EEP QUARTERLY SPRING 2009

CSULA’s Early Entrance Program – Spring 2009
Family Newsletter
EEP Newsletter Est. 1988
Spring '09 - 80th Edition

Welcome EEP Family to the Spring Quarter 2009. . Although Winter is typically the slowest quarter in terms of news there is plenty to share including answers to the questions, “which 2009 grad was accepted to Yale, UCLA, Wash St Louis but selected UC San Francisco for doctoral studies and who was accepted to Harvard, Berkeley, Chicago and Caltech but selected Princeton?” Plus, “ what new campus job openings are now available?” See Announcements and Accomplishments for answers and more.

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Last Quarter’s EventS
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The GRAND OPENING of the new UNIVERSITY-STUDENT UNION at Cal State L.A. was held on January 9th. Students may now enjoy this new campus resource and are encouraged to visit and explore. Check it out at: http://www.calstatela.edu/usu/

EEPC sponsored the annual Laser Tag event on January 23 at the Ultrazone in Alhambra. EEPsters spent a lot of time running around in a dark room firing beams of light at each other, eating delicious pizza and being teenagers.

On February 2nd all EEPsters who had birthdays in the month of January and February had a birthday celebration in the EEP kitchen. Thanks to everyone who attended, and big thanks to the EEP Club officers in attendance for making the celebration truly grand. EEPC holds these mass parties quarterly, if you wish to contribute please contact the Social Chair Lea U at leamartta@gmail.com

Amnesty International at CSULA held their Winter Quarter Luncheon/Banquet March 4th at the University-Student Union. Many EEPsters were in attendance for this lovely event including EEP leader Faisal Abdullah as well as EEPsters John S (Yearbook Co-Chair), David W, Ajay B (Freshmen Class President), Avijit S, and Bernardo F.

The EEP hosted a group of Korean educators visiting from a teacher-training program in the Chung Nam Office of Education in Korea on February 5th. The Director lectured and answered questions from his Korean peers who presented him with a beautiful gift, a replica set of 15th century Royal Korean crowns. A special thanks to PEEPster Kyungia Lee and EEPsters Yeachan L, Daniel P, Suki K, James L, Julian B and Hayley S for attending and discussing the EEP student perspective. The EEP reputation for educational innovation and excellence is truly international.

The 26th Biannual Search for Exceptional Academic Achievement (SEAA) talent search at California State University, Los Angeles sponsored by the EEP was held on March 1. With the help of the PEEP and the EEPsters the event was flawless! Our thanks to all those who volunteered their time to ensure our success!!!

The annual EEP “don’t call it a prom” Winter- Spring Formal was held on March 23 at the Fire Fly Bistro in South Pasadena. Thanks to Laurie and Carl O’ Brien who own and operate the Firefly for sharing with EEP. Reports the EEPC President, “The Annual EEPC Formal went smashingly. A good time was had by all, and we look forward to doing it again next year”. Much thanks to the O'Brien Family and the EEPC Board (PEEPsters Laurie and Karl) for hosting the event and EEPster Michael R for his duties as DJ.”

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AnnouncementS
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We are looking for an EEPster to assume the EEP Student Assistant position, after Sharon Ready graduates this Spring. Interested students should contact the EEP office ASAP, as training must begin soon.

The LACHSA (L.A. County High School for the Arts) faculty Director of Visual Arts has asked us to provide recommendations for a job opening, $11.00 per hour. Serious applicants please contact the EEP office ASAP.

We are pleased to announce that we have two new student counselors/ clinicians Laura McLauchlin and Kristen Osman. Beginning Spring quarter they will be conducting quarterly student counseling meetings previously conducted by Lisa Sakamoto. Their schedules will be available Week #1. Students must select a meeting time and sign up ASAP. Welcome to the EEP family Laura and Kristen.

