School-time arrived in September with new EEP Freshmen, continuing Regulars and newly minted Elders, all of whom made it a great Fall Quarter and a great beginning of the academic year! Now, after the first WPCT testing completed, we welcome you to the Winter 2006 term and wish you all a Happy New Year! Here is all the news we can think to print from Fall 05 into Winter 06, pleasant reading and, of course, we hope you had a Happy Holiday Season!
-----------------
EventS
-----------------
Fall began September 23rd and shortly thereafter we began another quarter of Freshman Study Hall with the first class meeting on September 27th. Like every year, the new EEPsters seemed enthusiastic to begin learning the EEP ropes but this year they really filled up the classroom! All 40 freshmen (more on the "40" in Announcements) were indoctrinated and taught by EEP alum and future teacher Geoffrey Lancaster along with his assistant EEP Elder and med school candidate Rex Cheng. Among the guest speakers were representatives from the Center for Student Development, Associated Students Inc and various academic departments and offices including the Dean of Undergraduate Studies and the Dean of the College of ECS&T. Welcome new EEPsters!
The Great Lost Auction sponsored by EEPC Lounge Manager Chris Humphrey again bellowed through the EEP on October 17th to the 21st in the Lounge Game room. The EEP rascals leave so many personal belongings over-night in the Lounge that we can't believe they have anything left to bring to school! Chris takes all proceeds and buys pizza, treats and sodas for everyone! Chris is indeed a bro among bro's!
A fall Parent Welcome event sponsored by the PEEP was held on Sunday October 9th from 11:00am to 1:30pm in the Golden Eagle ballroom. Thanks to the EEP staff, the fantastic and always energetic PEEP organizers and special guest speaker Richard Boolotian, interim Director, World Council for Gifted and Talented Children and former Mirman School administrator, for making the event a huge success. This traditional meeting for the old (Regular) and the new (Freshmen) to the EEP was formerly called the Potluck and once the EEP High Tea! We also were fortunate to hear from CSLA's Senior of the year EEP Elder Andre Petrikovets who spoke eloquently of the EEP's Director Richard Maddox, the University and the PEEP! Thanks Parents and all special guests!
Speaking of this great student, at the CSULA Alumni Awards Gala on Thursday October 20th at the Luckman Fine Arts Complex the entire University community honored Mr. Andre Petrikovets as the University Outstanding Senior! Andre has compiled quite a lengthy history of achievement in his four plus year in the EEP including research, scholarships and volunteerism. We hope and wish every EEPster would follow in his tremendous footsteps!
A representative from Josten's Rings was at the EEP on Wednesday Sept 28th 11:30am to 1: 30pm and Thursday Sept 29th from 2:30pm to 4:00pm for information on and sizing for the EEP Class Ring. All EEPsters should attend a Jostens EEP campus visit in order to fit, arrange a purchase plan and order a class ring. Be on the lookout for e-mail announcements about future Josten's visits!
Cal State L.A. Graduate and Professional Schools Information Day was held on campus on Wednesday September 28th with many EEPsters in attendance. This informative affair occurs every fall and is a great way to meet grad school recruiters and to learn more about potential future schools. Info on the Grad Fair is provided at Group Meetings, in mass e-mails and is posted in the Lounge Scary stuff was going on in and around the EEP Lounge in the Haunted Fine Arts building on Friday October 28th when the EEPC sponsored the annual Fright Night! In addition to viewing terrifying films and eating lots of treats, the EEPsters all took off for Old Town Pasadena to visit a real Haunted House. We don't think any of them survived without at least a white hair or two! A frighteningly good time was had by all!
An EEP Thanksgiving Potluck was again held the Wednesday before Big Turkey Day this year on Wednesday November 23rd from 11am-3pm in EEP kitchen. What a spectacular spread we saw, with everything from roasted chicken to turkey to veggies and desserts of every size, shape and manner. It was a truly tantalizing and terrific culinary masterpiece. Ever see about 100 teenagers eat a lot? Visit the EEP kitchen next EEP Thanksgiving Day for this wild sight!
The Ladies of EEP (LEEP) held their Pie Week Celebration during the shortened Thanksgiving Week November 21st through 23rd. We saw reports that they sold over 25 Marie Calendar pies, served by the slice and al la mode upon request. This support, conversation and reading group for the female students of EEP lead by our own EEP Elder Helen Neiman discovered EEPsters like to eat pie and ice cream. Fantastic!
