Adventures of Andrew Lee

Warning: Imported from old college This post was moved from an older website hosted on a college server. These have been unedited and contain many mistakes. But, whatever.

Warning: Imported from old college This post was moved from an older website hosted on a college server. These have been unedited and contain many mistakes. But, whatever.

Someone has to tell me to update this website a lot more.

I fall into a “phase” where I think that either my thoughts are much too complex to type out or that I have nothing to type. I was reading an article or rather rant about how blogging caused problems with google’s search engine and blogging is also a waste of time.

I am aware that nobody cares about my weekly update. My response is if only the powerful and intellectual can be critics, then how can real change ever be made? I am aware that I may not be the smartest guy in the room, but I think I have a say, and hopefully my say is unique. Thus, to those who read my website: I thank you. To those who do not, well… welcome. I believe I have encountered the problem of writer’s block. I think the best way to overcome this problem is to just write. I recommend the same technique to students who have procrastination problems, just take Nike’s advice: Just Do It.

Website Fixes/Updates: Fixed overlap and border problems on the About Page & the Life@CMC page. The Links and News sections have been updated with current information. The How to Beat Prof. Pitney is up and running. And…updated the resume.

This week’s plans: I made it as a finalist for the Political Education Fellowship. Finally! I’ve been working since winter break on securing my internship opportunity and my interview is the crucial last step. My interview is Tuesday, at 2:20 PM. No, I am not inviting you to cheer me on. However, wishing me luck in your thoughts would be nice.

If I get this, John Salazar and Ken Salazar of Colorado, here I come! If Representative Scott McInnis does step down early, then I will be working on the special election, but if not, I will divide my time between the two campaigns and maybe with an internship at Level (3) in Broomfield. I also made it as a finalist for the Athenaeum Fellowship. Wish me luck here as well! I do hope that I become an Ath fellow, I can help promote discussion on campus on a wide variety of issues, and I love the Ath.

Before I go any further…..

Spider-Man 2 Trailer…trailer…trailer

That’s right. It’s out. I’m excited. I understand that I was a critic of Doctor Octopus as the villain of choice, but I must admit he looks cool. I’m a child again.

Since it has been since mid-March since I updated this website, I feel that an update is in order. The students have not forgotten about, what has now been coined the “hoax crime.”

Margaret Cho came to campus on March 27, and she started the show by asking if she could have a photo with 10 Asians a reference to the OAD incident. Of course, I rushed to get a picture with Margaret Cho, but I have no idea who took that picture or where it is. Students on the CMC campus find that they are still on a great campus and can rest easy knowing that their campus is safe. Overall- this was a good year for community building and a great story to tell people.

I have begun to give tours for the Admissions office. If you are a prospective student reading this, I give tours on Mondays and Wednesdays at 11 AM. If you aren’t well, whatever. I would like to thank Mike Peel, classmate and fellow colleague, for letting me use his room on every Monday and Wednesday. It’s the least I can do to help out CMC.

Speaking of Mike, cohort at the Rose Institute… we went to Disneyland for free!Pictures! Mike had never been to Disneyland and I had never been to Disneyland since 4th grade. I figured out that Disneyland is such a magical place because it is one of the only amusement parks that really caters to those from the age of mucous to starry-eyed. It was great fun riding the Matterhorn, Pirates of the Caribbean with a bunch of college students, and Star Tours (the only Star Wars ride where you fight destroyers then transition into destroying the Death Star). Afterwards, we passed the evening with a Rose Institute dinner where I learned the art of fine wine from Dr. Frates.

The past week was pretty hectic because I was working on Parliamentary Debate and preparing for NPDA nationals. Unfortunately, my partner Dan Golden (the best link I could find) and I did not do very well at NPDA nationals, but congratulations to Gabe and Jake for making it to Semi-finals. I also went to Disneyland again with Liz and met her family (courtesy of Liz’s parents, great people, definitely know where she got her brains and her political idealogy), and finally rode Indiana Jones and a Segway! Ha! Shiela, I am the first in our family to ride a segway!

News in CO: The political season is heating up with Pete Coors entering the race for the Senate. I would love to see the ads: “My name is Peter Coors and I have been selling you beer straight from the Rockies for quite some time. I think I would make a great senator. Come have a drink with me, bring the kids too.” Well, if the Repubs want to have a primary, more power to them.

