Issue 16: Winter 2009 Quarter - December 2008

EEP Names in the News

EEPsters in the News! Congrats to the following who are just a few of our amazing EEPsters. Please email Rich if your EEPster's accomplishment was overlooked, so it can be included in subsequent newsletters!

• Claire W, a member of the CSULA women's cross-country team, helped the team to place 13th in the nation at the 2008 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships in Slippery Rock, PA on November 22nd
• EEP Alum Edwin Peng will attend the University of Texas at Austin as a fully funded doctoral student in Mechanical Engineering (UT at Austin is ranked 10th in the nation!) Edwin was accepted to six of the seven grad schools he applied to this year, wow!
• Other visiting alumnae included Natasha Spottiswoode, Bibhu Mohanty, Chris Chien, Daniel Tamae, Sonia Levitin, Edward (Travis) Rust, Samantha Hsu, Amanda Jancu, Danielle Krasner and Albert Hung.

Logo winner Constance

The new EEP logo, by Constance

Congrats to Constance! We had wonderfully creative entries for the EEP logo from several EEPsters, and Constance's design -- support intelligent life on earth - EEP -- was the winner! Thank you to every EEPster, and we hope to see some of those other designs on other items, like t-shirts. (Click here for all the entries.)

Totebags for all EEPsters! The totebags should be ready in January, and every EEPster gets one, thanks to the generous grant from LSI Corporation! Just stop by the office and get one from Nancy. The totebags are black, and Constance's logo really pops out. Thanks again LSI!

EEP Scholarships available! We have up to four scholarships of $500 currently available to EEP students, due to generous donations from LSI Corporation and the Tsai family. All interested EEPsters are encouraged to submit a scholarship application to the Early Entrance Foundation. The deadline is Feb 15th, and the scholarships are expected to be awarded in March.

Thank you to the Fentons! Thank you to the Fentons for opening up their home and for their warm hospitality in hosting the New Parent Welcome on October 5th. The day was beautiful, and we were honored to have Dean Gonzalez join us for the festive occasion.

fun at Big Bear

Reminders: mentoring and tutoring. Now that those first quarter grades have been posted, freshmen are fully aware how fast each quarter flies by. Remind your EEPster of mentors! Mentors are there to help throughout your EEPster's life at EEP, and so are the EEP tutors! For our older EEPsters, remember that alumni EEPsters are available for mentoring to that next step as well as the academic advisors.

cold fun at Big Bear

Job Information for EEPsters. Eagle iJobs is a new system that allows students to search for both on-campus and off-campus jobs, and more. Call the Career Placement Center at 323/343-3237 for more information, or your EEPster can attend a workshop on Tues, Jan 27th, 2-3pm.
• Job Fair for the Education field. Wed, Feb 11, 12-4pm in the Golden Eagle Ballroom. Network with employers seeking teachers, counselors and education specialists. Website: http://www.calstatela.edu/univ/cdc/index.htm
• Engineering Career Fair. Thur, Feb 19, 12-3pm in the Golden Eagle Ballroom. Network with top engineering employees seeking to hire Cal State L.A. students for full-time, part-time and internship positions. Professional attire and resumes required! Website: http://www.calstatela.edu/univ/cdc/index.htm
• Internships. Note that we keep a list of internship possibilities for your EEPster to consider on the PEEP website at: http://earlyentrancefoundation.org/peep/internships.html
• Gap Year. For our soon-to-be-graduates, a "gap year" between undergraduate and graduate school may be a great idea -- to focus on success in graduate school, and not just access to graduate school, and can result in increased focus, maturity and motivation -- see the entire Wall Street Journal article which addresses a gap year before college, but is the perfect age/time for EEPsters prior to graduate school. And thanks to PEEP Peggy Simons (Segall) for sending this on!

warm fun at Big Bear

CSULA Annual Student Research Symposium. The symposium is organized to promote academic activities from students, to enhance scholarly development and progress, and to give the students much deserved recognition for their work. Entries in all disciplines are encouraged. Friday, Feb 27th, 8am-3pm. Website: http://www.calstatela.edu/academic/aa/orad/.

