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August 20, 2011 Jameson Today was a perfect way to end the trip and was definitely the best of all. Since I was no longer feeling as sick and frail as I did at the beginning of the trip, I had enough energy to brave the expedition led by Ian’s brother Jack. As an alumni of CSULB, jack took us on an awesome tour of the school and did an excellent job of explaining how the school works and what to expect in each course. I really enjoyed the graphic design and arts buildings because I plan on pursuing a career in 3D game design and 3D modeling. The school seemed like the perfect fit for me and the requirements to get in are more than achievable. It didn’t feel too competitive, but from what I learned it is a school that will test ones’ ability to keep a consisted work ethic. I feel that it is also a safe environment that I could thrive in because they offer so many courses for the different fields of art. Towards the end of the day, we saw the science/chemistry building that had a huge iguana in it, and saw some engineering projects that some students created using graphic designs and a 3D prototype printer. The projects were really interesting to me because I took an intro to engineering class where I got to use a 3D printer to make my own skateboard. To top off the day, we went for a swim in this huge fountain to cool off and partially clean ourselves after six days in an RV…without one shower. I had a ton of fun on the trip and I want to thank the family who donated to make this trip possible, I am happy that I got the opportunity to see schools that I may be going to when I graduate in one short year! I also give a huuuuge thanks to Domenic and Cheryl for taking us under their arms in the name of education, and Domenic completely dominated the road for his first time in an RV. It was an awesome experience that I couldn’t be more grateful for and I’m looking forward to graduating and moving on to college! Thanks and farewell. Ian Long Beach, what’s up bro, although he no longer has his fro, I still picture him that way, touring his beach, showing us where all his teachers teach, artists galore, sciences, and engineers out the ears, sculptures, pools, nice track, even Spielberg went here went here, thanks who made this possible, we made it safe with no one in the hospital, I hope we can do this again. Thanks. Quinn On our final day, we visited CSULB. At first it looked dull, with its bland, brick buildings. I thought that it wouldn’t have any features that any of the other schools had (with the exception of the giant blue pyramid, that was cool). However, the sleek sculptures and lively fountains came out of hiding, and Ian’s brother offered us a tour. After trying locked door after locked door, we got to see the traditional and graphic arts buildings, which were really interesting. We also got to see the newly renovated science building, which featured various animals (like an iguana) and the most modern, comfortable, and amazing lecture hall I’ve ever seen. While walking across the campus, we saw a group of students shooting something, which drew me in because I want to get into filmmaking. Speaking of, I heard that Spielberg started out here. Basically, I think I’d fit perfectly at Long Beach. At the end of the day, some of us messed around in a fountain to escape the scorching sun (no guesses if I was a part of that or not). We are coming back, but I just found out that we couldn’t leave school until we finish all of our homework. I usually take about a week to finish a module. I’ve been assigned three and a half mods. If you do the math, that means that… It’s impossible and I won’t get to go home. For over three weeks. Jake Today we went to Long Beach State. At first I was not too interested in the school. I felt this way mostly because the campus is really big and a lot of people go there. However if I were to go there I would get over it and learn to go to a big school. Ian’s brother gave us a tour of the school. He knew a lot about the fine arts building because he majored in illustration. Going through the fine arts building made me a little interested in drawing and illustration. The cool thing was, when Ian’s brother started at CSULB, he knew very little about drawing. It was kind of tricky, but he said that you get the hang of it after a while. They did have a communications program and a radio station. But the radio station only plays jazz music. That was a bit of a disappointment but not enough to turn me away. They also have an awesome film school. Steven Spielberg graduated from CSULB and went on to UCLA. They also have a liberal arts building. I’m not sure what that consists of, but it sounds interesting. There are also female studies at CSULB, which I might take to please my mom and Cheryl. CSULB is defiantly a school that I will consider. To wrap up this blog I wanted to thank the donors who made this trip possible. I really appreciate it. I also want to thank Art and Julie for helping us prepare for the trip and for helping us during the trip. I also want to thank Domenic and Cheryl for putting up with us and our manly smell for one whole week. Thank you mom and dad for sending me on this trip. I got a lot of work of done, like I said I would. Thank you everyone for this trip. It has helped push me in the right direction, and has helped me get a better understanding of what my future may