Two Colleges and a Six Course Meal

Woke up this morning and went down to get a muffin from the continental breakfast buffet on the ground floor of the hotel. In my previous experience with hotels, breakfast is usually free, but a hotel employee informed me otherwise.

"It costs $13 to eat from the breakfast buffet." He told me.

I pointed at my half-eaten muffin. "So it's $13 for this muffin?"

He paused. "No. It's... $2.50"

I'm pretty sure he took advantage of me, but it didn't really matter. The rest of the day was phenomenal.

We visited the university of Pennsylvania campus for an informational session and a tour. They told us all about UPenn and what goes on around campus. A cheery UPenn student led us around campus, telling us about school traditions like throwing toast onto the UPenn field.

It's an inside joke, and now Brandon, Henry, Marisol and I are in on it.

We then took a train to Princeton. We were a bit late so we stopped inside the admissions office to find out where the information session was. A kind woman gave us directions while Henry poured over books on Princeton in the corner.

The Princeton tour was very similar to the UPenn tour. Marisol, Brandon and I concluded that we liked UPenn more. It was in the city, it seemed livlier, and we liked the vibe.

Henry really liked Princeton. So much, in fact, he was willing to steal from it.

(I'm joking, but not about him liking Princeton).

We returned to the hotel late and had 10 minutes to get ready for dinner at the best restaurant in Philadelphia (or so we were told): Le Bec Fin. Both the UPenn informational speaker and Brandon's mom's friend swore that it was the best in Philly, and we were about to find out.

Two UPenn admissions officers joined us at the restaurant. The waiters were so nice and professional that I was intimidated at first, but I eventually warmed to them.

I will not dwell on describing the food too much, because the pictures will speak for themselves. However, I will provide an explanation for my choice of entree.

Asher Roth is one of my favorite rappers, who happens to be from Philly, and he recently came out with an album titled "Seared Foie Gras with Quince and Cranberry".

The album is amazing. However, I never knew what Seared Foie Gras was. Tonight, it was on the menu. I ordered it.

I learned that Foie Gras is just a fancy word for duck liver, and I also learned it was delicious. It's not for everyone though.

The dinner was successful. I befriended the UPenn admissions officers, and I now have a contact within the University. I really like the college, and I plan to keep in touch with them. I would have never considered UPenn or contacting its admissions offices, but thanks to the Ivy League connection, I did both.

And finally, the food photo shoot. I'd put more, but the internet is funky here and photos mess up my blog formatting. Enjoy!

Philly: Day 1

Our first day in Philadelphia is officially over. 

In the morning we all arrived to meet Don Gosney at El Cerrito High School at 4:30 AM to ensure our luggage was under 50 pounds, a weight limit enforced by Southwest Airlines. Don weighed my luggage and assured us that my luggage was four pounds under fifty. It turns out when it was weighed at Oakland Airport it was forty-nine pounds, but still under fifty. I was pleased to see that because I transferred a lot of items from my main luggage to my carry on luggage which really was a hassle, but ended up being worth it. 

On the plane ride over to Midway Airport in Chicago, I was glad to speak and sit next to Board President Madeline Kronenberg. Our conversations spanned from local to state to federal politics! From parcel taxes to President Barack Obama to Jerry Brown to Hillary Clinton to Sarah Palin to Meg Whitman to Alvin Greene and on and on and on! She taught me a few good lessons such as always attending meetings that pertain to you or your cause -- NO EXCEPTIONS! The risk of not attending the meetings is catastrophic. You will not be heard or fully understood and as a result, your ambitions to strive for greatness are diminished and nonexistent. 

Another thing that I learned from Ms. Kronenberg on the plane ride is that your political opponents can only force and help you to be a better person, candidate or elected official. They help you fix and realize aspects that you may need improvement in and they could very well increase your motivation and reinforce your determination to succeed. It was just so enjoyable talking to her about topics such as politics that greatly interest us both. On the next flight to Philadelphia I sat next to Connor and Marisol. It was great being able to sit with them because we sure know how to make each other laugh and have fun!

Once landing and exiting the airplane in Philadelphia; humidity is the first thing I noticed. Then I noticed the beautiful, historic architecture of Philadelphia and it's admiring cultural diversity. I was in awe to see the amount of brick buildings here in Philly. It's just so different from California (due to our earthquakes). 

I really enjoyed riding subway (first time) to the restaurant we ate at for dinner named, "Butcher & Singer." The restaurant was in downtown Philadelphia and had amazingly high ceilings and comfy chairs/couches to sit in. Way better than the seats on the plane! I ate the Delmonico steak and mashed potatoes. Both were extremely delicious. For dessert I had the unforgettable Baked Alaska. I had no clue what this was when I first saw it on the menu. All I knew was that Mr. Ramsey was pushing us to try the Baked Alaska and so I did. It was the most delicious dessert I've eaten in my life! It was ice cream within sponge cake and meringue on top. Just amazing.

