Great Expectations, Greater City

And so, I begin my final blog until departure.

It's more than a cumulative review of the orientation: it's a reminder that I am almost there. I'm almost finished with the preliminary portion of the Ivy League Connection. I've been through essays, interviews, tutorials, dinners, school board meetings, and hard times in general. Finishing the orientation is almost like reaching the final stage of a sort-of surreal game.

And, that's pretty cool.

The orientation actually surprised me in that there were more questions to be asked and more answers to be given. And, in realizing that, I can appreciate just how much work, time, and effort goes into this trip--not just for me, but for my cohorts and the rest of the ILC as well. Consideration is universal and across the board for this trip. From airfare, to the itinerary, to the curriculum, to subways, to dorm-room living, to weekend RA trips, to spending money, to opportunity as a whole, we are a far greater investment than I, and I would venture to say others, have honestly and earnestly realized. And, I acknowledge that now. I am gracious for such.

It really is outstanding.

Further, it was pretty inspiring to see the sea of faces in the El Cerrito High School Library. There are a lot, a rife amount, of students (and parents) participating in this program, and soon these same students will be scattered throughout the East Coast. It's not that I never appreciated such an organization and such an opportunity, it's that the scope was not in perspective for me. But, I'm catching on.

What was most exciting to hear more about was the ILC Press, to be introduced this coming Fall. It was, however, spoiled slightly for me, as I had overheard an exchange about it before. But, it was certainly exciting to expand my knowledge on the idea. And, I'm fully supportive of it. Just by reading these blogs I've seen some astounding writing--lines that make you read twice. And, I feel as though the ILC naturally attracts great writers. I mean, the very first task to attain a position in the program is the essay, which says something powerful in and of itself.

Anyway, the ILC Press will be a great addition to the ILC as a whole, and, as stated at the orientation, I do not believe there is another program, organization, or opportunity for teenagers to pursue professional writing and explore careers related to such in high school. And so, I myself, as others I hope, would jump at the chance to get involved in such a program. The possibilities are quite broad, and the potential is huge. I wish it the best, and I've already began spreading the word of such.

It's oh so exciting.

As the day of departure draws near, however, the expectations looming over our shoulders grow heavier. To that same end, however, I feel myself growing stronger, able to support that additional weight, per se. What is expected of me is great; it is immense. But, what I expect of the city is greater. And, I've only got 16 days left to prove that.

Post-Orientation Realizations

It really wasn't until after the orientation at the library at ECHS that it truly hit me: this is really happening.

I'm going to New York in the summer.

I'm going to Columbia in the summer.

That's... amazing.

I can't say for sure what exactly did it. It wasn't hearing from former-ILCers about their experiences at Ivy League schools; it wasn't going over the itinerary with Mrs. L and my parents and the other Columbia-bound students; it wasn't talking about book requirements for the course. But, at the same time, it must have been all of those things and more. When I walked out the front doors of my school, I wasn't thinking about my upcoming physics final, or the blessed approach of lazy summer days, or what to do as a send-off for a favorite foreign exchange student heading home after graduation. My head was whirling with thoughts of New York: what I would do, who I would meet, what I would wear, what I would learn. Whirling with thoughts of Columbia and how magnificent it'll be when I arrive there. Whirling with thoughts of just how much I'd miss my family: will I call home every day, saying how much I'm homesick for everything in California, or will I dive in head first without a second glance?

I went shopping with my mother today (or rather I should say yesterday; its very early morning now), scoping out clothing for the humid east coast summer I'd be dealing with for close to a month. That was another moment that drove it home for me. Standing in a fitting room, mentally debating the merits of looser-but-less-familiar cotton shorts versus my ever-so-steadfast jean shorts that would perhaps be uncomfortably hot in the humidity, it all hit me again: this is really happening. Even two days after the orientation, I'm still getting these occasional waves of impending movement, the future washing over me when I least expect it.

