Undecided/Undeclared Anteaters Blog

The end…of freshman year, at least…is near! And it’s so sad to think that I won’t be able to say I’m a freshman anymore. I won’t be able to see my hallmates everyday, I won’t be able to just go to Pippin or Brandywine Dining Commons and pig out. I won’t be able to have that fun dorm life. However, time does pass and everybody gets their own turn. Therefore, I should be happy that I had such an amazing year in Grey Havens and make the most out of the moment I have now. Sophomore year will be fun, too! It’s so crazy thinking that I’ll be a sophomore in college…

With the school year coming to an end, that means that there will be a lot of banquets, bonfires, end-of-the-year events, etc. For example, today, ASUCI just had our banquet! Then, at the end of this week, Anteaters In Action will be having their end of the year banquet too, which I know will be super fun. Also, my hall is having a hall dinner and bonfire soon to celebrate the memorable, fun, and wonderful year we have spent together. Time truly flies–again, I say this in every post. [Refer to Maryann's post about getting involved in ASUCI! ]

Anyways…today I just found out that I will be a mentor for an Undecided/Undeclared freshman next year! I’m excited to be able to guide a freshman towards having the best possible first year, and also to help them understand what path they want to go towards. Being an Undecided/Undeclared student, I definitely understand how difficult it can be to know what one wants to do. However, I believe that with the help of many of the U/U staff members, I have been able to truly see what I want to do with my college years. Also, as a freshman, I took a lot of introductory classes for the major(s) that I wanted to go towards, and so that really helped me see what I enjoyed and did not enjoy.

Good luck on midterms, everybody! And make sure to make the most out of everything. See you guys next week!

2 more weeks! Crazy.

ASUCI banquet with my team, Anteaters In Action!

- Mimi

Hi Anteaters!

Alright ya’ll. Three more weeks plus finals week and then SUMMER! I honestly can’t wait for summer to be over but at the same, I can because I do not want to leave! Can you believe it? I still want to stay at UCI? More like, I don’t want to leave my hall It sucks that we will all be separated to different apartments and what not. Dorming life has been such an amazing experience.

Anyway, other than this little introduction, I want to talk about ASUCI! This is one of my involvements and I am glad that I chose to stay active with student government. Just a big warning, student government in college is a lot more different than student government in middle school or high school. In college, students take on more activism and have more power to voice their opinions with administration while of course at the same time planning out the fun activities on campus. To break it down, ASUCI consists of three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. Let’s first start with the judicial branch. Student members actually serve as justices and take on any complaints within the university. It is a pretty small branch but holds great power. Next is the legislative branch. Students run to be representatives for their respective schools (i.e biological sciences, informational computer sciences, humanities, etc) or be at-large representatives. These reps are part of legislative council and act as the student voice for approving the budget for the fiscal year and approving/ rejecting legislation and other recommendations. Third is the executive branch which is the majority of ASUCI in terms of members. The executive branch in turn has five offices- Office of the President, Executive Office, Administrative Office, Academic Affairs Office, and Student Services Office.

The Office of the President works with advocating for student issues as well as campus climate and the general welfare of the students. Our 2012-2013 president is Traci Ishigo and our president elect next year is Nicole Hisatomi I actually met her at the Student Lobby Conference earlier this year. To jog your memory, we went to Sacramento for a weekend to learn and lobby about legislative issues such as prison reform, tuition roll back, and the unit cap. Tis shall be a great year next year!

(President elect for next year! I am at the left and she is at the middle)

To transition nicely, the Executive Office focuses on these very issues in a statewide manner. Some things they focus on are grassroots campaigns, Student Lobby Conference, voter registration, and elections. Definitely, this is the external political office of the ASUCI that reaches outside of the campus but to the state.

The administration office acts as the liason between students and administration in regards to parking, dining, and housing. Other aspects of the office include The Green Initiative Fund (T.G.I.F), which offers grants for those who would like to implement green programs for the campus, anteaters in action, which focuses on volunteering, and coordinating our five vendor fairs throughout the year. The vendor is a weeklong fair held in ring mall where businesses have booths where they sell food, clothing, etc.