hold. Mom, dad, and Maddy, I can’t wait to see you guys and tell you about my experience, and I hope future students of the Arch Academy will get the same amazing experience I did (minus the smells). See you all soon. Joe Today is our last day on the 1st Arch Academy College Road Trip. We went to UC Long Beach today which was I think my favorite of all the colleges. I liked it because we got to see a lot of buildings and Ian’s brother gave us a tour. We got to see the science building, engineering buildings, library, bookstore, and many more. They had a brand new building with a lecture hall in it, which was cool. After Ian’s brother gave us a tour we got to jump in one of the five fountains on campus and go swimming. Jake, Ryan, Jameson, Ian, and I all did it. It was fun. This to me was at least a semi-shower since a week. I have finished all of my homework and blogs so I should be good to go. Thanks mom and dad for letting me go on this trip, and once again thanks to the family that donated money to make this trip possible. Deuces. Patrick Today we visited Long Beach State; this was probably my second favorite school. In in each of the well-placed building, there were the subjects branched off, but came seamlessly together in the middle. Their campus was also big on arts, because there were many sculptures and student art all around the campus. When we visited the track, we each had a chance to run around the track and jump the Hurtles. Inside of the biology building there was brand new lecture hall that I liked a lot because you had a full desk instead of a pull out coffee table. To those who are not able join us on this trip I hope you will have a chance to see these colleges someday. Thanks again to the donors! Ryan Today we went to long beach state, and it was pretty cool besides the location, it would be better if located away from the city. In one of the classroom they had a cool iguana. It’s was cool how they allowed skateboards on campus, and how they were so chill about it. We also ran laps on the track and jumped over some of the Hurtles. One of the other student brothers came down and gave us a tour of the campus. Then at the end we jumped into one of the fountains and swam around in it. And on the way back I jumped over a trashcan, and fell. I hope this trip is possible for the kids every year! David I have no clue on were to start this blog right now, only that this is the last day of the trip, we’ve seen eight colleges (even though we didn’t get out to see UCLA), and we got in one car crash. To someone who has never read this blog it may seem like a hassle but this whole trip was a bonding experience, and showing the rising of the leader ship. My top three colleges that I would like to attend are Cal poly, Santa Cruz, and Long Beach State. This trip was a perfect example of all the SLG’s (school life learning goals, see bottom if unaware.) mainly because of all the problem solving and solution seeking. The main problem solving persons on this trip were actually Cheryl and Dominick; they put so much time and effort into this trip so that everyone would have fun. They found places for us to sleep if the Walmart kicked us out, bought us a real meal one night, and Dominick got one of his friends to give us a tour. We also used the communicators SLG while on this trip because we had to ask for directions, ask were buildings were on the campus, and talk to one and other to make sure that everyone was all right. We also were productive members because we went to see each college and every kid saw a college that they loved, and would attend. It also motivated them to be more productive and successful in school. Now back to long beach state. It was an amazing campus that looked very poor and gloomy at first but as we moved to the center it started popping with energy. I could see all the time and effort that was put into this school just by seeing some of the buildings. This school cared a lot about there student and had many activities, food courts, stores that sold all kinds of academics books and devices, and the staff that we saw was generous and kind to us. (By the way Joe, Patrick, and Quinn, you’re actually not done with your homework). Overall this campus was amazing I could actually see myself here one day. Thank you so much whoever provided the donation, it was such a great experience and one day we will look back and see what a good opportunity it was. P.S. I will be ruling the campus!!! August 19, 2011 Jameson Today was an exciting day in and out of the rv. First thing we went to UC Santa Barbara and walked around the campus for a while. Im really happy that I finally got to see the notorious UCSB, and I gotta say, it’s a noice school. It may not be the school for me, but the girls are just super dee duper! The campus is actually beautiful, but my favorite part was all of the hot girls, as there was an easy 20:1 babe ratio. The school also offers a wide range of sciences and there was a case with a bunch of different rare minerals that was pretty awesome. UCSB is unfortunately not the place for me, but it was a cool experience never the less. We then drove to UCLA, but on our way, we were run into by a problem. This tool in a turquoise prius ran into us while we were stopped and he knocked his mirror off. Don’t worry everyone is okay, Domenic saved the day….again. After his brave acts, we drove around the UCLA campus which was also pretty cool, but we didn’t get out because it was just crazy and we are tired and none of us have a remote chance of getting in. Now we are sitting in a Wal Mart parking lot in Torrance, LA; good times. Oh and we are getting back tomorrow night so we will keep you posted for our time of arrival. Goodnight! Jake
