The blue, the gold, and the red

This colorful story starts two weekends ago when I went to watch Cal play USC at the Colosseum. I was excited to watch Cal play, but it was terrible. Everything went wrong. It was the worst football game I have ever seen the Bears play in person. While I was saddened by the game, every time USC scored Sidney held me personally responsible for their actions. Their quarterback Matt Barkeley went to my high school.

Now on to the positives of that day. I got to see and talk to people like Juliette and Sidney. Melissa made an appearance, but she was staying with friends at USC. We had dinner at a Chinese restaurant. Since it was happy hour we happily ordered discounted items off the happy hour menu. I got to see where Melissa and Juliette live in West Hollywood. It is amazing how far money goes for housing when you get away from the Bay Area. They live in an interesting and colorful neighborhood; their building is across an alley from a brothel.

This 107.9 mile trip qualifies as a road trip. I took the 405 north, to the 605 north, the 5 north, the 101, stopped in West Hollywood then down the 101 south, to the 110 south to the Colosseum before starting back up the 110 north to the 101 north, then south toward home on the 101 and the 5.

More primary colors
As mentioned before, I have been representing UC Berkeley at college fairs. With the help of another person or two (or three), I answer questions about Berkeley, the admission requirements, programs on campus, and any random thing students or their parents can think of. Most high school students ask for the average GPA (4.39 weighted or 3.93 unweighted) and SAT scores (around 700 for each section) of the incoming class.

Last week I went back to my alma mater Mater Dei High School to work at a college fair for my other alma mater. When I checked in the person at the table recognized me; she was my former guidance councilor. A lot of things have changed. They have a new gym that can seat 9,000 people and a pool on campus. Since my graduation the basketball team won 3 CIF state championships and an alumnus won the Heisman Trophy.

Memorable moments
From the outreaches I did at a few schools I have some interesting moments to share.

• A parent asks "Do you know about the programs of this school?" I think, I am standing behind a table with a big Berkeley banner and a name tag from the school, so of course I do. I ask "Which programs are you interested in?" She starts to tell me about the programs the high school offers to its students. She says the high school should make sure all the college representatives are educated in all the programs the high school offers. This parent was trying to convince me to send my non-existent child to the high school instead of asking why she should send her child to my college.


• I told a high school student in very strong terms "If you do not get into Cal or any other top school your life will not be over. Your life will not suck. Have fun, enjoy what you are doing now."


• A parent asked me "What is the point of this? Students walk around and pick up a flyer from every table. What is the point of all this?"


• A panicked student really wants to go to Cal but got a C in AP Calculus. She wants to know what she can do to make up for it. I tell her I got into Cal and I got a C in AP Calculus as well. After we talk for a long time she walks away and later comes back to the table and spends a longer time talking to one of the other Cal representatives. It is good I did not tell her Cal did not see my C as I got it senior year.


• A student asks, "Is that guy next to you the chancellor?" While Doug is an alumni volunteer like me (who has a degree in physics like me) and not the chancellor, he looked very official with his suit and Cal tie.

The non-chancellor Doug took this picture of Lee and me. Lee said I looked familiar and remembered seeing me when he was visiting a friend who lived on my floor freshman year.