Getting The Hang of Blogging

As I was on my way to the blogging tutorial at Hercules High School, I couldn’t help admiring how green the campus was; its leafy trees and smooth-looking grass were eye-catching. I then saw Don there, who was unloading the last of his things he brought for the tutorial. After I introduced him to my mother, I entered the classroom, which was empty since I was the first one there.

My mother and I had just chosen our seats when my chaperone, Mr. Mannix, walked in. He was a tall guy with very long hair. This surprised me a little because in that photo Don sent us, Mr. Mannix had short hair. I was also a little jealous of his hair, since my hair doesn’t grow very fast-or very long. Anyway, Mr. Mannix was a really interesting person that had this very relaxed mellow vibe to him. I also really appreciated how passionate he was about being a teacher; it’s really great seeing people do what they love.

After our conversation with Mr. Mannix, I sat down and got ready for the tutorial. Don talked to us about the most important subject of the day: blogging. He showed us a lot, from formatting our blogs, to tucking in our elbows to take a picture. He also stressed about the importance of proofing our blogs, which is a MUST since people all over the world will be reading them. I found this a little frightening, considering only few people (besides teachers) have read what I’ve written, and believe me, I am not the best writer. However, that’s why blogging like this is a good thing. One of the best ways to learn is through trial and error, and I know blogging every day is bound to give major improvements to my writing.

After the first session of the tutorial, we got a break to mingle with our fellow ILCers. Unfortunately, I tend to be a tad socially awkward so I was a little nervous about this mingling business. To help with my awkwardness, Julia, a friend of mine, went along with me to meet a group of girls near the water bottles. To my dismay, it didn’t turn out so well, and we ended up only shaking hands with a girl named Emily. Emily even had to initiate the handshake. However, my efforts for mingling eventually went through. I got to meet a student from De Anza named Roger who is going to Yale for the strenuous Grand Strategies course. He is a really nice guy, and I talked to him throughout the tutorial.

The rest of the tutorial went on smoothly with some hands-on blogging and other information including loaner items-which is extremely helpful for me. Going to this tutorial made me realize that I have a long way to go before I begin thinking about getting on that plane for Nashville. Even though there are several things I must do before July comes around, I am excited to begin this unbelievable adventure with my cohort.

Thank you ILC, for making this possible for all of us.

ILC Tutorial: Another Test

I was rather nervous yesterday morning. However, I wasn't nervous because of what lies ahead in the Ivy League Connection--fancy dinners, school board meetings, public speaking, traveling, Vanderbilt's program, and etc--was too overwhelming. I was nervous about giving a good impression to my fellow ILCers and my chaperone (not to mention a second impression to Don). 

It was 9:01 AM, when I got out of my car to head to Don's tutorial, and I was late. It was pouring rain as my mother and I rushed to the tutorial/computer room in Hercules High School. My heart was beating so fast by the fact that I was late, I couldn't think properly. And so, it took a while to find the room. When I did, I was pretty wet; everyone looked at me. Being the person everyone was waiting on, I was very embarrassed. Don gave me the agenda packets for the day's tutorial, telling me that I should pass them out since I was late. Still nervous and embarrassed, I forgot to give myself a packet. I got up out of my seat to get an extra one during the tutorial, not thinking that Don would say anything, but he did. He said, "This is a test, Chris." And I knew when he said that, the impression I was giving to everyone in that room wasn't so great. I felt weak, stupid, lost, awkward, and embarrassed; and I was still nervous!

However, once we were allowed a break through after about a third of the session, Hannah and I (along with our mothers) had the opportunity to meet our chaperone, Mr. Mannix. After just a few exchanges of sentences with him, all the negative feelings I once had, were gone. I was no longer nervous, and instead, that feeling was replaced by excitement--especially when we found out that we're spending July 4th in Washington D.C.!