We all know that Ken Salazar is the moderate Democrat that Colorado needs and a radical republicansis not what is best for the people of Colorado. I was speaking with a friend, Ian O’Connell at NPDA Nationals and we were speaking about the future of Colorado, and we both whole-heartedely believe that Colorado will swing blue or stay in its moderate culture.

So know this, Marilyn Musgrave, your radical tactics will be numbered because there will be a Democrat that will take you on and never let you go. I hope that my friends at CU-Boulder can deal with their rising tuition while a crazy senator from Eastern Colorado cares more about something that doesn’t affect her rather than students at CU.

CMC News: I find it funny that the Claremont Independent that just came out published an open letter to the editor about the Hate Rally, but did not publish Gabe’s letter responding to Apollo Morgan’s ridiculous article (Click Links & News). Not to rag on the Independent because they do have some good things to say, but as with the marketplace of ideas, I hope that the Claremont Portside and the Claremont Political Journal is available to those reading the campus political media.

I also posed as Arnold Schwarzenneger in endorsing the Dreier for Senate(endorsement & news) simulation campaign and was Jim Taylor on a campaign commerical for the Hagel for President simulation campaign. This was a lot of fun. Speculative, but fun.

I find myself wasting time and I know that there is always something to do. I could always be applying for scholarships, working on projects, reading homework, writing essays, or relaxing in a productive manner (i.e. playing tennis, watching a movie or most recently the Frontline webstreams).

Even in my relaxing modes, I feel I must be relaxing in a way that is the most productive or will yield the most utility. Here’s to living life to its fullest (ew, much too bloggish for the taste of many readers). Once again, tune in again the next week when I relate an actual adventure versus and update.

Warning: Imported from old college This post was moved from an older website hosted on a college server. These have been unedited and contain many mistakes. But, whatever.

Quick update on what has gone on: the 10th became a day of solidarity and the whole 5C community turned out… BUT- recently some new evidence has come to light that Professor Dunn vandalized her own car, and this news has shocked the community. President Gann has responded methodically (it’s as if she sees the future and knows exactly the right thing to say).

My own response is two-fold: First, I think that we cannot jump to conclusions about the guilt of Professor Dunn. Of course, we cannot write this off as preposterous. Nevertheless, I feel that we should not jump to conclusions about the nature of the crime. We must remember that the two students who gave testimony also received $10,000 each as a reward for information. It seems highly unlikely that a professor with four degrees dedicated to teaching at the academy would risk her career. But, many people would have said the same thing about a hate crime occuring on the CMC campus.

Second, if Professor Dunn is guilty, then I am deeply angered by her actions. She painted our campus in a very hateful light by her actions. She deserves to never teach here again if she is guilty. A community should never have to feel scared, threatened, and angered at a self-perpetrated hate crime. I must once again, assure all those reading this post, that CMC is not that type of community.

The 5C response to the incident was especially noteworthy and truly distinguishable and shows to the true nature of our campus.

On a lighter note, Spring Break is almost over.

Okay, maybe not a lighter note. I must say that spending time at CMC is great. The weather is beautiful, the pool is open, and the library is open. I’ve been playing tennis almost everyday and watching a movie everyday. I finished reading the Da Vinci Code and The Five People You Meet in Heaven. Both are quick reads, enjoyable for spring vacation. I ran to 21 Choices and used my CMC gift certificate for free yogurt. (You can clap anytime.) Since they’ve close almost all dining services, I have been exercising my cooking muscle: tomatoes and eggs, lemon-pepper chicken, potstickers, pasta, steak, and of course, my primary staple… rice. Yum.

Now that Spring Break is almost over, I will be going back to work. Ah yes, California Politics midterm, Political Education Fellowship, Political Philosophy Essay/Midterm, and the Rose. Oh in political news, Ken Salazar is running for Congress, support him! He will win Colorado for the the Dems. He’s got a great crew behind him. Peculiarly enough, Ken is John Salazar’s (CD3 candidate) brother. Two brothers both running for Congress in the same year, cool huh?