During Winter quarter, the Director assumed the Individual meetings for Lisa and reported the move was very successful. He said,” It was great to re-connect with each student, I learned much and was proud of keeping each session to under 10 minutes.” He asks that we remind students who did not attend a meeting with him in Winter to schedule a session ASAP in Spring. “Meetings are simple and I look forward to providing solid advice in a timely manner”

Yearbook orders are still being processed (order forms available on the EEPC bulletin board) forms are due Friday, April 17th. online form.

The scholarship committee is pleased to announce the four winners of the 2009 LSI/EEF $500.00 Scholarship Award. Congratulations to: Lubabah B-G, Roy C, Raj S, and Avijit S. The committee extends thanks to all applicants for their effort and accomplishments.

Effective Spring term the copy machine located in the computer lab will be removed. Students will be responsible for making their own copies on machines available for the general student population.

Effective spring term there is a new printer in the computer lab, students are encouraged to complete their assignments including printing, at home before school. All previous rules will apply to the new printer (no color jobs, no personal non-academic jobs, need what you print, take your needed print job etc.). Thanks PEEP/EEF!

EEPC President Margaret Lee says, “the EEPC will be holding all kinds of unreasonably fantastic events this Spring quarter, so show up kids!”

Grad Nite at Disneyland is happening May 13th! Elders are invited to stay awake for a very, very long night to ride classic rides at Disneyland in this decades old Southern California high school senior tradition. PEEPsters needed for chaperone duties.

Our annual EEPC SEC Show is being planned for the spring term! We're preparing for an absolutely epic show, hosted by EEP's Own stand-up comedian Kostya K! Details to follow, but keep your calendars clear for June 13th!! More talent than you can shake a textbook at here in the EEP.

The San Clemente camping trip will be “beachy keen” from June 15th-18th notes Social Chair Lea Urpa! 30 spots are available, grab one now before they get all snatched up! EEPC is looking for parent chaperones, so please contact the EEPC if you're interested! Email either leamartta@gmail.com or margaretlee.23@gmail.com for details.

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Student NewS & AccomplishmentS
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EEPster Lea U was accepted into the CEA-CREST program as an undergraduate fellow in Dr. Carlos Robles' research lab, and this summer she will be visiting the Bamfield Marine Science Center in Vancouver, Canada to study predator/prey relationships of sea stars and mussels.

EEPster Amanda M’s research group at JPL was recently featured in the Discover Magazine Blog, Amanda was asked to join the group in February, For more info on the research see the link

EEP alum Dr. Vanessa Sheldon was crowned Miss Greater Palm Springs in late February and is preparing for the Miss California pageant to be held in Fresno this June. You may see her at www.gold2ivory.com/info.html

EEP alum Susan Ngo is now a Senior Consultant at Deloitte

EEPster Class of 2009 graduate Zeeshan Ott (brother of EEP alum Myle Ott) was accepted into the Master’s in Social Work program at Columbia University, which was his first choice for graduate school. Congratulations!

Class of 2009 graduate EEPster Steven Gee was accepted to graduate studies at Yale, UCLA, UC Irvine, Washington at St. Louis and UC San Francisco. He heads to the Bay area in fall.

EEPster Class of 2009 graduate Andrea Kulier was accepted to UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, Harvard, UC Santa Cruz, Caltech, Princeton, and the University of Chicago, all of which offered similar financial packages (paid tuition + ~$32k fellowship/RA/TA). Andrea will head to New Jersey this fall.

EEPster class of 2009 graduate David Nagy was accepted to Japanese study programs at the Inter-university Center for Japanese language in Yokahama (a graduate program based at Stanford) and the Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies in Kyoto (an undergraduate program based at Columbia). David heads to Yokahama next year. More EEPster news from the Class of 2009 soon!

