UC Berkeley

Your Campus: UC Davis and UC Berkeley- Anthropologie Display Interns (Corte Madera, Danville / San Ramone, Santa Clara, and Downtown SF)

January 7th, 2010

There are internships for this?!?!?!  At one point I wanted my entire house to look like an Anthropologie display.  I soon learned that I wasn’t as crafty as I thought.  For those of you UC Davis or UC Berkeley Campus Confidants who ARE crafty enough, or WANT to be crafty enough here’s a posting from the UC Davis TXC and FPS Internships blog:

“Anthropologie is seeking Display and Visual Merchandising Interns for our Bay area stores. Please stop by any one of our locations in the Bay area and speak with a Visual or Store Manager for details. Best time to stop by Monday through Friday between 10 am and 3 pm. For Internship consideration the following expectations are mandatory. You must apply in person to be considered and you must be currently enrolled in college at the time of your internship. Please do not apply unless you have met that expectation. Thank you.”

For the full length internship description read the entire post on the UC Davis TXC and FPS Internship Blog.

Writing this post made me think of all the magical displays I’ve seen at Anthropologie over the years.  After a quick trip through Google Images I found a few photo inspirations:

Anthropologie 1

Anthropologie 2

Anthropologie 3

Anthropologie 4

Anthropologie 5

And while we’re on the subject of the beauty of Anthropologie….This past holiday I was gifted with a Voluspa Candle from Anthropologie and its been sitting at my desk filling the air with all sorts of deliciousness.  Its amazing how the aroma can take me to a peaceful place.  I need these everywhere!!!  Here’s a pic of my candle, Voluspa Goji & Tarocco Orange 3 wick candle.  You can get your very own here at, of course, Anthropologie.

voluspa-goji-berry-3wxoxo, Vanesa

Success: Kiplinger’s 100 Best Values in Public Colleges 2009-10

January 5th, 2010

On the UCLA Campus.

On the UCLA Campus.

I’m thrilled to say that UC campuses are part of Kiplinger’s 100 Best Values in Public Colleges for 2009-10.  According to Kiplinger, this is how they rank the schools:

We narrow the list to about 120 schools based on measures of academic quality — including SAT or ACT scores, admission and retention rates, student-faculty ratios, and four- and six-year graduation rates, which most schools reported for the class entering in 2002.

We then rank each school based on cost and financial aid. In our scoring system, academic quality carries more weight than costs (almost two-thirds of the total).

You can see the entire listing of their top 100 here on their site as well as the full description of how they rank the colleges here.

Here are the rankings for the UC’s:

#11: UCSD

#13: UCLA

#18: UC Berkeley

#20: UC Irvine

#29: UCSB (Still on the list but not as high as the above schools.  I’ll account it to all the beach-front property)

#41: UC Davis

#50: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (Not a UC but still loving that another California school is on here)

#68 UCSC

xoxo, Vanesa

Your Campus: UC Fee Hikes raise 32%

November 19th, 2009

Students and labor-union activists rally at UCLA to protest a proposed increase in student fees in the University of California system. Police arrested 14 demonstrators. Protests were also held at several other UC campuses. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times / November 18, 2009)

Students and labor-union activists rally at UCLA to protest a proposed increase in student fees in the University of California system. Police arrested 14 demonstrators. Protests were also held at several other UC campuses. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times / November 18, 2009)

I want to avoid it but I can’t…I have to talk about the UC Fee Hikes.  I want to avoid it because it is disappointing and deeply complicated with roots in California’s severe economic crisis.  But I have to talk about it because the UC system is one of the greatest public institutions our country has and it is because of the UC system that people like me are able to be educated and self-sufficient from employment. 

Reading the LA Times this morning I learned that the increase comes to 32%.  The average student will have to pay $10,302 for base fees and $16,000 for room, board and books.  $26,302 for a public school education?!?!?!?!  Every month I write a check to pay my student loans and I feel the pain every.single.time.  I can’t even imagine what the class of 2015 will be looking at.  I still proudly stand behind our mantra, EDUCATION = EMPOWERMENT, and wish that the state of California would look deeper into our economic crisis to fix the root of our problems and not make cuts that will hurt our communities in the long run. 