Next is the Academic Affairs Office, which is the office that I am part of! This year, I was an intern for the academic senate commission and next year, I will be a commissioner for academic senate! I am super excited for that because it is quite a leap for a second year. Anyway, academic affairs focus on the quality of education and voicing these concerns with administration i.e the deans and chairs of each school. Some aspects are the anteater mentorship program in which undergraduate students have mentors that will guide them academically, sociably, etc, finding speakers for events, and cultivating leaders in the visions leadership commission. In particular with academic my senate meetings this year, we approved new and modified courses in the UCI catalogue.

Finally, there is the Student Services Office. This is probably the only office that is like high school ASB in terms of campus activities. Student services is responsible for organizing events such as Soulstice, Wayzgoose (Celebrate UCI), Shocktoberfest, campus clubs, movie nights, and athletic games support/ spirit. It is a fun office to be part of and I hope I will be part of it next year

Now to wrap it all up, ASUCI is… HUGE. There are so many different opportunities to be involved with. From student activism to helping planning campus concerts, college student government is definitely nothing like high school. Don’t be afraid to apply! Try to walk outside your comfortable boundaries and go for it. Nothing to lose, eh?

Zot, Zot, Zot!

Maryann Adraincem

CHECK OUT THE ASUCI WEBSITE!!

http://www.asuci.uci.edu/

Hey Anteaters,

Today I am going to tell you about how surreal college is and the real battles you will have to take on even though they may seem infeasible. Truthfully today I did not know what I was going to write to you guys, until I realized what I had spent the last 7 hours working on. I had my first college battle, and I am proud to say that I won.

College is frankly a rough place for those of you who have been dependent on your older sister or partners in a group to do the dirty work. The dirty work for me has always been making a Power Point. Whenever I was in a group project in high school I told my partner I would do the research and I would send it to them, so they could produce the Power Point. This is the first time I was ever asked to do a PowerPoint all alone: the research and the slides.  It was so difficult to even grasp the notion of doing all that work. My sister wasn’t here to even assist me, and I dreadfully desired help, however I stayed strong. I “writhed in pain” for hours upon hours making a 3 slide Power Point. But finally I was triumphant.

The moral of the story and your freshman tip is anything at a university is possible. Look at me, I spent my whole life relying on others around me and once I was finally forced out of the lines of my limitations I became conscious of how much I could really do. Anteaters you can do whatever you set your mind to. Just hold your snouts up high and reach for the sky. At Irvine anything is possible even if it as simple as making your first Power Point. Every battle will be won you just have to keep shuffling slowly along(the type of walking an anteater does).

xoxo for now,

Or as we anteaters say zot,zot,zot

Sabina Goldstein

Well, hello there! Week 7? Done. Welcome, Week 8! This only means ONE thing: there’s only 3 weeks left, including Finals Week. Believe it or not, this is a big deal. Time is flying by, and at this very moment, I feel like I’m trying to squeeze in a lot of things I wanna do before I officially finish my freshman year at UCI. I have yet to go to Disneyland and it’s a huge possibility that I will be going with my hallmates right after our last final. I also hope to spend a day at Laguna Beach, because you know, I’ve watched 2 seasons of MTV’s Laguna Beach and maybe I’ll fall in love there… Haha just kidding. Or am I? Yeah, I’m kidding. I also want to have a photoshoot with my hallmates in Aldrich Park. I must admit, UCI is beautiful- the campus, the scenery. I can’t wait until I’m done with finals to finally relax and breathe. But let’s not get too ahead of ourselves… there’s still 3 weeks left and that means being productive and focused isn’t optional- it’s a must.

This might be random but I’ll be going home during Week 8. This is kind of a big deal to me because I’m from NorCal. This will be the first time I’ll be going home for a casual visit. I’ve been quite a tough cookie and waited to go home for Thanksgiving break, Winter break, and Spring break. A lot of my hallmates go home on the weekends, and the dorms are quiet and a little lonely sometimes. The distance away from home doesn’t bother me. I’m truly blessed to be where I’m at. But since I’m going home this upcoming week, I can’t express how happy and excited I am. I feel like some people take dorm life for granted by going home EVERY weekend, but I kind of understand that feeling you get when you’re home- and it’s like no other. My advice to freshman is to tough it out… don’t go home every weekend. If you signed up for dorm life, make the best out of it. Socialize, plan events, and hang out with friends…. YODO! (You Only Dorm Once). It’s okay to go home occasionally on the weekends if you live nearby, but don’t make it a habit… you might be missing out on some fun stuff! Also, this is the time you become INDEPENDENT! Yes, that includes doing your OWN laundry as opposed to taking your dirty heap of laundry back home. That’s no fun. I actually have fun doing my own laundry in the dorms; I feel a sense of accomplishment afterwards

So with that said, I hope you all have an amazing WEEK 8. I know I will Do not procrastinate… you know who you are! Haha.