Today we went to UC Santa Barbara and ucla. UC Santa Barbara had a really nice campus and seemed to care a lot about academics. But the school is very competitive an individualized and therefore not the school for me. But of course, i went to look at the radio station and textbooks anyway. The textbooks normally give me an idea about what there is to study, but at UCSB I didn't find a lot of things I would like. UCLA is pretty much off my list. There campus is huge, they had lots of sciences,and it's really hard to get into. But it looks like a very cool school. We saw the track, which is bens turf. Joe UC Santa Barbra was beautiful. It was full of some the hottest babes I ever seen. I was so cool because there were a bunch of big buildings. I liked the marine biology lab and the research facilities. They had a pretty G greenhouse. I didn’t get to see a sports facility but that’s ok. After this college we drove around and then got in a RV/car accident. What happened was Dominic was making a right turn on the inside and some guy tried to turn right on the outside. So he hit the left front side of the RV and we screwed the back left so of his little tiny prius. It was his fault by the way. After that we drove by UCLA and got to see some buildings. We saw a neuroscience center, and a bunch of other buildings. We will making our way back home tomorrow, but other than that thanks to the family that made this trip possible. Mom an dad I love you and thanks for letting me on this trip. Ryan Today we went to UCSB. It was ok. I liked how on one side you have the ocean and on the other you have the mountains. We went to the building of Marine Sciences and saw the life science building. I wish I could have seen more of the Biology 2 building but everything except the second floor was under construction. We went to UCLA after there definitely weren’t as many babes and all we did was drive around and look at the different buildings therefore I don’t have much of an opinion besides I very much don’t like the city. Patrick Today we went to University of Santa Barbara, it was a cool campus. I thought there marine biology labs were cool. I also enjoyed there military sciences, it was very interesting. They had a variety of archtechtualy interesting building all over the campus. There book store was the most unique that I have seen out of all the ones that we went to because they skateboards, bikes, camping gear, and guitars. The second school we vistited was ucla, which we didn’t get to see because there was now rv parking. But form what I saw it seemed like it might be somewhat diffuclut to navigate through the campus. Thank you to the donors, again. Ian Santa Barbra, enormous brains, exist between, the technologically advanced university, I would go here if I had the brains, this place is sick, experiments and associations with Harvard, finding the answer to curing breast cancer. UCLA, crazy fields for soccer, gnarly pool for the swimming, graduate school, and over all crazy competitive looking, although parking the RV wasn’t possible a great sight was seen. Quinn We saw Santa Barbra today, and I had mixed feelings about it. The campus looks beautiful, the sun was shining, all the facilities were neat, and there was a pleasant lagoon. Unfortunately, it proved to be monster of a labyrinth, which was very difficult to navigate. Also, I heard that it is a school that is better for people who are very independent, a trait that isn’t my strongest area. Santa Barbra also sounds as if it gets incredibly crowded during the school year. We didn’t actually get to what happens in the classes, which was disappointing. But the fact that they have a Panda Express makes up for all of that. Anyways, it was actually a lot better than I’m making it sound. UCSB was a nice place to visit, but it just wasn’t that special compared to all the other schools we’ve seen so far. After that we headed up to UCLA, and got in a minor incident with a Prius along the way (everyone agrees that it was the other man’s fault). When we arrived at UCLA, we got drive around and see some of the buildings, but we had to leave due to the lack of a parking spot that could accommodate a vehicle of our size. That was a bit of a let down, but I don’t seriously think that I would consider going there, because it seems to competitive, and I bet that their expectations are too high. But then again, you never know… Still, I wouldn’t have traded it for anything, and I thank everyone who supported us and turned the trip from an idea to reality. You’ve inspired us all to reach for higher goals. Once again, we miss you all and hope to see you all again soon. Alons-y! David Well the roadtrip is slowly coming to an end, and the big man upstairs is yelling us that it is time to go. On the way to ucla we got in a car accident, but it wasn't our fault because a Prius tried to move into our lane while we were turning and they scraped the side of our car, don't worry no one was hurt, except for a bus full of crippled orphans that lit on fire, now they are burn victims. We got ou and the driver admitted it was his fault so we didn't have to call the police. But