But, I should stop rambling on about shopping sprees in Emeryville and talk a bit about the orientation. I wasn't as early as I'd liked to be, verging on the point of almost being late (which I'm worried is becoming my M.O. in the program, something I'm going to have to work very hard in the future to disprove). I enjoyed hearing about the ILC Press, which had been mentioned previously at the dinner in San Francisco but was detailed a bit more Thursday evening. The idea of high school students, students like me, having their poems and stories and novels published in a true publication is a stroke of brilliance, and I'm really heartened and proud to see the WCCUSD implementing visions like this, even after the success of the Ivy League Connection. I feel like the ILC Press will do a lot to help students in the district get a leg-up on whatever careers in writing they choose, and it will also encourage other students, those with less of a literary bent, to take up a pen and explore their own creativity through writing when they see their published peers enjoying the benefits of the publication.

Don talked a bit about his loaner items (emphasis on “loaner”!) and shared some advice for the technical side of our packing; although I'm tempted to borrow a security cable from him, the safety it provides seems like a decent investment even after this summer, so I think I'll purchase a permanent one for myself.

When we moved away from the main group of people into separate rooms for every school, it was really helpful to hear from someone who'd participated in the program at Columbia before. Yueming, the sister of my fellow student Eric Wang, was at the orientation to talk about her experiences in the Presidential Powers course at the university, and she was more than willing and very able to answer the questions we threw at her to try to remedy our ignorance. It was great hearing about her recollections of life in the girls' dorms, which were a suite style arrangement that Yueming described as “like living in a sorority,” which will certainly be a memorable experience! And perhaps its only because here in Kensington we have only one (relatively ill-equipped) library at our disposal, but I was really impressed to hear that the students during the summer had access to two libraries. Yueming gave us some helpful hints on what we did not need to bring (25-foot ethernet cables are not necessary at Columbia, thank goodness) and described the way her Presidential Powers course was run in a discussion-based way; I'm excited to learn whether or not my Constitutional Law course is the same.

Then we covered the itinerary. Mrs. L gave us out all our packets o' stuff, containing everything from hotel reservations to airline confirmations to our planned train rides to visit colleges. The itinerary got me thinking about what exactly I wanted to see while I was in the Big Apple: museums, Broadway shows, art galleries, what? Of course my mother's inner New Yorker came out when we started talking as a group about we just had to see: she suggested we go see the Cloisters, owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I kept remembering Beilul's suggestion at our last meeting that we go see the Harry Potter 7 Part 2 movie at its midnight screening in New York; I'm hoping she's as busy concocting plans to convince an R.A. to take us as I am because, hey, two minds are better than one. But if I think about it, what I desperately want to do is watch the fireworks around the Statue of Liberty on the 4^th of July, preferably from the water. I've got this old picture from when I was last in New York: can't you just see the brilliant fireworks exploding off to the right against a black sky with the city glittering in the background?

And Off We Go!

Last night all 35 of us ILCers attended a mandatory orientation, which was our last time meeting together before our big trip. We had words from Mrs. Kronenberg and Mr. Ramsey about our programs and what will be expected of us once we leave. Don showed us all of the loaner items that he will be giving out if needed for our trip.

Not many people can say they would be excited to write a 20 page research paper, but I am. The whole experience excites me! There is hardly anyone else that can say they will be attending Columbia University in the summer and take a class by a real college professor. Not only that but we get the opportunity to have college work before they go to college. I'm ready to tackle that essay!

Eric's sister, Yueming, spoke to us about the program since she attended it last year. She informed us on how the dorms worked, weather, and everything we needed to know about the program. My favorite part was when she told us our class doesn't start until 10:00 AM meaning we have a chance to sleep in a little if we would like. Looks like being away from home will not be too bad after all...

Our chaperone, Mrs. L., told us about all of the exciting things we can do in New York while we are there. We have access to some of the greatest museums in the world, not to mention the greatest historical sites in the country. From Times Square to Ellis Island, we have it all in our reach. I'm excited to learn inside of the classroom of course, but there is also a great learning experience waiting outside of the college.

This milestone event to me is almost like having the people who support us giving us our wings to explore the experiences that are out there waiting for us. The Columbia group will be leaving June 22^nd to the Big Apple. The countdown begins...

And Off We Go!

Counting Down The Days

There is an atmosphere of excitement, uncertainty, anticipation and nervousness in the El Cerrito High School library. In a way, the prospect of boarding a plane to attend an Ivy League college, in my case, Columbia University, in about three weeks is a bit overwhelming.