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Alumni Visits and Written Communiqué' this Quarter
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EEP Alum Erik Mendoza has received acceptances from Catholic University of America, in D.C. and from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

EEP Alum Edwin Peng sends greeting from Austin, Texas! He had a great first semester at The University of Texas at Austin. He obtained a research assistantship with Professor Halil Berberoglu at the Solar Energy and Biofuels Laboratory (www.me.utexas.edu/~berberoglulab/). He is starting his research on creating a new type of solar cell with iron, titanium, and carbon nanoparticles.

EEP Alum Ron Masson had his white coat ceremony at the Ira Allen Chapel along with his fellow first-year students at the University of Vermont College of Medicine in Burlington on Friday, February 20, 2009 and enjoyed press exposure www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200990221016

EEP alumna Charys Scotton Williams J.D sends her hello from her law practice in Virginia and says she misses L.A. very much especially the warm weather and her days as an EEPster.

EEP alum Jeffrey Lin J.D sends greetings and news of his pursuit of a new career in Film and T.V

EEP Alum Michael Tecson sends greeting to Rich and the entire EEP family.

ndre Petrikovets class of 2006 came to visit Rich on January 5, 2009 before his spring break from med school.

Natasha Spottiswoode class of 2008 came to visit Rich on January 7, 2009 and announce she was accepted to Cornell School of Veterinarian medicine, fully funded.

Jackie Lechtolz-zey (07), Amanda Jancu (08), Andrew Post (07), Laura Petersen (07), Myle Ott (06), Kevork Abrahamian (08), and Dimitri Kosturos(04) all came to visit Rich Winter quarter.

Dozens more re-connected through Face book

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ReminderS
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Priority Registration for Summer 2009 will be during the 5th week of Spring 2009

Advisement Slips due by Wednesday, April 22, 2009 @ noon (12:00pm)

Tuition for priority registration due by Monday, April 27, 2009

Check your e-mail for Priority Registration date. It is usually Monday Week #4

Remember, Advisement Slips will be due by noon on the Wednesday before Priority registration, likely to be April 22, 2009.

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News, Notices, Cheers and Jeers
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A Message to the Parents of the EEP from Richard S. Maddox

Our exclusive delivery method for the entire Newsletter and the Meeting Schedule are now through e-mail. If you want a printed version of the entire text mailed home call the EEP office at 323-343-2287 Just a brief reminder that a student-enhanced version of the newsletter as the EEPC Quarterly Blog with videos/ photos is available on-line at: http://eepclub.wordpress.com/category/announcements/ . See many previous Newsletters and For the EEF Newsletter go to:

Hello EEP Family. As part of my effort to assist in EEPster performance I recently undertook an effort to gather advice on school success from the highest achieving EEPsters. It is an effort to gather a Best Practices guideline. We asked these top performing EEPsters to give us their top three behaviors, beliefs or practices that they believe help them perform successfully in school. After analyzing the responses, as suspected, much of their advice conforms to study practices previously established by educational research including several of my favorites that include 1.Engagement, 2. Self - regulation, and 3. Motivation! Respectively, they advised students to 1. Become actively involved in school through clubs, organizations and faculty interactions; 2. Keep and maintain a schedule planner, to monitor their performance, to understand which class material is most difficult for them and to plan their study schedules accordingly and in advance; 3. Set short and long term achievement goals, to choose to apply adequate effort to act on those goals and to be persistent in the pursuit of these goals. It is interesting that few, if any, of these students have been directly exposed to the research supporting these beliefs and practices aside from my occasional lectures/ discussions and writings. In terms of scholarship they seem to naturally act in a positive achievement-oriented manner. Cool stuff I think. I have compiled all the suggestions in a binder entitled Best Practices that all EEPsters may reference and review; I will introduce this new EEP resource at the next Group Meeting sessions. I have also organized their advice into two documents, Common Themes and Advice Per Year in EEP and will send to specific students currently working on Action Plans to improve performance. It is our hope that all EEPsters excel in their studies to ensure personal and Program success. Not so coincidentally, several high achievers submitted more than the requested top three suggestions. Over-achievers? I have added such extended responses below for your immediate review. These are excellent students with excellent advice so keep reading please. I am always eager to hear of other suggestions to help our unique students so if parents have a top three please send, perhaps I can compile a Best Practices synopsis for parents from parents?