Until next time,

BIANCA RAMOS

Hey, there Anteaters! Guess who was at the Keystone Leadership Conference this weekend? I was! The Keystone Leadership Conference is a one-day event full of helpful workshops and informational sessions to aid first-years transition from life in the dorm to living independently in their second year of college. This exciting event took place last Saturday on May, 11th. I started off my day, waking up at 7 AM to get ready and headed to the Mesa Court Multi-Purpose Room at 8 AM to check-in and eat breakfast. Yes, I know it sounds dreadful to wake up SO EARLY on a Saturday morning, but believe me, it was worth dragging myself out of bed. At check-in, I got a nametag, a Keystone booklet, a cool red bag, a t-shirt, and pens. I got my plate of breakfast and sat at a table with a few familiar faces of Mesa Court residents. There was a few residents from Middle Earth, but Mesa Court topped it off (woohooo! Mesa Court!). Throughout the day, there was icebreakers to get to know each other, and we were later broken up into small groups based on our interests ranging from our majors or intended majors, which made it easier to network with our mentors during the conference.

As the day went on, we had a workshop called “Avoiding the Sophomore Slump” which informed us about different time management techniques and how to cope with stress. We also had a Professionalism workshop that helped polish our resumes and informed us what to do and NOT do to during interviews. Afterwards, we headed to the ARC for a fun cooking class! This was my favorite part of the conference not only because I wanted to cook some food, but because I knew it would be useful now that I won’t be depending on Mesa Commons, Pippins, or Brandywine for food. Next year, I’m gonna have to learn how to survive without a meal plan. Chef Jessica Vanroo walked us through the steps to make a few Mexican dishes, including green chicken enchiladas, guacamole, quesadillas, and baked churros ALL FROM SCRATCH. Not only did we learn how to cook, but we also had the chance to eat it and it turned out pretty good! With our tummies full and satisfied, we headed to Middle Earth to listen to a keynote speaker, followed by a money management workshop and a panelist of students.

Overall, this was wonderful experience filled with opportunities and learning! It’s true when they say that the whole college experience is about growing as an individual, and I can proudly say that I’ve grown to be responsible and independent in college. Now I’m ready to finish my last quarter as a freshman and tackle my sophomore year! This conference was a memorable experience that I recommend for all incoming freshman! You will not regret it, even if you have to set 2 alarms to wake up and be ready by 8 AM Hope you all have a GREAT WEEK 7! By the way, the Vendor Fair is on campus, so go check it out!

Until next time,

BIANCA RAMOS

Hey Anteaters,

Goblins, ghouls, and witches, oh my! How should I spend my night on this holiday that I decree the scariest night of them all? We all have traditions on Halloween. We might go with our friends trick or treating (because we can never get too old for that), or every year we help our parents decorate our houses so we can scare little children. UCI does not want you to lose any of your traditions, so they let you keep them, but have you make whole new memories with entirely new people.

Mesa Court has this activity called Haunt the Halls, people compete to have the most petrifying hall it is actually extremely fun. If you feel you are too old to go trick or treating definitely partake in this activity. My hall actually did it, and even though we did not win, they sure did scare me!

My Halloween night was spent with some of my dorm mates and one of my friends that commutes (you can still have a lot of fun here if you commute). We went trick or treating! Yes, because we are 7 at heart! It might not look like there is anywhere to go trick or treating in Irvine, but to my surprise there was! There is this community that is called University Hills where professors and students live, and what is scarier than seeing your professor outside of class? I am urging all of you guys to go to University Hills your freshman year! Dress up, and have fun, if you don’t feel like buying a costume you don’t have to; just look what most of my new friends did (the hats are from In ‘n Out and everyone loved them)!

xoxo for now,

Or as we anteaters say zot,zot,zot

Sabina Goldstein

Halloween is coming up in 5 months, and I say it is best to prepared!