The Opinion section of the LA Times had comments from students, professors, parents and community members that I found to be incredibly thought provoking.   Here are a few and I encourage you to  read the entire article here.

I teach mathematics at UCLA, and I can tell you the regents are making a huge mistake. I came here because UC is top research place that is also a PUBLIC university. After this fee hike, it can no longer be called public. Sacramento will agree and cut funding even more… and the cycle continues. I know of a quite a number of faculty colleagues who could go to a top private school with higher salaries whenever they want – but they like UC’s diversity and public nature (okay, and the weather). It is all but certain many will leave in the coming years. Furloughs and pay cuts we can deal with; transforming the greatest public university in the US, and one of the best in the world, into a middling private institution, we can’t.

Yesterday, the regents passed the capital budget. It’s paid for with bonds backed by… student fees. Yet, it doesn’t pay for renovating class rooms, or creating more quiet space to study, or to improve instruction. It pays for new stadiums and labs. Nothing against labs, but in the current crisis that’s just wrong. It tells the students “you are being had”.

I can only urge every Angelino who cares to come to the protest today and show the regents exactly what we think of their action.

Posted by: Christian Haesemeyer | November 19, 2009 at 07:07 AMThe question is far more complex than simply the cost of attendance. While the raw number can spark debates, we can’t forget that behind these numbers are countless lives. These are the parents who will be working one more job to pay for the tuition, the students who will have to take up more loans, the brother that may not go to college because of the tuition increase, and much more. Behind each number are countless stories, and that’s the disheartening fact.

While the tuition may not be as high as private universities, but we are neglecting the fact that it is a public institution. A public institution cannot be compared with private institutions because they draw from significantly different sources of income. As a public institution, 26k is simply too much. I think I will end it at that.

Posted by: UCB Student | November 18, 2009 at 10:21 PMAs a recent graduate of UC Berkeley who’s now paying $66,000 a year for a private medical school education, I definitely still think my tuition was a bargain. While the pain of a fee hike isn’t evenly distributed, and I certainly know and feel for those students who are hardest hit, it’s still one of the best educations around for a relatively low price. My degree earns respect universally, and whether students pay what I paid or $26,000 a year, that’s still less than half the cost of the ivy-league educations that many of my new classmates paid for. And now, so much more than before, I’m being forced to evaluate the risks and rewards of going into extreme student debt in exchange for the knowledge and training school provides. I’m betting my entire financial future that the investment will pay off. In a world where you often get nothing more than what you pay for, it seems somewhat petty for students to claim entitlement to a world-class education without being willing to bet on their school.

Posted by: a California Golden Bear | November 18, 2009 at 07:03 PM 

Your Campus: UC Walkouts

September 25th, 2009

Students at UC Berkeley protest against cuts. From SFgate.com

Students at UC Berkeley protest against cuts. From SFgate.com

On Thursday UC Campuses faced demonstrations from students and staff against University budget cuts and proposed fee increases.  I understand that our entire country is facing an economic crisis but I have never ever believed that the place to cut is in our schools.  In the Campus Confidant mantra it reads that EDUCATION = EMPOWERMENT.  The beauty of the UC system is that it provides both education and empowerment to a polyglot of ethnicities, communities, financial brackets and more.  There is so much I wish to say but I don’t think I could improve upon Gavin Newsom’s post in the Huffington Post.  Here are a few of the highlights from his post entitled “LET’S GET OUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT”.  The entire post can be read at The Huffington Post.

UC Berkeley will be eliminating approximately one out of every ten courses this coming year. UC San Francisco will potentially have to reduce their faculty by fourteen percent because of the recent cuts. UCLA has reduced support to research centers by fifty percent. UC Irvine has completely stopped admitting students into their education program.