hours before this even happened we were on the beautiful campus of uc Santa Barbara, which was amazing, because some buildings had views of the water, and there was a lot of student art work all around the campus. I know this wouldn't be a good school for me because they give you the assignment and don't help you at all, so you are all on your own, which I wouldn't be able to handle. The science departments were extremely big and there were countless science buildings that were huge. I was extremly impressed with this campus and hope that I could see it again. The only disappointment today was that there was no rv parking on the ucla campus!! Which made me really angry. But we still got to see the school from the outside and it looked amazing. Thanks again for the donation, it makes such a difference for me to see the schools at such a young age. August 18, 2011 Jameson So today we went to Cal Poly and I honestly didn’t know what to expect, but right when we arrived, the modern architecture and bold display of school spirit instantly got me curious. First we saw the pool, which was really nice and the staff was welcoming. The gym was massive, and was decorated with the schools mascot and colors, it was sick. There was literally a mall (technically plaza) that had a big store, Starbucks, a restaurant, and other shops we didn’t have time to see. The most interesting part of the campus for me was the graphic design building that housed the radio studio and collective works of art from students, which were really amazing. There was also engineering and a robotics building nearby. I wouldn’t have been as anxious to see the school if it wasn’t for Stephanie, because I really wanted to see where one of my teachers went to college anyway. All in all Cal poly was the most amazing college I have seen, although Santa Cruz is up there as well. In terms of my interests for careers, I would say Cal poly is a better choice for me and I will definitely apply after I graduate. Really great day, and thanks everyone for the opportunity!!! Ian Cal poly is jolly, full of newly constructed buildings, planted in a city between a lot of hill things, its chilling to think I might be here soon, almost trippy, like Monterey its nippy, pool is large, science is big, lots of agriculture YA DIG? Patrick Today we visited Cal Poly. I really enjoyed their biology and science department. It had a great display of animals and information to notify you about their academics. I also thought the lecture hall was around the perfect size. Not too big and not too small. I thought their campus had many exciting buildings. This sparked an interest in architecture. The main entrance to the school was amazing. I would like to go back in the future to see the new buildings they are making. I though it was cool that they had their own radio station. It was the only one we got to see close up. Stephanie I can tell why you liked this school. The trip is very enjoyable so far and I hope that in the future those going into high school will have a good time like I am. Jake Today we visited Cal Poly. Shout out to Stephanie. I thought the campus was really nice and had a lot of cool ways to pass the time from biking to bowling. I don’t think I would like to attend Cal Poly, but I did learn a lot about college in general. I saw the college radio station. Seeing the microphones and mysterious knobs and buttons made me really excited to attend college. Then I learned how easy it is to start your own show on the college radio station. This blew me away and got me excited beyond belief. I also learned how to be open minded about classes. When I embarked on this trip, I was focused on mass communication and film. But when I got onto Cal Poly’s campus, I kid you not, I became interested in business. Shout out to my dad. Business, however, requires calculus and statistics. I’m not to excite about the math part, but that’s not going to cancel business out as an option. I think music business would be a fun thing to do and get into. I think Casey would like Cal Poly because it’s big on engineering and making stuff. You’re always making some weird creation. Maybe you can use that skill to become an engineer. I saw a lot Quinn Today we spent the majority of our time at Cal Poly and I found that I really enjoyed being there. They put a lot of focus on subjects such as engineering and architecture, both of which I am interested in. We also looked at the graphic arts building along the way. These all drew me in, because I know that I want to get into a career that involves doing something creative, whether it’s a task as hands on as building something, or simply designing and directing a project. They also provide math and science workshops, which you can get both help and credit in. I heard that Cal Poly is quite competitive, which is something that I normally frown upon. However, I think that this extra push could help me. In fact, the only thing that I didn’t like was that we didn’t get to see everything (I let everyone else leave without me just so that I could see the third floor of the engineering building). So basically, this school is set up for my dream job. With that I’d like to say how much I miss the other students, the staff, and my family. I wish you were here, and I hope to see you all soon. It’s been a great experience, but I’m glad to be going home soon. One last thing, I’d like to thank the family that made the whole