After dinner we took a cab back to the Sheraton University Hotel in downtown Philadelphia. Connor (rommate) and I have an amazing view from the hotel room of downtown Philly. He posted a picture on his blog. I'm excited to tour UPenn and meet with our admissions officer tomorrow evening at dinner. It will be quite a night!

Wine Anyone?

Day one began earlier then I would have liked, but turned into a wonderful day. With overweight luggage in tow our first flight was very smooth without any turbulence. The second was bumpier but went off without a hitch, landing us safely in Philadelphia. After waiting for the Lady Liberty to pick us up from the airport, we headed to the hotel where I (being the only girl) got my own room.

With only a short meal between flights we got ready to go to dinner. We took the subway through the city to reach a wonderful restaurant. I was surprised as how much like Muni the subway was. The subway was much dirtier then BART but much quieter, traveling only underground.

Once we reached the restaurant I was in awe of the amazing decor. The room was beautiful, done up the way one would expect the set of a period piece movie would be. Fittingly, we were all dressed nicely and ready for an amazing feast.

First the adults ordered drinks. Mickey, our waiter, brought Mr. Ramsey’s first and then reached over my head to hand Ms. Kronenberg hers. However, the drink never made it there. Instead the contents of the wine glass were spilled on both Mr. Miranda and me. From that moment on my hair and dress smelled of alcohol. Soon after a woman by the name of Molly assured me that she would dry clean my dress and offered to assist me with anything else I wanted. It turns out getting spilled on makes people want to be very helpful.

Wine spillage aside meal was absolutely delicious.

After an epic meal we piled into two cabs. Exhausted from the day of travel the subway seemed like too much work. There is no better way to see the city than from a cab. The muni-like subway was a wonderful experience, but the underground view could not compare with the city lights out the car window. I like Philly already and I haven’t been here more then six hours.

I look foreward to explorations of both UPenn and Princeton tomorrow. I anticipate loving at least one of the two amazing instructions I will have the privilege of seeing.

I can’t wait for the trip to really take off. With trains and tours it’s sure to be an amazing ride.

First Day! (Philly)

Today was the first day of the ILC trip. 

It all started out meeting at El Cerrito High at 4:30 AM in the freezing cold. But the plane rides generally went well -- thankfully no delays like the Cornell group. There was an interesting thing about the plane ride though. On the way to Chicago, we saw a person that looked just like Jason Sudeikis from SNL. We arrived in Philly around 4:30 local time which was about on schedule. 

One thing instantly noticeable different in the East Coast than the West Coast is the weather. Philadelphia seems to actually have seasons in contrast to the Bay Area. Dinner at a steakhouse called Butcher and Singer where the waiter accidentally spilled some wine on Mr. Miranda and Marisol and the waiter looked shaky the rest of the night. Other than that the food was exceptional.

Tomorrow will be tours at UPenn and Princeton. I have attended tours for these two schools before but that was six years ago when college looked way far off so I didn't pay much attention to the tours back then. But six years later new questions have been thought of for the tour guides and the admissions people in general. I am also looking forward to see the campuses. At night there will be a formal dinner the ILC people will have with the Northern California admissions officer of UPenn.

Today Was a Baked Alaska

I couldn't sleep last night because I was so excited and nervous about leaving. Tonight I won't have any trouble sleeping at all.

I woke up at 3 o'clock and met up with with everyone at 4:30 AM at El Cerrito High School. Don Gosney had a small boutique set up for us, so he could give us items that we would need like laundry bags and security cables. I felt like I was in a James Bond movie, the part where he's being equipped for his next mission.

"Would you like the 25 foot cable, or the 14?"

"I'll take the 14."

We boarded our first plane without incident. I looked over across the aisle and my jaw dropped. Jason Sudeikis, or one of his twin brothers, was sitting in coach with us. For those of you who don't know him, Jason Sudeikis is a player in Saturday Night Live and guest star on the TV show 30 Rock, which I watch religiously.

I didn't have the nerve to ask if it was really him or not, but when we disembarked the plane at Chicago (where he happened to study improv at one time in his life) I made eye contact.

I looked at him, he looked at me, and I gave him a knowing nod.

From Chicago to Philadelphia we shared a flight with an anonymous pageant contestant. She was having trouble loading her garment bag into the overhead compartment so a flight attendant came over to help her.

"What's the occasion? Wedding?"

"No, I'm in a pageant. I'm Miss California."

I did a Google search to see if I could find her. I couldn't. Maybe she was lying.

I sat between Brandon and Marisol, which was a great idea. We laughed all the way to Philadelphia which made the time go faster.

I love Philadelphia. I love the way it looks and the way it feels. Everyone likes to complain about the humidity but I don't really mind. My favorite rap artists, Asher Roth, Black Thought, and Brother Question all come from Philadelphia, so I asked Mr. Ramsey if there was much of a rap scene in Philly.

"I don't know."