Hopefully, I will receive the Political Education Fellowship (an award given out to students to learn about politics for the summer). This year in Colorado will be the year of the donkey. I sincerely hope that we can swing Colorado. Once again, I repeat the call that “If you are a Democrat in a state with a plethora of Dems, you have a moral obligation to move to Colorado.” It’s a beautiful state, great air quality, great place to raise kids, and there are most definitely jobs there. Don’t worry; there is definitely a large amount of culture there from all backgrounds of diversity. Oh, and a shout out to all my homies. (I couldn’t figure out a better way to end this post.)

Tune in next time when I will discuss: Dems and the Economics argument, Romanticism (both Bohemian and German), updating my family tab, and overall lovin’ it. I promise to make these posts more fun-filled and exciting because they haven’t been extremely adventurous.

Warning: Imported from old college This post was moved from an older website hosted on a college server. These have been unedited and contain many mistakes. But, whatever.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”- MLK Jr.President Pamela Gann released a statement to the 5-C community about an incident of hate crime yesterday. A professor speaking at a community forum regarding hate speech had her car vandalized with racial epithets, tires slashed, and windows broken. This is the last in a string of events that have rocked the community: beginning with a stupid night of burning a student’s art project (which happened to be a cross), the OAD incident against Asian American students (a frat party asking new members to take a picture of 10 Asians), and lastly the words “nigger” written across the hall from an African American student on a picture of George Washington Carver.

To all in the 5C community, I urge you to join us in the events planned for today. I urge all organizations to condemn this incident and join us in today’s events of solidarity. Check my away message, or the statement released by President Gann.

To those that are committing these acts, STOP. Your actions do not belong in a place dedicated to “Crescit cum comercio civitas”, no civilization or place of commerce can function in an environment of intolerance.

When you attack the property of a respected member of our community, you attack our community. We will not tolerate this. When you deface George Washington Carver across from an African American student’s dorm, you move the Civil Rights movement back 100 years.

To all who are reading this outside of the 5C community, rest assured that these incidences do not represent the 5C community, and especially not CMC. Even though these incidents may be few and far between, our community will not stand for such intolerance.

Warning: Imported from old college This post was moved from an older website hosted on a college server. These have been unedited and contain many mistakes. But, whatever.

There is so much I want to say! I just can’t fully articulate the words and the emotions colliding inside me. I think I’ll just breathe and not post.

The call of career and status quo “success” makes me put my romantic (both in the conventional and the German sense) tirade in the TBA box. Oh well, we will all get updates in the future. By that time, I think I will at least know what’s going on in my life.

Oh just to be like everybody else these days here’s my list of things I’m thankful for: 
On the political level, I might be working for Representative Udall in his bid for the US Senate. My hope is to use the PEF there. However, I don’t really know how that is going to turn out. Either I work for the Senate campaign or the House district campaign. We’ll see… (or as Matt Drudge says: Developing…)

Warning: Imported from old college This post was moved from an older website hosted on a college server. These have been unedited and contain many mistakes. But, whatever.

Today is a momentuous day!

Ben Nighthorse Campbell not seeking re-election, that opens the senate for the Democrats! That means that Colorado can become 1-1 Senate and 4-3 House in favor of Democrats.

On another note, I think Kerry can do it. Watch his ads. There is something so visceral and deeper than the ads of George W. Bush. I think Kerry can do it. He’s a soldier that I could trust. Watch Kerry ads, especially Better for America.

This post was moved from an older website hosted on a college server. These have been unedited and contain many mistakes, good examples of poor writing, lack of structure, and perhaps even thought. Nevertheless, they do chronicle what I was up to in college.

The Key to Beating Professor Pitney (or Writing Well)… get an A- on an essay

Before you read this study guide, please understand that Professor Pitney was one of the professors on this campus that taught me how to write. Before his class, I thought that writing with big words and complex sentences was the key to successful writing. If you’re a fan of communication and research, then you will learn something in his class. I am grateful for his help and because of this, I dedicate this study guide page to him.

Professor Pitney says:
1) Richard Nixon once made the mistake of saying “Sock it toMe!” He emphasized the wrong portion of his speech. You must never be like the aloof Richard Nixon. When you are writing, write with care. Each sentence must be impactful and must serve a purpose. Never go off on tangents. Each sentence must serve the essay. Write your first draft. Remember to use Turabian.