trip possible, you’ve provided a wonderful experience to help us plan out our future. Joe Today we went to see Cal Poly. I saw a lot of interesting things there. We got to see a huge gym with an awesome basketball court. Then after that we went to see the library, which had a lot of books. We got to see cement canoes, which they made, and had competitions with. They also made steel bridges. I would be interested in doing this because I am a competitive guy and I like building. They had a welding center where they could weld metal together. This would interest me because I like doing arts and making stuff. We got to see a bookstore and they had these pamphlets on different subjects. They had a few on statistics and I looked at them because I like keeping track of stats and numbers. Well that’s all for today. Thanks to the family that donated the money to make this trip possible. Ryan Today we went to Cal Poly. I am not sure how I feel about it. I liked how they had a good herpetology dept. they had concrete canoes and I didn’t like how big it was but I did like how well developed the biology dept. I saw a lot of taxidermy animals that were different species such as lizards, snakes, skunks, and other mammals. And “ The stuffed penguin ”. I don’t think I would like to go to this school, it seems like there is too much going on for me. Thank you to the donors again this is such a fantastic trip. David Once again another fantastical day looking at colleges. Today Cal Poly was our school of choice and it was a very well built school with amazing architecture. I thought this school was going to be very boring, old, and nothing going on. But I was wrong and the campus was amazing and it seemed like there was a lot going on. The only downside was that we had to pay for a tour, for some reason. The first thing we saw on the campus was the swimming pool, which was really tremendous and amazing. After one of Dominic’s friends gladly gave us a tour of the campus, he first showed us the science building were we saw taxidermy animals that included, lizards, snakes, turtle, and even eagles and falcons. Then we ventured our way over to the library and technology departments, I was disappointed that the we could tour the robots building, but I got to see other types of technology such as cement canoes. Some of the canoes even had the molds on which the cement was set to make them. But one of my favorite building that we got to go into was the graphic design building, which was massive and had lots of rooms. There were many bulletin boards on the walls that had classes you could take, and there were pictures and some artwork on the walls. Sadly all the classrooms were locked, but it was still an experience walking through the lobbies. On the last floor of the building and in the very back was were they had the broadcasting stations, which had big windows that you could peer inside and see all the music equipment and recording microphones. After that it was time to tie up are fun journey and head back to the RV. Everyone looked sad as we left the beautiful campus and ventured back, even though we all knew we would see another college tomorrow. Thank you so much for the donations, and hope that everyone is doing great back in San Diego. August 17, 2011 Jameson Santa Cruz was the awesomest campus I have ever seen. The school was literally spread out through a forest with redwoods, and raccoons. I found a banana slug and Ian ran over to get it so we played with it and I licked it to see if it would actually numb your mouth like they say, but it was just disgusting. Cooper took us on an amazing tour of the campus, but we ended up only seeing a small part of the school after 4 hours of walking through the woods of Santa Cruz. This is the kind of school that I would want to work hard to go to by raising my GPA. Monterey Bay, however, really sucked in all aspects. It was cold and it smelled like dead fish and also looked like a ghetto. There was construction everywhere and graffiti and just cruddy concrete. It was cloudy also, and we didn’t get any tours, so the school was just repulsive in general. Best day by far (not including Monterey bay). Patrick Today we visited Santa Cruz, and their amazing campus blew me away. Their campus was literally like a mini redwood forest. I was relieved when I heard from the disability center that if you qualified you got first pick on courses. The marine biology department impressed me because Cooper told me about the trips they took out in the ocean to research marine life. Overall UCSC was the best college I’ve ever been to. The only thing that was a setback was the rumors of a high population of drugs, but we didn’t see any or any evidence of that so I was relieved. Monterey Bay had a grid-like campus structure. I thought their library had a great resource that could help us find information on subject during a course. I also liked that it was by the ocean because I’ve been to Monterey Bay before and I very much liked it. The school had its own calm yet exciting personality. The schools we visited today were two schools that I would love to attend and I had a great experience at both campuses. Quinn First of all, I’m really disappointed by my last blog entry. This is partially because I didn’t do a very good job describing how I was feeling (I thought that I wasn’t allowed to say what I really thought, and partially because most of what I was saying was lost