Our LEEP and CSLA's EPIC Program (Educational Participation In Community) sponsored the annual Christmas Toy and Food drive which took place during the last week of November and all of December 2005 in the EEP Lounge. The Ladies and the EEP Family gathered together a huge box of donated toys and food items for our less fortunate brothers and sisters in the community. We thank all the parents and students who sent in contributions!
We had yet another fantastic SEAA Talent Search/ WPCT testing event and PEEP General Meeting on Sunday, December 3rd 2005. The PEEP general meeting from 10-11:30am included a special guest speaker Ms. Desiree Bumgarner who discussed the University's role in Emergency preparedness for our EEPsters on campus. Those in attendance were able to ask questions and each received hand-outs and brochures concerning the processes used to help the EEPsters in case of a disaster. We also again hosted hundreds of tester parents at the bi-annual WPC Parent Test Reception and discussion event from 11:30 to 2:00pm. The special guests at this reception event were two EEP alumni Ms. Suzanne Vega J.D and Mr. Adam Fraser J.D M.P.P who spoke of the finished product, themselves! Thanks to all the parents who attended and who donated refreshments and supplies including all the EEPsters who proctored and worked to make the event a success. Special thanks to Samantha Hsu (EEPC Vice President) and Herbert Lee (Elder & EEPC Representative) who were absolutely marvelous Test Administrators, thanks you guys!
Finally an educational excursion for our bright young folks arrived with a MOCA (museum of contemporary art) field trip held on Friday December 9th from 11am-3:30 pm brought to you by your EEPC. A great group of 35 plus Trip Counselor trudged down the campus hill toward the bus way station where rapid transit whisked them off to Downtown for a brief walk to the museum. The EEPC provided lunch from Marie Calendar for our hungry and culturally attuned EEPsters! This was a very nice adventure for our students and we hope to take yet more intelligent field trips (museums, galleries, gardens etc) in the future!
The annual EEPC Big Bear trip from Monday December 12th - to Thursday the 15th was a grand, yet cold, success. Erika, Allison and Amanda from the office and the Trip Counselors oversaw a group of 40 EEPsters traveled to the mountains in a sturdy school bus for three days of skiing, eating, snow-ball-throwing and overall Winter fun! We hope the cold air and sledding didn't disrupt too many brain cells, we'll need them come Winter term!
Media events in Fall - EEP Alum Dr. Leana Wen was noted in TIME Magazine November 14th edition, page 20; the EEP was mentioned in the New York Times Magazine. headline article entitled, "The Prodigy Puzzle"; a new book entitled, "High IQ Kids" with a portion coauthored by the Director and PEEPster Trindel Maine has been released in fall and a CSULA News Release on Sept. 20th featured 17 year old CSULA student Paisley Kadison who is spending a year abroad at Oxford University
-----------------
AnnouncementS
-----------------
Based on the overall excellence of our students and our successful history at the University, the EEP was asked in summer to accept a larger class of freshmen than ever before done! The University loves our EEPsters and so we were able to provide space for 40 new students, the largest class in EEP history! We did need to ask for much needed staff and space support and we were promised our needs would be met as soon as possible. In the meantime, our EEP is now very ingrained in the hearts and minds of the University; we hear the President even thanked EEP members of ASI (CSLA student government) for being such a great part of the University! Go EEP!
We have now brought aboard to the EEP a new Grad Assistant Allison Stradford who has been tasked with helping the EEPsters with all things academic. From monitoring study habits, to helping with Tutoring and all paperwork related to student performance, Allison will be a long-overdue addition to the program and will definitely help lighten the workload for all of us! Funded by the College of NSS through the Psychology Department, this position was part of the overall plan involving the increase in student class size. Allison may be contacted at: oneprettiprincess@yahoo.com
The Ladies of EEP (LEEP), a female support, conversation and reading group starting up again, for more info contact EEP Elder Helen Nieman junglekittenhn@hotmail.com Meetings are on a weekly basis in the Lounge and they plan on more exciting activities and fundraisers. Remember, Pie Day and the Toy Drive were great examples of how motivated, energetic and involved our LEEP can be toward making all of our lives better! Support the LEEP by getting involved!
We announce this year's PEEP annual fundraiser will be the most ambitious ever hoping to raise funds to more fully support the EEPC, to fully furnish the new future EEP Lounge space and to provide more scholarship assistance for others. Please get as involved in the PEEP as you can whether it is as an office volunteer, a trip chauffer, an event planner, phone call maker or, yes, even a check writer! We thank you in advance and please see the Reminder section for more contact info.
