Investments

Time invested.





My watch is a little waterproof ten dollar pickup from Sears three summers ago. It functions and has endured quite more pains than it should have.

But wouldn't this new watch be lovely?













Mathematics is elegant.

I should be studying for linear algebra right now.















[dvdp tumblr yes]

Isn't animated here. But basically... the path of studying has not yet led me very far.












[Roll Tide Roll]

Finger Painting

Inspired by a Target t-shirt [large blue tone squares, a block of about 5 x 5] and from one of Martha Stewart's projects.


My friend did a series of concentric circles out of dots using the end of a paintbrush. It was placed over the right shoulder/collar and finished with a stamp of that orange red in little triangles.
















A DIY from Instructables and her blog, Cucumbersome.












...here we go Boston!

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A.vo

DIY: Shredding

--
a.vo

WEEDIT

We edit.
The room cleaning occurred in phases. From the paper work of phase one: It's the summer after high school...Should the worksheets about friendship utility value in psychology still be on my desk/chair/floor? Let it be noted that phase zero was in fact, getting everything OFF the floor and onto a desk/chair/raised flat surface. And the bookshelf of phase two: I love reading. I'd forgotten how much. And then through the closet of phase three: if ( (item == bought in middle school) || (item == torn) || (self && item != breathing) ) { self.throwOut(item); }

Weed it.
So therein lay the rediscovery of pieces still wearable. And notes still readable. Though a second runthrough seems like it will be necessary to get things I realize I haven't worn in this next month. Some more emptying out is necessary.

My sister is kind of amazing at crocheting. She's managed a teeny scarf thing. As well as a cap for one of her stuffed animal kitties. Damn. She volunteered to teach me, and I've taken her up on it.

The Lord of the Rings remains forever the single most amazing story ever written. It gets even better the seventh, eighth, ninth... time around.

--
Avo

Living out of Backpacks

A quick and friendly warning: I am totally zonked out right now. And I do not have my laptop with me. It is not a friendly morning.

So. CAN WE SAY CPW FOR THE ULTIMATE WIN?!? From Thursday to Sunday, so many adventures. Got to meet up with the brilliant Steph Lin and some of the people I'd met online through FB. I have blisters on my feet, that are so worth it. EC is love. Random is amazing. I got at most 13-14 hours of sleep over the four days, and I didn't even suffer from gmail-withdrawal. That is an accomplishment, dear.

On Saturday, there was a morning to visit my soon to be alma mater, Harvard. Yes, I love MIT. But I also love Harvard. They're both beautiful, and completely different. In the best possible ways. So I'll be in Cambridge this fall, for sure! It's an astounding feeling to just know where I'll be this fall. So happy. For where I am right now, in life, and for what I see in my future, this is the right decision. We'll see about grad school, eh, eh? *wink* Even though I am already dreading going through another school application process....AH!

Some hilights of my weekend:
French House food
Four attempted breakfasts in one day
Oppenheimer/POTUS
Pancakes at all times
Dumplings
JPLicks's white coffee ice cream [I seriously almost CRIED when I tasted this stuff. It was magical]
Being one of very few to meet at Black Hole. And see the city that now owns whatever of my soul is left.
Crashing...anywhere.

And now for something a little different:
Senior Retreat begins. This Afternoon. At 4:30.
I woke up super late and had 15 minutes to pack. Had so little time, I straightened my hair at school. A strange event. Anyways Needless to say, I am now wondering if I've packed everything I need to. This feeling resurfaced once I got to school and people were dragging suitcases...and I had a small backpack filled to the brim. Er. We'll see.

Though, I'm starting to think this sleep deprivation is good practice to keep for school next year.

--
avo

Wait, are we still waiting?

It's over, at last! Tomorrow marks my last official day of having a brain at school until exams. Last night, the college wait ended. I cried for an hour straight, having been accepted to the last two decisions I was waiting upon---Harvard and Yale. And now it should be apparent why I cried. Never knew tears of joy could occur so readily, and in such volume! So now, I think of the 7/7 [Yay-uh!] I know which ones I can start crossing off. Caltech, Gatech, and WUstL are all so beautiful, but financially speaking, they aren't so feasible. So MIT, Harvard, Yale, and UA. Time to get crack-a-lackin on an appeal letter to the first, continue to wait on the one from the second, get it officially from the third, and then make a decision about all four. It's such a...strange thing. To be waiting to be picked? And now. Finally. Getting a choice.

And being able to bring what I want to MY presentation tomorrow. I can understand not wanting to burden the parents by having them bring food for the other kids' presentations. But like my mom said, "If I'm going to bring food for someone else's presentation, it's gonna be some cheap ass cookies." Except without the ass. She doesn't curse. But it seems better like that. Yesss, tomorrow marks the finale of my career in the Russell Math & Science center. If I ever turn in the accompanying research paper...uh heh. It's on Square Sum Pair Partitioning. It's gonna be awesome. Just you watch.

Today was my last AIME. I remember the first one taken, back in 10th grade. Watching Buffy with my then crush. Who...will never know about this, of course.