in translation. With that aside, I’ll cover the collages. I was surprised, because UCSC actually exceeded my expectations. Coming onto the campus, the trees and the whole “woodsy” feel underwhelmed me at first (I don’t find the words: “Hey look, a deer!” all that exciting), but the fog rolled in, and it slowly looked more beautiful. But then Cooper, Cheryl’s son, showed us around, and I actually began to like the place Being someone who isn’t very competitive, I was excited to hear him say that no one at UCSC really cared that much about sports. They also have programs for people who struggle academically. There were even actual banana slugs outside the bookstore selling merchandise with the little yellow creatures on them. I honestly didn’t expect to see that. I think that I might On the other hand, CSUMB can be summed up in one word: disappointing. The campus consisted of bland, square buildings, the weather was cold and gloomy, and the grass appeared to have died of sheer depression. In fact, the only interesting part of Monterey Bay that seemed interesting was the library, but I bet that you could find similar, if not better, libraries in other colleges. Still, I shouldn’t judge it, because we didn’t have much of a chance to see everything they had to offer. As for the RV, there are a few good moments, such as seeing the Golden Gate Bridge rise from the mist, and then having the chance to actually drive over it. We’ve run out of real food, and all we have left is cookies, chips, and other junk food that everyone else is managing to get on every surface possible, which isn’t pleasant when you can’t take a shower. It’s also very loud and cramped, but the good times outnumber the bad. Despite all this (and the things that I didn’t cover), I’ve seen some incredible things, and I doubt that I’d have all these opportunities anywhere else, so I’m incredibly thankful for ARCH letting me go on this trip. I’d also like to thank Dominic for taking on the monumental task of driving, and Cheryl for having the patience to put up with our whining. Ryan Today we went to University California Santa Cruz. It was cool because there were lots of redwoods around and it was in the forest. We also saw raccoons, banana slugs, and deer. I also bought a cool book about reptiles and amphibians of the western region. I would have liked to see the Marine Biology Dept. but we didn’t have time. I thought it was nice how they architecture matched the surroundings and how they had different themes for all of the colleges. I liked how they are big on environmental education. I thought the disability center provides a lot of help to people with disabilities. After this college we went to Monterey Bay. It had a wide range of things I am interested in. It had a greenhouse and there was a person that showed me what sowing seeds were and they were very friendly and informative. Joe, Today we went to the University California Santa Cruz. We got to see a lot of cool things. We saw raccoons, banana slugs, and deer. we had to go up and down a lot of hills as I had to push Cheryl in the wheel chair. After this we went to Monterey Bay. This college sucked. It was very dead and there was nothing to do. It was a really WEIRD campus and I would definitely not go there. We didn’t see that much except for a library and a few other buildings. After this college we went to Wal-Mart and parked the RV. Cheryl made us run around the RV and it was pretty intense. So crazy woman came out of her RV and started yelling at us, and we got it on film. Then later on she went outside and she was asking us to come outside and then she was knocking on the door. Other than that it has been a great trip and I am looking forward to the rest of it. I have a shout out for Casey; I think San Francisco would be a good college for him. Another shout out to Kelsey. Jake Today we started at UC Santa Cruz. I liked the fact that they had a creative writing class, film and media class, and a music class. Some of the other classes I wasn’t too interested in. But I will remain open minded. The campus was all right. The fact that it was in the middle of a forest was very peaceful and relaxing and the calming atmosphere can prove useful during finals. But the fact that there are a million hills is tiring, but I hear you get used to it. I also really liked the disability center. They take disabilities very seriously which I like because I can get a lot of help. Monterey Bay was not my favorite school. They didn’t offer any classes I would enjoy, and I couldn’t see myself on that campus. I would recommend SFSU to Kelsey because of all the creative aspects such as theater and design. If you’re in to fashion you could be a costume designer in the theater department. But I’m sure they offer some kind of fashion class. Shout out to Alison! Hope everything is going well at home. Your poster completes the RV, thank you for making it. Ian, Santa Cruz is crazy Yo, full of countless homeless heads, and newly weds, banana slugs, raccoons, and indie people, sick beach, cool coaster, and natur-ie stuff, I already wrote this but I lost my paper. This is all for now, later. Monterey, cold, nippy and skimpy, OH MY! Monterey stinks, and smells like fish; this place would suck to live. But I bet this schools science department is my best bet. Chilling with my homie Westburg G, sitting in this RV, nothing to do, ain’t no TV. But still mobbing to places to see, I’m