Reminder: PEEP Website and Yahoo Group. The PEEP website is continuously updated with tons of useful links and information -- emergency procedures, summer internships, scholarships, news articles and more. Everything is linked from this one page, so please bookmark it! And our private Yahoo PEEP group contains a private PEEP roster with city and emails so PEEPs can set up carpools, or just get in touch with the parents of your EEPster's friends.

EEF Financial News

EEP L-O-V-E

2008-09 Annual Giving kicks off! We L-O-V-E participation, so please do not feel that any donation is too small! It is the PEEP donations that supply everything you see in the EEP rooms -- including furniture, games, computers, educational and entertainment dvds, and even the ink cartridges and paper! Please make your check out to the Early Entrance Foundation -- 100% of the donations are tax-deductible, and 100% of the money is donated to EEP. The donation request was emailed in October and a reminder letter sent in December. Email PEEP Donna Hay with questions, or to get help with matching grants from your employer. Checks dated in December will receive a 2008 letter for your taxes; checks dated in January will receive a 2009 letter.

College tax breaks. Over 25% of Americans fail to take advantage of the myriad of college-related tax breaks -- don't be one of them! You have four months to check them all out -- such as the Hope Credit (a per-student annual credit for the first two years of higher education) and others that may apply even with alternative minimum taxes. There are also tax-advantaged college savings plans, known as 529 plans, which can boost your savings. Be sure to check out all that apply to you!

Thomas Farnsworth (LSI) presenting check for $3,000 to EEP for totebags and scholarships - 10/14/08

2008-2009 Scholarships. The Early Entrance Foundation has just received money for four $500 scholarship grants, thanks to a generous donation from LSI Corporation and one from the Tsai family. All interested EEPsters are encouraged to submit a scholarship application to the Early Entrance Foundation. (PEEPs should be aware that EEPsters qualify for any and all regular student scholarship awards. To get you started on discovering some scholarships that may apply to your EEPster, we have collected some information, and placed it permanently on the PEEP website.)

Electronics Recycling for Scholarships! Please recycle used electronics for the EEPC Scholarship fund. EEPC collects it all -- Cell Phones, empty Printer Cartridges, DVD Movies & games, game systems, laptop computers, digital cameras/frames, GPS and more. Just give it to your EEPster to bring to school to place in the specially-marked bins at EEP! See flyer for more info.

Chatsworth Online Sales. PEEP Helene Chemel will help you sell your unwanted treasures and help EEP at the same time! Send her your collectibles to sell online on ebay, with all the proceeds going to EEP! Contact Helene at Chatsworth Online Sales at 818-224-0779 or email (for more info, click here).

eScrip is Easy! We made $1100 last year, and are hoping for $1200 this year. Just sign up your grocery club cards once, and EEP gets money all year. Your family and friends can do it too! And it's free! Sign yourself up online (click here) or email PEEP Jennifer Edge (jen.edge@gmail.com) for help. Everyone must renew their Ralph's club card allocation to the Early Entrance Foundation, but no renewal is necessary for Vons/Pavilions or Albertsons.

Upcoming Events for EEP Families

Winter Quarter 2009 Important Dates. Dates of interest for this quarter are:

Thanksgiving at EEP

Volunteer Opportunities. Got time? Got talent? Get involved with PEEP! Volunteer to help with newsletter-writing, or website updates, or your own suggestion -- please email PEEP Donna Hay at dhay16301@sbcglobal.net for more information.

Thanksgiving at EEP

PEEP Meeting and Testing. With the discontinuation of the WPCT (Washington Pre-College Test) EEP is switching over to the ACT exam. The normal December test date was cancelled, and the one test date for this year will be on Sunday, March 1st, 1-4:30pm. Keep an eye out for emails from Rich to PEEPs and EEPsters with lots of information on what is the same, and what is different this year. He will need lots of EEPster volunteers, as usual -- that's the favorite part of the meeting for all prospective parents!

EEP events. Your EEPster will be emailed information on the myriad of EEP fun events this quarter -- like laser tag, bowling, dances, museums, skiing, etc. Note, Rich does request (brave) parent volunteers to serve as chaperones for the off-campus events.

EEΠX Store

Yearbooks, Sweatshirts, T-shirts and More! We have it all! Just have your EEPster order one, and Rich will send home the item and a bill! With questions, email the EEP Club or call 323/343-5488 and leave a message.