All across the state, we are choking off opportunity for hundreds of thousands of young Californians to build a better life for themselves and a better future for California.

Let me be clear: I favor fully funding the UC system. Cannibalizing our state’s future through cuts to education is the exact opposite of the kind of reform and long-term thinking we need from our leaders in Sacramento.

We have a system in California that discourages thoughtful budget and financial planning, requiring a two-thirds majority every year to pass a budget that paralyzes our state. We have a complex web of ballot initiatives that further complicates the process.

Walkouts like the one currently planned will become more frequent unless we undertake systemic reforms and truly take California in a new direction.

We need to convene a constitutional convention and get serious about changes to the system. Until we do, we’re jeopardizing our ability to be competitive in the global economy. Preparing our children for success in the 21st century necessitates investment in higher education not cuts to it.

In San Francisco, we have a robust rainy day fund. We drew down on our reserves to make sure not a single teacher in San Francisco was laid off when the recession hit. We created a partnership between SFSU, the school district, and the city to guarantee a college education to every public school 6th grader who wants one. And if their families can’t afford tuition, we help with that too.

We operate with a limited budget in San Francisco, just like the state. But we managed to keep teachers in the classroom and promise every student a chance to go to college. We didn’t raise taxes — we reformed the budget process and used resources in a smarter way.

It’s time to shake up the system that’s put our state in this mess. We need come together to fundamentally rethink how we govern California.

I haven’t gotten too far into my research for the next California gubernatorial election but I can’t deny that Gavin Newsom has a point here.  To follow follow Gavin Newsom on Twitter click here.

xoxo peace and love, Vanesa

 

 

UC Berkeley will be eliminating approximately one out of every ten courses this coming year. UC San Francisco will potentially have to reduce their faculty by fourteen percent because of the recent cuts. UCLA has reduced support to research centers by fifty percent. UC Irvine has completely stopped admitting students into their education program.

All across the state, we are choking off opportunity for hundreds of thousands of young Californians to build a better life for themselves and a better future for California.

And it’s our fault. We’ve allowed our system of governance to de-fund and de-prioritize higher education, putting our state’s economic future in jeopardy.

Let me be clear: I favor fully funding the UC system. Cannibalizing our state’s future through cuts to education is the exact opposite of the kind of reform and long-term thinking we need from our leaders in Sacramento.

But the current resource-constrained situation forces us to make difficult choices about our shared priorities. We must protect our environment, provide universal health care and invest in infrastructure development. And therein lies our statewide dilemma.

We have a system in California that discourages thoughtful budget and financial planning, requiring a two-thirds majority every year to pass a budget that paralyzes our state. We have a complex web of ballot initiatives that further complicates the process.

Walkouts like the one currently planned will become more frequent unless we undertake systemic reforms and truly take California in a new direction.

We need to convene a constitutional convention and get serious about changes to the system. Until we do, we’re jeopardizing our ability to be competitive in the global economy. Preparing our children for success in the 21st century necessitates investment in higher education not cuts to it.

In San Francisco, we have a robust rainy day fund. We drew down on our reserves to make sure not a single teacher in San Francisco was laid off when the recession hit. We created a partnership between SFSU, the school district, and the city to guarantee a college education to every public school 6th grader who wants one. And if their families can’t afford tuition, we help with that too.

We operate with a limited budget in San Francisco, just like the state. But we managed to keep teachers in the classroom and promise every student a chance to go to college. We didn’t raise taxes — we reformed the budget process and used resources in a smarter way.

It’s time to shake up the system that’s put our state in this mess. We need come together to fundamentally rethink how we govern California.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gavin-newsom/lets-get-our-priorities-s_b_297374.html

Sarah from UC Davis saw her tuition increase almost ten percent, while her mother, a state employee, just took a 15 percent pay cut.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gavin-newsom/lets-get-our-priorities-s_b_297374.html

With the upcoming University of California walkout, we asked our Facebook community recently how the impending UC and CSU cuts were affecting them. The response was overwhelming:

Stephanie from SF State needed only two classes to graduate with her bachelor’s degree. But one of the courses was eliminated — graduation will have to wait until next year.