glad this school invited me, thanks Dominic and Cheryl, with out them, id be stuck at the bottom of the barrel of life, thanks to who ever donated, now have a nice night. David, Today was another amazing day for the first annual arch academy road trip! The first college we visited was Santa Cruz, there was a beautiful campus, followed by an ocean view, and accompany by lots of math and science buildings. Over all, a all around wonderful place and a excellent tour from Cooper (Cheryl’s son). It was one of the most interesting and breath taking campuses I have ever been to, there were deer, banana slug, raccoons, and a wide variety of other animals. Then we ventured are away over to Monterey bay college, in the extremely cloudy and foggy weather. We were off to a bad start because of the bad weather but the lack of people and how it looked like an army facility really twisted the kid’s opinions about the campus. It looked like the school had a lot to offer but no one was there to show it to us. Thank you for the donations, it’s a wonderful learning experience and really has me pondering about what colleges lay ahead. Shout out to Remy Sonoma state would be a really good college for you. Its very low key, and they have a soccer team that just plays for fun. I could just image you walking around that campus someday, it was just really nice, and have fun back home, David. Ps. I have one more shout out for Zain, I am talking to a woman speaking ASL ( American sign language) and she thinks our school is extremely amazing and thinks you’re a great kid, that will do great things someday. August 16, 2011 Sorry we haven’t written earlier but we were exhausted by ten o’clock PM when we finally reached Walmart. The highlights were Dominic driving a thirty-five foot RV with nine other people in it. He did very well and is now a pro. Ian has been a good navigator and Jake is having trouble locating his grey tennis shoes. Patrick is learning that positive peer pressure wins out every time. Jameson is perfecting his German accent while directing everyone. David, on the other hand, learned the hard way that running on top of the RV is not a good idea. Quinn loved both Sonoma state, and San Francisco states, and we catch him laughing quite often. Ryan has caught up on his sleep and has made the most out of both the campuses so far. While Joe runs for the gymnasium on every campus and has been pushing my wheelchair around with great success. As for you bunny we will be continuing our dialogue on the bus young lady. Last but not least I have gone airborne more times than I can count riding in the very back of the RV. Cheryl Students: Quinn I liked Sonoma state because the area was quite peaceful and had what it needed, on the other hand I liked San Francisco because it was diverse and it sounded like it had many opportunities. I might this fan of Doctor Who, a TV show, and it was nice talking to him. The RV is a stressful mess, but it can be fun sometimes. Everyone keeps jokes and I’m tired of it, its getting old. But other than that everything’s fine and everyone seems to be getting along ok. Thanks to the family that donated all the finances for this trip! Ryan Sonoma state was pretty chill. It was nice and open with a lot of room between buildings and was a laid back campus. It didn’t have a lot of people and Cheryl said it’s not the type of school with cereal killers. It had cool pianos and a Charles Darwin hall. San Francisco is nice but didn’t have much of a biology department. It had a cool bookstore, and the weather was cool and now I am in a RV writing this blog but by the time you read this who knows what I’ll be doing. Jameson Sonoma state: I really liked the recreation center on campus because they had a huge and rather complex rock wall, as I really like climbing in my spare time. The rest of the campus was cool and very environmentally oriented (solar powered crosswalks, and benches made out of recycled seatbelts). Although I wouldn’t go there, it was a very different school that really interested me. We also got a tour of the photonics lab where they use lasers and fiber optics for communication. It was a remote and safe college compared to others in California. USF: USF was the stereotypical, sketchy/ghetto campus. It seemed more like a huge high school because of the lockers and small classrooms. I cant draw a firm conclusion, however, as we didn’t see the entire campus. There were some very strange people along with some ethnic diversity. I heard five or six different languages being spoken on our short stay. So far, both colleges impressed me, but it’s only the second day of our adventure. Joe: SSU: today we saw two colleges. The first one was Sonoma state. To be honest, I didn’t care for it. It was calm and even if all the kids were there it wasn’t my type of environment. There were some things that were interesting. We got to learn about lasers and this guy gave us a whole presentation on it. They also had disability-learning center, which I think is nice. USF: I liked USF a little better. It was a bigger campus and there were more people. There we basically walked around and stuff. Other than the tours everything is going great and I’m having a good time Patrick Today we visited Sonoma state. we also visited San Francisco sate. Sonoma states was ok, but to low key for me. They put a lot of money into their education departments though, and were eco friendly. San