From a 4th Year female EEPster:

My advice has more to do with the attitude you bring to school and learning, rather than systematized tips and practices for "success." I think once you have a certain mentality regarding work/school, you will be able to develop your own study habits.

1. Know what you want - I think the most important thing to developing and maintaining good study habits is to constantly question why you are in school. And I don't mean questioning like, "Why am I in this class--it is totally irrelevant to my life" or "Why am I in this class--the professor is totally boring and a horrible lecturer; I think I am way better than him/her." I mean, question why you are in college and what you want to get out of your education. But especially question why you are in college, and what you want to get out of college at your age. Don't treat the privilege you're given (going to college at a young age) as an excuse to slack off. Remember that one day you may consider applying to graduate school, and those grades will count. Your experiences, your work experience, and your GRE / LSAT / etc scores will also count, but why disadvantage yourself? Getting into graduate school is no easy feat.

2. Be humble - I know we are all smart, talented students, but I notice that once you develop an attitude like "This campus sucks; these professors suck; the material sucks; the assignments suck," then nothing seems worthwhile to you: you ditch classes, you procrastinate, your professors dislike your holier-than-thou presence, and all in all, negativity abounds. It is really a self-perpetuating trap. DON'T GO THERE!!! Try to stay optimistic and delve deeper into material you are interested in. If you feel like not enough is being covered during lectures or in the readings, try to explore that area on your own. Talk to your professors. Even if they may not be the hippest, most upbeat lecturers, it is worth it to try to talk to them during their office hours. You may be surprised at what they have to say in a one-on-one situation.

3. Set goals for yourself - No matter how small or large or insignificant or far-fetched your goals are, never underestimate the power of setting goals. You may be a cynic, and you might think that goal-setting/reaching is just some kind of illusion used to maintain your morale and your spirit while not really getting you anywhere... but you'd be wrong! Setting goals can give your life meaning, even if it's silly or transitory meaning. They don't have to be "CONCRETE, SERIOUS GOALS FOR LIFE, FOREVER." You can still be spontaneous. Your goals will change as you change as person, but that's okay. It's just very nice to have a direction and to feel like you are making small successes.

and an extra one (sorry I couldn't just limit it to three)--

4. Get involved - You probably think this one is a cliché, but there's a reason it's reached its cliché-status! Get involved in community life, school clubs, nonprofits, or if none of those suit your fancy, organize your own group! The worst feeling is feeling like you are learning in a bubble. Try to apply what you're learning to your everyday life. For example, think about how you can use what you learn to help others around you. Maybe join a nonprofit organization. If you feel like your education is helping you think critically about the world and how you fit into that world, there is a good chance you will feel less desultory and angsty (as teenagers are bound to feel--and i know, being a teenager) and enjoy learning more.

From a 5th year male:

Study Skills Schema

Step 0: Motivation. This step is almost never talked about, but it is necessary to even begin a conversation about study skills. And that is whether or not you, as a student, actually want good grades.

This may seem rhetorical, but it isn’t. I think some students honestly don’t care about grades-or at the very least, don’t care about grades in certain subjects. Physics majors may not care about their C in English 101. English majors may not care about their F in Math 103. We can argue about whether this point of view is rational or not (I don’t think it is)-but at the end of the day, if you don’t want a good grade, you won’t get a good grade. And there’s nothing anyone can do to change that.

If you want good grades, read on.

Step 1: Information Gathering. The idea of this step is, per the title, to gather information about various matters. This is divided into two sub steps:

Step 1a: Reflection. I mentioned above how study skills must necessarily change depending on the student’s skill set. This step reflects that fact.