A mother from the East Bay worried that her daughter couldn’t enroll in a single class she needs and is about to lose her student status, her financial aid, and health insurance.

Sarah from UC Davis saw her tuition increase almost ten percent, while her mother, a state employee, just took a 15 percent pay cut.

UC Berkeley will be eliminating approximately one out of every ten courses this coming year. UC San Francisco will potentially have to reduce their faculty by fourteen percent because of the recent cuts. UCLA has reduced support to research centers by fifty percent. UC Irvine has completely stopped admitting students into their education program.

All across the state, we are choking off opportunity for hundreds of thousands of young Californians to build a better life for themselves and a better future for California.

And it’s our fault. We’ve allowed our system of governance to de-fund and de-prioritize higher education, putting our state’s economic future in jeopardy.

Let me be clear: I favor fully funding the UC system. Cannibalizing our state’s future through cuts to education is the exact opposite of the kind of reform and long-term thinking we need from our leaders in Sacramento.

But the current resource-constrained situation forces us to make difficult choices about our shared priorities. We must protect our environment, provide universal health care and invest in infrastructure development. And therein lies our statewide dilemma.

We have a system in California that discourages thoughtful budget and financial planning, requiring a two-thirds majority every year to pass a budget that paralyzes our state. We have a complex web of ballot initiatives that further complicates the process.

Walkouts like the one currently planned will become more frequent unless we undertake systemic reforms and truly take California in a new direction.

We need to convene a constitutional convention and get serious about changes to the system. Until we do, we’re jeopardizing our ability to be competitive in the global economy. Preparing our children for success in the 21st century necessitates investment in higher education not cuts to it.

In San Francisco, we have a robust rainy day fund. We drew down on our reserves to make sure not a single teacher in San Francisco was laid off when the recession hit. We created a partnership between SFSU, the school district, and the city to guarantee a college education to every public school 6th grader who wants one. And if their families can’t afford tuition, we help with that too.

We operate with a limited budget in San Francisco, just like the state. But we managed to keep teachers in the classroom and promise every student a chance to go to college. We didn’t raise taxes — we reformed the budget process and used resources in a smarter way.

It’s time to shake up the system that’s put our state in this mess. We need come together to fundamentally rethink how we govern California.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gavin-newsom/lets-get-our-priorities-s_b_297374.html

UC Berkeley will be eliminating approximately one out of every ten courses this coming year. UC San Francisco will potentially have to reduce their faculty by fourteen percent because of the recent cuts. UCLA has reduced support to research centers by fifty percent. UC Irvine has completely stopped admitting students into their education program.

All across the state, we are choking off opportunity for hundreds of thousands of young Californians to build a better life for themselves and a better future for California.

And it’s our fault. We’ve allowed our system of governance to de-fund and de-prioritize higher education, putting our state’s economic future in jeopardy.

Let me be clear: I favor fully funding the UC system. Cannibalizing our state’s future through cuts to education is the exact opposite of the kind of reform and long-term thinking we need from our leaders in Sacramento.

But the current resource-constrained situation forces us to make difficult choices about our shared priorities. We must protect our environment, provide universal health care and invest in infrastructure development. And therein lies our statewide dilemma.

We have a system in California that discourages thoughtful budget and financial planning, requiring a two-thirds majority every year to pass a budget that paralyzes our state. We have a complex web of ballot initiatives that further complicates the process.

Walkouts like the one currently planned will become more frequent unless we undertake systemic reforms and truly take California in a new direction.

We need to convene a constitutional convention and get serious about changes to the system. Until we do, we’re jeopardizing our ability to be competitive in the global economy. Preparing our children for success in the 21st century necessitates investment in higher education not cuts to it.