• the ever-popular EEΠX sweatshirt

  T-shirts and Sweatshirts, etc. Your EEpster has a choice of two t-shirts, and two sweatshirts, every EEP wardrobe requires at least one!
  • Lemonhead Sweatshirt - just $25 for this one-of-a-kind distinctive outerwear!
  • Lemonhead T-shirts - for $10 cash or check for the companion long-sleeve t-shirt.
  • EEPC t-shirt - guaranteed as unique, this t-shirt features the likeness of EEPster 2006 graduate Neshan! $10 for this limited edition t-shirt! Limited quantities
  • EEΠX Sweatshirts - only $20 for this black-that-goes-with-everything sweatshirt with its oh-so-cool-Greek-EEΠX-logo! Your EEPster will want to show off EEP pride!
  • License Plate Frames - a mere $5 pittance and you can playfully diss everyone ("we're better than you")! And as a special incentive, get one FREE with any order! It makes a cute picture frame too!

• The yearbook includes a dvd

  Yearbook. The EEP yearbook includes not only the written yearbook but an action-filled dvd. No EEPster will want to miss the opportunity to memorialize their EEP years, so make sure your EEPster keeps an eye out for the order form!
• EEP smiley face Mug. It's in a bright yellow, of course! Only $5. Guaranteed to put a smile on everybody's face! Brighten up these dreary winter days!
• Rings - EEP class rings, available for 4th year students and graduates, have an EEP logo (pdf drawing) designed by April E. and the insignia of the student's major and year of CSULA graduation. You can get an idea of what the rings will look like at the Jostens website. The rings come in white or yellow gold, and cost $400-450.

Upcoming CSULA Events of Interest for EEP Families

the new Student Union

Student Union Grand Opening! U Live. U Learn. U Grow. The New U! The new U-SU features an outdoor plaza area, expanded computer lab, a student-run Xtreme Fitness center, 200-seat theater, a Starbucks, Alumni Center, and more. See the flyer for the grand opening on Fri, January 9th, 3-10pm.

Lectures.
• "Feminist Ethnography and Dance Ethnography as Mutual Analytics" Speaker: Professor Sansan Kwan teaches classes in performance studies and dance studies, and writes about choreography and everyday movement in three cities of the Chinese diaspora. Mon, Jan 12, 3:15pm. KH4051
• David L. Kubal Memorial Lecture Speaker: V. A. Kolve, internationally renowned Chaucer scholar and a distinguished professor emeritus at UCLA. http://www.calstatela.edu/academic/english/nkolve.htm Thur, Jan 22, 2009 6:30pm Golden Eagle Ballroom
• African American Poetry: From Slave Songs to Neo Hoodoo. Professor Lauri Ramey discusses two of her books, The Heritage Series of Black Poetry 1962-1977 and Slave Songs and the Birth of African American Poetry. Wed, Feb 4th, 6pm. Student Union Theater. website: http://us.macmillan.com/slavesongsandthebirthofafricanamericanpoetry

Lara Schnitger and My Barbarian.

Luckman Gallery. Lara Schnitger and My Barbarian: Dance Witches Dance. This multimedia exhibition marks the US debut of a new collaboration between sculptor Lara Schnitger and the performance collective My Barbarian where music and theatre converge together with sculpture in strange and wonderful ways to play, to battle, and to dance… to conjure and provoke a state of trance. Opening reception: Sat., Jan. 17, 6-8pm. Exhibit at the Luckman Gallery Sat, Jan 17-Sat., Mar 14th (hours M-Th noon-5pm).

One Campus, One Book, an initiative designed to encourage a common reading experience for the entire CSULA community.
• "The Tattooed Soldier," a novel by Héctor Tobar, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter at the L.A. Times, has been selected for this year’s Once Campus, One Book. website, SU Theater Tue, Jan 27th, 3:15-4:20pm

Walls of Passion

Walls of Passion. The Murals of Los Angeles exhibition Sat., Jan 31-Sat., Feb 28th, in the Fine Arts Gallery (Gallery hours M-Th noon-5pm).
• Walls of Passion: Panel Discussion on Sat., Jan 31, 6:30-10pm.