What are you good at, and what aren’t you good at? This may seem simple, but in fact, I believe that this is not only the most difficult step in this schema, it is probably impossible to actually complete (which means the rest of the schema will be easy in comparison!). But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.

Now, note that simple answers like “I’m good at writing, and bad at math” are worthless. If that’s true, great-but what this step is asking for is why are you good at what you’re good at? Why are you bad at what you’re bad at? What are the connections between those things? What common theme runs through your strengths and your weaknesses?

Step 1b: Investigation. So you have some preliminary list of your strengths and weaknesses. What other information do you need?

To put it simply, what class you’re taking and who’s teaching it. Get as much information as you can about those two things. Make sure to use more than one source, because you have to keep in mind that every source is biased.

Step 2: Synthesis. So, you now know a little about yourself, and a lot about your class and your professor. However, most likely, all this information is in little factoids, with no obvious relevance to study skills. How do you move from this to an effective list for success? By synthesizing your information.

Now, by “synthesis,” I mean something to the effect of “reflective summary.” You need to summarize all your facts into a small, readable whole-but you can’t do it blindly. You need to do it with an eye toward how this information can affect your study skills. The end goal should be a few paragraphs that accurately reflect the connections between the facts you recorded.

Because each case is so different, it is difficult to give advice for this step, but I think these general rules should apply:

Will the class require memorization, or a mastery of concepts? Is the test material from the lectures, the textbooks, or both? How difficult are the tests? How much time do the assignments take? And so on, and so forth.

Step 3: Construction. You should now have the ability to construct a list of study skills perfectly applicable to your situation.

Should any parent want to discuss their child’s performance or if there are any questions or concerns please call the office to schedule a meeting. You may also feel free to call or e-mail Jeff, Koryna, or me. Have a great quarter!

CHEERS & JEERS

Cheers to all those who did not leave rotting food in their cubby.

Cheers to all those who participated school events and activities.

Cheers to the PEEP and the EEF (Early Entrance Foundation), from chaperoning events to providing counsel and support with all manner of program needs, they are spectacular. Parent support for the Program is very important and appreciated.

Jeers to all the students who left personal and Program property out of place and at risk.

Jeers to all the EEPsters who missed meetings with Rich, Jeff and Koryna.

StudenT ContributionS & The EEPC Presidential Message

No contributions submitted to the offices - See Student enhanced Newsletter version for more

President’s Message

Presidoody’s Message

Oh, EEP! Has it really been another quarter already? It seems that just yesterday I was talking to you about soup, or something!

Well, here it is-spring has, um…sprang. Forth. For those of you in the know, this is my very last quarter of classes & college! I’m very scared and feeling very grown-up. But this is about you, dearest of programs, so let me tell you what EEP Club is doing.

We are barreling ahead with full speed, pistons dueling, momentum is the least of it. Spring has traditionally been our busiest and beesiest (ha!) of quarters, and this year is definitely not an exception.

We’re beginning the quarter off with some sort of learning trip! We’ve discussed both the zoo and the Natural History Museum, but don’t worry-we’ll look at some animals, dead or alive. Don’t miss our Supreme EEP Class Show: Kostya Kavutsky (As Seen On YouTube) will be our host! We’ll blast off into summer (we aren’t really going to blast) with a relaxing beach trip to the sunny shores of San Clemente.

All in all, action is packed and entertainment is imminent! Be ready for whatever else we’ll throw your way. Think fast!

--Margaret

Departmental Message -- None submitted as of distribution time

PEEP Message -- For the latest and greatest on PEEP please go to the PEEP website at www.EarlyEntranceFoundation.org/peep

Other EEPClub Stuff -- None submitted as of distribution time

Richard S. Maddox, Director
Early Entrance Program (EEP)
California State University, Los Angeles
Phone 323-343-2287
Fax 323-343-5575
www.calstatela.edu/academic/eep

Click here to return to the EEF newsletter, or
click here to return to the Alumni page.