Food

I think that the meeting at Happy Sashimi went very well and I throughly enjoyed it.

Brown Sushi

It was very nice meeting all of the other Brown students at Happy Sashimi on Saturday evening. To be honest, I was very scared before I got there, but I was relieved that everyone fit together so well! I had a lot of fun, and I'm glad I made many new friends. I can't wait to get to know everyone better at Brown!

Happy Sashimi Mmmm :P

All I have to say is 1 word: Amazing. The dinner at Happy Sashimi was just spectacular.

It was great to meet not only fellow "Brownies" but friends that will embark on the same journey I'm pursuing. After this dinner, I sort of "opened" my eyes to the world and felt that I wasn't the only person out in the distance away from all other people. This was sort of a learning experience for me in a sense.

The food there was delicious also. The bad part was that I had to share food with Austin and we had to fight over every bit of food. I learned another thing: Never share food with someone else. Hehe. Well, we're almost there to Brown. I'm looking forward to speaking at the School Board meeting.

Take care guys.

Bonding at Happy Sashimi

The meeting on Saturday evening was great. I really enjoyed getting to know some of the students from the ILC.

I have to admit that I was a little nervous at first. I was not sure what to say, but thankfully everyone was so welcoming. We all introduced ourselves to each other. The dinner was fun. We started talking about the SAT and the classes we have this year or are planning on taking.

It was great to find out that I will get to know many great new people this summer. Everyone seemed so energetic and joyful.

I'm glad Irene offered to have a potluck at her house later on. The plans are still tentative, but I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone again. Overall, going to the Brown meeting was a wonderful experience.

Meet and Eat

The dinner with the other members was a success. We all got to share all our experiences that go beyond the Ivy League Connection. It was very fun and we all got to eat good food. I felt as if we all have made a bond that will last more than the duration of this trip. First impressions were outstanding, I felt we could get along just fine during this trip and beyond.

This also gave me a chance to try out my photography skills and upload a picture that was edited in Picasa 3. It may not seem impressive, but it is definitely a step up from what it looked like before.

I'm sorry that a few members were left out, I just realized I brought my camera when leaving the restaurant.

Thank you all that made it and hope we can meet one more time before April 22.

A Fantastic Time

Having been nervous about meeting my fellow Brownies, I walked into Happy Sashimi prepared for a potentially awkward night--I didn't know what to expect. Fortunately, it was the complete opposite! I sat down and introduced myself and chatted for a bit while everyone showed up. Once everyone had arrived, it was time for food, laughter and fun!

The time flew by as we chatted about our hobbies, classes, cultures and so much more. Typically being a shy person, I surprisingly yet pleasantly clicked with the people around me. I sat near the middle of the table, next to Irene and Stephanie and across from William and Austin; but that didn't stop me from talking to everyone at the table. I enjoyed conversations with Lydia, Lucero, Zijun, Andrew, Megan and Selene. We had many things in common, ranging from AP classes to favorite 80's music!

The food was awesome! I love Japanese food, so that was a big plus for me. I had California rolls but I ordered one too many, so I was happy to take some home. Many of us shared our plates--or tried as some of us were very full by that time--and we were left with a happy tummy. Even after we finished eating, we kept the conversation going until our parents came for us. I was sad to depart, but happy to know the people I'm going to be spending a lot of time with.

Overall, I can say that I was very, very pleased to have come. Many of us can agree can that another arrangement is a must! Especially since we couldn't meet Mariana, whom I look forward to meeting. I'm glad to be going to Brown with such great people.

Until next time!

May the good vibes run!

About a month ago, all the Brownies were interested in meeting each other face to face over dinner. A month has passed by already and last night, the 11 of us (Unfortunately, Mariana could not join us) dined at Happy Sashimi and had a fantastic time.

Upon my arrival, I was a bit anxious to see how the night would turn out. I have never visited Happy Sashimi before but I heard many positive reviews. More importantly, I have never met face to face with my fellow Brownies before, but through emails and blogs, I had a good idea of what everyone was like.

The two-hour dinner went by within a blink of an eye. Laughter, jokes, and smiling faces were found throughout the entire night. We all connected someway or another, either through classes, clubs, or personal interests.

I am glad that we (students) organized a successful dinner! I cannot wait to see everyone again next month!

Take care.

Happy Sashimi

When I first walked in to Happy Sashimi today, I wasn't sure what to do. I clumsily introduced myself to the other few people who had arrived and flipped through the menu, wondering what to order. As more people arrived, though, I warmed up and started enjoying myself. I sat next to Lupe, Lydia, Lucero, and William Chong, and still talked to the people on the other side of the table (Austin, Zijun, Megan, Selene, Andrew, and Stephanie). It was nice to be finally be able to link faces and personalities to the names I've been seeing through our email communications. We connected over 80's music, glasses prescriptions, and California rolls. I began smiling, and by the end of the evening I felt completely comfortable dancing and playing silly games with the rest of the group. I probably laughed the most I have for a couple of weeks.

We compared lives as busy, high-achieving, but fun-loving students. It was comforting to know that other people were stressing about SAT scores and AP classes, and trying to balance that aspect of their lives with the social and non-academic parts.

