ILC Tutorial at the San Pablo Library

The ILC tutorial was scheduled to take place today, April 15, 2018, at the San Pablo Library. I was very much looking forward to the tutorial because I would gain more experience and knowledge for our trip, while also continuing to bond with the rest of the ILCers. Last night, I went to sleep both nervous and excited about the events that were to take place the next day. I envisioned myself getting up the next morning with the same excitement, ready to take on the day and to soak up all the knowledge Don was ready to provide us with. The next morning, me not being a morning person, this was not the case. 

I set my alarm for 8 AM and woke up so exhausted, so I fell back asleep without setting another alarm. Luckily, I was awoken by the annoying noise of my dog barking at people outside at 10:30 AM. I rushed out of bed and got ready as quickly as possible. Thankfully, I was ready by the time Don arrived at my house to pick me up. 

Our tutorial meeting spot.

Once we arrived at the San Pablo Library, my excitement for the tutorial was renewed. I was very happy to get to see the rest of my cohort and also the Vanderbilt cohort again. I had not been together with my cohort since our meeting at Kaleidoscope and had not seen the entirety of the Vanderbilt cohort since the Vanderbilt interviews.

Once everyone arrived, we took a photo of all eight ILCers in front of the Ivy League Connection banner. After seeing past cohorts take similar pictures in front of the same banner, this was a very surreal experience. With each meeting for the ILC, the journey to Chicago feels closer and closer.

During the tutorial, we went over the extensive packet Don had printed for us. We went over everything from how to take and upload our pictures, to what to pack for the trip. 

The part of the tutorial that took up most of our time was the photography and blogging aspect of the tutorial. As ILCers, we are expected to share all of our experiences throughout our journey before, during, and after our trip. To be more successful in doing so, Don walked us through the basics of taking pictures, using them in our blogs, and what to avoid while writing blogs. 

Ana and I staring at my dead camera.

Most of our learning took place during the making of our practice blog and the field assignment. After doing our practice blog, we go to go out on our own and take a whole bunch of pictures around and outside the library. I was very excited to take some pictures of the library and some of my fellow ILCers. I took off and snapped a couple of photos, but because of the low camera battery, my picture-taking spree was short lived.

At the very beginning of my ILC journey, traveling to Chicago seemed like a very daunting experience. With all of the information provided today by Don, I know more of what to expect and our trip now seems more exhilarating than scary. Today was also a great bonding experience for all of the members of the ILC. They are all friendly and funny. I am glad these are the people I will be spending the next few months connecting with. As always, I am very much looking forward to our next meeting.

ILC "Camp" at San Pablo Library

"Try to stand next to a stationary object and put your arms inside. This will make the camera still and lay a foundation for better quality pictures," Don was telling us as my stomach was grumbling. It had been approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes since our last break. The time was 3:35 PM. 

2 minutes later, Don requested us to take pictures with the cameras he brought to the meeting. 

"Be back 10 minutes before 4," Don told the ILCers.

Don informed us earlier that we might have to pair up with partners for cameras because there were not enough cameras for all the students. 

Hawi and I paired up to take pictures around the library. Soon enough, we both agreed that we were SUPER hungry so we ran over to Walgreens, which was a block away, from the San Pablo Library to buy a bag of chips. We were running around the store snapping pictures and selfies with other items. Surprisingly, we ended up taking over 45 pictures!

Both of us chose to buy a Fritos Flamin' hot chips with a Jalapeno Cheese Dip. We bought the cheese dip was so we would feel full. It only cost us about $4.00 whereas a typical lunch would cost around $15.00. Talk about saving money! Earlier, during our tutorial, Don was talking about the ILC dinner at San Francisco being over $130. 

I was back! The energy, running down my body felt rather incredible. Ask Hawi how tiresome I looked before eating. We hurried back to the library and on the way we took a couple of pictures with the proper pose that Don showed us. 

Right before the 2nd session of the tutorial started, I looked over a few notes of my Google Docs to get back into the ILC mode. 

We started the meeting with one of my favorite quotes by Don, "Words are nice but words with pictures are nicer." As we moved on we discussed various etiquettes which included the importance of communication, being on time and getting out from our comfort zone. We switched topics to blog etiquettes one should follow while drafting a professional blog- adding pictures, having strong descriptions, checking font-size, etc. 

The second session primarily revolved around Mediafire where we discussed uploading pictures, file naming protocols, and red-eye reduction. Right before closing off, we talked about how to pack effectively when we are off to Vanderbilt or Chicago. 

Issac and I

A very productive tutorial and a great deal of networking/ bonding opportunities with the other ILC scholars. I was able to catch up with Issac, Maxime, Kayla and Hawi while formally meeting Anna, Audrey, and Ana. 

Next stop- meeting John Hillyer, our trip supervisor!

Gathering Information at the San Pablo Library

Earlier today, Don Gosney, the seven other ILCers, and I met at the San Pablo Library to discuss various ILC protocols and responsibilities. We also briefly went over what to expect and what we will need on the trip. I must say that I was expecting less than the fifty-odd subjects we covered over the course of four hours.

We started with how to communicate with Don, also known as how to prevent him from becoming an angry ball of fire when we do not respond to emails often or with consistency. That is, if he does not become Evil Don first and start considering the validity of our acceptance into the program. We covered the basics of how to contact him and the reasons why mobile phones are absolutely never the solution.

It soon became apparent that blogging was also a more intricate process than I had thought earlier. We learned how to properly format entries and how to make them more interesting with graphics or other content. Don also went over the times that we should blog, and how to avoid boring content.

After an hour or two, we took a break to experiment with cameras and improve our photography skills. After all, if a picture is worth a thousand words, I'll save a lot of blogging time by getting a good photograph.

Don also reminded us of the need to be mature and act like adults. The expectation of this program is that its participants are not just well educated in English, but also in manners, time management, and our responsibilities.

I really enjoyed the meeting, and I feel much more prepared for this trip now.

A Rainy Day at the Library

The library, with rainy skies in the background

This rainy Sunday afternoon was the first time that all of this year's ILCers met together. I had a good time hanging out with them and Don while learning about the upcoming trip. When we came into the Conference room in the San Pablo Library, Don immediately handed us a heavy packet of 53 pages that contained all the information that we were going to go over.

After reading and discussing the section about blogging, we had our first break of the afternoon. During the 20ish minutes, we had to format a sample blog entry on Don's practice blog.

ILCers working hard

We then discussed how to take photos (Hint: not with a phone) and how to upload them/share them with Don and the other ILCers. Next, we had our second break, where we put our new knowledge to the test by taking pictures in and around the library

Isaac taking a picture in the library

We finished the tutorial by talking about the logistics of the dinners in San Francisco that were to come, and the dorms and packing list for when we head off this summer.

I really enjoyed meeting the ILCers from the Vanderbilt cohort and I am looking forward to the next dinner to meet our chaperone!