Get my study on...

Last weekend was the first Campus Visit Day. I was the student speaker and everything went really well. There were people that came all the way from Wisconsin to see the school. This week there has been a lot of homework. With midterms around the corner, there are a lot of assignments before the tests come. I have been staying up until about 2 am the last couple of nights to make sure I have most of my assignments due by next week. Boat Dance is tonight! We are taking a new boat out so I am sure it will be off the hook. It is always fun with a lot of people on a boat dancing because it creates a unified environment where everyone has as much fun as possible. I am going to work at the Raiders game on Sunday. I found out yesterday that I am going to be riding around the parking lot with a bbq grill company trying to find the best tailgating party. You know what that means right? FOOD YUMMY! I don't know if they will win, and hope to go see the other people from DU that got tickets from the Raiders and Student Life here at school.

Happy Aloha Friday!

-Phillip

Its Almost Friday..

Hey all!
Welcome to week six! I’m really excited for Friday! It’s my first year at DU, and this Friday is the annual boat dance. As for school this week it’s been pretty normal. Studying here and there! The pop quiz for my stats wasn’t exciting, but I have moved on! There are a lot of things going on at DU this week, on Monday there was free Salsa dance lessons! Free! The favorite word of any college student! Well I hope everyone has a great week! Until next time- Miss Gretchen

BoAt DaNcE.......Yay!!!

Yay! Boat Dance is this Friday and my friends and I are excited! Our school rented out a luxury yatch and we get to cruise around the Bay Area and under the Golden Gate Bridge! ASDU sold over 550 tickets these past two weeks. Im looking forward to getting ready with my girls in the dorm rooms. Its going to be so much fun. We can't wait!

I was in line for dinner yesterday when someone shouts,"Hey, did u see yourself in the school newspaper?" There I was, front page, unvailing the class on 2010 shield. I thought that was kinda of neat!

We had our first Campus Visit Day for the Fall 2006 semester this past Saturday. I had lots of fun. My friend Josh, a fellow Student Ambassador, and I led a tour of 6 students and their families. They were able to see our beautiful campus for themselves, ask questions about our school, attend financial aid workshops, and have lunch at Caleruega (our cafeteria). Overall, it was an informational day for prospective students and their parents. We all had fun!

I am also excited because I have officially declared a major! I have decided to take the 5-year program that Dominican offers in Occupational Therapy. I know that the experience will help me with what I want to do when I graduate-join the Peace Corps! I realize that the work load will be difficult, but im ready for the challege. I came to college to work hard,but nevertheless, fun is still a must. Here, at Dominican University of California, you can do both!

Victoria Rivera
Student Ambassador
Freshman Representative
Class of 2010

Busy Busy

Okay campers, this week was crazier than an exgirlfriend (or exboyfriend). I have been doing so much on and around campus that I have been forced to prioritize and make a list of things that I need to finish. If not, I may never get these things done. I chose the game I am playing though, so now I just have to worry about winning. I have projects and homework due in my classes, which wouldn't be a difficult task if that is all I had to do. However, since I'm an RA I have created and am organizing a social event I named Mariachi Monday. For this event there will be a Mariachi band playing on a Monday night, while Monday Night Football plays on at least one large screen, and there will be a yipping contest. The winner of the yipping contest will receive a front of the borrito line pass for the month of November for our dining hall (a very sought after prize here at DU). The dinner will also be a mexican or fiesta theme. Of course these are all ideas, but so far they seem to be in "go" status. I have the approval of the dining hall management and student life staff, but now I have to follow through on making it all happen. I will make this vision a reality, and get my homework done because I want to win this game of hectic proportions. If all goes as planned Mariachi Monday will be epic, and perhaps when you attend DU you will look forward to Mariachi Monday as well. Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh! (my best yip ;-)

Peace,

Jeremy

School really begins

We have been in school for 5 weeks now and I have felt like I was on vacation -- no papers, no projects, no tests, and no worries, but that all comes to an end this week. I have papers due, project presentations to be done, essays to complete and turn in, term proposals to submit and quizzes; a very busy week for me.

This weekend did not help much with preparing for this major week for me. We had the Campus Visit Day Saturday which I must admit, was lots of fun! Meeting new students is always a great experience. Finding out where they are from, what they are interested in studying and what they are looking for in a University. It takes me back to my senior year in high school.

Then, because I am a Resident Advisor (R.A), I was on duty Saturday night. Talk about a long day. I was on duty until 1a.m. I was able to get some work done but my focus was on the students and the building.

