GUEST POST: Meet Student Ambassador Nayeli

Motivating Future Fullerton College Students

My name is Nayeli Rodriguez . I am a Student Ambassador for the Fall 2013 - Spring 2014 semesters at Fullerton College and I am very much enjoying serving prospective students and current students. This is my last year at Fullerton College and with that said I am getting ready to transfer!  My objective is to obtain a Bachelor's in Speech Pathology in Communicative Disorders and one of the goals I have with this career is to incorporate Music in it.  Who knew Music and science could go together so well! This semester getting a taste of our music department has been an enjoyable challenge and I have learned so much in just one semester. Making the transfer from being a Biology and Chemistry student to Music this semester has been very exciting; I have had to put the same effort for all those subjects because they all require discipline, plenty of studying, and practice.  No wonder Fullerton College is #1  in the state for music; the teachers and music students here are very dedicated and talented. As a Student Ambassador this semester I have attended  college fairs to represent Fullerton College and every conversation I have had with a prospective student has been one of motivating them to explore different things while being a college student. I have talked to many prospective students who have done their research in the career they want and who know the process of enrolling etc. and I have talked to other students who know they should be going to college because that is what everyone tells them , but do not know exactly what college is and the questions they should be asking in a college fair. I find gratitude in my Job with the students that have no clue to what college is because then I am able to tell them about my classes and my journey through FJC  which to them is very valuable especially if they are 1st generation college students. If anybody motivates anyone to enroll in a higher education institute I believe that person is making an impact on the other person's life because we cannot assume that everyone knows already what college is and how to go about it. Going to college is one of the many biggest decisions we will make in our life and I feel honored to be able to help students get that foot in the door of opportunity that college opens. 

Random items

Daylight Savings time ended, moving back to Pacific Standard time. As usual, I did not change the clock in my room, leaving it an hour ahead until next spring. I pick up the habit of making that adjustment when I look at it very easily. If it’s 8:50, I just think that in ten minutes it will be eight o’clock. It’s not difficult at all to keep track. Most of my time checking is done on a computer, anyway. The clock in my room is almost an archaic artifact now.

Another comic I’m currently enjoying is Clive Barker’s Next Testament. Definitely not for everybody, but I’m enjoying it.

A saying I like is no one can insult me without my cooperation. If an insult is given, but it is not picked up by someone, did the insult happen? If a tree falls in a forest with nothing around to hear, does it make a sound? You'd have to define what sound is. Is sound the vibrations given off by an event, or are those vibrations not sound until they hit an audial receiving instrument which translates it into the experience of sound? Is sound a phenomenon that exists independent of whether it is heard, or is it only sound once it is interpreted as such by a consciousness? Is an insult something that exists independent of a receiver, or is it only an insult once it has been interpreted as such? You’d have to define your terms carefully.

Cartoon! ☺



Peace,

Dave Roel.

We taste terrible.

- Sam Dinkin, winning entry in the Space Show's first message to space competition.

Criticized for Wearing a Hat

Sometimes you may see me around school wearing a beret. the beret is a U.S. military beret with a light blue unit insignia patch. I have been criticized multiple times or been told to take the beret off by people that served in the military. There is different reasons for their request. Some say it's disrespectful because I am not a veteran. Others say that it is because I am not wearing any other part of the uniform.

I don't believe I'll stop wearing the beret. I'm going to keep wearing it. I'm not wearing it to be disrespectful. One reason I think it's completely fine to wear the beret is that it's my freedom and U.S. veterans fight for one thing. What is it you ask? Freedom. If our nation is based upon that one idea than I shouldn't be lectured or chastised for wearing it.

After I started receiving slight threats and heat from students I started to do my own research. I have many friends that are veterans or currently serving in the military. I've asked them if they take offense and they say no. It's not that I don't respect the military. I don't believe in war, but I do understand that the military "most of the time" fights for freedom of the American citizens.

Lastly, I almost see it as respect for the military. If I really had a problem with the military I wouldn't wear the beret. I can see how it would be disrespectful if I was wearing it to be facetious, but it is not for that reason. I don't think I need a right to wear a hat.

I think I am going to continue to wear the beret and if someone tries to stop me I will politely tell them my reasons and ask them to let me be. I no longer want to be threatened by Marine Corps for wearing a hat.

Fight the power!

Liam Harder

Moving

This is about the age where people begin to move out and get their own places, or at least begin to consider it. I lived in the dorms at UCSD last year, which is similar in the sense that I was out on my own, but still a very distinct experience from having your own apartment, as I now do. I know a lot of people aren't quite sure where to start when searching for an apartment, so I've put together some suggestions to make the process a little easier:

• Figure out a budget: Rent obviously varies based on the city, size, and number of rooms in the apartment-- you'll want to figure out how much you expect to spend. I find that Rich Blocks, Poor Blocks-- though intended for an ENTIRELY different purpose, for which I also encourage you to use it-- is helpful in that it provides the average amount of rent paid in every neighborhood in the U.S, giving you a rough estimate to work with. Size and number of rooms is ultimately dependent on whether or not you intend to live with roommates. On top of rent, you'll probably be spending quite a bit of money on groceries, gas, and other miscellaneous expenses, so you'll want to account for these.
• Conditions: Once you've found an apartment you're interested in, you'll want to know whether rent includes utilities, what utilities, if any, whether the apartment is furnished, and what kind of physical condition the place is in. Utilities can be incredibly expensive, and furniture depends largely on personal taste. The apartment should be in good condition-- repairs or pest control can be costly and time consuming.
• Renting vs. Leasing: It's definitely important to know the difference. Leases involve a contract and tend to be longer-term, which isn't the best for everyone, particularly not at this age. They also will more likely require a (good) credit score. Renting is on a month-to-month basis. So while leasing provides more security, renting provides greater flexibility.
• Roommates: Make sure you'll be compatible with your roommates given the living situation. An extra bedroom can make a world of difference. It also doesn't hurt to lay out a set of ground rules; who keeps the apartment should a disagreement arise, how much rent each person pays, expectations for cleaning and general housework, etc.
• Save up: You'll want to AT LEAST have three month's worth of rent saved up. Many places require that you pay a deposit as well as first and last month's rent up front, and moving is a costly endeavor in itself. In addition to obvious essentials, there are also decorations and miscellaneous household items (i.e. paper towels) to consider, and it certainly adds up.

Stay classy,

Caitlin.