Dr. Irwin Appel and EAP

I can't even explain how thankful I was that Dr. Irwin Appel came to speak. When I was touring UCSB last year, one of my concerns was that the theater department just wouldn't compare to UCLA's, which was the main reason UCLA was my first choice of schools. Dr. Appel assured me, however, that the Bachelor of Fine Arts Program would be as beneficial to me as I wanted to make it. I will absolutely be auditioning, but he DID make me a bit nervous. There are basically only six open spots in the program for the upcoming year--that's the six best actors at UCSB. The only way I can ever find a spot in there is if I practice and train really hard, and have an actor's confidence. I loved MacBeth; it was incredibly well done and thought out, and the actors were absolutely on top of it. Shakespeare is not an easy thing to memorize, so they must have worked incredibly hard on producing it. The actors were all clearly very talented, it would be an honor to be one of them one day.

For our Int 95 Field Trip we went to the EAP Office for studying abroad. I have always wanted to study abroad, ever since I was in 7th grade and my friend's sister came back from her study abroad trip to Australia. She couldn't stop gushing about how beautiful it was, and what an amazing experience she'd had. If I were to study abroad, I would definitely go to Spain. Unfortunately, this may not be in my future. I have a lot of pressure on me to graduate in 3 years--taking one of those 3 to study abroad might cause me not to graduate on time. And if I get in to the BFA program, I definitely can't take a year in a different country. They would need me here. So Spain may not be in my future, sadly, but one never knows. Good things happen all the time, I may get lucky somewhere along the line!

Extracurricular events

1. The first extracurricular event I attended was the field trip to the Food Co-Op. I wasn't sure what to expect--I had never even heard of a Co-Op before. Turns out, it was basically Trader Joe's on steroids. The whole store is locally funded, and sells ONLY organics foods. They have foods that cater to every allergy, and flavored jams from fruits you've never even heard of. They had locally grown vegetables that literally looked just they had JUST been pulled up from the earth. I ended up buying some organic strawberry lemonade, but it tasted kind of weird.

The woman who was introducing us to the Co-Op had gnarly dreads and tattoos, but you could tell she was incredibly bright. She was super passionate about saving the environment, and told us about how the Co-Op almost got shut down a couple years ago because it was underfunded. She encouraged us to buy food from the Co-Op in order to live a healthier lifestyle.

2. The next event I went to (besides the majors and minors fair) was the Roommate Game. My roommate, Joanna, and I had been studying up for it all week. When we sat at lunch in the DLG we would bounce questions off of each other: What's your favorite color? What's your favorite song? What's your pet peeve? As it turns out, this was helpful for the game. As we got further in, we realized we were getting more questions correct than any of the other roommate couples. In fact...we won! We both got $25 gift certificates to the University Center (which I actually just spent on books yesterday). I couldn't believe that she remembered that my pet peeve was Mufasa dying in the Lion King! They RHA also provided us with snacks, chips, cookies, and milk. We all ended up having a lot of fun that night, and it was a great study break from midterms!

3. My final event was the "Get a Life" game. This was eye-opening. Nobody understood what was going on at first--we were handed different colored cards as we entered the room, and then immediately told to go around to different tables that were stationed in the room and "build our lives." There were different tables being manned by RAs, each with labels such as Education Level, Housing Situation, Spirituality, etc. We had to go to these tables and request what we wanted from them. After a while, we caught on that the RAs were treating us differently depending on the color of our card. I even got sent to "jail"! Apparently, they were each meant to represent a different ethnicity. I had a red card, which meant I was Latina. The RAs were acting, of course, but it was so peculiar to feel discriminated against based on Latina and Chicana stereotypes. As a caucasian female, I've never had to endure that. I will definitely be more sensitive from here on out.

MacBeth

I went to see MacBeth on Saturday night at 7 pm. Having studied the play and seen it performed at a local high school all within the past year, I was glad that I could remember the whole story. I can understand how some people who weren't familiar with the story of MacBeth may have been lost, just because every actor in the play wore the same outfit and the only props used were wooden sticks. I was thrilled to be able to place which characters were which, and to know the context of their words. I loved the play--Lady MacBeth was phenomenal. While it was weird to see a college-aged girl passionately kissing a middle-aged man, she had me convinced. She was pretty terrifying when she was threatening MacBeth, and then amazingly fearful when regret took over her for the murders she helped commit. The story is one of my favorites by Shakespeare; it evokes the most emotion, ranging from rage to excitement to fear. It was a privilege to have been able to see the Naked Shakes perform, and for free! I was amazed by how they made props with their bodies, such as creating a human throne and using red gloves to portray blood streaming down Banquo's body. Wonderful!

Library+Dr. Lubach

Unfortunately, I was sick this entire weekend and didn't get to visit the library with the rest of my section. I would have been very interested in seeing where things are, and learning how to locate certain books or information with the rest of my section. I did, however, go and visit myself. The library is probably the absolute best resource for students here on campus. It is impressive and useful in every way.

Dr. Lubach's lecture was also impressive. I loved hearing about DJ
Milkman and how he would test his music on the party-goers in Isla Vista. It's always nice to hear about the different directions you can go in with a degree from UCSB. You don't have to just be a marine biologist or a chemist, you can take yourself anywhere. I also loved the story about hacking Storke Tower and playing the ending theme to Portal. I hope to do something awesome like that at some point. He really encouraged us to explore, discover our depths, and learn for the sake of learning. It's not all about the degree; it's about every bit of information you have obtained, whether its math equations or life skills.

Attached I posted a picture of Jack Johnson, a person who made something interesting of himself after graduating UCSB.