At first, I was worried that Mr. Mannix was going to be very strict on us. We heard from Don that our chaperone is a strict vegan and environmentalist and that Don really liked him. This scared me a bit. I'm not saying Don's judgement is not favorable, but I just wasn't sure why Don really liked him. However, I can see why Don did, because I really liked him. In fact, if I had a choice to choose out of all the chaperones available for our trip, I'd choose Mr. Mannix. It seems like we'll have plenty of freedom, but also know that he'll recognize our interests and opinions during the trip. He said we'll try to do things that everyone wants to do or is interested in, and that made me even more excited. It seems like the five of us are going to have a blast this July!

The excitement for my adventure to Vanderbilt continued throughout the tutorial as Don mentioned our travels, and it still continues as I type this. It relieved me to know that I'll be able to be loaned practically anything I don't have available for this trip, from a laptop to a laundry bag.

I also realized how important and how beneficial this program is going to be for me. Mr. Ramsey and Ms. Kronenberg took the liberty of coming and talking to us at the end. He said that because of last year's programs, 35% of the ILCers that year were admitted into an Ivy League College. That amazed me, knowing that the acceptance rate of most Ivy Leagues are less than 10%. It truly made me realize what kind of program I'm in, and I'm  grateful for what the ILC has given me. I can't wait to see what lies ahead!

Ah, three weeks here--too beautiful.

And so it begins...

When I found out that I would be attending Vanderbilt University this summer, I didn't really think about anything else except going to Nashville. Today, however, it dawned on me that I would be shouldering a whole new set of responsibilities before I even go to Tennessee, and I can't lie; I was pretty intimidated. 

Welcome to Nashville!

The rain had stopped by the time my older sister came to meet me outside of Hercules High School's library, where I had just had my SAT prep class. Together, we walked the short distance to the computer room where Don Gosney was holding the tutorial session for the Ivy League Connection ambassadors. I greeted Don and a few of my friends while my sister found us a computer and seats. I sat down next to her and waited for Don to begin. 

He started off by reminding us about the importance of checking our emails daily. He then transitioned to what responsibilities lay ahead of us, what materials we should (and shouldn't) bring, and he even gave some very entertaining examples of how not to act while on the East coast. Finally, he ended with a tutorial on how to blog. All of this took about two hours and it was all very informative, but I must admit that by the middle of the tutorial, I was lost in my own reverie.

Public speaking, oh no!

I knew that, as a representative of the ILC, I would have to attend several dinners and possibly be asked to give a speech at some of those dinners, but I never really dwelled on that too much because I was too distracted by the fact that I was just going to Vanderbilt. Now, however, I was very aware of the fact that I might have to give an impromptu speech in front of a multitude of people who I don't even know. You'd think someone who is a member of their school's Speech and Debate team would be confident when it came to public speaking, but I was terrified at the idea. I could just imagine myself up there on that stage muttering unintelligibly and playing with my hair (which is something I usually do when I'm nervous). 

I'm going to be more exasperated
than she is...

I was just about to turn to Maryam to voice my worries to her when Don mentioned something else; doing our own laundry. I knew that my family wasn't going with me to Tennessee, and I was happy about that, but I realized that there wasn't going to be anyone to take care of me. If I got sick, I wouldn't have my mom to treat me; If I needed something, my dad wouldn't be there to help me; and if I got into trouble, my sisters wouldn't be there to help me out. I will be completely on my own, which is unusually for me since, as the youngest member of my family, I have always had someone there to take care of me. 

I got this from the Internet...these aren't my hands!

Before I knew it, an hour had passed. While I was still spiraling in my pit of despair and paranoia, Don had reached the final subject of the tutorial: blogging. He told us all about blogging and showed us the applications we would be using. He also mentioned that people all over the world would be seeing our blogs. When I heard this, I suddenly forgot about all of my previous worries; all I could think about now was the fact that I would finally be writing something that would actually be exposed to eyes other than my own.  

I grew excited as I began listing prospective blogging ideas to Maryam, who had opened up several tabs on the computer and searched things like "effective blogging layouts" and "most popular blogs".

