6/2/2011 02:27:10 PM

Say Goodnight the Party's Over

When I started working at Admissions my freshman year I could never have imagined the job it would become. I thought I was signing up for an easy work-study job, something that would “pay the bills” as adults say. It turns about I got a lot more than a job. Over the last four years, the staff and other students who work in admissions have been like a family to me. As is to be expected, college as brought me lots of joy, hard work, pain, change, but most importantly growth. Through all of these different journeys, the admissions office has stood by me. The staff has encouraged me to grow as a student and a professional. Not only can I give a mean tour, but I have developed all sorts of other necessary professional skills. I am also excellent at large mailings (super exciting I know).  

                Any who, I don’t mean to be too mushy, it’s just that I feel happy to have had such great support over the last four years and preparation for the job world! 

Well, see you at graduation. I expect everyone who has ever read my blog to be there.  I will be the one covered in honors and bling. You know how beep bop does. 

Xoxo 4 ever 

Signing off. 

Beep Bop 

5/26/2011 02:04:48 PM

Wrapping Up.

Oh, hello...

The last few weeks have been a flurry of homework, packing, and planning for the future. I am happy to say that this week I finally finished my first full draft of my thesis. I am going to post my abstract below so you can get a sense of what I have been working on. Now I will be editing and preparing for my presentation/defense finals week. It's been a long process and I am ready to be done.

I have also been preparing for the end of the year, by moving out of my room. Sometimes students who live off campus get stressed about finding people to sub-let their apartment to for the summer. As a veteran of the off campus living process, I made sure to find a sub-letter early on.  The key to low-stress move out and housing plans is proper planning. Obviously the University has great housing options, but for those of us who prefer to go out on our own, planning ahead is key. Like all things in life finding housing often brings unforeseeable costs and concerns. I think the more you can prepare for the easier it is to handle any unanticipated issues that arise.

Well, those are my thoughts. I am heading out for the long weekend today. I am going to go home for a night, unpack, do hw etc. and then meet up with some friends at a cabin in southern WA. It should be great!

Xo

Beep Bop

"We're not talking about guilt here, we're talking about change": Community Leaders speak to the impact of gentrification in South East Seattle

This project provides a picture of the factors and implications of  gentrification induced residential displacement in Rainier Valley. The story emerges from the lived experiences of community leaders and residents living and working in South East Seattle. Community leaders were identified using a modal sample, and asked to respond to a series of trends associated with displacement, as identified in contemporary gentrification scholarship and with community partners. Interviewees are current leaders working with faith, labor and community organizations. The data was analyzed using grounded theory. This approach allows emergent inquiry by relying on an inductive, comparative and interactive research process and analysis (Charmaz 2007). This project provides qualitative data to understand the social and political implications of the recent out-migration of residents of Rainier Valley and Rainier Beach. Two research questions motivate this research study:

What factors contribute to the out-migration of low-income people, people of color and people not born in the United States from Seattle's Rainier Valley?

What are the lasting implications for in-movers, remaining residents, the neighborhood culture and the City of Seattle?

5/12/2011 09:20:15 AM

Ameriwhat? Americorps.

Greeting citizens,

As you may have realized, it is May, which is dangerously close to June and......GRADUATION!! That means that I have got to get my act together and get a freakin' job. Even with the tough job market, I am staying positive and keeping my options open. I am looking on Craigslist frequently for openings, mostly in the non-profit sector, and I have decided to apply for Americorps positions as well. 

The application process for Americorps was daunting initially, but after lots of quality time spent browsing around the official website, I finally have a hold on it. There is a pretty lengthy online application that includes several short essays and resume-type information, plus a section where other people can fill in your references through an online request system. Americorps would be a great option for me to gain more experience in a field I'm interested in, or do something completely new. Although it is technically a volunteer position, it would allow for me to live in whatever city I get a position and meet lots of great people in the field (NETWORKING...which will be great for getting a non-volunteer position after the 1 year service term). 

 I'm excited about all the potential opportunities. We'll see what comes of it.

I'll keep you posted.

Until next time,

Beep Bop
 

5/2/2011 05:50:02 PM

Oh Hello

Hello! 

I know it’s been a while, but that speaks to how darn busy I have been! 

Things I will share with you: Easter fun and thesis update 

Easter 

Over the holiday weekend Alexa and I drove down to Portland to spend Easter with my family. I was especially happy because my little brother James (the one I visited at USD) flew in too. As usual I managed to keep busy despite the long weekend. My favorite part was making special holiday food with my family. Alexa and I made super yummy greek food and chicken sovlakis! It was especially rewarding to conquer those new recipes.  On Saturday we made polish pierogies as a family. Over the years my grandma has taught each of us how to complete each step. This was the first year we made all of the ingredients. They did not turn out as well as when she makes them, but she helped with the actual production and gave us good pointers for next time.  I also made my other Grandma’s/ my Aunt Alice’s cinnamon rolls from scratch, they were a bit of work, but turned out fantastic! Yum! Writing about them makes me wish I had one to eat right now.  