Hey Everyone!

In this blog, I want to talk about the transition into college. I can’t really speak for everyone but I have my own thoughts about this. Right now, for all those high school seniors out their applying for colleges and getting their acceptance/ rejection letters, props to all of you! Amazing on job on taking the initiative for that next step in your life in higher education For me, I always had the idea that I was going to attend college since I was probably in elementary. Honestly, I never fathomed the idea of not going on because it was instilled in me since then. But now, as I look at it and see all of my other friends, I step into the real world and understand that some people do not continue on after high school to college. The fact of the matter is, not everyone gets to college and reasons for this are many. I have a friend that stopped because they could not afford it or they chose the military. Yes, reality hit. So feel proud and privileged that you are choosing college as your path.

My story of my own college transition? Summer before school started, I was immersed with online paper work and websites and things I had to know and at times, I could not handle it. It was so much thrown at me! But good thing that I learned to use my resources…. i.e facebook and my friends. In SPOP (Student Parent Orientation Program), which is a 2 day orientation all freshman are required to attend, you do not learn EVERYTHING that you need to know when entering UCI. Probably you get a glimpse of it, but not fully. Well for me at least that was the case. Before I go on, why do you need to attend SPOP? You choose your classes there! There are peer academic advisers that help you decide which classes to pick and for your first time in college, I am sure you will need guidance of what to choose. But do not get me wrong though, class registration is entirely online so you could do this at home, too, but you just might not be exactly sure what classes to get (unless you have a really nice upperclassmen friend in your major that is willing to help). Anyway, I faced so many websites regarding UCI (zot account, zot portal, zot link, EEE, financial aid, web reg, uci bookstore, antplanner). Here is a little breakdown of what those websites are.

Zot account: Here is where you can view what money you owe to the school. This money includes your housing, tuition, and other fees like lab or technology.

https://zotaccount.uci.edu/

Zot portal: This website basically helps you keep organized of all your other websites such as your finances, academics, and campus life.

https://portal.uci.edu/uPortal/f/u30l1s4/normal/render.uP

Zot link: Looking for a job? Either off campus or on campus, you can apply to jobs in this website. It is good for people with work study! Just upload your resume and apply to as many positions you want.

http://www.career.uci.edu/zotlink.aspx

EEE: For me, probably the most used website. Known as electronic educational environment, your classes will be listed on this site (updated every quarter since you get new classes each quarter). Sometimes, homework is submitted online so features such as “Dropbox” and “Messageboard” could be used based on the professor. In Dropbox, you upload your homework files and in messageboard, you just post messages for the topic. Grades are shown online too. Plenty of professors have their own website and you can find them through EEE.

https://eee.uci.edu/myeee/

Financial Aid: View your financial aid here! You can also see when your deadlines are what paperwork you need. You can also find scholarships, etc.

http://www.ofas.uci.edu/content/

Web Reg: Here is where you register for classes and view the class schedule. Super helpful when planning out what classes you will take for the future. Also, you can view your unofficial transcript under “Student Access”

http://www.reg.uci.edu/

UCI Bookstore: Well, the place is called “The Hill” and was formerly known as the bookstore. Find your course books here and other merchandise that you want to buy. Remember though, that you can buy books elsewhere! Sometimes, the bookstore is expensive. So know your resources (amazon, buy from upperclassmen, etc). Note that if you buy books through the bookstore, it is not charged with your UCI account .You pay separately

http://book.uci.edu/

Antplanner: Not an official UCI website, but EXTREMELY useful when deciding classes and knowing your schedule. Everyone has a different class schedule so its important to know when you have to get to class and when you have free time. This online planner helps you stay organized. Plus, it is color coded and very neat . The following is a picture of my spring quarter classes using antplanner.  I am Undecided/ Undeclared hopefully going into biological sciences and psychology and social behavior double major.

