a bit too carefree, not really thinking about consequences of their behavior. Living in the moment. During this time, we learn a lot about life. What serve as great consequences, and what does not. In our seminar today, we met an alcoholic who went to jail at the age of 16 for 8 years. How sad is that? 8 years of his life, just taken away from going down the wrong path. That's how we learn. We begin to shape more into our own thoughts, begin to question things around us. Many adults believe that they want to help, that what they say is really the right thing to be heard. Now, that may not be true, but that is my opinion.

I've recently started to gain my own voice. I started to speak out more, let my opinions be heard. If something bothers me, I don't always just want to keep it to myself, because that's just not fair to me. I can't have decisions made about my life anymore, without my consultation. Who's to say that what I'm saying is wrong? That I don't have the right to be heard? I'm growing up. I'm a different person then what I was when I was a freshman. I don't wish to hide beneath my skin, only telling my comments out to my friends.

I wish to speak out. If I think there are other options besides waiting at an airport for four hours, I will say something. If I want to write in this blog, I will. I understand that this blog is a window for those back home to see what we are doing. And I try to fit it in my schedule. But the work does build up. Like I said, I like my opinion to be heard, and here's one way to do it! Just can't do this everyday.

I recently got sent an email that tells me the thoughts about a current op-ed piece I had to turn in for my Psychology class. I started this essay knowing that it was really for my enjoyment, for me to learn from it. And I know this idea wasn't wrong, because my own Professor told me this. And I did enjoy writing my essay. Turns out that my essay was "amateurish". Well...I definitely am no journalist, I will give you that. I try with essays, I do. There have been so many times when I've been made fun of from the way I speak English. Of course I'm not about to write the best essay in English ever! I have parents who didn't grow up in America, who didn't grow up speaking English. I go to a school district that does the best it can for its students, but others have it more lucky. I work hard. I do, and no one else knows that enough more than me.

Another thing: It is VERY easy to change a situation into something more. This happened with the going to the mall incident, how one was blamed a "ring leader". There was no ring leader then, there is no ring leader now. I have a friend; a friend whom I care about, who quickly got caught up in the situation. As I learned in my class, it’s the situation, not the behavior, that deeply affects a person. Times can be overwhelming, and a lot of negative criticism can be thrown in. Another quick lesson: be careful to what you say to parents, because they are likely to tell their kids.

That's my opinion, and that's my thoughts and feelings. I am learning a lot, here at the prestigious Cornell University. All of us here have voices. And we are ALL coming back with our own. Beware home, because we KNOW we have our own voices.

~Yoline Banerjee

This essay was written in 12 pt. size font, the recommended font size from all my teachers.

College Admissions Workshop

Today we attended a college admissions workshop. We were given some handouts that would guide the admission directors talking to us. There was one that they emphasized more on and it was Tips For Making a Good Impression. Their advice was to always be on top of the deadlines for college admissions. They also told us to not bother teachers last minute, because they will stress out and the recommendation letters will not be a concise as they would be.
Another helpful handout was a list of websites that will help us in any way possible concerning getting into college, such as the http://www.collegeboard.com/ site. In the same page they also listed resources that are guides to colleges.
As we continued they also reviewed a third handout titled "What Cornell Looks For". The admission officers explained that there are various factors to a collge admission, but the first thing they look at t continue reviewing your application is your high school transcript. "They want to know about your ability, achievements, motivation, leadership, diligence, and integrity; your sense of fairness and compasion." They want to see if we have taken full advantage of the opportunities that have come our way.
They did comment on how much Cornell costs a year: approximately $52,000. Malcolm Carson asked if they offered full athletic scholarships to attend Cornell and they responded negatively. The Ivies all agreed to not do so.
To sum up, (because I have to go to bed) the advice was to stay on top of everything and start from now, because it will all go as fast as possible that we will not notice time passing by.
At the very end of the talk, they kindly asked us to fill out a survey in order to get our advice and make the workshop a lot better for next year!
Well see you next time on Ana Posting Her Blog! (P.s. I thought I could be funny! =])

Ana Garibo
Kennedy High School '09
The Individual in the Social World

A long week ahead.

Hello all.

Wow, would you look at that: only 4 days of class left (including the final).

Seems like only yesterday we were boarding the scary puddle-jumper airplane to Ithaca.

The 4th of July weekend was interesting, with a dance, a trip to the Farmers' Market, and a trip to the Ithaca Commons.

Although there were no fireworks on the 4th, there was a dance on the third floor of Robert Purcell Community Center. After first debating whether or not to go, we all finally decided to go check it out and ended up having a really fun night - free of studies, stress, and Plato's Republic.

Oh! And we're getting salsa lessons on Wednesday from our new friend Patricio from Puerto Rico.

And so ends the first day of the last week of summer college, and the last week before we all get to have a "free" summer ("free" pertaining to AP summer assignments and such).

Well, I have to go finish reading The Communist Manifesto for lecture tomorrow.

Signing off.

-Chelsey Whitworth

Four More Days

It's the last week of Cornell. Wow, it went by pretty fast. I still have lots of stuff around Cornell that I haven't done yet! Oh well, I know in due time, I will get it done soon. Here is an update:

Weekend:
Something that I probably won't ever forget about with my time here at Cornell is getting sick. I usually don't get sick, but when I do, I just feel miserable. Sadly, I had to deal with it, due to the fact that I had an essay due on Monday. My key to surviving? Drinking lots of tea/water, and getting my sleep, after taking a pill or two of Benadryl. Now that I had enough sleep, I am almost 100% better. In due time, I will be as fit as I was before I got sick. This experience of getting sick has taught me a lot about myself. I now know that I, in fact, do not need my mommy with my to get better. She taught me well.
Class-wise, I believe I did all-right on my essay. I wrote about Suicide Bombers and the Fundamental Attribution Error. Pretty much, its about how suicide bombers, who many deem as "crazy people, bent on destruction" aren't actually people who are always into killing the whole time. The situation that individual is in affects the behavior of that person a lot. A lesson that is really important to understand. After writing up a rough draft, I was able to submit my paper in an editing workshop, where people were able to fix my grammar, and help me fix my essay up a bit, here and there. I believe it helped me a lot, and recommend going to any type of essay workshops to anyone who has an essay to turn in, if it is available. Take advantage of what's there for you to help you out.