Thesis 

As you know I have been working on my senior honors thesis all year. It’s been a long process and I am proud to say I am slowly seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. This week I will be wrapping up the final sections before I dive into a serious amount of editing.  I will let you know what I think come June, but as of know I am glad I decided to work on this project, but also feel tired of reading my own writing.  

That’s all for now 

Beep Bop 

4/14/2011 10:24:42 AM

Update

Hi everyone-

Hope spring is kicking into gear over in your part of the woods. It still a bit rainy here with the occasional clear day. I finally uploaded pictures for you, but now I cannot figure out how to load them on my blog, so I guess you'll just have to wait another week.

Classes are in full swing, nothing to exciting to report at this point. I am most enjoying finishing up my senior thesis and my women studies senior seminar. There are lots of awesome people in that class. I cannot wait to be a part of all of the interesting conversation we are certain to have. Its nice to be a senior in a small class full of smart cool people!

This weekend I helped work at the SU accepted open house. Although I was not excited about waking up so early, I have a surprisingly fun time at the event. It was exciting to meet so many great prospective students. It reminded me that Seattle U is not all about me. After I leave there will be a new batch of wide eyed freshman, just as eager as I once was to learn and be apart of the Seattle U community. If anyone out there is reading this and still think about Seattle U as an option for next year, good luck! Picking a school is a personal and often difficult process, but I can say from my experience that SU has been the right school for me. The lessons I have learned both in the classroom and community make it easy for me to recommend this school to any young person who is passionate and looking to embrace challenge and relationship.

best of luck,

Beep Bop

4/7/2011 10:05:19 PM

California Adventures

Hi!

Sorry it has been so long. I know you have been anxiously awaiting my post! I have exciting things to report. First you'll be glad to know I survived finals weeks. Often times after finals I fall ill, but this quarter the transition to break went smoothly, illness free.

             I spent spring break exploring northern California with Alexa. We spent most of our time in San Francisco and Point Reyes National park I will upload pictures once I put them on my computer.

            The city was fantastic, we had a blast exploring different neighborhoods and seeing the sites. Of course we ate lots of brilliant food. My favorites were breakfast at Outerlands, a hipster haven that serves only a few great items and homemade bread, dinner at Zuni, a San Francisco classic renown as being a for runner of California cusine, and Tartine, an amazing French bakery, and that's saying something since I have worked at two French bakeries. We also happened upon the Golden Gate Bridge and Bison in Golden Gate Park!

            Point Reyes, a national park on the coast just north of San Fran. is one of my new favorite places. We stayed in an adorable hostel just a few miles from the coast, nestled deep in the wooded hills. We went on two long hikes along the coast and spent time at the Elk reserve. We also found a secret bike trail! I definitely want to return soon! We did leave with one special gift that showed up about a week later. What's that you might be asking? Poison Oak. Yes, that’s right, all over our bodies! Boo. I think we got it when we had to off road when the trails got muddy. I don't regret going, but let me tell you poison oak is a huge bummer. Steer clear if you ever hike in Northern California. 

            Last weekend I went to San Diego to attend the Clinton Global Youth Initiative. The University sponsored me and the other student leaders working on the Seattle University Youth Initiative. We had a fantastic time and learned lots too. Mr. Clinton moderate many of the panels. I was surprised at how candid he was in sharing his experience and personal views. My favorite speakers were Van Jones and Raj Patel. Look them up, they are both awesome activists and leaders.

            I also got to spend time with my little bro who goes to University of San Diego. Him and his buddies welcomed the SU crew with open arms, we stayed in their dorms! Now that's catholic solidarity. USD is obviously a lot different than Seattle U, but after visiting I can see why my brother loves it so much. All in all in was an awesome weekend. I think I even got a bit of a tan!

Hope you liked the update. I will tell you about my classes next week!

Shalom

Beep Bop

3/12/2011 02:04:35 PM

What What Finals

Hello Hello- 

I feel like my last entry was a bit of a downer. This time I am going to share a student’s wisdom on how to make it through finals week and fight the end of winter rainy blues. 

1. Self-care. During finals time I always try to take extra steps to keep my body happy and healthy. The last few weeks I have been going to acupuncture regularly to help relax my jaw.  
2. Eat up. Balanced meals can make the difference between lasting a few extra hours on little sleep and crashing early. Although junk food is tempting when I need a quick pick me up, I know now, as a wise senior that the sugar high will not last. These days I reach for the carrots and hummus or apple and peanut butter. 
3. Make a schedule. Obviously people work in different ways, but making a study schedule is a way for me to hold myself accountable. I write in what I need to do and windows I hope to get my work done in. Then when I do, I reward myself with free time! 
4. Go outside.  This may seem near impossible if you have a ton to do, but for me its necessary. I find taking time to go for a run or a quick walk around the block helps clear my head and make my studying hours even more productive.  
5. Solidarity. Yes, sometimes group study can be instant death for productivity, but it also if it’s the right crew, help me stay motivated. I try to keep it to one or two other people and make sure that we are all on the same page as far as when we are going to chat and when we are going to have a serious work period. 

Well, there they are, my words of wisdom. I will let you know how my tips work in practice. I am off to hit the books, well I am going for a run first…. 

Xo  

beep bop