http://antplanner.appspot.com/

It may seem a lot for now, but you will get used to it! I am sure every college has as many websites as UCI. Okay, to get into a more personal level, this is how I feel every time I leave home for the weekends and then come back to school that Sunday night. It has been 8 or so months that I have been at UCI and it has become a different world. I live an hour and a half away in Sylmar (San Fernando Valley) and my life has been in Glendale, a suburb in LA, since I lived there for 14 years of my life. Being in the OC and meeting so many new people and being super involved, I feel like my life changes once I leave UCI and go home. I think about my friends at UCI and to be honest, I can only imagine them at UCI or no farther than Orange County. I feel like they only exist there,  not in Glendale or Sylmar. And when I get to see my friends from my old high school, I feel like I am entering a different world. I can only imagine those out of state students and international students and how they feel. Let my little story not make anyone be afraid about college, let it be a lesson. College is without a doubt a new chapter in your life. You are starting new! There is only one a half more months of my first year here and at times, I do not want to go back to school after a weekend home. But when I do settle back in my dorm, see my roommate, talk about our weekend, text my friends about our plans the following day/ week, and see my hall mates, I fall back in love with UCI. Hey, sometimes, I do not want to go back home! It takes some getting used to. Some people deal with it faster than others and do not feel bad if you take more time. I know I am adjusted to college. The idea of dorming those not scare me anymore as much as it did the first week of school. As with the different worlds, like I said, it is a different chapter in your life. Some old friends might leave. Those people you talked to in high school might not be available anymore. And it is partly because both of you are on different paths. I barely talk to my old high school group of friends because I left the city and it is not that easy to hang out anymore. It does not mean they are not my friends anymore, just that I can not see them as much as I want. I did not replace them with my new friends here at Irvine either. They are still part of my life and I am sure I will see them again in the summer. Life is full of chapters, stages, phases, whatever you may call it. It is really up to you how you decide to turn the pages of your life story. Just remember, a story is meant to move forward.

Hope you all liked this blog. It is definitely different from my past blogs when I talked about involvements and campus activities/ opportunities.

-Maryann Adraincem

Happy Cinco de Mayo, Anteaters! I didn’t do anything special today other than work on my essay for Writing 39C, and oh boy, it’s A LOT of work. I love writing… for fun, of course- without any deadlines or pressure to check for grammatical errors and what not. Yeah, this is college for you. Not to scare any incoming freshman but it can be overwhelming sometimes, and just know that this is normal in college. For the next few weeks, I will be preparing for my last two midterms of the quarter and working on this research paper. It’s manageable if you manage your time wisely and learn not to get distracted by social networks and friends. I have yet to master that skill, but I’m progressing

Believe it or not, it’s Week 6. I’m a little sad now that I have a few weeks left living in the dorms. Sometimes I wonder where the time went, and I dearly miss fall quarter. WELCOME WEEK was truly memorable- getting to know everyone in my hall, exploring the campus by day and night with friends, and a lot of hall bonding! For most of us, classes weren’t in session so we had a lot of free time to just get acquainted with the campus and with each other. Now, it seems as though we’re all busy studying for midterms. It’s so easy to feel overwhelmed and alone, but do NOT isolate yourself! Make time to study and time for friends. It can be as simple as having dinner as a hall ( AVOID taking out food from the dining commons! It will become a bad habit and you’ll be isolating yourself!). Another important thing is to keep yourself busy! If you have some free time, head to the gym and exercise before you start studying (get that blood pumping and de-stress yourself!). Also, make sure you have something to look forward to… it can be something you planned for the week like heading to the beach with friends or the next anticipated party. Let’s not forget that rewarding yourself for your hard work is essential! Treat yourself to that yummy frozen yogurt at Yogurtland or to a frappuccino at Starbucks (my favorite is the Mocha Coconut frappuccino!). I personally have the Keystone Leadership Conference to look forward to on Saturday, which I’ll be talking about next week Last but not least, finish strong this quarter, Anteater! You earned your spot here and you deserve to be here, so you’re more than capable of getting that essay done and getting a good grade on that midterm. You’re almost done! I hope these tips help you along the way!

Until next time,

BIANCA RAMOS

Hey Anteaters,

   This is crucial advice, so please listen close. College is a place where we envision something like what we saw in the movie “Accepted.” If you haven’t seen it yet watch it, but do not believe that is what college is like. I, on the other hand, succumbed to trusting that movie.

Packing day came and I spent the whole summer buying clothes for parties. I even gave some of my dresses the title of “clubbing clothes.” I brought approximately fifty dresses with me. My clothes do not fit in my closet. Let this be a warning the closets in the dorms only fit what is necessary. Leave the glittery scarves, the “clubbing dresses,” anything you don’t really need at home(the rooms are not that spacious either).