Today, we turned in our papers (there were some pretty interesting topics out there), and got our quiz #2 score back. I didn't do super well, but I learned from my mistakes. I now realize that I can't be perfect at everything I do, but as long as I myself, believe I'm learning, then I am completely fine. In class, we talked about Death, and how knowing that its coming affects how people live their lives. Although the topic itself was interesting, I felt that the lecture in general was a bit dull today. I blame the fact that it is Monday Morning. After class and discussion, we had our Seminar, where we had a guest speaker who's kids both had mental illnesses, and how tough it was to be the mother of the two. Pretty deep stuff. After the Seminar, there was a College Admission panel, where some of the admission officers of Cornell answered questions, and clarified and confusion. They helped a lot. It's important to know about what school you wish to apply to, not just the academic side of it, but also the social side, and if you feel that that school is an environment in which you can handle. Everyone else is as stressed out about getting into college as me, even though I used to think that they wouldn't, because they were just so smart. The thing is, everything is fair game when it comes to admissions. After that, it was back to my dorm for laundry, and homework.

Of course, my whole Monday wasn't all just schoolwork. I went bowling for the first time in awhile. It is really nice to take some time to just have fun. Its important to know that it is not all about studying (although it is pretty important) but as I learned from lecture, life is short, so make the most of it.

I think that's all for today. Have a nice day blog-readers.

~Yoline Banerjee

My perception about Cornell has changed over the past 2 weeks. I continue to see the competition grow between the students here at Cornell and it motivates me to try my best in everything I do. I feel that this environment will serve me well in the future when I apply here because it pushes me to become an independent learner rather than having my parents yell at me in order to motivate me to work. The professors here are very supportive. They give everyone an opportunity to be successful, but it is up to you to take advantage of those opportunities.

Attending the finest hotel school in the world daily makes me curious about the career I want to major in, considering the fields that they offer. I have never thought that I would major at the hotel school, but Cornell summer program has changed my mindset. Cornell's hotel school will be seriously consider when I apply here.

Most people would think that the hotel school is about Hotels, but it is not. The hotel school ranges from a career it in accounting to operating a restaurant. It broadens one presentation skills, communication (writing)skills, and leadership. It prepares one for hospitality management that one desires. The hotel school is truly a beautiful program that can help build a career that can last a life time.

Good Night
Alvin Yee

The last week...

And the last full weekend here too! :( It was a well spent weekend, full of lots of fun and not as much studying, but I still got some in there! The Fourth of July was extremely enjoyable, when we went to the mall and went to a dance later. I hadn't been in a dance since eighth grade, so it was definately enjoyable!

The morning after, we went to the Farmers Market which was soooo beautiful and so big! I enjoyed eating a cinnamon roll and sampling some pesto that tasted just like my dad's, which is a definite plus! I bought these wonderful cards from a woman who is a photographer and one of the best that I've seen. Her cards were so beautiful, I couldn't resist! Later that day, we went on a campus tour with Ms. Kronenberg, which convinced me that I should definately consider applying to Cornell for college. When we were done, I took the best nap of my life before the boat cruise. The best part of the boat cruise was the sunset, hands down. I got so many pictures that turned out wonderful and I took it for the rest of the time. It was one of the most beautiful things I've seen.

Sunday came and it consisted of the Ithaca Commons, where I bought 5 books that I will enjoy reading, laundry and studying. It was more of a day to relax and recuperate after "a hard weekend of partying," if you want to put it that way.

Today, we got our midterms back in the Freedom and Justice class. As expected, I got a "B." It wasn't a shocker, but my TA's comments showed me that I have a lot of room to improve. Now, I have to go and study for the final on Friday!

- Lucina

What?

I received my second quiz score and I got 8 points less than the last time. The thing is, that people tended to do better on this quiz than the last. I am part of the outcast group!I studied much more this time than the last since I wanted to do better, and I knew what was expected since I had already taken a quiz. On the first quiz I was waiting it out and just taking it easy, knowing that it was only the first and that after the first things should get better. Wow. I feel bad. Then I found out my SAT, and AP scores, and those weren't too hot either. What's going on? I need to do something. Well I'm going to read some more now.

I am truly enjoying my time here at cornell. I Just finished typing and writing my 6 page essay, although that may not seem that enjoyable. Its monday and Im jus getting back into the class schedule after a weekend of relaxation both on the beautiful Cayuga Lake and in my wonderful bed of course. Today we went back to class after the three day weekend. We learned about medicare, medicaid, and the entire healthcare insurance revolutiob. We learned how they were aftermaths of world war two. Everyday I learn somthing new new and I just love to be able to enjoy such a positive learning environment.

From
Malcolm

Moment of Truth

We got our midterms back today, and much to my surprise, I received a B+. Although it's not the A- that some of the other students in my class got, I'm definitely happy with it, and hope that it will only improve when I take the final on Friday. BUT, my TA specifically told us that the final is going to be significantly harder than the midterm, meaning that I'm going to have to study my butt off. No worries though, we're all starting to get ready for crunch time and starting to form our study groups. Doesn't look like we'll be getting much sleep this week, but hey, that's college, right?

-Theresa

Last Week of Summer College

Yesterday, Chelsey, Theresa, Lucina, and our new friends Esther and Gabbi all went to the Ithaca Commons together. We were really hungry and didn't eat lunch/breakfast yet so we decided to go to a small restaurant named Mustard. I ordered Macoroni and Cheese, and it was delicious! We promised to come back before we left.

Afterwards, we wandered around for a bit and browsed a few 60s-80s shops and tried on different outfits. We had a great time.