Yearbook 2004-05 was a huge hit and even came with a free surprise DVD. Now Yearbook 2005-2006 is for sale! Buy it now and save, save, save. Did we say save yet? Last year we sold out the extra copies of the Yearbook in 15 minutes!! This year we are encouraging all EEPsters to finalize their purchase in the Winter 06 quarter. The EEP Yearbook is bigger and better than ever and now comes with a DVD chronicling life in EEP, all for only $50.00! See Group Meetings or a EEPC Officer.
EEP Grandbaby!! Daniel Rollins and wife had a son named Ethan Daniel Rollins born on Sunday October 23rd 2005. Baby Rollins weighed in at 8lbs 4oz and was 21inches in length. The EEP family grows even outside our normal recruitment efforts! We congratulate the entire Rollins and Ready families on a new brilliant future EEP candidate!
We have been asked by the Davidson Foundation to spread the word about possible Davidson Fellowships and scholarship opportunities for the EEPsters. Many of you recall meeting Dr. Jan Davidson at the PEEP Fall Welcome in 2004, now is a chance to re-connect through your favorite EEPster. Please visit: www.DavidsonFellows.org for more info. Brochures available at Group Meetings in Winter!
A number of PEEPsters have recommended a book entitled, A Nation Deceived produced by the University of Iowa Center for Gifted Education on a topic you will be familiar with, gifted education failures! It may be available for free by contacting www.nationdeceived.org or by calling 800-336-6463
EEP alumni Mr Hank Wang has some temporary part-time openings in his firm for an EEPster with some level of interest in finances, taxes and B&E. Must have completed first year Accounting courses. Feel free to contact hank.wangxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
A biography of the EEP Director Richard Maddox was included in the 9th edition of Who's Who Among America's Teachers. We thank all the members of the EEP family who make such a wonderful honor possible
We had a couple of long-distance visits from prospective EEP candidates. Cristina Dunnick (student) and Angela De Cesare (Mom) flew out from Florida/Puerto Rico on December 6th just to see us and find out if it will be a good idea for their gifted student. Other interested students from outside California include Christopher Metoyer from Omaha, Nebraska and Bukhari Saleem Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Wow!
After a recent program review it was recommended that the WPCT test be coordinated and administered through the University Testing Office. This addition to our biannual SEAA Talent Search, Tester Reception and PEEP General Meeting events will be transparent for the most part and we look forward to the smooth transition. The Testing Office will be responsible for the test floor and the actual process of administering the test to the students. We will keep you posted on any addition developments in this regard but it may be a lot less work for us in the long run!
EEP Student Athletics coming soon, the EEP staff is busily trying to organize EEPsters and sports and the first event will be a 3-on-3 basketballs and softball tournament. More info and discussions at the Group Meetings in Winter 06.
-----------------
Student NewS
-----------------
Alumni Visits and Written Communiqué this Quarter:
We may have blocked out the e-mail addresses in versions of this Newsletter. Remember, many of these EEP Alumni and others have provided the EEPsters with their e-mail addresses for consultation and advisement (in the Student Information Binder) with new additions available at Group Meetings quarterly
EEPster Accomplishments as of Fall 2005
-----------------
ReminderS
-----------------
Remember to use Lounge Resources
News, Notices, Cheers and Jeers A Message to the Parents of the EEP from Richard S. Maddox Formerly The Maddox Message and Director Message
Just a brief reminder that the full, student-enhanced version of the EEP Quarterly Newsletter with photos is available on-line at: http://www.eepclub.org see the Winter 06 Newsletter
As always, the full text Newsletter and Meeting Schedules are e-mailed home and this shortened version is sent through U.S mail. In the future, because of postal rate increases set to take effect in January 2006, we will begin to move toward e-mail as our exclusive delivery method for the Newsletter and the Meeting Schedules.