Sunday, I decided to just have some fun. Got a group of friends together and played some indoor volleyball. Man, there is no greater feeling that doing something you enjoy after a busy week of classes, meetings, and work. I am so sore right now but I’m loving it.

This is one week I am not really looking forward to on the academic side but the extracurricular activites side is a totally different story. The Women’s Volleyball team is hosting Pacific Union College on Tuesday, comedian and actor Brian Copeland will be in Angelico Concert Hall on Thursday, and the Boat Dance is Friday, that’s a great way to end the school week!

Until next week, Stay Cool and Lets Go Penguins!

Chilly

Wake me up when September Ends

Everything is really busy this week. I had to have my first draft of my senior project topic approved. Also, I had a write up for a field trip to the De Young museum due as well. I went to Oakland on Tuesday and there was no office work for me to do so my boss took me to the Coliseum stadium to meet to sales people from Chevy Motor Co. to negotiate a deal. It was cool to see how it went down; we offered them sign spaces on the scoreboard, a few places to display cars around the stadium, and links through our website. It was a pretty complex deal, but fun to watch and to speak up when I had something to add. This week is the first Campus Visit Day. I am speaking at it and I know it will go really well.

Last night I proposed an idea to some of my friends on ASDU which is the student government. One was talking about a Black and White Dance and the other was talking about the annual Haunted Houses in Meadowlands Dorm that is about 125 years old. I told them that they should make the students go through the Haunted House to get to the dance, which was a similar idea that I had heard student had done at Stanford. I heard this morning that the Assistant Dean of Students liked the idea and it might go through. I hope it all works out, but if it doesn't it was just an idea and goes to show why you should always speak up and have your voice heard.

Happy Aloha Friday,

Phillip

UPDATE!

Update!

My first meeting with the active members from ASDU (Associated Students of Dominican University) went well. The cabinet is made of twelve intelligent and opinionated students with strong personalities. I didnt really know what to expect because I was the new addition to the group. At first, It was a little bit intimidating because people with years of experience were already on board with their duties! We had a productive meeting and Im glad to be a part of leadership on my campus.

They say that high school goes by fast, but college life goes by even faster! It really does! I cant believe thatt we are already on week 5...soon, we will all go back home for the holidays.

Working with the fellow Student Ambassadors is so much fun! We answer questions for prospective students and guide campus tours. I have a tedious year ahead of me, but Im looking forward to it because I can grow with experience!

This weekend will be fun as well because we are having a Campus Visit Day. I encourage you all to attend!

Victoria
Student Ambassador and Frosh Rep c/o 2010

week 5

Hi everyone! Welcome to week five! It’s so exciting! This Saturday I had my JR seminar for psychology. It was from 9am to 6pm! It was long, but worth it! I learned about careers that are available with a bachelor’s degree in psych, you can work in advertising, in therapy, as a social worker, and much more. Most people further their education in psych to become psychologists. We also got to go in depth about grad schools and furthering our education in psychology. As for the week ahead it’s a busy one! I have a paper and a presentation both due on Friday! This weekend is also my first campus visit day, so I’m excited for that. Here’s to a great week ahead! -GRETCHEN

Change is in your hands

If you want something done right do it yourself, right? I am apart of a leadership group here at Dominican that is trying to bring about change on our beautiful, yet not perfect campus. Don't get me wrong, there are more positives to DU's campus than negatives but 1. you will find negatives no matter where you go and 2. I wouldn't have come to, or stayed here at DU if the negatives outweighed the positives. Also, this group promoting change is a good thing in itself. We discuss issues such as the food on campus, lighting, and security. The most important thing about this leadership group is that we discuss how to go about making the change happen. This is the most important thing wouldn't you agree? Change is in your hands so will you talk about it or make it happen?

Jeremy

Great weekend, hopefully a Great Week

This has been an intense weekend for Dominican athletics. Our women’s teams are showing their male counterparts that they are here and looking to capture the California Pacific Conference title this year in Soccer and Volleyball. The Men’s Soccer team, Women’s Volleyball team and Women’s Soccer team each played back-to-back games this weekend. Ultimately, the Women’s Volleyball team walked away with 2 wins, the Women’s Soccer team broke even with a loss on Friday, but a win on Saturday and the Men’s Soccer team fought had but lost both games this weekend.

