Last week before finals...

The week before finals is definitely the most stressful week every semester. But it's hard to blame professors for having end-of-the-semester projects due at the end of the semester.

Not only are we up all night finishing the papers we have procrastinated working on for the entire semester, but sometimes we have up to five different classes to cram for.  I can only imagine how much sales for coffee and energy drinks spike up because of sleep-deprived  college students.

Luckily, Rockhurst extends their library hours until 1 a.m. for us and even provides midnight snacks. THAT I can at least look forward to this week! College students LOVE free food.

In other news, I received the honor of sitting on a student panel for our Rockhurst Board of Trustees during their meeting. I'm always so humbled by the quality of students that accompany me at Rockhurst. We all brought great feedback to the table and it was great to see that the trustees really wanted to hear what we had to say.

Finally, I was able to see the "A Christmas Carol" at the KC Repertory Theater which is conveniently located across the street inside UMKC's campus. I had a blast and it helped me sit back and relax just before a stressful week. Below is a picture of me sitting at the Cratchit table just before the play.

Good luck to everyone on their finals and I'll see you next week after all the madness is over!

Surviving the LSAT

From reading previous posts some of you may know that I'm applying for law school this year. Going to law school has always been my dream because I've felt a moral inclination to help defend people and their causes which is mostly rooted in experiences with legal problems my family has faced in the past.

This inclination was even more so fueled when I started working with pro-immigrant organizations throughout Kansas City and the rest of the United States. Through the experience I was able to meet immigration attorneys both in the private and government sector and I haven't been able to envision myself doing anything else since then.

The application process to get into law school, however, is not the easiest. Mostly because of one aspect in particular--the LSAT. The Law School Admissions Test is comprised of five 35 minutes sections of Logical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension and Logic Games.

To help others that may be thinking about applying to law school, I decided to publish an article I wrote about methods you can use to study for the big test in my Intro. to Journalism class at Rockhurst Univerisaty with Dr. Clune (which I definitely recommened!). The article is entitled, "The LSAT Nightmare." Enjoy!



The LSAT Nightmare

 

Your palms are sweaty around your No. 2 pencil. You have read the answer choice B and C twenty times, but you just can’t figure out which one sounds the most correct. Perhaps this is when you realized you should have opened up that KAPLAN LSAT prep book a few more times.

Taking the LSAT for the first time can be a nightmare. Maybe it’s the room full of law school candidates that makes you nervous or maybe the fact that  your performance will decide if you make it into law school or you drop out of college and move into a cardboard box under the Swope Parkway Bridge. Okay, just kidding, but when you are thinking to yourself during the middle of the test, everything always seems worse than it really is.

So how do you prepare to tackle the big Law School Admissions Test? When I asked Kansas City corporate attorney and Harvard Law graduate, Ramon Murguia, he said that it really is a hard test to prepare for; either you have it or you don’t.

KAPLAN and other test-prepping agencies, however, have their own opinion. They have created an incredibly successful and profitable LSAT preparation market for those who want to put in the time (and money) to learn.  Whether you want to use self-study books, intensive review courses, multiple week courses, or tutoring, they have the resources to help you.

When choosing the best studying strategy, make sure you assess your own personal studying habits and capabilities. Ask yourself the following questions:

1.      Do I have the self-discipline to study at least an hour each night?

2.      Do I think I will be able to go back and decipher why I answered test questions incorrectly?

3.      Am I looking to improve less than 10 points?

4.      Do I have less than four weeks to study?

5.      Is paying $1,200 or more for a prep-course going to be a challenge for me?

If you answered “No” to all of these questions then you might want to consider taking a course through either KAPLAN or PowerScore. These two companies are both known for their high success rate and they both also offer guarantees on their services. If you don’t score as well as you had hoped, you can repeat the class free of charge.

Jacob McMillan, a first-year law school student at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kan. can recall his positive experience with his on-site KAPLAN course. “I absolutely hated the logic games section, but by the time I took the exam I had learned to diagram games and I scored pretty decently,” he said.

Both KAPLAN and PowerScore offer a variety of online and on-site courses that usually last about six weeks. If you are in a crunch and just need to lay a foundation to study on your own, PowerScore offers a 16-hour weekend course that covers all of the basics.

If money is an issue or if you would rather study on your own, self-study books are available for surprisingly affordable prices through Amazon.com. They can be used as a pretty effective studying strategy if you can create a studying plan and stick to it.

Monica Ramirez, a Harvard and Stanford Law graduate remembers studying for the LSAT on her own. “I started studying for the LSAT three months before I took it,” she said. “I would take a practice test almost every night.” Can you imagine yourself being so committed? If you can pull it off, you might find yourself scoring above a 160 just as she did.