We came back and began our laundry and began to study and revise our essays.

We got our midterm back together. We all did pretty good. Until next time,

-Jeannie

Students

Being here at Cornell, let's me in on the lives of the competative students. The students here at summer college are mostly excellent students from their high school. The study, read and sleep well. However I am noticing quite a few students here who just like to party, go to sleep at 3 am and then have to rush to not be late for class, sometimes even skipping breakfast. What the students that actually want to learn do at their school, is become presidents of their clubs. I met this girl from Boston who is the president of 4 clubs at her school! This si proof that getting involved in school activites does count. They are all in a least one AP class. The competition is tough.

Burritos!!!!

I just had 2 Spicy Beef Burritos! They were good and yummy to my tummy. Out here in Ithaca, especially at Cornell you get hungry when dinner closes at 7:00PM. So the best thing to do is go out and eat, or buy food to bring in to your room. Today in the morning I got to sleep in and rest. Then I woke to go to breakfast with Yoline. After that I went to the library to finish up my paper. Then later around 8:00PM I went to a writing workshop where they gave me feedback on my paper. It was really helpful. Out here you have to take advantage of this kinds of things. Finally I'm resting again and like I said, I have a happy stomach. Oh... and drinking a lot of water is good too to rehidrate your body and have energy throughout the day. Well I have to go now, and rest my head on my pillows. Bye bye!

Reflections

The boat ride that Mrs. Kronenberg set up was magnificent. Being at the tip of the boat as the sunset went down was the ideal place to be. The water looked like chrome as the sun reflected on the water. The sun slowly went down . I don't ever remember seeing a sunset like that before. As I was looking in the water I had a metaphorical thought. In the center as I looked straight ahead I saw orange light and the sides were darkened by the shade from the trees. I looked at the orange light as the path towards success. The darkness on the sides closed in and it made me think of obstacles and inconveniences people may face in life. The sun's light gave me hope and inspiration. Sucess can be achieved by all, who want it, are willing to work for it and embrace opportunities.

Wendy Espinoza
Pinole VAlley High School
Class of 2009

Great Weekend

Well, this three day weekend has been going well so far. On Friday, since it was Independence Day, the buses weren't operating, so we had to call a taxi to go to the mall...

At the mall, we had been planning to watch Wanted, but then we decided against it, in favor of helping my friend find jeans.

We ate lunch at a delicious restaurant named Friendly's and hit the road back to our dorms.

At night, we all got dressed up for a dance at the Robert Purcell. It was really fun.

A good friend of ours stayed over in our dorm, and we were up until 2am in the lobby eating pizza and talking.

This morning we woke up early for the Ithaca Farmer's Market. It was incredible - there were various stores ranging from produce, to florist shops, to places that sell paintings (my friend got one!), and wine shops! Ithaca is famous for its wine!

When we got back to Cornell, we went on a campus tour. We toured through the 7 undergraduate colleges and my favorites, Sage Chapel and Willard Straight Slope. My legs really hurt! After, we had some drinks at the Statler Hotel to cool off after the hot day and seventy-five minute walk.

After dinner (which was amazing as always), twelve of us went on a boat cruise and it was better than I had expected. It was a small, but cute boat, and the tour guide explained to us about the sedimentary rock layers which helped form the gorge. We saw a salt mine, nearby were two peninsulas caving in, where we watched the sunset. It was amazing. When the sun set, the captain turned the boat around and we headed back to the Cayuga Lake shore.

Can't wait till tomorrow - lots of reading and shopping (@ Ithaca Commons) to do! The weekend, as always, was magnificent.

-Jeannie

Boat fun!!!

Today i started thinking about my paper and topics on which would relate to California. I have my topic now and have started doing research on it. Yesterday we had a dance for the summer college students and I had fun. I thought it was going to be suckie, but it was ok. Anyways, the weekend has been ok so far. On Friday we had our second quiz, and I'm so desperate to see my score. Right now, I'm headed off to my room and then to eat at Appel Commons. From there the whole Ivy group from Cornell will head off to a boat cruise. I'm looking forward to it. Ms. Kronenberg and Ms. neal will be going with us. I will keep up on the writing to let you know how it goes on the last week here. See you soon!!!

Happy (Belated) Fourth!

Yesterday morning (well more like afternoon since we all decided to sleep in), we kicked off our three day weekend with yet another trip to the mall to check out all of the Holiday Sales and see what kind of bargains we could find. Afterwards, we went back to the campus and met up with one of our friends and tried to bake brownies at Jameson, one of the neighboring dorms. Although they didn't turn out quite as expected thanks to oven complications, it was still a .... fun, and memorable, experience. Last night, we went to the Fourth of July dance and got to give the East Coast a little taste of the Bay. Well, sort of. I think we were all missing home a little when we realized that the music scene back home is a lot different than the one here. It was still a lot of fun though, and reminded us of how diverse and different everyone is.

Today, we went to the Ithaca Farmer's Market and then came back for a campus tour with Ms. Kronenberg. Even though we'd already been here for two weeks, it was still fun to hear about and to see things that were totally new to us. I've decided that if I come to Cornell for college, I'll be taking Wine Tasting as an elective and Intro to Scuba Diving for P.E. credit. Sounds fun, right?

Tomorrow, we have to revise our Plato essays and read about fifteen pages of Burke.
I can't wait! ;-)

-Theresa

An update about my Class

I have just finished my second week at Cornell. At the start of the program every min seemed like an hour, but as I started to get more comfortable with the work loads, the days went by quicker. The class has become increasingly interesting, as we had our first guest lecturer, who works as a booking manager at the Statler Hotel. During his lecture, he fascinated the class about a typical day working in the hotel industry. He gave the class strategies and tips to maximize profit. He also talked about the college requirements to become a manager of any sort in a hotel.

On Friday, we turned in our Chess Report (Hotel Simulation). It was a long assignment, but I feel confident in the quality of my work. Students in the computer lab were stressing over the assignment. I even heard a rumor about a girl crying because of the stress. Now that I completed the assignment, I can finally relax and enjoy my weekend.