In San Francisco, we have a robust rainy day fund. We drew down on our reserves to make sure not a single teacher in San Francisco was laid off when the recession hit. We created a partnership between SFSU, the school district, and the city to guarantee a college education to every public school 6th grader who wants one. And if their families can’t afford tuition, we help with that too.

We operate with a limited budget in San Francisco, just like the state. But we managed to keep teachers in the classroom and promise every student a chance to go to college. We didn’t raise taxes — we reformed the budget process and used resources in a smarter way.

It’s time to shake up the system that’s put our state in this mess. We need come together to fundamentally rethink how we govern California.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gavin-newsom/lets-get-our-priorities-s_b_297374.html

With the upcoming University of California walkout, we asked our Facebook community recently how the impending UC and CSU cuts were affecting them. The response was overwhelming:

Stephanie from SF State needed only two classes to graduate with her bachelor’s degree. But one of the courses was eliminated — graduation will have to wait until next year.

A mother from the East Bay worried that her daughter couldn’t enroll in a single class she needs and is about to lose her student status, her financial aid, and health insurance.

Sarah from UC Davis saw her tuition increase almost ten percent, while her mother, a state employee, just took a 15 percent pay cut.

UC Berkeley will be eliminating approximately one out of every ten courses this coming year. UC San Francisco will potentially have to reduce their faculty by fourteen percent because of the recent cuts. UCLA has reduced support to research centers by fifty percent. UC Irvine has completely stopped admitting students into their education program.

All across the state, we are choking off opportunity for hundreds of thousands of young Californians to build a better life for themselves and a better future for California.

And it’s our fault. We’ve allowed our system of governance to de-fund and de-prioritize higher education, putting our state’s economic future in jeopardy.

Let me be clear: I favor fully funding the UC system. Cannibalizing our state’s future through cuts to education is the exact opposite of the kind of reform and long-term thinking we need from our leaders in Sacramento.

But the current resource-constrained situation forces us to make difficult choices about our shared priorities. We must protect our environment, provide universal health care and invest in infrastructure development. And therein lies our statewide dilemma.

We have a system in California that discourages thoughtful budget and financial planning, requiring a two-thirds majority every year to pass a budget that paralyzes our state. We have a complex web of ballot initiatives that further complicates the process.

Walkouts like the one currently planned will become more frequent unless we undertake systemic reforms and truly take California in a new direction.

We need to convene a constitutional convention and get serious about changes to the system. Until we do, we’re jeopardizing our ability to be competitive in the global economy. Preparing our children for success in the 21st century necessitates investment in higher education not cuts to it.

In San Francisco, we have a robust rainy day fund. We drew down on our reserves to make sure not a single teacher in San Francisco was laid off when the recession hit. We created a partnership between SFSU, the school district, and the city to guarantee a college education to every public school 6th grader who wants one. And if their families can’t afford tuition, we help with that too.

We operate with a limited budget in San Francisco, just like the state. But we managed to keep teachers in the classroom and promise every student a chance to go to college. We didn’t raise taxes — we reformed the budget process and used resources in a smarter way.

It’s time to shake up the system that’s put our state in this mess. We need come together to fundamentally rethink how we govern California.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gavin-newsom/lets-get-our-priorities-s_b_297374.html

Your Campus: Deadline for UC Berkeley Panhellenic Sorority Recruitment Registration

August 24th, 2009

Anna Faris peps up sorority life in the hilarious film, The House Bunny.

Anna Faris peps up sorority life in the hilarious film, The House Bunny.

Tomorrow is the deadline to register for UC Berkeley’s Panhellenic Sorority formal recruitment.  Below I’ve listed the details from the student organizations’ website.  You can get to their site and register online by clicking on this link here.

