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University Honors2316 Olmsted HallRiverside, CA 92521

Tel: (951)827-5323Fax: (951)827-5320

Table of Contents:

Welcome Back.............................1Letters to Santa..........................2Honors Student Profile................2Honors Winter Break...................3Honors Winter Break (cont.)........4Honors Winter Break (cont.)........5Honors Student Profile II.............6CTS Q&A.....................................7Tips for a Good Quarter...............7

Outlook

Volume 1 Issue 7

LIKE OUR NEW LOOK? HONORS IS BRINGING A LOT MORE YOUR WAY THIS QUARTER BY: CORINNE VERGHESE

W E L C O M E B A C K !

MCC from left to right (top): Jane Kim (staff), Alice Deng, Towsend Gallinger-Scholz, Sabeen Dagheer, Eric Gamboa, Scott Manifold, Arthur Chandra. Left to right (bottom): Nickolas Moreno, Corinne Vergehese, Aaron Toop, Sireena Sy, Anissa Monteon.

Welcome back for another memorable quarter with Honors! This quarter, Honors will have many new opportunities and activities for students to participate in, ranging from diverse leadership positions to rewarding social activities. Check out the Honors calendar online at http://honors.ucr.edu/about/news/ and mark those calendars! Some highlights for the year include the 1st Honors Annual Quiz Bowl on Saturday, February 4, 2012. In a Jeopardy-like competition against other colleges, students will be able to put their knowledge to the test as representatives of UC Riverside. The Outreach & Recruitment Committee will also be going out to the community to spread the word about University Honors to students. Be on the look-out for information and the opportunity to serve as a volunteer for this endeavor. The Honors office has also gotten some renovations for the new year with the addition of a big screen display. The monitor is installed in the Honors lounge and will feature announcements to update students on any Honors-related events. Many of last quarter’s popular activities will also continue this winter with Tuesday Game Nights, Foodies Club and TED Talks. Other opportunities this quarter are specific to certain students. Many first-years will be taking Ignition Seminars which will be taught by various Honors professors to foster critical discourse around interdisciplinary issues related to medicine, politics, literature, the environment and much more. Second-year students will be engaged in community projects dealing with homelessness and hunger-relief initiatives, environmental programs, mentoring opportunities, and even the “Pay It Forward” idea. Third-year students will focus on securing a topic for their senior thesis with a faculty mentor while taking courses on research methods or gaining firsthand experience in a research lab. Last but not least, fourth-year students will be completing their senior theses, which will be presented at either a research conference or at the UC Riverside Undergraduate Symposium. This year, the Media & Communications Committee (MCC) would also like to promote student involvement in the Honors Outlook. We’ve launched a new feature that seeks your input through the “Connection Through Suggestions” (CTS) box that will be displayed in the Honors lounge and will feature a thought-provoking picture, quote or question which students will respond to on a piece of paper; winning entries will be published on each subsequent issue of the Honors Outlook (see p. 7 of this issue to see this week’s question & answer). This winter presents many opportunities to get involved with Honors, and in whatever you choose to do, we hope each of you have a successful winter quarter! Media & Communications Committee (MCC)

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A LOOK BACK AT FALL QUARTER AS HONORS STUDENTS SPREAD HOLIDAY CHEERBY: SCOTT MANIFOLD

L E T T E R S T O S A N T A

Magbis Garcia and Gloria Vallarta play with the students and their new Barbie dolls!

Before we left for winter break, a group of Honors students went out of their way during finals week to give back to others and spread some Christmas spirit. Letters to Santa is a program coordinated with a local school, Columbia Elementary, where underprivileged kids—who normally wouldn’t get presents during the holiday season—write letters asking for a small gift. On December 9, 2011, Honors students and staff alike took the trip to Columbia Elementary where they were able to give the young students their gifts and spend time tutoring the students. Third-year physics major Aaron Toop was among the students who attended the event. “It’s a great feeling when you can put a smile on someone’s face, and an even greater feeling when that someone is a child.… Many come from families who are struggling in these hard times,” explained Toop. “I was completely taken aback by how happy the class was to see us there. Smiles never left their faces, and it was seeing these smiles, some of them toothless, that made it worth it.” The remainder of the day was spent playing with the new gifts and interacting with students. As a token of gratitude, the elementary students made Honors students a small ornament with thank you note. The bonds forged that day between the Honors students and elementary school children will not be forgotten. Even Honors students who couldn’t attend the actual event appreciated the opportunity to help out with Letters to Santa. Fourth-year psychology major Sarah Sawaf remarked that she was happy to have been involved with a program that was able to give so many children a little piece of Christmas. Letters to Santa was truly a rewarding experience that will continue to be a holiday tradition at University Honors.