Alvin Yee

Down Time

To ease from the stresses of the week. My mentor took a group of fifteen students down to a local laser tag arena. It was so much fun. Then five of us from the Ivy League connection went down to a local diner to eat hamburgers. Now were off to the summer college dance!!

I woke up at 2:00 today, which meant that i missed breakfast and lunch at North Star today. So, I just ordered some food to my building on campusfood.com. its actually really neat that i can order food without picking up the phone. Its amazing how much food get ordered here, I see dozens of Chinese food boxes daily.
This week has been pretty good in terms of the class. we had a debate on Wednesday about whether ethnic bias played a role in the outcome of Lia Lee's health care. I was on the pro-side and we lost. (I think most of the people on my team didn't agree with the pro-side anyway)
Yesterday, we watched a movie about heart surgery for "blue babies." I'd seen a Hollywood version of this documentary, so it was nice to be able to connect it to something I'd already seen.
Now, I'm working on my 6 page paper on The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. I'm about a quarter of the way finished, so this weekend is going to be very busy.
till later,
Joseph Young

A College Collage

Wow.....I meant to write about something, but now I can't remember what it was. Haha. It's about 1:41 AM and I've been working on a collage of pictures from the fireworks show on the 2nd. I promise to try and post something with more substance tomorrow, but for now I'm sleepin'!

-Chelsey Whitworth

Some new friends and fireworks.

Second Quiz

Today was the second psychology quiz. The studying paid off but there was one question where Ana, Yoline and I were stuck on. We had a nice lunch and are in our dorms keeping dry starting up our papers due on Monday.

Being here is so different from brown. The weather at brown was mostly sunny, hot humid but overall predictable. Here it can be Sunny few hours then a storm can hit the next. And even when it's rainy its really hot in the dorms. Luckily we have fans. At Brown we didn't have fans. I loved being able to walk down Thayer street and visit all of the interesting shops hand. It felt more like a community there, whereas here at Cornell everything seems more individualistic. Everyone seemed more helpful at Brown. Since this is a college credit class everything is taken more seriously. So the benefit of this that I'm getting an even more real view of college life. But Brown prepared me with internal growth and confidence and its being applied here at Cornell. Being in Brown helped me to be here today in Cornell.
Wendy Espinoza

Video: Fireworks of Ithaca, NY

WoW!!! Look at the Fireworks.......

Hi Tom!!

Today , Ana Yoline and I had dinner with our Professor Tom Gilovich. What a swell guy. We talked about everything from college choices, the class, his family, the quiz tomorrow and why he's at Cornell. We sat down with our plates of pasta, salad ( and for Yoline fruit loops one the side.) To our surprise Professor Gilovich told us that fruit loops are healthier than most all natural products because of the natural junk in some of those foods. Our professor studied in Santa Clara. Close to home! He met his wife there and loves that fact and wouldn't have gone to any other University just for that reason. Cute love story right? We'll we also spoke about recommendation letter. He will grant recommendation letter to those in his class whom get and " A". What an opportunity!!!!! He knows us a little now so that'll be better.Tomorrow there's a quiz so we are studying hard to make our performance stronger!
Goodnight , as we strive for higher education
-

Wendy Espinoza

Studying and Fireworks

Hey there again! My sincere apologies for not updating you on what I did yesterday. I was busy getting my study on. For the second day in a row, Wendy, Yoline and me went to the library to study and read our assignments. I am so proud that I'm starting these group meetings. It has been so helpful. Now I can concentrate more easily and can understand what I'm reading as opposed to when I'm around loudness.
Today, Wednesday, July 2, 2008, and I went to the lecture and then to the session. After ending both classes, we went to the dinner with Professor Gilovich. We had such a nice talk with him. He told us about all the work he has done. He also mentioned going to the University of California, Santa Cruz and then switching to University of California, Santa Barbara, and mentioned liking it there better. I felt awkward because I had never sat down with a professor and eaten dinner with him, but it's an experience that I will never forget, because it can be helpful in building up my social skills towards professional identities. Now I am totally not afraid of talking with an academic personality and feeling nervous. At the end of our dinner I asked Professor Gilovich if he would be willing to give me a letter of recommendation, and he said yes, as long as I passed his class with an A. I said to him, "I'm going to get an A in your class!"
At thye very end, when we had finished dining, I had a healthy salad with tasty fruit and some good orange juice, we headed over to the ice cream and invited him to have an ice cream with us, it was all the brilliant idea of Wendy. He accepted with a smile and we walked out Appel Commons enjoying our ice cream and our talk.
Finally we got to our dorm, and met at Wendy's room to start studying for the quiz we have tomorrow. We wrote down important information that can be useful for tomorrow's quiz. Yoline and I were writing key concepts on index cards and Wendy was using the website and her notes to study too. We helped each other out, and we feel confident, but not overconfident, because overconfidence doesn't mean we are accurate, key information we learned today at our lecture. During our intensive study, we all started sharing ideas in order to help each other out and that way do much better on the next quiz.
We then received a call from Ms. Neal asking us if we wanted to go to the fireworks today, done by the Ithaca College staff. We then agreed to go for a few minutes and return right after they were done. We did so. Now we are at her room again, and continuing with our study.
It has been a long day, and I'm happy to share my experience with you all, as long as it doesn't take time away from studying. Thanks for staying on top of the ILC. Until next time!

Sincerely,

Ana Garibo
Kennedy High '09
The Individual in the Social World
Summer of '08

I can breathe!

It's the end of the day and I'm quickly writing this because I'll be watching the fireworks tonight. I'm really excited and I'm hoping we get a good spot. Anyways, I felt like I reached the halfway point today. We took our midterm in Freedom and Justice, which might I say, many of us overstudied for. It was really easy and straightforward. I'm hoping I was able to get a good grade on it. Now, I have to read some more and still have fun at the same time!