Damn. It's finally over. The waiting for acceptances. Had no idea what to feel at 5:30 yesterday afternoon. I checked the email at school, saw that Harvard was a-waitin in my inbox, but I could see nothing else. And when I got home, I clicked it and scrolled. A huge smile took over my face and my eyes watered. Going to the Yale page, the bulldog picture was up and they started singing...And I yelled. Ran to my parents. And just cried and smiled and cried and smiled. Gods above and demons below. But I've been blessed. Worked hard. Had a little luck. Worked so hard... And now, it seems the future is bright. Fin Aid looking better and better from Yale, who seems to understand the plight of the middle class. What a crazy journey. And so I know now, that things are possible.

--
Avo

While We're on the Subject of Ranting...

A copy of the letter I sent to the Town Hall style discussions about the removal of APs from my school:

I've been a little angry lately, what can I say. Something has to be said for the enjoyability factor of ranting over research papers.

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Hello, Ms. Yu,

I am writing in regards to the Adavanced Placement Discussion- Town Hall. I would love to be at the meeting, but I will be at home tomorrow, working on one of my final ASFA projects: The Math/Science Senior Research Project. However, I would like to share my thoughts regarding making ASFA "AP-free." As a Senior at ASFA, I have gone through the program, and would like to support others in the student body feeling as I do about this potential change. Please share this letter, if it is alright. Thank you.

Before discussing the AP, I'd like to say thank you to ASFA's Administration and Parents and Students for coming together at this Town Hall meeting, and showing interest in the school. It is a good thing to know that the people who are Living ASFA and have Lived ASFA (shout out for the Alumni) have a say in the future of the place we are coming from. Thanks.


Let me make my viewpoint clear. As a student at ASFA, APs have enriched my experience at ASFA as a student and as a person. I believe that getting rid of the AP curriculum at ASFA would be a step in the wrong direction.

Arguments I have heard against AP, and my counters:

1. Schools that do not have AP are teacher driven. ASFA Teachers ARE driven. Also, "p implies q" does not mean "q implies p". To say that just because schools without AP are teacher driven, does not mean that schools WITH AP are NOT teacher driven. This fundamental of logic is from what I have learned in my geometry class, as well as in my AP Stats/Discrete Math course. However, this is NOT part of the AP Curriculum. Our teachers are so dedicated, they teach above and beyond any curriculum, be it the one required by the state of Alabama, CollegeBoard, or even the curriculum of their own devising from years prior.
2. The availability of AP courses makes students who do not take APs look bad to colleges. Students who want to move ahead in specific areas should not be held back. If a student shows magnificent talent in any area in academics or department, would we attempt to say, aha! No, you must progress at the pace of every other student! Would we? ASFA has a School Report that is sent with every transcript to a college, conservatory, or any other places ASFA students choose to pursue education and career goals. The school report clearly outlines what is available to students, how the school works. I have seen a copy of this report. Schools that put emphasis on academic prowess ask that you not take EVERY advanced or honors course in the history of the world, but that you take what challanges YOU, in the environment available. This is fair. What is not fair, is giving every single student the same type of education. We are all individuals with our specific interests, capabilities. We are all offered the same potential in education in our core, academic classes. To judge us on the same scale would yield a poor sampling of ASFA. We thrive in being ourselves, creative to the fullest.

My arguments for the continuation of Advanced Placement curricula at ASFA:

1. Our teachers are the Best. Our student body is the Best. Why not show this off? Just because we can excel (and DO excel!) in the Advanced Placement curriculum, does not mean that AP is ALL we know. (As I refer to subjects in this section, all are the AP offerings of ASFA, unless otherwise noted.) Many of the teachers who teach AP courses let students know upfront that while they will be prepared for the exams, they will not always be following strictly AP guidelines, such as in Economics, Physics, (from my friends who have taken it) Art History, etc. What I learned from US History was not just to pass the exam, because goodness knows history is NOT my strong suit, but to connect events and understand cause and effect. In Chemistry, each year, I would say it is a fair estimate to say HUNDREDS of labs are done. We seemed to do one or two a week. These are not part of AP. And each year they are DIFFERENT labs. I walk past this year's chem class, I'll pop my head in and ask, "Hey, which one is this?!?" Only about 50% of the time am I able to hear and reply, "YEAH! That one was so cool!", because the other half I go "Seriously? That sounds awesome, but we didn't do that one my year! Sad face." Biology had us probing every environment of ASFA and beyond to McWane and the Botanical Gardens. Because of this experience, many of us are prepared with lab experience, learning experience, thinking experience.
   
2. This is about the Whole School. This opposition to removal of APs is not a Math/Science specific complaint. My core AP classes are filled with Arts students. All students benefit when they are taking an AP class and doing well. Colleges acknowledge this, and our students can be recognized on a standardized level. Personally, I believe that standardized tests are a necessary evil. They do not show the whole part of any student. However, the indication of doing well in an AP can be the platform from which a student can then leap to display their other abilities and dedication. There is some talk that Math/Science kids look better to certain colleges than Arts kids. I have heard this from adults, not so much in the student body. My response to this is thus: The ASFA mission statement makes it the goal to prepare all students to pursue not only educational goals, but be equipped with the tools to continue in an area related to their specialty. I would be sent out flat on my bum if I tried to apply to a Dance conservatory. But I am capable of pursuing my passion for Mathematics to become a signals interpreter at the NSA. One of my Math/Science friends is deeply set on going into Architecture. When she goes to an interview, she is always asked, "Why weren't you in the Visual Arts department, then?" It is fair then to ask an Arts student pursuing Music why they weren't in Music, or a Creative Writing student pursuing Med School why they were not in Math/Science. Again, this is about all our students.
3. For more, visit this petition signed by students and alumni http://www.petitiononline.com/ASFA_ap/petition.html.
   