Erik Romero, Betsy Melakeberhan, Spurty Surapaneni, and Mahfoud Saddi are all smiles at Columbia Elementary as they spend some time with students.

In an interview with Honors Outlook, fourth-year Honors student Yessica Hernandez shares her amazing experiences at UC Riverside, including her 2011 summer with the Mentoring Summer Research Internship Program (MSRIP), an eight-week summer program tasked with increasing the socioeconomic diversity of students who want to pursue a PhD. Shortly a er transferring to UC Riverside from Long Beach City College, Yes-sica had quickly taken to making her presence felt on her new campus; she was part of a group of dedicated students that helped create the fi rst UC Puente Club—an ex-tension of a community college group aimed at promo ng college a endance among disadvantaged students. Yessica then earned a posi on as the club’s president and con nued providing assistance to community college students. Yessica’s other accomplishments include working on a campaign internship with Bill Hedricks, a newspaper internship with Chicano Student Programs and as a

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AN INTERVIEW WITH YESSICA HERNANDEZBY: ERIC GAMBOA

H O N O R S S T U D E N T P R O F I L E

Puente mentor with the Transfer Resource Center. Her undergraduate experience then took on a diff erent tone once she was accepted into MSRIP.

Continued on Page 6

t t ith th T f R

H O N O R S W I N T E R B R E A K !FROM TRAVELLING THE WORLD TO COMMUNITY SERVICE, TO JUST STAYING IN, HONORS BY: SABEEN DAGHER

“My friends and I went on a two day trip to Las Vegas to catch Lion King at Mandalay Bay. The singers were great,

the percussionists really made the African setting come to life, and the props were like nothing I’ve ever seen. The

show was very cute and entertaining and was worth the trip to see.” Camille Chang

“Over winter break I went to Tecate, Mexico to help the poor.” Nickolas Moreno

“During my break I went to 3 different countries; France, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon. Of the 3, France was the most amazing! I would love to visit there again sometime.” Sabeen Dagher

“What you do Winter

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STUDENTS SOAK IN A MONTH LONG BREAK

“ This winter, on the way out to Vegas, we stopped in Zzyzx,

California. It ’s basically a road in the middle of the desert that supposedly leads to a ‘Desert

Studies Center ’ but we’ve never had the patience to drive the road to the end. Aside from having the weirdest freeway exit name EVER,

it ’s actually a beautiful place to stop. We’ve made a tradition of

stopping there every time we go to Vegas.” Jordan Ariel Rohde

“I took a Mexican Riviera Disney Cruise that stopped in Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The cruise was a birthday present

for me and my sister- here we are with my mom & best friend! It was also pirate themed on my birthday, and we celebrated off the coast of Cabo San Lucas by watching Pirates of the Caribbean: On

Stranger Tides.” Millie Graham

did over break?”

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Following His Majesty ’s Footsteps

My visit to Thailand this winter break was fil led with many wonderful experiences. I had the

opportunity to travel with a group of Thai University staffs to observe the works of the

Royal Initiative Discovery Institute established by His Majesty the King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

One of the cities chosen was Nan, a city located upstream where resources allowed for development. Currently, Nan is in its third

year of development; the debt of each household has greatly lessened as vil lagers learned

innovative farming methods, which not only allowed villagers to farm for their survival but had

enough to sell in the markets for extra income. My visit to Nan allowed me to receive an outdoor

on-site learning experience. The most meaningful part of the project is that vil lagers

will be able to carry on the mission into the future even when scholars leave to develop

different vil lages. After Nan, I traveled to Luang Prabang to

explore the historic Laos capital and then back to Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, to visit family and

friends. I had a wonderful time enjoying Thai traditional food and celebrating Christmas and

New Year ’s with my family. Most of all, I am very grateful to learn about the hard work combined

with kind intentions of His Majesty the King to help the Thai people in many villages toward a brighter future. I hope to follow his footsteps and maybe

someday contribute my time and knowledge.