Lucina

Dang, halfway already

so today is the midpoint of the entire trip. wow. halfway there already. cool

So far, Cornell is pretty cool. I am still bummed out about having to walk everywhere, but i feel the strength building up in my legs. Which is pretty cool. I think I have finally figured out why exactly Cornell students are super smart. Because there isn't the lure of shops and such that are close by, people instead sit down, and just study! (At least, that's the thing for me). So maybe that's a factory I might want to think about when applying to different colleges. Emphasis on the might. Another thing about this rural (that's what its called, right?) college is that you kind of have to talk to people that's around you. Since there aren't others. So, in a way, it brings people closer together. And i bet they get super close together when people get snowed in at their dorms. Cornell is very beautiful though. Definitely can give it that.

Luckily I also had the chance to look at Brown. Currently, Brown in my top choice, college-wise. Despite a study that my Professor showed about the admissions at Brown, and how one student almost got in, but she didn't, because she misspelled one word on her application. Still want to go their. Why did I like Brown so much? Because it definitely felt like the home-away-from-home. UC Berkeley used to be my top choice. But the thing is, it was so close to my parents. Not that I don't love my parents, I just think I need to experiance life on my own for a bit. Brown was my UC Berkeley on the East Coast. Thayer St. = Telegraph. Close to a big city (Boston). And it just felt so...for me. Brown is smaller, so one doesn't need to walk super far back and forth from class to class. And the people there just seemed a bit more liberal. And that makes me feel comfortable.

Uh-oh, dinner with your professor is coming up. Guess I should go now.

~Yoline

The summers going fine. In fact its going better than fine. Its going great. I got an A on my first paper and I was ecstatic. Classes are going good well. We learned about Typhoid mary and about all the issues surrounding that typhoid outbreak. We are also learning alot about Medicine in general. We learned about women in medicine and how their roles have changed over the years and also about the many changes and advancements of general hospitals over the course of time. The atmosphere of learning here isgreat and im really enjoying myself.

From,
Malcolm

Half of summer college is over!

Midterm=half of summer college is already over.

I'm in shock. It feels like I've only been here for a few days, yet we've already covered the Old/New Testament, St. Augustine/Aquinas, Locke, Plato, and now we're covering 3 more!

I was surprised that the midterm was a lot easier than I thought it'd be. I was up until almost 2 a.m. last night, exchanging questions and testing my friend online. I was so afraid I wasn't prepared enough. I hope I didn't do too bad. I'm pretty sure I did pretty good. Too much confidence seems to be bad luck for me.

Well, fireworks are tonight. July 2, not July 4. Weird. But it'll be nice watching fireworks from a great view.

-Jeannie

First College Exam!

We had our midterm today, and it was a lot easier than anyone had expected. A five paragraph essay and five quote identifications in a hour and fifteen minutes is a breeze when you've been in college for over a week. Hopefully all of our studying and stressing paid off; I'm feeling pretty good about it. My article is going to be published in next week's edition of the Summer Times and I think Lucina's is too (?)

Tonight is Ithaca's Fourth of July Fireworks Celebration - what better way to celebrate a long day, huh?

Relieved,
Theresa

To have done so much, I have so much more to do

It is week two and things are going well here at Cornell. I am proud to say I received my essay back on my first hand medical experience, and I received an A-. Yesterday, the excitement I felt after turning over my essay, and seeing the A I had been visualizing in my head was a great bust of confidence. The feed back my TA gave me I will definitely use in my next essay.
Our next essay is geared towards the book The Spirit Catches you and you fall down. Nothing like a book report, we have to analysis and reflect upon the book, not by giving our reader the average information they can receive by reading the book; like the known theme throughout the book of "culture clash." But explain in dept the challenges immigration gives America's medical system , and tie in the ideas of the Lee family (Hmong refugees) and the medical physicians involved in Lia Lee's disease of epilepsy. This next paper which is six pages long is due on Monday. Tonight I will be giving Colleen (my TA) my first paragraph which will contain my thesis statement. By showing her the beginnings of my essay, I hope to gain feed back to see if I am on the right track. Hopefully my essay will be complete by Friday and by then, I will have seen Colleen twice; once for my opening paragraph and the other for my body paragraphs. Besides working on my essay, this week will continue to be dedicated to reading Silent Travelers, a book explaining different diseases and the immigrants that brought the diseases to America. My group will present a chapter summary on chapter 8 for our class tomorrow.
Also this week I ate dinner with my mentor Kari. Kari is one of many staff members at Cornell who volunteered to be a mentor for scholarship students here at summer college. She is very eager and excited to get to know each and everyone of her students. Although she is on vacation this week, she took the time to have dinner with us. This showed me how dedicated she is in getting to know us, and helping make Cornell an enjoyable experience. Hopefully next week my mentor and our group will be able to get together before I leave.
Malcolm, Joseph and I, last night had dinner with professor Goldwin (our body, mind and health professor). Although dinner with a professor might seem uptight and awkward, I actually had a great time. She is very down to earth and gave plenty of advice, not only as a professor, but as a mother who had two kids go through the college admissions process. The dinner was informative.
The excitement I received from getting my essay grade, will definitely help me in writing my paper due Monday. Although I hope I will be done with my essay by Friday, I know that this weekend I will still have final touches to do on it. Majority of my time will be devoted in making my essay the best it possible can be. That way on Sunday night, unlike most kids I will not be rushing to finish my paper.
And hopefully tonight I will have all my work done, so I can go to dance class!

Jamaya Monroe

Do you have EARS???