He does.

We checked into our hotel, rested a bit, then went to have dinner at Butcher & Singer. Since I placed the reservation, it was under my name. Mr. Ramsey joked throughout dinner, "Wow, Connor. You have excellent taste in restaurants."

Yes I did. I had a crab cake as an appetizer and salmon as my entree. They were both delicious, but what topped the whole experience was the Baked Alaska. Mrs. Kronenberg saw it on the menu and said that we had to get it.

They brought it to the table, and I realized it was the most beautiful piece of dessert I had ever seen. I wanted to take a picture, but by the time my camera was out we had already eaten most of it. It was delicious, and I now know that if I ever need anything from anyone, all I have to do is make them a Baked Alaska and they will forever be in my debt.

Today was a Baked Alaska in many ways. It was beautiful, filling, and over too fast. Most importantly, though, it was provided by the Ivy League Connection. They made this first step of my three week journey possible, and already I feel like I'm indebted to them. I plan to work my tail off once we start our class at Yale so I can show them that their work is worthwhile.

That is the magic of a Baked Alaska.

Our Yalies Depart

It was dark outside.  It was also chilly with a wind that helped the chill slice right through us. But then again it was 4:30 in the morning so why should we expect anything different?

Our Yale Ivy Scholars—Marisol Clemens, Brandon Amargo, Henry Hung and Connor Miller—gathered at El Cerrito High School with their chaperone Mario Miranda to board the airport shuttle that will begin their journey to New Haven, Connecticut where they will spend the next several days visiting Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University and Dartmouth University.

Accompanying them on this initial phase of the journey were ILC administrators Madeline Kronenberg and Charles Ramsey.

Before boarding the airport shuttle, our scholars went through the Gosney Bazaar where they could pick from baskets of umbrellas, laundry bags, computer cables, laptop security cables, Ethernet cables and even alarm clocks—all just to make sure they had what they needed to survive the next three weeks at Yale.

Fond farewells were said with the obligatory hugs from the parents and then the requisite group photo was taken before they headed east to seek knowledge that will turn them from mere high school students into future pillars of our community.

Studying Grand Strategy under Dr. Dr. Minh Luong, they will cram a full year’s study into just fourteen days.  Attending class from dawn to well past dusk, they will then be allowed to return to their dorm rooms to read a few hundred pages, prepare their Marshall Brief and study some more—and some more—and some more.

Our four Ivy Scholars will depart well prepared for this course having already read the 3,749 pages of material that will be studied and discussed.  Books about the Peloponnesian War, Homeland Security, Sun Tzu, the ancient Chinese and Greeks, Genghis Khan as well as the inimitable Cyrus the Great will ready our adventurous students for this course.  (The book on Cyrus the Great has been said to be one of the best books ever written and one of our Yalies has already vowed to read it to his future children as bedtime reading.)

Students from previous years have written about this program. They write that our Yalies will be swamped with their studies and be given instruction from some of the greatest minds in their respective fields. From across the nation, though, previous Ivy Scholars have lamented that they would give anything for just another hour’s sleep.  I’m sure that when our Yalies return they may likely add to that chorus.

We wish our Yalies well.

Bulldog Pursuit

This fall, our daughter Yohanna is set to embark on a rigorous collegiate “bulldog” pursuit in gothic spires at Yale.

There’s absolutely no doubt that the ILC paved the way. It came to fruition because she did her part as an enthusiastic WCCUSD student since kindergarten, but her ILC Yale experience in her junior year stoked her will and intellectual curiosity to brave new and challenging frontiers. A good education is the most important gift children can have as they take the steps into adulthood. Needless to say, parents are the natural advocates for children to attain that. Luckily, our district has the ILC that nurtures and supports motivated students’ educational aspirations. The ILC consists of the benevolence of the esteemed sponsors, support of the WCCUSD staff and the unceasing labors of Charles Ramsey, Madeline Kronenberg and Don Gosney.

 Stationary Engineers Local 39 Scholarship Awards Dinner

The ILC participants are fortunate students put to the test and awarded full ride summer courses to experience academic rigor, and as a result aspire an Ivy League education to be with the best and the brightest. The required activities (often scrumptious), accouterments, and experiences teach them ethics in the professional world and in being mindful that no one makes it on his/her own. They carry with them the pride and hopes of their family and community.

The ILC opens excellent academic opportunities for eager students, such as to be on equal footing with the more affluent communities in vying for spots at prestigious universities. With the ILC creating a college landscape is such a blessing to our school district. Encouraging students in our high schools to be the best they can be, will send ripples of successes. If allowed to flourish, those ripples become waves which powerfully help to transform and build a brighter future for the community.

We are in awe that from our little known community, our daughter will be a smidgen part of something big and special as Yale. Thank you to everyone involved in her journey and for your confidence in her. We are forever grateful for the amazing opportunity.

Our heartfelt wishes for the continued success of ILC,

Eric and Youra Pepa