I don’t live with any regrets but if I could rewind the clock I may have joined a sorority as an undergrad.  I never really understood the benefits of being in a sorority until my best friend joined one.    The idea of a sorority felt like a network of forced friendships.  What I didn’t realize is that this “network of forced friendships” can become the launching pad to a lifetime of meaningful connections.  So besides the obvious, you’ll have friends for life and a million bridesmaids at your wedding blah blah blah blah, this network will come in hand most importantly when you are:

a.looking for an internship while in college

b.looking for a side job while in college

c.looking for a place to crash when you visit your friends who went to school out of state

d.need notes for the 8 am lecture you’ve missed every Wednesday for the entire semester

e.need a study group for the 8 am lecture you’ve missed every Wednesday for the entire semester

f. need a job immediately after you graduate

g. need a job 10 years later after you’ve graduated

h. all of the above

You get the picture.  (And if you didn’t get the picture, the answer is H!) I think there are many benefits to joining a sorority but the decision comes down to the individual.  Sorority or not, I encourage you to make decisions now that will take you into your future.  Going to college is not all about the reading and the grade.  Create a network for yourself while in school that will take you into the “real world”.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION FOR PANHELLENIC SORORITY FALL FORMAL RECRUITMENT:

Panhellenic Council (sorority) fall formal recruitment is Friday, August 28 – Thursday, September 3.

Registration closes on Tuesday, August 25th at midnight!  Register now!

Cost to register:
• $40 prior to August 1, 2009
• $50 on/after August 1, 2009

You are required to attend:
• Potential New Member Mandatory Orientation Meeting (Friday, August 28th, 2009 in Wheeler Auditorium)
• Recruitment events (see Recruitment schedule for more information)

EXTRA/ADDITIONAL ACCOMMODATIONS OR NEEDS: We encourage everyone to participate in the recruitment process. For disability accommodation requests and information, please contact Disability Access Services (http://access.berkeley.edu):
• Communication specialist (510)643-6456 (voice) or (510)642-6376 (TTY)
• Mobility access specialist (510)643-6473

Your Campus: UC Berkeley Caltopia

August 21st, 2009

CaltopiaHere are the details of Caltopia listed on the Caltopia website. My absolute favorite part about it is FREE STUFF and the dress code….”It’s Berkeley, there is no dress code.” Ahhh to be young, free and living in Berkeley!!

Caltopia is recognized as the largest College Lifestyle Festival in the nation. Held at the award winning Recreational Sports complex, the two-day festival attracts over 35,000 students, campus and community supporters from across the Bay Area. Free admission to the event has helped make Caltopia an annual rite of passage for students on the UC Berkeley campus.
When:
Sunday, August 23, 10am – 4pm
Monday, August 24, 10am – 4pm
Planet Berkeley Time – otherwise known as PST

Where:

UC Berkeley Campus
Recreational Sports Facility
2301 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA 94720

Admission:

Free! We’re not kidding! Seriously, it’s Free!

Dress Code:

It’s Berkeley, there is no dress code

What to Bring:

A sense of adventure, enough energy to haul away tons of free stuff, an appetite to sample the Bay Area’s finest cuisine and time to hang out with 36,000 of your closest friends.

Your Campus: UC Berkeley – Cocktail Party at 5 in the Hotel Shattuck Plaza

August 12th, 2009

5 at Hotel Shattuck Plaza

5 at Hotel Shattuck Plaza

Food is classified into five basic tastes: Sweet, Salty, Bitter, Sour and Umami. I say YUM, YUM, YUM, YUM and YUM! Go out and explore all five of these tastes at 5, the new restaurant inside the Hotel Shattuck Plaza in downtown Berkeley. While all you Berkeley girls were away for the summer, the hotel got a multi-million dollar facelift which will give your life a touch of glamour amidst a social schedule of keg parties and well, more keg parties. I find a full sit-down dinner to be too pricey for our CampusConfidant budget so get your girlfriends together for a school-year kick-off cocktail hour at The Lounge at 5! Your party will sit underneath chandeliers while toasting with mixed cocktails made from freshly squeezed juices and appetizers made with organic, locally farmed ingredients. Crispy squash blossoms, Orzo Mac and Cheese with a glass of organic wine? YUM, YUM, YUM, YUM and YUM!

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