Yeah, yeah we all have ears but do we know how to use them? EARS is a counciling center here at Cornell where students can come in on a non-regular basis, to speak with someone just to be heard when the are having a problem. E= empathy, A = assistance, R= referential, S= service. Wendy Camergon, a Human Development major from Cornell will begin here senior year this fall. She is a trainer for EARS program counselors.
Today in my afternoon seminar she came in as a gust speaker demonstrated good listening tactics. People want someone to listen to them when they speak especially when they are trying to convey a problem. These are some of the qualities a great listener has, Understanding, Genuine, Respectful, Esteem, Empathy, and non- Judgemental. This are external attributes of a great listener but external one count as well. It is much easier for a person to continuing expressing themselves and talk when the person listening to them is relaxed, open, leans forward to show engagement, keeps eye contact,remains silent, is encouraging, carrys a moderte tone of voice if speaking.
It's important not to turn to automatically giving advise, and rather let the person try to find a solution to their own problem. It's crucial to not turn the conversation to you, the listener because it sidetracks the person who is having the issue from their own ideas and thoughts. Sometimes when someone expresses that they are having a problem, its almost automatic for someone to respond to that person " Me too!", or " I know what you're going through."
This is an example of turning the conversation away from the other person.
Key phrases to stay away from are "It''ll be OK ,or it's not a big deal." These terms can be offending and in some cases of sign of lacking care or understanding. Instead of using those phrases an empathy statement is the perfect substitute, kind of like splenda you don't get the harsh calories from the sugar but you still get the same wanted sweetness. Empathy Statements Used sound like this, It sounds like you're feeling ______ because________ which is important to you becasue_____. In the first blank goes the feeling, second the content and third the value. So next time someone wants to seriously talk give them your Ears!

WENDY

Time to Party!

No, not that kind of party...
I mean, time to have a study party!
Tomorrow is our midterm for the Freedom and Justice class, covering themes and passages from Locke, to Plato, to St. Agustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, to both the Old and New Testaments. Today we finished discussing Locke (a personal favorite even before we came here), and had quite a "heated" debate regarding the meanings and justifications of tacit consent. I loved it. Tonight, our TA is holding a question and answer session for the rest of our group, and then afterwards, some friends and I are going to have our own little get together and review and make a chart of the different concepts of each philosopher; hopefully it works!
I doubt anyone is going to sleep much tonight...

Extremely Stressed,
Theresa

*O, but on a lighter note: I submitted an article to the Summer Times here at Cornell; it was a sort of letter to home talking about the experience so far. I'll post again whe I know more about when/if it's going to be published.

Weekend get-a-ways

Video Clip of Wendy

Check out our classroom setup with guest speaker
Allison Beach, MSW, LICSW

Wendy's Reflection

And we start again...

It's the second week here at Cornell! And it definately feels like we've all adjusted to the routine. Except for the fact that I overslept this morning, but STILL had breakfast and got to class on time. It seemed like the day would never end. But it did. I actually felt accomplished today. I was able to take some time after class, almost 2 hours, to go to the chapel, sit under a tree and do some work. It felt really good and I loved the environment. The day was absolutely perfect. On Wednesday, all the Freedom & Justice kids are taking the mid-term. I, for one, have been studying and trying to keep up with the reading at the same time. Our T.A., Michelle, is really helpful and is holding a study session tomorrow night so we can all study for the mid-term. After class, I'm just going to study the night away so I can feel good about the mid-term. It's a load of work, but hey, this is a preview of the college life! And I am enjoying it. :)

Signing off,
Lucina Parada

The Second Monday

Two more weeks to go, but classes are very intense. Had to re-adjust to the going back to class, but it wasn't too hard. I ended up going to class a bit too early. But hey, extra time to do more homework...In class, we talked about Determinants of Contsruals, and types of Social Influence. In my discussion, we talked about our quiz (if you ask how I did, I will reply with an "eh..." so no point in asking). I learned from the quiz the kind of style the TA is looking for. I also learned how I can better prepare for the next one (more studying, and more asking questions).
We then started to go over our op-ed essay due next week. I think I might have some ideas for it. It will definitely be interesting. In Seminar, we talked about Depression and Suicide. In my personal opinion, the information was some great stuff, but the presentation....well, I learned how to muster up all my energy to pay attention. That's another good skill to have. The rest of my time was devoted to dinner, and homework. Oh, and of course shower. Yippee...

~Yoline

Video: What a Day! by Alvin

After I presented my powerpoint presentation, I felt relieved of all stress. My presentation was not the best but I gained a great deal of communication skills by presenting. I was nervous during the first few minutes of my presentation, but I slowly claim down and felt as if no one was watching me. It was my first time doing a presentation in front of a large crowd (90 people), so I know that this experience is valuable and could be carry on with me to college. Since my group, was the 2nd to present, I got a chance to listen to the other 18 groups do their presentations. The 18 other groups presented as if they were professionals. They were clam and had great posture throughout the presentation. At that point I realized that college wasn't a joke and everyone in the class had experience in public speaking. Their presentations add to my knowledge of pubic speaking.


I have a quiz tomorrow about today presentations so it is time for me to get sleep.
Alvin Yee

Feelin' good!

Hey people! How are you? Hope you are good, because I’m feeling great! I just saw my score on my first quiz on psychology and did well. I thought it was going to be much harder just for the sole reason that I was told so. But it was not the case. I mean there were some parts to it where I had to put thought into it, but it was good. Amazing I would say. I would have never thought I would have done this good. I feel confident now, but I’m not going to let it get to my head. I am so happy to have gotten 41 out of 50.
Today, Monday we were back to classes after a nice weekend of doing laundry and going to the mall, and getting some necessities for surviving the heat out here, like water and other fluids. The lecture went by fast; I guess I’m getting used to it. Also Wendy Espinoza, Yoline Banerjee and me went over one of the libraries to read and study. We lasted there about three hours. It was a whole different experience; it was so quiet I could actually concentrate without getting distracted. I felt good about myself. Being a loud person I am, it was a new path for me to study in a quiet place, and I think I can get used to it, also because it will be very helpful for my college days.
I really like the competitiveness out here and it’s teaching me a lot of new things. For instance, now I can use different study skills and methods, like today at the library. I know I will be able to use that experience in the future.
Well for today that will be it. I have to get back to reading and to sleeping. People out here emphasize a lot on going to sleep early and having a rest. So, hope you guys keep in touch. Bye!