Try not to get too anxious about the exam. There will be other parts to your law school admissions application where you will be able to show the committee why you should be admitted.  Regardless of what studying method you choose to pursue, just remember one thing: It is just a test and you are more than just a number.

 

SOL Thanksgiving

One the things that I picked up pretty quickly about college students is that they love free food. And while there was plenty of delicious food at our SOL dinner this last Tuesday, I enjoyed the company of my fellow SOL members most.

On Tuesday, right after Thanksgiving break had started, the Student Organization of Latinos got together to break bread as a Rockhurst family. The feast included a tasty turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, cornbread stuffing, scalloped potatoes, and plenty of dessert for our twenty attendees.

I had the priveleg of leading us in prayer before chowing down and we gave thanks for our organization and its incredible members and our school for allowing us to bring our culture to the Rock.

It was a great night and it reminded me of how great it was to be a part of our organization here at Rockhurst. I think it's safe to say that your college experience will primarily take place outside of the classroom. The friends that you make in college are probably going to be your friends for the rest of your life and I'm proud to call my fellow SOL members my friends because we are there for each other and we've proved time and time again that we will be there for one another.

Below are two pictures from our dinner:

These are some of our members going through the line for food. 

This is Adriana and I. 

This Week: Latino Professional Panel and My Senior Capstone

This week, it was hard to escape the reality that my last semester at Rockhurst University is drawing nearer and nearer.

On Wednesday I was able to see a fellow SOL member successfully orchestrate his first event. It was an amazing thing to see as a leader because you're able to witness those same leader-like qualities grow within someone else as you assist them through the process.

It was also our first professional panel as an organization and three out of the five panelist were actually Rockhurst graduates.

Left to Right: Teodoro Garcia '95, Leticia Zarate-Garcia '95, Randy Lopez '06, Mayra Aguirre and Ed Mendez

The event organizer and moderator was Rockhurst junior, Anthony Moran. He guided the panelists through conversations about career and real-world preparation, interview experiences, the economy, and how being part of a minority population has impacted their lives. If you are around campus next year, I definitely would encourage you to check it out!

On Thursday night, I presented my Spanish Capstone on recent immigration policy changes in the United States. I had been working on it all semester with Dr. Rocio Duncan and it's helped get excited about law school. 

The happiest moment for me wasn't after my capstone when I knew that it was all over and done with, but just simply knowing that my parents had been there to see it. 

Coming from an immigrant and bilingual household, it's hard to try to integrate both cultures. For example, throughout my high school drama club experience, my parents only came to one of five productions. Not because they didn't care to make it to see me on stage but because language was a barrier and our family business made it hard for them to take time off. They also weren't able to make it to one of my biggest public speaking opportunities during my freshmen year at Rockhurst because of work again. 

On Thursday night, however, I was overwhelmed with pride and a sense of fulfillment that my parents were finally able to see me at work. 

Overall it was a great week and I totally looking forward to Thanksgiving dinner with my SOL family on Tuesday and then again on Thursday followed by the Plaza Lighting Ceremony and some Black Friday shopping. 

Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving! 

White Elephant Surprise!

In this week's blog, let me tell you how the most exciting part of my weekend was also the lowest...

On Saturday morning I received a text from my good friend, Paloma, to ask me if I was planning on going to SAB's Christmas in November that evening at Rockhurst. 

The Student Activities Board held the same event last year where they bought gifts and played White Elephant with the attendees. The attendance, however, had been low enough for people to take home several gifts. Some of them had even been game consoles, iPads and electronic readers.  

If you have never heard of the game the White Elephant, let me explain the details...

All of the gifts are individually wrapped and placed together for people to choose from. 

Everyone gets a raffle ticket and waits for their number to be called so that they can go up and pick a gift from the pool. 

The twist is that you have to unwrap your gift and announce it to everyone. 

That is because someone may steal your gift from you when their turn comes. 

The gift can be stolen up to three times before it cannot be stolen anymore. 

Basically, the third person to steal the gift really gets to keep it. 

So back to the story, I was so excited for the event. All day I had been daydreaming about taking home a Wii and a Nook. I could see the fireworks going off as I saw myself choosing the most expensive gift. It was going to be amazing! 

My evening, however, didn't go exactly as planned. 

I took a seat next to Paloma  at the event as I anxiously awaited the start of the game. There were a lot more people than expected. "Maybe I'll only get to take home the iPad tonight," I thought to myself.

The time had come. The moderator explained the rules of the game over a microphone as the crowd paid close attention. 