On the academic side, I am doing great in classes. I have really interesting classes. I had a field trip to the de Young Museum in San Francisco for my Latin American art class. I had never been to the museum but quickly fell in love with the varying display subjects and various methods of art created by artists of that time. One of my favorite pieces had nothing to do with the exhibit our class was scheduled to view. It was a portrait of George Washington created with dollar bills.

On the extracurricular side, I’m busy and loving it. Student government has begun selling tickets for the anticipated Boat Dance which has been set for September 29. Right now, I know have sold over 200 tickets and hope to reach out target of 600 by the end of the week. The dance will be lots of fun!!!

On the Resident Advisor (R.A) front, I am really enjoying the relationships and friendships I am forming with my residents and residents from other building. It is great just getting to know people and being able to get them to actually utilize you as a resource because that is what an R.A is, a resource for students.

After this weekend, I am hoping for a great week. Besides class, all I have scheduled this week are a couple of meetings, a couple of Men’s Soccer games, work, and a Campus Visit Day this saturday. Sounds like a lot but believe me, it’s manageable.

Like always,

Stay cool, Lets Go Penguins!

Chilly

P.S. hope to see you at the Campus Visit Day this weekend.

Monday Night Football

This week I had to work at my first game for the Raiders. I was not nervous
when my friend texted me in class saying ESPN was showing a huge line for
the parking lot because I had a pass for the lot for the Raiders employees.
But I really did get caught in traffic it took me 50 minutes to get off the
highway and in the parking lot. For those of you that have been to the
Coliseum you know it is right next to the highway too! Well after helping
out in the new Tailgating Zone, I met the contestants and the CEO of
Mitsubishi East Bay and got them all checked in, because another man in the
sales department asked me to do so since he was working on a deal with
people from Safeway. No one made a 20 yard field goal though so that was
disappointing so I guess they can’t win a truck anymore. It was fun to see
some guys from ESPN up in the press box that I always see on TV too.
I also decided on my senior thesis goal this week. I am going to compare
and contract on American colonization. I am going to show how Teddy
Roosevelt colonized the Philippines in the Spanish American War and show how
that was similar and different to what Bush is doing in Iraq. My history advisor
Sister Pat is asking us to submit an abstract so we can present at a
national research conference NCUR that is going to be at DU this spring so I
am looking forward to that. She also is introducing a mentor program for
upper classmen to talk to under classmen history majors and maybe even a
history game night off campus at a pub for all history majors. Its more of
the fun thing DU offers especially if you want to study history.

Happy Aloha Friday,

Phillip

Week 4

Hello! Welcome to week four!

The tests have begun at Dominican, and that means studying! I had my first test on statistics for health and behavioral sciences. I believe that my instructor prepared us well for the exam.

This week Dominican celebrated Shield Day. It started with the mass of the Holy Spirit. It was a bright sunny day! After mass we went to the revealing of the shield for the freshmen class. This is an ongoing tradition at Dominican.

Well its back to the books for me! On Saturday I will attend a JR. seminar. It’s a one credit class that gives psychology majors the opportunity to explore careers in the field.

Until next time-

Miss Gretchen

ANOTHER GREAT WEEK

This week (9/7-9-13) was an amazing week. I ran and campaigned for Freshman Representative, and when elections came along I was very nervous! Students from the clas sof 2010 had the opportunity to vote for who they wanted to rep the class for the entire year. Thursday was the longest day ever, but it was only because i had something to look forward to-the outcome of the election! I finally received a phone call at 10:30pm that night and got the call I had anticipated. I was so excited when it was announced that I won! Im looking forward to working with ASDU this coming year. It should be a great year!

Weekends at Dominican are always fun! Knowing you dont have any morning classes allows you to stay up all night with friends that you have created close bonds with. With San Francisco only being 15 minutes away, there's always something to do.

Tuesday, September 12, was Shield Day at Dominican University. The senior rep presents the freshman rep(this year it was me!) with the Class of 2010 shield that will guide us throughout our four years at Dominican. Wisdom through Reflection, is what our class has to offer. I liked the ceremony because it was a day I played a role in and will remember for a long time!

Ill be going home this weekend, so Ill be missing the Beach Bond-Fire this Friday=[
Im excited to go home and see my family, but I know once Im there...Ill miss my school, my job, the food, my dorm, and best of all..all my new friends!!!

Victoria Rivera

Student Ambassador/Freshman Rep, Class of 2010.

Get in the groove!