At that moment, all I could think about was writing; writing about the people I was going to meet, the places I was going to see, the foods I was going to eat, the things I was going to learn. I realized that my worries were completely ridiculous; as long as I have writing, I can solve any of my problems. I am ready for Vanderbilt and all of the challenges that may come with it. 

This is where I will be spending three weeks of my summer! Isn't it beautiful? 

And so my journey begins...

The Tutorial: One Step Closer To Vanderbilt

This morning I, along with many other Ivy League Connection ambassadors, some parents, and chaperones gathered at a computer room at Hercules High School for a tutorial session. Being one of the first ILC milestone events, I made sure I got up on time and got to the school early, just in case there was traffic, especially with the rainy weather, or if I got lost finding the classroom. I hate being late to things, so I arrived extra early, being the first one to get my school ID, CA ID, and medical card scanned. I anxiously sat quietly at one of the computers, with my flashdrive at the ready, and my water bottle, ready to get to work. As I sat patiently waiting for other students to arrive, I met with a fellow ILC member, Kelly Xi, and we got to know each other a little bit. I learned that she will be attending Brown this summer, studying DNA:Biotechnology.

Before I continue on about this tutorial, being my first time blogging, let me introduce myself, just like we did at the beginning of the session today. My name is Hannah Lee Pablo, and I am currently a sophomore at Pinole Valley High School. I am going to Vanderbilt University this summer, and will be studying Lived Religion: The Abrahamic Faiths.

As our departure date to the East Coast nears, we will be attending many ILC events.  Today's tutorial was just the beginning to our ILC journey. This session was very informational and was led by the exceptional photographer, Don Gosney. He began by stressing the importance of checking emails at least once a day. With 51 ILC members and chaperones this year, communication is really important. 

He then taught us how to do basic blogging, and the specific things we must follow. Towards the end of the session, we actually got to create a practice blog, using spell check, certain formatting, spacing, and even adding photos, and I find that it's not very difficult. I learned a lot about photography and PhotoShop. I hope to explore photography more as I begin to document the many wonderful experiences that lie ahead of me this summer. With Don's tips and tricks, from how to hold a camera when snapping a photo to red eye reduction, I really gained a lot of helpful information. One thing I will always remember when blogging is to proof my work. It's amazing to know that thousands of people all over the world will be reading my blog, from random strangers to the ILC sponsors, and even the college admissions officers. This is a very important aspect of blogging, because people will get to know us through these blogs, and it can set our reputation for our future endeavors. I was happy to hear that seven out of twenty ILC alumni, have just been accepted to Ivy League schools.

Aside from our Blogging 101 session, Don also discussed our responsibilities as ILC ambassadors, and the many things expected from us. From punctuality, proper attire, to public speaking, we were informed on the many tools we need to know, to succeed as an ILC member. Overall, this tutorial session was very beneficial, well structured, and organized. I learned a lot and I will be able to look back at the 34 pages of tutorial notes provided for us.

My cohort and I are one step closer to Vanderbilt. With many other events ahead of us, a few necessary loaner items from Don, and a luggage to pack, I am excited and eager to explore World Religions and the East Coast this summer. I even got to meet my chaperone today: Mr.Mannix, and I grew even more excited to spend my summer with him. He seems like a pretty cool person, and after talking to him, I find he will be a very helpful and resourceful person.

Vanderbilt, here I come!

Lastly, I would like to give a big thank you to everyone involved in the ILC for making this opportunity possible!

Heading to Nashville!

Nashville is a city of rich history and culture. I am excited to investigate the area's traditions in literature and academics, as well as theater and music. Some speak disparagingly of this city and the South in general. However, I look forward to breaking down these generalizations and appreciating all that the city and Vanderbilt University has to offer.

Today's meeting was productive, and I enjoyed meeting Hannah, Chris, and their respective mothers. I look forward to meeting the other students in the cohort very soon. It seems that Don and the crew have left no stone unturned in their preparation for this program. It is a relief to see this trip organized with the highest of standards and expectations.

By the way, cohorts. You can go here to get an idea about the weather we'll be dealing with in July.