2) If you are using Microsoft Word, you need to turn on your Grammar and Style Spellchecker. Go to Tools-Options-Spelling & Grammar tab, once there under the Grammar section change Spell check to both Spelling & Grammar. It will search for the Passive voice and other Strunk and White deadly Sins. Wherever you see green, eliminate the Green.

3) Now that you have your first draft. Run a Ctrl+F or Find/Search tool. Look for the words “this”, “however”, all forms of the verb “to be” (e.g. was, were, is, etc.) that assist in passive voice. If you don’t understand what the passive is, look it up. If you still don’t know, just eliminate all forms of the verb “to be." Eliminate all these words from your essay and rewrite your sentences.

4) After eliminating those words, go through each of your sentences and make sure you have only used appx. two commas per sentence. Only when absolutely necessary can you go more than that.

If you still feel unsure about how to write a Pitney paper, below is a crib sheet created by Alexandre Lamy ‘00. The sheet is very useful in identifying key concepts in what Pitney looks for. The aforementioned four steps were developed from edited papers and cited pages from Professor Pitney’s 2003 Gov20 Honors section.
Pitney Crib Sheet

From this information, a checklist (.xls) arose with all of the errors cited on the first papers, listing the page number in Strunk and White, the number of students (if more than one) in parentheses that committed the error, and the S&W explanation.

CONGRATULATIONS! You have just conquered a Pitney Essay! Remember to check your Cited sources and remember to read his material on how to write well. Turn it in and you will receive your A-, if you really screwed up you’ll get a B+, but you should at the very least get an A-.

On the final…

Alright, so you’ve done well, but now you need to study for the final. Get a group of people together and have them each create outlines of the readings. Somebody has to compile them together, but make sure that you have this ready for your class. Memorize terms and dates for the test.

Here’s a sample from the 2003 Gov20 Honors Class-

The Rizzles Study Packet (Fall 2003)- The “Better than Funderwear” Study Packet
Gov20H Study Guide Lecture Notes from the Gov20H Pitney Class Common Intro Gov IDs for Finals Gov20H 2003 Final

You’re done. You’ve now just completed the Beat Prof. Pitney in five minutes class. Professor Pitney is still a very cool prof, all of the extra add-ons to his picture were done in jest. He’s a cool professor and you will have fun.

This post was moved from an older website hosted on a college server. These have been unedited and contain many mistakes. Whatever. It was college.

The Phil90- Introduction to Philosophy class varies depending on the professor, but the material is approximately the same. For Prof. Amy Kind’s class, the Phil90H Syllabus included appx. four essays, an in-class debate, and the final exam. For Prof. Amy Kind’s Philosophy Honors class, you have to start out the class strong through classroom participation and a strong first essay because it will make an impression upon your performance for the rest of the semester.

According to a previous classmate of Prof. Amy Kind’s Phil 90H class, “You don’t have to work to get a B+, but you do have to work to get an A- or A.” If you have minor debate experience, IB Theory of Knowledge, or can think independently, you will get a B+. The real test of whether you can effectively communicate is whether you can get an A- or A in this class. The best way to make a good first impression is to:

1. Write a strong essay that analyzes the arguments of the text. Pay attention to Prof. Kind’s recommendations on writing a good essay. Although some of the recommendations are not the most specific, Prof. Kind does give a good starting point. The best way to learn how to write a good essay is probably to learn by example. Prof. Kind helps your writing through a circle discussion on the first essay without name identification. Probably the best way that I learned how to write a philosophy essay was by learning from the guy who received A’s on our philosophy papers. Below is an example, posted with permission from Gabriel Rocklin ‘07. Aside from the minor spelling and grammatical errors, look at the line of analysis and the construction of the arguments. Also, pay close attention to the construction of argument and counter-argument. Professor Kind doesn’t care about the grammatical or spelling errors, just about the arguments.
   