Things are getting hectic! Yet, I’m starting to get back into my groove as the second month of school is upon us. I feel I have a strong understanding of the expectations of my professors, and finally my schedule is set. Sadly, I don’t have much free time and I must be very organized to have a successful year. I am currently a Resident Advisor on campus, a Student Ambassador, a Teacher’s Assistant, and I have 17 units to keep track of. So yeah, I’m slightly busy :-P What keeps me going is the support I receive from my friends and family and the rewarding feeling when summer arrives. My hopes are to make a difference on the Dominican Campus. “One day at a time, one task at a time:” this is how I have to live my life, otherwise I may go crazy. Haha, j/k Let me know some of the things you are all involved in, and how you manage your busy lives.

Jeremy B

Following a Tradition

This week brings about a yearly tradition that is possibly the oldest existing Dominican tradition, Shield Day. This very special ceremony will be held Tuesday, September 12. Shield Day begins with the Mass of the Holy Spirit which is the official blessing for a safe school year for all us students and DU faculty and staff. Following Mass, is the Procession of Flags which shows how diverse our University really is. A flag is carried from any county that our students are representing. This year, we are expecting at least 55 flags, not counting any of the flags from the United States! After the Procession of Flags, we have the actual Shield Day activities and Convocation.

At Shield Day, the senior class officially welcomes the freshman class to Dominican. As the senior classes means of welcoming, they present the freshman class with a shield. On the shield are words of wisdom that are expected to guide the freshmen through their four years at Dominican. My class shield reads, “We grow from our roots.”

The Convocation is when an honorary degree is bestowed upon a person from the outside. I have no idea who is receiving the honorary degree this year.

Besides all the activities and history of Shield Day, lots of students love Shield Day because our Tuesday morning classes are cancelled so that everyone has the opportunity to attend the festivities. After Shield Day, our cafeteria catering company, Bon Appitit serves a deliciously amazing international lunch. Last year, Bon Appitit served foods from Mexico, Italy, and Japan, I think. (I couldn’t remember where that other food was from).

On the recent front, this was a busy weekend for Dominican. Our Men’s and Women’s soccer teams played Hope International University. Sadly, we lost both games but it wasn’t conference play so it doesn’t matter ;). We also hosted an amazing special guest lecturer, Shirin Ebadi, the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize winner. I had never seen Angelico Concert Hall that full and Angelico Concert Hall seats 800 people!!!!

Besides Shield Day, this week kicks off a long weekend of Dominican Athletics. Our Women’s team will serve against Williams Jessup University on Friday and Simpson University on Saturday. Soccer’s back in action as the Men host Fresno Pacific University on Friday and join the women to face-off against Northwest Christian College. This is going to be an action packed weekend!

Stay cool, Lets Go Penguins!

Chilly

DUC relationships the first week of school

I think most people at Dominican, especially the freshman, are always the most excited for school to start again so that they can meet new people. Who's hot? Who's not, you know the drill. After two whole years, or four semesters, I have come to learn that friendships and relationships play a huge role in a college experience. I like to say that everybody's eyes are wide open for the first month or two of school. This is the time when you and your friends sit in diningning hall and ask each other, "Who's that girl/guy sitting over there? What's her/his story?" After about a month all that crap wares off and students become more concerned with their English or math grade than they are with who they are attracting (the way it should be I think (okay well not entirely). This is the point were people who used to wake up two hours before class to shower and apply all the "pretty stuff" just don't give a rip any longer, and they are barely waking while class is starting, still in pj's of course. Most likely those people go back to their rooms after class and resume sleeping; Sad, but true. Don't think that everybody who attends college turns into slobs after a few weeks, that is not how it is by any means. I'm just saying that people become more comfortable around each other, especially at DU because of the small size. If I could give all of you one piece of advice concerning relationships when you enter college it's this: Ask yourself, "Will this limit my ability to have fun and meet new people?" That's what college is all about. Have fun when you enter college and, more than anything, be safe troopers.

Peace, Jeremy

Starting Senior Year

The new school year has started and it was so good to see all my friends again. It’s funny because most people find that they are missing friends from High School while meeting new friends their first year or years at college. Then you develop so many great relationships here people get tired of home and I know by the beginning of August all of my friends couldn’t wait to reconvene at Dominican.