What I took away from the dinner tonight was that the Ivy League Connection is not just the support network from the adults. It is not just about the classes at Brown University. It is not just about the fact that I'm going to be on the East Coast for three weeks this summer. I'm making friends and meeting great new people that I'll remember for a long time.

Thank you from Lydia

Much has already been said but I would like to extend my personal thanks to all of you who have made this possible. I really appreciate your effort, time, and work you have put in this. Thank you.

This is it

Hey everyone!

It looks like this is the final format for our official 2010 Brown University blog! None of this would've have been possible without the hard work from Ms. Kronenberg, Mr. Ramsey and Don. As for us students, that would be all of us, but I appreciate the many positive comments from others, (and I'm sure Irene appreciates them as well).

In truth without all of us, this would have been very difficult to ensure that everything looks "spic and span". I really hope you enjoy the color and the setting. Let's not forget that this is only the format and, for the most part, the color that are permanent.

Like all great things, there are going to be critics about the execution of our blog. It is important to listen to them and ensure our blog not only pleases our eyes, but also those that are willing to give our blog a second look. If you see that this is not to your taste, lets hear it! As the saying goes, "the only thing that you would regret is if you never gave yourself a chance to be heard."

It is also important to know that this is OUR blog and even though the opinions of others counts, we should try to remain in a boundary that pleases ourselves as well.

I'm Really Excited

THIS IS POSTED ON BEHALF OF MEGAN ROBB

Hi Everyone!


This is my very first blog.

I have just received an e-mail that I will get to speak at the Brown alum dinner. I am really excited!

The start to an exciting journey!!

Hello everyone!

Well to start off, I’m so excited to have the opportunity to go to Brown University during the summer! I would like to thank our ILC advisors for everything they have done to make this happen. Thanks for making this a very memorable experience for all of us to cherish forever.

I’m really looking forward to meeting all of you and getting to know you. I’m nervous about going to the East Coast, especially since I also haven’t been away from my family for that long. However, I’m glad I will get to work with all of you. I know this experience will mark us for the rest of our lives and I’m glad I will get to share it with all of you guys especially with two of my closest friends, Selene Calderon and Guadalupe Morales.

I would also like to take this time to congratulate all of you. You guys deserve it! I hope we can all become goods friends through this great experience.

Brown 2010 Can't Wait

Hey guys!

My name is William Chong and I'm currently a sophomore attending Pinole Valley High School.

First off, I would first like to congratulate all of the students attaining this level of honor to study in Brown. As summer approaches me quickly, I feel sudden anxiety of going to Brown and to study under an air of intelligence everywhere I go. Actually, this is the first time in which I felt this phenomenon.

I would like to thank all of the ILC board members, Charles, Don, Madeline and all the other wonderful guys who helped not only me but generations of students to go onto Ivy League Schools. Also, I would like to thank all of the people who have led me up to this point so far. Thank you guys!

Well, I wish you all good luck in Brown and look forward to seeing all of you there. Anyway, I'm out for the night.

(P.S. I'm still working on a good picture to post on this account :P)

From Zijun

Hi everyone!

It is such an honor to be chosen as an Ivy League Connection member and to go to Brown this summer. Again thank you to Don, Mr. Ramsey and Ms. Kronenberg for giving me this opportunity and organizing ILC.

Also thank you to Andrew and Irene for making this blog. It is awesome!

This is my first time blogging in English. To be honest I am not a great writer and I struggled with my word usage and grammar a lot. But I will still try my best to represent De Anza High School and ILC.

Also I'm looking forward going to the informal meeting in March for us "Brownies" as well as the formal ILC dinner in April.

See you guys next time.

Simply the Start of our Journey

Well, to begin with I am thrilled with the idea that this summer we will be in the East Coast. The whole idea brings a feeling of nervousness and anxiousness to me. I would like to thank the four people that have played such an important role in this trip: Charles Ramsey, Madeline Kronenberg, Don Gosney, and Kibby Kleiman. Thank you for all that you have done and all that you continue doing for us.

To me this experience is absolutely incredible. In the past, I have traveled a bit, but never as far away as we will this summer all by myself. By this I mean without my family, but luckily with great people like Lucero Perez and Guadalupe Morales, who are great friends of mine and who will also be taking part of the same program as I will. I hope that all goes well and that through this experience each and every one of us grows. There is still so much to be done before our departure, but we are all well aware of how time literally flies. In part, due to the fact that our society is constantly on the move; it seems that every second something is happening.

Furthermore, I would like to congratulate everyone that has made it to this point. As we all know, we did a lot to earn such a great privilege and soon we will be able to take part in an experience incomparable to many others. I hope that at the end of this journey we all become friends and truly part in every aspect of the Ivy League Connection.

Lastly, before I end this blog I would like to tell the other Brownies that I can't wait to meet you all in our upcoming meeting this month.

First Post

Hello! My name is Austin Long. I'm excited to be going to Brown this summer! Thank you to Don Gosney, Mr. Ramsey and Ms. Kronenberg, and my counselor Ms. Kaplan. I feel very lucky to have been chosen for this great opportunity.

This is not my first time blogging, but this is my first time blogging with a cause! I'm excited to share my stories and read about the tales of my peers as well.

Well, that's all for now!

-Austin