Job Fairs. Call the CSULA Career Development Center at 323-343-3237 for more information. And note that Eagle iJobs is a new system that allows students to search for both on-campus and off-campus jobs, and more.
• Job Fair for the Education field. Wed, Feb 11, 12-4pm in the Golden Eagle Ballroom. Network with employers seeking teachers, counselors and education specialists. Website: http://www.calstatela.edu/univ/cdc/index.htm
• Engineering Career Fair. Thur, Feb 19, 12-3pm in the Golden Eagle Ballroom. Network with top engineering employees seeking to hire Cal State L.A. students for full-time, part-time and internship positions. Professional attire and resumes required! Website: http://www.calstatela.edu/univ/cdc/index.htm

Luckman Theatre. Visit the website at http://www.luckmanarts.org/ or call the Luckman Theatre at 323-343-6600.
• Luckman Jazz Orchestra: Tribute to Wayne Shorter. Shorter is universally regarded as a living legend in jazz; his signature sound is an unparalleled expression on both tenor and soprano saxophone. Sat., Jan 24th, 8pm

Trey McIntyre Project

• Trey McIntyre Project - Luckman debut! An evening of dances inspired by music’s ability to start the creative engine of memory, imagination, and inspiration. The program will include A Day in the Life, set to the music of the Beatles, The Blue Boy, set to Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and a new work commissioned by White Bird. Sat, Feb 14th, 8pm
• Jacques Voyemant Septet, representing the very best of modern original jazz from some of L.A.’s top jazz artists. Sat., Feb 28th, 8:30pm
• The Winter’s Tale (by William Shakespeare). Insanity, poison, bears, and clowns collide in this tragically comic story of Perdita, the prison baby. Intimate Theatre at Luckman Fri, Mar 6, 8pm; Sat, Mar 7, 3pm and 8pm; Sun, Mar 8, 3pm
• Winter Blues. Experience a Southern Roadhouse with infectious, sharp and profoundly emotional brand of southern boogie, rollicking, roadhouse blues and heartfelt ballads. Sat, Mar 7th at 7:30pm
• Minh Tran & Company. Contemporary dance that inspires with its remarkable synthesis of both eastern and western aesthetics. Sat, Mar 14th at 8:30pm
• Luckman Jazz Orchestra: Tribute to John Coltrane There are few jazz musicians who have been revolutionary and as widely imitated as saxophonist, John Coltrane, whose influence extended far outside the realm of jazz. Sat, Mar 21st at 8pm

Be sure to check out the complete CSULA calendar at http://www.calstatela.edu/univ/calendar/ for more details and last-minute additions, and for the Luckman Season, call the Box Office (323-343-6600) or visit the website.

Articles of Interest

EEP holiday party

We have on file dozens of articles that Rich clipped throughout the years. These are mostly from the LA Times and TIME Magazine, and are articles that he thought would be of interest to parents. Check out the article index to find many fascinating articles on a variety of subjects including:
• safety -- identity theft, credit card traps, how to stop junk mail, how to protect against burglary, how safe is MySpace
• education -- how to fix "No Child Left Behind", the ranking revolt, the myth about homework, looking beyond famous schools
• teens -- how a teen's brain works, multitasking generation, "tweens", "twixters", "crispies"
• health -- medical myths, food combinations that fight cancer, arthritis pain relief, earthquake information
• finance -- making your money last through retirement, paying for college

Gap Year. For our soon-to-be-graduates, a "gap year" between undergraduate and graduate school may be a great idea -- to focus on success in graduate school, and not just access to graduate school, and can result in increased focus, maturity and motivation -- see the entire Wall Street Journal article which addresses a gap year before college, but is the perfect age/time for EEPsters prior to graduate school. And thanks to PEEP Peggy Simons (Segall) for sending this on!

even EEP alums still love Santa Claus!

Old Favorites!
• A Nation Deceived - a study summarizing 50 years of research on acceleration and its effectiveness - at this website http://nationdeceived.org/download.html
• TIME's "Saving The Smart Kids" - a 2001 study found that 70% of kids who skipped ahead had no regrets.
• MENSA Bulletin "My Son Is A High-School Dropout -- and Proud Of It."
• "High IQ Kids: Collected Insights, Information, and Personal Stories from the Experts" which received the 2008 Legacy Book Award, a U.S. nationally recognized award for outstanding literature related to gifted children and their education. (Amazon link) -- the EEP section, which Rich contributed, is on pages 197-212.

Links of Interest, Past Issues, Contact Information