This being in my last year at Dominican it is busier than ever! That is a good thing however because I have so many good things going for me right now. I was surprised to find out when attending my first class I need a topic for my senior thesis by September 22nd. I will be graduation in three years because I took summer school and lots of units so planning for my senior thesis wasn’t exactly the first thing I thought about this year. I do think it is going to be fun, I have one of my favorite professors Arthur Scott as my advisor and we will meet soon to select my topic. I am a history major and have three ideas, one being about the reconstruction of the South after the Civil War, another is research when the United States turned from a isolationist country to a World Power, and the third is to write about the situation in the Middle East since I went to elementary school there. I will keep you all posted on what I chose.

Probably the most exciting thing that has happened to me early this year was receiving an internship, and getting school credit from my Sports Management Minor, with the Oakland Raiders. I got it because a faculty member in the Business office, who I met on a school Honors Program trip to China in May, gave me contact information with someone they knew in the ticket office. I had an interview even though they said they had no positions open and that contact opened a door to someone in the corporate sales department who was looking for an intern.

I will be at the game working on Monday Night Football with a pre-game promotion with Mitsubishi East Bay in a competition where fans kick field goals to try to go to the finals the last game of the season to win a truck. I went to the last preseason game and it was real cool to see the field, and watch from the press box, the free soda, popcorn, and hot dogs were a plus as well. I’ll let you know how that goes too. I can’t stress enough though how my connections I made here at school helped me get this internship. I think it is a bonus of smaller private schools and something everyone should consider when looking at schools, and Dominican!

Happy Aloha Friday!

Phillip Young
Senior Student Ambassador

What DUC is Like For ME!

When I first visited Dominican University in March, I knew that this was the school for me! I graduated from Eagle Rock High School in Los Angeles. Coming from a school with over 3,000 + students, I wanted to go to a small college where I could have 1 on 1 personal attention with my professors. If you’re use to being active in school, like I was, Dominican offers great opportunities so that you can be involved with the campus. There are many clubs and organizations, such as ASDU (associated students of Dominican University, SPDI (students promoting Dominican ideals, and Student Ambassadors, which may interest you once you learn more about them. When I graduated from high school, I wasn’t sure about what I wanted to major in. All of these new college decisions can become very overwhelming. Dominican offers a great program for undeclared students called the Vision Quest. I am able to do course work for several subjects until I find the major that truly appeals to me.

The campus is beautiful and the people here are friendly and always willing to lend a hand. It’s fairly easy to find a place to study. The campus is serene, peaceful, and full of deer! I will never forget my first week at DU as a college freshman. Meeting new people and forming strong bonds with friends are some memories that I’ll cherish for a long time. Living in the dorms allows you to experience what college is all about! Most of my time is dedicated towards work and study, but there is plenty of time for fun as well! Only having to drive about 20 minutes before getting into San Francisco has its advantages on weekends.

Dominican University always has something going on! Whether it be movies and games on the lawn, performances by well- known comedians, special guest speakers (Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Peace Laureate), rock-band concerts, open-mic night, or school dances, entertainment is always a bonus once classes are over. This school allows its students to grow and experiences how the “real world” will one day be. Dominican University of California truly does change people-in a positive way!


Victoria Rivera
DU freshman

Welcome from Chilly

Welcome to Dominican University of California’s official blog site. I’m Chilly the Penguin, the coolest person at Dominican. I’ll be here to let you know the current goings-on with Dominican student life, athletics, and everything in-between.

Right now, I’m getting back into the swing of things. We all returned to school a couple weeks ago and going back to classes after a summer of fun and relaxation is not the easiest thing to do. Meeting the new students and reuniting with the returners helps to get readjusted.

Besides class, student government (ASDU) has been busy planning events. Last weekend, theCityDrive performed on campus, along with comedian Dat Phan. A couple days ago, ASDU released the day for the biggest dance of the fall, the Boat Dance. Always a favorite of Dominican students, the Boat Dance is a beautiful cruise on the bay for 3 hours that consists of friends, fun, and music. The cruise travels underneath the three bridges of the bay area, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay Bridge, and the Richmond/San Rafael Bridge.

Other than the Boat Dance, student government is planning many other activities on campus; dances, intramurals, socials, and information sessions. This week, all Dominican clubs/organizations will represent themselves at Club Day and next week, Shield Day occurs. Shield Day is a yearly Dominican tradition which the University offers its official welcoming of students and blessing for a safe school year.

It time for this penguin to head back to the igloo and get some rest. Huge weekend coming up with the Men’s and Women’s Soccer teams kicking-off against Hope International University.

Check back here often to hear from myself and current Dominican students.

Stay cool, Lets Go Penguins!

Chilly