2. Go into her office. This is a usual lesson that you can apply to all of your professors. For those who are not blessed with the preternatural ability to think extremely critically, it is best to learn from one who is an expert in the field. Prof. Kind’s door is always open. If you go see her during her office hours, you will be guaranteed a B+, and will have a better chance at the A- and A. It is important to “listen” to her tips on analysis. She has something in mind that you can do, it might be easier for you do that, than your own ideas. However, it is easier for you to come prepared to her office with ideas and thoughts on your approach. She can help “green-light” your essays through.
3. Split up the work on the questions given by Prof. Kind for the final exam. Have someone compile the answers to the questions and send them back out over e-mail. For those still worried about the retention of answers for the exam, you can have an optional study session. The final exam is not too difficult if you know your material on the study guide.
   Fall 2003 Phil90H Study Guide
   
4. On the design debate, make sure that you dress up for the debate. The debate grade is actually based on the evaluation of other students in your class. Although you could have all the students give A’s to each other, you must justify the grade given. Thus, I suggest that preparation for the debate be clean. It’s important that you don’t get into the debate itself. Get into the underlying arguments of the debate (most likely theodicies and design arguments). By doing so, you will have achieved the purpose of the debate. If at worst, the two sides tie (which is highly likely), you should dress up because you took the debate seriously.
   

Hopefully, you will learn a lot in this class. If at all, you’ll learn how to construct much more formulaic and argumentative essays. If you are not taking the honors Introduction to Philosophy course, the aforementioned tips are still a monumental help in your class.

This post was moved from an older website hosted on a college server. These have been unedited and contain many mistakes, good examples of poor writing, lack of structure, and perhaps even thought. Nevertheless, they do chronicle what I was up to in college.

*You may have been redirected to this webpage because there exists no study guide for the subject/class that you are looking for. These general study tips are applicable to all classes and are further divided into classes that are more specific.

My AP European History teacher once gave me a sheet of paper with the phrase “Mastery Through Discipline” written at the top. I was at first unsure if this was an ancient martial arts paper or if it was a study sheet. As I proceeded to read on, I noticed a couple of simple studying tips that may help you study. They may work differently for each different person, but you should try out each one:

1. Visit your professors. You should at least visit your professors once a month to check up on your progress or to ask them questions on topics/issues that you do not understand. It’s about communication. As long as your professor knows you’re serious about your studies, you will always be in a positive light when you’re riding the difference between a B+ or A-, etc.
2. Do not listen to music that will distract you from work. Although you may have listened to music throughout your teen years, you need to focus on the quality and depth of your work. When reading, eliminate all distractions. It is fine to use music that promotes reflection, but vocal music is mostly distracting. Studies have shown that listening to Mozart before taking tests may improve your test score, but listening to music during the test will distract you. The same is applicable to your studying habits.
3. Be disciplined. The mark of a great person is to be disciplined in their work and in their play. It’s important for students to work efficiently and effectively. Think of the time when you were able to achieve something great in a short amount of time. That incident doesn’t happen by accident. If you’re working to the best of your ability, you can definitely get a lot done, and still have time to party on the weekends.
4. Actively study. Be engaged in the material that you are studying. To retain information, you have to relate somehow to it. Ever read a passage and then not know what you just read? It’s important to actively study and be focused on the topic at hand.
5. Sleep is important. The younger you are in development, the more REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep you will need. As you grow older, you can sleep less and will have less REM sleep. Studies have shown that REM sleep is critical for memory retention, bodily health, and rejuvenation of metabolic processes. Although you can function on four hours of sleep, it doesn’t mean that you’re functioning to your full capacity. It’s important that you make sure to get enough sleep to allow your body enough rest for the next day. PULL ALL-NIGHTERS FOR TESTS AT YOUR OWN RISK! For many students, pulling all-nighters may give you the answer to question 12 at the expense of losing the answer to question 5 on your exam. It’s comparatively better to sleep the nights before a test, and review in the morning.

Math or Math-Related Topics

1. Practice, practice, practice. Math is mainly procedural. Practice the procedure and your chances of success will increase.
2. Always show your work. You don’t need me to explain this do you? Alright, if you miss a question, the instructor will look to see if you had the right process and might award you half credit. There is no cost to showing your work, but there is if you don’t.
3. Use the silly acronyms to remember how math works. It’s okay. You don’t learn how to drive a car by knowing exactly how a car works. You test it out and remember the tricks of how to drive. You can learn its intricacies later.