Sincerely,

Ana Garibo
Kennedy High '09
The Individual in the Social World
Summer of '08

My Weekend

The weekend is over and so is fun time. I had a great weekend plenty of time to relax and think back on all I had learned during the week. I studied a great range of diseases and the deep histories surrounding them and many of the ways that modern medicine is combating them now. I also learned about different cultures and how culture is a great factor when determining how medicine is understood. My weekend was great I went the movies and also enjoyed myself at the Syracuse mall. After this relaxation weekemd now its time to get back to work.

From,
Malcolm

'Tis 8 o' clock on a Sunday evening. As we've told each other many times, all of kids are lacking sleep and stressing a little about our workload. However, we are surviving and rejuvenating ourselves with quick trips to the mall in Ithaca and making new friends.

I'll admit, I have been missing my friends and family a little bit. Yet, I am grateful to have been chosen for this opportunity and am making plenty of new friends to enhance my experience here at Cornell U. I tell stories about my friends back home to kids I've met here so far, and I'll surely have stories of my new friends to take back home.

Nonetheless, not all free time can be used for fun. Just the other day, in the Freedom and Justice class we had over 100 pages to read in two nights. Some workload, huh?

Speaking of workload, I have to type the first draft of an essay about Plato and his view on democracy before tomorrow morning. So this is where I'll leave you all.

Peace!

Chelsey Whitworth

QUIZZES? NO!!!

Hello again…My apologies for you all! I have been a little busy with other events and well now I’m here. What new to say? A lot is new. I just had a quiz for my class the Individual in the Social World. It was pretty interesting to be quizzed on a subject that would take a semester to learn. I was told it would be very challenging, but I thought it was otherwise. Sure there were new terms I didn’t understand at first, but because I studied so hard for it, I felt comfortable taking it. We were quizzed on how birth and intelligence interfere with each other. For instance, if a child is a first born, their intelligence will be greater than that of their sibling. The quiz also had questions on the effect of mere exposure. When a person is exposed to an item or a person, they will start liking them more and more each time they are exposed to it.
A couple of days before the quiz, I had watched a movie with my classmates on the Prison Experiment at Stanford University. There was also a question on the movie. We were asked what the dependent and independent variables of the experiment were. We were also asked the effect the experiment had on the randomly selected participants. The fact that they were starting to take their roles was one of the effects and how that influenced their treatment towards each other, from the “prisoner” to the “guard”.
With that, I would like to say that I would have never thought I would be in an Ivy League school taking quizzes like the one I took, and actually feel good about it. I owe it all to the sponsors who supported us and made this opportunity possible. You are the ones that make dreams come true! I would also like to extend my gratitude to Mr. Ramsey and Ms. Kronenberg. Thanks for all the support. Hope you enjoy reading our everyday life at Cornell.
Moreover, some of us went to the Syracuse Mall to have fun. The mall was huge and I had my legs hurting all night from all the walking I did, even though I actually do lots of walking over at Cornell. Going to class, to our discussion session, to our seminar, to eat at Appel Commons, to our dorms, makes a day of walking all over campus. It’s worth it though. I like walking. About our dorm life, well it feels like you are an independent person with a life of your own without your parents, but you also have to be aware of how you organize yourself. It’s great to have this experience and see everything from your point of view and have a taste of what life is without your parents or guardians watching your every more. I am now aware that all the things our parents tell us are true. When I go off on my own, this experience will be great help and influence me in the decisions I make.
Thanks for tuning in. Hope you like hearing from us and keep supporting us. I miss all my loved ones and I want them to know I love them and I’ll be keeping in touch with them on every exciting moment I have. Well until next time. Have a nice day. Hope everything else is well.

Sincerely,

Ana Garibo
Kennedy High '09
The Individual in the Social World
Summer of '08

True meaning of the college life

As the days go by faster at Cornell Summer College, I felt myself growing independently. I have had to wake up early on the weekend (something I don't do often) to finish my research and start on a power point assignment. No one push me to wake up, but I choose to do so myself. I knew that I had to start my assignment early on the weekend, before I turned into a student at the computer lab procrastinating

its 3:42 in Ithaca NY, which means there's a good chance of it being both hot and foggy. I wouldn't know--the shades are down, and my fan is on. who needs the outside world when you have plenty of reading to do? That's not to say I didn't leave my room today, which apparently is a problem in Japan, many young(ish) people give up and never leave their rooms again except for a midnight food-run to the convenience store. This, I learned in class, is a culture-bound illness, or an affliction that only affects people of one culture, (like teenage girls in America cutting. or running amok in Malaysia)
Today I went to the Ithaca Commons, which is a promenade with many little shops, boutiques, and restaurants. Wendy's mentor Jenny, who seems really cool and is going to take us to laser tag next weekend, went with us. Now, i'm going to whole myself up in my room until i finish my reading.
till later,
Joseph Young

Waking up on a Saturday night

Woo-hoo, the weekend is finally here. Its 12:47 right now, and some people might be thinking that I should be sleeping, but hey, I'm a teenager. Turns out we all come alive in the night. Yesterday was a pretty big day for me, and I believe as well as my fellow peers in the Psychology course. It was our first test, and I won't deny it, I was pretty nervous. Way more nervous that finals back at home. I guess its because of who the other students are in my class. Looking around at these students from around the nation (and a couple from around the world), things get kind of...intimidating. These are students whose parents have money, and if they don't go to a private school/boarding school, they go to a public school that is very rich with resources. And I mean rich. Also, these kids are smart. It seems that because their schools have money, they are able to pay for "a better education". Except, you cannot really compare that with WCCUSD, because that's just the way our economy is back home. Richmond/Pinole/El Cerrito/what-ever-else is in the district isn't rich. Luckily, we still manage. People are able to come out of our district with enough intelligence to get them far. Still, it still is a bit scary to be thinking that "these are people that are used to way more vigorous work than me, and I have to be taking the same test as them". In our psychology class, we learned that the mere presence can indeed have an effect on a person. In can have a negative effect, or a positive one. It might have been a negative one for me, but I made the best of it. I did that test, and what is done is done. A paper with questions does not summarize who I am. Who decided that tests were the best way to evaluate how much a person knows on a subject anyway?
Continuing on, after my test, and in the other class, an essay, we all decided to go take a break. We went to the mall, and watched Wanted. It is a very good movie, and i recommend it to all. Yes, that means you Mr. Ramsey, go watch the movie IN THE THEATER. One must see the movie in theater to get the theater effect. Today, I was able to sleep in a little bit later, and some of us was even able to go to an even bigger mall, and hour and a half drive away. It was fun, but I wish it was closer. A lot closer. I have now learned that I reeealllly want to go to a college that is close to a city. And when I mean close, I mean at most 30 minutes away. At least I was able to have that comparison with Cornell and Brown. Brown = city, Cornell = no city.
I think I'm good for now. ttyl ppls.