I had taken one more bite out of my pizza when she had called the last two number of the first raffle ticket chosen. "Number ....7-1."

I squealed as I looked down at my ticket and saw those numbers staring back at me. This never happens to me!

I hopped on stage and surveyed the gifts trying to figure out which one had the iPad. I picked one up and I immediately knew I had struck gold when the rectangular box felt heavy. I almost didn't want to unwrap it because I knew someone was going to steal it from me. 

I peeled back the wrapping paper and my fear had been confirmed. I hesitated, but the words finally came out of my mouth, "It's a Nintendo Wii." 

I had tried to be as quiet as possible, but the moderator repeated my words over the microphone. 

I took my seat and I could feel my skin get hot with anxiety. I knew someone was going to take it from me, but I didn't know who. I stared at the box hopelessly. 

Three girls chose gifts and no one had taken it yet. Then I saw him. 

The young man approached the moderator and whispered something to her and then approached the microphone: "I want the Wii."

My heart dropped. 

I surrendered my prize and went up on stage to pick another one.

I nearly cried when I unwrapped the box. This is what I had chosen...

Needless to say, I was heartbroken. 

I took my seat and looked the box up and down. Deep down I was hoping that there would be a Hello Kitty fanatic in the crowd that would want to steal the gift from me so that I would have another chance. 

I went home with the Sleep Over Set that night and I learned a life lesson...never mess with the White Elephant. 

Events, events, events!

The last two weeks have been incredibly busy! I've had my classes to keep up with, LSAT scores to anxiously await, and I've started my new job at an immigration law firm. PHEW!

However, I've had two wonderful events to look forward to each week. Last week it was the Sporting KC game with my fellow Student Organization of Latinos (SOL) members. It was a blast! And the best part came after the game (which we won 2-1!) at "The Cauldron" where we celebrated with other Sporting KC fans by screaming at the top of our lungs some of the best team chants I've ever heard in my life.

They really know how to rally up their people. I nearly lost my voice that night, but it was well worth the time away from my books.

This week I had the Mexican celebration of El Dia de los Muertos to look forward to. SOL puts on a celebration every year at Rockhurst to allow our students an opportunity to see what the holiday is all about.

In short, it is basically our Memorial day only with a bit folkloric twist. I think this video here by LAIKA House explains it best.

The belief is that on November 1st the spirits of our loved ones return to earth. My mother tells me that families visit the cemetery to clean the tombs of those they know and they decorate them with beautiful yellow and goal marigolds. The marigolds are supposed to light the way back home for the spirits. Next they fix altars at home with are adorned with colorful sugar skulls and papel picado. The table can be filled with pictures, their favorite foods, clothes, board games, and other small things that held a special meaning for them. 

This last Thursday SOL erected two beautiful altars. One was a generic altar that members and guests could contribute to. The other was built by Stephanie Dueñas who is a local artist as a tribute to one of her mentors who passed away in 2010. Below are some of the pictures from the event and the altars. 

Hope you enjoy!

This one is the teaser that was shown before the event.

This is Mr. Brock's altar by Stephanie Dueñas.

Papel Picado by Stephanie Dueñas.

Performer Allen Arias singing songs from his album The Dusty Road.

Stephanie Dueñas presenting her altar. 

On the left are two guests, and our SOL members Lorie Castilleja, Alexandra Chavez, and Hero Balani. 

The two on the right are dressed up as Catrinas which have become associated with Day of the Dead. 

"Blue Heart"

For those of you that are not familiar with the Spanish language, the word Corazon means "heart" and Azul means "blue." So the title of my blog can be translated as "Blue Heart." At first I thought it was fitting because it's our official school color, but it took on a whole new meaning when I realized that it is most often associated with issues of the spirit and intellect. 

So for me, the color blue not just represents Rockhurst but also how my experience here has allowed me to grow intellectually and spiritually. The term Corazon  reminds me that this is where my heart is. It is here at Rockhurst; here in Kansas City. 

I would like to invite you to follow my blog as I talk about current events in my life like taking the LSAT and finishing my senior capstone for Spanish or even as I try to remember where the last four years have gone. 

I am thrilled to be able to share my story with you in the hopes that it will help you imagine the person and the leader that you could be in four years. 

Maybe you too will find yourself one semester away from graduating, president of your favorite on-campus organization and two weeks into a job that is on track with your career goals. :) 

I'll leave you with a picture of the Sporting KC game the Student Organization of Latinos went to this past Wednesday. It was a very high-energy game and we were thrilled to watch out home team win 2-1. I'll explain more about our organization in my next post. Adios!!

Photo Credit: Hero Balani