I say again, our students, faculty, are Awesome. We can do so much more than AP, and we do. But if we CAN do well on APs, why not? Why not make it so that students can shave off college course hours or even semesters at most public and many private universities? We are saving them time and money. (Money that they can donate back to ASFA when they're in the workforce! Yes, this is just a small jest.) Why not get the national recognition? We are hardworking, talented, dedicated. That is why we came to ASFA, so we could pursue our varying interests at the level we are capable of performing at. To do anything less, offer anything less, is akin to NCLB. Each one of our students is gifted in a different way.

Our current offering of programs, classes, departments, allows students a pretty wide range to pursue our passions. Can you ask us to do anything less?

A better question: How can We, the Students, do anything less?

Best,
Azalea Vo '09
Russell Math and Science Center,
Alabama School of Fine Arts

--
Avo

Woes

The middle class hurts in this country. The whole of America hurts in this financial crisis, rich, the poor. A bailout is necessary. But what kind? The middle class that saves, works over time, plans for a "brighter" future, must continue giving up that hard earned money. Times are tough for all of us. I agree that some sort of bail out must be in order. But I wonder, when we give these corporations the money for restructuring, finding footing... Will their workers be any better off? Or in this dance of overhauling infrastructure, will more employees find themselves shuffled out of the picture?

This is echoed in the world of college funding. To get outside scholarships that can be used at any school, there are often restrictions. These restrictions are often to be a minority [African American, Hispanic, Native American, or Pacific Islander NOT Mainland Asian] or show financial need. Middle class, then, is excluded. In the shuffling around of financial aid from colleges, middle class is Screwed. Royally. Savings tell the college, oh, you have money. You can pay for it then. Smiley face. So you sit down, talk about it, Plan for the Future, like you have always done. Okay, so how about a low interest rate loan? The government puts a cap on how much you can take in loans. And most of the low interest ones are available to those, guess what, with "Demonstrated Financial Need." Go ahead and rip a new one for the Middle Class.

I am probably naive. But it seems to me, that in this time of economic strife, the middle class with good credit and savings, should be the ones the government TRUSTS to pay back loans. I'm sorry, colleges, but $100,000 of annual income [before taxes!] does not stretch as far as it used to. Maybe it would be better for us all if we had taken that vacation. Not clip coupons. Get that BMW. Sure, we wouldn't have relative financial security, but hey, we would have saved time not going through the Sunday papers with our scissors. But hey, we would have destressed at that spa on the cruise. But hey, we would have been able to drive fast with the top down. And the colleges would give us more money. A whole lot of sense, right?

Right?

Those in the lower income brackets need the money from colleges. I'm glad that colleges acknowledge that, and that colleges find ways to help those who have need. But I implore that colleges also consider that other people need too. I'm not asking for a full ride. Or even half a ride. Just some help.

MIT, I love you. You know that. You are brilliant. Thank you for accepting me. I wish I could say yes, right now, that I will forever wear your brass rat. But I can't. I'm willing to take out loans, work study, work beyond work study if there is time [helllloooo UROP]. Any extra help could tip the balance though.
Caltech, WashU, You guys are awesome. Pasadena, you've got the best weather. St. Louis, you've got awesome public transportation. Thank you for accepting me. I'm willing to make it work. Give a girl some faith.
Gatech, The best international food markets are at your doors. And I love me some food. But you Georgians make it hard for an Alabama girl like me to get some financial aid. Thank you for accepting me. I could work around the tuition.
UA, you have welcomed me with open arms. Thank you, so much. You make me proud to yell Roll Tide at the TV screen, when I think of the hospitality I have encountered on your campus. Your campus is beautiful, and so are your people. Your honors college and special mentoring programs are amazing. The physics department seems so small and cozy. I'm still thinking of you. You are a school that seems to understand the economy, and making college affordable for students.
Harvard, Yale, I haven't heard back from you guys yet. But thank you for giving my application consideration. I appreciate that. I appreciate that both of you have revamped your financial aid policies in the past year. It makes dreams possible, truly it does. The normalization around 10% for generally the middle class income, makes one dare to think funding is possible.

Education is education. There can be no replacement for knowledge learned, wherever it be found, in or out of a lecture hall, in personal life or at a job. Education. I've always sought you. And there are many fine institutions to explore. They tell you with the right drive, persistance, talent, a wee bit of luck, you can go anywhere and do anything. I don't know about doing Anything. I will never be a gymnast. But you can go. Strive to go. Learn to appreciate, if you can't do. But in the going, can you afford it?

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Avo