~Yoline

Taking Care of Business

Today I went shopping at the Carousel Center with four other Ivy League Connection students and our chaperon Ms. Neal. We had a good time. We returned to our dorms at 6.Now I just finished taking out the trash, doing my laundry and vacuuming. Not a new thing for me as I usually do these things at home. (really) I had trouble figuring out where to take the trash and how to use the HI -tech swipe only machines. After talking to my RA and some students I figured it out and got what I needed done. I plan to rest,exercise and read this weekend.

- Wendy Espinoza

Laundry, Plato and the rain

Finally, as many others have said, our first week is done. It feels good to have made it through the first week. I know for a fact I had been anticipating walking into the lecture hall and listening to a college professor for a really long time. Now that I've done that, I feel like I've adjusted to living the college life. It's given me a lot of insight to what to expect when I leave for college. The environment is great: the feeling of independence is the best since you can go to bed whenever you want, do your homework whenever you please and so on. Sitting in the lecture hall is one of the coolest things about this experience. I respect the professor a lot because you can tell that he's passionate about philosophy. The students in my discussion group are so excited to learn. It's obvious that they study and they want to understand what Plato really believes in. It's only been the first week and I've learned a lot. Now, I have to learn how to do laundry!

Signing off,
Lucina Parada

Finally, It's the WEEKEND!

So our first week of Summer College is officially over, at least as far as class goes. We still have a ton of work, including reading forty pages of Locke (which I'm actually looking forward to), and an essay on Plato's view of democracy - now that should be interesting... We've made a lot of friends since we've been here and, for me at least, it's been one of the best parts of the whole experience. Esther and Lawrence are from Canada, Gabbi is from Iowa, and Katie is from New Jersey - and that's only about half of the people we've met. Yesterday was a real treat, as we don't have class Friday afternoons, so we all got to celebrate by taking a trip to the mall and going to see a movie. (The Love Guru was HILARIOUS!) Today is definitely going to be an adventure, since it'll be my first time doing laundry. - Wish me luck...
Anyways, that's all for now, time to go to brunch!
-Theresa

First Week's Impressions

Hi, it's Jeannie!

Well, this week has been pretty hectic, and I'm convinced that the following 2 weeks will be just as hectic if not more. Luckily, our freedom and justice class didn't have any sort of quizzes/tests this week, however, we were assigned an essay on the first day and we were given another essay on Friday. Our first essay's topic was, "What does freedom mean to you?" We had to turn in a first draft, the Teacher Assistant edited it, and then we had to turn in a final draft. Luckily, it wasn't graded. Our next topic was, "What's Plato's view on democracy?" Our first draft is due on Monday.

Besides the essays, we've had to read a lot about St. Aquinas, St. Augustine, Plato, the New/Old Testament, and I should be reading Locke this weekend.

Yesterday, to relax after a whole week of school, my friends and I decided to go to the mall together. We eventually broke off into groups. I watched Wall-E(recommended!) and then we went shopping, took the bus back, hung out for an hour or two, dinner, movie on laptop, and then sleep. I was so tired when I went to the movies, I actually fell asleep watching it! Luckily, I only fell asleep for about 5 min. or so, so it wasn't too bad. Doesn't everyone enjoy a quick nap sometimes?

I'm getting more familiar with the North Campus now. On the first day of summer college, I was intimidated by the number of summer college students and the size of the university.

It's about time to go to brunch, so I'll sign out now.

hey this is Jared checking in.
Today I had my first test in Psychology, and in my opinion it was relatively easy, even though some of my classmates thought that it was very hard. After the test I went to trillium where I met a PSP student, and got to know a little about the experiences that they have. I later went to dinner with a few friends that I have met here. We went to Miyuki Sushi Bar in college town, after which we went bowling at Helen Newman bowling arena across from Rawlings Green.
Thats all for now. More to come.
Jared

College life

My 2nd year at Cornell Summer College was completely different from my expectations. I didn't expect to have an 8 hour school day at Cornell, which limited my free time. I knew that there would be heavy work load, but did not expect to have mandatory office just to finish homework. The social life differed from last year. Everyone is always in there room (maybe because there is more work this year). Living in a dorm without my WCCUSD made me feel like a normal student (not scholarship funded) this year because I had spend time with other student around the world.

This year a typical weekday for me on the Cornell campus is something, I have never experience before. I wake up, start school, and sleep. I have lecture from 8-11 in the morning about the hotel industry. In the afternoon we learn about business writing and presentation in the computer lab from 1PM to 4PM, leaving me with 2 hours of free time per day.

Over the past week I have experienced an abundant amount of rigorous assignments. I have had to read an average of 25 pages per night on the lodging industry and the history about hotel. Every afternoon, I am exposed to new software, specify Microsoft Office 2007. Today I turned in my first business memo about my strategy toward running my own 250 rooms upper-upscale hotel simulation, which was done using Microsoft word 2007. This weekend I will have my hand full with my assigned group working on a PowerPoint Presentation about the Marriot International Hotel, which will be present on Monday during Lecture time.