A few of the students are visibly energized by this process, but many of us are unsure that we will be able to succeed this summer. The prospect of disappointing our parents looms over us. The more we are told how great an opportunity this is for us, the heavier the weight of everyone's expectations.

We know this is a great opportunity. We don't want to let anyone down.

In our small group we had the chance to hear from and ask questions of a student who had already attended the Columbia program. She was clear about our responsibilities and what we could expect, but at the same time she was very reassuring. Also her enthusiasm from her experience was infectious. I felt this was the most valuable part of the evening: hearing the concrete nuts and bolts from the perspective of a student.

It is a challenge to me to figure out what I want to see and do in New York. There is so much to choose from. In our program we can choose from the trips the RA's are leading on the weekends and we can also try to make special requests to our chaperone, Ms. L. It would almost be easier if we were given an arbitrary limit, say, "pick only things less than 50 years old," or "pick things that start with a vowel." I'm kidding of course, but it is also a bit overwhelming. I am comforted in the knowledge that whatever I ultimately select will probably be fantastic. After all, I'll be in the Big Apple!

Looking Forward To New York City

On Thursday, the Ivy League Connection gathered in the El Cerrito High School Library for orientation. At the orientation, we sat with our cohort as we received our packing checklist and itinerary. While I listened to Mr. Ramsey, Mrs. Kronenberg, Don, and Mr. Rhea talk, my excitement increased as I looked forward to leaving for the Big Apple.

This won't be my first time travelling east. In seventh grade I was nominated to attend a People to People leadership summit in our nation’s capitol, Washington D.C. The one week I spent in D.C. visiting landmarks and museums was one of my favorite weeks yet. Not only did I get to meet students my age from around the world, but I got to listen to keynote speeches from very successful people.

While I'm in New York, I'll have the honor to work with top-notch students from around the world, tour colleges, and do sightseeing in the Big Apple. Sounds like People to People? It does. However, there are several key differences that distinguish the Ivy League Connection and make the ILC superior to People to People. Though smaller in size, the ILC allow students to reach out to college admissions officers, arrange meetings, and talk to those who may be reading our applications whereas in People to People members get to listen to an admissions officer at best.

While People to People hosts programs at prestigious universities such as Stanford and Harvard, the ILC allows us to spend three weeks at world renown institutions and study in classes taught by college professors. These differences are ultimately what is making me more and more excited as I prepare to leave for the east coast and an amazing three weeks.

Dreaming about the Big Apple

Tonight, at the Ivy League Connection’s orientation, we received an itinerary and confirmed all our travel plans. The Presidential Powers students got a great overview of the course from Yueming, who took the course last year. I was also excited to hear what I should expect (and prepare for) in New York City.

The course “American Presidential Powers At Home and Abroad: From George Washington to Barack Obama” sounds like a lot of fun. Not only is the course taught by a Columbia University political science professor, has a relatively few amount of students and is structured as a discussion based course, it also begins at 10 AM In the morning, the students will be sitting in a seminar style circle discussing past and present American presidents. We eat lunch for about 2 hours than we work at the campus library until 4 PM researching our topic for the research paper. That also means after 4 PM, we are free to explore (certain sections of ) New York – with a partner and our chaperone’s permission, of course.

I learned a lot of new things at orientation. I had no idea that the Presidential Powers students are expected to choose our (preliminary) topic for the big research paper on the first day of class. I also learned that Columbia has air conditioned dorms, which is wonderfully reassuring given the intense heat during the summer.

There is no denying that New York is one of the most exciting cities in the world. There are going to be so many activities to participate in that I highly doubt I will be able to do everything I want. I am definitely looking forward to watching a Broadway show, our college tours, Times Square and so much more. But one of the most important milestones for me is the 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2' premiere that will take place on July 15 – the last day of class and our last night in the dorms. I sincerely hope that somehow we will be able to attend the midnight showing and the premier will end our ILC journey in NYC.

Tonight was the last time I met with the entire Columbia group before we arrive on Wednesday, June 22 to begin our journey and I cannot wait.