Language Related Topics

1. Use mnemonic devices. I know you probably used them as a kid and you think that you are far above the use of mnemonic devices, but they work. Make note cards with translations on them or write out vocabulary words/phrases repeatedly. Remember to review almost daily.
2. Make quick study sheets. Take a sheet of paper and fold it into fours lengthwise (you should have four columns). Fold it so that the first column is on the left side and the fourth column is facing the first on the right side. Write your English translation on one side, and the second language translation on the other. Once you open the paper, you can proceed to fill in the translation for both in the blank center two columns.

Reading-Based Classes

 

1. In most of your classes, you will write essays. Visit the Writing Center. No matter if you are working on Senior thesis or a freshman writing your first Li10 or Civ10 paper, they are always a great guide to writing. You can go over your writing with the writing center staff and, in doing so, understand your weaknesses and your strengths.
2. For quick study, use Sparknotes, Monkey Notes, Cliffs Notes,ClassicNotes, and the Claremont Colleges Library Database. In particular, for your Civ10 classes, the final is about trying to remembering much of what you had previously read. By reading through these notes, your mind should recall the characters and the plot of many of the texts.
3. Create study guides. Many of the study guides found on this website did not come from third-party sources. Most of them originated from the classes themselves and from the students who took those classes. The process of making study guides is both educational and very useful. You can do it in a group or by yourself. The only problem is that when you work in a group, you have varying levels of experience with making study guides. The best way to prepare is to make a study guide for the reading assigned for your class, e.g. you will come prepared with a study guide for next Tuesday’s reading on Plato. When the midterm or finals rolls around, you only need to cut and paste relevant information for the test.

This post was moved from an older website hosted on a college server. These have been unedited and contain many mistakes, good examples of poor writing, lack of structure, and perhaps even thought. Nevertheless, they do chronicle what I was up to in college.

The Introduction to Literature course (Lit10) at CMC is almost exactly a repeat of Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate English. The purpose of the course is to introduce you to literary analysis and composition. The same techniques that you have used in high school for literature would apply here (formal structure, terms, and composition). T

he large problem with Lit10, for students in Stiffler’s class, is not the material, but the outside sources. For outside source material, I would suggest going to theClaremont Colleges Library Database. For many students, the use of the literature and language databases is enough. I would suggest using Omnifile,JSTOR, LitResource Center, Project Muse, and Literature Online. With almost all of these internet sources at your disposal, it will be rare for you to go to the library to do research.

Particulars of Stiffler’s Class:

• Participation on WebCT is a must.
• Don’t sweat the presentation, but make it exciting and useful.
• Use a large amount of sources (preferably 7-10 sources per essay). When you use all of these sources, your research will write the essay for you.
• All-in-all. You can complete this course more easily if you had the literature background behind you, but it you don’t, it won’t be too hard to learn

Resources and Texts for Stiffler’s Class:

For most students, the last essay of Angels in America is considered the hardest to find sources. Here are some of the texts of sources I had used for the lastAngels essay.

• Savran, David. “Ambivalence, utopia, and a queer sort of materialism: how ‘Angels in America’ reconstructs the nation. (Gay & Lesbian Queeries).” Theatre Journal 47.2 (Johns Hopkins University Press, May 1995): 207-221.
• Montgomery, Benilde. “Angels in America as Medieval Mystery.” Modern Drama 41.4 (University of Toronto Press, Winter 1998): 596-607.
• Savran, David. “The haunted houses of modernity.” Modern Drama 43.4 (University of Toronto Press, Winter 2000):583-596.
• Ogden, Daryl. “Cold War Science and the Body Politic: An Immuno/Virological Approach to Angels in America.” Literature and Medicine 19.2 (The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2000): 241-261.
• Meisner, Natalie. “Messing with the Idyllic: The Performance of Femininity in Kushner’s Angels in America.” The Yale Journal of Criticism 16.1 (Yale University and The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2003): 177-189.
• Bottoms, Stephen J. “Re-staging Roy: Citizen Cohn and the Search for Xanadu.” Theatre Journal 48.2 (The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996): 157-184.