Bring tennis shoes, not heels. This is embarrassing, but to be honest, I had to buy tennis shoes in Orange County, because all I brought was wedges, and stilettos. There is a lot of walking to get to your classes, and there is no way you can go through Aldrich Park (the biggest short cut to get to your classes—do take it!) in heels without twisting your ankle.

UCI has a lot more studying than partying, so plan on bringing a lot of sweats: comfort clothes. J Don’t get depressed just yet though; there are parties if you look for them, I can guarantee you! The other night Mesa Court (I recommend living there because it is very involved in making sure that the students get a once in a while break from studying, and yes the coolest people live there too!) hosted a Casino night, where I actually got to wear one of my clubbing dresses. Yay!!!It was a lot of fun. My crucial advice don’t overdo it while packing, bring a couple of fancy dresses (this goes for guys too, there is a guy in my dorm that brought so much clothing that is all over his floor). Trust me you won’t miss them that much!

xoxo for now,

Or as we anteaters say zot,zot,zot

Sabina Goldstein

Hey Anteaters! How are you guys doing? This post is going to be sort of like a double-post, because I wasn’t able to post last week. Sorry! Anyways, last Sunday, I went to an end of the year banquet for a club at Irvine called Circle K. The banquet was held for members, and it was just a nice way for old board members to “retire,” and to welcome the new board members of 2013-2014. The theme of the banquet was “Once Upon A Time.” At the banquet, there was yummy food, good music, and also a few performances. For example, for any of you Circle K/Key Club members out there, some of the members showed us the dance that they performed at DCON again.

At the event, we were able to catch up with other members. I was really happy that I went to the event, because recently I haven’t been able to see many of my “family members” (I will explain later) because I’ve been so busy. I haven’t been going to the meetings…so that’s my fault, and therefore I feel like I haven’t seen anybody in so long! In Circle K, if one chooses to join the club as a member, one will be placed into a family, with two “parents,” a “big brother/sister” and also a bunch of other “siblings.” I love being in a family because I’m really able to get to know a few members and develop a stronger bond with those people. Also, being put into families introduces friendly competition because many families like to compete with others at Family Day. Family Day is a day dedicated to Circle K, where all the members go to a park and participate in different types of games, etc. It’s so fun and it’s another great opportunity to get to know your family members and also different club members better.

If any of you guys are interested in joining Circle K, I strongly suggest that you guys do! It’s really fun and it has really made my first year here at UC Irvine better.

Another event that took place on Sunday was Ken-Ya Dance, which is a charity dance showcase that is held at UC Irvine’s Bren Events Center. At the event, there were different performances from dance crews at UCI such as MCIA, Urban Motus, INSA, etc. Also, Philip Want from WongFu Productions, Yuri Tag from Kaba Modern, and DanAKADan from Afterschool Special. Poreotics, MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew Season 5 winning team, was also there! Unfortunately, I was not able to go to the event because I already RSVP’d to go to the Circle K event. I really wanted to go to Ken-Ya Dance, because some of my friends who were on the dance teams were performing…and, because Philip from WongFu went to my high school!

So far, I’ve been really busy because the school year is coming to an end. I have to find a balance between schoolwork, friends, time for myself, and also other things such as the ASUCI commission I am in, Anteaters in Action. On Friday, we had an event called Senior Prom, and it was where we went to the Inn at the Park Senior Citizen Homes, and we danced with the senior citizens. The event was super fun, and it was a great way to de-stress and just enjoy the start of my weekend. Also, yesterday my RA planned a fun tie-dying event for our hall, and it was also a great time to de-stress on a sunny Friday afternoon.

As time passes and all of us realize that our freshman year is soon to be over, I think it’s important to make the most out of every moment. I can’t believe we’re starting Week 6 of our Spring quarter, and there are only 5 weeks of school left. It’s crazy, because I remember when we had 5 months of school left…it really seems like just yesterday when we moved into our dorms and had Welcome Week. Well, I hope you all have a great weekend and good luck Week 6! Study hard, and play hard.

See you guys soon,

Mimi

“Life is what you make of it.”

Senior Prom.

Senior Prom.

Circle K Banquet! Me & my family.

Ken-Ya Dance 2013

Tie-dying with the hall!