Francisco was better fit. Their school has more going on in it and is very close to the city. I enjoyed their business-engineering department in the science building. My favorite school so far was USF. Jake The ride up to Sonoma was an experience. I have never been on a true road trip. A true road trip being a bunch of shirtless men in a confined space sweating their butt off because we had no air conditioning. Sonoma State University was all right, but it would defiantly not be my first choice on a list of schools I want to go to. It was literally in the middle of nowhere. Past the student dorms is just farmland. Also, most of the classes at that school didn’t interest me that much. However, the musical program was mildly interesting. I was about to cut music out of my options of things to study because of my inability to read music, but Sonoma offers an introduction to music theory. Which would be cool, if the music program wasn’t centered on classical music and world music. They do have a jazz band however, which includes drums, guitar, bass, horns, and so on. This is really cool, but not enough to convince me to move to the middle of nowhere. But safety at Sonoma State University is apparently a very high priority because there are digital rape whistles set up all over the school that, when pushed, contact you with the Sonoma police. Also, I found out that depression can affect my learning capabilities and therefore qualifies me for the Disability Learning Center. This means that I can have someone take notes for me, and have a quiet place to study, take tests, and get help on any subject. San Francisco State University was REALLY cool. Just the fact that it’s in San Francisco where it’s nice a cold is a plus. The campus is good looking. It had grass fields and exotic looking bushes and plants. I didn’t look inside the gymnasium because I doubt I would be in there very often (just kidding). The coolest part of SFSU was the Creative Arts College. At first, I saw a bunch of classes for dance and theater and I started to become disappointed. But, I soon found the school radio station in the basement of the college. It was a big door with the words “On Air” and “Stand By” above it. As soon as I saw that, my excitement and interest in the school grew. I also saw a an advertisement on the communication’s school bulletin board that offered positions on one of the school’s multiple radio shows. I got more excited. Apparently, their was a film school in the Creative Arts college but because the college was a maze of hallways, we didn’t find it. I flipped through some of the film textbooks, however. More excitement. As we left SFSU I was convinced that I could do well at that school and strive in something I have interest in. Ian Saddles a blazing, cows grazing, just kidding were in an RV. In the middle of know were, with nothing as far as the eye can see. San Francisco, cold foreign, and boring. 2nd place of the morning’. Bunny’s juice on my shirt isn’t quite so funny, right now in San Francisco the rain is now running. David Well everyone one pretty much summed up the first day, but most of the kids explained the colleges to briefly because they weren’t in their “enjoyment”. Well we started this trip off very well because everyone settled into the RV comfortable. The ten-hour drive was fun, but conflict rose when it was time for homework because most of the students couldn’t focus. Some kids did their homework without complaining, some couldn’t find a pencil, and some were already done with their weekly goal (surprisingly?). When we finally got to our walmart at around 10 o’clock everyone was beat and ready to sleep, but first we ate a classic RV meal, macaroni and hotdogs, yummy… The next day we went to our first college Sonoma state located an easy hour and a half away. When we got there it was a well kept beautiful campus. There was a building under construction and the school seems to be expanding. I was really impressed with the recreational center and just the general kindness all around the school, no professors ever minded to give us tours and they were interested in what we had to stay. Even though the campus was generally small it was very beautiful. Then after that we traveled our way over to USF which was only one hour away from were we were. It wasn’t as impressive and the weather was pretty foggy. But it looked like good all around school and I am impressed. August 14, 2011 I came home from work and found Bunny sliding under the fence dirty and a startled look on her face. When I asked were she had been she said,” I was down the block with a few friends just barking and scratching”. I told her that is was against her behavior contract to be out with her friends after dark, and I believed that she was cooking up a scheme with her friends for the week, of the First Annual Arch Academy College Road Trip! It was a very emotional night but at last she broke down and spoke of her plans. Her immediate consequence was to accompany me for the week, as she could not be trusted. Cheryl To all the readers out there if my mom thinks taking me on a road trip with nine guys in an RV for a week is a punishment, then so be it. HAHA, are you kidding me! Travelling up and down the coast of California, seeing all kinds or sights, smelling wonderful scents, and checking out the dogs up north? I’ll keep you posted, woof woof, Bunny
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