If you want a printed version of the entire text Newsletter mailed home, write or call the EEP office at 323-343-2287 or eepstaff@cslanet.calstatela.edu
-----------------
News and NoticeS
-----------------
Greetings and warm Holiday wishes for all! There was a lot happening in the fall but we really focused, as always, on the new freshmen! A new year means a quick review of our student's progression through the EEP is in order. The first year experience, as I like to call it, is the most critical period for the development of study/school habits. It is one of our goals to promote good habits (e.g. read all texts before class, take class notes always, study every weekend, get involved in activities etc) and to help build a better young college scholar! The second and third year students are now usually on their way to the degree, have met with faculty advisors and are blending GE with core courses. We try to help solve problems and to remind them to continue involvement in events and organizations while creating a well-rounded and diverse academic history. Our Elders are on the way to finishing the degree, taking grad school placement exams and deciding on which schools and life paths they will take after school. We enjoy helping them make these decisions and watching them embark on the next adventure of their lives. Please keep me informed of your student's place and progress in this general EEP schemata and let me know how I can help, counsel, advise and guide. J
All that said, it looks like another great year to be in the EEP! I look forward to working with all the parents and I want to encourage parents to get really involved in the PEEP and their EEP. For instance, I am always impressed at the 30 or so EEP parents who attend our PEEP General Meetings before each WPCT test but would welcome even more! The last meeting we welcomed Ms. Desiree Bumgardner, Director of Emergency Preparedness for the University. She had lots of great info on the school's ability to help our kids should an emergency occur plus handouts and helpful tips! I will try to arrange whatever guest speaker you would like and I always address all new policies or practices that may affect the EEP. We also discussed the University Testing Office talking over the administration of the WPCT exam, the progress on the acquisition of new Lounge space and, like usual, the news articles I found for you since the last testing. In addition to the meetings, I would encourage lots of parental help and guidance for our EEPC Board as well. They always need advice on trip planning, transportation, counseling chores, chaperoning, public relations, journalism and budget stuff! Almost every area you can think of would be needed for this developing group of student leaders and we welcome your help. Thanks for all help past , present and future!
I look forward to our next PEEP General Meeting, 10:00 am on Sunday April 23rd 2006 at the WPCT Spring test, set your Outlook computer reminders and mark your calendars! Always feel free to write me a note or call the office for a meeting, take care and I know we'll have another super year in the EEP! J
Now to the good, bad yet never ugly!
-----------------
Cheers and JeerS
-----------------
Cheers to the EEPsters who are starting their own campus clubs and taking leadership roles in others! This experience will bring more than just the fun activities they undertake, the initiative and passion is a reward unto itself!
Cheers to students who have achieved a balance between study and relaxation. They know that taking a breather now and them makes for the best, healthiest and most happy young scholar!
Cheers to those wonderful parents who continue to amaze and impress us with their love for the Program and us! Thank you for your total and thorough support, without the PEEP we wouldn't have the EEP J
Jeers to those students who continue to waste supplies (like scissors and rulers) and services (like Sparkletts water). Remember that we share resources and they are not in limitless supply. EEP student school supplies, kept in several locations, are not to be removed from the Lounge.
Jeers to those students who continue to leave their clothing in the cubby area over the break. Remember, we share this storage area and all items left in the cubby and Lounge during the break may be disposed of by the University janitors. All clothing found by the EEPC is usually washed, folded and returned to the Lounge but is rarely retrieved so please discuss with your students.
Jeers to those students who leave used food wrappers and half-eaten food and drink(s) in the kitchen fridge for days on end. Be responsible and be healthy, properly dispose of any unwanted food and drink and remember that we all share the refrigerator and we need to respect others as well as ourselves.
Should any parent want to discuss their child's performance or if there are any questions or concerns please call the office to schedule a meeting. You may also feel free to call or e-mail me. Have a great quarter!
RSM
-----------------
StudenT ContributionS & The EEPC Presidential Message
-----------------
President's Message
Greetings Parents and Students, greetings to a historic year in the Early Entrance Program. As you all well know, this year our freshman class consists of some 40 prodigal students, the largest class to date. As you also well know EEPsters wield significant power on campus; EEPsters now hold a majority representation on campus government, and in the pre-Law, the pre-Med, and honors societies here at CSULA. In Freshman Study hall there have been jests then to the effect of a freshman revolution, and this past week I had the opportunity to speak to the freshman about this. I told the freshmen what EEP was like when I entered the program, and I was met with surprise and disbelief. When I entered EEP there was no yearbook, no class rings, no dances. There were no ski trips, no beach camp-outs, and no fright nights. We never had sweatshirts or license plate frames or graduation plaques. The EEP I entered into was far from what the freshmen saw today, and every change from that day to this one was born in the dissatisfaction of freshmen. If not for the sake of the improvements born of revolutions in the past, enact your revolution because it is yours. What makes EEP so important and special is that we are more than a plaque or a ring, EEP is an experience, and to both the freshmen and our regular students I advise that you make the experience your own.
Newsletter contributions welcome for Spring 2006 - All rebuttals will be processed