Hola, Anteaters! Week 5 has made its way to let us know we’re halfway done with spring quarter and most importantly, our freshman year. With that said, it’s time to make each day count, make each moment memorable! For starters, I decided to do things a little differently last weekend. I made last minute plans to go to Huntington Beach to see Emblem 3 from X-Factor! Huntington Beach is approximately 20 minutes away from UCI, so it’s convenient if you have a car to head down there for a bonfire or just to tan by the ocean. So let me tell you about my little adventure to see Emblem 3

I woke up that Saturday morning feeling spontaneous. I thought to myself, how cool would it be to see Emblem 3 while I’m down here in SoCal? since, you know, I’m from Norcal. So right then and there, I jumped out of bed and got ready, packed sunscreen, snacks, and water for the day. I already knew what I was getting myself into. When you think of Justin Bieber, you probably think of a crowd of squirmy girls with posters, right? Well, it wasn’t any different with Emblem 3 fans. My hallmates and I arrived at Huntington Beach to find ourselves in a line of over 500 girls, and this was just 12 PM. Let me just inform you that the concert started at 7 PM. Yes, we got in line, and waited. And waited. And waited… but I didn’t mind. We tanned meanwhile, and we had alternating shifts to check out the beach and grab some food from the little shops.

Time passed by really fast, actually. Before I knew it, we were a few rows away from the stage seeing Emblem 3 perform. It’s amazing how they started performing at Huntington Beach a few years ago, and some people praised their music and others probably walked right passed them. But look at them now! The X-Factor brought them fame and now people have recognized their potential. I can’t say I’m a “huge fan” of them, but I enjoyed listening to their music. Some of my favorite songs by Emblem 3 include the famous “Sunset Blvd” and “Curious”. To be honest, I don’t know what’s the deal with their top-hit single “Chloe” haha.

But yeah, I wrapped up Week 4 with an Emblem 3 concert, which was very memorable and worth it! This just comes to show that there are things to do on the weekends if you’re a student at UCI, whether it means going to the nearby beaches, malls, or exploring Downtown LA. Anything is possible (especially if you have a car or know a person with a car, but there’s alway buses and shuttles!). On that note, explore! Go out! Be spontaneous! Freshman year is coming to an end, so plan something out with your friends and make it memorable! College isn’t always about studying; sometimes you gotta make time to go out and have FUN!

Until next time,

BIANCA RAMOS

Hey Anteaters,

It is week five already of third quarter, and I have yet to tell you what my suitemates did for me on my birthday, April 8, so I must say! My birthday was on a Monday and I have Mondays off so I was home for most of my birthday. I came back on Monday night and there on top of my desk were balloons, delectable Sprinkle’s cupcakes (if you have not tried these you must, find a friend that drives and force them to drive you hahah, I recommend the Smores, it has this huge piece of chocolate in the middle ), and a card that sang in Italian signed by all them it was too cute! The next day, I had so much reading to do, but my friend, Nicole, insisted that we go out to eat as we had gone out to eat the previous Tuesday because we craved some “real” food. When I say “real” food, we just did not want to eat from the commons that day because to be frank if you eat there EVERYDAY, you will get sick of it. So, she came to my room and told me I needed to get dressed up, I was a little skeptical of why I needed to do so but I complied with her demand. We went to her car, and then we got to the restaurant. It was called Buca Di Beppo, if you have not gone there go, order the baked ziti, it is the best. So, we got to the host and Nicole said table for two, we walked to the tables and you would not believe it, my entire suite was there, they surprised me! They did this all for my birthday. The cupcakes and the balloons were enough, but they went out of their way and did this too! My friends in Irvine are simply amazing. They have taught me something I will remember forever; put down the pen once in a while and have fun. Trust them, sometimes you will regret saying no. I still cannot fathom they kept a secret from me, I still do not see how they managed to do it. I am like a detective when it comes to these things. I love each and every one of them with all my heart and I still cannot believe we only have six more weeks together as we are all going our separate ways with housing next year. We need to make them last! Freshman year, where did you go?

Well that’s it for now.
Talk to you next week
XOXO,
Or as we Anteaters say ZOT ZOT ZOT,
Sabina G.

My friend Robert and I at Buca Di Bepo celebrating my 19th birthday!