Patra Sorod

W I N T E R B R E A K C O N T . F R O M P A G E 4

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“It was an unforgettable experience since it changed my undergraduate experience as it motivated me to apply to gradu-ate school... As a transfer student, I did not have many opportunities with research, so this internship helped me gain the research experience that I was missing,” stated Yessica. Yessica’s research focused on the relationship between theater and Latino students. “I was able to present my research in a conference and MSRIP's research symposium. MSRIP helped me see the other side of undergraduate education. I can say that because of MSRIP this year I have applied to two Ph.D programs in Chicano Studies,” explained Yessica. The knowledge and experience gained from MSRIP provided Yessica with the confidence to apply to University Honors in order for her to pursue a senior thesis. Upon admittance, the support of Honors faculty and staff were among the most significant benefits that Yessica enjoyed from Honors. “Having an advisor that only shares positive feedback and motivates us to continue is important to me. I always feel comfortable [speaking with Gladis] and I know that if I have a concern, I can talk to her,” stated Yessica. Yessica’s remarkable story reminds us of the diverse backgrounds and experiences that form the Honors community. While the paths that led to our involve-ment in Honors vary tremendously, we all share a common interest in pursuing our ambitions and achieving excellence.

NOTE: If you are interested in applying for MRSIP, more information can be found at: http://graduate.ucr.edu/msrip.html. Completed applications must be postmarked by February 17, 2012. Contact your Honors advisors if you’d like assistance with the application process.

S T U D E N T P R O F I L E C O N T . F R O M P A G E 2

Fourth-year business administration major and Honors student Sharon Yen has an impressive list of accomplishments both at UC River-side and abroad. Sharon studied Chinese at Peking University in Beijing, China and had a summer internship at the accounting firm Deloitte and Touche in Taipei, Tiawan. At UC Riverside, Sharon has obtained numer-ous leadership positions as a senator for ASUCR, a member of ASUCR’s Finance Committee, and a peer educator at the Academic Resource Center. After completing lower division Honors, Sharon has continued her involvement with Honors through research. Sharon is currently working with Dr. Woody Liao of the accounting department. Sharon ex-plained that University Honors gave her the opportunity to work with Dr. Liao—an experience that has further sparked her interest in ac-counting and allowed her to gain an insight into her field of interest. “It was a great networking and personal experience...to participate in a project with a professor about something that is currently happening in the world,” explained Sharon. Sharon’s experiences at UC Riverside certainly qualify her as an outstanding Honors student who has embraced the opportunities and challenges presented to her. Sharon urges her fellow students to be ambitious and expand their horizons when it comes to involvement with the university and local community.Speaking to how Honors has shaped her college experience thus far, Sharon states that “Honors has really helped me become a well-round-ed individual, inside and outside of the classroom…Being in Honors re-ally exposes you to things that are going on, [on] campus and provides ways for you to participate in everything you want to do.” As a student who has taken advantage of the many opportunities presented through Honors, Sharon is a great example of how Honors can help you achieve your goals.

AN INTERVIEW WITH SHARON YENBY: ERIC GAMBOA

H O N O R S S T U D E N T P R O F I L E I I

Sharon’s Advice to Honor ’s Students:

“Get involved on campus! Let University Honors be a gateway to opportunity. Be sure to con-tinue even beyond the Honors program to connect with other students and organizations on

campus...I think that being involved with clubs and organiza-tions really help develop you as

an individual in your undergradu-ate years because you’ll never know what you’ll discover and

what new things interests you.”

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3 top answers with the most votes were:

1 2 3EMILY NUDGEaka the “Nudgster” or the “Bulldozer”

PAIGE STEVENSAn awesome Honors Peer Mentor!

LAST WEEK, WE ASKED OUR READERS:“WHO WOULD YOU NOMINATE TO BE A UC REGENT?”

C T S Q U E S T I O N & A N S W E R

GLaDOSUCR is known for its wonderful engineering pro-gram, with its professors and scientists produc-

ing ground breaking research. Combine these traits with strong leadership and a persuasive

attitude, you get GLaDOS from Aperture Science.

THIS WEEK, WE ASK OUR READERS TO PROVIDE CAPTIONS FOR THE PICTURE BELOW:

Submit your suggestions to the “CTS” box in the Honors

lounge through Week 4!

BEFORE YOU GO... We’ve got some ps on how to start your quarter on a good note!BY: ANISSA MONTEON

1.) STAY UP-TO-DATE: Keep on track with assignments at the very onset of the quarter - it starts at Week 1, not Week 4 when midterms hit!2.) ESTABLISH HEALTHY HABITS: Be sure to get sufficient hours of sleep, and tryto set a gym schedule (find out when it’s not too crowded or check out a class that you’ll enjoy). Make sure it’s something you can sustain for the entire quarter.3.) LOOK AHEAD: Review class syllabi to be aware of the workload that your classes will entail and plan accordingly4.) GO TO LECTURE! Yes, even if they are covering something you think you might already know. You never know when the professor might give a tip about an exam or even hand out a pop quiz!

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Photo taken from the LA Times (photographer Gina Ferazzi)