Plagiarism

The thing about these articles is that I know what plagiarism is. I have known what it is since we were taught in the 9th grade, and throughout high school. Being at a school where the consequences of plagiarism are engrained in us, you would think the problem would have dissipated. Interestingly enough, we had dozens of cheating scandals in which students thought they could pull a fast one over teachers.

For one, it is downright stupid to plagiarize. Teachers and professors can tell if it’s not your words. The words of a professional just don't match up with the words of a college freshman, plain and simple. I have never, ever plagiarized in an essay. Not because I don't know what plagiarism is--believe me, I'm all too familiar with MLA format. I know how to cite correctly and write a bibliography. I know that even when paraphrasing, you still have to cite. I don't plagiarize because it's cheating and it’s ethically wrong. Yeah, it might kind of suck to take the time to cite, but think about all the time you are saving by using a direct quote in the first place.

Librarian and Career Counseling Center

Listening to the librarian speak last week was informative not only about her personal history and love for literature, but also about UCSB’s library as a resource to students. I was glad to know much they care about us and want us to have a good studying experience. They offer snacks and drinks, and are always willing to help students find what they need. They also host events at the library, and it is a main hub of information here on campus.

                Personally, I enjoyed the trip to the Career Counseling Center far more than the librarian lecture. It is a great resource, and it is essentially the ends to our means here in college. One of the main reasons we are here is to thrive in a career that we love, and the Career Counseling Center is the place to figure out which path to take. They offer resources for internships and actual jobs related to your major, which is something I would like to delve deeper into. Before coming here, I really wanted to get a job at the Santa Barbara Zoo as a zookeeper. After visiting the career center, I found out that, in fact, many students get internships at the zoo. Before visiting, I didn’t even know about the GauchoLinks website, which offers contacts to many such job opportunities.

2nd week: Majors/Minors

My first stop at the majors/minors fair was at my Major's table, Environmental studies. I was the first one to approach them, so I ended up getting a lot of talking time with my adviser. First we discussed the difference between a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Science degree in the field; turns out, a Bachelor of Science degree open many more doors, and is more useful in the long run. Looks like I'll be changing from B.A. to B.S. Next we talked about which classes to be taking. I thought I had sorted out all my classes so that I could graduate in 3 years, but my adviser showed me a way to get there quicker! Instead of taking Geography 3B in the fall, he recommended I crash Environmental Science 1. We also talked about some careers that are offered in my field: it's not all just white lab coats. I can go into Environmental Law, or become a park ranger. My second stop at the fair was at the feminist studies table. I would strongly consider this as a minor. I am very passionate about women's rights, and if environmental law doesn't work out, I could try going into Women's Law and protecting the rights of women. My third stop was at the Art History table. I am an avid lover of art, and giving it up after high school so that I could major in something useful was incredibly difficult. At the art table, however, they told me that I could take any of the classes regardless of my major.

Meeting people and being resourceful are important in any career, but especially in the ones where interaction with new people occurs on a daily basis. I don't want an office job, or a job looking into a microscope; I want to get out and explore. Meeting new people helps to open doors and attain opportunities. If I want to work in Environmental Science, I will be doing a lot of projects where I will be working with other people. It is important to get along with them, because everyone around me is a resource for information and help.

My visit to the SRB was also very informative. There were lots of bulletin boards and flyers! At the Office of Student Life, I found a few resources for the year. There were flyers with numbers to call for assistance in almost any emergency, resources for EOP students, and a schedule for the UCSB radio station. On the top floor were CLAS classrooms, which I will most definitely be needing in the fall when I have to take Chemistry AND Math 3A. There was also a Women's Center, where I got a rad "This is what a feminist looks like" sticker. In the Center, they offer resources for women's emergencies such as domestic violence and rape. In college, it is important to have someone looking out for you--the Women's Center makes me feel like I have a place to go if I need serious help. And even if I don't need immediate assistance, there's a massage chair in there!

Introductory

Hey guys! My name is Annabelle Warren. I currently reside on the fourth floor, but I'm originally from Ventura, CA. It's about 50 minutes south of here, and it's basically just like Santa Barbara but....less wealthy. I think one of the reasons I chose UCSB is because I just couldn't leave the weather. The west coast IS the best coast. I love the greenness, the beach, and the beautiful people.

I attended Foothill Technology High school, which was a little magnet school. We didn't have sports, so our school was very competitive in academics. A lot of times, it felt like all four years were dedicated solely to getting in to college; I would sign up for clubs that I wasn't even interested in, just so that I could write it on my college app.

Don't get me wrong, I loved high school. Despite the competition, I had the time of my life trying new things and learning. I was a member of Varsity soccer, showchoir, the speech and debate team, and I was the passionate president of the National Art Honor Society. High school was where I found myself and the people who I consider to be lifelong friends.

Academically, I am a good student. Sometimes I have to push myself to work. I mean, lets be real--nobody actually works as hard as they swear they do in their college apps. I am, however, glad to have chosen a major in a field that I care about--environmental studies. In high school, reading a history textbook or finishing a math worksheet was a struggle. But here, environmental studies lectures have me pretty much captivated. I would love to pursue a career in the field, and learn as much as possible about saving our environment.

I chose to attend FSSP because I am striving to graduate in 3 years. Everyone keeps telling me, "don't do it! Make it last as long as possible!" Believe me, I wish I could. Unfortunately, money is a factor. I have an older sister studying at Cal poly, and a foster sister who is working hard to get into the University of Hawaii, Hilo next year. I applied to literally dozens of scholarships, and am receiving sufficient financial aid which I am incredibly grateful for. I also worked two minimum wage jobs back to back all summer, some days working up to 13 hours. So don't be fooled; I may look like a typical rich white girl from California, but I thank my lucky stars that I get to be here.

I look forward to getting to know you all!

-Annabelle Warren